Issue One by Student Independent News

FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOL 14, ISSUE 1

17 SEPT 2012

Controversy Over Stricter Pub Closing Hours By Roisin Peddle Controversy is still raging about the clampdown on late-night opening hours in Galway pubs. The NUI Galway Students’ Union has come out against the move, saying it will impact on student jobs. “The recent early closures have put the jobs of a large number of students working in this industry in danger,” SU President Paul Curley said. “Up to 80% of part time staff in the Galway pub and nightclub industry are students. These same students are

under massive financial pressure to save for accommodation deposits and the annual Student Contribution Charge.” The clampdown began in August when a new licencing sergeant was appointed to the city. The sergeant began to enforce the existing closing laws, which had largely been ignored in previous years. The laws state that pubs with a standard seven-day licence can open from 10.30am to 11.30pm on Monday to Thursday, 10.30am to 12.30am Friday and Saturday, and

from 12.30pm to 11pm on Sundays. Pubs can apply to the district court for special exemptions, which allow them to serve alcohol until 1am Monday to Thursday, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The closing time on Sunday is 1am. Each district court sets its own opening hours, which is why Galway’s hours are shorter than Cork, Dublin, or Limerick’s. Galway’s early closing hours are a legacy of the late district court judge, John Garavan. In 2000, he refused to allow Galway pubs to stay open until 2.30am due to

the “mayhem” the gardai encountered. He also memorably wanted to preserve the modesty of Galway’s men who “can’t meet nice, respectable girls in these nightclubs.” Each pub must apply for an extension to stay open until 1am during the week, which can cost up to €400 a night. Many publicans and club owners say it is not worth their while to stay open during the week, and that students, in particular, will stay at home instead of going out. Continued on page 2…

Private Ambulance Service Available to Late Night Drinkers By Katie Finnegan A new private ambulance ser vice for the Galway’s late night revellers – the first of its kind in the country – is to be rolled out in the coming weeks, coinciding with the return of thousands of third-level students. Based in the city centre, the ‘Night Medics’ service will run from 9pm to 4am each night and is aimed at providing a quick response to anyone requiring urgent medical treatment, and relieving pressure on the HSE’s official ambulance service. The Galway operation will be the first of its kind in Ireland or the UK and will have a response time of a few minutes, in case of accident or emergency. The public ambulance service is under particular pressure on weekend nights when there are two or three ambulances on duty. 20 venues in the city

have already signed up for the new service following a successful pilot scheme, which ran over ten days during the Volvo Ocean Race. And more premises are

expected to sign up for the scheme over the coming weeks – it is open to pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels and other nighttime venues. “It’s not by any means

purely drink-related incidents that we see. There are call-outs for diabetics, people with epilepsy or suffering from chest pains. It gives publicans and customers peace of mind,

RE: NUIG rises 11 places in world rankings

Cannabis Use OK, as Long as it’s ‘Discreet’

Interview with Frank Cronin: Camping on campus

Fresher’s Guide to NUI Galway

50 Shades of Bogger

and some insurance companies also recognise the fact that a premises has signed up for the service,” Managing Director Conor McEvaddy said. The crew will park discreetly in the city centre

Late night drinkers will be able to avail of a private ambulance service.

and do regular runs during peak hours – every 20 to 30 minutes – along ‘the strip’ of premises that have signed up to the service. Continued on page 2…

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Controversy Over Stricter Pub Closing Hours Continued from page 1… “They won’t leave the house,” a publican told the Galway Advertiser. “Students will just have house parties

and there will be an unsupervised rag week through every housing estate in Galway.” Paul Curley said that the stricter enforcement could

prove to be disastrous to students who are already struggling to fund their studies. “We are asking that the Gardaí put forward a more

Early pub closures could put the jobs of many students in danger.

viable solution to the matter that won’t put hundreds of part time jobs at risk,” he said, adding that he had worked in a nightclub himself in order to fund his degree. An online petition, organised by a group of concerned bar staff, has already gathered 4,000 signatures. The petition hopes to get the gardai and city authorities to rethink the closing laws. A garda spokesman told the Connacht Tribune that he could not understand the “furore” over the stricter enforcement of the law. “It has been the same for years and publicans- and certainly their solicitors who apply for the special exemptions on their behalf- know exactly what the closing time is,” he said.

Fresher’s Failte Fest. Photo by Cian Wilkins.

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Private Ambulance Service Available to Late Night Drinkers Continued from page 1…. “The late night private ambulance service just completed a pilot scheme in Galway and is ready to launch properly. The Galway operation will be the first of its kind in Ireland or the UK and will have a response time of a few minutes, in case of accident or emergency. Twenty venues have already signed up for the service. “All participating venues will have a designated emergency telephone number which they will call should they require medical assistance at their venue. The call will be managed by the ambulance crew and the ambulance will respond to the venue within minutes to deal with the emergency. “The State service is very busy. We’ve seen similar

work done in the UK and decided to give it a try. We floated the idea past some of the local publicans, and they were very taken with the idea,” the spokesperson said. If an incident happens inside a premises, the Night Medics ambulance is called, and there are two EMTs and a paramedic on board. Established in 2010, Cara Ambulance Service has bases in Galway and Cork and specialises in patient transport and event medical cover services. Mr McEvaddy pointed out that the service ties in nicely with the work of the Galway Healthy Cities Alcohol Forum, a sub-group of the Healthy Cities Group, which aims to develop a fiveyear action plan by the end of 2012 to reduce alcoholrelated harm in Galway city.

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Editorial

By Jessica Thompson You hold in your hand the very first issue of Volume 14 of Sin Newspaper. Sin is the only student newspaper on the NUI Galway campus and it is my great pleasure as editor to introduce you to 36 pages of news, features, sports and entertainment. For this issue we had so much content that we had to add four extra pages, and we still didn’t manage to squeeze everything in! After hours of planning, layout, and admittedly a few panicky moments, we have created a paper stuffed with

many of the campus stories that took place since the last issue of Sin, which was published way back in the month of March. We have a Fresher’s guide which is filled to bursting point with advice from seasoned students who wish to pass on their experiences to those who are newer to the big, bad (and very exciting) world of college. Sin hasn’t changed much since issue 12 of Volume 13. You’ll notice the layout is largely the same, and the paper follows a similar structure. However, I have added in a few things to make your reading of Sin more enjoyable. This year I have enlisted Martina Gannon to provide us with some light humour from her travels around Ireland with a random stranger. Keep an eye on the Arts and Entertainment section to see how her romantic story panned out in her column 50 Shades of Bogger. With the ever-growing popularity of Memes and the NUI Galway Memes

Facebook page, created by our very own Education Officer, Conor Stitt, it would seem a sin (pun intended) not to include some of the most popular memes. Check out each issue of Sin to see what hilarity is published next. We’re living in an era where news is immediate. Twitter, Facebook and numerous other social networking sites, as well as online newspapers, provide us with the news of the day quickly and efficiently. What then is the point of newspapers at all? Well, for one it keeps me in a job. It looks pretty, and it’s useful for when you’re sitting at Smokey’s like a loner, and need something to read. It’s the romance of printed media that keeps it alive. But with online media on the rise, it seems foolish not to jump on the bandwagon. With a little TLC, our website, sin.ie, could be just as immediate as thejournal. ie, or t hedailyshift.com (shameless plug), or even Twitter, when it comes to

keeping you up to date with what’s happening around campus and Galway in general. For this reason, it is my intention to give sin.ie the facelift it needs to keep up with breaking news that needs to be read now, and not in a fortnight when the next issue of Sin is available. Over the coming months I plan to build a bright, colourful, interactive website which will provide you with all the news and entertainment you need to get you through your college year. Keep an eye on the Facebook page (Sin Newspaper, NUI Galway), and our Twitter profile (@sin_news) for updates throughout the semester. We’re always looking for new contributors, so be sure to pop in to our meetings on Wednesdays from 6pm to 7pm in room AM109, starting Wednesday 19 September. Feel free to pop into my office at any point if you’d like a chat or have a story you’d like to cover. Jess

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New Suicide Crisis Centre in Galway By Marése O’Sullivan Pieta House has announced the establishment of its first suicide and self-harm crisis centre in the west of Ireland, after an eighteen-month fundraising campaign. The facility will be the third of its kind in the country, with two others already in operation in Dublin and Limerick. It will open its doors in Bishop Street, Tuam, in the coming months, with at least four or five therapists, receptionists and administrative staff on hand. Tuam businessman and RTÉ star, John Concannon, has been spearheading the campaign for a Pieta House centre in Galway, and was elated that almost €250,000 was raised to bring the goal to life. “The

Socs Day took place on Wednesday 12 September where societies showed the students of NUI Galway what they had to offer.

support we’ve received from the local community has been really extraordinary,” he said. “It’s been a three county fundraising effort, with Galway, Mayo and Roscommon all working together. We could not have achieved this great result without their commitment and dedication.” The first six months of this year alone saw a 40% increase in those seeking support from Pieta House, with the largest increase in the male 26-44 and 45-64 age groups. CEO and founder of Pieta House, Joan Freeman, stated that the findings only further underline the necessity of the Tuam centre: “We all need to come together as a community in the fight against suicide. We try to show that suicide can happen to anyone. Men are far less likely than women to seek help, particularly those in the under-25 age group. We urge people to contact us if they believe that one of their family members or friends may be in difficulty. “We believe that mental health is a basic human right and we want to reinforce the message that communities need to embrace those in suicidal distress. I hope the success of John Concannon’s campaign against suicide in the West will inspire others to come together and make a positive difference in their own areas,” she added. Pieta House is a free service and has helped over 8,000 people since its launch in 2006. It can be contacted at 016010000 or online at mary@pieta.ie.

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NUI Galway to Host Eleventh Annual Volunteering Fair By Eileen Cameron The annual NUI Galway Volunteering Fair will take place on Wednesday 26 September, from 1pm to 5pm, in the Bailey Allen Hall on campus. The fair is in its eleventh year and will host over eighty charities and community organisations, including Rehab Care, Gorta, Goal, COPE Galway and Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland. Over 2,000 people are expected to attend the Fair, which is being held as part of Volunteer Week at NUI Galway. It will be officially opened by the City Mayor, Councillor Terry O'Flaherty. The Fair will also coincide with the National Day of Volunteering on Friday 1

October. Student volunteers are coordinated through A Learning Initiative and the Volunteering Experience (ALIVE) programme in NUI Galway, which is a Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI). More than 7,000 students have already been awarded ALIVE certificates for their contribution; all volunteers receive these at the end of the academic year from NUI Galway President, Dr James Browne. “ALIVE has been supporting and enabling students to engage [with] the Galway city community for [over] ten years and we extend a thank you to our community partners, who have hosted students through hundreds of meaningful

volunteering opportunities,” commented Student Volunteer Coordinator, Lorraine Tansey. “Students are actively seeking volunteering prospects with homework clubs in local schools, fundraising for national charities, befriending people with a disability, or volunteering abroad. Students benefit enormously from getting involved and gain valuable experience, while bringing energy, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. We are delighted to not only welcome community organisations to highlight their work and [to provide] opportunities for volunteers, but also to welcome members of the public onto campus.”

ALIVE- Be a superhero, be a volunteer!

The NUI Galway first year hotline has reopened.

First Year Student Hotline Re-opens By Jane Kearns NUI Galway has reopened its First Year Student Hotline for the third consecutive year. Launched in 2010 as the first of its kind in the country, it is designed to help first years make the transition to university by tackling any issues that may arise for them, from points requirements, to registration and accomodation. The line is open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and is manned by a team of trained NUI Galway students. A specialised website has also been set

up and will provide daily updates on typically sought information, and intends to be the key system of helping first years deal with the sometimes overwhelming transition period into university life. Stephen O’Dea, Admissions Officer at NUI Galway, remarked: “For every young person, the transition from second-level to third-level education represents a significant life change, and while this is an exciting time, navigating your way through the change can sometimes be daunting. The First Year Student Hotline has been set up,

therefore, to provide information, guidance and support to all individuals involved in the transition process and we invite students, parents and advisors to avail of this service to make the passage to NUI Galway as smooth as possible.” The hotline is active until September 28 and no question or worry is too small for the team. All first years are encouraged to contact the hotline if in need of some expert advice, either by phone on 091 493999 or by visiting the website: http:// www.nuigalway.ie/newstudents/

NUI Galway Rises 11 Rankings in QS Evaluations By Mark Roche Now in its eight year, QS University Rankings recently revealed that National University of Ireland, Galway ranked 287 in the top 700 universities across the globe. Leaping a remarkable 11 places since last year it is one of the best improvements any Irish college has made in recent years. NUIG has made significant advancements in its ranking since the initial QS

ranking which placed it at 437. The QS site stated that NUIG has “academically strong programmes of teaching and research”; notable faculties included Natural Sciences, Life Sciences & Medicine, and Arts & Humanities. University of Cork and Trinity College, Irelands highest ranking universities failed to advance and dropped several places; both Dublin City University and University College Dublin made

small but noteworthy improvements. The QS test bases its evaluation from several indicators; Academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty/student ratio, proportion of international students and proportion of international faculty. President Dr Jim Browne stated, “This is very good news for NUI Galway, we have experienced huge cuts in overall

funding at third-level in Ireland, while student numbers have continued to rise. Despite this, our university has gone against the tide to secure a marked improvement in these very competitive rankings. This is a testament to our high standards in teaching and research, and the continued dedication of our staff at NUI Galway.” Earlier in the year, the Department of Education suggested to interpret such

rankings “with caution” following the publication of the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, in which Irish universities were not represented among the top 100; according to Irish Times, “the spokesman said differences in criteria between ranking systems can affect the outcomes of such league tables” President Browne added: “It will be critical for Ireland to maintain its investment in its

universities if we are to remain internationally competitive. Every year, rankings such as this are broadened to include a burgeoning number of world-class universities. We operate in a global market, competing for students and research support on an international playing field. Support on a national level must be maintained for universities such as NUI Galway to continue with their success.”

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Restructuring of Teacher Training programmes could mean an Alliance with St. Angela’s College, Sligo By Kevin Kennedy The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, has announced that he will act upon the recommendations for the restructuring of teacher training programs in Ireland. There are currently nineteen State-funded institutions throughout the country that offer Initial Teacher Education (ITE), providing more than forty programmes of both primary and post-primary teaching, with the aim of training future schoolteachers in an efficient and effective manner. As a result of the proposals made by an international panel of experts, a series of collaborations between many different institutes across the country will be the cause of the decrease of ITE centres to six. However, with the drop in the amount of locations offering the teacher training programmes, the variety of courses will increase,

with everything from early childhood to adult education becoming available to prospective teaching staff. Other changes to the coursework involved with teacher training will include the lengthening of the ITE system, which will now focus more on the literacy, numeracy and pedagogical skills of those enrolled in teaching courses. The collaboration of different institutes regarding ITE will allow for greater research facilities for students and will see many of Ireland’s largest universities integrated into the training programs. NUI Galway will be linked with St Angela’s College, Sligo – a College within the National University of Ireland network – for the purpose of initial teacher training. This will mean that the ITE centre at St Angela’s College, which trains Home Economics students, will be fully amalgamated into the NUI Galway campus. However, it has been

noted that the capacity of research for that sector at NUI Galway will have to be developed further. A

spokesperson for St Angela’s commented: “The best and most cost effective option is to continue to

deliver the Home Economics degree programme on the Sligo campus, [due to the] college’s sixty years of

St Angela’s College, Sligo

Socs Day took place on Wednesday 12 September where societies showed the students of NUI Galway what they had to offer.

academic expertise in this specialist discipline, along with recently refurbished state-of-the-art facilities.”

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Cannabis Use OK, as Long as it’s ‘Discreet’ By Roisin Peddle Students in NUI Galway are being advised to use discretion about smoking cannabis in their own homes. On a page entitled ‘Cannabis and the Law’ in the counselling section of the university’s website, students are reminded of the consequences of cannabis possession. “Possession of cannabis is a criminal offence in Ireland and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. It may be argued that cannabis should be legalised and many people take this viewpoint, but it remains illegal,” the page begins. The page goes on to list the legal repercussions of being caught in possession of cannabis, including a fine of up to €635, a court appearance and even eventual imprisonment. Students are warned that “judges in Galway are VERY strict on people caught in possession of drugs” and that passing a

joint around can be classed as supplying cannabis. The website goes on to state that anyone who uses cannabis should do so “discretely [sic]”. “If you are going to use cannabis do it discretely [sic], preferably in your own home,” it reads. However, despite the seemingly prodrugs message in the page, it goes on to state the damage that cannabis can do to mental and physical health. “It is far better to avoid these risks by not using cannabis, but if you do, you should try to minimise the harm you cause to yourself by doing it discretely [sic],” it reads. Other segments in the website list the effects of cannabis on both mental and physical health. A section on the NUI Galway Students’ Union website lists the negative effects of cannabis, and advises students to contact the Welfare Officer for more information. A garda spokesman told the Connacht Sentinel

that students should be ‘very aware’ about the legal consequences of cannabis possession. “We would warn students that such a conviction really has major implications in terms of later life as regards their careers and also in relation to foreign travel,” he said. He refused to comment on the content of the webpage but added that students wishing to travel to America in particular may find themselves unable to obtain a visa if they have a drugs conviction. The HSE recently announced that it hopes to bring in Sativex, a cannabisbased pain relief drug, into Ireland by 2013. Sativex is used to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis and its introduction would require a change in Ireland’s current drug laws. The NUI Galway counselling service has already released a statement on the matter, and will not be making any further comment.

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James Hardiman Library Honours Cusack in New Online Exhibition By Leigh Ashmore NUI Galway is running an online exhibition dedicated to the founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Michael Cusack. From its inception in 1884, the GAA has not only provided the nation with a thriving tradition of sport, but has also been greatly influential in the formation of a distinctive political and linguistic attitude that continues to be practiced and celebrated to this day. Michael Cusack is given pride of place within the culture of GAA, with Croke Park’s famous Cusack Stand being named after him. During his lifetime, Cusack was appointed honorary secretary of the organisation, continuing to promote the Gaelic games within Irish society and giving Ireland a unique sporting culture. In 2007, the James

Hardiman Library received a large collection of documents and photographs related to Cusack, his family, and his life’s work from the nieces of Cusack’s daughter-in-law, Kathleen O’Connell. One of the most prized items is the complete minutes of the Dublin Hurling Club – of which Cusack was the VicePresident – first recorded in 1883. Also included is a diary kept by Cusack during a visit to his native Clare in 1902, as well as a range of biographical and photographic accounts of Cusack’s family line. The James Hardiman Library’s Digitalisation Librarian, Fergus Fahey, has stated that aside from giving an insight into the cultural aspects of Ireland during Cusack’s lifetime, “the collection is unique in constituting the only known surviving material in Cusack’s own hand” and

that it provides an intimate and detailed depiction of Cusack’s personality as a “private, family man, [with a] vibrant and gentle wit.” Cusack’s sporting activities before his involvement with the GAA included the founding of the short-lived Dublin Hurling Club in February 1883 and the Metropolitan Hurling Club in December of the same year. Outside of this, Cusack also worked as a prolific sports journalist, writing for such journals as United Ireland, Celtic Times, Shamrock, Fáinne an Lae and The Nation. The Michael Cusack Collection is one of a number of collections and digital resources created by the Library’s archive service to allow students access to relevant primary historical accounts. It can now be viewed online at http:// archives.library.nuigalway. ie/cusack/.

NUI Galway Honours Billionaire Philanthropist Chuck Feeney By Marése O’Sullivan NUI Galway is among all the universities in Ireland that have jointly conferred an honorary Doctorate of Laws on philanthropist Charles F. ‘Chuck’ Feeney in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, on September 6. The 81-year-old Irish-American billionaire has donated nearly €800 million to Irish education, through his company Atlantic Philanthropies, and since 1982 has also given almost €5 billion in grants. In particular, he has contributed €2.4 million to support the NUI Galway Marine Science Research Programme. Dr Patrick Fottrell, Chair of Science Foundation Ireland, stated the philanthropist had “strongly advocated a ‘think big’, ambitious approach to third level research funding. The Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions

(PRTLI) was launched in 1998 by the Higher Education Authority. Atlantic funded 50% of the first cycle,” declaring the investment to be “vital” in kickstarting the programme. “It provided key physical facilities and personnel for research in the humanities, sciences, engineering, technology and the social sciences, including business and law. This is our way of saying thank you for [Mr. Feeney’s] enormous generosity to the people of Ireland,” he added. Also present at the conferral were An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn, U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney, the Chancellors of all Irish universities – including NUI Galway’s Dr James Browne – as well as former Irish President and Chancellor of the University of Dublin, Mary Robinson.

Charles ‘Chuck’ Feeney, founder of the Atlantic Philanthropies.

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News

Death of NUI Galway Academic and ‘True Philosopher’ Tom Duddy

By Gerard Madden The death of Dr Tom Duddy, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy at NUI Galway, on June 15 last will come as profoundly sad news to the University’s closelyknit community of staff, students and graduates of Philosophy, who had come to know and appreciate him over the years. Dr. Duddy, who was 62, was a popular teacher and a great writer who was skilled in working with and clearly conveying complex philosophical ideas. A native of the village of Ramolin near Shrule, Co Mayo, he graduated with a degree in English and Philosophy from the then University College Galway, subsequently going on to complete Masters and

PhD dissertations at UCG focusing on the subject of Philosophy of Mind. He also specialised in the history of Irish Philosophy, and produced the first comprehensive looks at the intellectual history of this island, the books ‘A History of Irish Thought’ and ‘The Dictionary of Irish Philosophers’, also teaching a popular undergraduate course on the subject. He highlighted figures such as John Scottus Eriugena, the Irish monk who is regarded as the greatest Philosopher of the Early Middle Ages, along with later Irish intellectuals such as Toland, Berkeley and Burke. He deliberately avoided using the term Philosophy in the title of the book, using the more flexible term ‘Thought’ to cover subjects like Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ and Oscar Wilde’s anarchist ‘The Soul of Man under Socialism’, written by great Irish thinkers who are nonetheless not conventionally considered Philosophers. The book was widely admired; world-renowned literary critic Terry Eagleton described it as ‘strikingly original and sorely needed.

There is an engaged, illuminating intelligence at work here, reflected in the crisp, remarkably lucid style.’ He was also an accomplished poet; his 2011 collection, The Hiding Place, was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Centre Prize for Poetry, and he was the only Irish poet to receive this honour; his final volume of Poetry, The Years, was to be published posthumously. He recalled of his early interest in poetry: ‘I wanted to write poems from an early age, and, under the influence of the work of Dylan Thomas, had my first poem, ‘Ripe Time’, published in the New Irish Writing supplement in The Irish Press when I was still in my teens. I thought then that I was on the way to becoming a kind of Irish Dylan Thomas, and that I would soon dedicate myself to ‘my art and sullen craft’...’ As former student John Walsh recalled of him, ‘He set aside 10 minutes at the end of a lecture on Human Rights to deal with a question I'd put to him the week before. He made it obvious that

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William Street | Galway Shopping Centre | Eyre Square | Moycullen actually beginning the habit of critical thinking was far more important than passing any exam. A true philosopher and proponent of “Slow Thinking”, Another Philosophy graduate and former tutor at the Department, Joseph

Loughnane, recalled how Dr. Duddy had the ability to make difficult and obscure topics sound brilliantly clear. “I remember him discussing Karl Popper in a Philosophy of Science lecture, he made Popper’s

thought sound as obvious as two and two equals four. The man was a genius.” He is survived by his wife Sheila, his children Conal and Clare, and his siblings Jim, Seán, Carina, Christy and Carmel. May he rest in peace.

Cern Exhibition Creates a Big Bang in Galway By Sinead Healy The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN)’s flagship mobile exhibition, ‘Accelerating Science’, arrived on September 16 to its first and only Irish stop, Galway. Running until November 2 at Lesisureland in Salthill, it will educate visitors about the history and mysteries of the universe, just two months after exciting preliminary findings of the Higgs Boson particle. The range of educational modules and visuals at the exhibition – including a replica Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and high-

est-energy particle accelerator – are aimed at second- and third-level students. Physics experts based in NUI Galway, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, and Science Foundation Ireland are providing facilitated tours throughout the day. In addition, the NUI Galway Physics Department will host a daily lecture. CERN, which is based in Geneva, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics and the operator of the real Hadron Collider. In July of this year, CERN scientists potentially discovered the Higgs Boson particle (the so-called

“God Particle”). This particle is believed to be critical in answering the questions about the universe in the minutes after the Big Bang occured. Following its launch in Switzerland in 2007, the 'Accelerating Science' Exhibition has stopped in various countries throughout Europe. It has been developed by CERN in partnership with the University of Geneva, thanks to the support of the Dudley Wright Foundation. The exhibition in Galway has been made possible with sponsorship by Boston Scientific and in partnership with the Galway Science & Technology

Forum. Welcoming the arrival of this exhibition, Dean of Science at NUI Galway, Professor Tom Sherry, declared: “It is a real coup that Ireland is hosting the CERN Exhibition in Galway. The exhibition will help us build on the current groundswell of interest in science, [as well as increase] the public’s understanding of the role physics plays in our everyday lives. Physics is the fundamental science which helps us to understand naturally occurring phenomena in the world around us and enables Irish physicists to apply those phenomena to benefit

mankind.” The exhibition is open only to secondary school tours from Monday to Friday, and to the public at weekends and during the mid-term break. Tickets cost €2 and members

of the public are encouraged to pre-book their place on www.eventelephant.com/ galwayscience. For general enquiries, contact galwayscience.events@gmail.com or visit www.galwayscience.ie.

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Summer Festivals in Áras na Mac Léinn Áras na Mac Léinn was a hub of creativity this summer as many of the societies and students of the university stepped into the limelight throughout the summer festival season. The new Cube Theatre played host to events in both Colours Festival and the new Galway Fringe Festival. Our very own Dramsoc were very busy with

their high energy productions of ‘Rewind’ in the Galway Fringe Festival. The Photographic Society were wowing the Volvo Ocean Race art trailers with ‘Caught in the Act’, their creative photographic exhibition that ran for the month of July featuring work from Photo Soc members. Many of our new Alumni Theatre companies

and recent drama graduates also performed to enthusiastic audiences. In total there were 15 productions as part of the summer programme – many of them new works. Áras na Mac Léinn and the societies also hosted the first NUI Galway Young Artists Exhibition. The theme was ‘Festival Time in Galway’ and it was a community outreach project

to encourage the creative side of our young national school children in Galway. The exhibition was also featured on Eglington Street, Frances Street and trailed all the way in and around the campus. The exhibition received a great response, with lovely images full of colour and imagination linking the university with the city. Because of the wonderful work over the summer, the societies office have launched www.festivals. nuigalway.ie to promote the festivals that students partake in and to actively encourage the arts to the student and staff of the NUI Galway. Riona Hughes, Societies Officer said: “We are delighted to launch a new website to promote our on-campus festivals, the

Choral Soc performing in the Aula Maxima as part of the International Quilting Festival wonderful festivals that Galway is so famous for, and forge strong links with the artistic community.” One of our upcoming oncampus festivals this year is the NUI Galway Music Festival from 12 to 16 November. Watch this space for news of the big event that we know everyone will be talking about: Múscailt, our long-running and beloved Arts Week coordinated by

Arts Officer Fionnuala Gallagher, will run from 4 to 8 February and will feature GUMS Musical Societies production of ‘Rent’. The NUI Galway Theatre Festival is scheduled for 18 to 23 February and, for aspiring playwrights, we will be launching news of this year’s Jerome Hynes one Act play Series shortly. For all Society info www. socs.nuigalway.ie

Ahh Lad: Patrick O’Byrne performing his one-act play in Garvey’s Bar. The play won the Jerome Hynes award as part of Galway Fringe

NUI Galway Mourns Passing of Professor Etienne Rynne By Eileen Cameron June 22, 2012 marked the passing of Etienne Rynne, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at NUI Galway, who specialised in early Irish art. In the words of Professor John Waddell, Rynne was “the original professor of things in general.” Professor Rynne was born in 1932 to Dr Michael Rynne – a veteran of the War of Independence who served as Irish Ambassador to Spain – and Nathalie Fournier, a Frenchwoman. He attended Terenure College, Dublin, and Clongowes Wood College, Kildare. He also studied at Coláiste na Rinne and École des Roches, Normandy. He was a fluent French speaker. He graduated with a BA in Archaeology and French from University College

Dublin in 1953, and completed a MA in Archaeology in 1955. After spending a year abroad on an NUI travel scholarship, he was employed in the Antiquities Division of the National Museum in 1957 and served ten years as an Assistant Keeper, during which time he participated in excavations at the Hill of Tara. He became a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 1966 and married Aideen Lucas in 1967. In the same year, he became a Lecturer of Archaeology at what was then University College Galway (UCG). He was made a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1975. In 1978, he was appointed Professor of Archaeology at UCG and held the position until he retired in 1998. In the 1970s, during the Wood Quay development,

he stressed the importance of archaeologists excavating sites prior to building. The preservation of Navan Fort “for the Irish people” was his focus in the 1980s. He also served as President of The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland from 1985 to 1988. Galway Archaeological and Historical Society benefitted from his leadership from 1990 to 1994. He was honorary editor for the North Munster Antiquarian Journal from 1964 to 1999 and published many books and articles. He was the first curator when the Galway City Museum opened in 1972. He lived in Athenry, and was predeceased by his son Killian, who died in infancy. Professor Rynne is survived by his wife Aideen, sons Andrew, John, Declan, Stephen and daughter Caitriona.

Volunteering Fair

Wednesday, 26th September

1.00pm – 5.00pm, Wednesday 26th September Áras na Mac Léinn • Join a homework club • Fundraise for a good cause • Plant an organic garden • Maintain a charity’s website • Visit the elderly • Befriend a person with a disability • Campaign for human rights

Over 80 stands • Develop new skills • Increase your employability • Help a good cause • Meet new people • Have fun • Get the ALIVE Certificate

alive@nuigalway.ie For more info visit www.nuigalway.ie/alive or call 091 49 3823

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Chile and Quebec shows what Irish students can achieve By Gerard Madden Free Education for Everyone (FEE) is the Irish expression of an international student movement which spans from Santiago to Montreal and from Athens to Cairo. In a time of unprecedented economic crisis, young people internationally have had enough with

The Red Square, ubiquitous with student protest worldwide.

a capitalist system which is causing tuition hikes, obscene levels of youth unemployment and cutbacks that directly affect the education system, and are fighting for a better model to organise society; one which places the interests of people above that of 'the markets'. As Paul Mason, a broadcaster with BBC’s ‘Newsnight’ notes, the 'graduate with no future' is central to protest movements worldwide; arguing that we are the first generation in decades to face a future poorer than our parents’. He believes 'students are the human expression of an economic problem; the West's model is broken'. In Chile, a young Communist Geography undergraduate called Camila Vallejo has become the

most visible face of a citizen's democracy movement that has brought student concerns to the very centre of Chilean politics. Countless marches have been held with attendance in the hundreds of thousands; the movement has registered support of 70% in polling of broader Chilean society, fighting for social justice alongside groups such as workers, the indigenous Mapuche people, and the LGBT community. Chile's students are angry with a system where the wealthy have the best schooling in Latin America, while education is unaffordable and underfunded for everyone else; as Vallejo outlines: 'We do not want to improve the actual system; we want a profound change; to stop seeing education as a consumer good,

to see education as a right where the state provides a guarantee'. The movement has reminded many of the uprising that toppled the murderous General Pinochet, facing similar severe repression from the state; military water cannons and tear gas have been frequently used on marchers, while armed police have brutally raided secondary schools which had been occupied by their students, making indiscriminate arrests. In Quebec, Canada, attempts by the Liberal government to implement fee hikes and raise the grant threshold has led to mass resistance from the student body, showing what students can achieve when we band together. Led by radical student movement CLASSE,

300,000 students were on strike from their classes at the movement's height. Wearing a red square on their breasts to signify their part in the student struggle, half a million Quebeckers marched against Bill 78, a draconian law meant to aid strike-breakers and deny protestors the right to assemble without permission, in 'the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history'. In Quebec’s election on September 4, Bill 78 was consigned to history, as student pressure forced the Liberals and their fee hikes off the agenda with their leader, Jean Charest, leaving politics for good. CLASSE intends to keep up the pressure on Quebec's new Parti Québécois administration, building the biggest possible

movement on campuses to confront neoliberalism. In an Ireland where a treacherous Fine Gael/ Labour coalition continues, Fianna Fáil's subservience to the Troika, abolishing the Postgraduate grant and implementing fee hikes and regressive loan schemes, while Sinn Féin and the DUP find rare common cause in enforcing Cameron and Clegg's anti-student policies in the North, the need for a vibrant, active and strong student movement on our streets is as important as it is in Canada or Chile. FEE shall hold a public meeting on student protest worldwide on September 26th at 6.30pm at a location on campus to be confirmed. Join us today to make your voice heard.

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

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                        

 

Mon - THUR: 8.30am - 10pm // FRI: 8:30am - 9pm // SAT: 9AM - 6pm

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

The Volvo Ocean Race Festival took place in Galway this summer. Photo by Joe Hyland.

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Opinion: Student loans and the continuing commercialization of education By James Falconer What’s new on campus? Well, if you’ve been on the concourse you would have noticed the “new look” Bank of Ireland (BOI). To suggest it has had a facelift is an understatement. The BOI has been given a huge extension. But why all that extra space? This bank has been renovated with many new consultation rooms which will be used to accommodate students’ “needs”, i.e. financial assistance. It appears that another generation of Irish people are about to be made the financial slaves of banks. As we all know, education is a right, not a privilege. However, step by step, this idea is being eradicated from the Irish consciousness. But who or what is trying to eradicate it? This is one of the many assaults of neoliberal power; create the problem and then say “look, here’s the solution - you pay”. Essentially, private banks who gave out 100% mortgages like Holy Communion to Irish people duped by a corporate media are now lending to 3rd level students to pay for their own education. The conservative student might not see much wrong with this because they have been led to believe that fees must be paid. Of course, banks lend money so it makes sense to take out a loan: two and two equals four or does it

equal five? This is where it gets outrageous. The banks, who have already bankrupted the state, will then reap 10.8% interest on the student loan three months after graduation. Some more outrage? Yes, not a problem. Another percentage of the graduate’s wages will go towards the bank bailout. This is absolute robbery and utter enslavement. What if the graduate ends up on the dole, or in a low paying job trying to gain experience in his or her field? The illusion that graduates leave 3rd level and walk straight into high paying jobs three months after graduation needs to be smashed. This is simply not the reality. We know not every young adult chooses to go to university, but the choice should remain. The choice should not be determined by one’s parents’ financial situation or one’s own credit rating. If we look across the Atlantic, we will see that student loans are already turning into the next untenable debt bubble in the United States. Student debt is estimated at one trillion dollars. A large portion of graduates in the US spend half their working lives crippled by college loan repayments. Comparably, in Ireland, this loan scheme is set to strap people into the system and in December, no doubt, fees will rise and continue to do so.

The Figures By Richard Manton

Loan amount for a four year degree: 4 x €2250 = €9000 Repayments for the first four years (5.1% interest): €100 per month x 48 months = €4800 Repayments for the next three years (9.7% interest): €157 per month x 36 months = €5652 Total loan period: 7 years Total amount repayable: €10452 Total interest paid: €1452 Figures confirmed by Bank of Ireland, NUI Galway

On the contrary, isn’t it great to have banks that are willing to loan poor students the money for their education? David Merriman of BOI said: “BOI is proud to be able to deliver meaningful products and services to Ireland’s students and graduates.” He goes on to talk about “the current economic climate”. Is anyone sick and tired of that term yet? It seems to be thrown around by politicians and their banker friends to legitimise massive cuts in public services and the reintroduction of third level fees. We are led to believe that this “crisis” is economic and it is our fault. The crisis has all the hallmarks of a political one. The problem is that Ireland is being run for the benefit of the banking system, corporations and the political elite. In a recent article, leading historian Tom Garvin warned us about “the bleak future of the Irish university”. He described the way in which Irish universities have been going towards a “ m o r e c o m m e rc i a lised, bureaucratic, almost Orwellian vision.” There is a general problem, particularly in the English-speaking world, of commercialization of the universities. One of the human race’s greatest inventions, the university has at its core the idea of the free exercise of intelligent and well-educated

people who have the secular equivalent of a vocation to the work to which they have turned their talents and effort. Since the takeover of many universities by commercially minded people, this central core is under threat. Moreover, the NUIG campus increasingly resembles a shopping centre with such brands as Subway, Starbucks, Kingfisher, Print That, Laptec, etc. This will lead to the inevitable dumbing down of Irish people denied access to a third level education. Are we returning to a time when only the wealthy could afford education?

Traditionally, a highly educated workforce has been an important factor in Ireland’s economic success. Is the attack on third level students really an inevitable consequence of the tougher economic climate in which we find ourselves? Not necessarily, a 5% “wealth tax” imposed on the wealthiest 5% would raise 10 billion euro. This would certainly go some way to funding third level education and other beleaguered sections of the Irish economy. The time has come to say “enough is enough”. Inspiration can be drawn from the students of Quebec who, in defiance of their

government’s attempt to hike fees by 82%, defeated the Liberal government with the resignation of the leader, Jean Charest. In addition to the mass strikes, students disrupted the efficient functioning of the economy and the government, carrying out blockades and occupations of banks and government buildings. Going further than most student bodies, it demanded the cancellation of all tuition fees, to be paid for by a tax on banks. The students won the struggle and have begun to build the widest possible movement to challenge neoliberalism. What are we waiting for?

Registration fee 1996

€190

1997

€320

2001

€396

2002

€670

2003

€750

2008

€900

2009

€1500

2011

€2000

2012

€2250

2013

€2500

2014

€2750

2015

€3000

Juggling college life with societies. Photo by Cian Wilkins.

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Interview with Frank Cronin: Camping on campus By Cormac Moore Noticed anyone camping on-campus? That man is Frank Cronin, and this is what he’s doing. CM: What’s the story with camping in Galway? Why are you doing it? F C : F i r s t l y, N U I Galway is awesome. Secondly, I love to overcome challenges and my finances are a bit tight right now. I had to close a business that I had for nine years. I have assets and other businesses but, they are not giving me any profits right now either. My business partner and I have to invest heavily at the moment to beat our competition, and it is working. So I figure, save a little money now, pump it into my business and have an adventure that might hopefully inspire someone. Or at least make someone think outside the box. And thirdly, to

grow my YouTube channel. I love making videos. CM: What are you doing to wash and stuff? FC: To wash my stuff? There is a river close to my tent and I fashioned a little washing line too, so if it ever stops raining I am good to go. That said, as a result of not spending up to €100 a week on a house (inc. electricity, internet, gas etc.) I have that money to spend on nice food and washing if I like. I also have access to the gym facilities for €5 a week. CM: Any word from the university on what you’re doing? FC: The Students’ Union posted it on Facebook and is very supportive. I think it gives people a laugh and sense of wonder. A few people have commented things like “Why did you waste money on the gym.” I

guess people want a Bear Grylls job. But what I am doing is saving €100 a week to spend on fun stuff. It is not like I am fishing for my supper daily, although I will be fishing next week . It is the adventure and the non-linear thinking that I really like. CM: What are you studying here? FC: Psychological Studies and Spanish in Arts. Final Year. CM: People must think you’re a little nuts doing this. Are you nuts?! FC: I believe you gotta be a little nuts or you will go nuts. I love when people just “can’t compute!” At times people including myself struggle to think outside the box. Initially people will ridicule you and tell you it can’t work, then they congratulate you when it works, and then they copy you. It's been happening for centuries. That

said some people are always negative. You have got to laugh at them. The people who join my Facebook page and “get it”- they're my kind of people.

CM: How long do you plan on staying there? FC: I planned on a week, but it is such a nice experience that I am currently aiming for the month, if not the semester. The midges are lethal at the moment, but as it gets colder I imagine they will drop like flies…. CM: You have a very cool youtube video channel Glowpunk – tell us about what that’s about. FC: The channel is a work in progress, an organic project, and I hope it remains that way. In a way its brand is that it is not predictable, and all the videos so far have elements of comedy and adventure all wrapped up in a voice over that is a little ridiculous. I have

Room with a view: The sunrise as seen from Frank’s tent.

so many adventures recorded that, due to being too busy, I haven’t uploaded yet. Including kayaking across Ireland with my good friend Diarmaid Collins, who studied here too, using the inland waterways. It is just a collection of videos that documents the better experiences of my life and the lives of my friends. CM: You’ve also camped on a deserted island in Mexico – do you think Galway will be easier or harder? FC: On the desert island in Mexico, we only had water and had to eat cactus and stuff that clung to rocks. That was tough. The food in Galway is great and I eat in the student bar when I feel like it, with the money I have saved on accommodation. I think it will be harder due to the longevity of the adventure and the fact that it rains 24 hours a day.

CM: Will you be throwing any house parties in the tent?! If yes, can we come? FC: I am keeping the location of my whereabouts secret. Someone already nicked my tent pegs. That said I might sneak a few good friends in from time to time. A party does sound good though. Its actually a brilliant place for it. Although it would be highly illegal cause of its location. CM: Finish the sentence –Life is about… FC: Risking, failing, then feeling and learning, then winning, and then once you win doing something else. But what do I know? I only know that I know little or nothing. This interview was adapted from Cormac Moore's interview for Headcase.ie

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Opinion: From the City That Never Sleeps to the One That Wants To? By Rosemarie Reyes I hail from the city that never sleeps, New York, where if you are so inclined you could go out all night (bars and clubs can serve alcohol until 4am), go grab some grub, then proceed to the “Morning Bars” that open their doors and serve alcohol as early as 7am (Sunday being the exception at 12pm). The picture is a little different here in Galway. The law, as it stands, states that pubs are allowed to serve until 11.30pm Monday to Thursday and until 12.30am on Friday and Saturday with a half-hour ‘drinking up’ time. Here’s the thing, up until last month, it was never really enforced. Routine inspections ensure that no pub or nightclub stays open to 2am as was customary.

Pub and nightclub owners’ reaction has been swift and negative. The city’s pub guides consistently list the closing times of 2am. But this is not about inaccurate websites. Publicans and nightclub owners alike face the likelihood of reduced business if the law continues to be strictly enforced and with that the redundancies of support staff eminent. There have been many arguments in the past six weeks for and against the ordinance but none more convincing than the one put forth by NUI Galway Students’ Union President, Paul Curley. He states that up to 80% of the part-time staff in the industry are students. Hundreds of jobs would be endangered if the Gardaí continue their inspections. In a statement this month, NUI Galway

Students’ Union became the latest group to back efforts to get these hours extended, saying that the clampdown could endanger student jobs. “These same students are under massive financial pressure to save for accommodation deposits and the annual Student Contribution Charge…” said President Paul Curley. “…We are asking that the Gardaí put forward a more viable solution to the matter that won’t put hundreds of part time jobs at risk….” continues Mr. Curley. On the other hand, one could argue that if the law had been set up right from the beginning, this would be a non-issue. But it wasn’t. A 4,100 plus signed petition floats around online, gathering steam on behalf of pub and club owners to adjust the law or dispense with it

all together. An additional petition started by workers in the club and pubs industry has already collected over 3,500 signatures. Of course in extreme cases an option is available to the business, to pay fees for an extension of closing time, I.E. €410 buys you an extra 1 ½ on a weekend night. Many citizens support the tightening restrictions as they tire of the loud crowds and drunken behavior especially on the weekends. They believe the early closing of pubs and clubs is a matter of public safety. Does an hour really make a difference here? As one person posted on Facebook recently in reaction to the online petition, “ …Closing all late night premises at artificially early closing times, does not reduce public order, drunk-

enness, etc., in fact it has the opposite effect, as it merely encourages bingeing over a shorter timeframe, and creates problems at dispersal time…” A Garda spokesperson at Mill St station, said that the Gardaí were carrying out routine inspections in accordance with the law. “We are currently running an operation to ensure compliance with late licensing laws,” he said, adding that there has been “100 per cent compliance” thus far. Support amongst NUIG students is split with the majority agreeing that while the Gardaí are promoting safety, many students working at these establishments will have their hours cut, severely impacting their income while in school. Conducting an informal survey on Facebook last week,

over 75% of those polled do not support the early closings. Going forward, whatever happens it will be as untimely as the recent New York Times article promoting Galway. Here’s a handy link to the article that describes Galway as Ireland’s “most Irish city”: http://travel. nytimes.com/2012/09/09/ travel/36-hours-in-galwayireland.html?hpw The article states: “Of course, the city’s notoriously lively pubs can provide a few pints and plenty of craic (Irish slang for “a good time”) any night of the year.” Will the good times, employment and good revenue continue to roll? As we wait and see one can’t help but notice all the good “craic” we’re already missing.

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Risky Bizzness: Zombies in Westside? By Wizny Mae Eighteen months ago the graves in Rahoon cemeter y opened up and released a heap of decomposing bodies into the world. The undead, all maggot-riddled and groaning “brains… brains…” crawled and dragged themselves into Westside where they unleashed a brief but awful reign of terror. By sheer luck, the garda sergeant on duty that night had recently completed a ‘Voodoo, Incarnation, and the Undead’ module at Templemore Garda College. With a quick chant, chicken sacrifice and a soupçon of pepper spray the situation was quickly brought under control. Whilst little lasting damage was done to the denizens of Westside

and Shantalla, a number of NUIG students were caught up in the trauma of that night of terror. One student lost the only copy of her assignment; another lost the key to his locker. It just goes to show that students need to be prepared for any eventuality when they study in Galway city. Fortunately, zombie attacks are one of the many subjects that will be featured over the coming months in a new health promotion website riskybizzness.blogspot.ie. Mixing humour with factual information, the aim of the blog is, according to its front page, to inform students about ‘Everything you would ever want to know about being healthy and happy on campus but didn't get a chance to ask about cos you were too busy trying

to blag into a party at 3am...’ As well as more lighthearted features the blog will also examine more serious subjects including sexual violence, and the power of the alcohol industry. The blog is part of a wider strategy by Student Services Health Promotion to encourage students to take a risk for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. Risky Bizzness editor Rab Fulton describes the blog as “a deliberate response to all those failed health promos that highlight the damage a person can do to their physical and mental wellbeing by smoking, drinking, shagging, eating pot noodles and gacking in front of the television. That type of promotion involves lots of gory pictures, badly applied make up and loud music... But

it fails completely to recognise the simple fact that nobody, at least nobody I know, has ever died two seconds after smoking, drinking, shagging, eating pot noodles or gacking in front of the television. “Of course becoming a student and going through that whole transition to independent adult living is fraught with problems and dangers. But it is also a time of incredible fun, and part of that fun is experimentation, making mistakes and taking risks. Despite this – or maybe because of this - students will in fact do much that is beneficial for themselves; making friends, swapping ideas, participating in group events, providing emotional support for each other. Risk-taking can be very beneficial. Let’s face

becoming a student is a big risk in itself. “The problem is that all these positive risks are constantly under destructive pressure from, amongst other things, drinks promotions, advertising, and everyday societal pressures like the sexual coercion of women, or the 'that's so gay' culture that effectively blocks men from discussing problems and changing dangerous behaviour patterns.” Which is all very well, but many students have more mundane problems like getting on with flat mates or trying to clean a toilet. “Ah well now,” laughs Rab, “It’s a wellknown fact that the most successful serial killers are in fact those with the cleanest houses. Cleanliness minimises any forensic evidence. So

what I’m looking into just now is what serial killer cleaning skills can easily be adapted by students and other home makers. Trust me, serial killers have plenty of tips on how to clean a toilet.” As well as Rab, the risky bizzness team includes second year student Ciara Ford, and Cindy Dring, Student Services Health Promotion officer. They can be contacted through the blog or by dropping into the Wellness Centre at the back of The Hub. Feedback is welcome, and students are invited to send in comments, suggestions, poems, rants, recipes, photos, video clips, etc. Everybody that gets in touch will be put into a weekly and monthly prize draw. For more details see h t t p : / / r i s k y b i z z n e s s . blogspot.ie/

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F reshers ’ G uide

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New House Mates? By Luke Henderson The dawning of a new age. The freedom of college, the promise of late nights, early mornings, and plenty of hangovers. There is an apprehension attached to moving into your first student house: your housemates. Most people will not know all (if any) of their new housemates. There are pros and cons to this situation as you can well imagine and the pros far out way the cons. By not knowing your housemates before you move in, you are forced to meet new people. Not knowing your housemates opens up the opportunity of getting to know not only that housemate but some of their friends and this immediately makes your social and academic circle bigger. You would be surprised how this

might work out for you. With this I give advice: Be outgoing. There is nothing worse than spending all your time in your room and not bothering to get to know the people living with you. It’s a long year when you have no one to talk to and the cold nights in November can be pretty lonely. The camaraderie you build up in first year would surprise you and you can form some of your strongest friendships with the housemates you have. Five of my closest friends are all guys I either shared with or met in first year and we all still hang out together nearly five years on. There are the downsides, however. Loud music and tidying up are always at the top of the list of the cons. Try and get into the habit of cleaning up as you go. If each of you put in a small effort every day to clean

your house you would be surprised how homely you can make it. This also saves on headaches further down the road. If you are going to play loud music, be aware that your housemates may not share your taste and these differences don’t change at four o’clock in the morning after Sally Longs when you have found “a tune” that everyone has to know about right away. In first year the most important thing to do is enjoy yourself. Being able to at least have a conversation with the people you live with helps this process. First year is like no other year. A little bit of work and a lot of fun make for a great new opportunity. Be outgoing with the people you live with and you never know where you could end up in a years’ time. Best of luck freshers!

Problem Housemates…? By Ciara O’Brien So, we’ve all been there, you’re starting the college year, you’re more excited than you were at Christmas time when you were eight. You’ve spent the whole summer working, trying to make enough money to

keep you going during the semester. You’ve stopped going out, as much, in the hopes of detoxing yourself for what will inevitably be another tough year of attempting to learn around the parties. You’ve bought all your new stationary and most importantly, you’ve

found the perfect housemates... Right? You’ve been planning with your best mates, or indeed, complete strangers, how much fun you’re going to have together this semester and how you’ll live together in perfect harmony, partying and

studying in such a perfect ratio that there’s no way you can’t enjoy yourselves every night and pass the year beautifully, right? But what happens when you just don’t get along with your new housemates? What happens when they don’t clean up after

themselves? What happens when they don’t pay their rent? What happens when they bring a new member of the opposite sex home every night keeping you up till all hours? Not forgetting, the biggest sin, what happens when someone oversteps the boundaries of sharing? Where does one go from here? Well, after living with someone who rarely ever cleaned up after themselves – and if they did it was only after said mess was left for a few days fermenting and attracting mice – and receiving advice along the lines of “just leave all the plates and mess outside her door, when she falls over it she’ll have to clean it sher”, I have come to the conclusion that talking about it is the only way to deal with a problem with your housemates. I, maturely enough, said nothing and continued to clean up after myself and herself and ranted about it to everyone else. I would not advise this. This simply harbours resentment and makes your living arrangement a nightmare. When it comes to cleaning, talking about it is the only way. Make a rota so

everyone else gets their own day or simply agree to clean your own stuff. Make an agreement and follow through on it, there should be no problems if everyone sticks to their jobs. A much harder one to deal with is the politics of food sharing, even clothes sharing. I have seen many a friendship fall apart, dramatically from the overstepping of bounds as a result of an assumption of generosity of another housemate and “borrows” a snack or a pair of jeans and fail to ever return it. Living with other people has many advantages, but, if you’re the one who buys the most, this is not one of them. If you’re going to be living with new people this year, start it off well, when you first move in you should all sit down together and candidly discuss everything from cleaning to food protocol, everything from sharing to the use of kitchen facilities. If everything isn’t clearly discussed and established at the start of the year bitterness, passive-aggressive notes and even open hostility can be expected. Best of luck!

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Bright lights, big city: A fresher’s guide to freedom By Sinead L. Healy

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www.galwaybaymedicalcentre.ie 091 530054 SERVICES INCLUDE: Routine GP care, travel vaccines, family planning, STI screening, student services, weight management, health screening and a NEW Physiotherapy clinic opening in our premises.

FURTHER INFO ON OUR WEBSITE

Moving away from home is a big step for everyone. You have no prying eyes watching your every step (ahem, Mammy and Daddy). You are now responsible for your own actions. Freshers, welcome to the “real world”. Few naggins? Be grand! The first few weeks away from the parents are big ones. These weeks are a test of responsibility and if you can survive them, then you are set up for the rest of the year. The most important thing is learning how to balance your social life and college life (and the bank balance). Many challenges face you during the first few weeks of college: meeting people at orientation that you will never see again and drinking many drinks that you will see again the next morning. Many freshers will get lost in all the fun and games and forget the reason they are actually here. So go to your introductory talks and meet with your

mentor or you will find yourself lost one month on. Feeding time at the zoo: There are several eating spots around the college – Friars, the College Bar, Smokey’s and An Bialann. After the first few weeks of first year you will never ever take €20 for granted again. Your mind will begin to calculate money in new ways; “how much will €20 get me on nights out/ for food?” Gone are the days when all you had to do was throw whatever you wanted into the trolley when your mother was shopping. Tesco own brand, Aldi and Lidl will become your new cuisine. This is not an assignment you can do the night before: challenge accepted! Ah the elusive assignments. Google and Wikipedia will become your new best friends. The copy and paste options will be used more than Facebook and all-nighters before the deadlines will become common occurrences.

But don’t worry; if you find yourself in too deep there is plenty of help around the college. Drop into the student services centre in ground floor in Aras Uí Chathail for more information. Facebook: It’s a big part of students’ lives. Certain courses have their own group pages for NUI Galway, set up by the students and for the students. You can chat to other people in your course and can help one another. Get in contact with your class rep and ask them to give you a helping hand with setting it up. So if you’re home at the weekend and your mother is giving out to you for being on facebook you can always tell her it’s for the greater good of your studies. The infamous James Hardiman library: With over 900 checkins on Facebook, it’s safe to say that the library is a popular place to be. Mostly for all the wrong reasons i.e.: warmth, free internet and creeping spots. It’s harder to get into than karma near exam time if you don’t have your student card. For first years it’s a daunting place, but you’ll soon get used to it. Big yellow thing why you exist? I’m sure it has some higher purpose in the college. I’ve heard some random explanations as to what it is and seen even more random pictures of people using it for sleeping or planking. For the first week you can use it as a guide if you get lost or a meeting point with friends; “Sure I’ll meet ya at the big yellow yoke!”

There’s always something on in Galway- this Ferris wheel was part of the Volvo Ocean Race

The next 9 months are going to fly but make sure to make the most of it. Take advantage of every opportunity the college has to offer and you won’t regret a thing.

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 NUI Galway Students' Un

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 Hi Everyone! Welcome to Uni! To the returning students, I hope you had a great summer, and to the Freshers, I’d like to welcome you to best few years of your life. We are all in 3rd level education in interesting times and this year I would like to ask all students to raise your game while in NUIG. Whether it be volunteering in your free time or getting your average up from a 2.2 to a 2.1. Finally may I ask all students to engage with the SU on the campaigns we run this year so we can help you with the issues students are facing?

The SU Pages

The SU Pages in Sin are designed to keep you up to date with what’s going on in the SU. We’re aiming for a short to-the-point summary in each issues of what the SU has been up to since the last issue of Sin. I hope you find the SU Pages useful and informative. Paul Curley, Students’ Union President

Burning to try out a new idea? EXPLORE seeks applications from students and staff The first scheme of its kind in Irish higher education, the EXPLORE Innovation Initiative invites NUI Galway students and staff to collaborate on innovative, new projects. Students and staff team up, devise a project to benefit NUI Galway and/or the wider community, apply for €1,000 funding and, where successful, deliver this project within the 2012/2013 academic year. NUI Galway and the Students' Union joined forces in early 2012 to introduce EXPLORE, which is supported by the NUI Galway Bright Ideas Initiative and the Student Projects Fund. EXPLORE proved to be a great hit and has now opened again for applications. To apply, just complete the straightforward, one-page application form and submit it by the 12 October deadline. Projects need to display: (1) Partnership – a minimum of one NUI Galway student and one NUI Galway staff member must sign off on each project (more team members are welcome) (2) Innovation – projects cannot already be carried out on campus and should not form part of a core function that should be carried out (3) Sustainability (4) Impact on NUI Galway and/or the wider community EXPLORE projects can be student led or staff/academic led and can be about any topic that involves NUI Galway campus life...culture, employability, teaching, cross-campus provision, engagement in lectures, learning spaces, the environment, sport, civic engagement, student support, technology, whatever takes your fancy... Previous EXPLORE participants have found it very satisfying to turn an idea into reality and have a greater say on campus, plus they’ve gained new skills, boosted their CV and expanded their network.

What are you waiting for? Apply Now! Find out more and apply at www.su.nuigalway.ie/explore

WHAT? The Class Rep campaign has already started. WHO? All students are eligible to be elected class reps, with usually one rep for every 100 students. WHERE? There will be lecture shout outs, which will provide information on the role of a class rep. We will then elect a class rep, so make sure to raise your hand if you want to become a class rep. WHY? Becoming a Class Rep is a great experience; you will learn great life skills such as leadership, public speaking and problem-solving. You will represent your class in terms of making decisions for the Students’ Union and helping your class solve any issues that may arise over the year. There are also loads of free goodies and freebies such as a class rep hoody and ‘fat man pants’ and a ticket for the first annual Class Reps’ mystery tour. HOW? Look out for any SU Officers who come into your class over the coming weeks and make sure to raise your hand when one of the officers asks who wants to be a class rep. For any further information on Class Reps, please contact Conor Stitt, the Education Officer in the Students’ Union.

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí ...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

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Gaeilge Gaeilge Gaeilge

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Secondhand

Bookstore Secondhand Bookstore Secondhand Bookstore

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Grinds Register Grinds Register Grinds Register

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Cloakroom SU Cloakroom SU Cloakroom

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Lockers SU Lockers SU Lockers

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...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

SU Life SU Life SU Life

Skills Skills Skills

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R e p re s e n t a t i o n R eI p reasdeaní o ta on c thito n R eI p re s e n t a o n a d a í o c thito n Ionadaíocht Education Advice & Services Education Advice &Oideachais Services Seirbhísí & Comhairle Education Advice &Oideachais Services Seirbhísí & Comhairle Seirbhísí & Comhairle Oideachais

Welfare Campaigns Welfare Campaigns Feachtasaí Leasa Welfare Campaigns Feachtasaí Leasa Feachtasaí Leasa Entertainment Entertainment Siamsaíocht Entertainment Siamsaíocht Siamsaíocht

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{sin} 14–01

F eatures

{21} 17–09

Fresher Guide to NUI Galway By Áine O Donnell Welcome to NUI Galway. By choosing NUI Galway, you already know that you’re in for an amazing college experience and a great education. But there are some things that you are yet to learn. Forget the modh coinníollach and William Shakespeare, your NUI Galway education starts right here: Nightlife: Galway is Ireland’s party capital and there are plenty of clubs and pubs to choose from when heading out. Entry to pubs is free and entry to nightclubs is cheap if you have a stamp. Stamps are given out on Shop Street by promotions staff. This year the clubs close at 1:30am and the pubs at 11:30pm thanks to a new Garda Superintendent in Galway (they’re probably getting revenge for “Who’s a Sexy Garda”). Bentley is a new club in Galway and is proving to be quite popular. Karma and Carbon are always busy and are relatively cheap for entry. Coyotes has cheap drinks but it’s not for the faint hearted. Electric Garden, formerly CPs, is newly refurbished and is located off Shop Street. No matter where you’re heading, the night always ends in one place: Supermacs is the place to get a bit of food after a night out and catch up on all the craic.

Weather: The only downside to living in Galway is the weather. The weather consists of lashing rain, misty rain, windy rain and on a nice day, light rain. Bringing your coat everywhere is essential because there is nothing worse than sitting in a lecture like a wet dog with your previously gorgeous make-up sliding down your face. Galway weather is like the TV License inspector: you always get caught when you least expect it and you never want to see it coming. Get that coat on! Stationary: College isn’t like school where you bought a brand new pencil case and filled it with lovely new pens and pencils. At college, you have one pen and if you forget it you are in trouble because everyone has only one pen. Opt for the one with the four colours, you can make your notes and scribblings look so much more appealing with a bit of green and red. You should remember that the key to surviving in university is economy: you have no money, no time and no space. Get a big copy with dividers that you can throw all your notes into, which makes everything much easier to find at exam time. Don’t buy all the books the lecturers tell you to get. They’re very expensive and, for the most part, are not necessary. All

the books are available in the library, but they will go fast, and the student union book shop sells used books at a cheaper price. Library: The sooner you learn to use the library the better. The library system seems complicated but they offer tours which are very useful. You will need the library for books for your course and for extra material when you are writing essays. It’s a good place to spend time you have between lectures because

they have wifi for catching up on Grey’s Anatomy or for a quick look on Facebook. The library is always busy, especially during exam time. During the exams, people arrive at the library at 7am to get seats when it opens at 8am and then stay there all day. You have as much chance of winning the Euromillions as getting a seat with a plug during exam time. Always have your student card with you because you may be refused entry by the door attend-

ant/bouncer wannabe. Miscellaneous: Get to know the landmarks in the college in case you need directions or have to meet someone; the most important ones are the College Bar, the Yellow Thing and the Bialann. Try to arrive at your lectures on time because having 500 faces staring at you while you stumble down the stairs of the O’ Flaherty is quite intimidating. It is best to agree a price with the taxi man before you leave so you

get value for money, usually €2 each is a good starting point. If you are feeling a bit worse for wear, the College Bar has €3 chicken rolls: the perfect hangover cure. Find out which subjects give marks for attendance because that will come back to haunt you. Make friends with the people in your class, they can cover for you if you don’t manage to make it to college that day. Fáilte go Gaillimh: where we put the wayhey in Galwayhey!

Socs day in the Bailey Allen Hall

First Year Experience: Take Three By Sinead R. Healy I don’t remember much about my first university lecture. There was something about the library. Course schedules. A table quiz. I do remember that we won second place in the table quiz. I was a peer mentor the next year. Same spiel, same table quiz. My first years won of course, I mean what was the point of being a peer mentor if I couldn’t impart my wisdom and expertise? There was Haribo at stake! “ F i r s t y e a r d o e s n ’t count.” That’s what they told

me. It’s the main detail that sticks in my mind from those initial days. It was all but obligatory to pass on this sage advice. Actually, first year was probably wasted on me. But that was that, right? First year only happens once and then it’s gone forever. That was the general plan: do college, do something else, live happily ever after. Flash forward four years; first year, again. New college. New course. It was basically like a do-over. Except this time I had a shiny Bachelor’s degree under my belt. What could possibly go wrong? But I was a post-graduate first

year. I couldn’t be asking for directions and checking a map. That was for the real first years. “But I’m not really a first year,” I usually clarified, after admitting to being a first year. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I was a post-grad first year. Not quite the same thing. This attitude meant that I kept circling the Marine Science Institute and secretly checking the map on my phone. I won’t admit how long this went on before I stumbled across the right building. Being a newbie to Galway, I foolishly believed the forecast of good weather

and assumed this buildingfinding mission would be a quick one. Instead, I got soaked to the bone wandering around for ages. It was a day of mistakes. It was like I was getting worse at first year. Although I’m bad with directions, I maintain that this map is a work of fiction. It’s not just me. An unnamed friend got a security escort to this same building because she looked so distraught. If you go in a certain gate, it’s actually stupidly obvious, but not so much with construction site blockades. And there are even more construction sites this year.

That brings me to this year. First year take three. A wise old saying: third time is the charm. I couldn’t get as stupidly lost or confused this time. I pretty much knew the place. I knew people. I knew the system. Or maybe not. There’s an induction talk scheduled in a place that I’ve never heard of before. I’ve been slightly stumped by some of the paperwork and administration stuff. Now I get lost in buildings instead of around them. Third time might not be the charm. They also say bad things happen in threes. It could go either way. Regardless, this is my

last time re-experiencing first year. It probably won’t be too long before it’s a vague blur. Firsts are usually a big deal. By the time it comes to the first year at college, you’ve gotten through a massive amount of firsts already – first word, first birthday, first day at school etc. So what makes first year so hard? First year is what you make of it. It might be the best, worst or something in the middle. There could be a wedding dress or hairy chest involved. It is impossible to say. The only way to find out is by doing it. Best of luck!

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F eatures

14–01

Making Your Money Last By Ciara Treacy

Having finally made the transition to college, most of you are probably living away from home for the first time with high hopes, packed bags and a wallet skinnier than Victoria Beckham. Chances are you’re living the clichéd poor student lifestyle (luckily our club welcomes new members) and need some advice on how to save your cash. They say early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Of course this won’t happen over the course of your time in NUIG so here are a few other ways to help your money go further; Household Expenses They are called necessities for a reason, so please spend what you must in this case. Also resist the temptation to steal toilet rolls from Áras Moyola (yes Bathroom Bandit, I’ve heard about you). Buying in bulk always helps and applying for a clubcard in the grocery store of your choice means you can get something back for your shopping. If desperate times call for desperate measures, hibernating on the top floor of the library in winter will save you bundles on heating. To save credit on calling family and friends whenever you get homesick, opt for webtexts or stay in touch through Facebook. Academic Expenses While studying with the right resources is important, before you buy any books for your modules, wait and see if you really need them. Unless they have interactive blah-de-blahs, chances are you won’t. Lecturers often tell you a book is compulsory to purchase and old editions are out of date (has the anatomy of the human body really changed that much since 2007?) but they will be kind enough to tell you which bookshop sells it for cheaper, so it’s okay. You listen to them and rush out to buy the required reading; after all

they wrote the book so they would know! James Hardiman is your go-to guy but return books on time to avoid pesky fines. Appearance Expenses My policy is: if a clothes shop doesn’t offer a student discount, it doesn’t exist. Bear durability and practicality in mind before buying anything. A dress with bold prints may look amazing one night, but once you’ve been tagged in 10+ pictures wearing it on Facebook you’ll probably be sick of it. On the other hand a black dress can be made new time and time again with different make-up and accessories. As for the gym, buying a year’s membership actually requires you to go from time to time so consider whether outdoor jogs will keep you fit in the long run (excuse the pun) instead. Food and Drink Moving away from home, your Mammy will probably ensure you leave with a basket of baked goods and a few books on home cooking for beginners. The cupcakes are eaten by the time the bus arrives in Galway and while Nigella Lawson may have truffle oil on hand at all times it’s not so easy to find in Dunnes. Alternatively the infamous €3 chicken roll is a delicacy for every college student. Water is cost effective and beneficial for your health and as for alcohol, never underestimate the power of a sneaky naggin (particularly the next morning). Suspicious brands are not recommended - ask yourself are you really that cheap? Entertainment Expenses Ah clubs, the only businesses that truly understand the plight of the broke university student. You’ll usually find a place with special offers or free admission before midnight; if entry is too expensive for you, give the bouncer a hug while running past him into the club simultaneously

without paying (boobs are kind of a prerequisite for this to work - sorry lads!). Instead of going to the cinema, have a few friends over to watch a DVD with the lights off and microwave some popcorn for added effect. If you want a really cheap thrill, spend the day in your apartment throwing a ball around without it dropping à la Joey and Ross in Friends. A great part of university life which can help you save money in all respects is free stuff. We all know that person who milks charity and event t-shirts for all they’re worth and constantly looks like a walking advertisement. If all else fails return to your Junior Cert Business days and do a budget of income and expenditure. Remember how happy you used to be when they balanced in class? Why not obtain this simple pleasure again by sticking to a spending plan! If you’re in a really bad way check out the latest Youtube hit detailing an NUIG student’s plan to live in a tent to save money. You may laugh but then again it’s probably cleaner than Corrib Village.

{sin} 17–09

{sin} 14–01

{23}

Features

17–09

J1 Summer in the Sun By Sean Dunne

Like thousands of other students this summer, I was part of the tale that will be known as The Irish summer in the sun or for many, what they regard as the best summer of their lives, and this of course is The Irish J1. With destinations such as Chicago, New York, and Boston in mind it was hard to break away from the East Coast and make the decision to head to the Sunny West coast of California. Armed with two female blonde bombshells, we landed in San Francisco. And so begins the tale of the highs and lows of the American dream – mindful that the highs outweigh the lows. Having heard of the previous tales of record numbers of students having to return home because of lack of work on the west coast in comparison to the East coast, three care free spirits such as ourselves were not going to be deterred from living our American dream in San Francisco. As all J1 tales begin, we had the horrors of hostel hopping while in search of the apartment of our dreams. With grand ideas of city summer living and

being in the heart of this amazingly diverse and chilled out city, reality hit like a ton of bricks and we soon discovered that leading the atypical J1 and a more "grown up summer" was perhaps going to be an issue as rent prices in San Francisco have seen a dramatic increase in recent months, so with the hostel issue becoming a major issue for us, we got on the 20 minute train ride to Berkeley and landed in the east bay area. Berkeley having become a haven for other Irish students like us. It seemed like the best option – cheaper rent, as clichéd as it sounds an Irish community and vast amounts of frat houses just waiting for the summer to begin to throw the infamous "Frat Party". Having spent five months studying abroad in Boston two years previously I knew what to expect from such infamous parties, and two years later sense still had not prevailed and I was as excited as I had been before. So having secured a house and a job in the restaurant industry in San Francisco it was time to kick-start this J1. A lot of people have the perception of a summer in

America as something like a scene taken from "American Pie". In many aspects it is an apt perception. The funny thing I noticed on this J1 is how amazing it truly is to be Irish. The sense of community really is truly amazing. Living in a place like Berkeley really does make you stand out, especially when you have 60 Irish students wandering around the streets in search of the frat party, and all it takes is one American girl to fall for the charms of the Irish accent on the Irish boy, and that is the key to the best party in town, well for one night at least. The Irish J1 is a wonderful chance to experience American culture from working in the summer tourism industries, meet a great lot of new friends and for some they fall in love. Working in the restaurant industry isn't as glamorous as it looks in the movies. It's a lot of dodging the boss at all costs, as you’re supposed to be pitching the great American public with the lunch menu, when instead you’re hiding in the bathroom on your phone. Of course there are the days you don't want to work a 9 hour shift because of the

effects of being out the night before has done and of course it's California – it’s always sunny. Looking back now it all seems surreal. Sexing it up stateside would be a bit of an understatement for a lot of the students on J1 this summer. The budding romances that begin to be established with the boy from the fraternity or the Irish girl that is actually 10 minutes from where you live in Ireland but you never knew her. The J1 summer stirs up a lot of exciting new friendships and of course new shifting buddies. Come on we're Irish, what would the Americans expect? San Francisco is an amazing place and being in a city as liberal as this was amazing and we were lucky enough to be there

to take part in the Gay Pride celebrations and the 4th of July celebrations. The celebrations for both these events were on a par with our own St. Patrick’s Day sessions. It was amazing to watch such diversity be accepted so naturally during the whole weekend of festivities, but this is what San Francisco represents liberty and acceptance. I think a lot of people get different things from the whole J1 experience and again it probably comes down to how old you are. For us we were all 23 and had just finished college, so this was the big adventure and while we partied hard it was also a good bridge for the beginning of adulthood. The American Summer experience is one I

think any student who can afford it should par take in. We made the infamous trip up to Las Vegas and it is true what they say “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" so enough on that. Summer 2012 for any Irish J1 reveller will be one that will remain in memory for many years to come. J1ers come and go every year so the industry and landlords know what to expect but I think one thing we gain ourselves is that of being part of a summer of sun, sea, and surprise. Anyone who went stateside this summer certainly lived the dream, and on this very wet and windy afternoon in Ireland, I have to think was it all just a dream or was it possibly the best summer of my life.

Caifé na

Gaeilge ...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

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with Lettuce, Tomato & Mayo Hot Option of the Day 

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{24} Arts & Entertainment {sin} 14–01

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Summer Film Review By Jane Kearns and Kenneth Glennon Summer is always a good time for cinema goers, it’s that time of year when film companies release a plethora of action packed blockbusters, rom-coms and family friendly comedies, and summer 2012 was the year they upped their game in terms of releasing some of the most highly anticipated films of recent years. Three of the most successful films have all come from different genres, but all have something thing in common; they caused excitement among audiences and drew in enormous amounts of money in box offices around the globe. Here are reviews of the biggest comedy, animation and action of the summer. Brave: This August saw the release of the 13th film from the hugely successful Pixar franchise; Brave follows the life of tomboy princess Merida (voiced by Kelly McDonald) and her family, but unlike the incredibly original stories that Pixar usually creates; Brave is more in keeping with the traditional Disney plotline. We get a princess, her regal mother, tough father, a witch and even some possible suitors for the lovely princess, however in typical Pixar fashion the story is of course changed to make it more contemporary and fun. The story starts off like any other fairy tale; we see a king fight off a monster to protect his family and save his vast Scottish kingdom, flash-forward and we see that his daughter has grown up to become a beautiful young woman with a fiery personality and hair to match. From here you’d expect the typical plot of the princess looking for love and getting into some dangerous situations along the way, but as always, all will end well when the man of her dreams swoops in and saves the day. Brave approached the age old tale slightly differently, the result being an uplifting story about family, respect and independence. One thing that stood out more than the plot was

the fantastic animation and beautiful imagery that Brave presented us with, from the very beginning viewers are treated to an array of vibrant colours and impressively accurate interpretations of the Scottish highlands, as well as the typically strange and amusing portrayals of people and animals that Pixar almost always produce. In typical Pixar fashion, Brave delivers both aesthetically and narratively, and as always proves that animated films can be as appealing to adults as they are to children. The Dark Knight Rises: The final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s hugely successful Batman saga, The Dark Knight Rises delivers spectacular action, a dream team cast and easily the most emotionally involving entry in the series. Picking up eight years after the traumatic events in The Dark Knight we find Bruce Wayne, having hung up his cape and cowl, retreated into self-imposed exile. A shadow of the man from previous outings, Christian Bale as the Dark Knight and the script give us the man behind the mask more comprehensively than ever before, with grave wounds inflicted from past battles long before the arrival in Gotham of a masked terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) and cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway in a knockout performance) draw Wayne out of retirement. With the focus of the story back on Bruce Wayne/ Batman, Christian Bale delivers his finest performance in the role. And as the drama escalates from Kyle casually thieving a pearl necklace from Wayne manor into Gotham under nuclear siege, Nolan never loses focus from the human elements in his epic. Among the picture’s many aces is the casting of English star Hardy as Bane; physically formidable and endlessly charismatic Hardy dominates almost every scene he’s in and presents Batman with his most physical and psychologically threatening adversary. Other star turns include Hans Zimmer’s magnificent score, Michael Caine’s Alfred,

Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox as Bruce’s triumvirate of key allies in protecting his city, whilst Joseph Gordon Levitt and Marion Cottillard do fine work as a as a Gotham street cop and philanthropist respectively. Bruising in its action and shockingly poignant for $250 million worth of Hollywood entertainment The Dark Knight Rises is summer movie magic at its finest. Te d : W h e n F a m i l y Guy creator Seth MacFarlane announced that he was releasing his first live action film, fans rejoiced and waited impatiently for the film’s summer release, but upon hearing that the title character was a talking teddy bear most of us became sceptical and expected nothing but disappointment from MacFarlane, and for the most part quite a few of us were left feeling just that; let down and disappointed. The opening scenes set the tone of the overall story and ease the viewer into the idea of the film being midway between a Christmas story spoof and an all-out filthy comedy; we see that a once unpopular young boy wished for his toy bear to be real, his wish comes true and the pair grow up together, from here the real story starts and we get to know slacker John (Mark Wahlberg) and his drug taking, womanising bear named Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). The main plot line of Ted is that John wants to move on with his life and girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis), while Ted wants to stay single and reckless for the rest of their lives; it’s the typical storyline of many ‘bromance’ comedies like Old School and You Me and Dupree, and the whole story basically follows the formula of this genre. Throw in some Family Guy references, strange sex scenes and magic and you get Ted, despite this the film did have some genuinely funny moments and strange cameos from Norah Jones and Ryan Reynolds that made it bearable and even enjoyable at times.

Dear Darcy, Help! I’m in a serious pickle struggling to decide whether or not I should continue my current relationship with my boyfriend throughout college. I will be starting my first year of university in NUI Galway and he will be working back home in Dublin which means that we will probably only see each other once a month if we’re lucky. He really does mean a lot to me but I’m afraid that if I stay with him then I’ll miss out on the best parts of University. I don’t want to lose him but I’m not sure how I can make it work? Dear Serious Pickle, I feel for you missus pickle this is a common, troubling dilemma for many first years and indeed for students from any year of university. Unfortunately you cannot have the best of both worlds, by this I mean that you can’t keep your man at home and then play away in university too. It wouldn’t be fair on the poor guy and I’m sure that your conscious wouldn’t be feeling too great about it either. In light of this I would advise you to ask yourself honestly if this person and the connection that you share with them are worth sacrificing some of the enjoyment of your first year of university. If you decide to stay with your man be aware that although it may be diffi-

Dear Serious Pickle, First of all stop prancing around the verge of irritating-indecision-woman. Make a damn choice already it’s hardly the quest of a genius and God help you if it was. Secondly surely if you are already considering breaking up with him then you shouldn’t even be considering a longdistance relationship?! We are blessed with the ability to rationalise for a reason, love, try giving yours a go. Thirdly relax, simple-minded first year, I have broken down this so-called ‘conundrum’ for your limited brain cells to grasp. There is but one blatantly simple thing that you must ask yourself: is this person (poor oblivious fool that he is) worth depriving yourself of sex for weeks, dare I say it, months at a time? If so then word-to-the-less-wise, my generous advice to you would be: invest in a good quality laptop camera for your inevitable hours of awkward, first year skype sex. Also there is absolutely nothing seri-

cult at times when you miss him it may make your rendezvous with him even more of an exciting, enjoyable novelty. Also remember that although it may feel at times that you and your beloved are oceans apart you will only be two hours away from each other at any one time. Finally if you do decide to end things with your mister do be sure to engage in sex the safe way honey, nobody likes to end their first year with a nasty rash or a baby in tow. Enjoy first year sweetpea, you are certain to love it whichever path you choose to go with.

Hugs —Darcy

ous about your so-called ‘pickle’. It is, I believe, a wonder in itself that you have even managed to secure yourself this poor lad’s pickle. Finally, as my limited patience comes to an end, I will extend one more gem of wisdom, though I genuinely doubt the ability of your miniscule first year brain in absorbing it: strap on a pair of testicles and either dump this sucker or go find yourself a few new pickles. It sounds to me like all your frazzled self needs is a good oldfashioned seeing to. Keep me updated on this search, if none are forthcoming, you have a decent bod and I’m feeling generous...

That’s Life, Barnacle

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

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Electric Picnic 2012: An EPic Weekend By Shannon McNamee The sun came out, the alcohol went in, the pictures were taken, the craic was had. Electric Picnic 2012 was a weekend anyone who wasn’t there will be jealous of for years. With Ireland’s summer weather pretty much packed into one weekend, and an enthralling line up, this year’s EP was one of the best yet. Organisers said on Facebook: “Where do we start? Just wanted to say thanks to anyone who took part in Electric Picnic 2012! We'd really like it to start all over again. Thanks to all the volunteers, cleaners, staff ... basically thanks to anyone who was involved in the making of what we think was the best EP to date.” With stellar banter absolutely oozing out of what seemed almost every square inch of the place, no one could complain about boredom, that’s for sure.

And with something for absolutely everyone under the sun, the Picnic had it all covered. From the rave in the woods that went on until the early hours, to the political debates rambling on in Mindfields, and everything in between, the weekend was filled to the gills with variety. Friday started the weekend with a boom, with headlining acts that night being Christy Moore, Ed Sheeran and Sigur Rós. Jamaican reggae legend Little Roy played the Crawdaddy stage and wooed the crowd with his laid back Jamaican swag and songs that no one could resist skanking to. The Vaccines performance was poppy, electric and fast paced, and quite frankly I still have the chorus of ‘If You Wanna’ stuck in my head. Having people sneak past barriers and security guards to get into a jam packed gig is really something that stands to DJ

Richie Hawtin’s set on Friday night. All I’ll say is, if you haven’t heard of him before, look him up. People were literally creeping into jam-packed circus tents to listen to him. An electric performance for an electric weekend. I’m sure for many of the EP-goers, the later parts of the night are harder to recall, so let’s roll on to Saturday morning. Those of us who were up before afternoon were treated to Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ played by the Trinity Orchestra. The air was warm, the sun was shining again and the atmosphere was indescribable. The festival was in full swing and everyone was enjoying this easy morning flake-out to some psychedelic tunes with a beer or a chai tea, or an ostrich burger, if that’s what tickles your fancy. In the woods, a small haven for all things reggae, lay a place called Trenchtown. Everything

was painted in Rastafarian colours, reggae music constantly booming, Jamaican food on the BBQ and small bracelets and the likes for the sale. Trenchtown was like stepping into a parallel universe for those of us with a reggae soul. Nearby, also in the heart of the woods was the Salty Dog stage – literally a shipwreck in the middle of a forest, used as a stage. This was the place for late night tunes and shenanigans. Every corner of EP had a different character. My favourite part of the whole festival was the Body and Soul area – earthy and artsy and with multiple stages and food stalls and oddities in general. This was an Electric Picnic must-see, where the craic went on all night long, until sleepy, sobering up campers stumbled back to their tents, if they could find the right one (those campsites are dark). Headliners, The Cure, more than pleased the

crowd by playing the main stage for hours; showing everyone that after all this time they still have it; blaring out favourites like ‘Lovecats’ and of course ever-pleasing ‘Friday I’m in Love’. Next to the main stage on Saturday night was Orbital, whose performance was indescribably mind-blowing – a gig to go down in history that left everyone feeling fantastically exhausted when they finished their set, at around 3am. Possibly the highlight of the festival for many, Orbital were insane. Sunday seemed to start off lazy and content, with many people nursing hangovers in hot tents. I decided to get up early and have some chai in Body and Soul and explore this early morning glory. Sunday’s weather was glorious, and ended the festival on a high note. Reggae legends Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Max Romeo took to the stage in

Ye Olde Quilt Fest took place in the Bailey Allen Hall this summer. Photo by Joe Hyland.

the afternoon and made everyone feel righteous and groovy, and later on Villagers, Cathy Davey, John Talabot, and Ben Howard were only a small fraction of the amazing acts wowing crowds all over the place. Hot Chip and the Killers were Sunday’s headliners and both bands pulled off amazing, performances. However, The Killers who were inhabiting the main stage managed to create, without difficulty, an electric atmosphere with thousands of people singing along to ‘Mr.Brightside’, and the words ‘I got soul but I’m not a soldier’ echoing the whole site for the rest of the night. To try describing the experience of the festival in less than a thousand words is impossible. It really was an amazing, out-of-thisworld experience, and something that everyone should encounter at least once in their lives. Bring on Electric Picnic 2013!

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Man Burned at the Stake in Limerick By Conor Lane Death by fire was a form of ultimate humiliation and punishment for those unlucky enough to suffer such a fate in the mediaeval era. The act of tying another human being to a large wooden stake - naked with only a jacket smeared in sulphur to keep them warm (well at least until he was set on fire) - and watching them burn to death was seen as a way of cleansing evil spirits from the community. Simply reading the back cover of Harry Potter in this era would have meant at least a hanging. Nowadays, acts of heresy and witchcraft are responded to with “enough of your gibberish”, which is much less extreme than having your body cindered to a crisp in front of the whole village. Steve Spade is a man of many tricks and talents. Whilst magic and esca-

pology may be his forte, he is also a comedian and mind-reader. There aren’t many famous magicians in Ireland so it’s only natural that you would think of Keith Barry first (I’m not judging). In fact, my knowledge of magic is limited to that of David Blaine, the great endurance artist of our era. Morgan Strebler, a professional magic adviser who has helped Blaine, also lent a hand to Spade in his most daring stunt yet, which took place in Limerick on Saturday, the 15th of September. The event, titled “Night of Fires”, was performed at the mediaeval King John’s Castle in Limerick as part of the inaugural Elemental Arts & Culture Festival. Spade called the illusion “Sacrifice - Without Fear There Is No Courage”. He was tied to a stake on a platform surrounded by logs that were set alight

by several torchbearers. He then had 60 seconds to escape while the fire rose and smoke began to cover his body. He explained before the stunt took place: “Steve will have to fight for his life, and every second counts. With the flames burning at his feet, he will have to make the escape of his life at record speed, with no room for error. Even though the escape is near impossible, Steve will also have to worry about smoke inhalation, which can prove fatal it. It certainly won’t be an event for the fainthearted.” Steve said: “This illusion has never before been performed in Europe, which is what attracted me to do it as a magician and escape artist. I am fully aware of the huge risks associated with attempting this escape, but am confident that the work that I have carried out in

recent months will stand to me on the night. The Elemental Festival has provided me with the ideal platform to perform the illusion, considering King John’s Castle’s direct links with the Middle Ages and the festival’s earth, wind and fire theme.” This is not the first time the man from Coonagh has made headlines in Ireland for performing dangerous stunts. Last year in Limerick, Spade was lowered into the River Shannon in a sealed box through which he successfully escaped. Spade has been around for several years and has even performed magic

tricks for superstar Rihanna at her after-concert party at Dublin’s Wright Venue. She’s not just a pop star but also the princess of China now, apparently. What is even more apparent is that Steve Spade will be a man to watch in years to come. He aims his magic at non-believers. “You have to beat the skeptics. Otherwise, it’s not worth it,” he explains. “The reaction from people is the best part.” His hero is Harry Houdini. Spade tried to emulate his idol in the past by performing the “100foot rope escape” where you have three minutes to be tied up and just two

minutes to escape. Spade completed his objective well inside the allotted time. Men like Steve Spade and David Blaine may not be as appreciated in the same breath as pop stars and other artists. You might be asking yourself why men like Spade perform such dangerous stunts. Is it to prove something to themselves? How far can they go? Are they crazy? But people like Spade and Blaine remind us of just what our bodies are capable of withstanding and that we are infinitely more resourceful than we give ourselves credit for.

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‘Rhythm Scheme is…’ By Ebhan Loughlin On Thursday 6 Sept e m b e r, a n y o n e w h o happened to be around Bridge Street from 10pm onwards witnessed something special. The force that is Rhythm Scheme and their cohorts of dedicated fans and admirers roared through Kelly’s Bar once again, this time embarking on just part one of the multi-faceted and tentatively-titled Big September Adventure which they have planned this month. Three years is a long time to be away. Since arriving back from Dublin a year ago I have found it increasingly difficult to break back into the swing of things when balanced with a minimum-wage-

maximum-effort bartending gig on the very cold outskirts of the warm and cosy cultural melting pot cooking up beyond Shop Street. Rhythm Scheme has fast become one of the leading live acts in operation within the Galway locality and much to my annoyance I have failed time after time to attend the one night where attendance is now simply mandatory. Now equipped with a new apartment in the centre of everything and a recent migration back to the fast times of college life, it has only been recently that I have been able to immerse myself once again in Galway as well as the jaw-dropping talent and potential of nights out like Rhythm

Scheme which this great little city has to offer. Rhythm Scheme is a drum and bass-orientated live act which has quite successfully and consistently reworked and remixed the Galway music scene since its beginning around eighteen months ago. Despite some changes to personnel since then, this trifecta of Galway musicians include the much acclaimed local celebrity DJ Byrno, talented American drummer Edward Martin and fluorescent green guitarist Jimmy Moran. Supported by stellar performances from DJs Adrohan and Mark Lavin with guest slots from Evan Gibbons and Mozy Healy, the night as a whole was another perfect example of how

you can achieve a modern, home-grown affordable and thoroughly enjoyable fusing of the pub and club atmosphere. Although admittedly I claim to be no expert of the genre of music they crafted on the night, I do admire it and what the experience as a whole represents. You walk in; you might avail of some rum and coke at the bar downstairs before paying your fiver and ascending that spiral staircase to choose your part to play in the night’s proceedings. Whether that be in the thick of it on the dance floor basically nose-to-nose with the acts, sitting in the back near the bar or overlooking from the gallery nodding your head along and sipping your drink to

the beat you can feel the difference between this and an average night. At events like this you earn the sweat on your back; the perfect excuse to let out the frustrations of the day no matter what background you come from, your age, your tastes or your preferences. The confined location of Kelly’s enhances the intimate nature of such an event however, with the coming injection of the students to the city as the college year kicks off; perhaps it is time to bring this to a bigger stage. The key word here is ‘accessible’. You don’t have to be too into your DnB or any electronic music for that matter to enjoy this. According to the event page for their

shows, the lads draw inspiration from a wide range of internationally recognisable acts; from Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Erol Alkan and Boys Noize to QOTSA, Foo Fighters and the Beastie Boys you can see the strong cocktail of influences and the mesh of genres and styles which have brought about Rhythm Scheme’s distinctive sound and image. Next up for Rhythm Scheme is the much-anticipated Freshers’ Ball in the College Bar on Sunday September 16th followed in quick succession by their second ‘adventure’ in Kelly’s Bar on Thursday the 20th. On the evidence of their opening gig of the college year, both of these nights should under no circumstances be missed.

Vince ceist uirthi , an é an t-athair agus tá sé soiléir ón bhfreagra a fhaigheann sé gurbh é! Níl Grace críochnaithe lena cluiche

dorcha. Bígí ag breathnú ar Ros na Rún gach Dé Máirt agus Déardaoin ag 8.30 i.n. ar TG4 nó tá an ollchlár

ann gach Domhnach ag 10.30i.n. Tuilleadh eolais faoin gclár ag www.rosnarun. com

Ros na Rún ar ais! Le Sinéad Ní Chormaic Bhí tús dorcha ag an tsraith nua do Ros na Rún, lán de dhrámaíocht agus tragóid nuair a thosaigh sé Dé Máirt seo caite. Ar eagla nach bhfaca sibh é, seo na scéalta is mó atá ag tarlú faoi láthair. Admháil Barry a ghrá do Frances tar éis dó cúpla pionta a chaith siar. D’éirigh Frances mícompordach, cheap sí go raibh an t-ól ag labhairt in aghaidh a mheon. D'iarr sí leis gan fanacht mar go mbeadh náire air amárach. Leanann Barry Frances agus ionsaíonn sé í. Tagann Jason isteach sa seomra in am chun Barry a stopadh! Ionsaíonn sé Barry go dtí nach bhfuil anál fágtha aige. Tagann Frances , Jason agus Tadhg ar réiteach chun fail réidh leis a chorp. Tá Frances bhocht trína chéile faoin rud ar fad. An mbeidh siad in ann an rún seo a cheilt ó mhuintir na háite? D’imigh Gráinne abhaile le Mack tar éis an chóisir. "Píosa spraoi a bhí ann” a dúirt sí ach an bhfuil níos mó ná sin i gceist do Ghráinne? An bhfuil Mack in ann ag caidreamh nua? Nó an bhfuil sé fós i ngrá le Róise?

Tagann Grace ar ais agus tugann Bríd cead di fanacht ina sean seomra. Tá Bríd ag ceapadh go bhfuil Grace agus a buach-

aill cara ag argóint. Níl Vince in ann focal ar bith a rá nuair a fheiceann sé go bhfuil Grace ag iompar clainne. Cuireann

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50 Shades of Bogger

By Martina Gannon 50shadesofbogger. wordpress.com It was just another day at work in the restaurant. There I was scooting around trying to look busy, creeping on the customers, when I noticed two lads sitting or should I say lounging at the first table. I thought they were the type of boys that one might like to skedaddle past in a speed-dating scenario. They looked badass. And not in a sexy way, more like a one-shower-a-week type situation. Of course being the curious fool that I am I starting inconspicuously clearing the tables near them to get a better gawp. Next thing I know half an hour has whizzed by and there I am snorting with laughter in an extremely unattractive manner over the hilarity of the older of the two. I managed to wring his life story out of him (let’s call him Teapot) within a few minutes. The best thing about it was that it had been pretty much effortless. Despite him being both male and Irish – features that, one could argue, put him at a disadvantage with many ladies – Teapot did not appear to be emotionally retarded. This to me was no minor miracle in modern day Ireland. Despite being renowned for liking my men to show a traditional ‘nerdiness’ and penchant for the traditional route of education (university), I was hooked on his transparency and his novel and practical form of intelligence. Teapot was only twenty four and yet had been training as a mechanic since he was nine. He owned at least five automobiles – all vintage. I tuned out when he

started listing their engine sizes but I definitely recall him mentioning a Mercedes Benz, a Cortina and a Jaguar. He had also been to every single county in Ireland. He somehow appealed to me. He was honest and unapologetic for the bottle of strangeness that he was. Although he was quite clearly in need of a serious hose-down I somehow found his open and articulate country demeanour quite sexy. As we chatted, I chuckled at him and his bogger accent and all the customers in the restaurant leered at us for exchanging numbers (for future travelling purposes). I had the seeds of an idea for a future adventure planted in me. I had been planning to embark on a trip of a lifetime for quite a while now but had been ‘lacking sufficient funds’ in the words of the ATM machine. Now here was a man willing to

put his life in my clumsy, disaster-prone hands. Who was I not to seize this juicy opportunity? Teapot drove three and a half hours up from Limerick on a day where I was physically and mentally unable to move due to a severe hangover. After the best efforts of my little sister to nurse me off the bathroom floor, I eventually returned to a level of health that was sufficient enough to prevent her calling for professional medical back-up. Teapot succeeded in getting hopelessly lost following my directions (was it my fault I woke up drunk?). Eventually he chugged into our driveway with his vintage Mercedes Benz. “He’s not really that good-looking,” my little sister rudely pointed out. “I never said he was,” I shrugged. “Does he have to be? We’re only going on a road trip together.” “Yeah, knowing you…” she trailed off.

He wasted no time in laying out a map of Ireland across the kitchen table asking where I had not yet been. I blearily recalled the remnants of a drunken suggestion for travel from the night before. “How far away is the Giant’s Causeway?” I wondered aloud, unsure how adventurous he was feeling. As it turns out he was up for anything and readily agreed to join me to the very top of Ireland. And so we set off unsure where we were going or when we would return, armed with only a handbag jam-packed with apples (I suffer from a chronic apple addiction) and a handy map of Ireland. The poor bugger then had to listen to me whinge about my hot flushes and how ‘woozy’ I felt all the live long day. We made our first proper stop in Bundoran and had our din-dins at my favourite bar there and such was the strength of Teapot’s accent

that when he asked for a glass a water he was given a pint of Guinness. Luckily it didn’t go to waste as I very generously offered to drink it for him… to cure my hangover of course. A million miles later, it was getting dark and we realised that perhaps nighttime was not the ideal time to go sightseeing around cliffs so we booked into a B&B. Yes I can imagine what some of you may be wondering: did we do the hokey-pokey-no-pantsdance? That thought has its place in a later part of this story. The B&B lady was horrible. Fair enough Teapot was a bit rough around the edges and spoke in a way that many people from his own area couldn’t understand, but she was still very rude. There was also a very real chance that her dog could have eaten us alive were it not for the life-saving distraction of a squeaky toy and she then told us

At the top of the country… Where to next?

that all we were getting for breakfast was bacon, eggs and beans. Well she could shove that offer where the non-existent Irish sun don’t shine, I’ll stick to my apples thank you very much. Teapot turned out to be truly refreshing of all things. He was the ultimate definition of 50 Shades of Pure Irish Bogger – in a nonsexual, non-kinky-bondage sense. He was devoid of the usual insecure human bullshit and pretences that would generally exist between any two strangers. He was fascinated by my so-called ‘weird’ quirks and I was beyond intrigued by his fascinating knowledge of Ireland, cars and living life in general. He appeared to have such a simple outlook on life and yet every word he spoke hinted at yet another shade of something deeper. 50 shades indeed, of pure honest bogger-man. Pick up a copy of Sin issue two to see what happens next…

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Galway Model Visits Playboy Mansion By Ciara O’Brien Recently Sin had the opportunity to interview the lovely Galway-based model, Shahira Barr y. Shahira is a 21 year old, teaching graduate from Athenry who is breaking her way into the fashion and beauty industry through hard work and dedication.

“

rently in LA, on a half holiday, half working trip and has already met with none other than “The Hef” himself in the Playboy mansion. According to Sharhira, Hugh Hefner was “very humble, friendly and welcoming. Such a gentleman! He was funny too – when we were leaving dinner to watch the movie he kept shouting

”

“Let’s just say I felt a long way from Athenry.”

According to Shahira, the reason she decided to get into the modelling industry had initially been because she was a “typical girly girl” and had always enjoyed fashion, make up and getting dressed up. However, when her friend passed away when she was only 18, she decided to make the most of life and follow her dreams and pursue her modelling career. She was initially interested in the performing arts, and always has been but she feels like one opens the door to another and they are connected. Anyone who follows her blog or Facebook or any of the tabloids would know that she is cur-

‘Its MOVIE Time!’” Despite her nerves, the friendliness of the staff, girls and the man himself made her feel at ease instantly. She claims that this visit to the mansion has possibly been the best moment of her modelling career to date: “Let’s just say I felt a long way from Athenry.” She is going back this Sunday and is even more excited as the nerves have disappeared. There has been a lot of coverage in the local press about Shahira posing for Playboy, however she says that while she’ll “never say never” she’s cautious of taking the risk of posing for such a risqué magazine so early in her career in case it

closes other doors for her. Shahira studied hard in the leaving Cert and studied Teaching in Mary I, graduating last year with her degree. She would advise anyone who is thinking of doing modelling to get a degree, have a backup plan. “Do modelling more as a hobby and if it begins to work out for you then you can start to think of it as a career option. Have different strings to your bow. Be tough and determined – you will hear a lot of ‘no’s and you have to be able to shake yourself off and carry on – don’t let it knock you,” she advises. Although she has a degree, Shahira has no plans to teach anytime soon: “I doubt I’d get a job considering I have been in all the tabloids in swimwear and lingerie but for now the modelling is working out and I believe life is short so live it...” She also warns that the modelling industry is tough. Inevitably enough, she says you get judged on your looks alone and put yourself out there for criticism: “If you’re going to model you have to be prepared for the nasty comments as well as the

good and just let it be ‘water off a ducks back’. You need a very thick skin.” Luckily though, Shahira’s small family is behind her 100% and her Mother has become a “Momager” of sorts. “I’m so blessed to have the best mum in the world,” she says. She feels at home in LA and says she would love to stay there even though her and her friend had a rough night last week when her phone was stolen. Her plan for the future is to continue doing as much modelling and performing arts as possible: “to take opportunities and to continue to follow [her] dreams”. When it comes to the size zero controversy she says that luckily she doesn’t believe it to be a problem in Ireland. It’s more important to just be healthy; however she does say you have to keep on top of your physical appearance which can be a pain sometimes: “I generally eat healthy but I don’t limit anything – all in moderation is definitely what I live by. Lately I’ve been baking quite a lot so that would be a guilty pleasure for sure.” You have to have a good beauty routine and work out a lot.

Despite this she says good looks do not equal success, hard work and determination does. Her five essentials she couldn’t live without are a good concealer, internet, her phone, a tooth brush and her mum,

“sounds corny but she’s my right arm.” Well, if it’s truly hard work and determination that get you where you want to be we can only imagine that Shahira will get wherever it is she wants to be, and fast.

Style Spotlight: Whitney Port By Aisling Owens Former reality star Whitney Port has really stepped up and out of the shadow of her The Hills co-stars. Now a bona-fide designer of her own line, Whitney Eve, which she is showcasing at this year’s New York Fashion Week, it’s safe to say the 27-year-old has firmly established her own look. She was pictured at the Max Azria fashion show in a simple yet stylish ensemble, consisting of a black crop top, blue silk asymmetrical skirt, black leather ankle boots and the ever ontrend staple accessory, a snakeskin-print bag. It’s easy to steal inspiration from Miss Port, with

the majority of high-street stores stocking similar maxi and asymmetrical skirts, as well as similar crop tops and bracelets. Whitney’s style is effortless yet effective. Her outfits can be taken from day to night – which is key when you’re broke and trying to mix-and-match with what you have! Take Whitney’s outfit here, for instance. Simply team with a trilby or bowler hat, chunky jewellery, and gladiator sandals or wedges for day wear, then give it a little edge for night time with a leather biker jacket, a snakeskin clutch, killer heels and a smoky eye. You’re good to go! Blog: walkingprimrose. blogspot.ie

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S ports & F itness

College Life and Stress

Life Transformation Specialist and owner of Expect Success Fitness, John Mulry, passes on some health and fitness advice to help students combat stress… Everyone has a different idea of what college life is all about. I think we can all agree that, for the majority of students, stress and your ability to handle it will play a big part in how your year goes. This is true whether you’re stepping into the world of college life for the first time, or you’re a seasoned pro embarking upon another year of the thrills, spills, ups and downs that college provides.

Stress is an inevitable part of our modern existence and stress in college is no different. We can even argue that the stress of college life is even greater – we are hit with multiple facets of stress on a daily basis from lectures, exams, assignments, study, partying (very stressful), living away from home for the first time, finances, meeting new people, fitting in with different groups, not to mention finding the time to actually feed ourselves and maintain our health. It’s not all parties and episodes of Home and Away regardless of what you or anyone else may think. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to let stress take over. By battling stress in your dayto-day routine, you can stop pulling your hair out and get back to enjoying what college offers us. How can you turn your stress-filled college lifestyle on its head? With one

of the best weapons against it: exercise. Exercising Works: When stress is taking its toll, you need something to kick you out of your funk. You need something that makes you feel good. Every time you exercise, you increase your body's production of endorphins. Endorphins are pretty cool, they give you that happy feeling and are responsible for those good moods you get after a great workout or the euphoria you feel while chomping down on a piece of chocolate. However, before you skip the gym and go for the nearest shop to get your chocolate fix, remember the end result of each and choose which one will help you battle stress in the long run. (Hint: It's not the chocolate.) Best Exercises? Now that you know exercise reduces stress, you may be wondering which exercises will be most likely to keep you from banging your

head against the wall. Ready to learn what exercise you should be performing as you wage war against stress? Here it is: whatever you enjoy doing. That's right - any and all exercise you perform helps you fend off the effects of stress. So whether you enjoy running, lifting weights, climbing, playing outdoor sports, swimming, yoga, rowing, or boxing, simply getting involved in your exercise of choice is sure to help reduce your stress. There are tonnes of options available to you here on campus so get out and do what you enjoy. Mix it up: Working out every day and not getting the stress relief you so eagerly desire? Then it's time to do things a little different. If all you do is lift weights five days a week, you should add in squash or something different a couple of times a week. And if you're all cardio all the time, it may be time to

get off the treadmill and grab a dumbbell or two. Still not working? Keep a diary of your progress. Write down how long and hard you exercise, the various weights you lift, and the steps you make toward whatever health goal you set for yourself. Take pictures along the way as well. Then look back over your journal on occasion. Seeing the progression when you feel you're not making progress may give you the confidence you need to put stress in its place and move on. Even Less Stress In addition to exercise, get maximum stress reduction by: 1. Learning what situations cause you to experience unwanted stress, and avoid these situations. Obviously you can't avoid your lectures or exams? Then you'll need to use some more brainpower. Think back to your last experience with the lecture or exams. How bad was it really? You survived it. Keep that in mind,

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and you'll be ready to take on whatever stressful situation comes your way. 2. Make necessary lifestyle modifications. Did you know you're more likely to suffer stress when you're tired? Or did you know that when you don't feed your body well, your body isn't ready to handle stress as it would with a healthy diet? By getting plenty of shut-eye and eating healthily, you won't kiss stress goodbye altogether, but its effects will be diminished greatly. About: John Mulry is a Life Transformation Specialist, Writer, Speaker and the owner of Expect Success Fitness Galway Personal Training. Originally from Galway, John has combined his two passions in life – helping others and fitness to start Expect Success Fitness. For more info on John & Expect Success Fitness visit: www.ExpectSuccessFitness. com.

Exercise your Body and Mind @ The Kingfisher Club NUI Galway We are all creatures of habit and change is difficult for many of us so why not put some good habits in place now for your time here in NUI Galway. Having an active lifestyle can be so beneficial to your health and wellbeing in the long run that the effort you put in will allow you to work hard and play hard, reduce stress around exam time and help your concentration and energy levels. If you introduce a small change instead of a huge change you will be more likely to stick with it. So how can you get started on the road to fitness? The Kingfisher Club NUI prides itself on providing an excellent mentoring service to members. Their highly qualified instructors will meet with you, take stock of where you are at, what you hope to achieve and they will help you to establish a set guide of goals to work towards. Here are some of the Kingfisher Key Rules to help you on your way to fitness excellence: 1. Review your current habits Are you are regularly exercising but still not seeing the results on your waistline?

Firstly you need to take a step back and see what exactly you’re doing and why it isn’t working. Why not book in for a free one on one assessment with one of the Kingfisher Club’s qualified instructors where they can specifically make a targeted plan for you to minimise your time and maximise your weight loss. 2. Set some realistic goals Just set 2 to 3 goals at any one time and then review your goals regularly. Instructors can provide you with strategies to stay motivated and make sure you become the new healthier you. 3. Make a plan Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail. If you plan your meals for the week while making the shopping list it makes healthy eating easier. You will also notice that you spend less when you know exactly what you have to buy. 4. Get your friends and family involved Getting friends on board will help keep you motivated. If you have a gym buddy it’s harder to simply skip the gym session if you’re tired because you won’t want to let them down. Why not get in con-

tact with our membership team to arrange a guest pass for a friend who wants to get fit just like you? 5. Measure yourself regularly Measure your waist and weight before you start. Then get the measuring tape

or weighing scales out once a week at the same time. Seeing a change in your waist size or weight will keep you motivated. By starting small, building upon your expected goals and rewarding yourself for your hard work you are more likely to succeed in your personal

fitness challenge. The Kingfisher Club NUI are holding an Open Fitness Day on the 20th September where there will be facility tours, special offers, prizes, class demonstrations and all of their fitness team will be available to answer any questions you may have. Anyone

who joins or renews with them on or before the 20th will be automatically entered into their Draw for an Apple iPad. For more information on their facilities or membership please log onto their website at www.kingfisherclub.com or find them on Facebook.

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S ports & F itness

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Hurling: A historical game By James Falconer Hurling is the fastest game on grass and is also one of the oldest surviving games to this day. The recent epic All-Ireland final between Galway and Kilkenny makes this an ideal time to talk about hurling. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, it is a ferocious game contested by two teams of 15 who play on a large pitch with goals at either end. They use sticks called hurleys, a ball known as a sliotar, and wear helmets to protect their heads. The game lasts for 70 minutes with a break at half-time. Hurling is one of the most exciting games on the planet. A game can turn in an instant and it is likely you’ll be left on the edge of your seat. The rules of the modern game were first arranged by

the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in the late 19th century. Preceding this, there were two types of games. One of these, akin to modern Scottish shinty, was played in the north of the country. This type of game was played with a hard ball, which was mostly kept on the ground with a narrow stick. The second type of hurling was played with a broader hurley and a softer ball and was much more like today’s game. Players could pick up the ball, catch and strike it as well as solo down the field. Although the GAA used both forms as an inspiration for the game it organised in the late nineteenth century, Leinster hurling had more of an influence on the evolution of the game. However, we cannot tell which one of these games is the oldest. The game of hurling was cited in the Brehon (early

Irish) Laws during the 8th century as a way to settle disputes, either one on one, or sometimes entire villages fought each other. If there were any fatalities during the clashes, under Brehon Law, compensation was paid to the families of the deceased. But, where did war-like game originate? The most famous early account of hurling is found in the Tain Bo Cuailgne, which describes the adventures of the Ulster hero Cú Chullainn. Although the living account of this classic dates from the 12th century, it has been persuasively argued that the story’s roots lie in the Iron Age (500 BC400 AD). Reference is made to hurling in the manuscript, particularly when the young hero, then known as Setanta, uses a hurley and sliotar to kill a violent hound. He subsequently became known

as Cú Chulainn (Cullen’s hound), after the owner of the dog. Take note anyone who has a vicious dog next door! Some may find it hard to believe that in later medieval times there was an attempt to ban hurling in both Kilkenny and Galway. Hurling was banned under the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1367. The Anglo-Normans believed that people were having such a good time playing hurling that they were neglecting proper defensive skills such as archery and sword fighting. If a war broke out, it was believed that Ireland needed skilled fighters, not a bunch of hurlers. The law read: ‘do not, henceforth, use the plays which men call horlings, with great sticks and a ball upon the ground, from which great evils and maims have arisen’. This

law was a total failure and even with the threat of fines and imprisonment, hurling not only continued, but flourished. A similar, more successful attempt to suppress hurling was made in the Galway Statutes of 1527 and for a period hurling was replaced by Gaelic football. These statutes stated that people should ‘At no time to use ne occupy ye hurling of ye litill balle with the hookie sticks or staves.’ However, these laws seem to have little lasting effect on the progression of the game. In today’s game, thirteen teams compete in the All-Ireland championship. The most dominant teams are in Leinster and Munster. Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary are considered “the big three”, but now Galway is right up there. They have improved with more competitive games after being

included in the Leinster championship, which they convincingly won this year. The “big three” share 89 out of 124 championships (72%) in the GAA’s history, which includes every title since Offaly’s victory in 1998. The all-time record-holders are Kilkenny, who have won the championship 33 times. Hurling spectators around the globe were treated to a mouth-watering clash in the drawn All-Ireland final when Galway and Kilkenny met for the second time this year. People from Galway and most neutrals will be hoping that on September 30, Galway can overpower Kilkenny and end their 24 year wait for the Liam McCarthy Cup. A look back into history and an admiration for the game today, clearly shows that no one can suppress or outlaw a game as magnificent as hurling.

FuTSAL Indoor soccer at the Kingfisher Club

Mondays 8–10pm

Starts soon! Limited to 32 teams. €40.00 per squad of 8.

Great Great Prizes! For further info contact Kevin Cassidy. E-mail: nuigcages@kingfisherclub.com Or text Kevin: 0861772589 Or visit: www.otc.nuigalway.ie

5-ASIDE SYNTHETIC PITCHES Cages for hire – Students & Staff

€20 PEr Hour

Located at Corrib Village For further info: contact Kevin Cassidy Email: nuigcages@kingfisherclub.com Text Kevin: 0861772589 Or visit www.otc.nuigalway.ie Kevin Cassidy is the facilitator for all your recreational soccer. Most capped player for Galway United, Manager/Coach with Galway District League.

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NUI Galway Soccer Club Gear Up For New Year By Mark Kelly The new new academic year began last week, but NUI Galway Soccer Club have been battling it out for the last few weeks in a number of leagues. After a good year last year, they hope to build on their success of last year. The 1st Team and the Colts have both been involved in matches over the last 2 weeks, with contrasting fortunes. The Fresher’s team and the Varsity Team will

also really want to get stuck in as soon as possible. Dami Adebari, the Captain of NUI Galway Soccer Club, spoke to SIN about last season and the upcoming one also. Dami plays as a winger for the Colts, who had a great year last year. “We had a good season last year. We finished 4th in the league. We had a great start to the season, but we feel away a little bit in November. It was pretty tough, losing tight matches was hard to take. We had

Christmas off, it was hard to get going when we got back in January. We recovered though, and had a great end to the season.” They suffered heartache in the Cup quater-final, losing 2-1 after their opposition grabbed a last-minute winner “We went fair in the cup, but we had a tough match in the semi and got knocked out by a header with a minute to go. That was really hard to take, but there are positives to take from that to!” Dami said,

with a wry smile. The Colts weren’t the only team in action last year, as Dami took great pride in telling me “Our Fresher’s team did really well last year. They did really well in the Harden (Intervarsity) Cup, losing out in the semi-final. They went on to win the shield though, which was a great source of pride for us. They went well in the league too so we hope we can keep that up this year” The Collingwood team

didn’t set fire to the Intervarsity, going out early in the competition. However, they did well in the 1st match of the league this year, losing out 2-1 in a very tight match. However, the Colts claimed an impressive 8-1 victory against Mannions FC. Keillan Clancy was Man of the Match. “Yeah, it was a great result. It was great to see all the new faces and we are really hungry to win loads this year” If anyone wants to get

involved with the club, there is training every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 7:30pm in Dangan Sports Centre as well as Monday in Kingfisher and Wednesday in the cages in Corrib Village. Dami is encouraging people to come “We are hungry for some new players, and hopefully for a trophy or two this season. The first team as well as all the other teams are preparing for a new season, and we are hoping to finish strong this season”

Galway Show they’re not just in it to make up the Numbers By Kevin Bolger On Sunday 9th September Galway competed in their first All Ireland final since 2001 when they faced off against Tipperary after seeing of Kilkenny in the semi final. They lost that game and they haven’t won a hurling championship since 1988. That’s 24 years. But history books have a habit of rewriting themselves. It was no different this time, as for the first time since 1959 there was a tie in an All Ireland hurling final as talisman Joe Canning pointed from a controversial free to tie the scores in a nail biting encounter. So for the first time in 53 years a hurling final will go to a replay. Could we also be seeing Galway’s first All Ireland victory in 24? We shall find out on Sunday the 30 September as the Tribesmen make their third visit to the capital to face off against the Cats this year. Certainly if their performance against Kilkenny on Sunday is anything to go by, they aren’t just in it to make up the numbers. The Tribesmen dominated proceedings in the first half with the likes of Tannion dominating in the crucial midfield battle and Joe Canning putting in an All Star performance. And it was Canning who pumped life in to the game and the Galway performance with a cracking goal

in the first half to put the Cats on the back foot. Bursting through the defence and trailing off to an angle on the edge of the square, Canning forced a fierce shot back across the face of the goal and past Kilkenny goalkeeper David Herrity. Herrity didn’t have a chance and now it seemed for Kilkenny that the Lein-

ster final was repeating itself all over again. Galway were not just dominating on the pitch but also in the stands. At times it seemed there were 80,000 Galway fans in the stadium. Galway went in to the break leading 1-09 to 0-7. But this was to be no repeat of the Leinster final. The Cats came out of the blocks

with huge ferocity in the second half and at time Galway looked flat on their feet as the King, Henry Shefflin led the attack on the Galway defence. A lifeline was granted when Niall Burke bagged a crucial goal against the run of play, but Shefflin and co continued to dominate in an extremely close encounter.

When Shefflin had a penalty chance with minutes to go, everyone thought the game was over. This is where Shefflin was best, but he went for the point, testament to the intensity of this game. This gave Canning his chance to equalise from a free in the last minute of extra time and the Galway ace kept his nerve with the

eyes of the country on top of him to slot the ball over the bar and confirm the first All Ireland replay in 53 years. Will it be Galway lifting the silver in the Hogan stand? Only time will tell, but it certainly looks like the promise they have shown is finally starting to translate in to solid results.

GAA headquarters, Croke Park, where Galway took on Kilkenny in the All Ireland Hurling final last week.

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F inal Word

14–01

Kevin David Donoghue My Brother: “How often do you get to see Hugh Jackman, the most handsome man in the world, teach robots how to beat the shit out of each other?”

Aisling Owens Guy being dragged through the concourse by presumably his girlfriend: "Jesus, is that a death grip you have on me?!" Evan O’Donnell Two girls outside the reading room. “If anyone has an STD it's you!” Classy birds.

Dylan Keegan Two girls in the Bialann. Girl 1: Placenta. Girl 2: Every year? Girl 1: Placenta.

Emma Farrell A conversation about dog breeds. Girl 1: I really like huskies. Girl 2: Like the ones that pull the sleds? Girl 3: As in Santa's sleigh?

17–09

NUI Galway Memes

Overheard in NUI Galway Niamh Cleary Guy in the bialann: Is that a pubic hair on the table?!

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Louise Healion In smokey’s, people sitting near us. Guy: “so what is paralysis?” Girl: “It’s when you get, like, stuck.”

by Conor Stitt

Ciaran Foley Leaving the library and see two guys. "Ya shouldn't have kidnapped me and put me in the boot.”

Overheard by Megan Carey

Sudoku

Book 2

4 2 7 4

9 1 8 7 5 2 9 2 8 3 3 9 6 5 6 2

Book 2 Challenging Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad Sudoku Sudoku#1#2

Sudoku Sudoku#1 #2

Sudoku #1

4 7 6 2 9 8 5 3 6 4 2 9 7 1 4 9

Easy Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad

3 8 1 26 5 1 27 89 4 6 6 6 99 2 2 2 9 7 81 9 7 44 3 1 9 2 8 4 52 33 4 9 8 39 8 3

9 8 4 94 66 7 11 4 7 2 2

Sudoku #2

3 5 45 9 64 1 7 4 8 36 1 7 1 9 36 7 2 64 5

I don't have to take this abuse from you -- I've got hundreds of people Offences ought to be pardoned, for few offend willingly, but as they are compelled by come affection. waiting to abuse me. -- Hegesippus --Bill Murray, "Ghostbusters"

Sudoku Sudoku#3#4

Sudoku Sudoku#3 #4

Sudoku #3

5 4 7

9 1

2 8 6 7 2

31 3 86 5 9 7 4 8 1 6 2 6 7 1 9 6 2 98 49 4 9 9 4 1 4 2 4 8 8 3 4 2 5 82 1 76

2 2 4 8 3 8 5 6 6 9

9 2 86 53 9 9 8 43 75 7 5 2 19 8 54 7 8 3

4 8 5 6 1 7 3 4 5 6 3 3

2 7 2 7 8 5 1 7 3 5 2

Intermediate Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad

"Art is the most beautiful of all lies." -- Claude Debussy

Sudoku #4

36 4 2 5 6 37 5 8 5 1 3 1 4

7 2

5 6

3 4 2

1 3 6 5 4 7 3 1 4

Picture this

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