Sin Volume 13 Issue 03

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G a lway N e w s

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FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOL 13, ISSUE 3

10 OCT 2011

RAG Week or Boost to Student Assistance Fund?

Class Reps to Vote on Deal in Special Students’ Union Council.

By Colette Sexton A proposal on the replacement of RAG Week was the main subject for discussion at the first Students’ Union Council of the year on Monday, 3 October.

University President Jim Browne approached members of the Students’ Union last March to request they consider the replacement of RAG week. The SU at that time, including current President, Emmet Connolly, presented the deal, including the concessions that are currently under consideration by class reps, to the University Management Team. After considering the SU pro-

posal for several weeks, management agreed to the terms as outlined by the SU. Traditionally RAG Week was a week-long event based on ‘raising and giving’ money to charity. In the past four to five years however, RAG Week has taken a destructive turn. Excessive drinking, anti-social behaviour and frequent student arrests have become predominant.

The original purpose of RAG Week, to help charities, has been all but forgotten. Last year NUI Galway raised an estimate of only €1.29 per student during the week, with the forty-seven students who took part in the charity skydive

raising over half of the total RAG Week funds.

The actions of students have generated much negative publicity for NUI Galway, prompting the university to request that the week be abolished.

The University Mana g e m e n t Te a m h a s agreed to a number of concessions, which were requested by the SU, in return for the cancellation of RAG Week. Firstly, a one-day concert is proposed for the second semester.

SU Education Officer, Conor Healy, has set up a ‘RAG Week Alternative Committee’ to look at this option. At the Students’ Union Council it was revealed that something akin to the UCD and Trinity College Balls may be introduced.

The second part of the agreement between the Students’ Union and the University would see the university donating an extra sixty thousand euro to the Student Assistant Fund every year that RAG Week is not held. It is estimated that this would keep around sixty to seventy five students in college every year that would otherwise have to drop out due to financial difficulty. Mr Connolly said that he wants headlines in the future to read “Sixty students kept in NUI Galway after cancellation of RAG Week” as opposed to “Forty students arrested over NUI Galway RAG Week.”

At the council meeting, students raised concerns that the Students’ Union had not

Awards of First Class Honours Degrees Scarce In NUI Galway

5

Nationwide Campus Poll Reveals Students' Top Presidential Candidate

10

Tips for Positive Mental Health

12

Five Fun things to do for Free in Galway

15

Interview with Simply Be Finalist Aine Dempsey

21

Fight Night

25

proposed the best deal possible. Others questioned where the figure of €60,000 came from and whether the university could have allocated more than €60,000 to the Student Assistance

Fund. The Students’ Union said they do not know whether a better deal could have been negotiated but are generally pleased with the proposal.

Continued on Page 2

NUI Galway Hosts Ireland's First Slutwalk

By Roisin Peddle

Protestors gather for the Slutwalk. Photograph by Caroline Forde.

Ireland’s first ever Slutwalk took place in NUI Galway on Wednesday 5 October. Despite the bad weather, there was an impressive turnout. The group made their way from the College Bar at 1pm towards the city centre, finishing up in Shop Street before turning back towards the university.

Since the Slutwalk movement began in Toronto in April [See Gerard Madden’s article in Issue 02 of Sin – Ed] Slutwalks have taken off around the world, in diverse locations like Perth, Berlin and Buenos Aires. However, the march organised by NUI Galway Students’ Union

and Feminist Society is a first for Ireland.

Chanting “No means no, yes means yes!” and carrying placards reading “Real men ask first” and “Rapists rape people, not outfits” the brightly dressed, if warmly-wrapped, protestors drew stares from shoppers in Galway city centre. Car horns blasted in support of the march, and the Slutwalk brought a festival air to a gloomy Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s important for both genders,” Rachael Dardis, a participant in the Slutwalk, told Sin. “Rape is not caused by what you wear.

Victim blaming is wrong when it comes to sexual assault.”

Continued on Page 2

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RAG Week or Boost to NUI Galway Hosts Student Assistance Fund? Ireland's First Slutwalk Continued from Page 1 Speaking on the matter, Mr Connolly said that he believes that the Student’ Union had negotiated a good deal: “We would not have put it to the students if it was not a good deal. It addresses the concerns of the students, of the community and of the university.”

Other incentives include a guarantee not to follow the lead of other Irish universties by introducing charges at the Student Health Unit in Áras na Mac Léinn and the abolition of the €2 charge for members of university sports clubs who are not members of the Kingfisher gym, when using the gym facilities for club training. The final part of the proposal is the placement of several fixed SU notice boards in prominent locations around campus.

At the Students’ Union Council, Mr Connolly described the abolition of Rag Week as an “emotional issue” but stressed that there would be serious repercussions if the decision was made to proceed with RAG Week. He believes that if the controversial week goes ahead it is likely that the university will prevent the use of on-campus facilities, except the SU office and the College Bar, to

hold events. It is possible that the additional security required for RAG Week would not be provided by the university, which would put the safety of students at risk. The university may also put pressure on the Gardaí to clamp down on anti-social behaviour by students. Connolly believes that this is the only chance the SU will have to come to an agreement with the university before the university authorities take matters into their own hands: “This is a one time opportunity to make a deal before the university does something drastic.”

Attendees at the Students’ Union Council claimed that many students would try to organise an unofficial RAG Week if the official event is cancelled.

Connolly confirmed that anyone who attempts to restore RAG Week, should it be abolished, will be subject to the university’s Discipline Code. It is likely that there will be changes to the Discipline Code so that any student using social media or any other method to recreate RAG Week could face disciplinary action, though Sin was unable to confirm the nature of these changes with the Committee.

A vote on the RAG Week

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I read with amusement the front-page article by Vice-President Brian Grant on anti-social behaviour from NUI Galway students. […]

The fact of the matter is this. The state recognises students as adults and legally holds them alone accountable for their actions. Neither the Students' Union, the Guards, the University nor the residents are responsible for a student's anti-social behaviour. The student is. If you or indeed residents really want someone else to blame then point your fingers at the parents that let their little darlings off to college thinking that a two fingers to the world attitude in their back

pocket after a night out on the town is acceptable. The Students' Union are not their parents. Their parents are.

To be fair, if we're honest most of us can probably remember a night or two when we over-imbibed and might have been talked a little too loudly on the walk home, and one has to accept as a fact of life that when living in a city there is a chance of occassional yet fleeting night time disturbance. But for the truly unacceptable and sustained disruptive behaviour described in your paper's article there laws are there to deal with it. Antisocial behaviour outside the gates of NUI Galway is a matter for the guards. It's as simple as that. The problem

proposal was scheduled to be held at the Students’ Union Council on 3 October. After a backlash from some class representatives and students who claim that they had not been properly informed on the issue, the vote was postponed. A special meeting of the Students’ Union Council has been called for 6:30pm on Monday, 17 October in the O’Heocha theatre, where it is expected the vote will go ahead.

Before the special meeting, the Students’ Union will have received clarification on the index linking of the €60,000 donated to the Student Assistance Fund every year. This will ensure that inflation does not diminish the sum of money donated. Other logistics such as when the €2 charge for club members using the Kingfisher Gym can be removed will also be confirmed by 17 October.

Only Class Representatives will be eligible to vote on the proposal. Currently, 163 Class Representatives have been elected and registered. The Students’ Union are hoping that this number will reach around 250 by mid October, meaning that most courses will be represented in this vital vote. is enforcement.

It is admirable and probably appropriate that the Students' Union would try and alleviate the problem by reminding students of the possible consequences of their actions but I think in reality, only sufficient Garda resources and not the annual scare tactics in this or any other paper will change that. Given the current financial position of the state I doubt there'll be enough in the kitty for a zero-tolerance crackdown any time soon.

Regards, Eoin Grealis Class of 2008 If you wish to contact Sin email editor@sin.ie. It is advised that letters be limited to 300 words. Mr Grealis’ letter has not been published in full.

Continued from Page 1 The Slutwalk attracted a strong media presence and was marshalled by the Students’ Union and local Gardaí. Representatives from both the Rape Crisis Network and Rape Crisis Centre were in attendance. “We support Slutwalk because we need to put focus back on the perpetrators of these crimes,” says Eva McCann of the Rape Crisis Centre. “Although it’s controversial, we hope it brings about debate.”

She added that there was no evidence that women in short skirts get raped more often than others.

It was not just women at the Slutwalk. Nicholas Fitzgerald, in between leading some chants of “A dress is not a yes,” told Sin how important it is to educate young men on the subject of sexual violence. “It’s incredibly important,” he

said “This is an issue not just for women, but for humans. Everybody needs to know what’s right and what’s wrong. You can never blame the victim.

It’s just as important for men to stand up for this as women.”

Ireland’s rates for reporting sexual assault are low.

Only 38% of those who attended the Rape Crisis Centre in 2009 went on to report their ordeal to the Gardaí. The issue of sexual violence has become prevalent in NUI Galway recently when a female student was assaulted in Dun na Coiribe at the beginning of the semester. The student was walking home alone at 2am and managed to fight off her attacker, before passersby came to her assistance. College authorities are warning students to be vigilant and never walk home alone late

at night.

Slutwalks have brought back echoes of an older feminist movement; the Take Back the Night marches, which began in Philadelphia in 1975.

These were candlelit marches intended to highlight the dangers women faced while walking alone at night.

Further Slutwalks are believed to be planned in Ireland, with Dublin being the most likely venue for the next event. However, no dates have been confirmed as of yet.

If you are affected by any of these issues please contact the Galway Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 355 355 or the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland on 091 563 676.

For more information on the Slutwalk check out www.facebook.com/SlutWalk or www. facebook.com/FeministSocietyNUIG.

Statement from ARAMARK Ireland

re: article entitled “They’re serving chips in paper cones” in Sin, 26 September 2011 ARAMARK Ireland, Ireland’s leading Food Service Company operate ‘An Bhialann’ student restaurant on the campus of NUI Galway. In 2010, ARAMARK Ireland upgraded and extended the faculties at An Bhialann in partnership with the University, providing the 17,500 NUIG students and staff with a new ‘food court’ style service area offering a wide array of dishes from live action stations, where meals can be cooked-to-order, to a bespoke sandwich bar and a salad counter boasting over 25 salad choices on a daily basis.

Speaking about the restaurant Donal O’Brien, CEO of ARAMARK Ireland said, “The restaurant in NUI Galway is operated to the highest standards. We

are committed to providing students and staff with good quality food at prices which are good value for money”.

Recent market research conducted onsite found that students feel An Bhialann is ticking the right boxes with excellent food quality, choice and value for money offerings. Recommendations emerging from the research such as an improved salad and sandwich bar and the addition of pizza and pasta have all been implemented and are now available to students.

Recognising the financial constraints students are facing the prices of all meal deals have been reduced for the 2011/2012 academic year. Prices for main courses and sandwiches are also lower in An Bhialann in

comparison to other establishment’s onsite.

Donal O’Brien, CEO ARAMARK Ireland added “Customer satisfaction is a major priority for us and we would welcome any feedback students may have on how our services can be further improved”.

ARAMARK Ireland has a long standing relationship with the University and has provided food services at NUI Galway since 1992.

The investment made in 2010 resulted in a complete redesign of ‘An Bhialann’ which now boasts a modern, interior finish, new entrances and extended seating. ‘An Bhialann’ also houses a brand new kitchen which incorporates the latest in equipment and services, all designed to deliver a wide choice of top quality dishes.

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Opinion: Adhering to the Constitution at Student Union Council Meetings The Editorial Board Many assumed that the Students’ Union Council’s most lively debate on Monday 3 October would have been the proposal to replace RAG Week. Instead, a different issue raised a lot of anger and frustration from Student’s Union Officer’s and students alike: whether or not the SU officers should read aloud reports at meetings.

Though it will be hotly debated elsewhere, and is not the subject of this editorial, this board holds that provision of essential student services such as free medical care, are paramount over the right of students to enjoy a week of debauched frivolity. Students will always assert that right, just not on the SU’s dime or at the cost of their university’s reputation and community’s safety. Thus, though this board has not examined the particulars of the deal brokered between the SU and the University, we believe that scrapping RAG Week to protect student services is the right step to take.

Conduct at the last Council meeting highlights more basic issues with our student democracy. As mandated in the SU Constitution, elected officers had submitted “electronic report[s] of work done since the last meeting to the Chairperson of the Students’ Union Council.”

In previous years officers read aloud their monthly reports at the beginning of each meeting. However, this year it was decided that reports would instead be

sent out to Class Representatives via email and made available in print, rather than be presented in the meetings. It was decided at the 3 October meeting that in order to bring the RAG week motion forward, the Officer reports would be addressed later in the meeting. However, due to “time constraints” – likely arising due to the meeting starting fifteen minutes later than scheduled - this point of the agenda was nearly brushed over, sparking heated debate.

In denying officers the opportunity to speak on the 3 October meeting, Class Reps were denied the opportunity to ask questions. Though the SU constitution does not require that the reports be presented in meetings, it does state, in Section 5.C.vii, that “all students may speak on motions and ask questions of the officers.” The board acknowledges that sending out Officer reports electronically in advance of meetings may allow Class Reps time to read at their leisure, and contribute to more efficient Council meetings. Our concern is that the decision made on 3 October was not constitutional.

In order to refer the RAG week motion back to a Special meeting of the Council, the SU Officers did refer to the constitution, so the SU do take the constitution seriously. Furthermore, it was proven that the SU is a democratic body, as the chairperson and president attempted to put the decision to move on without

the Officer Reports to a show-of-hands vote. However the SU constitution states, “Members…may raise motions…not less than three college days prior to the meeting.”

Thus, the fact that the agenda was changed during the meeting itself is unconstitutional. Further, we note that the vote that was taken — on whether officers should present their reports — was unconstitutional, because that motion was not submitted three college days prior to the meeting. Indeed, had the RAG Week motion been put to a vote, it too would have been unconstitutional, since the motion itself was not finalised until the weekend preceeding the meeting, and not the mandatory “three college days.”

To vote on the RAG week deal a special meeting of the Council has been called for next week. We are encouraged that the SU constitution was consulted and the requisite procedures followed in calling for the special meeting. We only ask, then, that the SU professionalise its behavior and show such care and constitutional deference at all times. Because the impromptu vote last week was unconstitutional, we urge the SU to revisit the issue of officer reports and to seek a better solution.

Furthermore we recommend a proviso for late entry of a motion. This will prevent a similar incident from happening again and will also allow the Council to address issues which may arise the day of the meet-

ing. Without such a proviso a serious issue could go a full month without being addressed.

We wish the SU well in negotiating and attempting to pass the RAG week deal.

A successful SU results in a better-off student body.

For that reason, we want to make sure that the SU follows its own constitution.

Otherwise, as we have shown, its decisions can be overturned on charges of being unconstitutional.

And, because the vote last week was unconstitutional, we urge the Council to revisit the issue of officer reports and to seek a better solution.

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Editorial

I keep saying it: Sin is your newspaper.

We represent a very broad student body. For this reason, Sin is not political. We do not ascribe to any one political party or belief. However we do take a moral stance. As such we have convened an Editorial Board. This board is made up of an anonymous group of Sin contributors, and I, as Editor, will answer to issues arising from Editorial

Duanna Tuite holds up her sign at the Slutwalk

Editor: Rosemary Gallagher | editor@sin.ie Layout: Shannon Reeves | Contact via Ed. News Editor: Colette Sexton | LocalNews.SinEd@gmail.com Features Editors: Orla Reilly and Arthur Walsh Foreman | Features.SinEd@gmail.com Fashion, Arts & Entertainment Editor: Ashling O Loughlin | ArtsEntertainment.SinEd@gmail.com Sports Editor: Marian Clohosey | Sport.SinEd@gmail.com Photography: Ciara Holmes (unless otherwise specified) | Photography.SinEd@gmail.com Contributors: Leigh Ashmore | Barnacle | Colleen Ní Bhaistir | Aoife Brennan | Eileen Cameron | Aisling Crowe | Eistear de Búrca | Ian Colgan | Eileen Coughlan | Fiona Curran | Darcy | Frances Dennehy | Ronan Doyle | Lisa Fitzgerald | Erika Fox | Louise France | Peter Gallagher | Fiona Gillespie | Peter Glynn | Brian Grant | John Hannon | Michael Healy | Sinead Healy | Ciara Holmes | Neil Hyland | Jane Kearns | Mark Kelly | Jordan Lillis | Gerard Madden | Myles McKittrick | Conor Mulloy | Liam O’Brien | Aine O’Donnell | Fionnuala O’Leary | Ashling O Loughlin | Marese O’Sullivan | Roisin Peddle | Lyndia Peters | Kate Quigley | Katy Quinn | Colette Sexton | Ultan Sharkey | J.N. Sheahan | Lia Stokes | Jessica Thompson

Board articles. The opinions expressed by this Editorial Board are the opinions of Sin Newspaper.

I wish to congratulate Mark Pierce on his nomination as Mature Student Officer. The election, held on 6 October, had an exceedingly low voter turnout with only 131 valid votes. Coupled with the results of the campus poll [see page 10] I feel compelled to urge you all to register to vote.

Your vote is your voice in government, and in your Students’ Union. You can effect change. To do so, you must use your voice.

I also wish to thank Donal O’Brien, CEO of Aramark Ireland, for his response to the article published in the last issue of Sin regarding An Bhialann here on campus. He has demonstrated a real interest and regard for students welfare.

On that note, we love to hear your comments. You can contact me, or any of the sub-editors if you would like to get involved and contribute to your paper.

We value your comments, your questions, even your complaints! You can contact Darcy and Barnacle for unqualified advice on your personal life; you can request a journalist or photographer to cover your event; you can ask Aoife Brennan for advice on health and nutrition. Let us know what’s going on in your life, in your course, in your club or society.

Finally we are always looking for new writers.

We have some regular contributors, and some one-hit-wonders (as in, I wonder if they will submit another great article some time...). We accommodate all skill levels. If you think your writing is not up to scratch, don’t worry: that’s what editors are for. Contributing to your paper is not only excellent for your CV, its fun too. Everyone likes to see their name in print, unless of course it’s followed by “of no fixed address.” We have editorial meetings every Tuesday in AC203 on the Concourse, from 7 – 8pm. See you there!

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Glór Ghaeltachta: B.A. sa Chumarsáid san Acadamh Le Colleen Ní Bhaistir Tá s ú i l a g a m g o bhfuil tuiscint níos fearr agaibh faoin Acadamh anois tar éis an alt an seachtain seo caite.

Bíonn go leor rudaí ar siúl san Acadamh ach bíonn muid ar staidéar freisin!

Táim sa tríú bliain den B.A sa Chumarsáid faoi láthair. Is é an bliain seo an bliain is fearr, dar liom, mar téann tú amach ar taithí oibre!

Is cúrsa ceithre bliana atá i gceist leis an B.A sa Chumarsáid atá ar siúl amuigh ar an gCeathrú Rua. Bíonn tú ag plé le teilifís, raidió, iriseoireacht, Gaeilge agus ríomhaireacht.

Thosaigh an cúrsa sa bliain 2004 agus go dtí seo tá céim bainte

amach ag dhá bliain.

Sa chéad agus dara bliain bíonn tú ag foghlaim go leor! Bíonn ranganna an cosúil le Scileanna Craoltóireachta Raidió (Radio Broadcast Skills) Scileanna Craoltóireachta Teilifíse (Television Broadcast Skills) Dlí, Eiticí agus an Córas Poiblí (Law, Ethics and the Public System) Léiriú na Físe (Audiovisual Production) Staidéar na Meán Craolta (Media Studies - Broadcast) agus mar sin de! Chomh maith leis sin bíonn ranganna Gaeilge cainte agus scriofa agat. Tá a fhios go mbreathnaíonn sé saghas deacair agus cinnte go bhfuil obair le dhéanamh ann ach bíonn craic agat le do rang agus lena teagascóirí freisin!

Bíonn deis agat roinnt tionscnamh a dhéanamh. Mar shampla rinneamar físeán ceoil nuair a bhí mé sa chéad bliain agus clár raidió freisin. Anuraidh agus mé sa dara bliain bhí muid ag craolta beo ón Acadamh ar Flirt FM sa príomh-champas le cabhair ón ceithre bliain. Chomh maith leis sin rinneamar clár teilifíse beag sa chéad agus dara bliain, bhí deis againn scriptanna a scríobh, aisteoirí a fhail agus mar sin de.

Sa tríú bliain téann tú amuigh ar taithí oibre. Is féidir leat bliain a chaitheamh ag staidéar thar lear nó Socrúchán Oibre (Internship) nó Foghlaim Phobalbhunaithe (Community-based Learning).

Is páirt éigeantach

den B.A sa Chumarsáid ná bliain a chaitheamh amuigh ar taithí oibre.

Téann muid amach ag obair chun scileanna nua a foghlaim, casadh le duine nua agus fíor taithí a fháil faoin saol oibre.

Is focail leathan é 'taithí oibre' agus bhí deis againn roinnt rudaí a dhéanamh don bliain. Ar an gcead dul síos bhí deis againn dul ar Erasmus; dul thar lear ag staidéar ar feadh bliana. Chomh maith leis sin is féidir leat an bliain a chaitheamh ag obair le carthanacht, cosúil le 'Childline', Saint Vincent de Paul agus mar sin. Nó post a fháil thar lear. Fiú go bhfuil muid ag staidéar trí Gaeilge is féidir linn post a fhail le Béarla.

Is féidir leat obair a dhéanamh sa pobail

Park & Ride Bus Service Ride Bus Service Timetable - Semester 1, 2011 PARKPark&&RIDE BUS SERVICE Peak Morning Service from 1, Dangan Carpark (every 15 minutes) Timetable - Semester 2011

Timetable - S

8.00, 8.15, 8.30, 8.45, 9.00, 9.15, 9.30, 9.45, 10.00, 10.15, 10.30, 10.45, 11.00 Peak Morning Service from Dangan Carpark (every 15 minutes) 8.00, 8.15, 8.30, 8.45, 9.00, 9.15, 9.30, 9.45,

11.30, 12.00, 12.30

Lunchtime Shuttle Mid–Morning lite From Orbsen Building 13.00, 13.30

Lunchtime Shuttle From Orbsen Building

Lunchtime Shuttle From Dangan Carpark 13.15, 13:45

AN TSEIRBHÍS Park & Timetable RidePÁIRCEÁLA Bus Service - Semester& 1, TAISTIL 2011 Timetable - Semester 1, 2011 Amchlár –S

Peak Morning Service from Dangan Carpark (every 15 minutes)

8.00, 8.15, 8.30, 8.45, 9.00, 9.15, 9.30, 9.45, 10.00, 10.15, 10.30, 10.45, 11.00 Peak Morning Service from Dangan Carpark (every 15 minutes)

13.15, 13:45

Afternoon lite Service from Orbsen Building (every 30 minutes)

14.30, 15.00, 15.30 Afternoon lite Service from Orbsen14.00, Building (every 30 minutes)

lite

8.00, 8.15, 8.30, 8.45, 9.00, 9.15, 9.30, 9.45,

10.15, 10.30, 10.45, from 11.00 Dangan Carpark (every 30 minutes) Mid - 10.00, Morning lite Service

11.30, 12.00, 12.30 Mid - Morning lite Service from Dangan Carpark (every 30 minutes) 11.30, 12.00, 12.30

Lunchtime Shuttle From Orbsen Building

Lunchtime Shuttle From Dangan Carpark

13.00, 13.30

14.00, 14.30, 15.00, 15.30

13.00, 13.30

Lunchtime Shuttle From Orbsen Building

Bus ag Am Lóin ó Áras Oirbsean 13.00, 13.30

17.45, 18.00, 18.15, 18.30, 18.45, 19.00

The night time service is no longer running.

University is providing a free EMERGENCY taxi shuttle from Orbsen to the Dangan carpark (only).

The night time The service is no longer running.

9pmaplease telephone 091-561111 to request the Dangan The University isAfter providing free EMERGENCY taxi shuttle from Orbsenatotaxi thejourney Danganto carpark (only). carpark.

After 9pm pleasePlease telephone 091-561111 request a taxi journey to the Dangan note: No other to taxi destinations are possible and thecarpark. service is only available from 9pm to 11pm Please note: No other destinations are possible and the is only available from 9pm to 11pm Your taxi staff/student number and name willservice be requested by the driver, for our records.

Your staff/student number and name will be requested by the driver, for our records.

13.15, 13:45

Lunchtime Shuttle From Dangan Carpark

Bus ag Am Lóin ó Charrchlós an Daingin 13.15, 13:45

14.30, 15.00, 15.30 Afternoon lite Service from Orbsen14.00, Building (every 30 minutes) 14.00, 14.30, 15.00, 15.30

Peak Evening Service from Orbsen Building (every 15 minutes) Peak Evening Service from Orbsen Building (every 17.00, 15 minutes) 17.15, 17.30, 16.00, 16.15, 16.30, 16.45, 17.45, 18.00, 18.15, 18.30, 18.45, 19.00 16.00, 16.15, 16.30, 16.45, 17.00, 17.15, 17.30, 17.45, 18.00, 18.15, 18.30, 18.45, 19.00

The night time service is no longer running.

University is providing a free EMERGENCY taxi shuttle from Orbsen to the Dangan carpark (only).

The night time The service is no longer running.

Ní seirbhís ar fáil After 9pmana please telephone 091-561111 to request the Dangan The bheidh University is providing freehoíche EMERGENCY taxiníos shuttlemó. from Orbsenatotaxi thejourney Danganto carpark (only). carpark.

After 9pm please telephone 091-561111 to request a taxi journey toin theaisce Dangan Please note: No other taxi destinations are possible and ar thecarpark. service is only available 9pm to 11pm Tá an Ollscoil ag cur tacsaí ÉIGEANDÁLA saor fáil ó Oirbsean chuigfrom carrchlós Please note: No other destinations are possible and the is only available from 9pm to 11pm Your taxi staff/student number and name willservice be requested by the driver, for our records.

Your staff/student number and name will be requested by the driver, for our records.

a dhéanamh ar thacsaí chuig carrchlós an Daingin.Tabhair faoi deara: Ní féidir tacsaí

Dangan carpark. Please note: No other taxi destinations are possible and the service is student number and name will be requested by the driver, for our records.

foirne/mic léinn a lua leis an tiománaí.

Buildings Office, 2011; subject to change Buildings Office, 2011; subject to change

QR code timetable QR code timetable QR code timetable

Lunchtime Shuttle From Dangan Carpark

Afternoon lite Service from Orbsen Building (every 30 minutes)

Peak Evening Service from Orbsen Building (every 15 minutes) Peak Evening Service from Orbsen Building (every 17.00, 15 minutes) 17.15, 17.30, 16.00, 16.15, 16.30, 16.45, 17.45, 18.00, 18.15, 18.30, 18.45, 19.00 16.00, 16.15, 16.30, 16.45, 17.00, 17.15, 17.30,

munity). Le Táirgeadh don Fhoghlaim Phobalbhunaithe bíonn tú ag obair le scoile a múineadh daltaí na scileanna ata agat ón ollscoile agus taithí oibre. Bíonn do gnáth ranganna agat freisin.

Le haghaidh tuilleadh eolais faoin Acadamh agus na cúrsaí atá ar súil is féidir leat an suíomh http://www.acadamh. ie/ a úsáid. Nó teacht síos ar cúirt!

Beidh an colún seo i ngach eagrán den pháipéar ‘Sin’ go deireadh an tseimeastair agus beidh muid ag plé taobh na Gaeilge d’Ollscoil na hÉireann Gaillimhe arís. Má tá aon tuairimí agaibh seol chuig an bpáipéar iad ag editor.sin@gmail. com nó seol chuig Áras na Mac Léinn, OÉ Gaillimh iad.

Park & Ride Bus Service

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Agus an bliain deireanach! Caitheadh t ú r o g h a a d h é a namh sa bliain sin idir teilifís, raidió agus iriseoireacht agus bíonn Miontráchtas (Minor Dissertation) le scríobh agat. Chomh maith leis sin déanann tú Táirgeadh don Fhoghlaim Phobalbhunaithe (Learning in the Com-

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{sin} 13–03

G a lway N e w s

{5} 10–10

NUI Galway Miserly on First-Class Honours Degrees

By Ian Colgan A recent article published in The Irish Times (Tuesday, 27 September) revealed which of Ireland’s universities doled out the most firstclass honours degrees between the years 2005 and 2010. NUI Galway placing second to last with regards to the amount of students receiving first class honours degrees, ahead only of University College Dublin.

The third level institutions included in the survey were University College Dublin, Trin-

ity College, University College Cork, Dublin City University, NUI Maynooth, University of Limerick, and NUI Galway. When the evidence was weighed up, it showed that 13% of NUI Galway graduates received a first-class honours degree, which was below the national average of roughly 16%.

In 2010 only 11% of NUI Galway graduates were awarded a first class honours degree.

Wi t h r e g a r d s t o upper second-class honours, NUI Galway fell 5% short of the national average, with

about 40% of graduates achieving 2:1s, although in 2010 it was below the average again with only 38%.

Overall, NUI Galway bestowed honours degree on 74% of their graduates, but once again this was below the national average of 80%.

There was more cause for concern with a sizable 21% of NUI Galway graduates getting a pass degree — a worrying drift considering that most universities were below 10% in this category. The closest to NUI Galway in quantity

Siobhan O Higgins, Lorraine O Connell and Niamh Kinnarney from AIDS West at the Volunteer Fair 27 September

Overheard in NUI Galway Jason Mcmorrow Girl to guy: The only thing black about you is your hair.

Keith Galvin Kate Mc: Are ye like them nocturnal twins? No not nocturnal, identical!

Cathal Brennan In cps last thurs: Me: Will ya shift my friend?

Girl: No Me: Will ya shift me so?

I just thought of it on the spot...sooo funny

Dean Boyce Met my new neighbour Áine the last day, told her I was from Donegal, she asked me did I need to change my sterling to euro every weekend before I come down!?

Ronan Carr *in very sexual voices Guy: Can ya touch your nose?...

Girl: I can ya...

Guy: Go on...

Gerry Lee Guy in Bialann "Oh yeah I like pickin my nose! Sure ate a few snots before! Everyone has done that right?"

Rachel Lafferty Girl walking with friend: So I just like wrote (on twitter), "Oh my god just heard Des Bishop has like one testicle" followed

Rosemary Gallagher Ageism on the Concourse!

"Every time I see a mature student walk into a theatre I think he's the lecturer."

by #desbishop... He replied "Thanks for sharing that"...

Friend: 'Sure it's not really something you'd want people to know...'

of pass degrees was UL, with 14%.

The unwelcome news forms the second part of a heavy one-two punch to NUI Galway since the beginning of the academic year. The first came in early September when the latest QS rankings of the ‘World’s Best Universities’ saw NUI Galway catapulted sixty-six places down the list from to 298.

The most recent survey has damaged its reputation further, but it must be remembered that the findings in The Irish Times’ study are less an indication of low standards or ability on the part of students, than they are a gauge of the stringency of how various universities mark.

Within this positive slant there is potential for negative impact.

Students choosing a university may very well lean towards the one more likely to award them the healthier grade, and deem this a factor well worth taking into consideration when filling in CAO forms — a mindset that could see NUI Galway slide down students’ lists of preferences.

NUI Galway and DCU both operate under a common grading system employed by many Irish universities that puts any mark equal to or above 70% in the first-class honours bracket. With this fact firmly at the fore, it hampers the speedy identification of any obvious or official differences between university grading systems that might explain the discrepancies.

It would mean that the evident disparity in the amount of firstclass honours between NUI Galway and DCU comes down to a basic, but less tangible difference in the perceptions of standards and what exactly constitutes a 70% or sets apart a firstclass honours from a second-class honours.

DCU awarded 18% of its graduates first-class honours degrees, for instance, which put it at the top, just ahead of UCC, and suggests they are the most merciful when it comes to marking.

“It’s the marks and standards, and the interpretation of the standard,” says Dr. Mary Fleming of NUI

Galway’s School of Education. “A 70% here would not be the same as a 70% somewhere else. There are different standards.”

Troels Henriksen, an Erasmus student studying law at NUI Galway, has experienced this trend before in his own university in Denmark: “It must be a deliberate policy,” he says, while maintaining that it is a reality lecturers make known and employers are aware of and take into account. “But the downside is it means that you cannot compare students between universities, you can only compare them within one university.”

According to NUI G a l w a y ’s R e g i s t r a r Office, with autumn results now available it means that the statistics for 2011 are currently being assembled. These are being finalised for a report intended for the Council of Deans and then the Academic Council. It is expected that by the end of the month when the statistics are ready, more will be known about this trend and whether it will continue into the future.

NUI Galway Leads the Way for Disability Law in Europe

By Liam O’Brien NUI Galway’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy is set to lead the European Union Marie Curie Initial Training Network, a €3.7 million project across Europe. Three PhD students (Magdolna Birtha, Abigail Rekas and Anna Arstein-Kerslake) recently arrived at NUI Galway from Hungary and the USA to begin their three year doctoral studies under the program.

The Centre for Disability Law and Policy here at NUIG was awarded the grant to direct the scheme for the

next three years. This is the largest EU Framework 7 grant awarded to an Irish Law school’s research centre.

The project, in which NUIG is partnered with several other leading European universities, consists of an international team of fourteen researchers who hope to provide positive new options for European disability law and policy to accompany the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “The research is not only theoretical but also practical,” says Magdolna Birtha. Several international Non-Gov-

ernmental Organisations such as Brussels’ European Disability Forum will help the students with paid placements.

Not only is this likely to aid NUI Galway in the future and help improve access for students with disabilities, but it will also receive credit for playing a key role in the project. “It is useful for a university to be part of this project,” continues Magdolna, “and all outcomes will go under the name of the university.”

Not only will NUIG’s students benefit eventually, but the university itself will have helped in making changes across Europe.

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G a lway N e w s

{sin} 10–10

Lack of Course Information for B.A. Connect Students

By Marése O’Sullivan Students of NUI Galway’s eight B.A. Connect programmes are still given very little information about their specialism modules, even though the B.A. Connect courses are now in their fourth year, Sin has learned.

In 2008, the university introduced the four-year B.A. Connect degree programme, offering a range of specialisms from Children’s Studies, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Global Women’s Studies, Human Rights, Irish Studies, Latin American Studies to Theatre and Performance. However, limited guidance has been given to students with regards to module registration and course content, despite the high marks needed to qualify for a Connect course, which can be almost 170 points higher than an omnibus Arts degree.

Each B.A. Connect programme has its own specific entry requirements – such as Garda Vetting – and, in the eyes of the Central Applications Office, is seen as a separate qualification to that of a B.A. degree. Connect students select three subjects in first year in conjunction with their specialism. The chosen Connect specialism is then pursued alongside the two traditional B.A. subjects during the remaining three years. In second year,

Connect students must drop a module from each of their main two subjects because of their extra specialism, which Sin discovered is a fact that many students are unaware of until they have commenced their second year.

An anonymous second year B.A. Connect student tells Sin, “It is pretty logical to assume that the information you need to know about each B.A. Connect course, how it's run and what is expected of you, would be readily available.

A huge amount of hassle, headache and heartache could have been avoided if there had been even a fifteen minute talk with all the Connect students to explain. Quite a few people didn't know what to do when they were registering for their subjects and module choices.”

Students focus solely on their specialism for their third year but this involves further problems, particularly for Language and Psychology students. The former must accommodate their Erasmus requirement (which can be from three months to an entire academic year abroad) while balancing it with the work for their Connect programme. Third year student Hannah O’Reilly is studying Theatre and Performance with English and French,

E d ito rial Meetings

and must attend lectures in France this year rather than concentrate entirely on her specialism. She says figuring out how her Connect subject and language studies would factor into her third year has been a challenging experience. “When you feel that a course or a class has gone badly, it can never really be justified. I found that it was impossible to keep on top of any subject, let alone excel in it.”

A student taking Psychological Studies who wished to continue it to degree level, claims it was not made clear that it was necessary to drop a Psychology module in second year because of their Connect specialism.

They then have to compensate for this by doing the module they dropped in third year instead, automatically exempting them from doing an Erasmus year.

The fourth year students are forced to drop their Connect subject altogether in final year, leading to great disappointment. They are the first of their kind to undergo their chosen specialisms from beginning to end and feel very much victimised by the trial-anderror B.A. Connect decisions made by the university’s College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies. Fourth year B.A. Connect Theatre and Performance student, Peter Shine, regrets that

more was not done to help them with the specialisms, but says there is still hope for new students who will learn from previous Connect students’ experiences. He warns, “I mainly had problems when it came to second year: I had a tough time in Semester One trying to get an English seminar because I learned so late about the way I had to choose. I don’t think information was laid out very clearly. Also, it was not explained that the credits must balance for each semester, which was a little frustrating.”

He recommends that the university conduct a general B.A. Connect seminar at the start of each year, providing vital information and clearing up any issues students have. “The overall registration methods of the college are very poor. A B.A. Connect seminar could make it clear what they are offering and exactly what it is you get for putting in this extra specialism work, as well as talking about registration and the credits system. In essence, my B.A. will not be unlike a regular omnibus B.A., but at the start the university was making it out to be a big difference.”

Students’ Union President, Emmet Connolly, tells Sin: “We’ve had occasional queries regarding the B.A. Connect for the past couple of years now. Some issues

have been resolved but some clearly haven’t. It seems to me that both the students and the university would benefit from the suggested B.A. Connect seminars at the beginning of each academic year, so that students can have their questions answered and so any confusion can be addressed early on.”

Vice-Dean of Learning and Assessment, Dr. Frances McCormack, commented, “As the courses differ from each other in both content and structure, introductory classes for Connect students are managed by individual Programme Directors, who each look after approximately fifteen students in each programme. This

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are held every Tuesday

7– 8pm in AC203

29/4/10

November I shall be distributing surveys and holding workshops with fourth year students on the B.A. Connect programme to seek evaluation of their third year, and of their experience in general. The College Office and the Programme Directors will take on board any feedback and endeavor to improve wherever improvement is required.”

As the first B.A. Connect final years will graduate in 2012, the university will have a more concrete knowledge of how the courses will proceed, but current students wish to be given a better idea now of how to progress with their B.A. Connect studies each academic year.

Benefits of Volunteering ◗

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Earn the NUI Galway Presidential Award for Volunteering, the ALIVE Certificate

Give your time and get so much more in return www.nuigalway.ie/alive alive@nuigalway.ie

{sin} 13–03

G a lway N e w s

Boost for American Students Wishing to Study at NUI Galway A new scholarship programme has been launched at NUI Galway this week

by President James Browne for American students eager to complete a Masters at the university. The scholarship, known as the USNI Victory Scholarship, is offered to American students with an interest in sport as the focus of the scholarship is to promote international relations through this medium.

The scholarship, which was first introduced in the University of Ulster, has been extended to universities in the Republic of Ireland. The aim of the scholarship is to “to raise the aspiration of young people through sporting excellence.” Recipients are chosen on the basis of their sporting prowess and work with Irish teams and clubs throughout their stay in Ireland. The students will also gain valuable work experience, interning with Irish businesses while continuing their studies.

The American students who received the scholar-

ship this year are Timothy Coyne from St. John Fisher College in New York State and Will Archambault from Davidson College in North Carolina. Both students are commencing a Masters degree in International Management at NUI Galway’s School of Business. They will be playing and coaching for Titans’ basketball club based in Galway. The club has gained 440 adult and junior members since starting in 2004.

Mr. Browne welcomed the introduction of this initiative to NUI Galway “the USNI Victory Scholarship Programme is a great initiative which facilitates improved access to education at NUI Galway while also deepening linkages through sport with our wider community in Galway”. The President also thanked the co-operation of Galway University Foundation and its donors in the United States for the USNI Victory Scholarship Programme and USNI Sport and Titans Basketball Club.

The programme not

only improves local communities in Galway but also strengthens NUI Galway’s relationship with the United States. The scholarship will bring more American students each year to the already impressive number of 700 Junior Year Abroad Programme students who attend the University annually and other American students who complete their full degree at the University.

The Director of USNI Sport Gareth Maguire outlined the importance of the programme for NUI Galway “We believe that providing a programme that enhances personal development, academic achievement and sporting excellence will pay dividends for the scholars as well as all the young people in Galway they will work with over the course of their year”. He added “We are delighted that NUI Galway is the first university in the Republic of Ireland to offer this exciting initiative and have every belief that it will be a huge success for all concerned.”

Dr. Brian Lacey Addresses NUI Galway Archaeology

By Eileen Cameron NUI Galway’s Archaeology Society hosted its first Guest Lecture on Tuesday, 4 October. The Guest Speaker was Dr. Brian Lacey CEO of the Discovery Programme.

The Discovery Programme was founded in 1991 to advance research in Irish archaeology. Its main purpose is to engage in full-time archaeological and related research, and to communicate the results of that research, as appropriate, to scholars and

the general public. It also promotes the introduction of new technologies and new techniques into Irish archaeology. The organisation is governed by a Council and Directorate whose members comprise leading Irish archaeologists from the whole of the country (north and south).

Dr. Brian Lacey has been CEO of the Discovery Programme since May 1998. In the 1980s Dr. Lacey directed a pioneering archaeological survey of County Donegal. His topic for the lecture was

“The Landscape Archaeology of the Medieval Kingdoms of Donegal.”

Dr. Lacey discussed how Donegal has had little archaeological investigation due perhaps to lack of development there.

He demonstrated how he combined archaeology, early Irish history and geography to better understand the medieval landscape of Donegal.

Surveys of physical features, studying the Annals and topography were used to unravel the complex politico-geographies of

10–10

NUI Galway Observatory Opens Window to the Universe

by Gerard Madden

By Áine O Donnell

{7}

NUI Galway's Centre of Astronomy is to resume a series of open events at the Imbusch Observatory in Dangan. The events, which are open to all, will involve an hour-long lecture on the wonders of the cosmos. They will be followed by the opportunity for members of the public to use the observatory’s world class telescopic equipment, access to which is normally confined to students and researchers of physics and astronomy at NUI Galway. The first of these events will take place at 7pm on Wednesday, 12 October, and continue to 21 December, the Winter Solstice.

Speaking to Sin, the D i r e c t o r o f N U I G ’s Centre of Astronomy, astrophysicist Dr. Andy Shearer, outlined why the Imbusch laboratory is being made open to the public, emphasising the importance and value of increasing scientific knowledge amongst the general public. “Through our Open Nights, which have been running for five years now, we hope to achieve a number of objectives,” he explains.

“Firstly to demonstrate some of the wonders of the universe - if you like the wow factor. Secondly we want to showcase some the local kingdoms during the early medieval period.

The Grianán of Aileach is a group of historic monuments at the edge of the Inishowen peninsula, built on the hill of Grianán which is 244 metres high.

Most writers have identified the site as being the great “royal fort” of Aileach.

The fort at Croaghan Hill is believed to be a place of ritual inauguration. Dr Lacey suggested that it is on a par with other “Royal Sites” in Ireland - in effect the “Tara”

of our own research, and finally through both of these encourage students to take up Physics and Astrophysics at third level.”

Increasing the numbers studying physics at third level is one of the key goals of the open events.

“The numbers doing Physics with Astrophysics are up and at the level we have planned for,” according to Dr. Shearer, “The numbers doing Physics with Applied Physics and Physics with Medical Physics are down compared to last year. In part this just a normal fluctuation in student numbers, but it does mean we will be increasing our publicity about physics over the next year.”

The Imbusch Observatory is dedicated to Prof Frank Imbusch, a retired professor of experimental physics in NUIG. The centre was opened in 2004 for use by NUI Galway’s community of astrophysics students, giving Galway

City its own window to the universe. Using the facilities’ top class telescopic equipment, researchers are able to analyse and measure the sun and the Milky Way, and well as observing the bright objects that light up our cosmos, such as planets, star clusters, and nebulae. Describing what participants of the series of events would experience if they attended the openings, Dr. Shearer explained, “During the open evening you will be shown an exciting view of the cosmos including our 3-D tour of the universe which will take you from Galway to the edge of the universe.”

The events are by ticket only, bookings of which are available on a first come first served basis and are limited to two tickets per booking. Those wishing to attend the Centre of Astronomy’s series of events should request a booking by e-mail to tara. shanahan@nuigalway.ie.

The events will offer a glimpse into the cosmos. of Donegal, with the River Finn being etymogically linked to the River Boyne.

In around 550AD the area now known as Co Donegal contained 12 separate kingdoms, from the Cenél nEogain in the north to the Cenél Cairpre in the South. By 800AD there were only 4 kingdoms as the strongest, such as the Cenél Conaill, gradually subsumed the others. The first two, and possibly three, so called “Kings of Ireland” came from this area, thus demonstrating its importance

in the early medieval times.

Dr. Lacey used a combination of maps and stunning photographs to demonstrate the changes reflected in the Donegal landscape during this period.

The lecture provided much food for thought among the attendees and guests from a range of disciplines including history, archaeology and geography. The lecture was followed by a reception in the River Inn hosted by the Archaeology Society.

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G a lway N e w s

13–03

Lively Debate Precedes Transgender Panel Discussion

By Eileen Coughlan “Private Members’ Time,” the open forum for NUI Galway students to air their grievances before the weekly meeting of the Literary and Debating Society, has in recent weeks been taken up by discussions of bestiality, ‘tweens’ and The Lion King, leading some to wonder whether today’s students are really so detached from real life as to consider these the burning issues of their day. However, the debate before the panel discussion on transgender issues on the 29 September was a welcome change.

At the debate, Seán Kearns proposed abolishing all LGBT university societies, including GiGSoc, saying they

served no purpose other than to alienate gay students from the wider university community and that they confirm stereotypes by organising events like Rocky Horror showings. GiGSoc members and former members spoke passionately in defence of their society, emphasising its welcoming attitude to all students, whatever their orientation, and explaining the need for LGBT societies in an environment where gay people still face discrimination.

After the heated nature of the GigSoc debate, the panel discussion almost felt like an anti-climax, with all speakers remaining calm and polite throughout, despite occasionally passionate contributions from audience members.

Louise Hannon, who was

awarded over €35,000 in compensation after being unfairly dismissed from her job when she began coming to work in her female identity, spoke about the hurt caused by comments on state funding of sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Fine Gael TD and former Mayor of Galway, Brian Walsh was quoted in the Irish Times dismissing such surgeries as “essentially cosmetic procedures.” Keith Tiller, a former transgender person, who now directs Parakaleo, a “Christian ministry seeking to uphold Biblical values to the transvestite, transsexual and transgendered person,” echoed these sentiments when he spoke of the trauma suffered by transsexual people who are “unconvincing” in their

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achieved gender. This statement was greeted by a sharp intake of breath on the part of many audience members.

Ms. Hannon explained that SRS was about far more than that, saying that although she is no longer in contact with either of her sons because of her transition, “the person you see before you now is the person I always should have been.”

Don Horrocks of the UK Evangelical Alliance said he actively opposed discrimination against transsexual people and had helped appoint a transsexual person to the board of his church, but was firm in his belief that gender dysphoria is merely a symptom of underlying psychological conditions and that humans do not have the ability to decide their own gender.

All speakers agreed that it is dangerous to view surgery as a quick solution to gender dysmorphia, with Bernie Fitzgerald, a gender therapist for Rainbow Support Services in Limerick, speaking of the severe lack of trained counsellors to treat people with gender problems.

GiGSoc organise a wide variety of events on a weekly basis, details of which are on their Facebook page. New members can contact the society to arrange to meet with someone before going to an event. The National LGBT Helpline is 1890 929 539.

{sin} 10–10

Provision of Public Toilets in Cathedral Square

By Colette Sexton Councillor Padraig Conneely has reiterated his call for the provision of public toilets beside Galway Cathedral. The Cathedral Square acts as a bus depot for a large number of NUI Galway students as well as several tourist bus operators.

Last year Galway City Council agreed to install two public toilets in the area around the Cathedral. It was decided that the toilets would be designed in a way that complemented the surrounding area. Councillor Conneely explained that it was important to preserve the aesthetics of the area: “We made a decision last year in principle that two public toilets would go into the Cathedral Square because obviously it is an important area. It was intended that the aesthetics of the area would be preserved as there are stone walls and trees there so it was planned that they would look aesthetically pleasing and would not be stand out or awkward looking toilets.”

All of the sewerage work necessary for the toilets to be installed has now been completed. The funding for these works was allocated by the Department of the Environment and the Department of Transport but the actual toilet units must be paid for

out of Galway City Council’s budget. Councillor Connelly believes that this is causing a major delaying in the fitting of the toilet units: “The road works and sewerage have been completed so that they would be easily connected [to the public toilets]. The problem is that the Department of the Environment and Transport do not make funding available to purchase the unit while they do make funding available for the road works and sewerage and the link up system.”

It is estimated that the public toilet units would cost between seventy and one hundred thousand euro.

Councillor Coneely says that he will be working as hard as possible in the next month to ensure the funding is allocated for toilets in the Cathedral Square in the 2012 budget and that work will begin on them early next year: “There are up to forty buses there on a Friday for the student population and tourist buses. It is a massive problem as a large number of people congregate there with no toilet facilities. Certainly I believe where there is a public bus depot, which this is now, the onus is on the public authorities to supply toilets.

I would certainly be pushing that very hard in the months ahead for that inclusion in the budget to go ahead with it.”

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A bus depot with no public toilets leaves many ­ students feeling flushed on a Friday afternoon.

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G a lway N e w s

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University Foundation Performs the Impossible for Hardworking Student

By Eistear de Búrca A new initiative from the Galway University Foundation has resulted in a dream coming true for Heitor Gonzago, originally from Brazil.

A scholarship scheme was introduced last year for non-EU students who have completed their final two years in an Irish school but do not qualify for EU fees.

The scholarship pays the full undergraduate university fees for the fortunate recipient, apart from the student levy, and provides a wonderful opportunity for somebody who otherwise would not be able to afford a university education.

Heitor Gonzago has lived the last three years in Gort, Co. Galway. His mother moved over to Ireland first, in search of work and two years later Heitor followed. Immersed immediately in the atmosphere of Gort Community School, his main challenge was to learn English, and he admits that this was extremely difficult.

“It was really hard at first,” he says, “but I learned most when I was alone in a class – for example Chemistry.

In the Maths class for example, I had other Brazilian friends, and we would chat together in Portuguese all the time. No other Brazilian did Chemistry though, and it’s really funny but I learned a lot of English there.” The school had a very supportive environment and the language support teacher was a great help to Heitor. Heitor went on to sit the Leaving Certificate twice and the second time around he attained an impressive 510 points – all his subjects were Higher Level apart from English. Without a doubt a key reason for this success was the amount of studying Heitor did. His mother used to boast that she never had to tell her son to study; rather she found herself busy persuading him to take a break, and not to study past midnight.

Heitor is now studying for a Bachelor in Engineering at NUI Gal-

way and really enjoys it.

At times the language still proves a slight barrier, but Heitor feels he has the experience and the perseverance to succeed. Two of his classmates from Gort Community School are also studying Engineering and Heitor is glad of their support. Receiving the scholarship was a huge surprise and one that opened a whole new world of opportunities to Heitor. ‘I was thrilled,” recalls Heitor, “and I felt so good.

Approximately €13,000 is paid for me per year, and my mother could never have paid that.”

His plans for the future include getting a good degree and eventually obtaining employment in Ireland. He is not sure about returning to Brazil; “It’s too hot there, I love the weather in Ireland, except for the rain of course.” A trip to Brazil is planned for next year however, as Heitor has not seen his father or his grandmother since he left three years ago.

For other students in similar situations,

Assessing Ireland: UPR and Human Rights

By Lyndia Peters In Geneva on Thursday 6 October everyone was talking about Ireland as the term report for human rights, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), was presented. The session was screened in the Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI Galway.

The UPR is process by which all countries in the United Nations are assessed on their performance on Human Rights and UN Treaties.

Occuring every four

years it has only been in practice since 2008 as the Human Rights Council adopted this process in September of 2007. This means that the government policies, laws, actions or lack thereof are under scrutiny by their peers.

These other countries question or give recommendations about how the nation under review can improve.

Thursday marked Ireland’s first review.

Justice, Equality and Defence Minister Alan Shatter was there to

present a report and respond to questions.

The process is not glamorous, but it is public. The opinion at the ICHR was mixed on the purpose and relevance of the UPR. Such as, whether or not it was beneficial to allow duplicate questions: on one hand it was time consuming and redundant but on the other the repetition reinforced the pertinence of the concerns.

Areas of critique included the state of Irish prisons, lengthy

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Heitor advises “Believe in God and try and do your best.” When learning a new language, he believes it is important

to try to speak with clarity and to immerse yourself in situations where communicating in the new language

is the only option. For him, life is all about having a goal and aiming to fulfil it, whatever the obstacles.

citizenship/asylumseeker claim processing, w o m e n ’s e q u a l i t y, rights of Travellers and freedom of religion in schools. There were also additional recommendations regarding the treaties or protocols that could be adopted

by Ireland including specific issues on the rights of children, migrant workers, persons with disabilities and the elimination of racism.

Although the UPR process is an excellent way of bringing issues to light in a diplomatic and formal international context there were some constructive criticism from the audience on cam-

pus. In a discussion with post-graduate students, concern was raised about the lack of detail in the dialogue.

This was not a forum to understand why certain human rights omissions hadn’t been adopted or why others lagged behind in their compliance. A few students from the International Human Rights Law degree agreed that the omission of certain issues was frustrating. “I’m angry,” one said, “there was no discussion on the Shannon airport issue.” The concern was legitimate insofar as the report brought forward by the government did include

the concern over the use of Irish airports by US military forces – an issue many citizens have been very vocal about. The question was raised by another Human Rights Law student, “does this avoidance mean international complicacy?”

Perhaps the value of this process is more for the national advocacy that can take place now that these issues have been raised publicly, but it will be another four years before we can see exactly how the government will have fared on its promises to uphold Human Rights.

The broadcast is available at ­www.­RightsNow. ie.

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N Ation a l N e w s

Limerick IT Graduates Bound for NASA

By Michael Healy On 1 October three Limerick IT graduates started their six month internship at NASA’s Space Life Science Centre. Dean Meagher, Stacey Shine and Martin Hayes will engage in research projects in the fields of life science, space science, and nutraceutical science. They will work in the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and be enrolled as post-graduate exchange students in the Florida Institute of Technology, which has formal links with LIT. Martin Hayes from Brittas in County Limerick has said "I'm very grateful for the opportunity to receive this

special training at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. I would also like to thank the LIT Science Department for making this venture possible and for preparing me for the next step in my career."

The relationship between NASA and LIT has been slowly building in recent years. In July Ger Newsham, a LIT post-graduate student, was carried on the last launch of the Atlantis space shuttle. Ger entered an internship similar to Dean, Stacey and Martin, in 2008. Ger is still working in the Kennedy Space Centre in a space flight research group; a good sign for the incoming interns.

LIT’s first encounter with

NASA was in 2003 when their Head of Applied Science, Michelle McKeon, spent twelve months training there under sponsorship from NASA. She established links between the two institutions. The links were strengthened with the formation of the Controlled Environment Laboratory for Life Sciences (CELLS). CELLS was formed in 2010 at LIT. Funding has been given by the Marie Curie FP7 fund, this funding has been used to move Dr Gary Stutte from the Kennedy Space Centre to CELLS in LIT. He will act as Senior Research Fellow at LIT. The President of LIT, Dr Maria Hinfelaar has wished

the three interns luck saying "The NASA initiative has been the result of years of hard work on the part of the LIT staff and graduates.

The programme will allow LIT students to be involved in world class research to develop the skills required of researchers to help position Ireland in a global knowledge based economy".

This story is yet another demonstration of the high standard of graduate emerging from Irish third level Institutions and the demand for Irish graduates worldwide. It’s a reassuring sign that we are keeping up the standards and growth of the science and technology sectors.

National Campus Poll Reveals NUIG Graduate Higgins in the Lead

By Rosemary Gallagher A survey of 1,962 students conducted last week reveals Galway’s own Michael D. Higgins is in the lead, with 34% of those polled planning to vote for the senator.

Indeed Trinity College students indicated a preference for Higgins over their own Senator David Norris. The poll, co-ordinated by UCD’s College Tribune, surveyed students in person in UCD, Trinity, UCC, DCU, UL, NUI Maynooth and NUI Galway.

Higgins was in the lead in every campus bar DCU and NUI Maynooth, both of which indicated a preference towards Norris.

Norris scored 25% in the campus poll, compared to just 11% in a national poll conducted by the Irish Times in the same week. In NUI Galway 24% of respondents indicated they would give the Trinity scholar their number one. Norris placed in the top two on every campus bar UL, where

he was behind Higgins and Sean Gallagher. Gallagher, a graduate of NUI Maynooth, placed second behind Norris on that campus.

Sean Gallagher came second in the national poll, with 20%, but only third in the campus poll at 17%.

Similarly Martin McGuinness, who came third in the national poll with 20% scored only 12% in the campus poll, coming in fourth.

Dana Rosemary Scallon is

the clear outsider, with only 2% of respondents planning to give her their number one.

Of the 203 students surveyed in NUI Galway only three planned to vote for Scallon.

The Irish Times poll indicated the figure to be 6% nationally.

However the poll also revealed a worrying degree of apathy among NUI Galway students. With only 57% of respondents polled planning to vote in the upcoming presidential election NUI Galway falls far below the national average of 74%.

Of those

who will not vote, 44% were eligible but not registered, despite efforts made by the Students’ Union in recent weeks, including a voter registration drive on campus. Indeed 25% of students polled in NUI Galway who were not planning to vote simply said they “don’t care.” Men in NUI Galway are slightly more likely to vote than women: 63% of men surveyed planned to vote, in comparison to only 50% of women. In UCC 96% of respondents surveyed planned to vote: the remainder were not eligible.

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UCD Chooses Google Mail Service over Microsoft

By Liam O’Brien University College Dublin is moving its mail and calendar services to Google Apps, as part of a contract that will save UCD almost €250,000 over four years. The final move to completely replace the prior service based on Sun hardware will mark the conclusion of a scheme that began after the end of the exams in May. The use of Google’s Gmail severs will more than triple storage size per student from 7GB to 25GB, as well as removing overhead costs of UCD’s own server maintenance. Integration with Google Calender for timetables and Google Docs is included with the contract. The web giant has implemented similar projects in other universities worldwide, including Harvard University in the USA. NUI Galway currently uses Microsoft’s Hotmail service for its student mail needs, with the option to have all university-related mail forwarded to a student’s own private account. Despite Google’s popularity, NUIG’s Information Solutions and Services department believes that Hotmail is the best available choice, and with good reason.

“NUI, Galway assessed the merits of the two options (Google and Microsoft) in the first half of 2008 and implemented the Microsoft solution by start of academic year 2008/9,” said Conor McMahon, Head of Service Delivery at ISS. “We've been very happy with the performance and reliability of the service since then, and have been able to redirect the savings arising from the move (reduced hardware, software, licensing and staff costs) towards the enhancement and introduction of other student focused services.”

Mr McMahon explains that Microsoft’s service was more in tune with the university’s needs. “Google

and Microsoft are the main options to universities when selecting an external partner for student email.

Both are 'free' to universities in the sense that there are no annual charges. The features of the two services were (and remain) very similar. Students did indicate an approx 55:45 preference for a Gmail-type interface over Hotmail in the 2008 survey, but their main concerns were around service reliability, availability and security. The significant differentiators between Google and Microsoft were the Data Protection commitments which Microsoft were prepared to make that Google were not, the cost-savings which arose from the Microsoft's solution being more readily integratable with the university's existing student records and accounts provisioning systems than Google's, for which additional costs and technical complexity would arise, and the benefits which arose from the Microsoft's out-ofbox interoperability with the university's staff email service.” Similarly, some universities such as Princeton in the USA declined to adopt Google service due to disputes regarding ownership of mail – Google or the university itself.

The familiarity with a Hotmail interface and security may have swayed the minds of some students away from Google’s Gmail and towards Microsoft’s Hotmail. In an ad hoc sample poll of seventy NUIG students, thirty-four used Hotmail for their own personal email, twenty-seven used Gmail, and nine used other clients like Yahoo and Eircom.

Google may have great influence in modern communication and technology that continues to grow, but NUI Galway among other institutions show that the most prominent service isn’t always the most useful.

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N a tion a l N e w s

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10,000 Skilled Jobs May Send Graduates Down Under

By Evin Keane

Irish students and grad- 4%, a hugely appealing figuates who attended the ure compared with Ireland’s Working Abroad Expo in high unemployment rate of Dublin recently were given 14%. great incentive to emigrate to The resources sector in Australia’s Northern Territory Australia has been pushby the region’s minister for ing hard to draw in skilled Business and Employment, immigrants for a number of Rob Knight. Mr Knight told months. Earlier in the year RTÉ, “We’ve got a boom- the employment minister ing resources sector and for the West stated that his we desperately need skilled region had 150,000 availaworkers. And because of that ble jobs, enough to employ economy booming, service over a third of Ireland’s workers and the ripple effect unemployed. Back in May, through the whole economy the Australian government [are] creating jobs in the introduced initiatives for other sectors as well.” His temporary migration visas specific mention of “skilled” to help Australian businesses workers would appear to be streamline their recruitdirected at college graduates. ing process and reduce visa 203 SU A5 Flyer.pdf 1 24/02/2011 10:37 Unemployment in Austral- applicants’ waiting times by ia’s Northern Territory is at half.

These sorts of incentives are clearly working. According to The Union of Students in Ireland, over 1,000 Irish citizens emigrate each week.

The vast number of Irish fans currently enjoying the rugby in New Zealand stand testament to this fact. A great portion of these Irish fans are young emigrants living in Australia.

The Union of Students in Ireland wishes to confront the emigration issue.

Their Education Not Emigration campaign aims to prevent any cuts or additional fees the government try to impose on further and higher education in Ireland as a result of the shambolic economy. Many who have

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Maureen Dolan and Pamela O Hanlon from COPE ­Galway at the Volunteer Fair on 27 September. collected their degrees here in Ireland are still finding it necessary to look overseas for work. The Northern Territory is looking specifically for such people.

Nevertheless, Education Not Emigration is doing all it can to keep higher level education a realistic option for

all Irish citizens. On Friday, 18 November, a march will be taking place in Galway City. The march is in protest against increasing the college registration fee and cutting the level of the maintenance grant. It also hopes to put pressure on the Irish government to introduce

a graduate internship programme, which would serve as encouragement for Irish graduates to stay put.

For more information on Education Not Emigration, as well as details on other marches happening around the country, check out ­educationnotemigration.ie.

Study Reveals Alarming Attitudes Towards Sexual Violence Persist

By Louise France A report into the opinions of Irish third level students has uncovered worrying trends in the attitudes to sexual violence in society. The report, entitled Attitudes to Sexual Violence, is due to be released in the coming months and explores the misconceptions among students to eight common rape myths.

The Sexual Violence Centre Cork carried out the survey which comprised of almost 3,000 responses from NUI Galway, University College Cork and twenty other third levels institutions across the country. Those surveyed ranged from first years right up to and including Masters students. However, Mary Crilly, Director of the centre confirmed that in general interest and follow up from students unions around the country was poor.

The report revealed the shocking figure that between 40% - 50% of the male students surveyed believe that many women “claim rape if they have consented to sexual rela-

tionships but have changed their minds afterwards” and that “women often claim rape to protect their reputations”.

A further finding which highlights the importance of protests like the Slutwalk held by the students union and the feminist society is that one in three students believe that if a woman goes out at night alone or wears provocative clothing puts herself in a position to be raped. This is a misconception that movements such as the Slutwalk are working to dispel from Irish society.

Beyond this report, recent figures from Galway Rape Crisis Centre revealed that in 621 people contacted the center in 2010.

This is an increase of almost 20% on 2009 figures. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) reports an average of 2000 rapes/sexual assaults each year yet this figure does not take into account the reality that much of the figures are hidden due to a lack of reporting of sexual violence and abuse to the Gardaí.

One positive indication from this survey is that this

trend of under reporting of abuse may be slowly changing. Up to 60% of students surveyed indicated that they would report abuse to the Gardaí.

Although the survey found that overall there is a “non-acceptance” of rape myths among Irish students the findings nonetheless are a source of deep concern. The misconceptions around sexual violence among the college students surveyed, indicates a lack of education among young Irish people surrounding the issue of sexual violence.

On 15 October the fundraiser “A night for Manuela” will be held in memory of seventeen year old Swiss student Manuela Riedo, who was brutally raped and murdered in Galway in 2007. The event will take place in The Salthill Hotel and tickets are €20. Frances Black, Niamh Kavangah, Don Stiffe and Crystal Swing are among the line-up for the night.

See www.anightformauela. com for more details and tickets. Read more about the Galway Rape Crisis Center at www.galwayrcc. org.

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F e a tur e s

13–03

We Can Work It Out Your Guide to Mental Health

By Katy Quinn and Róisín Peddle You may think Mental Health Week has nothing to do with you because, let’s face it, you have more important things to worry about.

Like whether or not that cute guy from Karma is ever going to text you!

But believe it or not, mental illness is a lot more common than you would think. According to the British Office for National Statistics, 1 in 4 adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year. With scary statistics like that, it’s important to reflect on your own mental

health but there are actually several ways you can protect it. Mental Health week this year is all about building resilience and we hope this article will help you to do just this.

With this in mind, here are your five-a-day for a healthy mind.

Don’t worry. We can easily spend most of our time worrying about things that may happen but the thing you dread might never arrive. We have no control over external events but we can control our reactions. Mindfulness is a Buddhist concept of being aware of your current surroundings and living in the moment.

Sounds difficult? Well

it isn’t easy but something worth practising.

Every Thursday from 1.10pm - 2pm there are meditation sessions in the Art Gallery that do not require booking or even regular attendance.

These guided sessions will give you time out from life and help you to meditate in peace.

Just say no. This is not about saying no to peer pressure, this is about putting yourself first. We are all guilty of placing too many demands upon ourselves to please friends, family, lecturers etc. This fear of disappointing others can lead to stress and upset which is detrimental to our mental health. So

it is vital to realise your own limits and not take on more than you can handle. Communicate with friends and family that you can trust and tell them when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Do something that makes you happy.

This doesn’t have to cost the earth, it can just be listening to your favourite song on your iPod. Make a list of ten simple things that make you happy. One of the things on our list is hot chocolate with marshmallows on a rainy day.

Simple random acts of kindness also make even the most cynical happy.

Give up your seat on the bus to anyone older or even someone your own age who looks like they are having a bad day.

Remember to smile at people you meet, it will

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make you feel good and could just brighten their day.

Eat well. Yes we know it’s boring, you’ve heard it all before and we also understand that ordering from Dominoes is easier than cooking but this step is important. Studies show that eating too much fatty, sugar-rich foods can lead to mood swings and lethargy, both of which can strain your mental health. Sure, none of us are perfect, but maybe after you’ve munched your way through six Hob Nobs balance it with some fruit. You could also go mad by including vegetables with your dinner, these steps will go a long way.

Enjoy life. One thing people seem to agree on is that life is too short. In the words of the Beatles

“life is very short and there’s no time for fussing and fighting.” It’s time to let things go and just get on with enjoying your time in college and in life in general. Never let anyone tell you that you don’t deserve to be where you are and trust in your own judgement.

Don’t regret anything you have done, you can’t change it. Just keep going.

A helpful website with more information is www.mymindmatters. ie a mental wellbeing site for students and there is a section exclusive to NUI Galway! With the new Wellness Centre at the back of the Hub and the mind, soul and body sessions organised by the health promotion officer Cindy Dring, it has never been easier to find someone to talk to.

The Organic Gardening Society

By Fiona Gillespie The Organic Garden was set up by students of the NUI Galway who wanted to learn how to start and maintain a garden. Two years later, the garden has grown considerably and is ready to be planted with winter herbs, fruit and vegetables. We meet in the garden every Monday from 2 - 3pm and Tuesday from 1 - 2pm for important tasks such as sowing seeds, watching our produce grow and harvesting.

Over the last few weeks, we have been clearing our raised beds and harvesting our peas, scallions, potatoes, baby corn and rhubarb. We sowed some garlic and onion seeds in the tilled soil and, although they will take a while to grow, we are eager to taste the difference between storebought garlic and our own organic bulbs. We are making plans to build a shelter for the winter months and arranging some talks and trips. The talks will include indoor

gardening, biodynamics and wild herbs. Hopefully we will visit Irish Seed Savers in Co. Clare and the Organic Centre in Co. Leitrim.

The start of the college year brings a lot of change, not least of which is the change in seasons from summer to autumn.

Now is the best time to join the Organic Gardening Society and learn with us! Check us out at socs. nuigalway.ie or stop by the garden for some fresh air, physical exercise and a bit of a chat.

Natty Wailer & the Reggae Vibes performing in the College Bar.

Sin Sanctioned Procr astination This Week: J. N. Sheahan, Maths Department.

The world is about to explode. You have 5 minutes to evacuate.

What do you take on the spaceship?

I have decided to take along several hard copies of my lecture notes! The notes will ensure that mathematical aliens will have an ample supply of toilet paper after they work things out with a pencil. In addition, the notes can be used to induce insanity by changing the thought processes of those alien mathematicians who think 3% exceeds 2% by 1% about 50% of the time; to figure out how long it takes 15 dogs to kill 15 rats assuming that 5 dogs can kill 5 rats in 5 minutes; to answer which of a tonne of feathers and a tonne of bricks is heavier; to ascertain if the chicken that crossed the Möbius strip did indeed get to the same side; and to be aware that if a horse is backed at 10 to 1, it might come in at a quarter past four.

Members of the Organic Gardening Society pitch in. Image courtesy of Fiona.

Who should our next victim be?

Dr. Niall Madden, also Maths.

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F e a tur e s

Procrastination Receives A Silent Killer Some Justification

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The Stigma of mental illness in Irish society

By Michael Healy Ferdinand von Prondzynski has been a lecturer and fellow of Trinity College, a past professor and Dean at the University of Hull, president of DCU and is the current President and Vice-chancellor of Robert Gordon College in Aberdeen, Scotland.

In his blog (A University Blog), he recently posted an inspired idea. It’s not the blogs standard analysis of, and suggestions for, the third level education system or fees.

Instead von Prondzynski directed me to John Perry’s theory of “structured procrastination.”

Perry’s idea is that procrastinators are never really doing nothing. Think about it, recall all the times you have spent far too long staring at your Facebook page, finding the perfect wallpaper, or painstakingly organising your notes by subject, topic, ink colour, writing style and margin width until it reaches levels of complexity so farfetched that you begin to ques-

tion your sanity and very existence. That last one might just be me, but it proves a point. Perry says we will complete boring and monotonous tasks in our efforts to not do that one thing we have to do. So next time you’re dreading that monolithic book you have to trudge through or you can’t muster the will to start an essay, attempt to lay down an easy five point plan for world peace or start a new religion that worships early morning lectures.

When faced with these impossible tasks you’ll probably run back to that book or essay and push the world peace objective forward, weakly claiming you’ll get it done tomorrow or next weekend.

You might think it’s too good to be true, that such an easy trick can’t turn your academic plight into a force of motivation.

I’d kind of agree. The theory hinges on the idea that we will procrastinate and leave the most important task to the last possible moment. I’d argue

that when faced with achieving world peace I won’t just go down one rung to my latest assignment, my second most important objective. No, I will jump back off the ladder and plummet all the way down to the bottom deciding that my shoes could really use a polish or maybe I should brush my teeth just a few more times today. Then spend the same amount of time procrastinating as normal, rush through the essay at the last minute as per usual and decide world peace can wait until summer.

However, John Perry is a respected and renowned philosopher from Stanford University. He has written seven books and published heaps of articles in philosophical journals. He is obviously driven and highly skilled at his work. This is why I think that I know more about procrastination as I have achieved nothing and spent ten minutes playing with my phone instead of starting this article. Who do you think is the real expert?

Bizsoc Presents: The Apprentice

By Conor Mulloy Award winning show, The Apprentice, which has captured the imagination of millions, has finally arrived to NUI Galway and exclusively to Bizsoc. Twenty teams have already set out to win the ultimate prize of €1000 and the grand title of NUIG’s Apprentice winner. Summer internship interviews with KPMG are also on offer to the victors should they overcome the odds and claim the top prize.

Task one is already well under way with teams battling it out to sell ‘Take me out’ event tickets before the deadline of Tuesday 11 October. Teams who fail to sell enough tickets will be mercilessly eliminated from the contest at the end of ‘Take me Out’. Corrib village was swarmed with ticket sellers with all teams realising the importance of getting on the front foot in shifting the most tickets. Many teams are already using their initiative in the

bid to win, with free items being given to those who buy tickets in some cases.

Competition will be intense over seven weeks as tasks include a two hour scavenger hunt task based on marketing concepts and a Dragon’s Den style task with an X-Factor twist in front of some well established entrepreneurs and a large crowd. There will be zero room for mistakes for these tough taskmasters. The victorious team will have to show

By Fionnuala O’Leary

When someone tells you they are suffering from a serious illness you are sympathetic.

If this particular illness has culminated in the deaths of 17.9 per 100,000 for Irish males and a further 3.8 per 100,000 for Irish females you would be very concerned. But what would your reaction be if this illness was depression? Yes, the ‘D word,’ along with numerous other conditions affecting people’s mental wellbeing, is something that invokes a number of reactions in Irish people. One NUI Galway student summed up the prejudice exactly when asked why many people with a mental illness are at times stigmatised within society: “…you’re weird. You’re different from everyone else.”

Depression is an ailment that one in five Irish people will develop in their lifetime; the statistics certainly speak louder than labels it seems. It is amazing in this dayand-age how many people living with a condition like this are still forced to play the role of the proverbial ‘black sheep’ when it is something that affects so many people in different walks of life. This could very well be a direct result of the somewhat ‘Irish’ habit of clamming up when it comes to being emotionally open. Unlike the cli-

ché of every American having a ‘shrink,’ Irish society has never been especially forthcoming when it comes to the dreaded subject of our feelings.

In a lecture on the stigma relating to mental illness in 2005, consultant psychiatrist for the North Eastern Health Board Dr Clifford Haley stated that in a survey conducted 47% respondents who were mentally ill were “physically or verbally abused in public.”

However, attitudes do appear to be changing in the last six years thanks the efforts of organisations like AWARE and The Samaritans. According to Mary O’Sullivan, Suicide Prevention Resource Officer HSE West, if one person actively decides to change their negative attitude towards mental illness this “small ripple can make a big difference.” This approach must be taken into consideration not just by the student body at NUI Galway, but the Irish nation as a whole.

Today, our stance on mental wellbeing is not all negative as more and more people have become aware that mental distress can affect anyone, be it during adolescence, adulthood, or old-age.

As indicated by the Jigsaw Project website (a support service for young people in Galway) the most common issues for Irish young people relating to their mental health include depression, a n x i e t y, s e l f - h a r m ,

eating disorders and addiction. Depression would be the most common source of mental distress in students, according to Bea Gavin, Head of the Student Counselling Service at NUI Galway. This point is especially relevant to students in the current economic climate contemplating prospective unemployment, or indeed emigration, after graduating. Someone facing unemployment loses the “protective factor” in their lives, according to Mary O’Sullivan. This in turn has the potential to spiral into severe depression.

Thankfully, students here seem to be taking the initiative in safeguarding their mental health. The findings of The Student Counselling Service Annual Review 2010/2011 are enlightening: the centre had a total of 878 clients, of which 67% were female and 33% were male. The gender gaps here are certainly telling. Nevertheless, it is not a case of women being more ‘emotional’ than men; we may have become more open about discussing these issues yet men are still expected to personify the archetypal Irish male, unemotional and ‘strong.’ However, as Gavin states, rather than a sign of weakness, seeking help is actually “a sign of strength” as you are essentially investing in yourself.

The Student Counselling Service is located in 5 Distillery Road; to book an appointment call +353 91 492 484.

tenacity, courage and a will to win at all costs.

The Apprentice originally started in America with Donald Trump heading up the show and since then international versions have shown up around the globe, including a version from our very own Bill Cullen. The

TV show is notorious for back stabbing but we’re sure that our NUIG teams will keep it clean... hopefully!

However the last thing they want to hear is: “You’re fired!”. Best of luck to all our teams and as someone once said “Eat pressure and shit results.”

‘Take Me Out’ will be held in CP’s Tuesday 11 October . A great night out is as sure as embarrassing yourself on the dance floor... Tickets are €5 and are on sale now from any of our Apprentice teams. It’s “first come, first served” so book early to avoid disappointment!

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What the Heck Happens Work It Harder, In… The Career Make It… Faster!

Development Centre?

By Ultan Sharkey

With John Hannon The Career Development Centre supports students to make the transition from college to the world of work or further study. To cut a long story short, we offer one to one appointments to get you thinking about what might suit you and loads of events to help you explore different work opportunities.

We are your link with jobs and employers – we help you meet with employers on campus and have an online jobs database. We can provide you with feedback on your applications, such as your CV for summer work.

I'm only in first year.

I have years to think about my career.

Not sure I agree with you on that one! Three or four years will fly by; then you will either be considering postgraduate study or looking for a job. You will need to make choices and focus on particular jobs or postgraduate course. You

can ‘shape’ these choices if you work on them along the way.

But I haven’t a clue what I want to do how do I figure out what career might suit me?

Well, you are not alone there. However, if you do nothing about it you will be none the wiser entering your final year, whereas if you are proactive and use the first few years in college to explore different options you will be closer to an answer. What’s important to you? Do you want to travel, earn lots of money or make a difference to people’s lives?

What are you good at?

Answering questions like these will lead you to certain careers and rule out others. You should also try to get an insight into different careers by checking out one of our many career seminars and hear from graduates working in different sectors. We also run events focused on options with specific sub-

jects. Why not try to get work experience? These experiences can help you discover what inspires you, what suits your personality and what doesn’t.

So what kinds of things should I be doing now to help my chances of getting a good career in the future?

You can (and should!) have great craic while you are in college and while you are doing that you can build your skills along the way – skills that employers will be interested in.

When you start applying for jobs, employers will expect more than a degree from you – they will want to see that you have lots of other skills to offer.

How can I develop these skills?

Why not get involved in one of the many clubs and societies? Volunteering is another way to develop skills – the ALIVE programme provides tons of opportunities. Part time and summer jobs are another way to develop skills. These achievements will fill gaps in your CV.

I heard about some career fair. Do they do anything more than hand out free pens?

This year we have over 65 stands at the fair with employers from a diverse range of sectors.. You can get your CV reviewed and an employability workshop. Oh.... and free pens!

So who are you anyway?

I am Head of the Career Development Centre and the Adviser for Arts.

Where can I find you?

Blue Hanley and Gwen Le Guillou from the Galway Community Circus at the Volunteer Fair 27 September.

We are in the Arts Science Building over ISS, just before you go over the glass bridge to the IT Building.

Details on appointments, jobs, career information and events are on www. nuigalway.ie/careers

Windows based computers can suffer from a number of issues that can result in an overall slowing of the system over time.

This article describes a few quick methods to bring your PC back to the super-efficientcomputing-machine it once was… or at least fast enough to open your essay document in less time than it takes you to check your Facebook.

Disclaimer! The author provides no warranty with this advice.

If you want to try these out please back up your computer before you do and/or set a restore point. Don’t make me say “I told you so”…

Overheating and dust. A long-term cause of PC inefficiency and one of the most easily addressed issues is dust. Dust builds up over time and can block the air vents and fans that cool down your processor, causing it to run hotter and less efficiently. The quickest solution? Grab your vacuum and suck that crap out of the vents.

While you’re at it, clean out those crumbs from your keyboard. Be sure to switch it all off first of course. If you want to get a bit more militant, clean the vacuum first to make sure its at full power, use some canned air to blow out the more stubborn stuff and if you’re feeling ver y adventurous, remove

the back cover of your laptop to get in there a bit more.

Overloaded system tray. You know that set of icons near the clock?

That’s called the system tray. Many programs like to install a system tray icon to allow easy access, regardless of how much you use them. Each item in the system tray uses a little more of your precious RAM. The more RAM you have available, the easier it is for the programs you use a lot to run longer and quicker without needing to be restarted. You can right click many system tray icons to stop them running, but to stop them from starting (and to speed up your restarts) you must remove them from the start up process.

To clean your system tray up a little, take the following steps: Click the Start button and then click Run. In the run textbox, type msconfig and click OK. The system configuration dialog box will appear. Select the Startup tab. This tab lists all the programs that initiate when your computer starts up. Many of these are programs you have installed and may not use anymore or not often enough to justify running them all the time. Unchecking the box next to the program will stop these from running at startup, saving you RAM space. If you’re unsure of some, Google their

name to learn what they actually are and decide whether to keep them or stop them from running. This will remove them from the system tray but will not delete them, so you can still run these programs when you wish.

Fragmented hard drive. Hard drives store new information in the next available slot they have. Over time, you and the system itself delete files, leaving gaps that the computer does not fill up. This causes searches for files to be slower than necessary.

Defragmenting your hard drive moves all this free space back to where it can be used and also speeds up file searches. Windows 7 and Vista have more options in their defrag tools than XP had, so search online for how to defrag your particular operating system.

Reinstall. The best solution to revitalise an older Windows computer is to re-install the operating system. This starts you off again with a freshly installed system without any spyware, malware or bloated programs that you no longer really use. However, reinstalling isn’t a walk in the park unless you have some experience with such things. If you are lucky enough to have a friend who does, offering baked goods in return is often an acceptable form of payment. Cold hard cash is another well-accepted alternative.

Lastly, stay safe out there: update your anti-virus.

S E G A P THE SU É Gaillimh O n in é L c a M a n s a lt a h Com ion n U ' ts n e d tu S y a lw a G I U N

Go o n! pull me!

www.su.nuigalway.ie

"The mission of the Union shall be to represent its members and promote, defend and vindicate the rights of its members at all levels of society." — Constitution of the Students’ Union

at the SU Traf fic Light Glowsticks light up the night Bar Freshers’ Ball in the College

Hi, Most of you should now all know who your Class Reps are, we hope you do anyways! If you don’t, just look for the person in your class wearing a Class Rep hoody. If you still can’t see them we will be putting up a section on our website called ‘Find my Class Rep’. There will be a photo of your Class Rep and their contact details under their course code. The campaign is going very well so far and we have over 210 Class Reps elected and registered. That number should rise to just fewer than 300 class reps in the coming weeks . If anyone does not have a Class Rep elected please contact me at su.education@nuigalway.ie.

Best wishes, Conor Healy.

Des Bishop entertains durin g his SU Freshers’ Fortnight gig

rant, and SU President G ian Br er ffic O e ar elf W SU during Equality Week Emmet Connolly, tie the knot

What the SU’s Been Up To...

The number of class reps elected breaks the 300 mark Launched a successful Equality Week, including Ireland’s first ever SlutWalk Sold out all 350 tickets to the SU Des Bishop comedy gig

Restrictions on Facebook access in campus PCs introduced

Over 300 students registered to vote at the SU Voter Registration Drive

Launched a successful Postgradutes Week Sold out all 800 tickets to the SU Freshers’ Ball

Added more products in the new Hub Café in Áras na Mac Léinn

Election of the first ever SU Mature Students Officer on Thursday Packed the College Bar at a free Natty Wailer gig for Equality Week

Mental Health Week 2011 For those who don’t know about Mental Health Week, what is it?

Mental Health Week is a week in which awareness is raised for general problems we can all experience in certain circumstances, for example as a college student trying to get the balance right between college and a part-time job for a student can help us experience poor concentration, mood swings and sleep disturbance. All of us suffer mental health problems at times, and these problems limit our potential as human beings. For this reason NUI Galway have partnered with Mental Health Ireland to promote resilience as the main theme for the week as life is not about disappointment but how you react from your disappointments in order to succeed. Mental Health organisations such as Reachout, Positive Mental Health, the Samaritans and Spunout will also be promoted throughout campus during this week. Additionally we will be emphasising the issue of isolation and encouraging students to get involved with clubs and societies in college and posters will be allocated across campus with the logo sign up, link in, get involved.

There are many different events taking place during the week from awareness stands on the issue being set up in Áras na Mac Léinn to councillors and other speakers coming in and giving talks on Mental Health. Many clubs and societies are also getting involved in the week with the inter-college games being launched, encouraging students to participate in new sports as well as fun runs taking place over 5km and 10km. Health promotion officer Cindy Dring is launching the opening of the Wellness Centre, where people can come and visit to take a place from their studies. Many Societies are also taking part and organising different activities for the week such as the film soc who are showing a marathon of films focusing on the issue of mental Health.

The list of events are endless really as ALIVE, the chaplain service, counselling service and of course the Students Union (who are setting up personal safety talks and courses) are all getting involved. We also have Niall Delamere doing a gig for a bit of light-hearted comedy.

NUI Galway Mental Health Week

A week of events to designed make you feel good. Something for everyone!

Day-by-day listing — Oct. 10th – 14th All week

An Gairdín Sosa. The garden is a place for conversation, contemplation, study, laughter, lunch, friendship, relaxation, solitude, escape, and peace.

An Gairdín Sosa, located next to the Chapel of St. Columbanus, is open from 8.30am until 10.30pm each day.

Library foyer. Exhibition of books from the ‘Mind, Body & Soul Collection’ The collection contains books dealing with a range of health and well-being issues. On view throughout the week.

Kingfisher Club. Have a go – try a Sports Club! Every day, 6 – 10pm.

Resilience project. Help us make a giant collage about resilience, and enter the draw for great prizes. Pick up information pack in Áras na Mac Léinn.

Watch out for the bear. Intercollegiate games participation events across the campus. www.clubsnuigalway.ie

Monday

Launch of the Inter-College games 1-2pm at the NUI Galway Sports Hall in the Kingfisher The Bigger Picture – the Siobhan McKenna theatre. 3-5pm Comedian Neil Delamare – plus support.

O’Flaherty Theatre 8pm. Tickets €8 from the SU **Very limited number left.

Tuesday

Information Stands – All day in Áras na Mac Léinn Fun Run – Off the Couch, 1:10pm starts across from Moffatt’s restaurant, Orbsen Building Recreational fun walks, run or sprint. www.otc. nuigalway.ie Soccer Class Cages – at the cages in Corrib Village Off the Couch 50 cent to play soccer for the semester www.nuigcages@kingfisherclub.com Meditative Hula Hoop – Juggling Soc. 6 – 8pm, Áras na Mac Léinn foyer The perfect way to create balanced harmony, improve your coordination and meditate through rhythm.

Film: Good Will Hunting – Film Soc, 7-9pm Áras Uí Chathail lecture theatre Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT, has a gift for mathematics but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

Mind over Matter - Extreme Climate Resilience - Rovers Soc. 8-9pm Meeting Room 1, Áras na Mac Léinn What drives us to keep battling on in daunting circumstances, focusing on hikers' ability to achieve their goal, whatever the weather.

Film: 127 hours - Film Soc & Rovers Soc, 9:15 – 10:50 in Áras Uí Chathail lecture theatre A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

Free Personal Safety Talk with ICSE in IT 250.

7-8 pm.

Wednesday

Information Stands – All day in Áras na Mac Léinn Choral Singing – Choral Soc

Celebrate the joy of song and National Choral Singing Week with impromptu performances at lunchtime on Wednesday in various locations so watch out for them.

Reachout note to self campaign: Reach Out will be in the Student Centre running their brilliant "Note to Self" campaign. Just write a positive note to yourself or to someone you care about and they'll post it to you or that person later on in the year for free, a great way to pick you or a friend up someday you least expect it. 12-3pm Film: Papillon – Psychological Society & Film Soc, 8pm in Áras Uí Chathail lecture theatre A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape. Stars: Steve McQueen & Dustin Hoffman Followed by a discussion with the Psychological Society on human resilience.

Film: Labyrinth – Film Soc & Juggling Soc, 9pm in Large Acoustic Room 15-year-old Sarah accidentally wishes her baby half-brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth who will keep Toby if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in 13 hours.

2pm-6pm in the Large Acoustic Room , Áras na Mac Léinn Poetry Slam - BACon Soc & Writer's Soc, 8:30pm in BOI Theatre. Express yourself- don’t keep it in….

Thursday:

Information Stands – All day in Áras na Mac Léinn Meditation – Mind, Body & Soul Programme, 1:10 – 2PM, Art Gallery, Quadrangle Building Moya Roddy’s weekly meditation session is like a complete holiday in an hour, minus the sunburn. All welcome.

Film: Mary & Max – Eco Soc & Film Soc, 7pm in Áras Uí Chathail lecture theatre A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a fortyfour-year old, severely obese man living in New York. Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Eric Bana Film: The Pursuit of Happyness – Film Soc, 9pm in Áras Uí Chathail lecture theatre A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional endeavour. Stars: Will Smith, Thandie Newton and Jaden Smith.

Meditative Hula Hoop – Juggling Soc, 6-8pm in the Cube, Áras na mac Léinn The perfect way to create balanced harmony, improve your coordination and meditate through rhythm.

Friday

Self Defence Training in Áras na Mac Léinn.

Sign up in the SU – spaces limited and €10 deposit required!

For further information: Contact Cindy Dring, Health Promotion Officer, Student Services (cindy.dring@nuigalway. ie) or Brian Grant, SU Welfare Officer (su. welfare@nuigalway.ie)

SU encourages ­students to see ‘The Bigger Picture’ ‘The Bigger Picture’ is the name of an experimental series of daily presentations from leading academics at NUI Galway. The sessions will run from 3pm to 5pm each day, from Monday 10th to Thursday 13th October, in the Siobhan McKenna theatre, Arts Millennium Building.

The Students’ Union-organised free event involves experts in their fields each getting just 15 minutes to speak on a wide variety of topics – from human rights to cancer research, from digital enterprise to marine science, from community development to astronomy. In between the academics’ presentations are 15 minute videos from the website TED.com which as their tagline goes, is all about ‘ideas worth spreading’.

The entire concept is based on students from across the various courses in the university coming together and being exposed to new ideas in short, informative and interesting bursts so as to stimulate them into thinking beyond the confines of the course material and to start looking at the bigger picture of educating themselves about the world they live in.

Speaking on the event, SU President Emmet Connolly said “students are encouraged to come along, see and hear the presentations, ask questions, discuss new ideas and broaden their horizons.” For more information, and to see the schedule of speakers, visit the SU website www.su.nuigalway.ie or call up to the SU reception desk in Áras na Mac Léinn.

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What is it?

Are you interested in academic ideas beyond what you’re studying in your degree? We have arranged speakers to give presentations on a diverse range of interesting topics to jumpstart your brain and get you thinking beyond your course.

Academics from across the university will each be giving 15 minute presentations on topics they teach that we think you’ll find interesting. so come learn something new and see The Bigger PicTure of what education is about.

When and Where?

monday 10th to thursday 13th october, daily from 3pm – 5pm. siobhan mcKenna theatre, Arts millennium Building. entry is free. Audience participation and Q&As are encouraged.

DON’T FO For more inFormation please see www.su.nuigalway.ie RGET! You can still ap For more i ply for the nformatio Student A n , call up to B that’s also ssistance F rian Grant the date of und until t in the SU o the electio he 27 ffices. Spe n for Presi aking of th th October. dent of Ire e 27th Oct land, so do ober, n’t forget t o vote!

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Statement from Emmet Connolly, SU ­President, on the Rag Week proposal: “It’s a sad day when we have to consider replacing Rag Week; which can be regarded as a rite of passage for NUI Galway students.

However, in the past few years Rag Week has descended into a weeklong embarrassment to the University and an embarrassment to you – the students. The amount of money raised for charity (‘Raise And Give’ week) is pathetically small, and has fallen massively in the past few years. At the same time, the amounts of anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, violence, and arrests of students have all shot up.

“Rag Week now is not what is used to be. It has changed utterly even in the past five years.

The fundraising element has been completely overshadowed by what appears to be a week of SU-sanctioned binge-drinking. The fact is that we

are the laughing stock of the Irish universities because of Rag Week. Harsh words. But true words, in my opinion. The fact is that your degree and your chances of getting a job after graduating are being directly damaged by Rag Week. The fact is that your Students’ Union cannot stand by and ignore the problem any longer, however convenient it may be for me to go along with the flow, do nothing, and once again defend the indefensible come March.

“It’s true to say that a lot of the damage is caused by non-NUI Galway students; but the fact remains that the SU cannot go on officially sanctioning a week-long binge drinking session in which the costs in damage to property are a multiple of the amounts raised for charity.

“We have plans in place to replace the charity aspects of Rag Week with a series of large-scale, endurance-based fundraising events in which individual students and groups can participate. I have no doubt that we can exceed the €22,000 that was raised through Rag Week last year

through these events. We have plans in place to replace the entertainments aspect of Rag Week with a one-day festival/concert. The concessions I requested and received from the University President, as detailed above, are worth the trading of Rag Week. . In particular, the extra €60,000 a year for the Student Assistance Fund will have a very direct and positive impact on the lives of students who are struggling to afford to stay in college, never mind being able to afford a week’s worth of booze. The SU must look out for those who are struggling, rather than condoning a piss-up for those who are doing okay, and so I am happy to stand by the concessions we have got from the University.

“If you have any questions, feel free to email me at su.president@nuigalway.ie or call up to the SU office. You should also feel free to come along to the special Students’ Union Council meeting where the vote will take place, and have your opinions heard there. The meeting will take place from 6:30pm on Monday 17th October in AM 250 (O’Heocha, in the Arts Millennium).”

Meet Your Class Reps

Sorcha Collins, Post-Grad Ciara Deane, 1st Year SH102 e-Commerce Why did you become a Class Rep? Looks great on the CV, I get to organise the Class Parties and it’s a good way to get to know everyone.

Stephen Gilmartin, 5th year Medicine

Why did you become a Class Rep? I wanted to get involved and provide a good voice for my class.

Why did you become a Class Rep? To provide a good social scene for my class

What do you hope to achieve

What do you hope to achieve as a Class Rep? To make the year as fun as possible.

as a Class Rep? To make it a successful academic year for me and my class.

Prediction for the next President of Ireland: Prediction for the next President of Sean Gallagher.

Ireland: Michael D Higgins.

What do you hope to achieve as a Class Rep? To get my class acting as a group rather than individuals.

Prediction for the next President of Ireland: Michael D Higgins

y 17th October, AM 250 da on M . al os op pr k ee W g and have their say. uncil meeting to vote on Ra g Co on al SU l e ia m ec co n Sp ca ET ts RG en FO ud T st l N’ al DO Class reps will be voting but ). pm 30 6. , um ni en ill M ts (O’Heocha, Ar 256 Mental Health Week.pdf

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MENTAL HEALTH WEEK 10th – 14th October 2011 oberr Octobe 10thh Oct ndayy 10t Monda Mo just €20

All Day: Monday Massages – book your 30

Tuesday 11th October 6pm

minute massage for

www.foxjawbountyhunters.com

at the NUI Galway Sports Hall 1 - 2pm: Launch of the Inter-College games n McKenna theatre.

3 - 5pm: The Bigger Picture in the Siobha O’Flaherty Theatre Tickets €8 from the SU 8pm: Comedian Neil Delamare + Support

“a record that’s diabolically good in many respects..it’s complexity ensures that it is most certainly an opus that rewards the listener…clearly the devil really does have all the best tunes” – Hotpress

Fox Ja Bounty H w unters

“If 2011 doesn’t see Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters do great things, I will be extremely surprised and disappointed” – Heinekenmusic.ie

Tuesday ay 11th 11th Octob October er Tuesd 1.15pm: Off the Couch Fun Run 5k & 10k options.

Tuesday 18th October 6pm

3pm – 5pm: The Bigger Picture in the Siobhan McKenna Theatre C

www.facebook.com/eleventyfour

6pm: The SU Sessions present Seven Days in An Bialann 7pm - 8pm: Free Personal Safety Talk with ICSE in IT250.

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“It would be a hard heart that couldn’t be charmed by this solo female’s acoustic vignettes that are as

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comedic as they are brimming with melody.” – State Magazine

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“Eleventy has the ability to bring the magic to every song … A record full of wit, sing-a-long-ability and charm … If The Joy Imperative doesn’t

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Tuesday 25th October 6pm www.theprofile.ie

Thursday ay 13th 13th Octob October er Thursd 3pm – 5pm: The Bigger Picture, Siobhan McKenna Theatre 6pm: Juggling Soc classes in Áras na Mac Léinn. All are welcome to watch or take part

oberr Octobe 14thh Oct day 14t Friday Fri 2pm - 6pm: Self Defence Training in Áras

na Mac Léinn. Sign up in the SU – spaces

limited!

The Profile

The Profile are an anthemic, alternative rock band. If some bands are friends, some grow to be friends or some even fuse their talents in performing arts schools The Profile are a mixed bag of all of the above. The Profile are a blank white page but have collectively cut their teeth on the Irish gig circuit.

Tuesday 1st November 6pm www.facebook.com/MojoGoGo

For more info check www.su.nuigalway.ie

Mojo Gogo who are in their early days are already making huge waves in the industry with their outstanding energy fuelled live shows, punchy tunes and catchy choruses. With more hooks than a Japanese whaling vessel, Mojo GoGo are ones to watch for 2011.

Mojo Gogo Live Bands Every Tuesday, Free Entry.

6pm in An Bialann (The Canteen). For more info see

www.su.nuigalway.ie Supported by the Student Projects Fund

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Sutor, ne ultra crepidam

Robot Brains, Glowing Cats and Mind Movies, Oh My!

By Moling na hEilifintíní

By Sinead Healy

I am lying every time I pretend I know what is going on.

I am smoking just for an excuse to leave the office for five minutes.

I am sleeping on the floor of my office to save on commuting time.

I am eating McDonald's because my funding has run out.

I am arranging my dentist appointments to clash with scheduled meetings with my supervisor.

I am fantasizing about the undergrads in my tutorial classes.

I am comparing my work to that of the weakest student in the department.

I am citing papers whose authors have names I can pronounce.

I am contemplating a mental breakdown as grounds for an extension.

I am disappearing under a white elephant of bureaucracy.

I am fighting the urge to defenestrate my laptop.

I am gaining weight and losing hair.

I am walking an extra half mile every day to avoid passing my supervisor's office.

I am hoping Wikipedia is right.

I am competing with many peers for no positions.

I am learning nothing that I ever hope to use again.

I am lowering my standards.

I am measuring out my life in coffee spoons.

I am paying for my former idealism with my sanity.

I am trading three years of my life for three letters after my name.

I am hiding from the real world and my mother.

I am presenting research I don't understand to people who don't care.

I am teaching stuff that does not matter to people who won't remember.

I am reading Sin because I cannot afford toilet paper.

I am worrying that lacunae in my research will lead to the untimely demise of millions.

I am writing this very sentence to procrastinate.

I am compiling meaningless data just because.

I am perusing web comics instead of research papers.

I am wearing odd socks to add some excitement to my life.

I am imparting my floccinaucinihilipilification to younger students.

I am doing my PhD.

Have you ever watched Myth Busters or Brainiac: Science Abuse? They are TV programmes that try to make science fun by carrying out some intriguing experiments and blowing up as much stuff as possible. This is somewhat misleading since most labs try to avoid explosions. If you go into science expecting that, you may be disappointed. However, science is still cool! Here are three recent, exciting science experiments.

nated motor movement, which can interfere with a person’s ability to walk, talk and eat. The inserted computer chip receives sensory information from the rodent’s body, interprets it, and sends it onto another part of the brain called the brain stem. The messages are then passed to the rest of the body.

This allows the rodent to move normally despite brain damage. This sort of research could be used to replace damaged tissues in the human brain or create artificial limbs for amputees.

Robot Brain. Not just a joke from the Simpsons anymore! Scientists in Tel Aviv University in Israel have inserted a robotic cerebellum into the skull of a rodent suffering brain damage to help it regain movement. The cerebellum is the bottom part of the brain that looks a bit like a leaf. It is responsible for the coordination of movement and balance. Brain damage results in a loss of coordi-

Glowing Cats. HIV, which affects millions of people worldwide, is a virus that causes AIDS. AIDS leads to the progressive failure of the immune system and serious health complications.

Currently, there is no cure for HIV. A good, efficient and reliable model of the disease would be beneficial in developing therapies. The latest one involves glowing cats using green fluorescent

protein (GFP). GFP is responsible for jellyfish glowing in the dark. It can be inserted into other organisms where it acts as a visual tag; it lights up genes or cells that scientist are tinkering with.

If the animal glows, the linked gene is present and active. Researchers in the Mayo Clinic inserted the GFP gene alongside an antiviral gene (it causes resistance to immunodeficiency viruses) in eggs of cats in an effort to develop treatment for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). FIV, the virus that causes AIDS in cats, is closely related to HIV. The experiments are still ongoing, but initial results are positive.

If this research finds a treatment for the virus in cats, it might also lead to a related treatment for humans, for which a cure is desperately need.

At very least, glow-in-thedark cats look pretty cool!

Mind Movies. Imagine opening up a window into the movies in our

minds. Well, it’s already happening in UC Berkeley. Neuroscientists there reconstructed digital video clips from visual activity in the brain. First they played movie trailers to subjects in an fMRI scanner (it records blood flow, which indicates the active parts of the brain).

From this, they built a dictionary (a statistics based computer model) that said what lines and movements caused activity. Reversing their dictionary, they translated from brain activity into video. When each subject then watched new clips, the dictionary could chose video clips that had similar brain activity to the activity recorded. As yet, this technology is very rudimentary. Decoding what people see is different from decoding what they’re thinking.

However, it lays down the groundwork for the future possibility of looking into the mind of a coma patient or watching your own dream amongst other futuristic scenarios.

5 Fun Free Things to do in Galway!

By Jordan Lillis Ah, the life of a student in Galway. A lot of fun no doubt but I think you’ll all agree, it’s hard on the bank account. Countless nights out, lunches in college, trips to the cinema.

They’re all things we do for fun but they all eat up the cash. If, like me, you ever find yourself broke, (shocker, a broke student) do not despair. There are in fact things to do in our fair city that don’t involve parting with any money.

Bare with me now, some of these suggestions may be predictable, but predictable doesn’t necessarily mean boring.

1. Go for a walk.

(Read on, I swear it’s not as dull as it sounds!)

There are plenty of gorgeous places to go for a

walk in Galway. There’s the prom of course, which being beside the beach in Salthill is truly scenic and picturesque on a decent day. Bring a friend, walk to the end of the prom and kick the wall to stay true to the Galway tradition. Or to clear your head, go by yourself and bring your iPod. After all the hard work you’re doing at college it’ll refresh you to no end!

2. Visit the gorgeous art galleries Galway has to offer. Galway has always been famous for its rich culture. We have a lot to offer artistically. There are a couple of great galleries around town, including the one in the Galway Arts Centre. The centre, located on Dominick St, is a haven for art buffs. They hold

exhibitions regularly, so keep your eye on the website for the dates of events coming up.

3. Get back to nature and take a trip to Coole Park. Being a student can be stressful as we know, and it can be nice to get away from the town for a while. The perfect place to run away to for the day is Coole Park, without a doubt. Full of fresh air and peace, a day out there will revive you.

Bring a picnic and some friends!

4. Visit the Galway City Museum by the Spanish Arch. How many times have we all been down at the Spanish Arch? Great place to go on the rare occasion that the sun is out.

And hey, lets face it, its

a great place to go for a ‘refreshment’. However, how many of you can say you’ve been to the Galway City Museum? You know, that big looming building beside Nimmo’s restaurant? Go there!

Have a look around. It holds exhibitions regularly, but even when there aren’t any, you can always have a peek in to see what it has to offer.

5. If all else fails…

Card games! So if nothing else on this list interests you, maybe this one will. Get a group of friends together, get online for a few games or dig out a pack of cards.

There are countless games to play with that little deck, whether we’re talking old school Go Fish, or something slightly more sophisticated. Enjoy!

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Graduate Spotlight Marie-Jeanne Jacob

By Lisa Fitzgerald

Generally the remit of Art Colleges throughout the country, fostering an atmosphere of creativity within the visual arts may not be the first thing that comes to mind when entering the hallowed halls of NUI Galway. That assumption, however, would be misleading.

Having established, in conjunction with the Burran Collage of Art, the first Masters degree in Fine Art in the country, NUI Galway can also lay claim to the establishment of the annual Múscailt Arts Festival running from the 7 - 12 February. Out of this milieu comes figurative artist and NUIG graduate, Marie-Jeanne Jacob, whose exhibition is currently running in the Arts Millennium Building.

Can you describe your creative process. How do you begin a new piece?

It really depends.

Sometimes I have an image in mind that I recreate in real life and either photograph or directly transpose.

Other-times, I just start painting on an empty white canvas and see what happens. Each piece is different, so each one comes into being in a different way.

When did you decide to become an artist?

I was always encouraged by my family, I didn't decide to become an artist as such, it just happened. I wanted to create a large installation and asked the arts officer in NUIG for a space during Múscailt last year and she was kind enough to accept my proposal. And from there, once I realized it was possible, I just kept on going.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you work?

In no particular order, here are the artists I love and always look to for inspiration: Swoon (aka Caledonia Curry) - her street art and especially her swimming cities of switchback sea; Dave McKean - especially the work he did for the sandman dust covers and wolves in the walls; Gerald Scarf, Egon

Schiele, Frida Khalo, Enki Bilal, Ashley Wood, Jan Saudek, and Alfons Mucha.

Your paintings are colourful and vibrant. Is colour more important than form in your work?

No and yes. Colour is extremely important to me as I am intrigued by colour psychology and the effects colour has on people both physically and mentally but the form is equally important as it structures and complements the colour, supporting the way it affects people.

We’re into our second month, and the thousands of students who joined us in September are still blocking corridors, getting lost and asking directions.

Recently cut free from the strings of their mothers’

aprons, they are set loose upon the city of Galway.

Independence at last!

Is it really so enjoyable leaving home for the first time? Last week, I caught up with Emma Doyle, a seventeen-year-old Longford girl studying Arts, who has a strong bond with her

Emma stands beside a sink full of dirty dishes.

Who's gonna clean that up? Photo by Jessica.

H u g e l y. I l o v e d Mexico and its artistic history. The whole country is steeped in art, and art in Mexico is much more of a way of being than it seems to be here in Europe. Art in Mexico is much more inclusive and it surrounds you when you live there. The studies I did there really helped me mature as an artistically minded person and opened me up to so many different ways of experiencing and appreciating art.

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Your current exhibition is called Moments, can you tell me how you came up with the title?

Moments is a section from a previous exhibition/installation entitled ‘L'île’. The idea is as follows; that there are in-between moments we experience; the moment while you are falling, before you hit the ground but after you have tripped; the split second before your first kiss with somebody new, the instant you realise you are lost but before this realisation begins to worry you; the appre-

hension and excitement of the unknown where anything is possible.

What advise could you give those trying to pursue a career in the arts?

Go for it and realise that the art itself and its creation is by far the easiest part of it all. It’s the organization and all the mundane bits that take up all your time and energy.

Moments is currently running in the foyer of the Arts Millennium building. http://mariejeannejacob.blogspot. com/

How has NUIG fostered your emergence as an artist?

The arts office has been extremely kind in supporting me and giving me space and encouragement several times. As part of my degree in Spanish I went to Mexico where I had the opportunity to study contemporary art which I absolutely loved and being part of the art society for three years was fun and gave me an outlet for creativity in the college.

Where’s Your Mammy Gone?

By Jessica Thompson

Has your study of Contemporary art in Mexico influenced your work?

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mother, and found leaving home for the first time a little difficult.

Emma had just finished her first week when I met her for an interview, and though she found the campus very friendly and welcoming, she was “knackered” by the end of a long week of introductory lectures and fresher’s events. “I’m not used to the hours,” said a tired Emma, “or all the walking.

I’m really tired but its fun.”

College is a great chance to do new things, meet new people, and enjoy some independence, but it’s quite common to be homesick in the first while. Emma misses her family and her friends, and most of all she misses being able to walk into the

Firefly Feet by Marie Jeanne Jacob

house and talk to her parents. “There’s no-one there to yell at me when I bring grass in on my shoes, but there’s always something reassuring about having a mammy in the house.”

Trips home at the weekends, long phone calls, and frequent text messages, however, are always a good way to combat the homesickness. But these are not the only steps Emma takes to help the loneliness. She may have to sweep her own floor, wash her own dishes, and make her own way to classes every day without the use of the taxi service conveniently provided by her parents; but Emma enjoys a number of home-cooked meals during the week. She refers to these meals as “Frozen Dinner à la Mammy.”

So what is “Frozen Dinner à la Mammy”? Well,

put simply, it is a dinner that has been cooked at home, placed in a plastic box, and put in the freezer until it is needed for reheating. This week, for example, Emma enjoyed two dinners of shepherd’s pie, one dinner of chicken tikka, a large container of soup, and a speciality of Mammy Doyle’s – pasta with chicken, bacon, and vegetables – delicious!

This luxury of homecooked meals is much appreciated by Emma, who claims that her “eating habits have gone to hell!”

It’s difficult to keep a routine, healthy diet without someone there to guide you, but this becomes a lot easier to manage with time, as Emma will surely find out in the near future.

“One day I ate a snack bar for breakfast,” Emma said, “and ate nothing else at all

until I got home from college!”

So what happens when the supply of Frozen Dinner à la Mammy runs out?

Emma survives on toasted potato waffles when the good food is gone. Delicious as these are, they simply aren’t the same as a wholesome, delicious, home-cooked meal, made with love and care.

There’s no shame in asking one’s parental units for a few frozen dinners.

Home is where the heart is, and wherever you live throughout the academic year, home is still home, and you are always welcome there. We could all take a leaf out of Emma’s book and grab ourselves some Frozen Dinner à la Mammy this weekend. I plan on coming back to Galway with a box full beef casserole.

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Culture Night at James Hardiman Library Deemed a Success

By Ciara Holmes With Culture Night in its fourth year in Ireland, this September it was time for NUI Galway to contribute and inform people about their research and findings. There is such a huge amount of research being carried out in NUI Galway, including the Moore Institute and the James Hardiman Library, that it would be a shame not to recognise this work or to open up their archives and Special Collections to the public.

The evening began with Special Collections Librarians Marie Boran and Brigid Clesham discussing their new project ‘The Irish Landed Estate Database.’ This project began in the mid-2000s after questions were raised about the landed estates both in Galway and abroad. Their main objectives in setting it up were that it should be online and that it would be updated regularly.

The intention of this database is not to give a detailed history of the estates but to be a starting point for those who wish to learn more about their family history.

After a lot of research and fieldwork, the database was born and is proving to be very popular with over 20,000 hits every month. The database can be searched by family name, by estate or by a house name. If you’re thinking “This is all well and good, but what has this really got to do with me?” the answer is “A lot!”.

There are over 3,500 estates recorded on the database so the chances are that you might have a family name on it or it might feature a place where you live. For all you history buffs out there, the house of Newcastle which was home to Henry Stratford Persse

in the early nineteenth century was situated where the Bank of Ireland is now on the main Concourse. The website is open access to all at www.landedestates.ie.

Next on the agenda was a talk by Fergus Fahey about the personal archive of John McGahern which is exclusive to the James Hardiman Library. McGahern was born in 1934 in Co. Leitrim and became a teacher in a primary school in Clontarf. He began writing and his novel The Dark was banned in Ireland due to pornographic content and he was dismissed from his job. He continued to write full time and his works include novels, short stories, plays and non-fiction.

Before his death in 2006 The Observer claimed he was “the greatest living Irish novelist.” McGahern’s novel Amongst Women was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1990. The James Hardiman Library received his drafts and personal letters and papers from McGahern before his death. They also received collections from his second wife, Madeleine.

This was a huge acquisition for the library as the collection dates from 1958 to 2006. It comprises of thirty-two boxes with approximately 1,500 items.

Less than 1,200 of this figure are drafts of his published work. There are various drafts in each box so it is challenging work for the archivist assembling the papers.

It is also a fascinating read for fans of McGahern’s work as the drafts contain his planning, his thought process of each story and outline the developments of his work. His unpublished novel The End or the Beginning of Love of which extracts were pub-

lished in X magazine is also contained in this collection.

The evening finished with two screenings from the Druid Synge Series Riders to the Sea and The Shadow of the Glen. The Druid Company Collection is also one of the collections in the library and the archive contains thirtyfour boxes of material.

The Druid Theatre Company was founded by members of the University College Galway Drama Society in 1975 and is now one of the most recognised theatre companies in the world.

The archive contains detailed information about their productions since the company began right up to 2008 and was donated by Druid. Barry Houlihan, who introduced each speaker on Culture Night, says that they are continuing to expand on this collection at present.

There are over 350 collections in the archives and the focus is mainly on theatre, literary and local history. When asked to put a price on a collection, Houlihan laughs and says that it is all “priceless”. He cites the Galway Corporation collection as an example of exclusiveness which dates from 1485 to1798.

There are twenty items in this collection which include a statute book containing names of those involved and the statutes passed. There are also a number of maps including the first editions of the Ordnance Survey maps from the 1830s and 1840s. There are both digitised and deposited archives and the full catalogue can be viewed online through the Library’s website.

Houlihan claims the night was a “success” and was very positive about the event.

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,

Dear D’arcy,

I was out on a stag with a friend of mine (our families go way back) and he kind of offered me a job. He asked me to give him a hand for a while. He’s kind of my boss now.

Shortly after I started, I found out that his wife is having an affair with her own brother. I feel like I should tell him, but he might not believe me, and I’d lose my job. With winter coming, that would be bad. I think the company accountant would back me up though, he seems nice. I’ve been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out what to do. What do you think? — Eddard Dear Eddard, Congratulations on the new job!

It’s really unfortunate that you are in such a predicament. You have to think carefully about what action you will take. Truthfully, no matter what you choose to do you will have to make a very difficult decision!

It seems that you do not know where you stand with your new boss.

This makes it almost impossible to know the right way to handle the situation. If your boss is unhappy with you telling him the truth, or worse, he doesn’t believe the truth, you could be in a lot of trouble. How well do you know the company accountant? If the answer is “not well” I suggest you keep it to yourself

Dear Eddard Are you mad? You have a job in this economic climate. I don’t care if your boss’ wife is having an affair with a horse you need to keep your mouth shut. You need to think this through logically. This man may be your friend but you want to accuse his wife of not only adultery but incest as well. That is a serious blow.

Trust me – he’s not going to take it well!

You have a lot to lose and I don’t recommend throwing it all away just to be loyal. I mean you can’t even be sure he’ll believe your word against his wife’s. And while we’re discussing trust I feel the need to tell you that you’d be an idiot for trusting the company accountant. Have you dealt with accounting before? They talk to everybody in the office. Do you really want that person to know

and leave him out of any decision you make. Personally I don’t think you should get involved. No matter how far back your families go you need to keep in mind that you will be insulting his wife!

I appreciate that it isn’t easy to keep your friend in the dark. I’m a huge fan of honesty myself but in this case only harm can come from the truth. Finally I’d just like to add that yes winter is coming but you shouldn’t allow this to affect your judgement. I mean it’s not like winter lasts for years!

Hugs —Darcy

this secret?

Don’t forget, in life some things must be figured out on your own.

Discovering your wife is sleeping with her own brother is one of these things. So leave your boss to it and don’t mention this to anyone. If he ever finds out you knew and didn’t say something there would be more trouble!

That’s Life, Barnacle

For more advice please email advice.sin@gmail.com!

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Primus, Tandem Felix, and not Galway Nightlife the Red Hot Chili Peppers Review of Roisin Dubh’s Silent Disco

By Peter Gallagher Since my review of ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’, it has been announced that Tony Wright has left the band.

Hopefully it wasn’t something I said. Anyway, I am writing this review for the new Primus album, or as many may know them as, theguys-who-wrote-the South-Park-theme-song.

First I would like to mention Irish indie band Tandem Felix. Primus and Tandem Felix have nothing in common other than a passion for Latin. They might as well be chalk and Tandem Felix. The Dublin boys are as mellow as a rainy afternoon, as haunting as clear night, and best of all - their music is free.

(Since all that darn illegal downloading makes charging for it seem pointless.) Their soothing, yet powerful sound seems to be entirely self-produced. You can

download any of their work at plixid.com. The pick of their tracks from their Tweedledee album have to be the melancholic ‘California (Year One)’ and the gently rustic ‘Canyons’. If you want to support the Irish band you can simply send the money to me, just call 0800-givememoney.

Wacky, surreal, wobble metal band Primus released their first album, Green Naugahyde, on 12 September. I like to think of it as a response to averagely bland, beige rock outfit Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You Now released just twelve days before it. The reason I mention the Perfectly Mild Chili’s album is due to their early nineties funk rock affiliation with Primus. I like to think of Primus as the music lover’s band; breaking the mould and succeeding with their own brand anti-pop. The Blahhhh Hot Chili Peppers on the

other hand are for those who go to music festivals, take of their tops, and shout “Freebird!” at the musicians. This wouldn’t be so bad if the band wasn’t so absurdly normal. I don’t want to appear too cynical though, so lets leave the Chillis to one side.

The new Primus album is anything but mundane; it features a very definite return to their original selves, fish fascination and all. First thing you will notice besides the obscure, what-the-hell opener is the great Les Claypool bass sound. For any non-rock or ‘casual’ rock fans (whatever that is) Les Claypool is to bass what Jesus Christ is to Christianity. Claypool’s bass on Green Naugahyde appears to be some sort of rubber wood, and is definitely played through a tub of jelly. Lyrically there is a barrage of pop culture references. Whether they

form the delightfully bitter HOINFODAMAN or the nostalgic western inspired Lee Van Cleef, it’s like celebrity gossip without the risk of being caught reading Heat magazine. Of course this would not be a Primus album if there were not bizarre twists and turns throughout. A prime example of this being ‘Eternal Consumption Engine’ which climaxes with the ‘everything’s made in China’ lyric.

The pick of the songs are ‘Last Salmon Man’, ‘Eternal Consumption Engine’, and ‘Lee Van Cleef’. The new Primus album is a great buy, and I suggest you do BUY it.

Although, I don’t actually care. I still get my non-existent salary for writing this article anyway.* [*Its about personal fulfillment and padding out your CV Peter, quit whining.

Write for Sin! –Ed]

Review: A History of Oil

By Ronan Doyle A stand-up routine crafted around serious analyses of the Iraq War, global warming, and mankind’s ever diminishing energy supplies, Robert Newman’s History of Oil is a genuinely impassioned plea from the humourist for us to open our eyes to the reality of our world.

Drawing comparisons between the First World War and the current Middle-East occupation by the US, History of Oil supports its take on the well-treaded “oil war” arguments by placing contemporary events within a historical context. Newman traces the current global paradigm back to its roots in WWI, exploring the storied pasts of Iran and Iraq and the manner in which the West’s plans to “bring democracy” seem little more than a front for

expanding the reach of American capitalism.

Not hesitant to admit the certain eccentric tendencies of his conspiratorial theories, Newman is unrelentingly self-deprecating in his humour, though the arguments with which he reinforces his statements are undeniably accurate.

Demonstrating an impressive depth of knowledge on its subject matter, History of Oil is thoroughly researched, Newman’s expatiation upon the most minute details of international economics and trade relations displaying clearly a passionate desire to incite change, or at the very least to inform.

Interestingly shot for what is in essence a standup gig, the camera angles and shot compositions contribute to the multivoiced role plays Newman enacts, a particularly memorable sequence seeing him

cast as a variety of anthropomorphised nations in a bizarre but brilliant drug deal analogy.

Perhaps more of a light lecture than a traditional stand-up show, the humour often disappears for moments at a time as Newman descends further into the intimate aspects of how we got to this point and how, if at all, we can return. Laced nevertheless with a wry sardonicism and witty observations on the inherent nonsensicality of our collective human refusal to accept the limitations of oil-based energy, History of Oil never forgets that the best way to inform is to simultaneously entertain.

Some of its undisciplined tangential musings drag it down a notch, and many of its cuts to prerecorded mini-sketches detract from the flow of Newman’s verbose dis-

course, but History of Oil is a well-rounded and energetically delivered discussion of several of the major problems faced by our global civilisation.

Robert Newman’s History of Oil will be screened

by Eco Soc on 11 October.

by Jane Kearns

The Roisin Dubh has always been known for its intimate gigs, chilled atmosphere and indie vibe, so when you hear the word ‘disco,’ the last place you might think of is the Roisin. Yet every Tuesday the famed bar opens up its doors and welcomes everyone into its disco with a twist: a Silent Disco. Last Tuesday I put on my finest outfit and took a trip to the Roisin to see just what all the hype was about.

The back bar was jammed with people when I arrived. Everyone was dancing and loudly singing along to the songs being played by the two resident DJs; Ted and Gugai .

Everyone in attendance was given a pair of headphones on the way in. Each set of headphones had a choice of two channels which were playing almost every kind of music; from classic rock anthems to old school hip hop! The DJs really knew how to get the crowd going with their choice of songs, and changing from the likes of funky Motown to 80s synth pop at the flick of a switch seemed to go down really well with everyone. As the night went on the music

began switching more frequently between different genres. This was obviously done to try and cater to everyone’s tastes, and the mix of music was thoroughly enjoyed by the crowd.

The DJs were friendly and approachable and were willing to take requests from anyone.

All of the other staff were easy going and willing to join in on the fun of the silent disco.

The music might have been good, but that was definitely not the highlight of my night. The real fun came when I actually took my headphones off and just sat back and enjoyed the show of a room full of people dancing and singing loudly and out of tune to different songs. The best part of all this was that no one cared.

Everyone left their inhibitions at the door and just let loose, singing the wrong words to a song and jumping around like a maniac just wasn’t embarrassing for anyone! But does all of this unadulterated fun come at a price? Yes, but at €5 it is a complete bargain!

So if it’s a bangin’ night out you’re looking for with an alternative twist, I suggest checking out the Roisin Dubh on a Tuesday night.

Derek Ellard performing in An Bialann during the SU Sessions on 27 September

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Books: More Lives than One

by Katie Quigley One might have expected more poetry from a poet. However, More Lives than One, Gerard Hanberry’s new book on the story of Oscar Wilde and his family, is densely inhabited by artists, eccentrics and altogether remarkable people. The author, in his wisdom, has stepped aside and chosen to give these characters free rein in the telling of their own story.

He has allowed them to walk about and frequently scribble on his pages their letters, literature and inner thoughts. The result of this is a thoroughly readable book which is more full of plot twists and scandal than most works of fiction.

The book begins by delving into the Wilde family’s somewhat fantastical Anglo-Italian ancestry.

Italian from the exotic imagination of Oscar’s mother, Lady Jane Wilde and Anglo from the more likely reality that the forefather in question was in fact a brick-layer from Durham, England. It progresses through the lifespan of the Wilde family, including a comprehensive biography

of Oscar himself, ending with his desolate death in a Parisian hotel in 1900.

The main interest of the book, however, lies in its chronicling of the people who made Oscar, as the author puts it, in as much as one can ‘make’ an Oscar Wilde. The detail of this family history is something which has not been attempted in previous biographies of Oscar and is a fascinating study of his own character, as well as telling the story of a group of people who were all quite incredible in their own right. The main player of the book in many ways is Oscar’s mother, Lady Jane ‘Sperenza’ Wilde. She is an astonishing woman by every account, who shaped and stood by Oscar throughout his life despite her many hardships. The story also details Oscar’s doctor father Sir William Wilde, as well as his siblings, wife, children and friends.

Hanberry’s enormous talent as a story-teller shines throughout the book. One gets the feeling that the proud Sperenza (Lady Wilde’s pseudonym under which she wrote

much nationalist poetry during the 1840s) would not have been overly upset, for example, by Mr. Hanberry’s revelation of her humble family history. But instead would have seen him as a charming and entertaining man for doing so. Such is the tone of the book, both in terms of its portrayal of the characters’ personalities and also in the feeling we get that the author of the book is not a researcher or historian, but rather an intimate family friend of the Wildes’, sent here to deliver to us the true story of their lives. More than once during the tale one is glad to have such a ‘close friend’ doing the telling. An example which I will not soon forget is in Hanberry’s description of an incident in the early life of Sir William Wilde. Who, as a young medical student, was sent to relatives in Mayo during a cholera epidemic and of how he was of great assistance to one particular victim. It would have been prudent, perhaps, to have described his nobleness in going into the sufferer’s house when noone else would, his diligent

nursing of the patient and his hard-working in singlehandedly burying the poor man when he passed away and, later, his kind care of ailing children in the village. This is a historian’s version of the incident.

Hanberry, as an intimate family friend, is privy to the knowledge that William did have some assistance in burying his cholera victim; in the form of “a drunken pensioner and a donkey cart.” He also notes that his care of children included cutting open the windpipe of a child who was choking with a pair of kitchen scissors - these being the closest sharp instrument to hand. Hanberry recognises that it is these small details and quirks of character that transform relics of history into living and colourful characters. It is this talent that marks the great success of the book.

More Lives Than One is foremost a story about people, their families and what that means. It is an exceptionally readable and well-written story and should appeal to both Wilde’s greatest fans as well as those who have scarcely heard the name.

Music: Nevermind

By Katy Quinn and Roisin Peddle Nevermind was Nirvana’s second album and altogether their most successful. When it was released on 22 September 1991, the world was crying out for rock music with meaning. Now at twenty years old, this album has forever changed the world of music and continues to influence some of the most prestigious artists of today.

Nirvana was influenced by bands such as REM and the Pixies. Cobain mastered an album that was set to change the face of music. Most of the songs on the album, including ‘Come as you are,’ ‘Lithium’ and ‘In Bloom’ were masterminded by Kurt Cobain, while, ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ was written by Dave Grohl, Cobain and Kris Novoselic.

Neither the band nor the record company DGC (who had never worked with Nirvana before) realised the commercial success that the album was set to become. ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ became more

and more popular after MTV played the video during a late night show.

DGC hoped Nevermind would sell about 250,000 records but it sold thirty million worldwide and

by November it made number thirty five on the Billboard top 40 in America.

By November 1991, only two months after its release, it had gone Certified Gold and Platinum. In January 1992 it pushed Michael Jacksons Dangerous album off of the number one spot selling 30,000 copies a week.

Grohl said that Cobain told him, “Music comes first, lyrics come second,” and Grohl believes that above all Cobain focused on the melodies of his songs. The album reached number seventeen on Rolling Stone’s list the 500 Greatest Albums of all time. The new 2011 deluxe edition includes live recordings in Seattle, rehearsal demos and behind the scenes footage.

The Lion King Roars into 3-D

By Roisin Peddle The 90s were a great time to be a kid. Along with e-numbers, Sabrina and Tamagotchis, there was the ‘Disney Renaissance’; films like the Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and of course, The Lion King. Beautifully hand-drawn, well-scripted and featuring some serious voice talent, the Disney movies from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s were some of the finest the company ever released. They hold a special place in the hearts of us 20-somethings.

Disney are well aware of this and with unerring cynicism only release the classics on DVDs for a limited time, before putting them back into the Disney vault. As a result, many of today’s children have never seen the likes of The

Little Mermaid and many misty-eyed adults race to the DVD aisle of Tesco clutching a €20 copy of Aladdin before Disney take it away again. Or even more cynically, they re-screen a film in the cinema for a limited time in 3-D. This is exactly what Disney has done with the The Lion King, one of the highest grossing animated films of all time, and my personal favourite. But is it really worth forking out for the 3-D experience to watch a bunch of cartoon lions frolic on screen?

I can’t testify for the 3-D experience, but the film has most definitely stood the test of time.

Until I re-watched it for this article, I hadn’t seen it since I was five.

I remember vividly running up to the cinema screen, crying, patting

Mufasa’s mane, before my mother whisked me away. When you watch a film you loved in childhood, there’s always the risk it’s simply not as good as you remember. Thankfully, The Lion King isn’t one of these films. Based very loosely on Hamlet, the story is suitably epic enough to match the truly gorgeous animation. The villainous Scar (a louche, evil Jeremy Irons) kills his brother Mufasa (James Earl Jones, aka Darth Vader) and pins the blame on Mufasa’s son, the future king, Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a baby and Mr SJP, Matthew Broderick as a grown up). Simba runs away and makes friends with a smelly warthog and wisecracking meerkat, before he is rediscovered

by Nala the lioness (Moira Kelly) and a wise old ape,

Rafiki (Robert Guilluame).

A showdown with Scar and his cretinous hyena sidekicks ensues. It’s no spoiler to tell you that the ending diverges significantly from Hamlet.

While I may not have tried to revive Mufasa this time around, there was a tear or two in my eye when Simba desperately called for his dead father.

The soundtrack and performances are noteperfect, and the ‘Circle of Life’ message is one of Disney’s nicer ones. There is romance but it is not the main focus of the story like it is with the Princess films. The Lion King is not just a great children’s film, it’s a great film full stop.

Worth spending a small fortune on 3-D for? It’s up to you, but Disney’s devious ways have snared me.

I’ll be first in line on 7 October.

Rachael Dardis ticks the right box at the NUI Galway Slutwalk

{20}

F a s hion

13–03

Review: Elure Beauty

by Jane Kearns I have tried out my fair share of hair removal.

From at home waxing to epilating, I’ve tried it all!

So when I heard that SIN wanted someone to try out a new “virtually pain free” waxing which is loved by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller, I just had to see what it was like. Lycon is an Australian waxing system which uses all natural ingredients and claims to be far less painful than other types of waxing. At first I was very sceptical as I’ve tried out all the other supposedly pain free forms of hair removal, but to my pleasant surprise the wax was in fact “virtually pain free”. It also left my skin feeling soft and smooth afterwards, which is almost unheard of after waxing. So where can you get your hands on this miracle wax? Well, I got mine at Elure beauty situated on Galway’s docks, and it’s the only place in the west offering this form of waxing.

But a quick wax wasn’t

all I got during my visit to Elure; I also got to sample an organic facial and a spray tan. The Ilcsi facial treatment was incredibly relaxing and calming, it gave my skin a deep cleansing and left it looking rejuvenated and feeling moisturised. This was done using all natural ingredients such as peppermint, lavender and a whole host of vitamins and minerals. The facial lasted an hour and a half and included a relaxing message and steam treatment to help unclog pores, afterwards I felt relaxed and thoroughly rested.

Of course it isn’t a treatment you would get every week, but I would recommend it during stressful or busy times such as exams, to de-stress, revamp tired looking skin or just pamper yourself!

The final treatment I got was an organic spray tan

by Karora. I haven’t had the best luck with tan in the past. Being as pale as pale can be, I’d often just end up looking unnatural, blotchy or orange, so I wasn’t expecting much.

However this citrus smelling tan left me looking golden and sun kissed, and most importantly natural. I would urge any of you fake tan addicts to try this one out, and I think in no time you’ll all be saying “Sally Who?” and have forgotten about your dodgy looking Ooompa-Loompa days and stained fingernails.

All of this sounds wonderful, but how can we afford it? We are poor students, after all. Cheap bottle tans and our boyfriends’ razorblades are the best we can get when it comes to looking fabulous, right? No! Elure have a whole range of student offers and their normal prices aren’t too steep either. Lycon waxing is as cheap as €15 and a long lasting, even tan can be purchased for €18.

And students get 20% off all beauty treatments on Wednesdays. So if you’re looking for the prefect tan and smooth legs for a night out or even day of pampering yourself just for the hell of it, I suggest taking a trip down to Elure for all your beauty needs.

10–10

The White Elephant Bar Boot Sale

By Lia Stokes

The Bar Boot sale is along the same lines as a jumble sale, market or a car boot sale.

They have been appearing in various locations across the country over the past couple of years and are a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

As the name suggests, bar boot sales are a kind of pop up market in a pub setting.

Galway’s first Bar Boot sale took place in the Bierhaus in Galway’s west end earlier this year and following its success the craze has taken off.

Sunday, 2 October saw the first of the White Elephant Bar Boot Sales in the Ruby Room of The King’s Head. The small room was a treasure trove of vintage and pre-loved clothing and accessories, handmade jewellery, old CDs and vinyl records as well as delicious handmade chocolates.

Although the venue lacked in space, the atmosphere and range of goods made up for it. Between the great music played by co-founder of the event Sarah O’Neill, and the throngs of people streaming

Style Spotter With Erika Fox

{sin}

Photographs by Cayla Bloomer Name: Shonagh Doherty

What are you wearing today?

Jeans and denim shirt from Topshop Biker boots from River Island Brown belt from Penneys Describe your style in three words: Unique, quirky & vintage.

Style Inspiration: Alexa Chung What is your opinion on NUIG fashion?

I’m pleasantly surprised at how well the NUIG guys dress!

Name: Micheal Duffy What are you wearing today?

Jeans from Topman Striped t-shirt from H&M Cardigan from Dunnes Bag from River Island Shoes from Schuh What is the main influence on your style?

Music What do you think of the guys fashion in NUIG? Not much I’m afraid, it’s mainly dominated by Hollister hoodies.

in and out, the place was truly heaving with energy.

Nothing was over €50 and the quality of goods on offer was fantastic. It is a perfect event for students in particular. With its free entertainment and an array of interesting produce, it is definitely worth a look if you like a bargain!

Galway girls Ciara O’Doherty and Sarah O’Neill started the White Elephant sale to lend a platform to local craftspeople to sell their wares and also for ordinary people to de-clutter or pass on some pre-loved goods. The aim was to allow people to make a bit of money, buy some interesting bits and pieces, and have fun in a different kind of social setting.

The event brought together a pick n’ mix of people including two inspirational women who made major career shifts following recession based redundancies. Sinead Lally of the online vintage store Cotton Face Vintage and Helen of Galway Handmade Chocolates were both made redundant last year and decided to take a

risk and follow their passions.

For some this would be a daunting task but as Sinead said, “I love it! Fashion is my thing and I just wished I had done it sooner!” Helen explained that initially she just needed to make some money, but now she’s doing something she really loves.

The day was a huge success with the clothing stalls claiming most of the attention.

However, this is unsurprising considering the founders of the event are both currently making waves on the Irish fashion scene. Fashion blogger and NUI Galway alumn Ciara recently won a competition with Pretty Polly hosiery to be an ambassador for the brand. While Sarah is a designer for her own clothing line Harlow and Harvey.

Check out http://wildchildstoriesblog.blogspot. com/ for Ciara’s take on the latest trends and http://www. harlowandharvey.com/ for more information on Sarah’s creations. Or keep up to date with the next White Elephant Bar Boot Sale event on Facebook.

{sin} 13–03

F a s hion

{21} 10–10

INTERVIEW: Aine Dempsey, Simply Be Model Competition Finalist

by Marése O’Sullivan Nineteen year old Aine Dempsey, third year Bachelor of Commerce student at NUI G a l w a y, h a s b e e n selected from 6,000 applicants for a place in the finals for the Simply Be modelling competition, Simply Be Curvy 2012. She will compete against seventeen other young women for the coveted role the Irish face of ‘Simply Be’ for the Spring/Summer 2012 catalogue. Sin spoke to Aine about how she was feeling ahead of the October finals, and how she believes the modelling industry has changed in recent years.

Congratulations on your fantastic achievement: chosen from 6,000 applicants to earn one of eighteen places! How do you feel?

To be honest, it’s surreal. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I wasn’t even expecting a phone call back regarding the competition, let alone getting into the finals.

I still cannot believe it!

I’m delighted and really excited.

Where did you hear about the competition? What inspired you to enter?

I heard about the competition through my modelling agent, Mandy Maher from Catwalk Modelling Agency, and she urged me to enter.

The whole idea of the Simply Be brand also inspired me to enter, as they make fashionable and stylish clothes for the curvier girls and they accomodate all age groups.

Have you always aspired to be a model?

Yes, in a way, I suppose I have. I loved the idea of modelling from a young age, and I have always adored fashion. What young

girl wouldn’t want the opportunity to dress in fabulous clothes, have your hair and make-up done, and to walk down a catwalk?

I think that my aspiration to become a model intensified when television programmes such as America’s Next Top Model came about, which gave me an indepth insight into the whole industry.

What has been the most challenging aspect of the competition so far?

Definitely, the interview process for regional heats. I was interviewed by the Marketing Director and the two head stylists of Simply Be, but we had to do the interview in groups of three so you were in constant competition with your fellow interviewees to give the best answer. I found it quite challenging, as I had never done an interview in that format prior to this.

On Sunday 16 October, at the Johnstown House Hotel & Spa you will have another interview. This time, it will be with celebrity judges from all different types of industries associated with modelling, such as Irish Independent Fashion Editor Bairbre Power, renowned fashion photographer Lili Forberg and TV3 Ireland AM presenter Sinéad Desmond. How are you feeling about this?

I am extremely nervous! This is to be expected, as I have never done anything like this before, but at the same time I am really excited.

I absolutely adore Lili Forberg; her work is phenomenal and I am dying to meet her. I cannot wait to work with celebrity stylist and model agent Celia Holman Lee, who will be training us for the show.

What would it mean to you to be representing Irish women everywhere as the face of Simply Be’s Spring/Summer 2012 catalogue?

It would be a dream come true. I would get the opportunity to model on a national level. This industry is very hard to get into because of the fantastic talent, so it would be a huge achievement for me to win the Simply Be competition. The winner will appear on Ireland AM on Monday 17 October, partake in a Dublin photo shoot with Lili Forberg, do a photo shoot in the UK for the cover of the 2012 Spring/Summer catalogue and also participate in launches for the Simply Be brand.

How do you feel the modelling industry has changed and/ or developed over the past number of years?

Do you think it now has a more positive influence on young people, particularly women?

I think that the modelling industr y has evolved a great deal. It has become a lot more accepting of curvier women and their body shapes and sizes. In reality, there are women out there who have curves. In my opinion, the modelling industry is changing for the better. It is having a more positive influence on young women, as now we can see curvier female models beginning to come on the scene and different body types appearing. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that the industry has a long way to go, but it is encouraging to young models like myself to finally feel like we have some hope and that we don’t have to change our physique in order to get work. The Simply Be brand has had a lot to

do with this throughout the UK and Ireland; they design clothes that cater for everyone.

Would you recommend entering competitions to fellow NUI Galway students who are interested in pursuing a career as a model?

Yes, I definitely would recommend entering modelling competitions.

It is a great experience and I have gained hugely from this competition in terms of my own self-confidence. I think both the Simply Be competition and the brand itself have a huge impact on the Irish fashion industry, by giving curvy models a chance to work with the top names in the industry.

Fun & friendly Beauty Salon located in a top Hairdressers on the Dock front @ Ritz Hair No. 16, New Dock Rd.

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N U I G a lw a y C L U B S P A G E I nte r C ollege G a m es !

1.

The whole concept of Inter college games was born due to the small population of students that participate in sport on the NUIG campus. The purpose is to eradicate the concept that sport clubs are solely there for competitive purposes and elite athletes, and to emphasise the participative aspect of university clubs 2. NUIG will proudly introduce the inaugural Inter-college games in October 2011. This competition will involve the five colleges of the University: • • • • •

College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies College of Science College of Engineering and Informatics College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences College of Business, Public Policy and Law

3. They will compete against each other for the prized Inter college cup. A series of blitz’s and introductory events will run for approximately two weeks beginning in early October.

• There will be scoreboards placed throughout campus for people to keep track of how their college is doing and encouraging friendly rivalry!!!!! :-P • You earn points for your college just through participating, i.e. the more events you’re involved in, the more points you earn! Events will be organised by the individual sports clubs who have already expressed avid interest in the project.

4. Ten games reps will be elected by each individual college. These games reps will serve to liaise between clubs and the wider student community. They will serve to promote both the inter college games and UNI.F.I.E.D programmes. Games rep activities will be overseen by College Convenor. Each college has one college convenor that will carry out a number of roles.

G uidelines fo r I nte r C ollege g a m es a s y ou r club c a pt a in !

As you know the Inter College games will take place this year. The games shall be launched on Mon October 10th to coincide with mental health week and during this time clubs will have the opportunity to advertise their events. The competition shall commence on Mon the 17th at 12pm. The games will run for two weeks and end on Wed 26th at 12pm of October in time to coincide with Halloween celebrations.

The following are just a few guidelines on what we would like each club to observe:

• During this period, individuals taking part in your normal training sessions will earn ONE point for their college.

• Ideally, we would like each club to select one of their training sessions to run an event. During this event, individuals participating will get TWO points for participating. Alternatively, clubs can organise an event outside of their training times.

–– This ‘event’ can be for example a blitz, an introductory skills session, or anything that gets students involved in your discipline.

–– In addition, clubs may organise more competitive events for more experienced members.

(They must make this clear in their event description so beginners don’t turn up).

• Points will be allocated by scanning student numbers in the usual way.

• Clubs may wish to award prizes to winners of their event. However, we’d like emphasis to be put on participating and the overall goal of earning points for your college to win the Intercollege Cup.

We’d like you to submit your training sessions (as per usual) and your TWO point event to the Clubs calendar, and also a copy to the clubs captain Eamonn Flynn (e.flynn6@ nuigalway.ie) by September 29th.

This is important as we need a final list of events to advertise by this date. If you have any questions guys, please don’t hesitate to give Dee a call on 0872316496. (preferably after 6pm).

The Sports Unit is based in the Kingfisher Club.

Kathy Hynes: Development officer for Clubs and Participation Gary Ryan: Development Officer Elite Sports Ellen Kelly: Administrative staff

F i v e Aside S occe r C l a ss L e a gue Only 50 cent inclusive fee Guaranteed 7 matches in Semester 1 140mins of soccer, fun and friendships In the cages Corrib Village.

All welcome represent your class!!!!!

Contact Kevin Cassidy by e-mail: nuigcages@kingfisherclub.com or text 086 177 2589 Futsal the indoor game – Leagues – starting end of September!!!

E-mail nuigcages@kingfisherclub.com/text Kevin 086 177 2589

C a ges C l a ss le a gues Start : Tuesday 4th October 8 week league.

5 aside leagues in the Cages Corrib village( Floodlit) All inclusive – unnamed squad – just have to be your class.

Take it in turn to represent your class – €50.00 per class Or enter a 2nd fixed named squad for €30.00.

Enter as many as you want!

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 12 - 2pm & 4-6pm Contact Kevin Cassidy 086 177 2589 email nuigcages@kingfisherclub.com

Excellent Sponsored Prizes Kevin Cassidy is the facilitator for all your recreational soccer.

Most capped player for Galway United, Manager/Coach with Galway District League.

C a lling a ll socce r pl a y e r s We are pleased to announce the return of the Futsal Leagues!

F uts a l 5 a side L e a gues Start date: Monday 3rd October, Kingfisher Club. 8-10pm — 8 week league

Registration: €50.00 per team – Squad of 8 players.

Register on line at www.otc.nuigalway.ie All teams to be registered by 8pm Thursday 29th September.

Fees to be paid by Monday 3rd October 2pm.

Contact Kevin Cassidy 0861772589

Substantial prizes — Great fun!

{sin} 13–03

Sport s & F itn e s s {23} 10–10

A Weighty Issue

By Aoife Brennan This week I’d like to talk about body fat, strength training and the link between the two. Body fat is tissue in our bodies that is composed of cells called adipocytes, which are, essentially, large round cells full of fat molecules.

When we eat these cells fill up: the fat is used to fuel our bodies until our next meal. So in a person with a healthy balanced diet these cells constantly increase and decrease in size a little from day to day. If we consistently overeat we are consuming more energy than our body needs and this extra energy is stored as fat. If we eat so much that all the adipocytes in our bodies become full, eventually they reach a critical size and a signal is sent to them saying “divide and multiply!” So we end up with more fat cells in our body. If

we continue to overeat and these cells continue to multiply, we become overweight or maybe even obese.

This is why, if you are someone that struggles with your weight, you need a long-term healthy diet and exercise regime to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. It also explains why short-term diets cannot work. Once these cells have multiplied, each time you overeat a little, or stop exercising, all these cells store fat. This means that a person who is a healthy weight has less fat cells to fill than an overweight person and so can eat fatty foods and not seem to gain weight, much to the frustration of their friends! Once we have these extra fat cells they are very difficult to get rid of and we hold on to fat more efficiently than someone with less cells to fill. Eating less does shrink them but you need to keep these cells

less than full for quite some time before the body is convinced that you no longer need them, and it can destroy them. It can take 1 - 2 years for the cells to really start disappearing so, is it obvious why fad diets don’t work? What’s that I hear you say? “But [insert name of waif-like celebrity here] is skinny and she follows [insert name of fad diet here]!”. People who live on fad diets restrict themselves a lot. Most of them are hungry, many have or have had eating disorders, a fact that can be attested to in a multitude of celebrity autobiographies out there. A

“

Being lean is largely about

”

changing what you eat rather than how much you eat.

truly fit and healthy person needs to eat lots of the right food to maintain a fit physique with strong muscles and healthy hair, skin and teeth. Being lean is largely about changing what you eat rather than how much you eat.

There are a number of gadgets out there that can measure body fat, which is not something that can be gauged by bodyweight alone. Some bathroom scales have built in body fat calculators. These work by sending a teeny-tiny electrical pulse through the body and, as electricity travels through fat, water, muscle and bone at a dif-

Recipe: Rice and Beans Serves 2

Instructions:

Preparation and cooking time 30-40 mins

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan

• Rice, steamed (left-over rice is perfect) • Vegetable oil • 1/2 red onion, chopped • 2 cloves of garlic • 1/2 red pepper, chopped (optional) • Mushrooms (optional) • Tin of chopped tomatoes • Tin(s) of beans: kidney, black eyed or cannellini beans or a tin of mixed beans • Small tin of sweetcorn • Handful of fresh baby spinach leaves • Few leaves of basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil • Some white cheddar cheese, grated • 2 tortilla wraps

ferent speeds, it can give you a calculation as to what your body fat is. These aren’t 100% accurate so you should be more concerned with the trend over time than the exact figures. You can search online if you’re interested in more accurate ways of measuring your body fat.

There are two approaches that can be taken to reduce the size of fat cells and eventually get rid of them; clean, healthy diet and building muscle. The best diet to reduce fat cells is one that keeps blood sugar low: meaning we cut out very sweet things. Sweet

2. Cook the red onions, garlic, red pepper and mushrooms for 4 - 5 minutes 3. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer for anther 5 minutes 4. Add the beans and sweetcorn and heat through 5. Toss in the spinach and basil for the last 2 minutes 6. Lay out a tortilla wrap - layer on some hot rice, then the bean mixture and top it off with some grated white cheddar.

7. Wrap it up and enjoy.

foods also tend to be high in saturated fat and low in nutrients. So the sweeter it tastes, the quicker our blood sugar jumps up. This hike in blood sugar causes a massive release of the hormone insulin which signals to the cells to soak up all this sugar in the blood and signals to the fat cells to stay alive. Never forget that the excess sugar you take in is converted to fat if you don’t use it up!

So eat fewer sweet things, eat complex carbohydrates like vegetables, oatmeal and whole meal breads and fill up with healthy proteins, such as eggs, chicken, beans and fish. Proteins help you feel full and keep sugar crav-

ings at bay.

The second approach to ridding us of the scourge of excess fat cells - building muscle - is vital and is also and area where many girls fall down. Guys typically don’t have to be convinced that building muscle is good for them but girls don’t want to be bulky. To clear this up, a girl simply cannot build muscle like a man does due to the very low levels of testosterone in their bodies. If you do weights every day for the next year you will build muscle, but to look like a professional fitness model, or the dreaded female bodybuilder, takes an extreme level of dedication involving hours of heavy weight training and - this bit is crucial - a low percentage of body fat to expose these muscles.

This is why bodybuilders ‘shred fat’ coming up to a competition: it makes their muscles look bigger even when they’re not.

So girls, if you want to lose fat and look lean you need to build muscle as muscle turns the body into a furnace that burns calories

even while you’re sitting around doing nothing. You don’t need to lift big weights to do this. Bodyweight resistance training is the best for overall functional fitness. Functional fitness is training your body to be able to handle all that life may throw at you, be that running up three flights of stairs or lifting a heavy box. My favourite website for this kind of training is bodyrock.tv where you can find hundreds of workouts that suit guys and girls of all fitness levels. The workouts typically take 10 - 20 minutes and can be done in the comfort of your own home with little or no equipment. Remember that having a workout buddy has consistently been shown to increase your chances of sticking at it so get out there, get some friends together and challenge each other with these fun workouts. Show those fat cells who’s boss!

I really like hearing what you think so please keep emailing your comments to editor@ sin.ie

{24} 13–03

Sport s & F itn e s s

{sin} 10–10

GAA: A Personal Touch

By Brian Grant

Having had the pleasure of meeting NUI Galway’s GAA Board of Chairpersons, I was instantly impressed by their tenacity and love of all things GAA. Eilish Ward, the current NUI Galway Ladies Chairwoman, says that the football club “caters for all different standards of players from county players, to recreational members to international students who simply want to try out the sport.”

Their primary ambition for the year is to win the coveted O’Connor Cup. Matches and training are held every Monday and Wednesday, taking into account all levels of fitness, experience and commitment.

The NUI Galway Camogie panel has just recommenced under the inspirational leadership of Richard McNicolas, Séamus Hennessy and K e v i n O ’ G r a d y.

Chairwoman R ói sí n Co nnaughtan felt that

“attendances at training have been high for this time of year, which signifies the dedication that is present and will continue to thrive among this panel of players, between now, and the infamous Ashbourne weekend in February 2012.”

This year, however, NUI Galway have started with a tremendous set up in place, utilising a dynamic balance between the players, managers and officials in the college that will hopefully lead to great things. With a formidable panel of exceptionally skilled players, along with masterminds in management, NUI Galway camogie embarks on its journey to the Ashbourne Cup 2012, keeping only one thing in mind, leaving no stones unturned, ensuring that the eighteen-year gap since NUI

Galway last retained the title is bridged.

The NUI Galway Men’s Gaelic Football club is one of the largest and most successful clubs in the university. All levels of interest, skill and commitment are catered for with as many as six teams representing the university in any one year.

Cathal Freemen, the current chairman, felt that “We have a proud and distinguished history in the premier third level Gaelic Football competition, the Sigerson Cup. We have won the Sigerson Cup twenty two times, with our latest success coming in 2003. Some of the very finest Gaelic footballers have represented the university in the Sigerson Cup over the years and this tradition continues today.” Also, this year NUI Galway is hosting the

Sigerson Cup. In the last weekend of February, the Dangan Sports Complex will be a hive of activity with some top class Gaelic football on offer. For further information, please email football@nuigalway. ie.

NUI Galway has a proud tradition in hurling. It caters for every hurler, from junior up to senior.

The Freshers field two teams every year, so as to encourage students to join the NUI Galway hurling club, and to improve their skills so that they can play at a higher level during the college term. NUI Galway have recorded ten victories in the Fitzgibbon cup, the last title coming in 2010 when the Sigerson was held in NUI Galway.

Kevin Downes, the club chairman felt that “we have an array of intercounty hurlers who have played at the top level, determined to take the Fitzgibbon cup west of the Shannon in 2012.”

GAA Chairpersons, Eilish Ward, Cathal Freeman, Róisín Connaughton and Kevin Downes

{sin} 13–03

Sport s & F itn e s s {25} 10–10

Padraig O' Connor & Enda O' Connor begin their fight.

Enda O' Connor prepares for the next round.

NUI Galway Hosts First Fight Night

By Mark Kelly On Wednesday, the 28 September, NUI Galway, in association with Papa John’s Pizza, hosted its first ever Fight Night. With over 400 students in attendance, the Kingfisher’s main sports hall was transformed into an arena. The night was split into demos and fights.

Judo got the proceedings underway. An Olympic martial art, Judo, when translated, means “the gentle way”. One is taught to defeat their opponent using one’s opponent’s strength.

The teaching of Judo is focused on winning fights, but is applicable to selfdefense. The demo included rolls and examples of grapples and takedowns.

Aikido, a non-competitive sword based martial art,

was next. Translated, Aikido means “way of harmony” and is mainly for selfdefense against knife-based attacks. The key to defeating the opponent is to use skill rather than brute force.

In the demo, some of the members showed how to counter knife attack and lock in grapples and holds, which render the attacker useless. There was also a demo on some swordplay and throws.

Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand, is based on the eight limbs: one uses fists, elbows, knees and shins whilst fighting. Before the fight, a dance called the Wai-Kru is performed. This is to thank current (and previous) trainers, coaches and fighters for all the help and experience they have given. In an intense fight,

both fighters demonstrated the use of all eight limbs.

Tae-Kwon-Do, a Korean martial art based on kicks and punches and one of the newest forms, came next. The demo began with a fight between two world champions. It was an explosive and frantic display, with the crowd really getting behind it.

There was then some kicks and punches against pads, followed by another fight demo, then some eye-catching moves, such as breaking boards. One demonstrator jumped across four people who were kneeling and kicked apart a board being held by a fifth person.

Next up was the boxing club. Notably, it has gained a high-profile reputation in Ireland due to the heroics of the Irish boxers in Bei-

Padraig O' Connor and Enda O' Connor.

jing. The demo featured Ryan Harkin against Oisin Fahy. The fight was two rounds, lasting two minutes each. It was an intriguing encounter, with both boxers demonstrating some of the skills required: good footwork, combinations and defending oneself. In the end, both men had a real go at each other, and the crowd appreciated it greatly, with both fighters receiving a huge round of applause.

Just before the break, a Capoeira demo was executed. It is a Brazilian martial art, which is unique in so far as it combines techniques with music. Some techniques include takedowns, knees, kicks and head butts. Some techniques were worked in with music in a rhythmic

style, rather more of a choreographed display than actual fighting.

Finally, it was time for the fights that everyone had been waiting for. The first fight of the night was a compromised rules fight, with Adrian “Flawless” Lawless (Tae-Kwon-Do) against Scott Keegan (Muay Thai).

In an intense fight, Scott always seemed to have an edge, and Adrian’s nickname ironically told the tale of the fight, as Scott’s hand was raised in victory.

The fights then followed thick and fast. There were three other Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA) fights. Kevin McDonnell (Tae-KwonDo) and Paul Heffernan (Karate/Ji Jutsu) had a fascinating draw, Oliver McCarthy (Tae-Kwon-Do) managed to beat Rushd

Rawj (Kickboxing), and in the only all-female fight, Amy O’Neill (Kickboxing/ Judo) defeated Clodagh Fitzpatrick (Tae-KwonDo). In the boxing match, Colin Whitla and Paul Fahy drew in a fascinating encounter. The title fight between Padraig O’Connor (Tae-Kwon-Do) and Enda O’Connor (Judo), Padraig managed to come out on top. Then, the biggest part of the night involved Ken “The Hit-Man” Horan competing in two noncompetitive matches.

After the event was over, the fighters and the viewers all made the long trek from the Kingfisher to the College Bar for free refreshments and some food. The event was extremely well organised and a huge congratulations to all involved.

Padraig has Enda in a headlock on the ground.

{26} S P ort s & F itn e s s 13–03

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Athletics Club Gears Up For Big Year

By Neil Hyland The 2011/2012 academic year promises to be one of the most exciting ever for the NUI Galway Athletics club. Following the appointment of a new coach and captain accompanied by an exciting new bunch of elite athletes and more and more fun runners, the club has seen a transformation. Additionally, with the thrilling prospect of the Inter-College Games and the ever increasing popularity of the “Bootcamp” circuits, there is even more reason to relish the year ahead.

The new club captain Oisin O’Carroll, a third

year medical student, and coach Gerry Reilly, a former Irish international athlete, are already putting in a huge amount of time and effort on behalf of the club. Having interviewed Oisin recently, he revealed that the club’s goals for the upcoming year were “to keep the club growing in numbers and to create a fun atmosphere at training for people of all levels of fitness.”

The club is also pleased to report that numbers at both the track and circuits continue to rise on a weekly basis. Gerry is keen to help even the most humble of runners, from those chasing the

Olympic dream to those of us wanting to stay in decent shape, as a result of a tendency for an odd Charcoal Grill half pounder here and there.

They also have some top class athletes in training such as Barry Healy, an Irish under 18 champion over 1500m and Eilish Fitzpatrick, who has already broken two NUI Galway indoor sprint records, so there’s plenty of room for those who want to mix with the best.

The upcoming InterCollege Games is yet another exciting event, not just on the athletics calendar, but also for all the clubs in NUI Galway.

It entails all courses battling it out, to be the best sporting faculty. This is the first competition of its kind in Ireland and it promises to be a pioneering event, not just for our own college but also for third level institutes all over the country.

Oisin also informed me that there are two social events organised for the coming year. One is a trip to the Burren, “penciled in for 21 - 23 October, where anyone can come and try their hand at rock climbing and other adventure sports whilst also socialising with other club members, all for the really good price of €50.”

He also mentioned two big fundraising events, “The 24 hour Run” and “Naked Mile” coming up in a few weeks, along with many table quizzes and club parties. For any curious, interested competitors, there is also the opportunity to test your abilities against the best in the country with many national athletics meets taking place this year. The dates and times of these can be seen below.

Allied to this, there will also be a number of fun runs organised in the college by Colm Murphy during the year so keep an eye on the college notice boards. The club would

just like to point out that it’s never too late to join.

Whether you want to be the new Usain Bolt or just lose a few pounds, there’s always space for more runners at the track. You can contact Oisin by email o.ocarroll1@nuigalway.ie or check out their Facebook page.

Road Relays: NUI Maynooth – 12 November 2011 Indoor Track and Field: Nenagh – 4 February 2012 C ross Cou n t ry: Waterford IT – 10 March 2012 O ut d oo r T r ac k and Field: Athlone IT – 20–21 April 2012

Connacht Has Back Against a Wall

By Aisling Crowe

Padraig O’Connor between rounds at the Fight Night in NUI Galway on 28th September.

Connacht faced a race against time to have their team fit for the Rabodirect Pro 12 derby against Leinster in the RDS on Saturday 8 October. Sin spoke to coach Eric Elwood about the challenges he would face in the week leading up to the match. Connacht managed to secure an important losing bonus point against Swansea but it came at a high price.

The team was unable to train the following Monday as most of the squad was receiving medical treatment. Captain Gavin Duffy and winger Tiernan O’Halloran both underwent intensive treatment at Shannon Cryotherapy Clinic in a bid to have them fit for Saturday’s game.

Elwood had to abandon any plans to begin work on the team ahead of the match as the injury list was so extensive, and was forced to wait until the end of the week before naming his team. When he spoke to Sin last week he explained, “We are going to give the guys every chance to prove their fitness but we may not be able to practice our tactics with the team for the Leinster match because of injuries, so that’s the

dilemma for us.” The problem reached crisis point in the back row with none of them able to train on Monday. He added, “We are very tight on backs. We have no backs standing.”

Elwood explained, that if he needed to, he would have no problem promoting any of the province’s under 20 team, who recently clinched the interprovincial championship, to the senior side to fill the breach. “We have to see where we are later in the week but I have no problem going to the under 20’s if we need to but it’s just a waiting game to be honest.”

The injury crisis could not have come at a worse time for the westerners ahead of their match against the European champions. The province are flying high in the league table in fourth place on the same points as their next opponents. The team has been playing well, with Elwood’s attacking game plan winning them plaudits as well as points.

The team put in a bold performance in Swansea after getting off to a disastrous start, falling ten points behind in the opening fifteen minutes. Elwood is taking heart from the team’s display but didn’t

gloss over his disappointment at losing the match.

“We played the game at a good tempo and generated good, quick ball. We created plenty of chances but we didn’t take them.

There are positives but we can’t get away from the fact that we didn’t win the ball game.”

World Cup fever has gripped the nation and Connacht get their own dose of that as winger Fetu’u Vainikolo flies over from New Zealand to link up with the side following his heroics with Tonga in the tournament and Elwood is looking forward to the extra dimension he can bring to his team, “We knew what we were getting from the start when we signed and we felt that we got him a little under the radar. It’s good for him that he got the opportunity to play at the World Cup and it’s good for the province to have someone playing at that level.” However Saturday’s match came too quickly for Vainikolo who will have to wait until after the World Cup to make his Connacht debut.

At time of writing, the outcome was not yet decided. It will be interesting to see how Connacht overcomes this injury challenge.

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F I n a l W O rd

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What's Happening in Galway 10th October – 23rd October

By Ashling O Loughlin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Monday 10th Neil Delamere. 8pm in O’Flaherty theatre. Tickets €8 with SU Card available from SU Office.

Thursday 13th Author Kevin Barry gives a guest talk. 1.00 – 2.00pm in the Cube Theatre. Admission free.

Tuesday 11th Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters. 6pm in An Bialann. Free!

Friday 14th Suit Up day. At the College Bar at 12.00 – 2.00. (in association with Biz Soc)

Wednesday 12th ‘Take me out’. 12.00 – 2.00am in Central Park nightclub, in association with Biz Soc.

Saturday 15th Intercollege games. Starts at 1.00pm Sunday 16th Muslin youth soc Paintball trip. At 7.30am – 17.00pm. In Limerick.

Monday 17th Celebrated musician Michael O Suilleabhan. 1.30 – 2.30 pm in The Bailey Allen Hall. Admission free.

Tuesday 18th Art Soc Comic Book drawing. 7.30 – 9.30pm in The Art room, Áras na Mac Léinn.

Wednesday 19th DanSoc presents Irish dancing for beginners. 5 – 6pm in Áras na Mac Léinn.

Thursday 20th Aengus Hackett Qurtet. 1 – 2pm in The Cube theatre. Free admission.

Friday 21st ‘Get together to get away’. 10pm at The Dail Bar. Saturday 22nd ‘Pop eletrick’ Live drag show at Dignity Gay Club.

Sunday 23rd The Converse All Stars. 11.45pm in the Roisin Dubh. Admission free.

The NUIG Comic Soc presents…

“The Graduate League of Galway”

Horoscopes

By Leigh Ashmore and Frances Dennehy, with Peter Glynn

By Myles McKittrick

Aries [Mar21-Apr19] Yo u are experiencing new things at t h i s point in your life, possibly with a lot of people. You will make a terrible mistake on a night out sometime this Month and you could end up having children as a consequence.

The bad news is that your life long dream of becoming a nun will never materialise…

Taurus [Apr20-May20] The moon is very much in the sky at the moment.

Gemini [May21-Jun20] You are in an artificially good mood as of late.

Everything seems so pretty and shiny and you have been seen to be talking to lamp-posts. When you decide to ditch the habit: www.rehab.ie/

Cancer [Jun21-Jul22] You are tr ying extremely hard to fit in with people in college but no one likes you. I have looked at your future through the tarot cards...

lege students sit the first semester exams, you should be ashamed. *SHAME*

Leo [Jul23-Aug22]

Capricorn [Dec22-Jan19]

This is my mother’s star sign. My mother is perfect. Love you mum.

I’ll be home again soon.. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Yo u w i l l boast to all your buddies about pulling a ‘hottie’ but they will discover you’re a secret frigit. You will argue until you cry out in shame about your strange attraction to fish. The following days your friend will avoid you as much as possible. You will cry a lot. Grow up lioke! Your lucky number is 345.7865009.

Virgo [Aug23-Sept22] I am actually very confused as to why star signs don’t finish at the end of months? Like what is so special about the 20’s of months? Who writes this muck.. Anyhow, you are also very confused. You fancy someone who doesn’t like you, but that really doesn’t give you an excuse to follow them. If you don’t stop I will contact the Gardai.

Libra [Sept23-Oct22] You will go on facebook today.

Scorpio [Oct23-Nov21] There will not be enough milk in the fridge for your cup of tea. Angela will eat all your yoghurt.

Sagittarius [Nov22-Dec21] You are born at the same time that col-

Aquarius [Jan20-Feb18] Your future really isn’t that certain. But you will make decisions over the next few days and these may or may not have consequences. Your decisions about your decisions will decide what will happen after you make your decisions. Remember this advice and keep it with you wherever you go. Peace be with you always.

Pisces [Feb19-Mar20] You may have volunteered for writing in the sin newspaper and might be worried that people could cop on that you actually aren’t a psychic. Keep writing fantastically accurate articles like this one and no one will be able to tell…

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G a lway N e w s

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Get more with our 3rd level student account

Talk to us today about all your banking needs Drop into our NUIG branch Call Kevin Burke 076 624 1304 www.bankofireland.com/studentmoney

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