Volume 13 Issue 11 by Student Independent News

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VOL 13, ISSUE 11

12 MAR 2012

An Dara Suí sa Bhuaile Faighte ag Iarrthóirí Toghcháin Aontas na Mac Léinn Meadhbh Ní Eadhra Tá sé go léir thart. Is iad Paul Curley (Uachtarán), Conor Stitt (Oifigeach Oideachais) agus Dami Adebari (Oifigeach Leasa) atá tofa mar Oifigigh Lánaimseartha Aontas na Mac Léinn. Le seachtain nó dhó anuas, bhí neart póstaeir ildaite ar crochadh ar champas na hollscoile, agus feachtasaíocht ar bun. Oíche Dhéardaoin, tar éis lá iomlán vótála, dúnadh na bothanna vótála ar fud an champais. Bhí reifreann ar siúl Déardaoin chomh maith, ar an bpolasaí ‘Gan Ardán’, agus glacadh leis. Bhí 1826 vóta ar a shon agus 758 vóta ina choinne. Ní féidir a bheith cinnte riamh cé a bhainfidh an bua amach i dtoghcháin, agus cé go raibh tuirse ar go leor daoine faoin am gur thosaigh siad ag comhaireamh na vótaí do thoghcháin lánaimseartha Aontas na Mac Léinn, bhí atmaisféar den scoth ar champas. Bhí teannas agus sceitimíní le brath i measc an tslua, go háirithe nuair a bhí na vótaí don Oifigeach Oideachais á gcomhaireamh. Cuireadh Tatiana Brusilovskaya agus Evelyn

NUIG Achieves 5 Star QS Rating

Uproar over UL ‘Charity Week’

NUIG Grads in London

Occupy Movement for Students

Kony 2012

FilmSoc at Jameson Dublin International Film Festival

Sigerson Cup Final

Congratulations to the Students’ Union Full-Time OfficersElect: Dami Adebari, Paul Curley, and Conor Stitt. Fennelly as an áireamh ar dtús, tar éis an chéad chomhaireamh, agus ansin tharla an rud céanna i gcás David Reilly tar éis an dara chomhaireamh. Fágadh Conor Stitt agus Rory Kitt sa tríú bhabhta, agus faoin am sin, bhí gach duine ar bís le fáil amach cé acu a mbainfeadh an bua amach. Bhí go leor a cheap go rachadh vótaí aistrithe Reilly chuig Kitt, agus go mbeadh díomá ar Conor Stitt don dara bhliain as a chéile. Anuraidh, chaill Stitt amach mar gheall ar vótaí aistrithe, ach i mbliana, bhí sé cathréim-

neach, agus toghadh é mar Oifigeach Oideachais. Láithreach, bhrú sé tríd an tslua chun comhbhrón a dhéanamh le Kitt. Bhí 1420 vóta ag Conor Stitt sa deireadh, 175 vóta níos mó ná Kitt. Chuir sé tús lena shaol ollscoile in 2007 agus faoi 2009, ball gníomhach de Shinn Féin a bhí ann. Deir sé nach bhfuil ceist ar bith ‘rómhór nó róbheag’ agus dar leis, mura n-éiríonn leat teacht ar réiteach le haghaidh fadhb éigin, ba cheart tabhairt faoi ar bhealach eile. Continued on Page 2

NUIG Juggling Soc Fire Show on 28 February. Photo by Arun Thirumaran, PhotoSoc.

NUIG Student Named by FBI as Anonymous Member By Katie Finnegan Two Irish men including one NUIG student have been named by the FBI as being involved in one of the world’s most disruptive internet hacking organisations. NUI Galway student, Darren Martyn from Claregalway and Trinity College student, Donncha O’Cearrbhail from Birr, Co Offaly have been named among six suspected members of "hacktivist" group Anonymous and splinter groups including Lulzsec, Internet Fed, and AntiSec. They are accused, among other things, of hacking the Fine Gael website, the Fox broadcasting network and a Garda/FBI conference call. Police in Ireland, the US and UK took several men into custody after information was supplied to them by LulzSec’s alleged ringleader Hector Xavier Monsegur (28), aka Sabu, who was arrested last June. Mr O’Cearrbhail was taken

into Garda custody last week, however Mr Martyn who has the aliases "pwnsauce", "raepsauce", and "networkkitten", has not yet been arrested. Mr Martyn took to Twitter last Tuesday evening and told his followers that although he was frightened, he would: "keep on smiling while I am still walking about." He also described himself as a “reformed hacker” and said taking part in illegal hacking was “probably the most stupid thing you could do.” According to a report in the Irish Examiner he said he had turned his back on hacking last year, prior to his arrest on the infiltration of the Fine Gael website. In a post on boards.ie he said: “I had gone kinda whitehat [legal] just a small bit before my arrest and since my arrest have worked to ‘rehabilitate’ myself by contributing as much as I can to the open source/security community while I remain at liberty to do so.”

According to documents released in America, Mr Martyn was described as being twenty five years of age however, this information is incorrect. Mr Martyn stated last week that he was actually nineteen and describes himself as a student of NUI Galway and "researcher at Insecurety [sic] Research." Mr O’Cearrbhail was arrested last September by Gardai in relation to the hacking of the Fine Gael Website where up to 2,000 people's personal details were compromised in the attack. The main image on the page that replaced the Finegael.ie pages consisted of a man in a suit without a head and the words ‘Anonymous’ emblazoned above the logo. Beneath it read the following: “Nothing is safe, you put your faith in this political party and they take no measures to protect you. They offer you free speech yet they censor your voice. WAKE UP!” Continued on Page 2

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NUIG Achieves 5 Star QS Rating Dear Editor, By Patrick Higgins NUI Galway has achieved top marks in a new international rating system. The University was awarded five stars in the recent QS stars ratings, receiving maximum grades in several key areas, including; research, teaching, internationalisation, facilities, engagement and innovation. Three Irish universities competed for the first ever global university rating system with NUI Galway joining University College Cork in attaining the overall, five star rating. Speaking of the announcement, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “This is excellent news

for NUI Galway and a fitting acknowledgement of the exceptional developments that have taken place at this University in recent years. The award of five stars confirms NUI Galway's position as one of Ireland's leading universities, and a growing force on the international stage.” Dr Browne also added: “This five star rating represents a significant international validation of our performance in teaching, research and other activities, and positions us well alongside other international universities on a global stage. It rewards the vision by the University to continually invest in capital development and it high-

lights the strength of our industry partnerships and commercialisation activity... In a growing competitive market, we are especially happy about our five star rating in internationalisation as this again reaffirms our position within higher education globally.” Designed as an alternative to university rankings, the latest QS stars rating system is the first international assessment of its kind. QS Stars has been devised by the research team behind the closely followed QS World University Rankings. The opt-in scheme assesses an unlimited number of universities in a greater range of areas than any existing international

Gabriel D'Arcy of Bord Na Mona at Energy Night 2012. Photo by Kieran Durcan, PhotoSoc.

ranking. “QS Stars has the potential to revolutionise the way we measure university performance.” John O’Leary, editor of The Times Good University Guide praises the introduction of a wider reaching assessment. The system covers areas that have remained beyond the scope of international rankings, including teaching, employment rates and strength in specialist disciplines. Ben Sowte, Head of Research at QS, explains the reasoning behind the shift: “With concerns about graduate unemployment and rising tuition fees, students need a more comprehensive way of comparing universities than rankings can provide. QS Stars is able to provide a far greater range of evidence about the performance of an unlimited number of universities, helping students make smarter and better-informed decisions.” The news is greatly appreciated by NUI Galway in light of mediocre results in traditional peer review rating systems, and duly emphasises the employability and graduate quality produced by the institution.

An Dara Suí sa Bhuaile Faighte ag Iarrthóirí Toghcháin Aontas na Mac Léinn Continued from Page 1 Is e Dami Adebari a toghadh mar Oifigeach Leasa an Aontais, agus mar go bhfuil an-bhaint ag an bhfear seo le clubanna na hollscoile, ceaptar go raibh tionchar aige sin ar an toradh. Ní háibhéil é le rá gur bhain Adebari ollbhua amach sa chás seo, agus bhí sé soiléir go raibh an bua aige tar éis an chéid chomairimh. D’éirigh leis 1811 vóta a fháil, agus tháinig Sarah McCarthy sa dara háit le 734 vóta. An t-aon chúis iontais a bhí ann sa chás seo ná go bhfuair McCarthy níos mó vótaí ná Robin Allen, a tháinig sa tríú háit le 670 vóta. Deir Adebari go mbeidh sé ag díriú isteach ar mhic léinn a chur ar an eolas faoi na seirbhísí go léir atá

ar fáil dóibh san ollscoil. Chuaigh sé san iomaíocht don phost seo mar go raibh sé ag iarraidh an bearna idir mhic léinn agus seirbhísí a laghdú. Tuigeann sé an tábhachtach a bhaineann le sonas na mac léinn agus deir sé go ndéanfaidh sé a dhícheall a chinntiú go mbeidh mic léinn na hollscoile ar a gcompord. Agus ar deireadh, fágadh comhaireamh an Uachtaráin. D’éirigh le Paul Curley 1941 vóta a fháil i gcomparáid leis an 979 vóta a fuair a fhreasúra, Will O’Brien. Sin beagnach 1,000 vóta sa difríocht, agus mar sin is léir go bhfuil an-tacaíocht ar fad ag an Uachtarán nua agus ní raibh mórán faidhbe aige ag baint an bhua amach. Ag labhairt le Sin tar éis dóibh

an toradh a chloisteáil, dúirt tuismitheoirí Paul go bhfuil siad an-bhródúil as agus an-sásta dó. “Tá sé tiomnaithe dó seo. Chuir sé an-iarracht isteach ann agus tá súil againn go n-éireoidh go geal leis i rith na bliana agus gurl biain iontach a bheidh ann don ollscoil agus d’Aontas na Mac Léinn,” a deir siad. Tar éis dó dul san iomaíocht don phost seo anuraidh, agus teacht sa dara háit, is léir go bhfuil an tUasal Curley an-dáiríre faoin bpost. Tá sé aon bhliain is fichead d’aois agus tá sé sa bhliain dheireanach dá chéim thráchtála. Na tosaíochtaí atá aige ná a chinntiú go mbeidh gach mac léinn in ann freastal ar an ollscoil, beag beann ar chúrsaí airgeadais, agus teastaíonn

uaidh go mbeidh níos mó mic léinn bainteach le hAontas na Mac Léinn. Deir sé go mbeidh sé difriúil ó Uachtaráin eile. “Beidh mise i mo chineál eile Uachtarán. Níl sé i gceist agam daoine eile a leanacht,” ar sé. Is duine thar a bheith diongbháilte é Paul, agus tá sé sin soiléir ón mbealach gur sheas sé sna toghcháin don dara bhliain as a chéile. Tá paisean agus spiorad aige agus beidh le feiceáil an éireoidh leis difríochtaí suntasacha a dhéanamh san ollscoil sa bhliain amach romhainn. Tá an-chuid oibre crua déanta ag gach éinne a bhí páirteach i dtoghcháin na bliana seo agus tá ardmholadh ag dul dóibh siúd uilig a sheas sna toghcháin.

I write this to you not only because I am so annoyed, but because something needs to be done and I can only hope that the 'powers that be' actually do something about it. All, or most, students use the library at some stage and have to cross from the Concourse to the Library across the top or go up and down stairs to keep out of the rain. The rain I can deal with, however I am so annoyed that when I do walk across to the library or from the library, I am met with billows or wafts of smoke. No I don't mind people smoking, each to his own, but I do not want to inhale smoke nor do I want my hair and clothes to smell of smoke. Students have a right to smoke. I have a right not to smoke, so why do I have to walk through clouds of

smoke!! Indeed, if you so desperately need a cigarette, why not go to the car park or along the river where there will be less chance of offending. I blame the 'powers that be' for putting bins at the entrance to the library and at the entrance to the Concourse. It has just encouraged this behaviour by the smokers to disregard anyone else who wishes not to inhale smoke, have their clothes and hair stink of smoke! So please, can we either move the bins elsewhere, ban smoking outside the library or give the smokers a cubicle on the 'top' in the corner where they will not offend. Hoping that this will produce some results! Kind regards, Michelle

NUIG Student Named by FBI as Anonymous Member Continued from Page 1 It has also been alleged that the following January, Mr O’Cearrbhail, who has the internet aliases "palladium", "polonium", and "anonsacco", hacked into a Garda email account. It has been reported that the information gathered, was used that to find out about a conference call the Gardaí, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies were planning to hold about Anonymous on 17 January. According to Gardai, the call was recorded and distributed to others. US authorities have said that Mr O’Cearrbhail “even boasted about being able to track the movements of the head of the Garda cybercrime unit” although this has not been confirmed. He was brought into Terenure Garda Station last Tuesday, and Gardaí have said they are "working with international colleagues as part of ongoing investigations into computer hacking." Two Americans, Hector Monsegur and Jeremy Hammond, and two Brit-

ish men, Ryan Ackroyd and Jake Davis have also been named in US papers in connection to the incidents. Documents filed in court in New York allege that the hackers: “Compromised an FBI computer, hacked US security firms HBGary Inc and its affiliate HBGary Federal, and stole confidential data relating to thousands of user accounts, stole confidential data relating to more than 70,000 potential contestants on The X Factor, a Fox television show, attacked the website of US network PBS and stole personal information of 2,000 employees and other individuals before making the information public. “ Mr Martyn faces two counts of computer hacking conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of ten years for each. Mr O’Cearrbhail faces a maximum ten-year sentence for computer hacking conspiracy and a maximum of five years for "intentionally disclosing an unlawfully intercepted wire communication."

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Editorial

I don’t believe in writer’s block. Particularly for journalists. Writer’s block is the luxury of independently wealthy authors who produced a great book a few years ago and are half way through their second, and will remain half-way through it until they run out of cash and need the royalties and suddenly discover that their writer’s block has magically and coincidentally dissipated at around this same time. Poverty is a great inspiration. Journalists don’t get writer’s block because they don’t have the luxury of it. They have an assignment, they write a story, and it’s published. Simples! None of my awesome volunteers have ever complained of being plagued with this problem. Maybe they are afraid I will laugh (or yell) at them. Maybe it is because there is less creativity involved – although that’s not it because there is still a certain amount of creativity in journalism. Sure, the facts are there, but you need to turn these facts into an interesting factual story. Maybe, as students, they are so steeped in poverty anyway that they have all the inspiration they need. Either way, it’s never come up. Actually, that’s not true. Myles, everyone’s favourite Horoscope writer, emailed me way past his deadline this week to tell me that his psychic angels (or some mumbo-jumbo) hadn’t come yet and that he would have the piece later that evening.

This is very different. It’s not like Myles simply makes up the horoscopes. He is dependent on a great power far beyond our simple understanding, and without this muse (if you will) he is powerless. Myles, you must understand, is not a writer: he is a scribe. Still, I find myself for the third weekend in a row trying to come up with something for my Editorial, and I’m a little stuck. The over-arching theme of this issue is of course the results of the Students’ Union elections, but I’ve been so thoroughly steeped in election fever these last few weeks I haven’t yet had time to get my head around what just happened. What did just happen? The Concourse has frankly, ridiculous. Have you ever walked through the beauty section of a large department store and been accosted by smiling orange-faced ladies who wish to squirt perfume at you? The Concourse was like that, except instead of orange-faced ladies, we had colour-coordinated t-shirt clad students, and instead of perfume they were trying to squirt policy at you. I missed the freebies. Sure it evened the playing field and made it much more about policy than popularity but I would have preferred to dwell on that over a shiny new pen or lollipop than what I have, which is diddly-squat. That’s not true. We have three officers-elect, who will be representing us next year. Two of these have won these positions after running for the second time. The third has been involved in the SU since his first year. These guys are dedicated. I find myself very impressed and humbled by that. And, apparently, inspired.

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Three Charged with Andrew Dolan’s Death By Roisin Peddle

Katherine Long, playing harp and singing at the Irish Studies Society’s Evening of Irish Culture on 7 March in the Bailey Allen Hall. Photo by Rachel Stearns, PhotoSoc.

Three people are due to appear in Mullingar District Court on 22 March next in connection with the death of a NUI Galway student. Two men, Patrick Farrell (20) and Patrick Daly (22), and a woman, Jessica Hughes (19) were charged with the unlawful killing of Andrew Dolan on 27 February. The three made no comment when charged. They were granted bail on the condition that they hand in their passports and sign in to their local Garda station weekly. At the special sitting of Mullingar district court the three were ordered to appear before Judge Seamus Hughes on 22 March where they will be presented with

the book of evidence. The court also heard that two other reports of assault were made that night. Patrick Daly is charged with assault causing harm on a second man, and Patrick Farrell is charged with common assault on a third person. Andrew Dolan, 20, was assaulted outside a fastfood outlet in Mullingar on 23 December last. He sustained head injuries in the attack and died ten days later in Dublin's Beaumont Hospital. Carrick-on-Shannon native Andrew Dolan was studying bio-medical science in NUI Galway. He had been attending a Christmas party with some school friends in Mullingar on the night he was assaulted.

NUIG Choral Society with auditor Tom McGrath and conductor Lily McGarry at the Limerick Choral Festival 2-4 March 2012. The society took first place in Early Music, second in Plainchant, and won the Dr. Patrick McCormack Perpetual Cup for best a cappella performance of the festival. Keep an eye out for information on their end of year concert on 26 March. Photo courtesy of Emma Farrell.

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Galway Students March New Platform to Gather against Education Cuts Views on EU Policy By Gerard Madden Over 200 students marched through the streets of Galway on Wednesday, 29 February against cuts to Third Level education, most notably the abolition of the grant for new entrants to postgraduate level, as well as cuts to Primary and Secondary level. The protest, organised by NUI Galway Students’ Union and Free Education for Everyone (FEE), marched from the College Bar to Eyre Square where participants heard speeches, and then on to the Bohermore office of Fine Gael backbencher Brian Walsh, where a black wreath was laid to symbolise the death of opportunity for the youth

of Ireland. Members of FEE then held an impromptu sit-down protest in AIB on Shop Street, linking cutbacks to education to the general austerity program connected to the bank bailout. At Eyre Square, Students’ Union Welfare Officer Brian Grant issued a stirring denunciation of the government’s cutbacks to those in Third Level along with several activists of Free Education for Everyone. The occupation of AIB occurred from roughly 2 - 4pm, with between thirty and thirtyfive activists involved. The Gardai maintained a constant presence, closing the bank down for the afternoon. One activist from Occupy Galway was arrested for throwing bread

into those inside, much to the mirth of those who were protesting. Participants in the protest then proceeded down to Mill Street Garda Station to demand her release, which promptly occurred. The march not only consisted of third level students but also, at FEE’s instigation, a large quantity of those from the city’s many secondary level institutions, echoing a walkout instigated by FEE in Castlebar’s two secondary schools in December 2010. The march succeeded in achieving nationwide coverage, with participants interviewed on RTÉ Radio’s flagship news programme, Drivetime, as well as appearing on that evening’s news bulletin.

By Louise France

NUI Galway is leading a new European-wide project to help people engage with the policy making process of the European Union. The main aim of the multi-million euro project named: “Puzzled by policy”, is to give citizens a say in forming policies. “This is all part of a larger move toward eGovernment, which embraces the World Wide Web for better governance,” said Deirdre Lee, head of the Digital Enterprise Research (DERI), who are leading the venture. A new website has been set up to target issues around immigration in the EU. It invites users to compare their views on immigration with national and EU immigration policies. They are also encouraged to join in discussions on particular

aspects of immigration policy they are interested in. The mission statement of the user friendly, Puzzled by Policy website is: ‘Helping you to be part of the EU’ and promises that you can “influence immigration policy in just a few clicks.” While empowering people to get involved in discussion, it is also bridging the gap between people on the ground and government; “eGovernment offers the ability to transform not only the way in which most public services are delivered but also the fundamental relationship between government and citizen,” added Ms Lee. Current ways of informing people and engaging them in EU policies have been found to be ineffective but it is hoped that this project will greatly improve this

problem. With over 140 researchers, DERI are working to develop IT projects to get, share and reuse information in order to improve overall communication and administration in the wider EU: “DERI is providing the models, technologies and tools for more effective and efficient public administration systems,” said Ms Lee. The website is accessible to all and discussions can be translated into any language. It is also tailored for countries such as: Greece, Hungary, Italy and Spain. Established in 2003 with funding from Science Foundation Ireland DERI is one of the world’s leading international web science research institutes. To t r y P u z z l e d b y Policy visit: http://join. puzzledbypolicy.eu

Free Wi-Fi Rolled out on City Bus Eireann Fleet By Katie Finnegan

                    

Mon - FRI: 8am - 10pm // SAT: 9AM - 6pm

 

All of Bus Eireann's city fleet will have free Wi-Fi by the summer. The service is already in operation on express routes, but will soon be available on all commuter services across the city. Electronic real-time signs giving information on when the next bus is due will also be rolled out at twenty city bus stops in the next six months. This is all part of Bus Eireann’s upgrade of its city network, which includes the addition of three double deck buses to the fleet. Meanwhile, a revised city bus network, which has been approved by the National Transport Authority, came into e f f e c t o n S u n d a y, 4 March. Galway area manager

of Bus Eireann, Brian Connolly outlined some of the key changes to the city service; “Some of the cross the city elements have gone out of it, for example the Salthill service to Eyre Square. That operated from Salthill to Eyre Square and then became the Eyre Square to Mervue Service. “That will no longer be the case. It will operate in and out of Eyre Square to Salthill all day long.” Some cross elements have been left: “For example the 402 service that will operate from Seacrest to Eyre Square and on to Merlin Park. The 405 will now operate from Rahoon to Eyre Square and on to Ballybane up to Ballybrit Business Park.” Bus Éireann is also introducing seven new vehicles to its Galway City fleet to replace older

vehicles. All seven vehicles, which have been funded by the NTA, feature free wi-fi, low floor access and comfort seating. Three double deck vehicles will also be added to the city fleet. This will see all vehicles operating on the high frequency 409 Doughiska route being double-deck buses, which will increase capacity on that route. According to Mr Connolly “These changes will make Galway’s city bus service easier to use and easier to understand. Combined with the introduction of new vehicles that will enhance comfort and increase capacity, and the launch of RTPI later this year, we believe that these improvements will be of real benefit to people living in and visiting Galway.”

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NUI Galway Science Research Projects Taoiseach Attends NUIG Alumni Awards Receive Nearly €1million in Funding By Austin Maloney achievements, we also take Law, Professor Fergal O’Gara, By Sinead Healy The Minister for Research and Innovation has announced Government funding for eight research awards in NUI Galway to the total value of almost €1million. The investment is made as part of Science Foundation Ireland’s Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) programme. It will allow SFIfunded research groups to focus on the first steps of an applied research project. This may have a commercial benefit if further developed. On 23 February, Minister Seán Sherlock announced that over €6.5 million will be awarded to fifty-eight research projects. Speaking about the programme, the Minister said: “The TIDA Programme focuses on the first stages of an applied research project. It provides financial support to research teams to enable them to get from concept to market.” He also took the opportunity to urge the wider research community to support all actions towards commercialisation of research. The Minister concluded by saying “The spirit of convergence and collaboration that has characterised Irish scientific research over

the past decade is not only the best way forward – it is the only way forward.” Vice-President for Research at NUI Galway, Professor Terry Smith welcomed the funding. According to Prof Smith; “The success of NUI Galway under the TIDA Programme represents an important endorsement of on-going research at NUI Galway and its potential for commercial and economic development. We are excited about exploiting these opportunities, facilitated by SFI, to deliver research excellence with impact.” Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Mark Ferguson, said: “The TIDA awards being announced will make a telling impact on how academia and enterprise intertwine towards commercialisation. The projects present significant opportunities for commercialization of research and potential treatments in diverse areas such as new drug delivery system, new transistor devices, 4G wireless communication, cornea repair, SMART needles, hay fever, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, biomass, wastewater treatment and acoustic sensors to detect damage in pipes. Enterprise Ireland has played a key role in the programme’s selection proc-

ess, further underpinning the market potential of the award recipients.” The eight NUI Galway projects under the Programme and their leaders are: Professor Terry Smith ‘Rapid molecular detection of pathogens from bio-pharmaceutical process water and sterile products’. Professor Rhodri Ceredig, ‘Personalised stem cell therapy for inflammatory diseases: a feasibility study of whole blood testing for optimising patient specific stem cell potency and efficacy’. Professor Abhay Pandit, ‘Scaleup feasibility of a polymeric diatom replica as the next generation drug delivery system’. Professor Paul Murphy, ‘Development of new antimetastatic agents’. Dr Andrew Flaus ‘Recombinant chromatin substrates for the epigenetics market’. Professor Lokesh Joshi ‘Glycoprotein micelle mediated capture of bacteria’. Dr Adrienne Gorman, ‘Host cell engineering approach to increase product titre in a mammalian cell expression system’. Professor Robert J Woods, ‘Development of anti-adhesion therapeutics for the inhibition of influenza’.

Soup for Life Fundraiser Held by NUI Galway Students By Ellen Leahy Last week, NUI Galway geography students held a ‘Soup for Life’ event as part of National Soup Week. The fundraiser was run in association with An Bhialann, which is operated by ARAMARK Ireland, GORTA - the freedom from hunger council of Ireland, NUI Galway’s Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) and the university’s volunteering programme ALIVE. This is the first time a third level institution has hosted a ‘Soup for Life’ campaign. It was organised by students from the MA in Environment, Society and Development. For each bowl of soup sold by An Bhialann, one euro was donated to Gorta, which fights against hunger and poverty in sub Saharan Africa. Speaking about the event, Dr John McDonagh, Head of

Geography at NUI Galway stated that: “The Geography Department is delighted to support this initiative and the fantastic work that Gorta does. In particular we are delighted to see Geography students contributing in such a meaningful and beneficial way to this campaign and its positive contribution to communities in sub-Saharan Africa”. Lorraine Tansey, student volunteer co-ordinator said: “NUI Galway students have a deep social consciousness and are committed to connecting the curriculum to real world social problems. The ‘Soup for Life’ campaign demonstrates the forging of successful partnerships with communities and business through student initiative and the support of ARAMARK on this project is much appreciated.” GORTA is an international,

independent development NGO which aims to work against the causes of hunger and thirst in the world. They support agricultural activities such as livestock rearing, irrigation schemes and other water based projects. They also support education and healthcare initiatives along with income generating activities in communities in sub Saharan Africa. The event was held as part of National Soup Week which saw many Irish establishments participating, including the Avoca group, Cornucopia, Wagamama, the Insomnia coffee company in Dublin, Cafe Paradiso, Blair’s Inn, Amicus and the Cornstore in Cork. ‘Soup for life’ is also supported by Cork’s food entrepreneurs Cully & Sully, who will donate 5c per carton of soup sold throughout the week.

The twelfth Annual Gala Banquet celebrating the achievements of NUI Galway alumni, hosted by Deputy Director of TV Programmes at RTE Mairéad Ní Nuadháin, took place in the Bailey Allen Hall on 3 March. Over 450 people attended the event, including special guest An Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Also in attendance were alumni, staff, students and friends of the University, who watched the presentation of NUI Galway’s Annual Alumni Awards. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, a former NUI Galway student, was quick to praise the award winners. “The people we honour here this evening have made remarkable and diverse contributions to Irish life, which rightly deserve to be [honoured]. In honouring those six distinguished graduates this evening, we highlight not only their

the opportunity to recognise the contribution, and indeed the calibre, of Irish graduates generally”. He continued “Since its establishment well over a century and a half ago, NUI Galway has always aimed to be one of Ireland’s foremost centres of academic excellence. Since spending time as a student on this campus in the 1970s, I have seen NUI Galway, and indeed the surrounding city, grow and develop continually. In particular the transformation that has taken place over the last decade has been remarkable. The campus now offers the best of facilities for teaching and research and a wealth of modern amenities for students”. The winners of these prestigious awards were Máire Whelan, Attorney General of Ireland, who won the Bank of Ireland Award for Business, Public Policy and

Chair of Microbiology UCC, who received the Aramak Alumni Award for Science, Marie Mullen, Druid Theatre Company co-founder and actress, winner of the AIB Award for Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Professor Tim O’Brien, Director, Gait Laboratory & Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Central Remedial Clinic, winner of the Medtronic Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and finally Gerry Kilcommins, VP Global Vascular Operations & General Manager Medtronic Galway and Past President American Chamber of Commerce, and Peadar Mac An Iomaire, IarPríomhfheidmeannach, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUI Galway, who received the Bank of Ireland Award for Engineering and Informatics and the Duais Hewlett Packard don Gaeilge respectively.

Arts in Action presents

NUI Galway

[Medical Orchestra] with musical Director Carl Hession

Very special guests

Cois Cladaigh Choir & Dr Seamus McGuire

March 22nd

Also Featuring:

Bailey Allen Hall

Mary Mc Partlan

at 8:00pm

A Fundraising Event for Jesuit Secondary School

Tickets: €15

Available from the Jesuit office [091-501564], The Socs Box and on door.

Students FREE entry Valid ID Required

Lillis O Laoire Pádraic Keane Sean Hughes And Introducing The Jesuit School Choral ensemble.

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Severe Gender Inequality in Irish Pensions By Colette Sexton A recent report highlighted the issue of gender inequality in pension provision throughout the island of Ireland. The Older Women Workers’ Access to Pensions: Vulnerabilities, Perspectives and Strategies report found that fewer than one in three female pensioners in Ireland receive the maximum contributory pension and two-thirds rely on the non-contributory pension, leaving many women disadvantaged in later life. Low pay, poor conditions of work and their primary role in caring are the main reasons why older women workers experience limited access to pensions. Economics PhD student, Aoife Callan based in Irish Centre for Social Gerontology in NUIG worked on the report. According to Ms Callan, the result of these various factors leads to a gender pay gap and lower later life incomes for women relative to men. “As a result, women are particularly dependent on the State social welfare system for financial support in older age,” she explained. According to the authors of the report, changes need

to be made to the current pension system. “A comprehensive gendered approach across all social welfare policies, such as child care, maternity benefits and paternity leave as well as the introduction of family friendly policies is required to help address the various challenges that women face in their pension provision,” Ms Callan said. The report recommended that for all low-paid, non-pensionable employees and others who will not realistically be able to contribute to a pension, it is imperative to have a universal decent non-contributory pension based on residency. The pension should replace at least 40pc of the average industrial wage. Acting CEO of National Women’s Council of Ireland, Orla O’Connor, said that they support the recommendations of the report: “We clearly need reform of the pension system which shifts resources away from supporting a private pension model to one which guarantees an income for all that can provide a decent standard of living in older age.” However, this problem is not solely national. The research conducted by NUI Galway and Queen's University Belfast suggests that this is not just a national problem but prevails elsewhere as well, such as in the UK. According to Ms Callan “with pension reform high on the agenda in many European countries, it is important to highlight

a gendered approach to policy to ensure that the key vulnerabilities that women face in their access to pensions may be addressed.” David Malone, Head of Information at the Pensions Board advised to start saving for pensions as soon as possible. “The earlier you start saving for your retirement, the better,” Mr Malone said, “Buying a house is one of the biggest things you will do. A pension is probably is the second biggest.” Mr Malone explained that the state provides enough to sustain a person in retirement but if you want more than that in retirement you have to save for it. He said planning for the future is essential, “Women need to engage with their pensions,” Mr Malone advised, “They need to figure out what they want in retirement.” Ms Callan urged those worried about their pension to request some information on their pension status and entitlements from either a government body or their employer. For those in some form of employment, employers (as of 2003) must offer access to at least one type of additional Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) to any employee who is not eligible or does not have access to an occupational pension. For more information, contact the Citizens Information Board by telephone 0761 07 4000 or via their website www. citizensinformation.ie.

Suas has launched the Shamrocks for Schools charity event to take place in Galway, Cork and Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day. The NUI Galway Suas Society are involved, and will join hundreds of volunteers all over Ireland on 17 March to paint shamrocks on the faces of Paddy’s Day Revellers, collecting voluntary donations. To join the NUI Galway SUAS Society and volunteer with Suas this St. Patrick’s Day visit: www.suas.ie/signup.html

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Drunken Students Attacking Occupy Galway By Jessica Thompson An Occupy Galway member has spoken out about the unofficial RAG Week which took place in Galway three weeks ago. The man, who would only give his first name, said that the camp is attacked by drunken students all year long, not just during RAG Week. He said; “When I started here, constantly I had people threatening me and I had to defend myself. “One of us got attacked, just because he was making a protest. “They didn’t like that. The drunks were out to beat someone for a good time.” Stefan spent twelve full weeks at the camp, but said that “the threats, the violence, the aggression was too much. I combatted it my way. I gave up.”

He stays at the camp during the day, but goes home at night, because the youths of Galway continuously attack the camp. He said that bottles are often hurled over the walls of the camp, and students often come in to annoy the occupants. He’s not the only one to have left the camp because of aggressive students. Another occupant, Albert, also leaves every night. Speaking about RAG Week, he said; “What they did there in Supermac’s was unbelievable. Every week there’s a punch-up at Supermac’s. “That place should be closed at one o’clock, but it’s just the pure greed of MacDonagh.” NUI Galway has blamed the pubs for taking advantage of the unofficial RAG Week, though the pubs disagree.

Speaking on Flirt FM two weeks ago, Students’ Union Welfare Officer, Brian Grant, said that The Hole in the Wall have argued that it was a student who organised ‘Donegal Tuesday’, and that NUI Galway’s college bar also sells cheap drink to students. Brian Grant said; “The College Bar is just like any other pub. They just do usual prices for drinks.” He added that the College Bar did not hold any events during the unofficial RAG Week, commenting that “we were fully conscious that this unofficial RAG Week was taking place.” Lia Stokes, an MA Journalism student, who has attended the college for a number of years compared this year’s unofficial RAG Week to previous RAG Weeks. She said that the first two Rag Week’s she attended were

“all in good fun, the events were really well organised, they were well staffed in terms of security and that kind of thing. “I think the majority of people taking part were honestly just in it to have fun. There was no malice or anything intended, although, as happens in any RAG week, there were some complaints from residents but there was nothing on the scale that it has been for the past two years.” Councillor Billy Cameron, on Flirt FM two weeks ago, said; “I cannot condone what happened in Supermac’s, but certainly some of the pubs are responsible. “As a councillor, I think the focus from now on will be on the pubs and the clubs, who may not organise events, but certainly facilitate them, and this is what leads to the anti-social behaviour.”

Overheard in NUI Galway Claire Mc Callion One girl to another in the concourse: ‘Here give me some incest’ Paul Abberton Girl: I woke up to him trying to shift me so I just went with it. Paul Abberton Guy holding a pizza: Is this lasagna?? Nia Llers Out the back of the College bar having a quiet smoke...  To my left, 2 girls talking about hand-job techniques  To my right, 3 lads talkin about gettin the shift in Club-K   Nice NUIG, real nice...

Paddy Cahill Microbiology class party: Guy: Well, is there any free drink? Class rep: Are you in Micro? Guy: What’s that? Mark Kelly Outside Aras Na Mac Leinn  Girl 1: “What’s the word where you’re embarrassed for a really long time?” Girl 2: “um... super embarrassed!” Emma Farrell Three girls in the bialann listening to “Africa” by Toto on YouTube Girl 1: I must buy that off iTunes. Girl 2: You don’t believe in downloading music

for free? Girl 1: No, I’d like to think that the guys in that video are benefiting from the fact that I like that song.  Girl 2: Sure they’re all probably dead anyway.  *Stunned silence*  Girls 1&3: This is only from the 80s, it’s not THAT old! Cathrin Gaillimhiau A group of drunks is annoying Occupy on Eyre Square by chanting loudly in front of the main tent during RAG week. Teenage girl walking by looks at them in disgust and says to her friend: “That’s why I don’t wanna

go to college.” Owenie McAllister Whilst trying to gain entrance to Carbon.  Bouncer: How many pints did you have tonight?’  Guy: No. Emma Fingleton Human Anatomy  Guy 1: Did you get the shift? Guy 2: Ehhh... no. I got robbed. Jason McMorrow Guy getting thrown out of Karma nightclub: You can’t throw me out! I left my army jacket inside. I’m a member of the F.C.A!

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On Yer Bike! By Kevin Kennedy Turn in your car keys, the time has come to jump back upon the saddle of your bicycle and peddle your way towards your university degree. With the rising price of petrol and diesel throughout our nation’s fuel stations along with the extortionate cost for a young person to drive in this country, it is time to find the cheaper alternative. Fear not, the solution has been discovered and it is a very simple one indeed. NUI Galway has finally been granted planning permission for a new bicycle parking facility to be built on campus. The university was given permission by the council towards the end of last month to build a 180 space parking unit for bicycles. The development of the

bicycle park will help in alleviating the never-ending parking issues that the college has constantly been dealing with over the past number of years. The news of the successful application of the NUI Galway bicycle park has come as somewhat of a solution to the parking problem around the campus. With the development of this new facility for NUI Galway comes a new issue of security. It would be foolish at this point not to address the substantial issue of security regarding bicycles that already exists in the university. The pressing problem of bicycles being stolen and vandalised on campus is still unresolved to this day. It is an issue that the security office has to deal with every day. It is of vital importance that a high level of security is developed alongside this new facility for NUI Galway.

Plan for Che Guevara Statue Gets Mixed Reaction By Colette Sexton Plans to erect a monument of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara-Lynch have been met with mixed reactions locally, nationally and internationally. Galway businessman Declan Ganley has rejected the plans, saying that the statue could “damage the reputation of Galway around the world.” The project is also causing waves across the water, as US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Chairperson, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, also called for it to be rejected. She described Che as a “ruthless killer.” The project previously received unanimous approval from Galway City Council. It is to be funded by both the Cuban and Argentinean embassies to Ireland. Che had strong links with Galway city, as the Marxist fighter descended from two of the Galway tribes – the Blakes and Lynches. Che’s father Ernesto Guevara-Lynch Snr, famously said of Che: “The first thing to note

is that in my son’s veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels.” Labour Councillor Billy Cameron proposed the statue. The Councillor is a passionate admirer of the revolutionary. He hopes that it will be given the green light and is positive that enough funding will be raised for the project. “Che’s Galway connections to the Lynch family have been explored and confirmed, and there is a family home in Claregalway” he said. “Che is an international figure who has inspired thousands of people and it is time we honoured and recognised him.” Simon McGuinness designed the statue. It will consist of three glass panels and will feature the well known image of Che which was created by the Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick in 1968. Che was a controversial Argentine Marxist revolutionary and a major figure in the Cuban Revolution. After his death, Guevara became an icon of socialist revolutionary movements worldwide.

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Volunteers at the Students’ Union full-time officer count on 9 March.

Kevin Donoghue and Dami Adebari discuss where Reilly’s transfers are likely to go. The race for Education Officer hangs in the balance.

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Returning Officer Ken Curtin already suspects Education is going to go to a third count.

As the third count gets under way, Conor Stitt puts on a brave face.

Meanwhile in camp Kitt, the pressure is beginning to show.

The tension in the air is palpable as the crowd waits for the result for Education Officer.

SU Officers from yesteryear, Ciara Staunton and Peter Mannion remember what it was like on the other side of the red tape.

Stitt breaths a sigh of relief at the news, and heads over to embrace his opponent. The race for Education was the highlight of this election, and Kitt ran a worthy campaign.

Students’ Union Elections – In pictures

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Stitt’s triumphant campaign team. Not pictured, Conor’s adorable nephews who won over many hearts on the Concourse this week. A ten year old in a man-sized t-shirt shyly asking you to vote for his favourite uncle? You can’t say no to that.

Sarah McCarthy tries to distract herself while awaiting the Welfare Officer results.

Joe Loughnane supporting a tense Sarah McCarthy as the count for Welfare continues.

Head in hands (a common sight at the count), Dami Adebari holds his breath for good news.

Vice President / Education Officer - Conor Stitt deemed elected 1st Count 2nd Count 3rd Count Brusilovskaya, Tatiana Fennelly, Evelyn Kitt, Rory Reilly, David Stitt, Conor RON Spoils Total Valid Poll

Eliminated

487

Eliminated

911 634 985 44 23 3180

1078 706 1167

1345

Eliminated

1420

Deemed elected

Elimated

Eliminated

Vice President / Welfare Officer – Dami Adebari deemed elected 1st Count Referendum on the 'No Adebari, 1811 Deemed Platform Policy' Dami elected Referendum Passed Allen, Result: 670 Total Votes: 2594 Robin Yes: 1826 McCarthy, 734 No: 758 Sarah Spoiled: 337 RON 51

President– Paul Curley deemed elected 1st Count Curley, 1941 Deemed Paul elected O'Brien, 979 Will RON 215 Spoils 19 Total 3154

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A smile cracks: Adebari deemed elected.

“Are you sure now?” Dami can’t quite believe it.

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Sarah McCarthy smiling with relief as the results are announced. She fought an excellent campaign, and garnered an impressive result.

Robin Allen shows his usual sense of humour in the face of defeat.

Former Welfare Officer Emma Conway congratulates Dami

Dami with his successful campaign team.

Paul Curley smiles bravely as the final count gets underway.

Sitting a little away, Will O’Brien tries to distract himself though the tension is palpable as the final count gets underway.

“I would like to thank all the voters who came out and voted even if it wasn’t for me. I want to let everyone know I will be a hard worker and make everything on my manifesto happen, and if not I will have failed you. I look forward to working with both Conor and Dami and I urge students to vote in the part-time elections this week. I’d like to thank my campaign team and all the other canvassers who put in so many hours for the different teams this week.” — Paul Curley, elected Students Union President, 9 March 2012

Mammy and Daddy Curley provide moral support.

The gathered crowd can guess the outcome from the piles of ballots, but Paul will not believe it until Ken Curtin deems him elected.

“Well done boss.” Chris Newell congratulates Curley on his election.

Relieved Paul poses for Sin with his parents.

Paul’s triumphant campaign team hoist their new president high.

Congratulations to the Students’ Union Full-Time Officers-Elect: Conor Stitt, Paul Curley, and Dami Adebari.

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

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

Seachtain na Gaeilge OÉ Gaillimh 2ú – 16ú Márta Seachtain a dó Dé Luain 12ú

Ciorcail comhrá mean-leibhéal (4 i.n.) in AM205 Seó ‘Finscéal Fibín’ (1i.n.) Amharclann Bhanc na hÉireann 7i.n. ‘An Ghaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht – fágtha ar lár?’ AC201 9i.n. Mael Mórdha (Banna ceoil Miotail Trom), Kelly’s Bar

Dé Máirt 13ú

Craoladh beo taobh amuigh de Áras na Mac Léinn le Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí ó Raidió na Gaeltachta (3-5i.n.) Cabaret Craiceáilte i mBeár an Choláiste (8i.n.)

Dé Ceadaoin 14ú

Maidin Caifé/ ‘Is leor beirt’ sa Hub, Áras na Mac Léínn (10r.n.) Airneán scéalaíochta, filíochta agus drámaíochta (12-4i.n.) MY126 (Áras Moyola) Ciorcal Comhrá ardleibhéal (5i.n.) in AM122 Caint faoin Ainrialachas (6i.n.) AM 110 Ceolchoirm Oi Polloi (banna ceoil le Gaeilge na hAlban) in Árus na nGael, Sráid Dhoiminic (8i.n.)

Déardaoin 15ú

Oíche na Mac Léinn in Árus na nGael, Sráid Dhoiminic

Dé hAoine 16ú

Rith 2012 Cóisir amuigh ar an gCeathrú Rua Tuilleadh Eolais le fáil ó cumanncraic@ socs.nuigalway.ie nó ar an lth facebook, nó cuir scairt ar Senan (086 0644185) nó ar Órfhlaith (086 1281588)

Week two Monday 12th

Mid Level Irish Conversation (4pm) in AM205 Play ‘Finscéal Fibín’ (1pm) Banc of Ireland Theatre 7pm Talk ‘An Ghaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht – fágtha ar lár?’ AC201 9pm Mael Mórdha (Metal Band), Kelly’s Bar

Tuesday 13th

Universal Sports Membership Levy

What are Students being asked to vote on? Students are being asked to vote on the introduction of a new levy that will cost an estimate of €50, which will cover: • Annual membership of the sports centre for every full-time student. • The cost of an extension to the existing building along with its additional running costs.

Live broadcasting at Áras na Mac Léinn with Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí from Raidió na Gaeltachta (3-5pm) Cabaret Craiceáilte in the Colege Bar (8pm)

• The construction of the water sports centre in Fisheries field along with its running costs.

Wednesday 14th

Currently students are paying €100 annually for the construction of the water sports centre and additionally have to pay €250 for 12 month student membership. If this new levy was introduced, all full-time students would automatically become members of both sports centres and would no longer have to pay €250 for annual student membership.

Caifé Morning in the Hub, Áras na Mac Léinn (10a.m.) Airneán: Stories, Poetry, Seannós Singing (124pm) MY126 (Áras Moyola) Ciorcail comhrá ardleibhéal (5pm) in AM122 Talk about Anarchism (6pm) AM 110 Gig: Oi Polloi (Punk Band from Scotland) in Árus na nGael, Dominic Street (8pm)

Thursday 15th

Students Night in Árus na nGael, Dominic Street

Friday 16th

Rith 2012, Marathon for the Irish Language Party in Ceathrú Rua For more info: cumanncraic@socs.nuigalway.ie or facebook, or call Senan (086 0644185) or Órfhlaith (086 1281588)

Currently, there are no specific extension plans but if the referendum is approved, the Students’ Union will enter formal discussions to draw up definite expansion plans. If the Students’ Union representatives disagree at the end of discussions that these plans are not in the best interest of all students, they will have the power to turn down the deal and the levy will not be introduced. As this Universal membership would only cover two-thirds of the operational costs; limited external membership, classes and rental from outside groups will still be in place to both maintain quality standards and cover the remaining running costs. As students will benefit from this deal from a health and fitness point of view, so will the majority of NUIG clubs with regard to increased access and storage facilities. The Referendum will take place on Wednesday 28 March and the Students’ Union will facilitate both a ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaign.

SU Part-Time Elections Just when you though it was safe to walk down the concourse again, we bring you the SU Part-Time Elections. Many of you may not be familiar with the PartTime positions available, so in this piece we will attempt to give you a brief description on each position. All Part-Time positions are unpaid, bar €20 phone expenses a month and any travel expenses that are required with the job. There will be less canvassing than you have seen from the Full-Time candidates last week but in many cases their canvassing is done on much more of a personal level. So if you see them feel free to go up and ask them anything you wish about their role, they will only be delighted to help you with any concerns you may have for the future. These candidates are usually considered to be very, very passionate about the roles they are running for, and this year proves to be no different with many candidates having previous experiences at their desired positions.

The Positions

There are 11 position up for grabs this year Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Equality Officer, Postgraduate Officer, Societies' Chairperson, Club's Captain, Mature Students Officer and the 5 College Convenors. All Part-Time Officers sit on the SU Executive and each have an equal vote when decisions are made by the Executive.

Oifigeach na Gaeilge

Societies' Chairperson

Promotes the use and awareness of the Irish language and Irish culture within the Union's membership Provides assistance and advice to the Irish language societies on campus Develops and reviewing Irish language policy for the Union

Ensuring the Executive Committee is well informed of society events and issues Working with the Societies Officer to ensure provision of resources to societies Organise and Chair the Societies Forum Ensure societies are made aware of all Union policy and events

Candidates: • Nestor, Mark • Seoighe, Feidhlim

Candidates: • O’Donnell, Paul

Equality Officer

Promotes the ideals of equal opportunities and participation within both the Union and University Provides a confidential listening and referral service to students Organizes campaigns to highlight equality issues on campus Candidates: • Doherty, Frank • Donoghue, Kevin • Kelly, Mark • Kobory, Eszter Heather • McCallion, Claire

Postgraduate Officer

Represents postgraduate students to the University and to the Executive Committee Provides and confidential listening and referral service to postgraduate students Informs postgraduate students of their entitlements and services available to them Candidates: • Grant, Brian

Club's Captain

Working with the Director of Sport and the Development and participation officer to the ensure provision of resources to clubs Organise and Chair the clubs forum Ensure clubs are made aware of all Union policy and events Provides information on club rights within the University Candidates: • Emmett, Craig • Grant, Liam

Mature Students Officer

Promotes mature students full involvement in the academic and social life of the university community. Works with the other Students' Union officers, clubs, societies and the University as a whole to promote the development and integration of mature students at NUI Galway Candidates: • Preston, Barbara • Wettmann, Denis

Date and Venues for Voting Polling: Thursday 15th March 2012

College Convenors

There are 5 different Convenors, 1 for each College in the University; Each of the 5 College Convenors act as chairperson for their College Class Representatives Council. They represent their Colleges Class Reps and students on the Executive committee. They work with the SU Council Chairperson to make sure every class has a Class Representative. Candiates:

Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies • Clancy, Patrick • Cox, Megan • Mac Aoidh, Senan

Convenor of the College of Science • Kelly, Phelim

Convenor of the College of Engineering & Informatics • Callery, Alan • Ó Fátharta, Feithín

Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy & Law • Nolan, Conor

Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences • No Candidate

The College Bar upstairs 10:00 - 21:00 An Bialann 10:00 - 20:00 Friars 11:00 - 14:00 Acadamh 12:00 - 13:00 Count: 10:00 onwards Friday 16th March 2012 in ENG2052 on the second floor of the Engineering Building

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University of Limerick Charity Former UL President Week Provokes Uproar Suggests that Teachers Provide College Feedback By Katie Finnegan

Galway isn’t the only city to come under attack for the antics during RAG Week as residents in the Castletroy estate of College Court are reported to have been “under siege” from rowdy students during the annual ‘Charity Week’ in the University of Limerick, which ran the week before last. Similar to NUI Galway’s old RAG week, the campus’s annual ‘Charity Week’ aims to raise thousands of euro for local charities. However, once again it has provoked uproar from upset long-term residents. Trees were uprooted and wheelie bins were turned over and set alight in a night of “mayhem” in Castletroy. “Students completely ran amok and did an unbelievable amount of damage. I

was shocked, appalled going through College Court this morning with all the trees broken. They just ripped the trees out. I am very proud of Castletroy but what went on last night is just shocking. When I made a complaint in the past I was told by the college it is just a minority of students. But it is not... it is time that the university did something about this,” said one resident who spoke to the Limerick Leader. Fine Gael Councillor Michael Sheehan said the future of the week will have to be reviewed in light of ongoing disruptions to residents. “There are guys being put into the boots of cars now with only their underpants on them. It’s like something out of Beirut. It is awful to think this is what our young people have descended to,” he told the Limerick Leader.

UL took the same approach as NUI Galway and changed the name of the week from RAG week to Charity Week to impress the true meaning of the week on the students. The University of Limerick Students’ Union stated that the damage is caused by only a minority of students. This year the Students’ Union introduced a wide range of new non-alcohol events and sporting competitions to encourage students to support the week’s beneficiaries: Pieta House, the Brothers of Charity, TLC4CF, and the Mid-west Rape Crisis Centre. Speaking before the week, ULSU President Derek Daly said: “The focus in recent years has shifted very much towards the fundraising element and will continue to do so with the recent establishment of the RAG Society.”

By Jessica Thompson

a reform of teacher training, with an emphasis on pedagogical skills, so they can help pupils “shine”. Minister Quinn told the Irish Times that more needs to be done to “empower teachers to be better at what they’re doing.” The minister also announced a comprehensive reform package designed to make third level education more amenable to the needs of students, and more accessible to those of lesser academic ability and accomplishment. Commenting on this reform, Mr Walsh made his own suggestion and said; “If teaching is a profession, then teachers must make judgements and perform

Teachers should be required to offer their professional opinion on third level education, according to the founding president of the University of Limerick. The University founder, Ed Walsh, said that teachers in secondary schools should be required to give their view of what course their students should undertake in college. Mr Walsh said that “a good pass” would have been enough to get into college when he was a student, but that the competition is now more difficult as a result of the current ‘system’. The Minister of Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, last month announced

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professionally as they do in other countries.” Ed Walsh has recently published a book of memoirs, called Friends, Foes and Founding a College, in which a number of his experiences are recorded. In his memoirs, the founding president of the University of Limerick reveals that a system where teachers provide professional advice on what course students should study was in use at the university when selecting its first cohort of students. In this system, teachers were asked to evaluate the students on a wide variety of measures including communication skills and leaderships, and then advise them accordingly.

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Amchlár – Seimeastar 2, 2012

Peak Morning Service from 1, Dangan Carpark (every 15 minutes) Timetable - Semester 2011

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,

Peak Morning Service from 1, Dangan Carpark (every 15 minutes) Timetable - Semester 2011

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)

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 Mid–Morning lite From Orbsen Building 13.00, 13.30

Lunchtime Shuttle From Orbsen Building

Lunchtime Shuttle From Dangan Carpark 13.15, 13:45

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

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

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.

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) 16.00, 16.15, 16.30, 16.45, 17.15, 17.30, 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.

The University is providing a free EMERGENCY taxi shuttle from Orbsen to the Dangan carpark (only). The night time 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. Afteran 9pm pleasePlease telephone 091-561111 to request a taxi journey toin theaisce Dangan note: No other taxi destinations are possible and ar thecarpark. service is only available 9pm to 11pm Tá 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

13.15, 13:45

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,

Lunchtime Shuttle From Dangan Carpark

Buildings Office, 2011; subject to change Buildings Office, 2011; subject to change QR code timetable

QR code timetable

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NUI Galway Grads in London A Lifestyle Choice? By Louise Hogan You may remember Minister Noonan caused quite a bit of fuss last month with a comment he made about emigration - or you may not: yesterday’s newspaper, todays chip wrapper and all that. In any case, let me remind you; Michael Noonan, Fine Gael TD and government Finance Minister, referring to the fact that three of his five children live abroad, alluded that emigration was a lifestyle choice for some. Predictably, the Finance Minister was pilloried in

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So, as London whips itself into frenzy over the upcoming St. Patricks Weekend, we spoke to some of its new Irish residents - all NUIG graduates - and asked a simple question, did you jump or were you pushed? From my not very extensive and entirely unscientific research (i.e. how often I hear Irish accents on the street or in pubs), there seems to be plenty of young Irish in London these days. Areas that were, for decades, little more than Irish slums are now trendy neighbourhoods where the price of

I can totally see how people don't

come back: London is characterised

”

by possibility, that's what young people look for in a place to live.

the press for his remarks, which many deemed insensitive and offensive. But did he have a valid point? No one is disputing the fact that thousands of Irish people, both young and not so young, are being forced to emigrate; the Minister was clearly not referring to them with these remarks “There are always young people coming and going from Ireland. And some of them are emigrants in the traditional sense, others simply — it’s a small island — other people want to get off the island for a while.”

rent and coffee is steadily increasing. Typically, young Irish still flock to these areas and it’s not unusual to hear Dublin or Donegal accents in Camden, Kentish Town or Clapham. Young Irish emigrants these days differ substantially from their predecessors however: they’re well educated, extremely motivated and eager to get on the career ladder. Most of the NUIG graduates you meet here work in finance or advertising: others are engineers or quantity surveyors and a sizable number, in posses-

sion of NUIG Arts degrees, are studying to obtain a teaching qualification. So what do they think about Minister Noonan’s comments? Did they choose to emigrate or was it their only option? “It’s much easier to get into teaching over here,” Aoife, 23, with a degree in History and Irish says. “That was the only reason I came over initially; but now I really like it here and I’ll probably stay on once I finish. There’s no jobs at home anyway.” Aoife’s comments are reflective of almost every NUIG graduate I spoke to who is pursuing further studies here; they initially moved because of greater availability of courses here (teaching in particular) and have either settled in or stayed on because there are simply more jobs available here. Most NUIG graduates I spoke to who are working here acknowledge they came here out of choice; they wanted to live in London for a variety of reasons. But, and perhaps most importantly, many of them plan on returning to Ireland one day and they worry that this option may now be closed to them, given the economic climate. This is a view reflected by a summation of its member’s opinions by the London Irish Graduate Network, “We think people emigrate for a variety of different reasons; for

most of our members, it's career-oriented. It's important to note, however, that there are a certain amount of our members who have emigrated out of necessity. A lot of our members do come to London with the intention of someday returning home. With the shroud of uncertainty hanging over both the Irish and European economies, though, this may no longer be a viable option.” One NUIG alumnus who works in advertising, concurred with this general sentiment, “Will I return? Hard to say… no compelling reason to go at the moment though. I can totally see how people don't come back: London is characterised by possibility, that's what young people look for in a place to live.” Many graduates may have chosen to leave but they would also like the option of returning, something that for many of them simply is inconceivable given the current economic conditions. Minister Noonan may have been making a valid point with his comments but he failed to look at the wider picture and he oversimplified a complicated problem which is affected by numerous factors. Instead of debating who really had to emigrate and who didn’t, the government should be taking steps to ensure that those who emigrated and wish to return, can do so.

JugglingSoc performers from the Fire Show on 28 February: Paul Lynch, Lindsay Hollingsworth, Bill Dunne and Michael Hennelly. Photo by Arun Thirumaran, PhotoSoc.

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Academic Writing Centre Competition Winner In November the Academic Writing Centre launched its first Academic Writing Competition. There were four set non-discipline related topics. Submitted pieces were judged on their structural coherence and verbal dexterity. The winning entry addressed the question: “Chaos theorist Edward Lorenz popularised the idea that a single flap of a butterfly’s wings could change the course of weather halfway around the globe. Does a far-off phenomenon produce a surprising effect here in Galway?” Here is the winning essay…

Saturation and Satiation by Bailey Gunn (Visiting Student of English) When a butterfly first emerges from its cocoon, its wings are wet. It is literally drenched in its past life as a caterpillar. Thus, to fly it must dry. After some bubbling inner turmoil of preparedness, to aid the process, it works up the courage to pump its wings for the first time. From this single wing beat, Edward Lorenz developed his chaos theory. He elucidated that the flap of a butterfly’s wing can either begin or eliminate specific weather patterns, such as tornadoes (Lorenz 181). As a result, Lorenz explained that predicting the weather would become very difficult and problematic (183). However, like the butterfly itself, the denizens of Galway are not affected by Lorenz’s theory, for they have always adapted to chaos. Perhaps it would be most effective to consider this thesis in relation to the butterfly’s maturation process. As previously stated, the butterfly arises in its new form completely flooded. In a metaphorical sense, this saturation is indicative of the fact that it hosts all that it needs from the birth of its altered state. Likewise, a human, in the amniotic fluid, is born not as an empty vessel, but with a soul that is as bottomless as a pint of Guinness. With this in mind, deceptive puddles that appear as shallow as a tide pool plunge deeper than the Atlantic, and black clouds threaten silently from above on a day that warms and whispers in the peeking sun. These correlating ideas thus

establish that Galwegians, like the butterfly, are unaffected by the chaos around them and have no need for predictions to warn them of their own world. They are quite literally steeped in it already. Yet, the parallels do not end there. Drip-dried, wings like stained glass and just as fragile, butterflies must then attempt their first flight. Predictions are not needed here either, for the small breath that is produced by the butterfly’s tentative flap is of his own jurisdiction. In a literal sense, the strong wills of the Galway citizens mirror this wind, which may or may not have originated from a butterfly in China, for they have harnessed its power to sail their boats, and procure food. These gusts of chaos colour their proverbs and redden their cheeks, as they wish that the ‘wind may always be at your back’. In short, Galway does not heed prophecy, nor do Galwegians fear the proportion of their successes, although they are only too ready to celebrate them in the pubs. As Lorenz postulates, ‘the butterfly, with its seeming frailty and lack of power, is a natural choice for a symbol of the small that can produce the great’ (15). Chaos, Galway seems to say, does not rely on wind or rain, but on perspective. And remember, perspective is relative, for butterflies taste with their feet. Works Cited Lorenz, Edward. The Essence of Chaos. 1993. London: UCL Press Limited, 1995. Print.

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The Great Ticket Scandal By Jane Kearns We’ve all been overexcited about a concert at least once in our lives. We may have queued overnight, made frantic phone calls or desperately clicked refresh on the Ticketmaster website hundreds of times in the hope that there’s at least one ticket left for that coveted one night only show. For every success in attaining that precious Justin Beiber, Coldplay or Lady Gaga ticket, there’s always those that fail to make it on time and are left in the cold clutching credit cards and wads of cash. It’s those frantic and desperate fans who have led to the phenomenal success of the secondary online ticketing industry and the outrageous hikes in ticket prices. But what are secondary ticket sellers? And how do you know when you’re dealing with one? There’s a myriad of ticket vendors online ranging from reputable sites such as Ticketmaster to the shadier side of ticket sellers like Viagogo, Seatwave and GetMeIn. Obviously most people go to the primary retailer before they turn to other suppliers, but no matter what, once a gig sells out, tickets will always appear online at prices way

above face value. Tickets often appear minutes after they sell out at astronomical prices on so called “fan to fan exchange” websites. These sites claim that they sell tickets from fans to fans, and that prices are decided by the seller and not the website. However it has now come to light that many of these online companies buy the tickets themselves and later go on to sell them at a large profit. In the recent Chanel 4 Dispatches documentary: The Great Ticket Scandal, a group of undercover journalists discovered the immoral side to secondary ticket. Websites like Viagogo and Seatwave admitted to having agreements with event organisers for ticket allocations: some of these can be for thousands of tickets that are sold to these companies before the public even get a chance to buy their own (no need to ponder over how concerts can sell out in minutes anymore). These allocated tickets then end up on their websites mere minutes after gigs sell out, usually under the names of “fans” who had to sell them off. Dispatches also uncovered that sometimes these sites buy tickets in bulk using credit cards if they can’t get

enough tickets from their allocations. The most shocking thing of all is the absolutely outrageous prices these websites are selling tickets for; Westlife tickets on Seatwave are going for as much as €478, tickets to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s upcoming tour (which isn’t even sold out yet!) are listed at a staggering €435 and tickets to Madonna are going for a ridiculous €600! It’s not just concert tickets that are being sold on these sites: sports tickets, musicals and even comedy gigs are now appearing on secondary ticket sites and prices for some of these are even more costly than concerts. Looking for a last minute ticket to see Michael McIntyre? Well now you can get one for just €600! Or maybe the Ireland v. England Six Nations match is more your thing? Well a seat can be yours for the low, low price of €1,440! All of this must be illegal right? Wrong! It is illegal to sell tickets on the street as a scalper or tout, but it is not illegal to simply resell a ticket to someone. That is how these websites work: they claim to be reselling tickets from one fan to another, but they’re not much more than glorified street vendors looking to

make some quick cash. The secondary ticket selling industry is fast becoming a booming market where many traders work on a full time basis and earn large salaries from their elevated ticket prices. Often there is a network of people buying and selling tickets for a website as the Dispatches team uncovered in their documentary, ranging from people who deal with the public, to those who buy tickets from ticket brokers, and prosellers who purchase tickets in bulk in order to sell on to a larger company. It was even uncovered that these websites often have a surplus of tickets that they are unable to sell, which they end up dumping rather than selling at face price. Due to their high charges they still manage to make a profit. All of this dishonesty has caused anger amongst the public and an outcry for stricter regulations on ticket selling; steps have yet to be taken to tackle the issue of over priced tickets and allocations to secondary sellers. However you can guarantee that you’ll get a good price on a ticket if you shop around and go for websites that promise to sell at face value such as scarletmist. com or swapmyticket.com.

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What the Heck Happens in… the Wellness Centre? With Chloe Coyle What the heck happens in the Wellness Centre? The Wellness Centre provides advice and support for all students, especially on issues regarding their health and well-being. The Wellness Centre acts as a medium for other external health promotion services, such as ProYouth.eu, a resource that promotes healthy eating habits and positive body image in college students, helps detect problems, and offers online professional support that is 100% anonymous. The Centre also takes part in many community events, such as a trip to Corrib Village and occasional nutritional information tours in local supermarkets, and of course the Health Fair! It’s just for hippies though right? Meditation and all that lark? No it’s not for ‘hippies’! It provides a service for all students looking for specific information regarding their health, after all everyone has health issues, not just hippies! Oh yeah, I remember hearing something about a Health Promotion Service... What's all that about then? The Health Promotion Service provides all students with advice regarding sexual, mental and physical health. It also organises the Mind, Body & Soul programme and the Exam De-stress programme. The Wellness Centre provides a wealth of information in a safe, friendly environment. A lot of literature is available on a wide range of issues as well as a number of friendly faces to answer any questions students may have: however strange or startling!

PhilosophySoc hosted a reading of Plato’s Republic followed by a Toga Party in the College Bar on 27 February. Pictured are Paul Nevin, Micheál Duffy, Tony Monks, Aoife Fitzpatrick and Colin Fleming. Photo by Joe Hyland, PhotoSoc.

Why should I take advice from other students? The health connect mentors primary role is not to provide the students with advice but to direct them in

the direction where proper and correct information will be available to them by a trained advisor. So you give out free condoms, yeah? Every Wednesday, the Wellness Centre hosts ‘Wrap-it Wednesday,’ a service that provides all students with free condoms. It’s from 4 - 6pm each week. Students may avail of a free pack containing a condom, sexual health advice and a sweet! On that note, I've heard there's a 'Quiet Space.' Is that like a sound-proof room for... ya know...? The Relaxation Room is a small room adjacent to the Wellness Centre that provides a getaway for students that feel stressed or overcome at any time, or who may need a private place for any reason (except studying, or that). It can be booked in advance through Cindy. Where can we find you? The Wellness Centre is located in Aras Na Mac Léinn, at the back of the Hub. Adjacent to the Wellness Centre is the Relaxation Room. Who the heck are you anyway? We’re Health Connect Volunteers: Mark Cloonan, Chloe Coyle, Hayley Doherty, Emma Donnellan, Sara Finnerty, Geoff Hanley, Dee Hatton and Jamie Mc Gettigan. The Wellness Centre is run by Cindy Dring, NUIG Health Promotion Officer. Cindy is assisted by many health connect volunteers also. The volunteers direct students towards non-judgemental advice services and assist students with the proper information they may need. They also help out with events run such as the Health Fair and events organised through the Wellness Centre. Contact Cindy Dring at 091-492048 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/ student_services/health_ promotion/

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Occupy this! by Conor Lane

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from those who have taken part in the Occupy Galway movement as they approach their 150th day, it’s that they will not be told where or for how long they can reside in an area they deem suitable for occupation. This is similar to the way in which students will

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way to find the highest concentration of lonely and frustrated men but it serves an important function in that, well, where are all these men supposed to go? Granted there are men (and some women) who go just looking for a bit of entertainment. How entertaining would it be to walk into this club and not find Holly and Stacey (I’m guessing)

What better way to get students

”

involved in protesting than to let them loose in a strip club?

not be told when and for how long they can occupy their own beds, or anyone else’s for that matter. So why aren’t we students, who actually have much more free time than we let on (you know it’s true) the ones who are leading the way with this occupy movement? I’ll look at a few of the places this movement has been missing out on, that may recruit students to the cause. 1. Candy Land: If only the people of the Occupy movement smartened up and realised that if they were to occupy Candy Land then all of their nutritious needs would be met: from Jelly Belly Beans Bulk (yes, that’s an actual name of a sweet), to Wonka Exceptional Fantabulous Fudge (fun to say!). On a more serious note, the act of occupying Candy Land will serve a more important role in showing children that, nowhere, not even Candy Land, is safe from this movement. So any child who is not living in the real world, some of whom will eventually one day grow up to become politicians, who will continue to not live in reality, will be given a real reality check. For real! 2. Le Paradise Club: This may be the best place to go in Gal-

waiting to offer you a dance but some student activists too? They might even share with you the history behind the occupy movement and if you really listened, lose a piece of cosy winter-wear or two as the night wore on. What better way to get students involved in protesting than to let them loose in a strip club? 3. Karma: The dark and isolating environment that nightclubs offer would provide the perfect solution for the ‘Occupiers’ to pitch their tents and catch a night’s sleep. They also would have the option of leaving their havens and seeing if there’s anyone interested in getting with someone who’s “trying to make a difference” in this world. That always goes down well. The music makes for a much better atmosphere than the eeriness of Eyre Square. Seeing as students spend most of their nights in these clubs anyway, why not do it in the name of a just cause? 4. Leisure Land: The people of the occupy movement have experienced a somewhat unsavour y existence with regards to ameneties and weather conditions. They’re being stared at by the weirdos who like to

come out at night in Galway for nearly 150 days. To solve the problem of the occupiers not being able to have anywhere to wash, why not occupy somewhere with showering facilities? “What about the children? Where will they go?” you may ask. They’ll understand when t h e y ’ r e o l d e r. W h a t would be an advantage of taking over a leisure park you say? Well, how about this: (Long breath) The act of taking over a decidedly middle/upperclass establishment such as those in which the wealthy decide it’s suitable to bathe with other similarly wealthy humans in a basin of their own filth would help push towards a necessary adjustment in societal consciousness. (short breath) To initiate an imperative changing pattern of thought to combat a stereotype in which it is thought that those who reside in the streets campaigning for justice are the unclean ones (phew). Also, how fantastic a sight would it be for adults to take over the leisure park for a while? It’s always the kids who get to use the slides. “The slides aren’t big enough for adults,” you say. As if that’ll stop students. So there you go, some of the opportunities for endless fun through ‘occupying’ that are being underutilized. Needless to say, this has been a satricial look (no, really?) at the Occupy movement. I wouldn’t pretend to know what it’s like to be a part of this or what it’s like to have to live on the streets of Galway. And even though most of them have had to go for days at a time without taking showers, brushing their teeth, washing their clothes or being able to sleep in their own bed (typical week in the life of a student) they have done so for our benefit. It’s only fair we repay the favour.

Dear Darcy, I’m having really serious relationship problems. I love my boyfriend so much. We’ve been dating for like eight months and things are great. We like the same movies and music and I even pretend to like watching rugby with him because I just like being with him. For us the issue is in the bedroom. He’s not great. He’s pretty bad. Kind of the worst I’ve ever had (we’ve never made it out of missionary). I’m not a slut or anything but I’ve had a few boyfriends so I know what to expect. I’ve never told him and now it seems too late. Can I fix this? I really do love him but I don’t know how to tell him and I don’t know what to do. — Missionary Girl 4Life Hi Missionary Girl, I think there are plenty of women who feel or have felt the exact same at some point in their relationships. From what you’ve told me there has been a definite failure to communicate. This poor guy that you love has no idea how you feel. There are two possible reasons for him remaining in the dark. He’s either extremely selfish and has never even thought to ask how it was for you or you have been lying to him about how much you are enjoying it. I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it - honesty is the best policy. You need to bring this problem to his attention. I would suggest you don’t bring it up post-coital or pre for that matter! Instead

Missionary Girl If you’ve been willing to put up with it for this long what is actually causing you to now change things? You’ve had plenty of time to bring this to his attention but instead you chose to fawn over him like a sick puppy. Personally I’m not so sure you deserve advice but I’m going to prescribe you some homework anyway. It’s not a route I usually go down but I’m going to make an exception. For next week you need to watch seasons 1-6 of Sex and the City. If those whiny bitches can’t teach you anything – you’re a lost cause. To me you sound like a bit of a Samantha with the naivety of Charlotte, the attitude of Miranda and the brains of Carrie (in case you’re not familiar with the show, that wasn’t a compliment). Please be warned that

you should broach the topic in a more neutral surrounding, for example while having tea in your sitting room or on a walk of the prom. This lessens the risk of emasculating him. Tell him that there is something lacking. You both need to work on getting through this together. If he’s not willing to at least try to change I think it may be time to let go of this one. The only thing separating you from just being great friends is the intimacy in your relationship. And if that isn’t working then at the end of the day wouldn’t you be better friends?

Hugs —Darcy

even after you learn all you can from these four hags you’re still going to have to talk to him. Be prepared for retaliation or constructive criticism. Maybe he’s waiting for you to bring it up before breaking out his tried and tested moves. It’s some kind of Karma.

That’s Life, Barnacle

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

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Lent: Who Hasn’t Given Up? by Roisin Peddle It’s a long time ago now, and I rarely see the inside of a church these days, but I can still remember the story of Lent. Jesus went into the desert for forty days and forty nights, swore off Taytos and Crunchies, came out for a pint on St Patrick’s day, had the devil tempting him with all sorts and then, when the forty days were up, returned to civilisation for a celebratory chocolate bar to mark the glorious feast of Easter. Which, of course began with him being nailed to a cross and bleeding to death. To commemorate Jesus’ sacrifices in the desert, his loyal followers are asked to fast for forty days before Easter, in a period called Lent. Nothing to do with the “length” it goes on for,

the name Lent comes from the old German for spring. Lent was once a very grim time indeed for devout Catholics. In the middle ages it meant no meat or dairy. Fish was the order of the day. St Thomas Aquinas believed that meat incited lust in men and that kind of nonsense was simply out of the question at such a solemn time of year. Interestingly, water birds like ducks and geese were reclassified as fish in Tudor times, meaning they could be eaten during Lent. Even as recently in the 1950s, Irish people were expected to subsist on just one meal a day, and abstain from drink and goodies. Dancing was banned during Lent, as were weddings. Meat was not forbidden, but was to be avoided. In

short, there was zero craic. By the time my childhood rolled round, Lent was a lot more lenient. But it was still a big deal. The teacher whirred around the classroom asking what everyone was going to sacrifice for Lent. I don’t remember it ever being a huge wrench, denying myself whatever I’d given up. Maybe it’s because I always picked something like Bounty bars, which I detested anyway. I was a sneaky one. When I was about ten, a girl in my class gave up TV for Lent. I looked at her in awe. Forty days without The Den? How would she survive? Her whole family had decided to switch off the box in solidarity and I was even more gobsmacked when she professed they didn’t miss it. Giving up

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crisps was all well and good, but this sort of masochism was a bridge too far. Lent was a given in primary school, but in college it is surprising the amount of students that still partake. I’m not one of them. I honestly forget when Lent is, and then forget what I’m giving up, and then forget I’ve made a vow, and then eat or do whatever I said I won’t. However, just like in my childhood, not everyone is so weak-willed. A high proportion of college students do give up something for Lent. They may be religious, or they may not be. In the last census, 87% of Irish people identified themselves as Catholic. While many of our generation are lapsed, their Catholic upbringing comes to the fore at this time of year. I’ll never for-

get in first year someone crossly asking me why I, having forgotten yet again, was eating beef lasagne on Ash Wednesday. So why do so many people still sacrifice something for Lent? It’s hardly to please our parents. It’s easy enough to lie when you’re away at college. Some, of course, do it because they are practising Catholics, but what about those who aren’t? Some might do it for a challenge, or for charity. Lent is also the time of the Trocáire box. It’s a time to give to the less fortunate around the world, and to reflect on how lucky we have it compared to many others. “I'm not religious at all, but I still do Lent every year. For the past five years I've given up all rubbish, meaning sweets, crisps,

chocolate, etc. It’s not difficult - far from it. I find it incredible easy. It just takes strength and will power, I suppose,” says Sin’s very own Jessica Thompson. “This year I've decided to give up the usual, but because I've done that for the past six years, I might give myself a break for the Candyland reception at the Postgrad Ball. And I also feel that because I've done it for so long, it’s gotten too easy, so I plan to take up something healthy as a challenge - more exercise is on the agenda!” And why does Jessica deny herself all these goodies? She says: “For the craic, of course! It's all in the name of craic!” Yikes! Now that I’m on a real guilt trip, maybe it’s time to put down the Crème Eggs?

Na Cumainn Ghaelacha Le Séan Ó Flathartha Is páirt an-tábhachtach de shaol an mhic léinn é a bheith páirteach i gcumainn éagsúla. Tá rud éigin/cumann éigin ann do gach uile dhuine. Tá méadú mór tagtha ar an obair atá á déanamh ag na cumainn Gh ae l ach a/ Gh ae il ge i mbliana. Is é an Cumann Craic an príomhchumann Gaelach in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. Ceapaim féin gur ag dul ó neart go neart a bheidh an cumann seo sna blianta atá le teacht. I mbliana, tá mise Seán Ó Flatharta, Oifigeach Teanga agus Cultúir ag obair leis na cumainn Ghaelacha ar fad in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh agus tá go leor cúnaimh faighte againn ó Oifigeach Ghaeilge Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn, Senan Mac Aoidh chomh maith. Tá go leor béime curtha againn ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge i mbliana agus tá réimse leathan d’imeachtaí eagraithe don choicís 5-17 Márta. Tá an Cumann Craic ar an bhfód le blianta fada ach i mbliana tá athbheochan agus athrú iomlán tagtha ar aidhmeanna agus ar fheidhmiú an chumainn. Tá a lán rudaí déanta againn ar an

gcampas agus taobh amuigh den champas. An aidhm atá ag an gCumann Craic is ea go mbeidh deis ag mic léinn casadh le cheile ag ócáidí sóisialta agus aithne a chur ar a chéile trí Ghaeilge. Is ócáidí spraíúla a bhíonn ar siúl, bíonn daoine ag siúl le dul acu ar nós céilithe, cóisir i mbeár an choláiste, ceolchoirmeacha, drámaí agus araile. Bíonn a lán obair ar siúl ag na cumainn Ghaelacha i ngach ollscoil ó cheann ceann na tíre. Tugann Conradh na Gaeilge aitheantas do na Cumainn seo trí chomórtas a reáchtáil gach bliain do na Cumainn is fearr, comórtas Glór na nGael a thugtar ar seo. Ba é seo an chéad uair riamh ag an gCumann Craic dul san iomaíocht i gcomórtas Glór na nGael. Chuir an Cumann Craic isteach ar an gcomórtas trí chur a láthair a chur i dtoll a chéile de na rudaí ar fad atá déanta agus bainte amach ag an gCumann Craic go dtí seo i mbliana. Is í Orla Breathnach Reachtaire an Chumainn Craic agus le cabhair ó gach duine eile atá rannpháirteach sa Chumann, bhuaigh an Cumann duais An Iontráil Nua Is Fearr sa rannóg tríú

leibhéal i gcomórtas Glór na nGael. Bhí searmanas bronnta i Maigh Nuad ar an Satharn an 25 Feabhra. Bhí na cumainn go léir a bhuaigh duaiseanna i láthair chun ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar obair na bliana agus aitheantas a fháil ar an obair sin. Bhuaigh An Cumann Craic duais de €500 don Iontráil Nua Is Fearr. Caithfear an t-airgead seo ar imeachtaí sheachtain na Gaeilge agus is iontach an chabhair é. Tá sé seo iontach don Chumann Craic agus tá siúl againn leanúint ar aghaidh agus níos mó a bhuachan an chéad bhliain eile. Is sa Carton House Hotel a bhí an oíche mhór ar siúl. Is óstán 5 réalt é ina mbíonn daoine mór le rá ag fanacht, b’fhurasta a thuiscint cén fáth a bhfanann mór uaisle an domhain ann, mar is áit álainn é amach agus amach. Le cúnamh Dé, beidh an chéad bhliain eile chomh gnóthach nó níos gnóthaí fiú ná i mbliana, beidh níos mó aithne agus meas ag daoine ar an gcumann agus dá réir beidh tacaíocht ar fáil don Chumann Craic. Mar sin, má tá suim agaibh a fháil amach céard a bhíonn ar siúl againn, bígí linn do Sheachtain na Gaeilge.

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The Brains Behind the Breakthrough Greenhouses by Sinead Healy By going back to basics, researchers have discovered what could eventually be a new type of treatment in Huntington’s disease. It’s early days yet, but NUI Galway researchers identified proteins in the body that make the mutation worse and then blocked these proteins using experimental drugs. This could eventually offer a new

“

humans, can then disrupt gene activity leading to disease. “We are very aware of the problems Huntington’s disease patients and their families face and we’re constantly thinking about is there a way we can help these people,” explains Prof. Bob Lahue, a principle investigator at NUI Galway's Centre for Chromosome Biology. “Why is this mutation a genetic defect in Hunting-

selective inhibition. “[HDACs] get tricked and do the wrong things by mistake. They accidentally turn out to be bad guys,” he says. “They do normal good things in genome, but bad things at the HD locus.” To see what might happen in human cells, the researchers then looked at a type of brain cell called astrocytes. These cells were grown in dishes. They treated these cells

“We’re constantly thinking about is there a way

we can help these people... Why is this mutation a

”

genetic defect in Huntington’s disease? Why does it keep getting worse? What makes it go?”

approach to help address the condition. Huntington’s disease is a devastating inherited disorder that causes uncontrolled movements, emotional disturbance and severe mental deterioration. It affects over 100,000 people worldwide and a further 300,000 are estimated to develop symptoms in their lifetime. At present, there is no way to halt or even slow down disease progression. Available treatments are designed only to manage symptoms. This inherited mutation causes too many repeats of the DNA ‘letters’ CAG in a particular gene. Too many uninterrupted CAG repeats, typically 30-40 in

ton’s disease? Why does it keep getting worse? What makes it go?” Prof. Lahue's research group addressed these questions using simple cellular models. Their initial experiments were actually in budding yeast. Yeast doesn’t get Huntington’s disease, but it can be used to model the repeats of DNA letters. “We found out a new bad guy,” Prof. Lahue explains. The bad guy in question is an enzyme called histone deacetylase complexes (HDAC). Three out of eleven mutant genes identified in the yeast were linked to these HDACs. A key finding of the research was to pinpoint specific HDACs for

with a HDAC inhibitor – an experimental drug – and found that it slowed down the mutational process by about 75% under lab conditions. “We are hopeful now that we identified a weak point in the disease process.” says Prof. Lahue. “It’s a difficult disease to attack. Maybe we have a new chink, a new weakness we can try to manipulate to try to slow down the disease.” These HDACs and inhibitors are also being studied in the US for treating another feature of HD and show potential in slowing down the disease in mouse models. “We think that in addition to the thing being studied [in the US] that

there’s a beneficial side effect. Usually side-effects are bad, but in this case maybe the side effect is good,” says Prof. Lahue. “The side effect is helping to block the gene from getting worse.” Where do they go from here? “My lab is interested in how this works, what else does this HAC work with and how it achieves its purpose? Does it work with anything else? Is there another link in the chain we could potentially target and interfere in a similar manner? And the third thing is working with other labs to try and understand does this matter in a mouse.” “I don’t teach this at all until fourth year. Most of what I teach is basic biochemistry,” comments Prof. Lahue. “What they are learning in class will help them build to this.” In fact, three out of the five people in Prof. Lahue’s research group are NUI Galway alumni. Olivia Gleeson, in particular, contributed to this project. Some biochemistry students have also indirectly contributed to this type of research during their final year research projects. Behind this new insight into Huntington’s disease is: yeast, curious people and a couple years’ hard work. That’s one example of what happens in a basic science lab and also of the exciting research taking place at NUI Galway.

By Fiona Gillespie Investing in a greenhouse is a great way to grow from seed while waiting for spring to set in. Greenhouses can also be used to protect and grow exotic or Mediterranean plants which will not thrive in an Irish climate. Examples of vegetables that will grow well in a greenhouse are salad leaves, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. Salad leaves, in particular, can be grown and harvested over winter, resulting in a nice break from the usual root vegetables that are available at that time. Greenhouses can be made from plastic or glass – any transparent material that allows light to travel to the plants and heat up the interior of the greenhouse. Around this time, greenhouses

are widely available in all garden centres and big supermarkets like Lidl or Aldi. If you’re not ready for the commitment of a large greenhouse, why not start with a cold frame? A cold frame is a mini greenhouse that’s built close to the ground, which is perfect if you have a small garden or balcony. The largest glass wall of the greenhouse should face south to achieve good exposure to the sun, but remember to make it accessible! If the temperature is too high, the plants will wilt and die rapidly. To avoid this calamity, check the temperature regularly (at least twice a day) and open the door if necessary. The main advice I could give on greenhouses is experiment with different plants and enjoy the blooming flowers or tasty fruit and veg that grow.

Grow many exotic plants with a greenhouse

The University Bucket List: An Outsider’s Perspective by Ciara O’Brien

From talking to many students around campus from different clubs, societies and courses I have discovered that most people are on the same generic wave length as regards to what you should and shouldn’t participate in during your time in University. Joining clubs and societies is a big one that everyone agrees on, attempting to pass the year with a decent grade while

having as much fun as possible is also a key factor on most people’s to-do lists. In an attempt to get a new point of view on the Galway college experience, one that isn’t clouded by “the grass is always greener” syndrome, I went in search of some visiting students. Brendan Kirby, from New York has been here for exactly two months and is staying for another three so while he has experienced enough to know his favourite

bits, so far, he hasn’t been here long enough to become unimpressed with the city and what it has to offer, so far. My perfect candidate! When I’m talking to Brendan I try to take a step back and look at Galway from the perspective of someone who hasn’t lived here their whole life and I begin to recognise, all over again, why people love this city so much. His first piece of advice to me is to see Shop Street: to really

enjoy it. Initially I’m slightly dubious: it’s just a street, right? It is just a street but it’s a fabulous street. The shop exteriors are like something you’d see in a movie and where else do you find murals being painted on the ground on a Saturday and Santa climbing down the Treasure Chest over Christmas? One of the most famous Galway characters is the ‘doughnut man’, the man who surprisingly enough, sells doughnuts at the Satur-

day market, something I would also suggest everyone leaves their bed on a weekend morning to see. An avid hiker, Brendan has joined the Galway Mountaineering Club and loves it. He’s seen more since he’s been here than most of us have in our lives. He likes to hike to “see the country for what it really is.” He also says that because we’re so close to all this wonderful nature we should take advantage of it. He has been to see the Cliffs

of Moher and the Aran Islands and he categorises them in some of his favourite bits of his stay so far! So while we may be slightly unimpressed with the weather, the government and the same things day in and out, try looking at our college experience from an outsider’s perspective. We’re close to, and have, so many wonderful things in our city, we should take advantage of it!

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An Interview with Luke ‘Ming Flanagan’ by Cormac O’Malley In a move embarrassingly stereotypical of a college publication, Sin discussed drugs with the controversial Roscommon-South Leitrim TD. Sin: Deputy Flanagan, when and why did you become a supporter of the legalization of marijuana? Flanagan: I became a supporter of the legalization of it for the first time when there was a knock on my door in about 1994 in Eglington St. in Galway, when eight members of the Gardaí Síochána came in to my house. I wasn’t smoking at the time, and they went through basically every part of the house, separated me from my girlfriend at the time and one of her friends. They took us in to different rooms, and gave me an insight in to what happens to someone if they’re busted for possession of cannabis, and when they left I got the feeling that someone has got to do something about this. So I had actually smoked previous to that but I wasn’t smoking at the time. Obviously I have smoked since, and as far as I’m concerned it is an unenforceable law, it will never succeed, and it does infinitely more harm than it does good. I suppose the reasons why I want to see cannabis legalized are

manifold: one of the main reasons would be for health reasons, and that’s because of, no more than anything that is illegal, you have no control over what’s put in it, and currently cannabis is being adulterated with substances such as silicon, creosote, crushed up car tyres, etc., and if it were legal it would be an awful lot safer. Another benefit, from a health point of view for its legality, would be that people would know how strong a substance that they were smoking, and know which type of cannabis that they were smoking- whether it was one that made you high or one that got you very relaxed. If you had a regulated market, you would know the strength of it, and in advance of smoking it, you would know exactly what effect it was going to have on you. Sin: What would you say to someone who would say that if you legalize marijuana or if you legalize heroin, then everyone is going to smoke marijuana and everyone will do heroin, and they will all be on the streets as drug addicts? Flanagan: What I would say to that is have a look at Holland. Look at the very low levels of heroin abuse and heroin addiction in that country. Look at the fact that, it isn’t legal, but

Re:

you can openly purchase it in coffee shops. The Trimbos institute have some interesting findings on the use of heroin in Holland, and they will show you that you’re anything up to 90-95% less likely to try heroin as a teenager in Holland than you are in Ireland. If this whole idea of the legalization of marijuana would lead to mayhem was true, then it would have happened in Holland because they have pretty much done it there. Sin: Elaborating on that, would you be in favour of legalizing marijuana alone, or legalizing all drugs, i.e. giving up on the war on drugs? Flanagan: I suppose language is very important when discussing this topic. Using the word ‘legalize’ when it comes to heroin causes hysteria, but what I believe needs to be done is that it has to be taken out of the hands of the criminals. If you look at each drug individually, you will see what’s best for it. In the case of cannabis, I would call for outright legalization. In the case of heroin, I would call for decriminalisation, along with programs which could help people, where there could be prescribed heroin in a controlled setting, as they did with the Widnes experiment in Britain in the late 1980’s which worked very well. Other drugs such

as cocaine, you would have to look at that in a different light, because providing someone with a cocaine substitute isn’t possible, because there is no substitute for it. The original drug is obviously a lot more harmful but at least if you decriminalised it, you stop penalizing people for what is a personal habit. Sin: The Libertarian view would be that if you legalize drugs, for reasons of personal responsibility, it’s not the state’s fault if someone becomes a drug addict. Flanagan: That is true. I suppose it depends on how deeply you look in to it. Whether it’s the governments fault or not, if someone becomes an addict of any sort, it all depends on how social services and family life is ran, etc. It has more to do with other factors than it does drugs. It is taking away personal responsibility to blame it on drugs at any stage, because ultimately drugs are inanimate objects, they don’t jump off the ground and go in to your system - you have to make a conscious decision to do them. If you decide to, and subsequently abuse it, yet again I would say that it’s not the drug that’s the problem, it’s yourself that’s the problem and it’s yourself that needs to be sorted out.

Sin: You spoke about criminality, do you think that the failure of prohibition in the 30s, with the rise of Al Capone, shows the failure of prohibition in general? Flanagan: It would have been a concrete example that I would have used over and over again. It’s a very good example of if you prohibit something that causes harm, alcohol of course causes harm, prohibiting it will not make it disappear off the face of the planet - it still exists. The desire for people to get it still exists, and they will get it. I know of a man in the 60’s who was an alcoholic and was put in to a mental hospital. Before they put him in his room, they made him stand naked in a line, they shaved his testicles, they put flea powder all over his body and they sent him off in to his room. He came out of that hospital a couple of months later and he drank again. If that’s not going to stop you drinking, then prohibition will not stop you drinking. You can put someone under a bed at gunpoint, if they’re an alcoholic and they want to get it, they’ll get it. So you deal with it in a pragmatic way. Substances like alcohol and other drugs do cause harm, but how do you minimalize that harm? You minimalize it by education and after that you let people at it.

Sin: I believe you said late last year that you brought your father abroad for the first time, he travelled with you to Amsterdam, and he was bemused by the lack of social disorder, if you’d like to elaborate on that. Flanagan: I suppose if you were to believe some of the stuff that you hear in the Irish media about Amsterdam and Holland, you would be expecting utter mayhem over there - you’d expect to get murdered at least once on a journey over there from reading some of the tabloids, and my father had taken in some of that. He asked me before we went over if it was a rowdy city and I told him to see for himself, and he was amazed by the place. I think the only thing that he didn’t like about the place was the fact that, maybe my nephew might move back out of the place again and back to a country where we don’t seem to run things very well. The one thing which stood out for him was that you could purchase alcohol on every street corner, it was no more expensive, if not less expensive than Ireland, and over the long weekend that we were there he never saw anyone that was drunk or anyone that was arrested for anti-social behaviour. So if that isn’t a lesson, then what is?

New Public The Feminist Society celebrated its one year anniversary and International Women’s Day last week in the Cottage Bar. Pictured are Clionadh O'Keeffe, viceauditor and Sheila Garrity. Photo by Caroline Forde, FemSoc.

Emma Brännlund, auditor and Rachael Dardis, social officer of FemSoc. Photo by Caroline Forde, FemSoc.

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Culture Shock: Visiting Students on Ireland’s Pub Culture by Lannan O’Brien Before coming to NUIG for a semester abroad, American visiting students Kate Kelly, 22, and Anna Eilersten, 21, were used to drinking alcohol mainly at house parties or college frats - and most often, while donning their Saturday night jeans. “For me, it’s different because it’s much more of a process,” Eilersten says, “people [put more effort into] looking nice and then going out somewhere. Where I’m from, we drink and go to someone’s house.” She was also surprised by the huge club culture in Galway: “I guess I figured there would be more of a focus on drinking in pubs,” she says. Regardless of any culture shifts, though, they have found adjusting to the nightlife in Galway relatively easy.

According to Kelly, there is a more exciting social scene in Galway than there is in the US city where she attends college. She says, “The Irish go out a lot more [during the week]. Just like in the US, some people drink excessive amounts of alcohol. But the difference is that [the Irish] can drink at age eighteen. More young people can go out to the pubs, so it’s less secretive.” While Eilersten has had to cut back on drinking to save money, Kelly’s alcohol use has increased while in Ireland. “Here, we go out three or four times a week instead of just on the weekends,” she says. “So even if I just have one drink each time we go out, it’s more than I would drink at home.” However, NUIG first-year student Tabitha Day admits

that alcohol use does not always remain at the legal college-age level: “I started drinking around fifteen or sixteen. Back then that was pretty common but [now] Irish students are starting to drink around fourteen or sometimes even younger.” Statistics by Alcohol Action Ireland prove her assertion to be fairly accurate, stating that the average age of first alcohol use for children born in 1990 was 14, and that 54% of those people reported being drunk at least once by age 16. Unfortunately, America isn’t far behind: according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average age of first alcohol use was also 14 in 2009. That year, 24% of high school students (ages 14-18) admitted to binge drinking, which is defined by the organization

The Brain: Exposed! by Sinead Healy We all have brains. Some of us even use them. How much do you really know about your brain though? There is a lot of exaggeration and misinformation surrounding what is currently known about the human brain. Brain Awareness Week is an annual worldwide event that aims to promote the brain and brain disorders to the general public. This included an exhibition in the Galway City Museum hosted by the NUI Galway Neuroscience group last week. If you missed that, here’s a few interesting facts and fictions about brains. You only use 10% of your brain – Fiction. A study in Brazil in 2003 showed that over half the college-educated people in Rio de Janeiro believe this myth. Almost ten years later and numerous debunking articles, this myth lives on. You use virtually every part of your brain. Just not all at the same time. That is, except for lazy scriptwriters who can’t use the “google area” to fact check the 10% myth and then write the pilot episode of Heroes or films like Limitless or The

Sorcer’s Apprentice: they only use 52.7% of their brains.* A Sixth Sense…and more – Fact. Most people can probably name the five senses – touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. It’s right out of a Leaving Cert Biology textbook. However, they lie to you in school. There are more than five senses and I’m not referring to ESP. These additional senses are all quite ordinary and include balance and acceleration, pain, temperature, body awareness and sense of time. Some neuroscientists argue there are up to twenty-one senses. The Mozart Effect – Fiction. In the early 90s, a small study showed that college students who listened to Mozart performed better on a spatial reasoning test and that this effect lasted fifteen minutes. These findings, which haven’t seen been replicated, were subsequently twisted into the idea that listening to classic music makes children and adults smarter. From this, a whole line of related products emerged. They don’t work. However, you can still feel superior though. Bigger isn’t Better –

Fact. Sperm whales pretty much beat everyone in brain size category and they don’t have much to show for it. This can be partially explained by the brain-tobody ratio with humans clocking in about 1:50, significantly lower than sperm whales. However, humming birds and mice also beat us in this measure with ratios about 1:25 and 1:40, respectively. Human brains aren’t particularly more endowed compared with similarly sized primates either. As they say: it’s not how big it is, it’s what you do with it. Right Versus Left Brain – Fiction. The story goes that our left-brains are logical and rational whereas the right brain is emotional and creative. This came about from splitbrain research in the 1960s. However, recent evidence using brain-imaging techniques has shown that the hemispheres' roles are not cut-and-dry: roles like language processing or spatial ability seem to be shared across the brain with complementary contributions. You get two brains for the price of one. Neurons continue to grow throughout human life – Fact. Most

as “as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above.” Day says that although she never faced direct pressure growing up, she and her peers felt a need to drink to keep up with Ireland’s strong alcohol culture. “When I was younger, there was prestige attached to the volume of alcohol somebody could drink and how strong the alcohol was,” she says. “For example, it was cooler to drink a straight naggin of vodka than it was to drink an alcopop.” According to Day, students “settle down” at the college level because they feel less pressure to drink. Due to the freedom of being away from home, she explains, first- and second-year college students drink excessively;

but once the novelty wears off, many college students learn to drink safely and socially. “I think that people become more comfortable choosing drinks that they actually like [in college] than feeling the need to choose strong drinks just to impress,” she says. “The goal is no longer to get completely intoxicated because once alcohol is legally and easily available to students it loses some of its ‘cool’ factor.” Day has noticed that excessive alcohol use, whether legal or illegal, can lead to fights among students, trips to A&E, and sometimes, alcohol poisoning. “It lowers inhibitions and this means that guys become more pushy toward girls and girls become more promiscuous or vulnerable,” she

believes. But because binge drinking is also an issue in the States, none of these behaviors are unfamiliar to American visiting students. Overall, Kelly and Eilersten agree that they feel safe drinking at local pubs and clubs. Eilersten says, “I’ve never felt unsafe here, but you have to be a little more careful and aware of your surroundings [being in a foreign country] than at home.” For students studying abroad in Ireland, Day offers this advice: “Don't get caught up in following the stereotype that the Irish are a drinking nation and feel that you need to 'keep up' with how much [they] drink... Alcohol should be used to enhance a night out rather than become the main focus.”

nerve cells, or neurons, are created before you’re born. However, as you age new neurons are born in a few parts of brain like the hippocampus, which is important in memory. These cells can then join existing brain regions. However, this growth is limited. Drinking alcohol kills brain cells – Fiction. Brain cells don’t die off as you drink. That’s

not an excuse for Homer Simpson, or any ridiculous conversations/actions while drunk. Seemingly, even excessive alcohol won’t kill brain cells directly. However, alcohol alters brain functioning. It can damage dendrites of nerve cells and block cells from talking to each other. Exercise and social activity are good for brain – Fact. Everybody knows that exercise is good

for your heart, but it turns out it is also good for your brain too. Physical exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which delivers nutrients and oxygen, and helps the brain function better. Research also shows that people who are regularly engaged in social interaction maintain their brain vitality. Something to keep in mind leading up to exam time… * May not actually be true.

NUIG Juggling Soc Fire Show on 28 February. Photo by Arun Thirumaran, PhotoSoc.

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OPINION: A Cynical View on Mental Health By Claire Finnegan Mental health is a very important problem that faces us all, ranging from exam stress to depression. It is estimated through Irish studies that one in four young adolescents in Ireland have suffered serious mental problems as well as Ireland having the fifth highest rate of suicide amount adolescents (14-24) in the EU. The question now posed to us is; are there adequate mental health services available for us in Ireland? There are organisations available in Galway including Jigsaw and the NUI Galway counselling services located at No.5 Distillery road. Jigsaw is located in Galway city next to the new coach station; it is advertised as a safe space with counsellors and doctors available for supporting you and your mental health. I believe this to be a huge achievement for the city as well as the NUIG counselling serv-

ice as they offer a support network for young people suffering with a wide range of difficulties. However in terms of care provided by the HSE, I believe them to be very inadequate. I am aware there is a strain on our services but with mental health being a major issue in this day and age, I do believe that more emphasis should be placed on the HSE providing these services. An unnamed NUIG student has suffered with mental health problems for years, and was admitted to UCHG following an overdose earlier this year. They were admitted around 11pm and released the following morning at 3am. Surely following an overdose it would be compulsory to keep them in overnight at least? Following this ordeal, the student was issued with an appointment in the Galway psychiatric outpatients department, this appointment and the following

were three months apart, which is a long time-period for someone suffering and in need of constant support. The student vented their frustrations at not only the time delay between each appointment but the care provided during them, and described feeling like they were “being shipped from one doctor to another” and how there was a major emphasis on giving them a prescription and sending them on, all within ten minutes. In terms of medications, I believe in recent years the attitude has become ‘drug them up and send them on’. Surely there is more to curing these people than simply handing them out drugs? So I pose this question to you: how do you feel about the mental health services provided for you here in Galway? The statistics surrounding mental health in Ireland are frightening; more than 500 people take their lives in Ireland each year and

about 12,000 people present in emergency departments with evidence of self-harm. Of all the universities in Ireland, NUI Galway is excellent for providing these services for its students, and speaking to a friend in Queen’s University Belfast, they were shocked at the amount of services and campaigns we have to promote good mental health, as any such campaigns in their university are unheard of. Although some facilities are available for mental health resources and aid, especially those available in college, I do believe the public mental health services to be inadequate and that more of an emphasis should be placed on providing support and suicide prevention through support networks, education and awareness to the issue. To contact the Student Counselling Service in NUI Galway phone 091 492 484 or 087 664 4299 or email counselling@nuigalway.ie.

Kony 2012: No, He’s Not Running Against Obama By Louise Hogan This week, my facebook homepage suddenly became clogged by people sharing a video entitled Kony 2012. Unlike one hapless friend of mine, who thought Kony was a US Presidential candidate, I already knew who he was. I spent three months working in Uganda last year and about two months before that panicking about going to the Central African nation and devouring every book I could find about the country. So I already knew about Kony and his rebel army, the LRA and their twenty year history of kidnapping children to use as soldiers and sex slaves. But I watched the video anyway. Let’s be clear, raising awareness about this issue is good; but is it useful? The video is well made but simplistic. That’s fair, its whole

point is to be accessible and simple so people will watch it, understand it and share it. The problem is, the very idea behind the campaign is too simple to be plausible or, more importantly, effective. Some critics of the campaign have focused on the ethics of advocating for US military intervention. This is a misinformed critique however. America has no intention of sending in a crack team to extricate Kony. Yes, last October 100 US troops arrived in Uganda’s capital Kampala to train and advise Ugandan troops but that’s all they were there to do, train and advise. Ireland, along with other EU countries, also has troops in Uganda doing the very same thing. Kony 2012 is based on the premise that popular opinion influences politi-

cal will which in turn leads to action; the problem is there is no political will in Uganda. Uganda has troops serving on a number of UN peacekeeping missions in Africa; for these missions it receives payment, both cash and in kind. In such a politically corrupt country, this cash flow is seen as a more valuable and profitable endeavour than sending adequate troops up north to deal once and for all with Kony. It’s important to realise that there isn’t any strong concept of a unified national identity in Uganda; tribal and regional loyalties are still the primary identifier for people. Therefore, most Ugandans don’t see why they should be interfering in problems in the North of the country at all. It’s also important to realise the dynamics of the region; Kony slips through

porous borders of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo as he pleases; these are not countries which are going to assist in Kony’s capture. They have genocides and rebel armies of their own to be worrying about. So Kony is free to wander. So the US isn’t going to swoop in, catch Kony and deliver him to the ICC in The Hague; Uganda is highly unlikely to generate any motivation to do so either. Depressing? Yes. But there’s much to be done in northern Uganda and plenty of amazing people working to rehabilitate former child soldiers and sex slaves that you can help. Although I don’t agree with the premise of the Kony 2012 campaign, raising awareness and creating debate on the issue is undoubtedly a positive.

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Returning By Adam Loughnane The Snow has come home The Virgin Flakes have returned Acrid was the reception For much has changed in the interim Panthers roam where once Falcons flew Thorned shrubs in place of rubied blooms Pain has also come home Loss, regret, bristling despair Curdled pools of graying woe Endless fields of wilting grain The Honey has matured Has decayed, has begun to wither Oh, I bleed in your company My emotions disemboweled Why were dreams not realized? Why did nightmares not subside? Winter has come, has indelibly set in Winter has come and it will not go away Gales thrash, tantrum, roar The Rain slicing air, splitting light, tearing sound But the foundations cannot be unlaid The walls, the grit, the building undone And there she stands So swollen and shamelessly befouled The smile remains, the care, the touch But the glow is fading, the fire is dying In a forgotten world, there was harmony Nay, unity - Nay, amalgamation It lingers - fragmented and putrefied Always the same immortal dispute How can the Sun shine in the Underworld? How can the Pure warm the Devil's throne? Beating me, striking me, piercing me, burning me Cascade after thunderstorm of defeated tears Nonetheless, the door has yet to close Paradise still breathes, still sleeps, still feeds But the choice is yours to make, not mine The Key in your hands, the Wheel, the Sword Even now, after years of grief After days of torment and months of hurt All would be at once forgiven For you, all scars would be forgotten Before the ice smothers the Earth Silencing Moles and Condors alike I beg of you on bended knees I beg for grace, for common sense And, for a moment, my Soul ignites My Spirit soars and my Mind explodes But your eyes cannot tell a lie And you break my worn heart once again

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FilmSoc at Jameson Dublin International Film Festival By Gerard Madden Well, FilmSoc had an exhilarating time at our fantastic weekend at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival! Seeing a distressingly small Mark Wahlberg in the flesh at his ho-hum new film Contraband, witnessing the fantastic

Norwegian thriller Headhunters and getting one of the first looks at what be one of the greatest action films of all time, the truly amazing Welsh-directed Indonesian movie The Raid, were all personal highlights. A midnight screening of Dollhouse on Sunday morning was also something to remember-

not least because audience members were plied with wine and invited to vandalize the walls with graffiti just as the film’s protagonists had done! The 1943 movie, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp by Powell and Pressenburger, about a British army officer’s experiences from the Boer War

to World War II, was also one of the best movies I saw at the festival. And with its sprawling vision, it’s a film that’s still as good now as it was then although brief but cringe worthy appearance of a stereotypically jolly, thighslapping African-American soldier awkwardly reminds us that it’s very much a

movie from another time. And we got a first look at Sean Penn’s new movie, This Must Be The Place - a disjointed, though good in parts, story about a former New York rock star, living in Dublin, who must travel across America to hunt this Jewish father’s aging Concentration camp tormentor during the Hol-

ocaust. The film is highly uneven between its Irish and American parts, and drags in places, but a scene by David Byrne of the Talking Heads performing the song that gives the film its name is fantastic and will live long in the memory. Overall, next year’s festival will have a good job topping it!

Review: Dollhouse

Review: The Raid

Review: Breathing

By Michael Sherry

By Ronan Doyle

Google "Dollhouse Film Ireland" and you'll find the Facebook page for this Dublin film's casting call from back in 2010. This page describes the film as a psychological drama, which it is, but the film introduces itself as a teenager-comingof-age-in-24-hours Like a Superbad/Dazed & Confused party flick, it begins with two girls and three boys breaking into a swank looking bungalow somewhere on the coast, and trashing the place drawing on the walls, food fights, and drinking all the alcohol they can find - everything you'd expect from a film about a house party... until, abruptly, we are shown just how menacing one or two of these characters really are, and how viciously they'll lash out at even the slightest challenge. And you spend the rest of the film on the edge of your seat, knowing full well that someone is going to die. The part of the film that isn't anarchic decadence, the part with the story and the drama, kicks off when

the boy next door wanders into the party and, instead of calling the cops or running for his life, decides to stay. The soundtrack jerks back and forth between deep drones and orchestral mischief music depending on whether the characters are gluing furniture to the ceilings or holding a knife to someone’s throat, demanding the combination to a safe. Dollhouse was screened at midnight on Saturday, in the rehearsal studio where the film was born, and was as much a screening of a film about a house party, as it was an actual house party. We were ushered out of the screening room and down a corridor to a room covered in graffiti and props from the film (glued to the ceiling), fed whiskey and wine, given markers, and told to go draw on the walls. Dollhouse has its American premiere this month at the South by South-West festival in Austin, Texas. Director Kirsten Sheridan and the actors, walked around in full costume with trays of free popcorn, for those in attendance.

A Still from Dollhouse

Taking home the top prize from both the critics’ vote and the audiences’—marking the first time in ten years of JDIFF a film has done so — it was perfectly clear from the incredibly enthusiastic response at the screening of The Raid that this is much more than just another action movie. Three times in the course of the film the room burst into spontaneous applause at the incessant onslaught of ingeniously choreographed martial arts action, easily the most excitedly I’ve ever seen a cinema crowd respond. The setup is simple: for several years a powerful drug lord has occupied an abandoned multi-storey building in the slums of Jakarta, giving safe haven to a plethora of dangerous criminals. Now, an elite

task force is going to take it back. Set, shot, and spoken entirely in the language of Indonesia, it’s perhaps bizarre that The Raid’s writer/director Gareth Evans is an affable Welshman, but this is never a film that affords a great importance to dialogue. I t ’s 1 0 0 o f t h e m o s t heart-racing, ass-kicking, breath-taking, gob-smacking action we’ve seen in years, an insane ascent up a vertical warzone where everything — and I do mean everything — is a potential weapon and everyone is a threat. Evans resists the temptation to tack on a clichéd narrative as all too many action filmmakers feel obliged to; his characterisation is minimal but effective, leaving us safely in the hands of the visually dazzling fight scene choreography. It’s set to hit Irish screens in May; I know I’ll be first in line.

Insanely fun though The Raid may have been, my personal film-of-thefestival award goes to the Austrian drama Breathing. The directorial debut of Karl Markovics, who starred in the Oscar-winning The Counterfeiters back in 2007, it follows a traumatised juvenile offender (played by Thomas Schubert in his transfixing first performance) in the run-up to his parole hearing as he takes a job in the city morgue. Brought up in an orphanage, his discovery of a dead woman bearing his surname sets him on a journey to find out where he came from, and why it was his family abandoned him. Maybe the fact that Markovics and Schubert are entirely new to their respective roles contributes to the intrinsic value of Breathing;

FilmSoc sets off to the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.

that such an insightful work of cinematic art could come from people trying something new for the first time perhaps adds to the significance of the finished product. Its makers aside, this is a remarkable look at life and death, a beautifully rendered and note-perfect examination of the way humanity is shaped by the turmoil of its past and the inevitable conclusion in its future. As proficient in its storytelling as in its direction, the naturalism of the performances and transcendent truths of the themes elevates Breathing to the level of profound greatness. By turns funny, tough, compassionate, and immensely moving, its wide release should be keenly awaited by all; if we see a better film this year we’ll be very fortunate indeed.

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24 Hour Party People: What Happened to Our Music Scene? by Paul Varley For those of you who did not know about the vibrant music scene in Manchester from the 70s to the early 90s this film is going to fill you in nicely. It follows the life of Cambridge-educated TV and Music mogul Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan), the charismatic over opinionated man who brought about “Madchester” back in the 80s and early 90s. Wilson was one of the co-founders of Factory Records, the label who signed Joy Division, later to become New Order, as well as the Happy Mondays who so spectacularly shot to fame then self

imploded in a frenzy of drugs and alcohol. He also co-founded the famous Hacienda club, a Mecca for clubbers until it went bankrupt in ‘92. Directed by Michael Winterbottom the man behind, Welcome to Sarajevo, the film shows meteoric rise and agonising fall of Wilson’s dream. As well as his near-religious love for music starting at a Sex Pistols gig in 1976, the film shows things in profusion; there’s the abundance of sex that ruined his marriage and the excess of drugs that destroyed his club. No one drank at the club, so in a bid to make profit, he took to selling

drugs behind the bar. Wilson himself destroyed the rest, from not signing the artists to blowing vast amounts of money on silly things like conference tables worth £30,000. Winterbottom captures the scene brilliantly; the energy, the mood and the feel-good atmosphere of the time. You also get some snippets of information such as how Joy Division got their name. Coogan is excellent as the arrogant and sometimes snobbish but optimistic and naive Wilson. He turns to the camera, introducing a character then stating that later in the film “he is going to sleep with my wife.”

There is a problem though with the lack of depth of characters: there are so many of them that you never get to care for them; it is hard to ever engage with any outside Wilson. The sheer turnover of characters is sometimes confusing, along with references which are hard to grasp unless you where there. But there is a more profound reason that the film will leave you low: wondering why there has been no scene like this for our generation. Though music has never been needed more, there has been no equivilant of the punk, club or grunge scene in several years.

Review: Giftes 1 & 2 by The Antlered Man By Jessica Thompson

Winner of DJSoc’s Suck My Decks final, Adam Hannigan. Photo by Kieran Durcan, PhotoSoc.

How do I begin describing The Antlered Man? Well, first off the name is fantastically weird, not unlike the band itself. Disappointingly, none of the band members have antlers. However, they make up for this with their musical talent – which is something that they certainly don’t lack. They are influenced heavily by the likes of Mike Patton and his projects like Mr Bungle and Tomahawk as well as bands such as System of a Down, and Secret Chiefs 3. Towards the end of 2011 they also toured Europe with And So I Watch You From Afar. They have always lived a nomadic lifestyle, and squandered their limited earnings on various musical campaigns. Now that we’ve hit these recessionary times, we’re all living the same way, and this is one of the many themes in the band’s debut album. The band consists of Danny Fury (guitar), Damo Ezekiel Holmes (vocals), Sam Ray (bass) and Oliver Parker (drums), and they have received a large amount of praise

for their music. Artrocker. com has hailed them as an “Intriguing mash between the metally poetic darkness of SOAD and our own favourite Future of the Left.” Popular music magazine, Kerrang, has said: “Driven by a dirty, fuzzy bass, anti-establishment types Antlered Man go a bit SOAD with this rather good anti-capitalist rant”. And Rock Sound’s praise was similar: “As soon as we heard the filthy, dirty hulking bassline of AM’s debut single, we were hooked, line and sinker. Naturally the band have their own thoughts, describing themselves as a “f**ked up, shape-shifting band with lots of punkethic goo spattered on top.” A perfect example of this is there single ‘Surrounded by White Men,’ which was released on 13 February. The video for ‘Surrounded by White Men’ proves all of the above statements true. The band members are certainly a weird and wonderful bunch of people. But don’t take my word for it. Check out the video for and see for yourself. You can find and like the band at www.facebook. com/antleredmen.

“Bring It All Back” By Áine O Donnell This S Club 7 lyric portrays what any of us would want for music: to go back to the way it was when we were growing up; long before we had heard of MP3s and were instead religiously listened to our collection of tapes on our Walkman. Long before songs were about what we were doing with our Friday night, but instead were about our aspirations, such as reaching for the stars. And certainly long before Britney shaved off all her hair in a fit of madness: back then she hadn’t even made it out of her school uniform. The only chance of hearing all of the tunes of our youth now are at a wedding disco with some rubbish, cheesy DJ. Really, these songs should be held in the high esteem which they deserve. So what songs made up the soundtrack to our childhood? 1. Will Smith: ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air.’ The quickest way to identify someone of this generation is to shout “in west Philadelphia born and raised” then wait for their response. Undoubtedly, they will burst into song because the nineties were all about the Fresh Prince. Will Smith dominated our television screens and our radio stations. While the song simply tells the story of a teen whose “life got flipped-turned upside down,” it became the anthem of the era. 2. Baha Men: ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’ Surprisingly, this catchy tune never found critical acclaim but it was loved by those 90s kids. Two decades ago, primary schools were filled with barking children thanks to this gift from the music gods. Unfortunately, the only autographs The Baha Men are signing these days are at the bottom of their dole applications. As if the hypnotic melody was not enough, the curiosity of the song’s topic kept us gripped. Who did let those dogs out?! Sources say the investiga-

tion is still on going. 3. Lou Bega: ‘Mambo Number 5.’ The busiest man in pop music gave us his itinerary in this classic hit. With a different woman every night I am surprised Lou had the time to record this song. Appropriately, the least monogamous pop star had every little girl in the world listing off all his latest exploits while dancing around their living room. A quandary that often bothers nineties children, while doing assignments or studying usually, is naming all the women of Mambo Number 5. Go on, I dare you… 4. Boyzone: ‘No Matter What.’ The original Irish boyband had us all singing this tune back in 1996. These boys knew what is was to be a boyband: they all wore matching white suits, they could dance around a stool as if that was what they were born for and most importantly they could harmonise better than altar boys. Everyone had picked a favourite member of Boyzone which caused widespread trauma throughout the period. Marriages were annulled, family feuds were rampant and parents disowned their children all because of this debacle. 5. Spice Girls: ‘Wannabe.’ Spice Girl Mania was rife in the 1990s. People most affected by the syndrome were young girls. They were known to have symptoms such as spontaneous dancing, eating extreme amounts of chewing gum to get every Spice Girl sticker and a split personality disorder in which they would become Baby, Scary or one of the others. If one were to play this song at a house party today, it would be met by shrieks then followed by a reflex action of every female in the room performing the routine with military precision. The Spice Girls were lyrical geniuses, they created neologisms in their songs , such as “ziga-zig-ahh.” Really the girls were like Gerard Manley Hopkins, but in skirts.

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Review: The Jerome Hynes One Act Plays By Michael Healy When I sat down to consecutively view the eight original one acts of the Jerome Hynes competition I expected a few things and didn’t expect some others. I expected to see some plays, to be entertained and to require a good stretch to realign myself when I eventually stood back up. However, I didn’t expect to laugh so uncontrollably and become so enthused with the productions. I also didn’t expect the ferocious growl my stomach emitted in a moment of silence, which no doubt ruined a moment of carefully orchestrated tension for those sitting near me. Anyway let’s move from my insignificant stomach issues and back to the laugh-

ter. In Cathleen Ni Houlihan 2: The Berlin Decision every element and character elicited obnoxiously loud laughter from me, and the rest of the audience. The backward and offensive Bridget (Orla Treacy) and the modern educated son Michael (Emmet Byrne) clash in an argument that’s hilarious and wonderfully timed, while Patrick (Christopher Moran) draws eyes away from them with flawless physical comedy. The introduction of Joe Power as the cross-dressing Old (Wo) Man causes the play to tip over to comedic levels that would invert the deepest of grimaces. All these elements are accentuated by the subtler but equally humorous input of Oisin Robbins as Peter, the father. Ahhhh Lad!! is a play that

contained heaping sums of Irish-ness. Two friends, Paddy’s day and a bartender are the elements that combine to make a funny and touching piece. First the barman Stan (Bart Lever) offers Jack (Enda Clarke) help in achieving his dream of being a tour bus driver, but it requires getting off the drink and moving to New York. Soon after this championing of the American dream, Jack’s friend Tommy (Aron Hegarty) injects some realism into the scenario, exposing all the people who depend on Jack back home and offers a few selfish reasons for him to stay. We are never told what decision Jack comes to; the play shows the pros and cons of emigration from both sides and portrays it as the complex and emotional issue it

is, letting the viewer decide which is best themselves. Laughter is the Best Medicine had humour too with the cheesy jokes of the failed comedian Charles (Declan Jones). But the real story concerned Charles wife Edith (Elaine Warde) and her exasperation at the constant claims and dreams of Charles that never materialise. We see how they used to be through flashbacks that show their past happiness and also how long Charles has ineffectively chased the same dream. It all ends in a dark and unexpected way. Edith pushes the weak heart of Charles too far with jokes, intentionally killing him with laughter. The Newborn, an intense and engaging monologue was expertly performed by

Moonfish Exposes Pinocchio’s Dark Side By Matt Burke ‘A dark and disturbing story’, ar stáitse in English agus Gaeilge. Fan soicind agus ná bí buartha! Tá an oiread sin Gaeilge agat nach mbeadh fadhb ar bith agat an scéal suimiúl, scanrúil seo a thuiscint. ‘S í aidhm amháin atá ag Moonfish Theatre ná go spreagfadh siad suim na Ghaeilge sna daoine nach bhfuil muinín acu leis an teanga. Agus beidh siad á dhéanamh seo i mbealaí éagsúile: cruthaítear ceol agus éifeachtaí fuaime

beo ar stáitse le uirlisí, guth agus MacPro. Tá stíl tapaigh bríomhar acu agus ní laghdaíonn luas an scéal ag aon bpointe, fiú leis an dhá-theangachas! Leantar an scéal go héasca sa gcuí seo, ionas go bhaintear gach uile duine taitneamh as. Pinocchio - A Nightmare is a bilingual play being staged during Seachtain na Gaeilge (Gaeilge Week). The dialogue is delivered in English and the Irish language, Gaeilge. One of the main aims of the show is to communicate the story without

the dependency on understanding Gaeilge. Moonfish Theatre have decided to do things a little bit differently, the story told is not the one you know. There were darker chapters in Pinocchio’s tale that Disney never drew... Is léiriúcháin dorcha é seo, scéal lán le híomhánna ait, an-spraoi don samhlaíocht. Insíonn Tromluí Phinocchio sean scéal an bhunleagain Iodálaigh, le béim curtha ar an taobh nár chuala tú, an taobh lán le holc, eagla agus cruálacht. Déagóir is ea Pinoc-

DanceSoc performing at the Irish Studies Society’s Evening of Irish Culture on 7 March in the Bailey Allen Hall. Photo by Rachel Stearns, PhotoSoc.

chio, fear óg adhmaid, nach mbraitheann a áit sa saol, lena athair Geppetto nó lena chairde ar scoil. Tá coimhlint ann idir éirí amach aige i gcoinne an údaráis agus an soineanteacht atá ann roimh an domhan mór. Lean Pinocchio agus é ag bhualadh leis an Chat agus an Sionnach, ar an mbóthar chuig The Land of Fun, agus fiú i mbolg an míol mór. Tá ocht seó faoi chrios Moonfish cheana féin, iad tugtha timpeall na tíre agus chuig an féile Edinburgh Fringe. Bhunaíodh an gcomhlacht i 2006, ag cúpla céimí ón OE Gaillimh, Máiréad agus Ionia Ní Chróinín. Don eolas is chruinne agus suas chun dáta déan cinnte Moonfish a chuardú agus a leanúint ar Facebook! Má tá aon eolas eile uait, seol ríomhphost chucu ag moonfishtheatre@gmail. com Beidh Tromluí Phinocchio / Pinocchio - A Nightmare ar siúl ón 9 - 13 March 2012, in Nun’s Island Theatre, 8pm. Matinées ag a 2pm ar an Domhnach, Luain agus Máirt (11, 12 & 13 Mar). €8 do students.

Sean Kearns who took the role of Mickey. The character swiftly progresses from being an immature guy who knocked someone up to a man who would do anything for the child he didn’t anticipate loving, with some kidnapping inbetween. 11 Dings, tells a tale of three brothers fighting over money owed, child custody, jail sentences and past mistakes on a train ride to a party. The set and lighting combine with the passengers joining at each of the 11 stops gives a sense of movement to the “train” onstage. The dialogue between the brothers is quick and overlaps, creating the feel of a passionate argument. 3rd Time Lucky, with its solid white set and fran-

tic comedy reduced me to breathless laughter with Oisin Robbins (Jeffers) and Aron Hegarty (Ryan) playing off each other perfectly. Rose Spreckles and Mojitos dealt with the drama of lost biological parents and a weak relationship between sisters, respectively. Rose Spreckles had a beautifully detailed set and the interesting inclusion of an ever-present ghost onstage that engaged in flashbacks and at times interacted with the living characters. All the plays impressed on some level and managed to squeeze stories, that in retrospect felt far larger than I imagined possible, just one short act. So much so that at the end, when I stood up and stretched to realign myself, I did so stimulated and smiling.

Major Awards for Galway Theatre by Áine O Donnell Big Maggie and Misterman received accolades at the annual Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards. Cillian Murphy won the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Tom Magill in the one-man performance of Misterman. John Olohan took the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance as Byrne in the Druid Theatre Company’s production of Big Maggie. Cillian Murphy made his long awaited return to the stage in Enda Walsh’s Misterman. The play, coproduced by Landmark and the Galway Arts Festival, opened in Galway’s Black Box Theatre. The play depicts one day in the small town of Inisfree; Murphy plays every character in the play from the protagonist Tom to the peripheral characters which make up the small town. His performance met acclaim not only nationally but internationally as the play had

a stint on the New York stage. John Olohan played Byrne, stonemason and suitor of the eponymous Big Maggie. Big Maggie opened their Irish tour, which ran from November 2011 to February of this year, at the Town Hall Theatre. John B. Keane’s play tells the story of Maggie who in the aftermath of her husband’s death battles with her children for control of the family farm. The fifty-eight performance run was met by rave reviews and was commended as a gem of Irish theatre by many critics. Both actors face busy schedules on the back of their Irish Times Theatre Awards success: Murphy will reprise his role as Tom Magill when Misterman runs at the London National Theatre in April and Olohan is set to work with Druid Theatre Company again in Druid Murphy - Plays by Tom Murphy which will also be performed in the Town Hall Theatre.

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Arts in Action: A Second Opinion By Vanessa Scanlon Studying a Masters in Arts Policy and Practice in NUI Galway I never expected class to be magically transformed into a production crew. How? I asked myself the same question. We were to be a production crew for Arts in Action’s final event: NUIG’s Medical Orchestra Concert. I will not sit here and lie to you: I had no knowledge of traditional music or the production of an event whatsoever before

my music module, and I found myself in the deep end. All semester we have been digesting information about pipers, sean-nós singers, fiddle players and more, whereas before this I had no real interest in Traditional music and was busy predicting the line up for Electric Picnic. Arts in Action, however, meant I had no choice but to get stuck in or be left behind as it was now part of my course work. When I first heard about the Medical Orchestra I had

an image of doctors playing high brow music that if you did not have a degree in medicine you may not get it, and this did not conjure up huge feelings excitement for me. However I can hold my hands up to the fact that I was mistaken. This is not a stereotypical orchestra; this is something fresh, contemporary and exciting. This is a community of people creating something beautiful in their free time which is not something that a student of medicine, nursing or

The NUIG Medical Orchestra. Photo courtesy of Aengus Mac Mahon.

midwifery has much of at their disposal. It is not just students who are getting involved either, some of the senior lecturers have jumped on board too. Carl Hession is musical director and let me assure you his CV is not a light read! On Thursday 22 March at 8 in the Bailey Allen Hall, NUIG will be lucky enough to experience this very remarkable event. The Arts in Action concert series which has been running very successfully during the academic year will conclude with a huge concert. As mentioned above our very own NUIG Medical Orchestra and a choir of Malaysian students all directed by the fantastic Carl Hession will perform along with some very special guests like Dr. Seamus Mc Guire and the Cois Cladaigh Choir with director Brendan O Connor. The concert is also going to showcase some more of NUI’s own extraordinary talent. Included in the line up are: BA Connect in Irish student and TG4 Young

Musician of the Year 2011, piper Pádraig Keane; the Head of School of Languages, Literature and Cultures, Dr Lillis Ó Laoire; and Director of Arts in Action and NUI lecturer, Mary Mc Partlan. It’s strange now to think the names I have mentioned meant nothing to me at the start of the MA as I had never experienced anything like this until now. Being part of this events production has truly been an incredible learning experience

and opportunity. I feel I am being introduced to a whole new underground scene that I had missed out on. Traditional music of late is becoming much more mainstream and contemporary and is reaching out to those like me that have had little encounters with it to date. This event is exactly this and is truly not one to be missed and as if this could not get any better, all this is absolutely free for students of NUIG to attend.

Review: Rhinoceros Blue Raincoat at Town Hall Theatre by Katie Van Winkle They rumble behind us, their ponderous monster steps circling the crowd: the rhinoceroses are coming! We can’t see them, but they rampage, leather-skinned, countlesshorned, flattening cats and staircases. They are your husbands, your wives, your bosses, your roommates. They roar and howl and bellow. Or—do they sing? Blue Raincoat visited the Town Hall Theatre recently. Tommy Tiernan claims the Sligo-based ensemble is “too strange for Galway.” (You might have seen the quote on the Rhinoceros flyer around town.) Maybe it’s true. If the halfempty house on the night I attended was any indication, this gauntlet didn’t provoke many Galwegians to attend the show in defense of their reputation. That’s a shame. The ensemble, under Niall Henry’s direction, served

playful tragedy with a side of despairing comedy. Eugène Ionesco’s Rhinoceros was first produced in Paris in 1959. (I wish I could report who translated this version. In an inexplicable omission, none of the publicity gives the translator credit where it’s due.) One by one, the inhabitants of a small French town transform into rhinoceroses. Bèrenger, a scruffy office drone who “can’t get used to life,” struggles to retain his sanity and humanity – literally – amidst isolation and opposition. Bèrenger is played well with bewildered amiability by Bob Kelly. Sandra O’Malley, precise and dignified, plays his office crush Daisy - and the proprietor of a café. The other four actors shift between roles by switching out hats and aprons, and adopting new postures and voices. From the beginning, Bèrenger alone maintains a unified self - foreshadowing that

he alone will remain resistant to “rhinoceritis.” The doubling gives the cast opportunity to display Blue Raincoat’s foundational physical style. It’s always fun to watch an actor speak to herself in another hat. The script lists seventeen characters (and “a lot of rhinoceros heads”) - who can afford that nowadays? Still, given the mad transformation soon to come, this choice strikes me as over-determining. Of course the others morph while Bèrenger stands firm - we’ve already seen them doing so over and over. Happily, the rhinos themselves do not disappoint. The rhinoceroses (or, as NUIG’s Druid Director-inResidence Thomas Conway called them in the talkback, the “rhinosaurs”) are the stars. Designers Joe Hunt (sound), Jamie Vartan (set, costumes), Bettina Seitz and Phoebe Seitz-Henry (rhinoceros) create a nightmare menag-

erie. The enormous sound of the herd moves around the theatre, restless and foreboding. When the rhinos manifest, they break through logic and walls. As the mania spreads, Ionesco invokes humanist crisis: the loss of an ethical compass. The contagion may be a metaphor for twentieth century “isms”: Fascism, Communism, militarism. Dudard, a rhinoceros apologist, espouses an anti-ethical relativism: “Who knows what is evil and what is good? It’s a matter of personal preference.” Nature challenges morality: Jean, who earlier berated his best friend Bèrenger for drinking and tardiness, announces, “I am sick to death of moral standards!” Is Bèrenger a cantankerous reactionary, afraid to “move with the times”? What are the bounds of tolerance? Who defines normal? Listen. Do you hear the rhinoceros sing?

Neasa Keane and Aishe Nur Azizah. Photo courtesy of Aengus Mac Mahon.

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Designer Names for High Street Prices Style Spotter by Ashling O Loughlin The craze of shops combining with celebrities to design a ‘range’ of clothes, is a trend that is gradually being replaced by getting actual designers to create the clothes instead. The appeal of getting a top designer to create a collection is that customers feel the person behind the range actually knows what they’re doing, rather than just being a famous name. Kate Moss for Topshop and Alexa Chung for Vera Moda is all very well, but getting your hands on some real designer quality for a low cost is worth twice the name of any celebrity. The collaboration of high street shops with top designers offers the customer the chance to bear the coveted label of a fashion designer, with a more customer friendly

price tag. Fashion websites are also joining in this new craze . In January, clothing website ‘net-a-porter’ joined forces with Karl Lagerfeld by releasing a limited edition collection created by the Chanel designer. The collection included embellished collars, biker vests and silver jeans . The range was completely aimed at a young market and so were the prices, which meant that online shoppers got the chance to own a little piece of ‘KARL’. The top designer recently spoke of how he is “working on a lot of amazing ideas that are all about making luxury affordable and accessible.” Its nice to see Mr. Lagerfeld hasn’t forgotten his army of fans who live on a tighter fashion budget. Retail giant H&M have also been known for similar collaborations in the

past, including designers such as Jimmy Choo and Lanvin. Their most recent partnership involved high end label, Versace. This first Versace and H&M collection caused a fashion frenzy when released last November. The pairing was so successful, that Versace designed another collection for them, in the lead up to Spring, called the ‘Cruise Collection’. This fresh, fruit-inspired line was sold out in a matter of hours, with many of the pieces appearing on ebay for double their retail price. The Versace line included tropical prints of strawberries and butterflies, and had a real Katy Perry feel to it. However, If you weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on some Versace, don’t worry, as this is not the last of H&M’s alliances with top designers. Ital-

ian label Marni has been lined up to design a spring collection too. The label, founded by Counsuelo Castiglioni, is set to release their spring collection with H&M on 8 March. The collection includes clothing and accessories for both men and women. Cute t-shirts and luxurious silk fabrics are part of the range. The collection is a welcome splash of colour with plentiful golds, blues, greens and purples. Patterns are also dominant in the collection, with a circular print running throughout. However if the Versace collection is anything to go by, stock won’t last very long, so if you want designer clothes for high street prices make sure you are waiting online early or at the H&M store first-thing that morning. The early bird catches the bargain after all.

Twenty-one-year-old Emma Watson is best known for her decade-long run as the character of Hermione Granger in the multi-million dollar saga, Harry Potter. Her influence in the fashion world has only come to the fore in the last few years, but her status as a style icon is quickly being cemented. Cast at age nine in one of the most coveted roles in film history with no professional acting experience to speak of, Watson was clearly someone to watch. Growing up in front of the cameras, she was soon fronting Burberry campaigns, modeling collections for People Tree and Alberta Ferretti – both of which she helped to design – and gracing magazine covers all over the world, including Teen Vogue at just 15. She even earned a place at top Ivy League college, Brown, in the United States to study literature as she wrapped up her time on the Potter set. The down-to-earth star is now balancing her year

abroad studies at Oxford University with her soaring acting career. In March 2011, the leading lady became the face of French cosmetics brand Lancôme, following in the footsteps of renowned actresses Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts and Anne Hathaway. She is the youngest woman to ever front a campaign for the brand. L a n c ô m e ’s p r e s i d e n t , Youcef Nabi, said that the team was thrilled to have her on board: “Thanks to her charm, romanticism and her incredible modernity, Emma Watson has become the icon of her generation. We are delighted by this new collaboration with Emma, who brings a fresh spirit to Lancôme.” Her first campaign was for a new perfume called Trésor Midnight Rose. Last month, the British beauty launched her new makeup range of Rouge in Love lipsticks and Vernis in Love nail polish in Oxford Street’s Selfridges. The lipsticks last for up to six hours and are noted for their hydrating quality. They were “probably

Check out Erika’s blog: retroflame.blogspot.com Emma Murphy What are you wearing today? Black Leather Jacket from Awear. Skirt from American Apparel. Crop Top & Necklace from Topshop. Tights, Boots & Bag from River Island. Who would you say your Style Icon is? Peaches Geldof What is your favorite store at the moment? It's definitely Topshop. However, I also really like Flea Markets. I got some really cool things at a recent one I went to. What is your favorite trend this season? I really like all the skull & crucifix jewellery that is around at the moment.

Lancôme Love By Marése O’Sullivan

With Erika Fox. Photos by Cayla Bloomer.

the product[s] I was most excited about when I came on board,” Watson said. “I actually chose the colour that I wore in the [promotional] shoot, which is a really bright red.” At the unveiling, the actress spoke about why she chose to work with the beauty giant. “I’ve always loved Lancôme as a brand. It’s based in the [city where] I was born, which is Paris, France. It’s very classic but also very modern. It’s always on the edge of technology, [with] new developments and new discoveries, but it has this kind of eternal elegance and beauty. It’s just a brand that I really identified with.” When asked how involved she was in the collection, she replied: “Luckily for me, I’m someone who loves makeup. Lancôme have been very collaborative with me on all the projects that I’ve done and, in particular, this one. I’ve made no secret of the fact that [the lipstick] is actually my favourite product that we’ve done together.” She raved about the creation,

describing it as “a beautiful thing in itself, other than the fact that it’s a gorgeous piece of makeup. The actual casing is just beautiful and it’s the kind of thing that you want to carry around for your life. […] It’s a naturally beautiful object.” Of the twenty-four hues, Watson mentioned her favourite shades for daytime are the soft pinks of Coral in Love and Rose Boudoir. In the evening, she turns to a sheer red called Miss Coquelicot. Each lipstick retails at £21. The nail varnish is £12 per bottle, coming in a variety of striking nude to bright tones: perfect for spring. Speaking to Selfridge’s Buying Director, David Walker Smith, she smiled: “Oh, I’ve always loved makeup, even more than clothes. It has such a transformative nature. [If you] wake up feeling a bit grey and tired, [then] you can put it on and just feel completely different about yourself and about your day.” The range is available at all good beauty outlets nationwide.

Sean Alexander Smith What are you wearing today? Jacket from Zara in Spain. Scarf from Topshop in London. Jeans from Spain. Shoes from Paris. Shirt from Macy's in Chigago. It seems that your wardrobe contains items from every corner of the world? Yes, I love to go to different cities where I can find quaint and unique shops away from the typical High Street stores. This is where I can find pieces that are that little bit different and slightly off the radar. What is your opinion on Irish Style? To be very honest, I find it highly uninspiring and far too influenced by the weather. Who would you describe as your fashion icon? My mother. She has worked in Fashion for 20 years in Africa and is definitely the person who inspires me most when it comes to style.

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Supersize on Superfoods By Aoife Brennan There is no clear definition of what a superfood is. Some say its foods that are just high in nutrients, some define it as food with nutrients that have proven health benefits and some say it’s foods high in phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have an effect in the body but haven’t been shown to be essential). The short answer is, the term superfood doesn’t really mean anything in particular and its not a term that a dietitian would use. But if you look online, searching for superfood will give you over six million hits. So what to do? If you’re looking for a ‘superfood’ these are the kind of things you need to consider: Antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralise free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that are produced by our metabolism, inhaled in cigarette smoke and air pollution or produced in response to radiation exposure. These molecules can ‘attack’ tissues in our bodies and damage them so the higher the amount of free

radicals we’re exposed to the more harm they can cause. Antioxidants are capable of mopping up or neutralising these free radicals, decreasing the likelihood that they will cause any serious injury to our tissues. Foods that are high in this protective antioxidants include kidney beans, apples, black beans, blueberries and raspberries. Vitamins. Vitamins are nutrients that we cannot do without but that we need in only small amounts. There are many different vitamins each with different functions and specialties and some even function as antioxidants on top of their roles as vitamins (vitamin E and C are the most famous for this). The vitamins that we know of are A, B (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12), C, D, E, K. Vitamin B7 is sometimes listed as vitamin H and vitamin D may soon be classed as a hormone as they discover more and more of its abilities. There are many lists online showing what foods contain what vitamin but to keep it simple, the best way to get vitamins is to eat lots of fruit, veggies, nuts and pulses. A colourful varied diet should do the

trick! Minerals. Minerals are chemical elements that we need in our diet. Think of stuff you’d find on the periodic table - sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, chlorine, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, copper, selenium, molybdenum. There are a few others that may or may not be essential to us but research hasn’t cleared up that question yet. Fibre. Fibre is the indigestible part of plants and beans and may be soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibre absorbs water and becomes like a gel in the intestine that is fermented by intestinal bacteria. This fermentation produces substances that are beneficial to our body (as well as lots of gas!), helps lower cholesterol and slows the sugar response after eating. The insoluble fibres acts as roughage, helping to maintain a health bowel. As bowel cancer rates are high and getting higher, diets high in fibres from an early age are important to decrease risk. Omega Fatty Acids. Omega fatty acids are

healthy, polyunsaturated fats that are essential, which means we cannot make them, we have to get them in our diet. They are found in fish oils so oily fish like salmon or mackerel are packed with them as are plant oils like flaxseed oil. The full health benefits of these fatty acids are still unknown but its looking like they play roles in protecting against heart disease, stroke, some cancers, depression and help reduce inflammation. Regardless of what the term ‘superfood’ does or does not mean all of these things help build an healthy body and mind, decrease risk of disease in the future and are super tasty to boot! If you’re interested in finding foods high in any of these things a quick search online should give you a good overview (yay for Wikipedia!). Eating clean foods like this can also help stave off cravings for the bad stuff as they’re filling. So pick a new nutrition-packed food each week and give it a try. Learn how to incorporate these things into your daily grub and reap the benefits for years to come!

WORKOUT: 600 Rep Challenge Equipment Needed: Timer, Skipping rope ( o p t i o n a l ) , We i g h t s (optional). This can be dumbbells, a bag of heavy books, kettlebells, bottles of water or whatever you like really! Get creative! This workout is taken from my favourite workout site, BodyRock.tv. If you want to see the video of this workout, check out

the site and search for ‘600 rep challenge’, posted on 25 February this year. This routine is suitable for guys and girls of all fitness levels. Work hard but don’t push through pain or injury. As always, consult your doc if you’ve never done intense physical exercise like this before. The challenge is to do all 600 as quickly as you can without sacrificing form - do the exercises

V Abs

in a controlled fashion, no cheating! Take breaks if and when you need them.

Exercises:

100 high knees (skipping or jogging on the spot): you can do this by either jogging on the spot or while skipping. Lift your knees as high as you can. If you’re new to this kind of exercise or have knee problems, skip the high knees

part and just jog gently on the spot. Always land with your knees slightly bent so you don’t injure the knees. 100 lunges (50 per leg) - option to use weight: Lunge forward with one leg, allowing your back knee to close to the ground and step back. Repeat on the other leg. If you want to push harder, hold some weight in your arms - a heavy book will do.

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RECIPE: Pesto and Olive Crusted Fish If you want to eat more fish for all its wonderful health benefits but aren’t sure how to cook it, this is a delicious, quick and easy way to cook any round fish (cod, salmon, whiting, haddock etc). Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: approximately 10-15 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients 2 tbsp green pesto Zest 1 lemon 10 green olives, pitted and roughly chopped 85g fresh breadcrumbs (make some in a blender or you can buy them in most supermarkets) 4 white fish fillets, such as cod or haddock. If you like you can also make this with chicken breast or lamb chops

Method 1. Heat the oven to 200°C (or 180°C if you have a fan oven). 2. In a bowel, mix the pesto with the lemon zest, olives and breadcrumbs. Other things you can add to this mix include chopped sundried tomatoes or pine nuts 3. Lay the fish out on a baking tray, skin-side down, and press the crumb mixture onto the fish. 4. Cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish fillet. The fish should flake apart easily when it is cooked. If you think it needs more, cook it another 5-10 minutes. The crust should be crispy and brown when cooked. 100 high knees (skipping or jogging on the spot): Same as before. 100 Squats – option to use weight: Stand with feet a little wider than hip distance and squat down, keeping your back straight. Again you can hold some weight to make this harder. 100 high knees (skipping or jogging on the spot): Last time, I promise. 25 Straight abs: Lying on your back, spine pressing in to the floor, soles of your feet on the ground. Slide your hands up towards your

Bicycles

knees as high as you can, keeping the spine pressing into the floor. Repeat 25 times. 25 V-abs (left): lying on your right side, legs slightly bent, curl up and bring you left elbow and your knees together so you’re doing a side crunch with your abdomen. 25 V-abs (right): same on the right! 25 bicycle abs: lying on your back, bring your right elbow to your left knee then left elbow to right knee and repeat.

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Fitzgibbon Cup Disappointment for NUI Galway, as UCC Take the Crown By Daragh Small NUI Galway were left to rue missed chances as they were knocked out of the Fitzgibbon Cup for 2012 at the quarter final stage. CIT were rampant, as the Cork men dispatched of their Galway rivals, only to suffer defeat to their own foes from across the city in a thrilling final. I spoke to a dejected NUI Galway midfielder, John Paul O’Connell, after his side’s exit from the competition. “A University of the stature of NUI Galway should not be happy with coming second best. I would certainly feel that we under achieved considering the quality of players which were on the team.” The draw for the 2012 Fitzgibbon cup was made on 14 December 2011 in Croke Park. The typical round robin format placed NUI Galway in a group with DIT and IT Carlow. Eoin Fahy commented that “under the new management of Johnny Kelly and Jeffrey Lynskey, the Fitzgibbon panel put in a tough December training with early morning circuits. The campaign got underway with games against Gort, Clare, Galway and Offaly before NUI Galway defeated Wexford in the Walsh Cup. The second round of the Cup saw the team

face an experimental Kilkenny side and after leading for most of the match we were unlucky to lose by the narrowest of margins in the end”. NUI Galway’s first match in the Fitzgibbon Cup saw them taking on DIT in what turned to be an enthralling encounter in Dangan. Despite leading by four points entering the final minute of the match, NUI Galway would have been happy to have come away with a share of the spoils. Indeed DIT seemed well in the ascendency when they took the lead with time running out before a Niall Burke pointed free levelled the match. This result favoured the men from the west as now they only had to avoid a walloping at the hands of IT Carlow in order to progress to the semi-final stage. Next up for NUI Galway were an improving IT Carlow side and the chance for a home quarter-final. The Carlow outfit eventually ran out victors by the shortest of margins on a scoreline of IT Carlow 0-17, NUI Galway 1-13. The match was a tale of the opposing centre-forwards, IT Carlow and Kilkenny ace T.J. Reid scored an impressive 0-9 while Oranmore-Maree and Galway star Niall Burke weighed in with a majestic 0-11. Nevertheless, IT Carlow

still came out on top as NUI Galway lacked the composure in the closing minutes to bring their quarter-final to Dangan. Referee James McGrath awarded NUI Galway a twenty metre-free with time almost up and NUI Galway were at the time, one point in arrears. The sharpshooting Burke had only one thing on his mind, goal, however, his free was saved and IT Carlow took the victory. This meant NUI Galway were set to face CIT in their home setting of Bishopstown. Yet again, this fixture was dominated by one player as Limerick’s Tommy Quaid stole the show with an inspiring tally of 2-6 to see his Cork IT side into the semi-final. The final score told the story as NUI Galway lost out by 4-11 to 1-10. Despite having just trailed by two points at halftime, the Galway men were never able to impose their will on the game as the CIT county stars took control and helped them through. CIT went on to beat a Limerick IT side minus the injured Joe Canning in the semi’s which set up a mouth-watering final against their rivals in UCC, who had dispatched of UL in their semi-final. The finals took place in Mardyke on Saturday, 3 March. In the curtain raiser ‘Ryan

Cup’ the heavily fancied Mary Immaculate College, Limerick proved far too strong for IT Tralee. A measure of their dominance could be seen in the fact that Clare county star John Conlon didn’t even have to leave the bench. The Limerick College took the Cup with a healthy winning margin of 2-20 0-10. The Fitzgibbon Cup final certainly lived up to the billing with UCC defeating CIT by a solitary point 2-15 to 2-14. CIT bossed the game throughout however; a late surge from the Cork University brought the game to extra-time. Seamus Corry was the hero on the day for UCC as his last gasp point sealed the victory and gave manger Paul O’Connor yet another Fitzgibbon Cup success. After the game a jubilant O’Connor remarked that “before the game people said it was the dream final and for us that’s the dream result. The end of normal time was incredible. It’s at times like that, you question why you get involved in sport. It’s not good for the heart. “It does mean a lot to people like myself, John [Grainger] and Nicky English, who are down here for the weekend. It’s just fairytale stuff to win it down here on the 100th anniversary.”

Performing at the Witless Showcase in the College Bar on 28 Febaruary. Photo by Arun Thirumaran, PhotoSoc.

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DCU Stroll to Sigerson Success in Galway after Exhibiting the Strength and Depth of the Panel By Brian Grant After attending the celebratory dinner honouring the 1962 and 1963 NUI Galway Sigerson cup teams in the Radisson on Friday evening, 24 February, several of the current NUI Galway Sigerson players marvelled in envy at the many ageing men in the room who successfully triumphed victorious in the past. This event added salt to the wounds of the few students who attended after losing out to University of Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ) in the quarter final and therefore failing to qualify for the weekend on their home soil. However, even if the Galway students did find the upper hand the previous week, the likeliness is that the task of taking on

a star-studded DCU team in the semi-final would have been one in which they would have found very challenging to compete with for the full sixty minutes. DCU produced a superb second half performance to end UUJ’s hopes of reaching back-to-back deciders. The Dublin College displayed the full extent of their strength in Dangan when they sprung all-stars such as Donegal’s Mike Murphy and Sligo’s David Kelly off the bench. Although UUJ led on a score-line of 1-3 to 0-5 at the interval, DCU took complete control in the second half, with Galway’s Fintan O’Currain superb at midfield. The Ulster men only registered two points in this second half, while DCU exploited Jordans-

town’s negative tactics, registering ten points finishing on a score line of 0-15 to 1-5 qualifying for the final in Pearse Stadium the following day, on Saturday 25 of February. Earlier that day in the other semi-final in Dangan, NUI Maynooth triumphed as outsiders against UCC on a result of 2-11 to 2-8. An early goal from the favourites may have suggested that the Cork side may just run away with the match but Maynooth persisted and battled back to take a one point lead into the break. They started the second half in scintillating fashion racing into an eight point lead with goals from Michael Newman and David Quinn. However, the reigning champions, UCC, were not going to go

down without a fight and a goal from John Buckley brought them right back into the game. UCC followed this up with four unanswered points but Maynooth were in no mood to be denied. Points from Paul Cahillane and Michael Newman ensured Maynooth gained the victory they deserved. The epic display from NUI Maynooth the previous day, took a lot of energy from the Kildare

side that needed to be in top form if they were going to challenge for Sigerson honours against an illuminated DCU panel. Although they only lead 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time, DCU opened up their sails with the wind at their back in the second half with Dublin All-Ireland winning stars such as Eoghan O’Gara, Dean Rock and Paul Flynn leading the way for a side who scored all but one point from play.

When Flynn netted four minutes after the restart, it was all over long before substitute Kelly added the second three-pointer, thirteen minutes from the end. DCU ran out winners on a score-line of 2-17 to Maynooth’s 0-7 to retain the title for the third time in six years. The north Dublin College has undoubtedly set the bench-mark to where other colleges need to get to, if they want to compete at this level.

GPS Could be “The Difference Between Winning and Losing” By Alan Keane In the latest of the hugely impressive “Engineering in Sport” talks in NUI Galway, former Olympian Gary Ryan enlightened the gathered audience on the use of GPS in athletics and team games. The athlete in Ryan was more prevalent than the lecturer, as the talk was entitled “GPS in improving Sports Performance: A Coaches Perspective,” so I could actually understand what was going on. Turns out GPS isn’t just for drivers too lazy to read signs or unfold a map. It has a whole variety of uses in sport. Gary called it “a fancy stopwatch” and a “really fancy map.” However, he also said that the difference between winning a gold medal at the Olympics and not even qualifying is only 5%. Therefore, anything that can help eliminate those

percentage points is worth a look. So what can a coach learn by using GPS? Well, apart from making it easier to find the athletics track, it allows a coach to collect data such as distance travelled, speed attained, and – usefully in contact sports such as rugby – the number and intensity of impacts. The only issue is that, as it stands, GPS is not permissible in competitive games. However, this appears to be changing as Premier League team Tottenham Hotspurs have signed a deal with American kit makers Under Armour which will see GPS incorporated into the North London team’s jerseys. H o w e v e r, f u l l t i m e athletes aside, GPS has implications for the average Joe too. Gym membership is waning as people are looking for cheaper ways to get fit. There are increasing amounts of people pounding the pavements

of Salthill, and many are using their smartphones in order to keep tabs on their progress. The inbuilt GPS lends itself to apps such as Nike + which tracks a runner’s speed, distance and route. While the information about the new uses of GPS that was given by Gary was enlightening, what was more interesting was his analysis of athletics, given his background as an Irish Olympian. He put forward the opinion that Usain Bolt may not be the fastest man in the world, but what makes him so successful is that he can maintain his top speed for longer than anyone else can maintain theirs. It’s all about maintaining a steady pace at the end of a race, and that would make Bolt the tortoise out of the children’s story “The Hare and the Tortoise.” I bet you never thought you’d hear that said about Bolt!

Matthew Cosgrave demonstrating part of a new trail in Dangan with the NUI Galway Mountain Biking Club on the Clubs’ Leap Day Celebrations. Photo by Ultan O’Byrne, PhotoSoc.

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NUI Galway Hope to Quell all Rivalry at the Women’s Soccer Intervarsities Daragh Small

Dangan Sports Complex was the setting as NUI Galway hosted the 2012 WSCAI intervarsities. The competition took place from Thursday through to Saturday last and I caught up with some of the participants from our University ahead of the big occasion. Veteran of seven intervarsities Nuala Marshall, is one of the most influential members on the team and she gave me an insight on how NUI Galway prepared for the tournament. “Many thanks to coaches John Mellett, Padraic DeBurca and John Hynes who devised the year-long action plan to take this year's team to the next level. We've the larg-

est squad on record of NUI Ladies Soccer and have been training hard on the pitch and in the gym. Fitness has been the focus while access to the gym has helped our team in the strength training department. “This event has given our team the chance to become much closer. As the days wind down it's just a matter of making sure all the loose ends are tied and working together to make the event a huge success. The Canadian native added “Captain Rosa Shine will be commanding the team from the back, along-side U19 Irish International Jennifer Byrne and Dutch import Trix van Leeuwen. Always strong

in net is Leona Doolin who has time and time again come up with key saves all season. We'll be looking to Danielle Gordon, Siobhan Tully, Leanne O'Dowd and Alanah Jennings to keep the ball in the opponents net. Lastly, old veteran Nuala Marshall will be looked upon for any free kick opportunities”. Coach Padraic DeBurca stated “We can’t wait for it to start. With 12 teams taking part and over 250 players and coaches coming to Galway it should be a good weekend. We will be hoping to make it out of the group, although it will be difficult as we have favourites IT Sligo and Waterford IT in the group and must play

them both on the one day.” According to Rosa Shine “this event brings in the best women soccer players in Ireland every year and again this year there is a lot of players to watch out for. Irish international and Galway’s own Dora Gorman will be representing UCD, Maria Harrington is one of IT Sligo’s most important players and there are many more exciting footballers taking part in what promises to be a thrilling weekend”. NUI Galway were handed a tough group where they were set to face favourites IT Sligo and Waterford IT, however according to Nuala Marshall “if things go right there's no doubt an upset may be on the cards!”

Row, Row, Row your boat By Aisling Crowe

It’s five o’clock on Thursday evening in the gym. In the elite room of the Kingfisher, sixteen girls are gathered with various contraptions that look like instruments of torture. It’s a weight training session for the women’s rowing team. Coach Enda Gaffney is setting out the sets of exercises they will go through over the next hour or so. Rowing is a demanding sport that requires dedication. This is the second weights session this week. On top of that they have four sessions in the boats every week, including an eight o’ clock start on a Saturday morning and an eleven o’clock session on Sunday. They also have general aerobics twice a

week and a session on the rowing machines. Among all that, they still somehow find time for college. The weights they lift are between 25 and 45 kilos. That’s heavy… believe me! The heavier the weight, the less repetitions they do. The strength and power that these rowers have is awesome. Watching them lift incredible weights dispels the myth that weight lifting makes women big. Cliona Hurst has rowed for Ireland and is the squad’s weight lifting record holder. Tonight, she lifts an astounding 87 kilos. That’s more than one and a half times her body weight. What these girls can do is amazing. The main target for the rowing team is the

National Championships in July where they have enjoyed enormous success over the years. Training is structured so that they peak for that event. From September through to December, the main focus is injury prevention. In January the focus switches to strength until March and in May and June, power weights are back as the Championships grow ever so closer. The girls have blisters and callouses on their hands. Battle scars from the hours spent on the water and in the gym. Lifting weights and oars takes its tolls. They say that the switch between schulling (rowing with two oars) and sweeping (using one oar) rips their hands. No one shouts or

yells at the girls. Enda encourages them. There is a friendly and happy atmosphere in the room. They help each other out with machines and changing weights. Music blares from the nextdoor room where young swimmers are being introduced to weights. The sacrifices and dedication is worth it though. All the early starts and hours in the gym, the nights they can’t go out, the blisters on their hands are rewarded. As Denise McCarthy and Laurena Halloran say: “Its lovely when you see a sunrise, out on the dead calm water and you can’t hear anything. It’s a challenging sport but it is good and it’s worth giving yourself that challenge.”

{sin} 12–03

NUIG Judo Club Strike Gold Again at University Tests

The men's judo team from NUIG recently won the All Ireland University Judo Championships team title for the ninth occasion in Queen's University Belfast. Photos courtesy of Riad Cheikh.

Ladies Lower Belts: Marina Sokolovskaya (Gold), Sarah Dillon (Silver), Amy O'Neill (Bronze) Middle Belts: Siobhan Harkin (Gold) U57Kg: Siobhan Harkin (Gold) U70Kg: Sarah Dillon (Bronze) U78Kg: Marina Sokolovskaya (Silver) Open: Marina Sokolovskaya (Bronze) Ladies Team (Bronze): Marina Sokolovskaya, Siobhan Harkin, Sarah Dillon, Amy O'Neill

Men Novice: Oliver McCarthy (Gold), Dean Nagle (Bronze), Lower Belts (O 73Kg): Darren Friel (Bronze), Thomas Kaczmarek (Bronze) Lower Belts (U 73Kg): Eamon Doyle (Bronze) Upper Belts: Adam Ahmed (Gold) U66Kg: Eamon Doyle (Gold), Conal Phelan (Silver) U100kg: Riad Cheikh (Silver), Enda O'Connor (Bronze) Mens Team (Gold): Adam Ahmed, Enda O'Connor, Riad Cheikh, Stephen Bradshaw, Gary Murphy, Darren Friel

{sin}

Book 1

13–11

Sudoku #5

Book 1

F inal W ord

Easy Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad

Sudoku Sudoku#5 #6

Book 1Intermediate Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad

Sudoku#5 #6 Sudoku

Challenging Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad

{31} 12–03

Sudoku #6

What’s Happening in Galway 86 58 6 8 3 2 7 5 1 4 8 2 3 3 7 5 4 2 3 8 7 1 7 1 9 5 1 3 7 5 9 1 6 2 3 1 7 9 1 7 8 4 6 5 99 9 5 7 66 2 1 8 6 4 2 16 3 3 5 1 4 2 4 5 1 6 8 2 8 9 3 9 5 2 63 9 8 6 85 €20 (student 7 8 7 4 1 3Macbeth 4 2 @ 8pm. 6 Admission By Katy Quinn price). 4 5 6 2 March: 4 Johnny 9 1Gallagher 1 3 5 9 8 4 215th Thursday & the Boxtie Monday 12th March: Jazz Music with Black Magic Band play Monroe’s Bar @ 10pm. Admission €10. 5 1 8 5 8 7Band 8 at Busker Brownes3Bar @ 10pm. 4 1 8 4 5 4 3 Admission Free. Friday 16th March: Big Heart Fight Night, the ultimate 3 in aid 7 of2the Irish 97 2 9Heart 6 4 7 Free Legal Advice 9 collar 5boxing challenge, Tuesday 13th 8 March: Centre, 22 white

8 4

1 2 t h – 2 5 t h M ar c h 4

6 7 7

Patrick’s Day Parade 11.30am starting at Monroe’s Bar. 7 3 1 play the Róisín Dubh, @ 8pm, The Converse Allstars Admission Free. The Lewd Tunes play Monroe’s Bar @ 29pm, Admission €10. 1 3 18th 9 March: Trad Music 5 Sunday Session at Tig Cóilí ©© 2011 KrazyDad.com 2011 KrazyDad.com © 2011 KrazyDad.com 2011KrazyDad.com KrazyDad.com ©© 2011 2011 KrazyDad.com Meeting Room 1 (upstairs in Áras Na Mac Leinn) @ Foundation at Radisson Blu Hotel @ 6.30pm. Tickets Pub @ 8pm. Admission ©Free. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) 6-7.30pm. €20 and can be bought at the Radisson. Monday 19th March: HumanShield play The Róisín You are optimistic and enthusiastic. You have a reckless In politics, an absurdity is not a handicap. "It is love, not reason, that is stronger than death." tendency to relyTown on luck since you lackTheatre talent. The majority Wednesday 14th March: Hall hosts Saturday 17th March: Happy St. Patrick’s Day! St. Bonaparte Dubh @ 8pm. Admission €5. -Napoleon -Thomas Mann of Sagittarians are drunks or dope fiends or both. People laugh at you a great deal. Tuesday 20th March: Trad Soc host Trad Soc Tuesday Sudoku #7 Sudoku#7 #8 Sudoku Sudoku #8 Sudoku Sudoku#7 #8 at The Crane @ 10pm. 7 3 6 2 4 5 61 82 6 7 6 7 21st March: Galway 5 Musical Society 7 1 3 4 1 7 Wednesday Presents The Town Hall Theatre 6 3 1 5 8 9 2 5 9 81 5 5 2 A Tale of Two 3 Cities, 9 2 2 9 9 4 @ 8pm. Admission €18 (student price). 6 1 37 6 1 5 8 2 7 Galway 6 City Museum host The 8 95 62 Thursday 22nd March: Celtic Twilight: Art in Ireland Art Exhibition 1 2 6 5 1 2 61 7 9 2 1900-1945 4 5 8 8 3 @ 10am-5pm. Admission Free. 5 7 2 4 8 9 36 3 23rd March: 9 Greyhound 1Racing, Galway Grey15 1 4 3 3 8 Friday hound Stadium €10. See www.igb.ie 2 1 9 8 6 7 1 5 4 86 8 2 5 @ 8pm. Admission 7 8 2 Saturday 24th March: Galway City Museum host The 5 9 2 6 4 95 12 4 5 4 6 98 7 Ó Conaire Commission @ 2.30-3.30pm. Admission Free but booking 3 9 1 4 5 2 2 1 7 7 4 8 3 7required call 091 5 532 460. 24 3 6 3 5 Sunday 25th of March: Karaoke Night with Coyotes 7 8 4 5 3 6 2 3 6Bar @ 9pm. Admission Free. 8 12 97 1 3 5 4 1 6 1 © 2011 KrazyDad.com 2011KrazyDad.com KrazyDad.com ©© 2011 KrazyDad.com © 2011 KrazyDad.com ©© 2011 2011 KrazyDad.com

CloakRumours The NUIG ComicSoc Presents...

Concourse Survival By Leigh Ashmore

Sin gives up apostrophes for Lent. Work has commenced on a slide from the Big Yellow Thing to Jimmy Browne’s Swimming Pool. Giant papier mache dinosaur erected in Library constructed of election flyers. College Bar profits up 400% as university staff try to cope with Students’ Union elections. First year breaks down on way to polling booth as they become caught in the crossfire of opposing armies of campaigners. Michael D. Higgins issues official statement of support for candidate. Emergency meeting of Elections committee results in reprimand for candidates ‘endorsement’: Higgins sent to bed early without dinner. Library Liam considering running for SU Mature Students Officer. Jim Browne’s high-level capital funding meeting is forced to be rescheduled. Critics claim that 3am in Supermac’s during *** Week was never a good idea. SU President escapes the elections and candidates and the accompanying drama, crying, fussing and complaining in order to spend time with newborn son. (Vote Nate #1 for SU President 2032). Candidate promises free tea, coffee, First Class Honours degrees, regular booty calls, and college fees dropped to zero in attempt to win votes. Candidates just barely able to conceal their sheer contempt for all 17,000 students during campaign week. Creeping up 200% as hungry looking weirdos culminate at base of Arts Millenium Death Trap waiting for ladies skirts to blow up over their ears. Candidate complains about other candidate making complaint about another candidate. Elections Committee flip over table and threaten there’ll be no election for anyone unless they all behave. Canvassers struggling to connect with student body they openly despise 51 weeks of the year. Following election results, FEE split into Free Education for Everyone Except Conor Stitt (FEEECS), Free Education for Everyone- Labour Youth Division (FEELY), Free Education for Donegal Alone (FEDA), and the Free Education for Everyone National Association Federated Alliance of Lovely Lefties (FEENA-FALL).

Horoscopes By Myles McKittrick Aries [Mar21-Apr19] I love the way you don’t know I’m writing about you.

Libra [Sept23-Oct22] You are the future face of TeleBingo. Practicing quick costume changes between dresses and suits is essential.

Taurus [Apr20-May20] Passion fruit with apricot jam, topped off with some lovely marmalade, once microwaved, becomes powerfully seductive. Smear this on for your lady friend to really impress, you will reap the rewards. Terms and conditions do apply.

Scorpio [Oct23-Nov21] Your lucky clothing this week is spandex. Wear with pride. Wear with meaning.

Gemini [May21-Jun20] This is usually the horoscope I write last so I never really have anything to say so I end up writing down something completely stupid. Not this week though.

Capricorn [Dec22-Jan19] You will think you are looking at the northern lights tomorrow, before realising you are staring at a light bulb. This will confuse you throughout the week. Your lucky number is 4,000.

Cancer [Jun21-Jul22] Forever and always is quite a big commitment, maybe start with one day at a time, we all know what you’re like… Leo [Jul23-Aug22] I hear wedding bells. You will get proposed to by the end of the week by a man with a massive Virgo [Aug23-Sept22] Donate your grant money to the ‘Save the horoscopes’ fund. Contact the editor to arrange the payment or we will cut off your horoscope supply.

Sagittarius [Nov22-Dec21] Did you ever notice there is 2 Ts, 2 Ss, 2 Is and 2 As in your star sign. It must mean something.

Aquarius [Jan20-Feb18] Maybe if you had of been born on a leap year you wouldn’t have as many wrinkles? And if you keep going into the library and spending the whole time on Facebook, while taking up a seat that could be used by someone else who wants to study I will go down there and ask you politely to add me because I have no friends… Pisces [Feb19-Mar20] Getting old now.

{22} 13–04

F ashion

{sin} 24–10

Go do your thing Get one of 2,000 FREE return flights to Europe

Offer available when you take out a student credit card or travel loan between 23 January and 30 June 2012. You’ll need to be over 18 and hold a Bank of Ireland 3rd level student account and there are lending criteria, terms and conditions.

Drop into our NUI Galway branch today Call Kevin on 087 7742206 or Bernadette on 087 7811318 Find us at www.facebook.com/smartlounge Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.