Volume 14 Issue 3

FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOL 14, ISSUE 3

15 OCT 2012

NUI Galway to Enforce Mandatory Lecture Attendance

By Sean Dunne NUI Galway aims to make lecture attendance mandatory for students this academic year.

Student engagement is the latest issue to be tackled by the University as they tighten pre-existing legislation which will see mandatory lecture attendance for students become a key focus.

“The aim of the Uni-

versity in implementing mandatory lecture attendance is to hopefully improve performance levels across the board,” says Dr Pat Morgan, Vice President of Student Experience at NUI Galway.

“There are concerns that by not attending lectures, students are missing out on the value of their education and not preforming to the best of their abilities,” she adds.

USI Prevails in Trinity exit vote

By Gerard Madden Students in Trinity College Dublin have rejected a referendum proposing that Trinity Students’ Union (TCDSU) leave the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the national representative body for students in most third level institutions.

In a referendum vote, which took place from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 October, Trinity students were asked to vote ‘Yes’ if they supported exiting the organisation or ‘No’ if they wished to remain members of it.

The ‘No’ side received 1,496 (61.5%) votes, while the ‘Yes’ side received 829 (34.1%), the No side prevailing by 667 votes. In all, 2,431 votes were cast with 106 (4.4%) ballots being spoiled.

The referendum was instigated by the previous TCDSU President, Ryan Bartlett, who cited last year’s USI pre-budget campaign, which included its November 16 national march in Dublin and the ‘occupation’ of the Department of Jobs by leading USI officers, as a key reason why TCDSU should

leave the national student body.

The result will come as a significant relief to the USI; with University College Dublin set to hold a similar referendum later this year, a TCDSU ‘Yes’ vote would have strengthened pro-disaffiliation sentiments in USI affiliates across the country and would have come as a severe financial blow to the organisation.

Reacting to the result, USI President John Logue said; “This result strengthens the USI ahead of our upcoming national campaign. We now face into this campaign with a renewed mandate to act as the voice of Irish students and to fight for their education and welfare. We will continue to resist any increases in fees, cuts to the maintenance grant and any measures that affect access to education.”

Mark O’Meara, campaign manager of the ‘Yes’ campaign, informed Sin as to why Trinity students should endorse leaving the USI, citing what he claims is the organisation’s failure to provide value for money to students.

Continued on page 2…

Mandatory lecture attendance is a model adopted from counterpart American Universities and is a system that has been proven to work.

Speaking to students this week there is a large consensus in the college already that implementing the rule is a good idea as it can be used as a scare tactic that makes students wake up and start paying attention.

“It’s a good idea, it would get students out of the bad habit of poor attendance, but I think it would be very hard to police and monitor the situation,” according to Frankie Gallagher an Arts student here in NUI Galway.

“University is about learning,” is the message

being conveyed by Dr Pat Morgan.

NUI Galway stresses the point that they do not want to fight students on an already existing legislation; they want to help students.

“It’s not the black stick model,” says Dr Morgan.

A new incentive which was introduced this year for first years students called the “living, learning, interacting” strategy, (40:40:40) aims to help students balance their time management better.

“The motion was passed at academic council two years ago but will be discussed again,” says Students’ Union Vice-President and Education Officer Conor Stitt.

Man found with heroin on NUI Galway campus

2

World News

8

President Higgins speaks to the Irish youth at Galway 11 regional workshop Student Speak: Mandatory Attendance

19

Review: JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy

24

50 Shades of Bogger

25

Tae-kwon-do Connacht open hits NUI Galway

29

Cloakrumours

31

Continued on page 2…

The Welfare crew prepare to release red balloons during mental health week which took place from 1 – 5 October.

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NUI Galway rises to third in national rankings

By Jane Kearns NUI Galway has risen to third place in the best universities in Ireland to study, after the results of this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings were released. With only two other Irish universities – Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD) – improving their world ranking, NUI Galway can celebrate the overall greatest rise of thirty-one places.

NUI Galway now holds the title of 336th best university in the world. The university also increased its position in the QS

World University Rankings this year, and now holds the 287th position.

NUI Galway President, Dr. James Browne, has praised the university’s achievements in the world rankings: “This is very good news for NUI Galway. 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.”

President Browne emphasised that it will be critical to retain investment in Irish universities if the country is 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 inter national playing field.

Support on a national level must be maintained for universities such as NUI Galway to continue with their success.”

This year, the Times L e a g u e Ta b l e u s e d thirteen different performance indicators to help pick out the world’s best universities. They included teaching standards, research, knowledge transfer and international

A man who was found in possession of heroin on the NUI Galway campus has been given a suspended sentence of five months at Galway District Court.

Damien McElroy, 33, from 30 John Coogan Park, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to possession of diamorphine before the court on Monday October 8 last.

The court was told that

gardai at Mill Street Garda Station had received a call from security staff on the university campus on February 14 last.

The security staff had seen three men acting suspiciously in the men’s toilets. When a garda arrived at the university he found the defendant and two other men and searched them.

During the search, the officer found a small amount of heroin on McElroy’s person. The

drug was on a piece of tinfoil and was later sent for testing where it was found to be diamorphine, which is used as a painkiller.

Solicitor Valerie Corcoran, defending, said that her client has difficulties with addiction which he was currently attempting to address, and the heroin found in his possession was the remnants on a piece of tinfoil.

However, Judge Mary Fahy convicted McElroy of the crime, saying: “He

outlook.

Phil Baty, Editor of the World University Rankings, commented that it was a tough year for many Western institutions, with a large number slipping down the rankings, as competitors across Asia benefited from substantial funding and a focused commitment to building top-class universities.

H o w e v e r, h e h i g h lighted that NUI Galway’s performance was a triumph. “The Top 400 list represents only around two per cent of the world’s higher education institutions, so to sustain a position within such an elite group is in itself quite an accolade.”

had no business being at NUI Galway with heroin.”

She imposed a fivemonth prison sentence, which was then suspended for three years on the condition of McElroy’s own bond of €300, binding him to be of good behaviour.

He must also stay away from NUI Galway and its grounds until the sentence ends. McElroy is currently serving a 21-month sentence on a separate charge.

NUI Galway to enforce mandatory lecture attendance Continued from page 1…

The next Students’ Union council will take place October 15, and will discuss the issue.

Speaking on this initiative Dr Morgan spoke of the 120 hours in a working week and her aim is to instil this in students so that they learn to balance their time; there are 40 hours to sleep, 40 hours for

college and a further 40 for student activity with clubs and socs.

NUI Galway strives to produce the most educated graduates who are capable and ready to adapt to the work force.

There are concerns that the online application, Blackboard, in NUI Galway is an incentive for students to skip lectures, as notes and slides will be uploaded

and easily accessible on the internet.

Dr Morgan agrees with the idea of blackboard as it is a great medium for students with disabilities and a medium for the lecturer and students to interact, but said that “blackboard is not an ample substitute for skipping lectures.”

Dr Morgan further added that “There is no appreciation attached to

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USI prevails in Trinity exit vote

Man found with heroin on NUI Galway campus

By Roisin Peddle

{sin}

just reading lecture notes on blackboard.”

NUI Galway are stressing the message that students are allowed to have fun and participate in student activities but it is also about reaching one’s own capability and being more competitive, especially in today’s current economic climate in which employers look for the most wellrounded candidate for the

Continued from page 1…

He said; “The views of TCD students are not being represented by the USI on a national level. As well as that, the USI has clearly shown that it is incapable of lobbying the Government at the highest levels and ensuring that the voice of students is heard.

“Trinity students in total pay about €80,000 in USI membership fees as well as another €30,000 in associated costs. This is a lot of money, and we don't believe that the benefits TCD students receive from the USI are worth €110,000 a year.”

Cormac Bennett, a fourth year Music student at Trinity, outlined his opposition to the disaffiliation campaign, linking it to what he perceives as Trinity Student Union’s regressive stance on student fees.

“For the past couple of years, TCDSU has been advocating student loans as some kind of solution that the government would be willing to compromise with,” he said.

“They managed to get the Student Council to mandate them with this approach for the USI fees referendum, and were spectacularly defeated thanks to good work from other SUs around the country.

The current vote is basically TCDSU throwing the toys out of the pram as a result – it’s pure ‘we didn’t get our way, so now we want out.'

“TCDSU argues for a system which only brings further debt to the economy (…) they are slowly feeding the government few positions on offer for Irish graduates.

According to Dr Patricia Moran there are no immediate sanctions in place in the University as of yet.

The University is investigating ample means by which to record accurate attendance levels, once the University figures this out, the policy will become more effective.

The messages coming

enough rope to hang the anti-fees campaign altogether.”

However, Trinity SU President Rory Dunne would not be drawn on his stance on the referendum when approached by Sin, stating; “Unfortunately, I am constitutionally neutral on the matter and am obliged not to comment.”

NUIG SU Education Officer Conor Stitt expressed his relief at the referendum’s defeat, expressing concerns about the apparent disconnect between the USI and students.

He said; “I think it’s great that Trinity students have decided to stay within USI and it strengthens the national union for all students. They, like many other colleges, have concerns about USI, the direction they’re heading and the calamitous ‘funding preferendum’ that was held last year. We saw that Trinity students raised a whole array of concerns in the referendum campaign and in some cases, didn’t know who USI were. The USI Officer board needs to take these concerns into account and work towards a fully engaged grassrootsled union.”

Precedents for disaffiliation exist, as the SUs in University of Limerick (UL) and Dublin City University (DCU) both left the USI in recent years; a vote on DCU’s affiliation with the USI will be held next year, after a petition for one was handed into DCUSU last month.

For more info on the Union of Students in Ireland visit www.usi.ie from The Vice president of Student Experience Dr Patricia Moran is that students should have as much fun as possible but also work to the best of their ability. Be competitive and exceed to greatness.

We asked a number of NUI Galway students their opinion on mandatory attendance. Turn to page 19 to see what they said.

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Editorial

By Jessica Thompson What you hold in your hand – or read on your computer screen – is issue three of Sin newspaper, and what an issue it is. Our large number of contributors meant a large number of contributions, and not all of them would fit in the paper.

We’re still getting used to Volume 14 of Sin. There are many things the editorial team and I have learned over the past six weeks.

Printing a paper isn’t easy, but we think we’re getting the hang of it. Sin can only get better from here.

For this issue we bring you all the latest gossip on the NUI Galway Open Days, the Gaisce Awards ceremony, Sea2Sky, and much more. We’ve continued our World News page, which contains news stories from all around the world, as well as national, non-studentrelated news from Ireland.

Sin has always been a very student-oriented paper, containing student news, student features, student entertainment, and student sport. Bringing in national and international news is something different for the paper this year, and my news team and I feel it was a good step. Stuff goes on outside NUI Galway. If we’re going to live in a bubble, we should at least look through the soapy, transparent walls and see what’s going on outside every now

and then.

Sticking with changes to the paper this year, the Student Speak section went down well in issue two.

This features students from around campus – your opinions expressed in your paper.

This issue, Sean and Órla spoke to students about the possibility of mandatory lecture attendance. Is it a good idea? Turn to page 19 to see what the general opinion was.

Another addition to this year’s paper is the inclusion of poetry and creative writing. We’ve decided to showcase the talents of NUI Galway’s writers – and not just the journalistic ones.

This issue brings you two very interesting poems that are quick to read, easy to understand, and will most likely get you thinking.

If you turn to the sports pages, you’ll see another addition to this year’s paper – John Mulry’s regular fitness column. John has been giving students fitness advice for the past three issues. This issue he’s started discussing diet myths. If you like your breakfast, you might find this week’s article a little controversial, but interesting all the same.

Another new addition to Sin, as you will notice, is Merryman’s cartoon, which can be seen on page 31.

Merryman is an excellent cartoonist, who sketches out everyday situations to provide entertainment for the students of NUI Galway. I love the puns myself. When Merryman does punny cartoons, I can’t help but laugh.

But what’s stayed the same about Sin this year?

While trying to make a few changes to Sin, we’ve also

Visiting the NUI Galway Open Days, which took place on Friday 5 and Saturday, 6 October, were Dale O’Connell and Ann Louise Ward from Coláiste Cholmcille, Inverin, Co. Galway.

Also pictured is NUI Galway student Ambassador Aoife O’Dowd. done our best to bring you all the best bits of Volume 13 from last year. We’ve kept the beautiful layout for example. But there were a number of things in Volume 13 that students enjoyed.

For example, we’ve kept on the Overheard in NUI Galway feature, “for the lols” as all the cool kids would say.

For this feature, we simply take the funniest posts (but not the dirty ones) from the Overheard in NUI Galway Facebook page. If you overhear anything funny, be sure to post it up there, and you might just see it

appear in Sin. I, personally, could write the whole feature myself with all the funny stuff I overhear from my office. Note to students: avoid revealing your deepest, darkest secrets outside the office door of a journalist. You will be exposed.

This issue we’ve also brought back the hilarious Cloakrumours, which really provides a good laugh. Turn to page 31 for some light entertainment. There’s Sudoku there too, for the puzzle-loving students among us.

I’d like to give a shoutout to An Focal – UL’s

campus newspaper who gave us a mention on page 8 of their latest issue. The article mentioned our front page story from issue one, and sent best wishes to the students of NUI Galway who were worried about the early pub closing hours. This issue has been resolved, but we appreciate the sentiment.

It also looks like the folk in UL have moved away from the idea of drinking and smoking, and have instead moved on to the concept of sacrificing virgins, drinking blood, and having romantic congress

with the Devil. There’s a story in there somewhere, I know it.

But enough of my babble, it’s time to start turning the pages; get ink all over your hands, and enjoy another great issue of Sin. Be sure to pop in to our meetings on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 in AM109 if you’d like to get involved, or drop me an email.

As always, I welcome anyone who wants to pop into my office for a chat. If you’ve got a story, I’ll listen.

Until next time, Jess

Editor: Jessica Thompson | editor@sin.ie Layout: Shannon Reeves | Contact via Ed. News Editors: Marése O’Sullivan, Sean Dunne | LocalNews.SinEd@gmail.com Features Editors: Órla Ryan, Sean Dunne | Features.SinEd@gmail.com Fashion, Arts & Entertainment Editor: James Falconore | ArtsEntertainment.SinEd@gmail.com Sports Editor: Mark Higgins | Sport.SinEd@gmail.com Contributors: Louisa Brophy Browne | Michelle Carey | Paul Cassidy | Bridget Cheasty | Cara Cribbon | Brian Concannon |Gabriel DeBarros | Isbella De Luca | Kathy Dillon | Joanne Duffy |Kieran Duffy | Sean Dunne | James Falconer | Katie Finnegan | Mohan Fitzgerald | Martina Gannon | Mark Higgins | Kenneth Glennon | Cathy Gormley | Louise Hogan | Lindsay Hughes | Michael Joyce | Jane Kearns | Gillian Keating | Aoife Kirk | Bebhinn Lernihan | Gerard Madden | Darren Mcdonagh | Lily McGarry | Mark McGoldrick | Merryman | Kealan Moore | Sinead L. Healy | Leigh Michael Keeney | Mark Kelly | Austin Maloney | John Mulry |Rebecca O’Connor | Áine O’Donnell | Benjamin O’Gorman | Shane O’Neill | Marése O’Sullivan | Róisin Peddle | Kiri Rensson | Órla Ryan | Rose Reyes | Mandy Shelton | Conor Stitt | Jessica Thompson | Sonya White

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Sky-high success for Sea2Sky

By Mohan Fitzgerald NUI Galway’s sponsored ‘Sea2Sky’ drew more than 10,000 people to Galway and CIT’s Blackrock castle observatory in Cork last month.

The daylong programme, generously supported by the Marine Institute and the Galway Atlantaquaria, matched last year’s impressive turnout and proved a roaring success.

Opening the event was Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, saying: “I am delighted to be here at the Sea2Sky researcher’s night in Galway where scientists and researchers are opening up the world of science to the general public and to young people in particular.

“Europe needs to attract more young people into careers as researchers to stay ahead of the game in research and to tackle the biggest issues of our time, such as energy, climate change and our ageing population.”

Visitors to the exhibition got a chance to meet the remarkable team of NUIG researchers and to engage in the atmosphere and aquatic wildlife for free. The Marine Institute showcased their Remote Operated Vehicle

(ROV) amid scuba-diving demonstrations.

Sea2Sky was an affiliate of the European researcher’s night, an international effort that boasted contributors in 800 venues across 320 European cities.

Patrons participated in experiments, competitions, and demonstrations designed to cultivate excitement for the natural sciences among today’s youth—a valuable undertaking amidst increasing concerns about climate change and environmental health.

Speaking about this year’s

Sea2Sky, NUI Galway’s Dr Andrew Shearer, a lecturer in physics said: “Sea2sky this year was an even bigger success than 2011 with astronomers, marine scientists and atmospheric physicists engaging with a wide cross section of the community from small children to the over eighties.

“One of the highlights was the Café Scientifique linking Galway, Cork and NASA astronaut Dan Tani in the US. Our Sea2sky event was even mentioned in the NASA broadcast showcasing the recent Curiosity Rover findings.”

Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn engages with young visitors at Sea2Sky, organised by NUI Galway to celebrate European Researcer’s Night. Also pictured in NUI Galway’s Dr Andy Shearer.

Major national employers impressed at NUI Galway Graduate Jobs Fair SIN Advert OCTOBER 2012.indd 1

By Mandy Shelton Over 1,800 students and 70 organisations took part in the free Graduate Jobs Fair in the Bailey Allen Hall on Tuesday, October 8.

John Hannon, Head of the Career Development Centre, declared that many of the exhibitors had observed that NUI Galway students “were very focused, had done their research, and had lots of relevant questions.”

Opportunities included international brand ambassadorships for Jameson, vacancies at the Johnson & Johnson manufacturing facilities, and the chance to chat with representatives from globally recognized companies such as Dell, Ernst & Young, Microsoft Ireland, and PWC. “Demand for NUI Gal-

11/10/2012 11:50

way graduates remains high, reflecting on their excellent employability status and many of Ireland’s major graduate recruiters came to the Jobs Fair hoping to find the next generation of leaders for their businesses. These bigger companies recruit well in advance of their requirement,” Mr Hannon said, though he pointed out that the large multinational corporations at the event were “not the only employers by any means.”

The companies encouraged diverse applicants, not just focusing on recruitment from any one sector.

“Up to forty per cent of the jobs [were] actually for people of any discipline,” Mr Hannon added. Some employers had over 200 jobs available, he added, across a range of areas.

Another employment prospect on offer involved teaching English abroad through a programme supported by the Japanese government.

The year-long contract with the Japan Exchange a n d Te a c h i n g ( J E T ) Programme offered remuneration of 3,360,000 yen, or just over €33,000.

JET Co-Ordinator, Sinead Hughes, stated that the most important qualifications applicants should possess were an interest in learning and an Irish passport.

Students at the Jobs Fair could gather information on trainee programmes in accountancy, engineering, and law. Several recruitment agencies also had a presence at the event.

Gerard Murphy, an English and Political Studies

The Bailey Allen Hall was buzzing with activity for the Graduate Jobs Fair, which took place on Monday 8 October. graduate from Mayo, was seeking sales and marketing opportunities on the day.

Mr Murphy, who arrived at the event by chance after a job interview, was well acquainted with the important first step in any job search. “If you have a

bad CV, people won't even entertain you,” he said.

To that end, the CV clinic at the Fair ran from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and quickly filled to capacity, with priority given to graduates.

Current students were

asked to make an appointment with career services, which offers CV review services on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Students can book appointments online by visiting Careers Connect on the NUI Galway website.

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OPINION: European Commission Hits Erasmus Funding Hard

By Kathy Dillon A news report from Agence-France-Presse, on October 2, revealed that students who go on exchange in the second semester of 2012/2013 might not receive enough funding from their national Erasmus agencies.

The Erasmus programme is financed by European Union funds, which have been voted insufficient by the EU’s budgetary authority. Furthermore, the EU’s seven net contributors – Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden – have refused to increase expenditure in the 2013 budget by 6.8%, which explains the current financial shortcomings of the EU executive. In order to avoid the funding discrepancies, the EU budget must be amended, yet the European Council and Parliament

have so far failed to do this.

The precedent set by such a decision will have profound and extensive consequences, not only for current Erasmus students but also for the future of all exchange programmes, as funding is a major concern for students who are financially dependent on their Erasmus grant.

At a time when the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, is calling for solidarity among Eurozone nations, cutting finance for Erasmus, a programme that aims to promote integration, seems ironic.

Studying abroad removes the limitations that borders create. Being immersed in another culture allows individuals to overcome stereotypical and preconceived assumptions of other nation states, a characteristic of the programme advocated by a current Eras-

mus student: “The extended time abroad, living with another culture rather than just holidaying there, learning another language, meeting other young people from all over the world, is paramount to fostering an open-minded view to life,” said Daniel, who is on Erasmus in Spain.

One of the major issues the European Union is facing right now is the high rate of youth unemployment. The Erasmus programme permits students to gain invaluable language skills that, according to Professor Catherine Emerson of NUI Galway’s French Department, are much sought after in the workplace: “The year abroad is by far the best way to improve language skills. These are in high demand at graduation [and beyond],” she said.

Similarly, Professor

Philippe Cauvet, the Erasmus Co-Ordinator at the University of Poitiers, maintains: “Erasmus exchanges of researchers has dramatically improved the quality of research in Europe. Cuts would force scientists and academia to return to restrictive local-centred approaches and practices.”

Quite frankly, the significance of Erasmus funding can be epitomized through the reaction of another present Erasmus student on hearing the planned cuts.

“Without the EU grant, I wouldn’t be able to afford to [go on] Erasmus. It’s so unfair to target those who the European Union will rely on for its future continuance,” declared Molly, studying in Malta.

A prosperous and dynamic European society cannot exist among cultural indifference. Erasmus is a model programme, the benefits of which are priceless.

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NUI Galway lecturer pens new book on modern European history

By Mark Kelly NUI Galway History students now have a published author lecturing them.

Dr. Gearóid Barry has written a book entitled “The Disarmament of Hatred: Marc Sagnier, French Catholicism and the legacy of the First World War, 1914-1945”.

The book is focused on the peace efforts between the French and German governments and people, led by French Catholic and World War I veteran Marc Sagnier.

It studies in depth the audacious attempt by Sagnier to bring about a moral disarmament between the 2 countries, and the political and religious effects this had in post-war France during the period between World War I and II.

Dr. Barry is renowned for his study of European history between the 2 world wars. His research focuses on modern and contemporary France, how religion shaped many of the democracies and cultures in Europe over that period, Catholicism in France since the revolution and French-Irish links in the 20th Century.

The book is available online for purchase.

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NUI Galway Hosts Gaisce Galway City nightlife Awards Ceremony granted 2am repireve

By Sinead L. Healy Over 100 young people from second- and third-level institutions across Counties Galway and Roscommon were honoured with a Gaisce Medal at a special ceremony in NUI Galway on October 2.

The awards were organised by the university’s Gaisce Society, who this year celebrate over ten years of student involvement.

Thia year’s awards were presented by NUI Galway President, Dr James Browne, on behalf of the patron of the organisation, President Michael D. Higgins.

The Gaisce challenge – otherwise known as the President’s Award – was last year taken on by 20,000 young people, a national rise of 15% from the previous year.

Gaisce consists of Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, recognising four areas in which the individual has completed: community involvement, personal skill, physical recreation and adventure journey.

As the challenges are completely personal, there is no pressure to win between participants, as they are only competing with themselves.

This challenges the young person to be self-motivated and to push themselves to the best of their ability.

This year’s recipients have played a leadership role in the community, from setting up a branch of the Vincent De Paul Society to young men cooking meals for COPE Galway’s ‘Meals on Wheels’ service.

Two NUI Galway students – Eimear O’Callaghan from Craughwell, Co. Galway and Laura Staunton from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway – were presented with a Gaisce Silver Award. Eimear volunteers with a homework club in Claddagh National School, helping children with their reading. Laura volunteers with the Galway Society for the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals and was a member of the Galway University Musical Society’s production of Spring Awakening.

Billy Stewart, Auditor of Gaisce Society and a student of the Higher Diploma in Education at NUI Galway said: “The society is proud to be able to honour the hard work of such exceptional young people.

“Each year, we become more and more impressed by the growing numbers

and enthusiasm of our members. The Gaisce Award allows young people all over Ireland to show what they are capable of and we are more than happy to enable this to continue to happen.”

Lorraine Tansey, the Student Volunteer Coordinator for the ALIVE Programme, said: “NUI Galway is home to the most successful university Gaisce programme because we have an incredible campus in the heart of [the] city, full of opportunities for adventure, skills development and community engagement.

“Congratulations to the Gaisce Society for hosting the award ceremony and making secondary school and youth programmes feel welcome to visit and engage with the NUI Galway campus.

“If you want to earn your Gaisce Medal, the only State Medal awarded outside of the military to young citizens, now is your time to avail of everything the NUI Galway experience has to offer. Be active with a sports club, learn a new skill in a society and volunteer with ALIVE in Galway charities.”

For more information, check out: www.gaiscesoc. nuigalway.ie.

At the Gaisce Awards Ceremony in NUI Galway were (l-r): Lorraine Tansey, Student Volunteer Coordinator,NUI Galway; Hugh MacConville, Gaisce Western Regional Development Officer; Gaisce Silver Award recipient and NUI Galway student, Eimear O’Callaghan from Craughwell, Co. Galway; Dr Jim Browne, NUI Galway President; Gaisce Silver Award recipient and NUI Galway student, Laura Staunton from Ballinasloe, Co. Galway; Patrick G. Callaghan, Chief Executive of Gaisce; and Billy Stewart, Auditor of Gaisce Society, NUI Galway.

By Cara Cribbon Pubs can breath a sigh of relief after the court rejected the Garda case against exemptions.

Galway’s late night pubs and clubs will be allowed to serve alcool until after 2am followed by a radical decision by district court Judge Mary Fahy.

The judge made an exemption order allowing the Roisin Dubh on Dominic street to serve

alcohol until 2am on Sunday and Thursday nights.

Speaking on her special exemption granting and going against the wishes of the Gardai, Judge Fahy states that if the Gardai had a problem with these premises staying open after 1am then they wouldn’t have ‘turned a blind eye’ for the past 14 years.

NUI Galway Students Union, in August, expressed their unease at the news of Gardai closing Galway

City pubs and nightclubs at 1am.

The SU stated that the earlier closing times would have a huge impact on the lives of the hundreds of part time staff employed in the sector, many of whom are students.

This new development has been widely welcomed by publicans as other latenight establishments can now apply through the courts for after midweek closing.

Positive feedback from prospective students at NUI Galway Open Days

By Paul Cassidy Hundreds of students converged upon Galway from all corners of Ireland for the NUI Galway Open Days which took place on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 October.

This year, various departments and schools of the university held talks on their specific fields of study.

There were lab demonstrations in the Engineering and Science departments; professors asked students tough questions and gave out prizes for whoever solved them; a mini powerplant mock-up was shown in the Engineering building; the various subject groups had their very own stands in the Bailey Allen Hall; tours of the campus were available; talks were given by alumni and current students alike.

Overall there was an immensely positive atmosphere on campus during the open days, with a very large number of prospective students giving excellent feedback.

Karen Connelly, from Monaghan, wants to study Speech and Language Therapy, and said that NUI Galway differs from other colleges she has visited.

“NUIG is more laidback, more homely... less daunting, in a way. People are more chilled out. The campus is nice and easy to get around too,” she said.

Kerrie Drum, who wants

to study Medicine, mentioned that the emphasis on Irish in the college is a plus.

David Reagan of Kerry, who wants to study Engineering, said that NUI Galway is his first choice; “The place is big, and spread out, but it's well mapped so it's no problem. The only thing I didn't like about today was that there were no talks on Maths.”

He also mentioned that he had been to NUI Maynooth, but found that NUI Galway was much nicer.

Michael Maguire, of Dub-

lin, wants to study Medicine and sees himself as an overachiever; “You can never achieve enough!”

He said that the talks were “very informative, they gave lots of insight into things that weren't obvious at first. Everything was explained thoroughly too which was good.”

He also pointed out that the campus was big, accessible, and student-friendly.

When asked for a quote for the student newspaper, he simply said “I'm bi-winning with NUIG!”

Visiting the NUI Galway Open Days, which took place on Friday 5 and Saturday, 6 October, were Marie McDonagh and Emma Ward from Mercy College, Galway City.

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Proposed Junior Certificate reforms cause controversy

By Sean Dunne

Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has announced that the formal Junior Certificate examinations will be phased out over the next three years and replaced with a new system of assessment.

Students will be evaluated on 40% course work and 60% examinations.

They will also take a maximum of ten subjects instead of the current fifteen. The first students to benefit from the scheme will commence secondlevel education in 2014.

Minister Quinn said the new “lower stakes” Junior Certificate will help to deliver a programme that will allow students to develop a wide range of skills.

“Too many [of them] ‘switch off’ in second year

and never reconnect to learning,” he said.

“We know that the experience of third year is dominated by preparations for the Junior Certificate exams, where the focus narrows to the performance in the examination rather than the quality of the learning. It is high time we changed this – for the good of our students and our teachers.”

He highlighted previous global education successes that inspired the revamp. “We are following best practice: New Zealand, Finland and – closer to home – Scotland do not have a high stake exam and yet they have very good educational outcomes.”

H o w e v e r, Te a c h e r s Union of Ireland (TUI) General Secretary, John MacGabhann, claimed the

Galway City receives its first Michelin Star

By Rosemarie Reyes

Galway’s Aniar Restaurant, on Dominick Street, received the prestigious Michelin Star on September 28.

The restaurant has received many accolades since it opened, but winning one of only two Michelin Stars in Ireland has delighted owners, JP McMahon and Drigín Gaffey.

“We are shocked and honoured at this award.

The [staff at] Aniar work very long hours and it is great that all their hard work has paid off. It hasn't been easy, because we are trying to do something different in Aniar and not everyone ‘gets it’, but hopefully more people will try us out now and enjoy the experience.”

Aniar’s award-winning Executive Chef, Enda

McEvoy, describes his food as “based on [...] the natural influences that give a sense of place... we obey the seasons and let nature decide the menu.”

Aniar has a strong following in Galway with weekends often being particularly busy.

Mr. Gaffey adds: “The customers we have are fantastic and really supportive so we would really like to thank them too.”

Main courses include ‘Wild Mallard, Beetroot, Hazelnut, Spruce and Apple’, and most dishes are garnished with home spruces and roots.

Aniar means from the west in Irish and, as Gaffey notes, “winning this award is good for Galway. It puts Galway on the Michelin map. It is great for restaurants and local producers that Galway is becoming a destination for gourmands.”

reforms were driven by budgetary reasons, rather than educational.

“We are disappointed that teachers, as practitioners, were not specifically consulted with on these proposals. This is poor practice in the formulation of educational policy,” he declared.

“TUI accepts the need to constantly improve the educational experience for Junior Cycle students. [Nevertheless], any changes introduced must maintain the credibility and integrity of the assessment to ensure public confidence.”

Mr MacGabhann added that he had “serious concern” about the increased workload for teachers, as they will mark their own students’ projects and exams throughout the three years of the junior cycle, despite no extra pay.

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NUI Galway alumna nominated for UK theatre award By Áine O Donnell

Garry Hynes, Artistic Director of the Druid Theatre Company, has been nominated for the Best Director Award at the Theatre Awards UK for the company’s production DruidMurphy.

The Theatre Awards UK honours theatrical excellence and achievement.

DruidMurphy ran at the Hampstead Theatre in London, and the Oxford Playhouse in Oxford, throughout June and August of this year.

Hynes co-founded the Druid Theatre Company in 1975 with Marie Mullen and Mick Lally – who she met through DramSoc – after finishing her Arts degree in English and History at NUI Galway. Hynes has since returned to the university as an adjunct professor of Theatre and

Drama.

Hailing from Ballaghadereen in Co. Roscommon, Hynes has already received many theatrical accolades, one of them being the biggest award in theatre: the Tony Award for Best Director, which she won for Beauty Queen of Leenane.

She was the first woman to receive the award. She was also awarded the Freedom of the City of Galway in 2005 for her outstanding contribution to Irish theatre.

DruidMurphy is a production which focuses on the works of Tuam playwright, Tom Murphy: Conversations on a Homecoming, A Whistle in the Dark and Famine. The aim of the show is to tell the “story of Irish emigra-

tion; a story both of those who went and those who were left behind”.

The plays are performed in a unique format with the option of seeing each play over three consecutive nights, or in one day over a period of several hours; a format which was pioneered on the company’s highly successful DruidSynge production in 2005. DruidMurphy received worldwide acclaim with performances in Galway, Dublin, Britain and New York.

Hynes will contest the category against John Harmston for The Father and Dominic Hill for Krapp’s Last Tape/Footfalls.

The Awards will take place on Sunday 28 October in London’s Guildhall.

Galway confirmed as singles capital of Ireland

By Jessica Thompson

Galway City is officially the singletons capital of Ireland, with more single people than any other city in the country.

However, the county of Galway contains more married couples than anywhere else in Ireland.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 63% of the population in Galway City is single compared with the runners up, which were Dublin (60%) and Cork (58%).

The report states that Galway and Dublin Cities have the least number of married couples in the country.

Despite this, the figures report that Galway County has the most married couples, with 40.3% of the population having tied the knot. This figure is just ahead of Roscommon (40.2%) and Meath (40%).

The figures may be

down to the fact that Galway City is a university city, with a large student population.

The report states that age is a major factor in the statistics. A larger population of young people results in a larger number of singles.

In a report, ‘Households and Families – Living’, the CSO states that the difference in marital status in Galway city and county depends on age and geographical location.

The report said; “Younger counties tend to have more single people while older counties have more married and widowed people.”

This explains the large number of singles in the city. The report also explains the reason Galway County has such a large number of married couples, stating that older couples are more attracted to rural areas.

NUI Galway's Dr Andy Shearer welcomes Commisioner Geoghegan-Quinn to Sea2Sky, organised by NUI Galway to celebrate European Researcher's Night.

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world N ews

Spanish police arrest man over university bomb plot

By Benjamin O’Gorman Police on the Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of planning to carry out a bomb attack on the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB).

The man was arrested on Wednesday, October 3, as he received over 300 pounds of bomb-making substances that he had purchased online.

A police representative stated that the man had been under investigation for five months, after the discovery of comments online in which he expressed sympathy for the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre in Denver, Colorado.

The man had planned to place a number of shrapnel pipe bombs around the campus of UIB. He had also attempted to buy guns on

several occasions, but when this had not proved possible, he turned to sourcing explosive ingredients on the Internet.

In his diary, blog, and other documents seized by police, the man had expressed a hatred for society – university students in particular. Spain’s Interior Minister, Jorge Fernández Diaz, spoke with relief about the arrest: “A massacre has been averted.”

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Rare dinosaur fossil discovered in South Africa

By Austin Maloney Fossils uncovered in South Africa have revealed the existence of a 200 million year old dinosaur, described as a strange mixture of “a bird, a vampire and a porcupine”. The creature, which would have been roughly the size of a domestic cat, was discovered by Professor Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago.

The species, which has been named Pegomastax Africanus (‘thick jaw from

Africa’), had a parrot-like beak with two large canine teeth, and was covered in spiky bristles, similar to those of a porcupine or hedgehog. It would have stood about thirty centimetres tall and would have been herbivorous.

Speaking about his finding, Professor Sereno said he had actually come across the fossils in 1983 as a graduate student, but had become distracted by other projects.

“I said, ‘Whoa!’ – I realised it was a new species

from the moment I set eyes on it. [But] I got swept up in other expeditions after I first noticed it, so it took me thirty years to write it up.

There was always a danger that someone would discover and write about it [first].”

Sereno believes the species died out after becoming too dependent on one source of food.

“I suspect the plant life they depended upon disappeared, and that is what caused their extinction,” he said.

Obama and Romney have first Presidential debate

Two same-sex partnerships daily since introduction of law

By Austin Moloney

By Áine O Donnell

U.S. President Barack Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney faced off at the University of Denver on Wednesday, 3 October in the first of three presidential debates.

The candidates particularly sparred over economic issues, with taxes, spending cuts, healthcare and job creation all discussed in the ninety minutes. According to Media Bistro, a total of 58 million viewers tuned in to watch the debate.

Obama firstly criticised

Romney’s economic plans.

The President questioned his rival on how Romney planned to cut the American deficit while simultaneously advocating a $5 trillion tax cut for high earners. Romney, however, claimed that this was an inaccurate portrayal of his policies.

“I don’t have a tax cut of a scale that you’re talking about. My view is that we ought to provide tax relief to people in the middle class. But I’m not going to reduce the share of taxes paid by highincome people,” he stated.

Obama then challenged

Romney on his denial, saying Romney had backed this plan for eighteen months: “And now, five weeks before the election, he's saying that his big, bold idea is: ‘Never mind’”.

Obama also accused Romney of trying to “close loopholes [without] picking up the tab”, while Romney argued that his priority is to provide jobs.

The general perception among viewers was that Romney had edged the debate, with a CNN poll showing that 67% felt Romney had won to Obama’s 25%.

Since the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act in 2011, two same-sex marriages have taken place every day over the past seventeen months. Since April last year, 862 civil partnerships have taken place with 528 male couples and 334 female couples.

Galway had one of the highest numbers of civil partnerships in the country, with twelve in Galway City and seventeen throughout the county. Dublin had the highest percentage of same-

sex partnerships, with 457 couples partaking in civil ceremonies. Although urban areas show the highest number of same-sex partnerships, civil ceremonies have taken place in every county in Ireland since the introduction of the law.

Chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Kieran Rose, said that the figures showed the “resounding success” of the legality of partnerships.

“In every county and every city across Ireland, lesbian and gay couples

are celebrating their love and commitment in front of family, friends, and communities,” he declared.

He also felt that, though same-sex partnerships were a step in the right direction, gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples and same-sex marriages should be introduced.

“To move to marriage now and provide full constitutional equality for lesbian and gay people is not a massive legislative leap — it is an incremental step.”

Turkey-Syria conflict: Is it unavoidable?

By Paul Cassidy Syrian internal conflict has been spilling over onto Turkish soil, heightening fears of a full-blown TurkeySyria war.

The crisis was triggered on Wednesday 3 October, when a Syrian shell landed in the Turkish border town of Akcakale, killing five members of the Timuqin family instantly. Thirteen more were injured in the blast.

“People are pouring out onto the streets to protest the incident. We have been living in trepidation for the past ten days. We could not even keep count of

the bombs falling over our district during the last ten days. Bombs keep falling, yet officials are not taking any measures,” Akçakale Mayor Abdülhakim Ayhan told the broadcasting station CNNTürk.

The proximity of Akcakale to the heavily contested border town of Tell Abiad has made many residents of Akcakale fearful for their safety.

“There's no guarantee of being safe to live here,” said Ibrahim Kilcuoslan, 18, who heard the blast that killed Mrs Timuqin. “The fear has started inside all of us.”

As a response to the shelling, Ankara has moved

tanks, artillery, and men to border areas, and responded to all perceived “intrusions”

by Syria with artillery fire of its own.

It is known that Turkish forces fired upon Syrian military installations across the border, and that a number of loyalist Syrian Army fighters were killed in these retaliations.

Before permitting the firing of these retaliatory shots, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Al-Assad not to test Turkey's “limits and determination” and stated that Ankara was not bluffing in saying that it would not permit such acts.

The recent deterioration in Turkey-Syrian relation has been a serious disappointment for Erdogan's government. Since his election to office, Erdogan's cabinet has been unprecedentedly proactive in engaging with Middle-Eastern nations in a benevolent way.

The recent changes in diplomatic relations between these countries have been largely shaped by the Kurdish issue in Turkey. Up until recently, Syria was proactive in attempting to hinder the movements of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party).

This group of Kurdish revolutionaries has been

responsible for a spate of terror attacks in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and other MiddleEastern nations.

However, given the scale of the internal conflict in Syria, the PKK can once again move, for all intents and purposes, unhindered.

Erdogan has condemned Al-Assad for this, and has in response been providing refuge for Syrian rebel fighters in Turkey though Erdogan's cabinet has dismissed all claims that they are training rebels.

However, he has not denied that Turkey has been sheltering those seeking refuge from the conflict.

Pentagon press secretary

George Little said: “This is yet another example of the depraved behavior of the Syrian regime, and why it must go.”

Meanwhile, Syria and Turkey continue to fight an undeclared covert war, with Turkey providing bases for Syria's rebels and President Bashar al-Assad hitting back by fuelling the Kurdish insurgency inside his neighbour's territory.

Fawaz A. Gerges, writing for CNN, urges that “we need to put it into context: neither side has an interest in turning this low-intensity war into something more serious: a full-blown confrontation.”

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property bubble can be seen to be driving the university in this pessimistic direction.

The logic behind the current vested interests is insensitive, naïve and brutal. Unfortunately, this seems to be set to continue. These established interests have successfully mobilised a caste of insiders who are more than happy to carry out their orders.

The natural selection process may absolve those who have not wished to join the managerial class, but there is a source of blame for the current malaise in the universities from which few enough academics can genuinely be excused.

There are many cases of protectionism in academia.

This occurs when some lecturers and professors become so ingrained in the institution that they dare not speak out, for fear of rocking the boat and thus letting one of their colleagues fall overboard. Who knows, if the boat continues to rock, they could be the next casualty.

Are some of our top scholars really such great assets to our development? Considering the recent revelations of unauthorised allowances paid to senior academics in Ireland, we may ponder whether or not our third level educators have let us down with their lavish expenses and top salaries. The estimated amount of these unauthorised payments is €8 million.

* Off St

What are universities for?

Are we aware of their just purpose in modern society?

In 387 BC, Plato founded a school of learning which he called ‘The Academy’. Plato's school is often described as the first European university. Its curriculum offered subjects including astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory and philosophy. Plato hoped The Academy would provide a place where thinkers could work toward better government in the Grecian cities. In his most famous work, The Republic, there is a discussion of the virtues of justice, courage, wisdom and moderation - of the individual and in society. It examines the central question of how to live a good life, asking what an ideal State would be like and what defines a just individual. These queries lead to more questions regarding the education of citizens and how government should be formed. Have we completely lost sight of this original vision today?

Knowledge is an end in itself and its pursuit cannot always be limited by its later application, which in any case cannot be known in advance. The most alarming contemporary threat to Plato's vision is the extent to which government has increasingly insisted that

universities be a tool of its economic policies; knowledge is to be valued in proportion to what it contributes to the creation of material wealth.

However, there is a critical importance within the university to advance ideas that dissent from the mainstream.

It can be argued that universities have been colonised by commercial interests and a neo-liberal economic ethos.

Universities are progressively underfunded and they fill many roles. These roles are carefully analysed in Degrees of Nonsense: The Demise of the University in Ireland by Brendan Walsh. Here, the idea that the university is considered a means of planning for the workplace and endorsed as the best endpoint for Leaving Certificate students is examined.

It is argued that universities are “required to react immediately to the whirling weather-vane of political and economic imperative or whim; bedeviled by micromanagement and preposterous metrics and perhaps, most troubling, subject to European and domestic principles of financing and regulation that are invasive and often deeply unsympathetic to scholarly work as traditionally understood.”

The same interests which produced incalculable havoc on our society through the insane speculation-fuelled

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With the reintroduction of third level fees and the severe cuts in maintenance grants, a concerned student might well question the justification of these extravagant expenses.

This raises some fundamental reservations about the manner in which our universities operate. These monies were paid out in direct violation of the Universities Act, 1997.

It has emerged that senior staff who received such payments will not be penalised by the State, despite being, according to a spokesperson for the Minister for Education, “bang out of line”.

Senior members of staff in all seven universities were awarded payments without proper approval and, after the scandal first broke, both the Government and the HEA stated they wanted the money paid back in full.

However, a deal has been struck which will see not one cent paid back, but which will instead oblige them to ensure equivalent amounts of money are directed to “student services”. This is where the money was supposed to

have been spent in the first place.

It is no wonder that fees have been reintroduced and grants have been severely cut.

We are falsely led to believe the HEA wishes to ensure the university chiefs are penalised for their actions while at the same time guaranteeing that frontline services are not affected by such a sanction.

Between the summer of 2005 and early 2011, 223 academics were paid a total of €8million in allowances.

This money was not authorised by the HEA. While these allowances were given out, the presidents of our universities were maintaining that the Irish university was broke. UCD President Hugh Brady tried to defend these allowances by saying they were “the international norm” and necessary to ‘persuade’ staff to take on leadership and managerial roles. The encroachment of this type of management means that the freedom of scholars to discover and distribute knowledge is under increasing strain from the

vested corporate interests and, above all, central government.

These pressures may lead towards a crude and debased utilitarianism, which sees education as a mere production line whose purpose is to manufacture the type of people required for current economic and employment opportunities. Sure enough, the majority of us want a good job with a nice salary so we can live comfortably.

However, education is more than a means to an end; it is an end in itself.

Unquestionably, the purpose of research is not to discover what we already know, but to inspect and extend the limitations of our ignorance. When we do this we can disturb our idea of ourselves and force open those human possibilities that were previously unthought of. Such principles sit nervously alongside the now everyday corporatist ideas of prompted efficiency.

Is this the sort of third level education we want?

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President Higgins speaks to the Irish Dr. Pat Wallace youth at Galway regional workshop gives NUI Galway Archaeology Society talk

By Isabella De Luca

The final regional workshop of President Higgins’ ‘Being Young and Irish’ initiative took place in the Bailey Allen Hall on Saturday 29 September. Almost one hundred young people, including approximately 20 NUI Galway students, attended the workshop.

President Higgins opened the day’s proceedings with a speech highlighting his belief that young Irish people are the key to helping resolve our social, political, economic and cultural issues. A series of concentrated workshops followed, in which the collection of young people present reflected on the changes they wish to see in Irish society, and how they would bring those changes about.

The ‘Being Young and Irish’ programme consists of a consultation period that ran from 25 May to 29 September, during which the President invited young people aged 17-26 to con-

tribute practical ideas and make suggestions for the improvement of Ireland.

The initiative was keen to engage with young people through their platform of choice, social media. Submissions could be made online through English or Irish, and multimedia formats such as audio and video were encouraged.

Four regional workshops in Dublin, Monaghan, Cork and Galway were hosted during September as part of the initiative. The workshops explored the ideas of young people on three main questions: their vision for Ireland, what young people must do to help achieve that vision, and what else needs to happen to make it possible.

In his inauguration speech last November, President Higgins announced his intention to host a different seminar for each year of his Presidency, which would “reflect and explore themes that went beyond immediate legislative demands but

which were important to the shared life of the Irish people.”

In his opening remarks at the Galway workshop here in NUI Galway, the President outlined how important it was for him to give young people the opportunity to be the forerunners of change in ‘Being Young and Irish’: “There is a valuable work to be done by all those participating today. Meaningful, sustainable change does not come easily and requires demanding, honest and rigorous reflection.

I have a real belief in the commitment of you young people to do that work.

“You are the leaders of today’s consultation, working together and with others throughout the initiative to build a vision of the Irishness best for all of us in different generations, for the future.

“You have the opportunity today to articulate the kind of society you seek to live in with others, grow older in, and in the future

President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, with President of NUI Galway, James Browne.

hand on to the other generations.

“While I read and hear of how marginalised and often silenced many young people have been, I have been more impressed at how deeply young people are reflecting on these issues, how deep and rich the contributions to date have been.

“Young people are ready to think, speak and act, in emancipatory terms.”

Issues that came to the forefront of the Galway workshop included the revival and promotion of the Irish culture and language, pro-activity and civic responsibility, the need to embrace individuality as part of a supportive community, and the improved facilitation and awareness of mental health. Reform of the education system, eradication of church influence and political accountability were also among the popular matters raised on the day.

The outputs of all four regional workshops and the multimedia consultation will be presented as part of the National Seminar at Áras an Uachtaráin in November. A final report of the consultation will be published and delivered to the relevant authorities and agencies.

Vice-President/Education Officer of NUI Galway Student Union, Conor Stitt was among the young people who attended the workshop.

He had great praise for the programme: “The Being Young and Irish workshop was a great initiative taken by President Higgins. Many young people feel disenfranchised from politics and because of that, feel that they cannot change the norms.

“President Higgins is not only telling young people they can bring about the change they want to see to but challenges us to be part of that change. The workshops had some great ideas and many young people wanting a huge level of change, I hope and will work for young people to take ownership of that change.”

By Sonya White On October 2, NUI Galway’s Archaeology Society welcomed the esteemed Dr. Patrick F. Wallace, the former Director of the National Museum of Ireland, as the first guest speaker for 2012-2013.

Dr. Wallace received both national and international recognition for his role as the lead archaeologist at the National Museum’s excavations of the Viking site at Wood Quay, Dublin.

Dr. Wallace was warmly welcomed to NUI Galway Archaeology Society by the society auditor Betty Gray who introduced the speaker, emphasising his vital contributions to Irish archaeology, most especially to our understanding of the Viking Age, as well as to the success of the National Museum.

Under Dr. Wallace’s Directorship the National Museum of Ireland grew in size and scope with the addition of the Decorative Arts and History extension at Collins Barracks in Dublin and the Museum of Country Life in Castlebar Co. Mayo, with almost 1.1 million people passing through the doors of the museum during 2011. He retired from his position as Director on February 29 this year.

The topic of the lecture was “Recent Discoveries in Viking Age Ireland” and it focused on the famous Wood Quay excavation project carried out in the 1970s and 1980s. The Wood Quay excavations were one of Ireland’s most important archaeological excavations revealing a great deal about Viking settlement, and life in Dublin by uncovering part of the original Viking riverside settlements in the city.

Dr Wallace described how the Vikings changed

the settlement pattern in medieval Ireland. The presentation offered photographs of the Wood Quay excavations with explanations of the water-logged and preserved foundations of individual houses and tenements, as well as ship remains re-used for architectural purposes. The talk also provided a reconstruction of how Viking Age Dublin would have looked in its heyday.

Dr Wallace graduated from his BA at NUI Galway in 1969 after which he undertook an MA in History. He is known both nationally and internationally as a passionate lecturer on Irish archaeology and the Vikings in Ireland. He has also been involved in several educational TV and radio programs, and was granted a knighthood by the Queen of Denmark in recognition of a lifetime’s research into Denmark’s links with Ireland.

The return of Dr. Wallace was a significant moment for the NUI Galway Archaeology Society as Dr. Wallace was one of its founding members, acting as its first treasurer in 1968, and auditor in 1969. In recognition, at the end of the lecture, the auditor Betty Gray made a special presentation gift of a bound copy of the first minutes of the first NUI Galway Archaeological Society meeting held in 1968.

Overall the lecture gave a fascinating insight into the settlement forms of the Viking era in Dublin uncovered by the Wood Quay excavations as well as those in Waterford.

Attendees included students and members of staff from a variety of disciplines including history, geography and archaeology. A reception hosted by the society for Dr. Wallace was held at Scholar’s Rest.

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Cholera on Campus

By Aoife Kirk The first Friends of Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) event of the year was the “Cholera on Campus”, which turned out to be a great success.

What is MSF anyways?

What’s all the fuss about?

MSF is an international, independent humanitarian organization that brings emergency aid to people

“

shelter in the cholera tent.

Inside the tent were 2 beds, similar to the beds that are currently being used all over the world in emergency areas where cholera outbreaks have been reported.

The beds contained a small circle drawn on by marker, which would be left open in a real situation, as cholera patients suffer from diarrhea and have no control over their bladder.

Ben had been on three or four

different missions, his most recent

“

one having just come back from a five-week stint in South Sudan

affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters & exclusion from healthcare. Their actions are guided by medical ethics with principles of neutrality and impartiality. It works independently – more than 90% of MSF’s overall funding comes from private sources, not the government.

MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, with all the money going back into raising awareness and fighting neglected diseases around the world. The main aim of the Friends of MSF society is to raise funds and awareness about the work that MSF is doing across the world in emergency areas where aid is needed the most.

The tent ran from 11am until 4.30pm. Four representatives were present from MSF - 3 clinicians and one logistician.

The original logistician that had been arranged to arrive in Galway had called in sick with a dose of malaria, so Ben was flown in from Berlin that morning to join the team. A logistician’s job is to organize and ensure the mission runs smoothly. Be it by coordinating the purchase and transport of supplies, setting up feeding centres, managing staff or obtaining vehicles for transport.

The tent was set up outside College Bar on NUIG campus. The odd rain shower simply added to the excitement of everyone huddling together for

There were plastic chairs left outside the tent, which had holes in the middle and buckets underneath where patients would sit and be treated. There were 2 iPads set up inside, where students and visitors could sit on the bed, plug in their headphones and listen to different MSF stories from around the world. A favourite video of many was the story of a child in Haiti who, despite losing everything, including the use of her limbs, managed to walk with prosthetic legs in 2-3 days and was an inspiration to the doctors and patients alike. Samples of emergency supplies, such as IV lines, masks, thermometers, food for malnourished children and bandages were being passed around.

Of course, the main event of the tent was the opportunity to speak to the four MSF volunteers, who had given their valuable time to be part of this wonderful event. Each one had a different story to tell, from a different spot on the globe. The logistician Ben, had been on three or four different missions, his most recent one having just come back from a five-week stint in South Sudan, where they were building an emergency hospital. The logistics side of the MSF operation is equally as important as the engineers, nurses, clinicians, surgeons, management staff who all give their time to MSF missions.

Emer was an English doctor who is back working in

London, and had spent a year in rural Zimbabwe in a HIV/TB clinic. Her stories were fascinating, and ranged from weeks of no electricity to the astonishing stories of how they treated TB patients who lived in the bush up to 70 miles away.

With heavy hearts we said goodbye to the team and thanked them for their captivating stories.

Having the opportunity to meet MSF volunteers who have been on the field and share their experiences was enlightening. We are all now even more inspired to work harder and continue to spread the word, helping those who are truly in need.

Anyone can get involved by joining our society, Friends of MSF on www. yourspace.nuigalway.ie or you can like our Facebook page “NUIG Friends of MSF” to keep up to date on all our upcoming events.

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Re:

New Public

An insight to NUI Galway’s GIG Soc

By Kealan Moore GIG Soc is a society for students within the LGBT community who attend NUI Galway. If you are Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/ Transgender, the society offers you the chance to partake in coffee mornings, film viewings, information workshops, nights out or nights in.

Gig Soc offers a support network; a safe place to be yourself.

Gig Soc are very aware that many people find themselves isolated; it's

hard to keep the mask we wear around others on all the time. Sometimes it is easier to come forward within a safe environment rather than continuing to face issues that are outside your control. If you would like to talk to someone, email gigsoc@socs.nuigalway.ie, or send a facebook message and one of the auditors of GIG Soc will get back to you as soon as possible.

Psychology supports that some people are born LGBT, and throughout history humanity has

Equality Week took place in NUI Galway from 8 – 12 October.

been led to believe that we are all born equal, but we know that is not true.

In August 2012 the courts of Russia upheld a ban on gay pride marches in Moscow for the next 100 years; the marches have been described as “homosexual propaganda”.

At present in Ukraine, “draft law number 8711” is threatening to doubleoverthrow the rights of the LGBT community making it illegal to talk about LGBT issues in the media. That means if this article were published in Ukraine, and the law was active, I would be arrested.

Dr Margaret Atwood writes about a dystopian world in her book The H a n d m a i d ' s Ta l e . T h e idea of a world that could almost be “reality” is central.

Atwood's famous novel is speculative fiction; sometimes referred to as a ‘science fiction’. While the idea of a palimpsest comes to mind, there is nothing like really living in reality where a dystopia is here right now at this moment in time.

The frightening reality is that if you look at a map of Europe, Russia and Ukraine are not that far away – it’s a small world after all. In Malaysia it is totally illegal to be LGBT, and in Iran you can be sentenced to death.

Also remember the Nazis rounded up the LGBT community and many found themselves in Nazi concentration camps.

So the next time you shout a homosexual term into your mobile phone in the middle of a crowded lecture theatre, in a busy university canteen, down the hallways, think of your counterpart who was born with equal rights to you.

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Return to Interview with an SU Officer: ‘Happy House’ Welfare Officer, Dami Adebari

By Darren McDonagh with Bridget Cheasty and Louisa Brophy Browne Days 4-20 Picture this: three Irish students dragging basically their whole lives in suitcases across Prague, struggling to lift them onto trams, being laughed at by all the natives. This was a regular occurrence on our second week as we moved hostel twice – three different hostels. Three! The third of which was basically a spider infested dungeon where we expect the ghosts of dead children wander the halls at night. Those were two rough nights to say the least.

“

very aggravated Czech man shouting at us. Thankfully, a very kind woman with good English came to our rescue and translated the security guard’s directions. As we eventually emerged from the lift, we were in hysterics (which we resort to every time we get into these situations). The security guard was not so entertained. A memorable departure from ‘Happy House’!

Perhaps the highlight of our adventure so far, for me, came when we were moving from the final hostel to our new house. After struggling to get our bags on to the tram, we were met by what I like to call ‘the tram police’ – the ticket man. As I saw him coming towards us I slyly validated a ticket

There we were, three eejits

stranded in the tiniest lift you’ve

“

ever seen with a very aggravated Czech man shouting at us.

Our search for a humble abode brought us back to ‘Happy House’. If you recall from the last article ‘Happy House’ isn’t exactly the happiest of places. However this time one bright-eyed, smiling young lady came to our rescue. She managed to find us a perfect apartment!

Granted the dining table is in my bedroom and Bridget’s room also functions as the living room, but we’ve really made it our own in the last week. We paid a commission to ‘Happy House’ of no less than €600, daylight robbery! But there was nothing we could do; we were homeless.

After begrudgingly handing over the cash, we got into the lift to leave ‘Happy House’ for what we can only hope is the final time.

However, just our luck, the lift decided to stop halfway between two floors and the doors opened. Just our feet were visible to the floor below. A security guard then began shouting instructions to us… in Czech.

So there we were, three eejits stranded in the tiniest lift you’ve ever seen with a

which I had bought days before. He checked my ticket which was clearly days old and had been stuffed down my pocket since. He tried his best to catch me out but there was nothing he could do. The girls, however, were not so lucky.

After fumbling around in their bags, making it seem as though their tickets were somewhere inside, he resorted to fining them. We got off at the next stop and the girls had to hand over €30 each. Although they weren’t too pleased, I got great entertainment from the whole situation. They swiftly bought tram passes to avoid future fining. But I’m still risking it!

We’re really getting settled in here in Prague. Only in college two days a week, the nightlife is incredible and it’s a really beautiful city. Of course, we’ve been enjoying it even more since our grants came in this week. It’s sad to think that in 12 short weeks we’ll be back in rainy Galway. But God only knows what will happen to us between now and then!

By Marése O’Sullivan Sin chatted to 20-yearold Dami Adebari about the improvements he’s made as Welfare Officer, what he finds most difficult about the job, and who inspires him.

Why did you want to be Welfare Officer?

When I came into first year, I always had an interest in the Student’s Union, in helping out students, and in improving services for students. By the time I got to third year, I [had done] a lot of volunteering and working around the college, and had got to know so many people. I thought, “Why not give [the Student’s Union] a shot and see how we can best improve the situation that we’re in?”

I looked at the three main Student’s Union positions – President, Education Officer and Welfare Officer – and I thought the best one for me was Welfare. I had the ideas and I just knew how we could move forward from a Welfare perspective.

What does your job involve?

It ranges, [but mainly] involves solving problems and creating awareness. Students come in to me for different reasons: mental health, physical health, accommodation [problems], fees, exams, failing a test, bullying – whatever you can think of, I try to help them out with it. I’m also responsible for the different campaigns and events, such as Mental Health Week and Condom Wednesdays.

W h a t ’s y o u r favourite aspect of the role?

When I’m helping someone, I think.

Most people would get their joy, or their thrill, from whenever they solve the problem, whereas with

me, my favourite aspect is when I’m in the process of, for example, ringing a landlord or talking to the Accommodation Office. Just knowing I’m going about helping the person. A good result is just a benefit.

What’s the most difficult part of your job?

Being responsible at the end of the day. Everyone knows who you are, so you can’t do anything out of order; you have to watch your every move, and everything you say, for the year. Also, turning up [to the office] at 9am!

What’s the biggest change you have made as Welfare Officer thus far?

I think, first of all, Condom We d n e s days. It was done last year, but [that was just] sixty condoms on a Wednesday, and now we’re handing out a

­thousand. Mental Health Week, as well, was so successful this year. We had different organisations coming in to talk to people while they were already in lectures. They were the two biggest changes, and there will be a few more, hopefully.

What are the biggest challenges that the SU will encounter this year and how do you feel the team is going to deal with them?

Equality, funding and mental health cuts are still [concerns]. Fees are on the rise – by 2015, the fees are going to be €3,000 – but I think the biggest issue of them all is engaging with our students. I think many Student Unions in the past have got attached to the computer in their office and run everything from there, and students say, “We voted for you, but we don’t see you anymore.”

Getting

out there, getting on the ground – the approach the Student’s Union is taking this year – is [important for] student engagement and [for us to do] a good job.

What are your plans for the year ahead as Welfare Officer?

Up next is Healthy Living Week. We’re going to get a booklet done up for that. Sports Week, too, is going to be massive; we’ll get a few big names to come in. Also, Road Safety Week will be soon. What I want to do is create such an awareness about every Campaigns Week that people actually know about it. [My aim is] also to keep up the good percentage of success in casework that I have had in my job so far.

Who inspires you in your job as Welfare Officer?

Martin Luther King really inspires me, and so does every individual that I’ve met along the way. They say life is like a library, and most people just walk through it, whereas if you pick up the books and read some, you can learn so much more.

What career do you hope to pursue after you finish your time as Welfare Officer?

My long-term plan is to do a Masters after this in Social Work and, after that, get married at 26, have my first child at 27, do my job for a while, and then go into politics.

I’ve always been lucky and alright, but to him who so much is given, much more is expected, so I’ve always tried to look after the people around me. I won’t worry about what’s going to happen. [I believe that] if you follow all the steps that are in front of you now, the future will decide itself.

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The WildER Ones

By Bebhinn Lernihan Getting involved in societies during your years in college is one of the most important things you should do, besides going to lectures. Many societies offer pizza, movie nights and the old favourite, a night on the town; but what about those who crave that adrenaline rush, those who are willing to put their skills to the test and fight for their survival like Bear Grylls in the Borneo Jungle? A newly established society in NUIG offers medical students just that.

As the greatly anticipated Wilderness Weekend creeps up, medical students across Ireland pack their bags full of their finest woolies for a weekend of emergency medicine, sleeping rough and of course the dreaded Irish weather deep in the Wicklow Mountains.

It may not be the Borneo Jungle just yet, but it has promised to put their survival and medical skills to the test over the course of 2 thrilling and fast-paced days.

The recently established society in NUIG, the Emergency Medicine Student Society Ireland (EMSSI), has already proven most

successful in UCD, Trinity, and UCC in promoting emergency medicine (EM) which is a relatively new speciality in Ireland.

The EMSSI is a national student-based society conducted under the watchful eye of EM faculties across Ireland and is composed of medical students from across the country. Its main aims are to encourage students to get involved in extracurricular activities pertaining to EM, to further connect medical colleges and also to promote EM as a potential and attractive career choice.

One major concern expressed by The College of Emergency Medicine is that, in Ireland and the UK, there are not enough emergency consultants available in hospitals. A study conducted in the UK in 2012, concluded that consultant based service delivery offers many advantages and that consultant expansion is urgently required to achieve this sustainably. Organisations such as the EMSSI are working towards this and are hoping to widen students’ perspectives by introducing them to the wild side of medicine.

Seán Dillane, a third year medical student and

President of the EMSSI in NUIG, says that the collaboration of medical students nationwide is great for EM and that the workshops and trips planned by the EMSSI across Ireland will benefit medical students immensely.

“The society however, doesn’t just cater to the EM speciality,” added Mr Dillane, “it caters to various specialities on both general and emergency levels.

Paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and psychiatry will also be focused on during the workshops and talks planned for Galway and nationwide in the coming year.”

High altitude illness, remote setting traumas and wilderness survival, preparedness and improvisation are some of the main areas that will be covered in the upcoming weekend of emergency medicine and in other workshops and events organised by the EMSSI. In order to strengthen, encourage and advance healthcare and EM, such events and training are vital and have the potential to save hundreds of lives as our young, future doctors learn to improvise with limited supplies in any given situation.

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Student Profile: Innocentia Migijima

By Gabriel DeBarros Sin contributor, Gabriel DeBarros, set out on a mission to interview and write about some of the students who make up NUI Galway. This week he profiles Innocentia Migijima…

Innocentia Migijima, a Masters of Law student at NUI Galway, is one of the many international graduates attending the university. She is a girl from the Monomotapa Empire who dreams big and is determined to make it happen. Easy-going, frank and exceedingly intelligent, Innocentia reflects how global NUI Galway really is.

“I am a lawyer by profession and I value order and security in my life. I am ruled by reason rather than emotion and I think in clear, practical, no-nonsense terms.”

Her face framed by braids, she wears no discernible make-up and is dressed in a loose-fitting pullover.

She looks more like a teenage student on her way to school than a Masters candidate.

Innocentia was brought up in Zimbabwe and completed her degree in South

Africa. Once qualified, she hopes to improve the lives of people in her home country by working with a charitable organisation such as UNICEF or African Union. The area of educating children with special needs is of particular interest to her; her dream is to “make society realise the wealth of sympathy, the kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of children with disabilities.”

One of her biggest inspirations is Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected female head of state in Africa. She says that her genuine leadership in fighting corruption in a war-torn country is a paradigm of “what women are capable of.”

Innocentia was raised in a religious household and despite not having “set foot in a church for some time now”, retains a strong faith.

Even though she holds on to certain traditional values, she also possesses a very contemporary viewpoint regarding many social issues. She is pro-choice and believes “women should be able to make decisions about their bodies … regarding sexuality, reproduction and motherhood.”

In terms of romantic

relationships, she cites trust as “the foundation upon which love can flourish.” She describes the friendships in her life as “precious both in the shade and sunshine of life” and singled out Nyaradzo Mupfuti, a fellow lawyer, as her best friend. She will act as maid of honour at Nyaradzo's wedding next December. The traits she most appreciates in her closest companion are her “justness and sincerity.”

Her hobbies include walking in the countryside (when the sun is shining), reading Joy Fielding novels, going to the cinema and painting the town red in Galway. On a night out, she enjoys dressing up but sees no point in wearing heels higher than three or four inches, adding that whoever invented them must have hated women. Her favourite musicians include The Parlotones, Adele and Coldplay.

She acknowledges that her current location in Ireland is very different from her home but maintains that it is beautiful nonetheless. Despite her love of Galway, Paris remains her favourite city. However, if she won the lottery, a Cayman Island would be her first purchase.

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OPINION: Rebirth of a Nation

By Mark McGoldrick

School Through A Lens So what is it then? A jungle? A meat factory? A playground? No, I'm not attempting to conduct an assessment of your current psychological state by holding up images of randomly arranged inkblots; although, an ink stain is as good a place as any to start where the topic of education is concerned.

With the exception of a few splotches from our parents, the vast majority of us begin our schooling as blank sheets of paper ready to be educated, influenced and drawn all over. That, and we've all had to deal with the dire ramifications of a burst pen in our school bag.

Personal experiences of the education system vary greatly. Some individuals reach for the rose-tinted glasses while reminiscing of twelve times tables and requesting permission to go to the toilet. The very phrase “An bhfuil cead agam dul amach go dtí an leithreas más é do thoil é,” gets them all giddy with excitement.

A l t e r n a t i v e l y, t h e concept of institutionalised learning can leave many others cold. The way we are treated and educated during our formative years has a colossal impact on the people we become later in life – long after 'big school' enters distant memory territory.

Either viewpoint can become more skewed or, indeed, gain clarity with the passing of time. For eons, humans have made attempts at deconstructing the school environment – from academia to art. The latter has generally been more successful in this regard, particularly in the field of film. If a picture can paint a thousand words, surely a film is comparable to the back catalogue of an entire library.

In Pink Floyd's seminal 1982 film The Wall, the main protagonist's flashbacks to his childhood recall a conveyer belt view of the British education system. Here the children are homogeneous beings who are mocked and chastised should they dare display any artistic inclinations.

They are simply “another brick in the wall”. Their misery culminates in becoming overly familiar with an industrial-sized meat grinder.

This damning indictment of schooling was largely influenced by Roger Waters' time in an English boarding school in the mid twentieth century. In the boy's fragile mind, it takes a frenzied riot to break down the wall of oppression created by a suffocating school system that forbids freedom of expression. The idea that curriculum and creativity are akin to oil and water has long been bandied about. This situation has certainly improved in schools in the last thirty years but 'art' in any form still stands on a much lower rung of the educational ladder than more traditional subjects such as maths and science.

Three years after the release of The Wall, John Hughes' The Breakfast Club redefined the genre of American highschoolbased films. Five living, breathing stereotypes find themselves unexpectedly in each other's company in a Saturday session of detention. The group is labeled “a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse” and, for all intents and purposes, their personalities are presumed to delve no deeper. Each student possesses rather misplaced preconceptions regarding their compan-

ions. As their day together unfolds they begin to talk and, more importantly, listen to each other. Although coming from five radically diverse social groupings, the gang come to release they are much more alike that previously assumed and bond over shared interests and fears.

The issue of cliques is also examined in Tina Fey's insightful dissection of social schooling, 2004's Mean Girls. The film's central character finds it difficult to adjust to life in an American high school following her family's move from the African bush. The previously home-schooled Cady isn't emotionally or mentally prepared for the unwritten social rules that she must quickly learn to abide by in the complex world of twentieth first century teenage girls. She soon discovers that life in second level education is not entirely unlike life in the jungle - in fact, it's a lot less straightforward. A hierarchy exists in both settings but psychological warfare is evidently more prevalent in the former.

Over time, Cady is forced to become au fait with concepts such as 'social suicide', miscommunication, backstabbing and, ultimately, reconciliation.

The film's exploration of the pressures placed on adolescents, particularly young women, as a result of skewed societal norms is really quite fascinating.

In school, as in life, we often pre-judge our contemporaries, superiors and, indeed, subordinates. The favour is, more often than not, returned.

Perhaps there are more lessons to be learned from our celluloid syllabus, and each other, than first impressions would lead us to believe.

With the Celtic Tiger crawling away to die in the economic undergrowth, the trend of the emigrating Irish is evident in earnest.

Figures released by the CSO last month show that, of the 87,100 people who emigrated from April 2011 to April 2012, exactly 53% of these were Irish nationals.

It could be argued that this reorganisation of our republic suits our current government. As David McGoldrick, an ex-pat now living in London put it; the Government “need us out of the country because we’d get politicized; they need us gone because the people emigrating are smarter and more intelligent than the Government.”

Don’t believe him? Then consider this. The last time Irish people could not leave these shores was because of the break out of World War I. With so many newly educated, politicised and free thinking young people staying in Ireland, vast, unprecedented change swept

the country – culminating in the overthrowing of the British Government and the foundation of the Irish Free State. If young people decided to stay in Ireland and form a rebellious alliance against those in authority, there really is no telling what could be achieved by them. Instead of questioning those in positions of power, however, they follow in the footsteps of their forefathers and contribute to the maintenance of the global Irish Empire rather than a Republic they can be proud of.

The perception of a need to emigrate is stopping us from achieving a truly great Irish Republic. This weapon of fear – that there is nothing here for young people – has been present in Irish society for the last 150 years. So who’s to blame for constructing this terrible perception surrounding emigration?

There has been much speculation in the media that young people resent the actions of the older generation and leave Ireland for greener pastures.

Emigration was the knee jerk response by most young people when the Celtic Tiger was butchered and skinned

by Imperialist poachers. If it were to cease tomorrow, within ten years this country could potentially become very prosperous again. In a throw back to our rebellious ancestors, returning young people would demand real reforms.

History appears to be repeating itself: the government is so out of touch with common Irish people it has become alien. However, this time there are no vibrant young people to form the Rebel Alliance that is necessary for substantial social change. They are scattered across the globe, residing in Irish colonies thousands of miles away. We are a republic in name only. In a republic, power resides with both the Government and the electorate but the latter has no power anymore, forcing them to leave their homeland.

In order for social change, mass emigration has to stop.

A guy dressed as a cup of coffee was spotted in An Bhialann two weeks ago. He posed no risk to students, and only wanted a hug, in exchange for a free cup of coffee. Fair deal.

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 Hello Everyone, I’m sure you have adapted to university life and I hope you are all enjoying it.

Many of you will have seen me and other Welfare working group members around the university. I’m sure you are familiar with who we are and what we do. The welfare working group are students who chose to volunteer for the Student’s Union and I must stress that anybody can become a member. So far this fantastic group of students has brought you a wonderful, free initiative called Condom Wednesdays. Yeah, that’s right, we’ve got you covered. Condom Wednesdays is an event where the Student’s Union hands out at least 1000 free condoms to students every second Wednesday. And if you happen to miss the Wednesday you can always drop into the Student’s Union reception upstairs in Aras Na Mac Leinn and you can avail of

free condoms at anytime. Don’t worry we have a variety of them.

Also our wonderful welfare working group brought you mental health week. The theme of the week was resilience. Through our events we encouraged you to be active, connect, take notice, keep learning and be charitable. The week was a great success and we hope everyone took something from it. Coming up, we have Condom Wednesday and we are looking forward to bringing you Healthy Living week, Yummeee.

If you are interested in helping us out and becoming part of the welfare working group, please contact me on 0863853659 or email su.welfare@ nuigalway.ie.

Dami Adebari NUI Galway Student’s Union Vice President/ Welfare Officer.

Dami and Stitt getting married.

Welfare crew for mental health week.

The Welfare crew prepare to hand out 1000 condoms.

What the SU has been up to: Elected 300 Class reps Handed out Mental Health Packs Ran Be Active Events – 5-a-side soccer, shootouts, zumba Organised lecture talks by Mental Health Org’s Welfare crew took part in acts of random kindness Ran Blue Jeans Campaign to reduce mental Health Stigma Ran Mental Health Petition

The Financial Aid Fund

The University operates a Financial Aid Fund for students.

This fund incorporates the Student Assistance Fund. The fund provides assistance towards living expenses, childcare and fees.

The Student Assistance Fund is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support (HEAR, Access, DARE, Disability, and Mature Students) and students with other circumstances giving rise to short or longer-term financial difficulties, including family responsibilities, bereavement, family difficulties, accidents or health problems.

Where students are applying for assistance with fees, you may apply for a fee abatement (e.g. 10%, 20%, etc) or apply to pay your fee in more than 2 instalments or, indeed, a combination of fee abatement and payment by instalment.

Who is eligible to apply?

All registered students are eligible to apply to this fund.

Wanted: Movember and Sons Moustache Merchants

We’ve signed up for Movember and pledged to show our support by raising funds and awareness for men’s health.

This year, we honour the men who have grown before us and, as Moustache Merchants for Movember and Sons, pay respect to the simple truth, “Knowledge is Power, the Moustache is King.”

As our forefather’s always knew, the moustache is the mark of a man.

Today, it is a man’s ribbon, a symbol to spark conversation and help change the face of men’s health.

You can take part either by growing one Dirty Son of a Mo as a Mo Bro, or join up as a Mo Sista to help recruit others, share knowledge and support Mo growers.

To join our NUI Galway Students’ Union team of Movember Moustache Merchants go to:

https://www.movember.com/ie/ register/details/team_id/485709

How to apply?

Applicants should completed the online Assessment Form available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/student_services/student_assistance_fund.html All relevant elements of this form must be completed.

Applications should be submitted by the following dates: Friday 19th October, 2012 Friday 9th November, 2012 Friday 7th December, 2012 Friday 25th January, 2013 Friday 15th February, 2013 Friday 8th March, 2013 Friday 29th March, 2013

How will my application be assessed?

Assessments will be carried out anonymously and decisions will be made purely on the merits of each application. The asessors will not have access to names or student’s email address.

When will I find out about the outcome of my application?

Decisions will be made within a month of the application period closing.

Your online application will be assessed and you will be notified by email of the outcome. Should you be eligible for assistance, you will be advised of a provisional allocation, and about further specified supporting documentation that needs to be completed. In the case of allocations for Living Expenses and Childcare, these supporting documentation includes the submission of actual and purpose specific receipts to the value of the amount of assistance allocated. In the case of receipts for Childcare, only receipts from Registered Childminders will be accepted.

Students should take steps now to ensure that they have the necessary Receipts.

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Up in Smoke

By Lyndsay Hughes I smoked my first cigarette at seventeen. The smoking ban had just been introduced and I found myself sitting alone in my local, minding everyone’s drinks while they chatted and laughed in the newly decked-out smoking area - complete with DJ and gas heaters. Bored, I went outside to join them and began my career as a 20-aday smoker.

Since the Ban of ‘04, not much has changed in the life of the Irish smoker. Initially, we all laughed about being social outcasts, but the smoking area quickly became the place to be on a night out. In 2007, the government added insult to injury by getting rid of 10-packs of cigarettes in a bid to stub out underage smoking. The affluent teens of the final Celtic Tiger days didn’t find this much of an issue, and those that did happily chipped in and shared a 20-pack instead. When I speak to friends about smoking, they are usually surprised and amused by the fact that I started smoking because of the ban.

When it was introduced, non-smokers were delighted that they didn’t have to endure the smell of stale smoke on top of their Sunday morning hangover, and bar-staff had a significantly smaller clean up job at the end of the night. We may have cut down on drycleaning bills but has the counter-productivity of the ban affected more than just me?

I hit the Róisín Dubh on a Saturday night to see what others thought about this issue. Out of about thirty people, at least half of them told me that they were too young to remember being able to smoke inside and never knew any different.

I spoke to several others, though, who remember the glassy-eyed haze of a pre-ban pub, the clatter of an upturned ashtray on a stub-covered floor, and the exasperated look on the barman’s face when someone would order a drink while simultaneously puffing his Marlboro Red into his face.

Daniel, a 22-year-old former barman from Longford told me: “I have asthma, so working in a smoking bar wasn’t great for my health. It’s very annoying when someone decides to exhale in your face.”

Despite this, he and several other non-smokers were in the smoking area during my visit, so I decided to ask why that was. “It’s where you go when you want to have a chat,” 27-yearold Cork student, Fiona, said. “I probably spend at least half my night in the smoking area,” she added.

Her boyfriend Tom, also a non-smoker, mused: “There should be bars in all smoking areas. Smoker or not, everyone needs to cool off and having a bar outside makes sense.”

Based on those I spoke to, everyone seems to be on the same page: smoking is a vile, disgusting and dangerous habit, but it’s great craic. So what if smoking areas were not developed into the social hubs they are today? I wonder how many people would feel differently if they had to stand outside, unsheltered and bored in the Galway rain, with the nearest bar thirty

meters of moshing away?

Gary, a 42-year-old guitarist from Ballinasloe, said: “It’s better for the bar-staff I suppose, but non-smokers don’t seem to be too bothered either way. If they got rid of the fancy smoking areas now, everyone would be smoking in the jacks!”

The smoking ban may have backfired on the Irish government. They wanted us smokers to suffer - to be excommunicated from the social scene and stand alone on rainy street corners, puffing as fast as we could to get back inside to the warmth and the craic, but this wasn't to be. Our lovely locals have provided us with an access-all-areas pass to not one, but two cosy venues wherever we go. The aim of the game was to make people quit smoking, but the ban has arguably glamourised the smelly habit thanks to the appearance of these impressive outdoor wonderlands.

Smoking may not be cool, but smoking areas definitely are.

If you want to try to give up smoking, visit www. quit.ie or call the National Smokers Quitline on 1850201203.

{sin} 15–10

OPINION: Fishing for a form of relaxation?

By Brian Concannon Fishing in Ireland has experienced a drop in the level of young participants in recent years and I find it hard to fathom why. For me a day out with my friends, a packed lunch and my fishing rod is a perfect.

Picture this; you’re adrift on a boat, the mist rising from the surface of the water, which reflects the light of the early morning sun and you catch a glimpse of the elusive trout as it hops out of the water in pursuit of its breakfast. You’re miles away from the noise and chaos of the city and the only thing on your mind is the thought of catching that trout for your dinner. This is what I think of when I pull into the car park beside the Kingfisher where I spend a few minutes looking out towards the glassy surface of the Corrib River whilst I wait for the library to open. For those few minutes I can imagine I’m far away with only the water, my friends and the fish to keep me company.

Fishing is beneficial for the mind as it gives an overworked student’s brain a

chance to unwind and relax whilst the gentle exercise energises your body leaving you refreshed and ready to get back to the studying.

The benefits of ­fishing are as follows: • It is not a strenuous activity, but it still provides light exercise for the lungs and the muscles in the fingers, hands, wrists and forearms.

• Fishing gives you the opportunity to get plenty of fresh air into the lungs, which is great for the skin, and also leads to a healthier physical and mental state.

• Because fishing requires little or no brainpower, this gentle sport allows the brain to relax. There’s no pressure, no deadlines, and no stress; just fresh air, rest, relaxation, and maybe even a bit of sunshine.

• The relaxation of fishing will also allow you to mull over any problems in your life. It’s a great way to get in some serious thinking time, which in turn is beneficial to your mental health.

Star-gazing at Sea2Sky, organised by NUI Galway to celebrate European Researcher’s Night.

There are many skills that can be learned with each type of fishing such as fly-tying, beach casting and entomology. In other words, there is more to fishing than just going out with a rod and bait.

An angling club in NUIG would enable students to enjoy this great sport all year round as an extracurricular activity. Introducing club members to sea, course and fly-fishing would be highly beneficial, as would trips out on a charter with the guidance of Ireland’s most experienced fishermen.

There would be the opportunity to catch many different species of fish including sea bass, sea trout and even conger eels.

County Galway is a prime location for fishing as there is an abundance of lakes and rivers as well as miles of pristine coastlines, offering a diverse range of opportunities for the avid fisher.

So if you would like to join in on the fun and learn some new skills, log on to Facebook and like this page https://www.facebook.com/ NuigAnglingClub

{sin}

F eatures

14–03

Student Speaks oolan Aishling D Science 4th year a good “I think it’s tter idea, it’s be ot to not sho in lf e s your and t, o o f the tures. attend lec Talking to lecturers helps with exams.”

By Sean Dunne & Orla Ryan

NUI Galway is considering making lecture attendance compulsory. We hear from the students and what they think about the proposal.

Clare Hogan 3rd ye ar Arts “It wou ld be good; I think results would probab ly go u p as everyon e would be atten ding class.”

Megan Kinealy Bio Med “I think it’s a good idea, I have been to all my lectures so far.

That’s what I am in college for.”

Flynn Arts idea good lly “It’s a ic chn a and te es are lectur atory y mand alread esent.” at pr Derek

{19} 15–10

ndare Honey Ogu Law ing “It’s not go ot n to work, it’s ag dr possible to ut o ts n de u st of bed but I go to all my lectures so it’s cool.”

Bronwyn Young Science “It’s probably a better idea in terms of a degree but I still don’t like the idea of it.”

James La Medicin ughlin e “I figur ed lecture s we mandato re ry anyway, so I don’t th ink it makes much o f a differe nce.”

s uinnes a McG ience ic s s Je ar Sc 4th ye e [with the e was “I agr sal], I p o r pr o f bad o pretty t s ir f ance in ar attend e y d con and se akes it m it and t ifficul d more h c t a to c .” up now

Liam McLoughlin Arts “It’s a good idea, it would encourage people to go more, and I’m repeating this year. I didn’t go in last year so I think it would encourage students more.”

her Frankie Gallag Arts uld “Good idea, it wo t ou ts get studen of the habit of poor attendance – very hard to police and monitor the situation.”

Ray Leo nard Scienc e “We all miss the odd lec ture; percent age of atte ndance is a mo re appropr iate aspect to examine .”

{20} F A S H I O N & B E A U T Y {sin} 14–03

15–10

More than skin deep: How is fake tan affecting you?

Stories of a Wild Child: Ciara O’ Doherty

By Kiri Renssen

By Louise Hogan

Ever since Coco Chanel made tanned skin fashionable those of us with milk-bottle skin seem to feel obliged to minimise our pastiness. The process of tanning lost its appeal with increased awareness of its relationship with skin cancer. However, that sun-kissed glow retained

its allure, and so dawned the day of the fake tan.

While the health benefits of faking and not baking were a major marketing ploy, how many of us actually know what these products are made of? With darkening, wintry days and a desperate desire to hold on to our summer skin, how many of us question exactly

what we are putting on our largest organ? From the research I’ve done it would appear that where fake tan is concerned, looking like “Racing Stripes” overdosed on carrots is the least of your worries!

All of our favourite tanning products unfortunately contain questionable ingredi-

ents. Both Sally Hansen a n d L’ O r e a l S u b l i m e bronze contain parabens.

Parabens are used as preservatives in food and cosmetics. In a study featured in the Journal o f A p p l i e d To x i c o l o g y, parabens were found in samples of breast tumours.

In 2008, the International J o u r n a l o f To x i c o l o g y released an assessment of their safety and found that they are capable of producing an oestrogenic effect (bumping up the effects of oestrogen throughout the body), but that it is thousands of times less potent than the effect of naturally occurring oestrogens. However, the report did find that even at low concentrations, parabens have very negative effects on sperm counts and activity in rats. While men and rats are completely different (though some of you embittered people may disagree!), if you know a man who likes tan, or anything else containing parabens, it might be an idea to suggest that he stop for the sake of his little men.

Fake Bake and Rimmel Instant Tan contain colouring agents that come from the azo dyes family. These dyes are often used in food. A study involving 200 children published in the Journal of Paediatrics found that children exposed to these synthetic colourings were irritable, restless and slept poorly compared to those on placebo. One dye in particular, Tartrazine has been shown to cause hives, asthma attacks, migraine and vomiting, particularly in people who are allergic to anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin. Many of these dyes have been banned in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany.

That was just a sample.

Look up others in wellrespected, peer-reviewed journals and be informed.

In the wise words of Jim Rohn, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

Fashion blogger, Diet Coke TV presenter, Pretty Polly ambassador and self-styled wild child; Kilcolgan-born Ciara O’Doherty is a force to be reckoned with on the Irish fashion and media scene.

On a recent rainy Galway afternoon, I sat down with the 23-year-old trendsetter to get some advice, for any aspiring broadcasters or bloggers amongst you, on how to get started in the media business.

“You need to just put yourself out there,” Ciara affirms.

“It can be a bit intimidating and you worry sometimes what people might think but it’s the only way to get anywhere. If you don’t put yourself out there, you won’t get anywhere.”

Ciara’s blog, Wild Child Stories, is a plethora of accessible fashion and creative pieces to do with fashion and media – interviews with local DJs and artists, photo stories featuring Galway designers and models. “I started my blog in 2010, mostly as a personal outlet. Just for fun, I didn’t even know if anyone was reading it,” Ciara shrugs.

It began to take off when Ciara joined a Dublin bloggers collective on Facebook, gaining confidence and inspiration from connecting with likeminded people.

“Facebook and other social media have been vital in

allowing my blog to grow. It’s an excellent way to connect with others and now things like Twitter are an important part of my blog.”

She also stresses the importance of equipping yourself with the right tools. “You need a good camera, laptop and dictaphone.”

Ciara’s relatively high profile is a result of being brave enough to take chances.

With some local modelling gigs under her belt, Ciara entered a competition to be Pretty Polly’s brand ambassador for the UK and Ireland.

Her win drew a lot of local and national media attention and Ciara used the platform to further her own aspirations to break into broadcasting.

Approached to work for Diet Coke TV, Ciara has amassed an impressive portfolio of presenting work.

With a BA from NUIG, Ciara put off doing a Masters in favour of gaining practical experience, a choice which has obviously proved successful. Having just returned from covering her second London Fashion Week, the future looks bright for Ciara. She remains grounded however, working part time at Eason’s even as she works on other projects.

Her advice for aspiring bloggers or anyone thinking of utilising social media to get ahead: “Put yourself out there. Be positive.”

{sin} Arts & Entertainment {21} 14–03

15–10

Witless: Heat One

By Michael Joyce Heat one of Witless was a great success for all involved. Alternative rock band, Ignition Kid opened the night with a great set.

With some interesting riffs, Ignition Kid weren’t afraid to try and get the crowd going, clapping and calling for cheers at the beginning of songs.

Unfortunately, the venue had yet to fill up and the band suffered for this, despite their best efforts.

Next up was Strawberry Blonde who played a set of covers and originals. The indie three-piece seem to extract much inspiration from Arctic Monkeys and

Kings of Leon. Best of all was Strawberry Blonde’s take on the Rage against the Machine hit ‘Killing in the name Of’. Overall, the band strengthened as their set progressed, building in energy from song to song. The crowd also began to get more involved in the music as Strawberry Blonde found their fluency.

The third act of the night was last year’s finalists Anomaly. The band raised the bar for the competition as a whole, with top class vocals from their female lead singer. They also brought some variety to the competition by using

keyboards to open some of their songs. Anomaly also managed to play the most number of songs in their set, choosing short songs and spending little time changing over. Their greatest success was no doubt their cover of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’, which even had our caricature artist and resident “Moaning Michael”, Podge Daly, bobbing his head.

Last up were The Ragged Kings. The highlight of this band was no doubt their drummer, who easily lost three stone in the twenty or so minutes he spent on stage. The band also performed an enjoyable cover of Rory

Gallagher’s ‘Bad Penny’.

H o w e v e r, w h e n t h e y were forced to stop a song mid-way, to ask for more volume from one of their

guitars, their flow was disrupted to some degree.

The first heat of Witless hopefully set the tone for what will be a great com-

petition. The winners of the night were Anomaly, while second placed Ignition Kid progress to the wildcard heat.

Witless: Heat Two

By Michael Joyce Witless heat 2 kicked off with Blackmail House taking the stage. This band showed an interesting mix of grunge and funk in a set that consisted primarily of original material. Their set opened with ‘How About That Weather’, a song with a bouncy chord progression and pitch perfect vocals. ‘7 Black Roses’ showed how their lead guitarist could play a great solo while refusing to brush the hair out of his eyes. The band’s only cover was ‘Man in the Box’ by Alice in Chains.

They finished off their set with a 7-minute piece called ‘Chained to the Sky.’ Unfortunately, Blackmail House could not gain the support of a majority of the crowd and faltered

somewhat on the original song ‘Red Letter’, but overall, they set the tone for what was a great heat.

Next up were Cottonball Three, who opened with the parody song ‘Grenade of STDs’. Aside from the humorous lyrical content, which describes an individual who gains a large amount of sexually transmitted diseases, this song also showed the band’s great vocal ability as the chorus featured enjoyable harmonies from the three vocalists. They followed this song up with a cover of Black Keys ‘Lonely Boy’.

Cottonball Three’s greatest triumph of the night was their closing medley of ‘Hit the Road Jack’ and ‘Brewing up a Storm’. They mixed these songs in with their original song ‘Don’t Take Me So Seriously.’

Cotton Ball Three, winners of Heat 2 of Witless. Photo by Kieran Durcan.

Cottonball Three’s energy improved as their set went on and I found something very familiar about their lead guitarist, though I can’t quite place him.

Third up to the stage was the rock n’ roll act Prospect Avenue. Their first song, ‘White Wizard’, consisted of some great riffs and melodies and set the tone for a flawless set.

The Foo Fighters influences were clear on their second song ‘Revival’. The high point of their set was the song ‘Mean Bone’, which had some really catchy guitar riffs and beautiful solos. The band followed this with the first Neill Young cover of the night, ‘Cinnamon Girl’.

The last band of the night was Foolish Desperado. This set opened with Neill Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World.’ They followed this up with ‘Ganja Babe’, which is a slow tune and perfectly suited to its theme. Foolish Desperado showed they had the most perfectly organized set list and when they finished with the funky ‘Ophelia’ and ballad ‘Hard Sun’ they demonstrated a great tempo change, which exploded with energy.

Cottonball Three advanced to the Witless final while Prospect Avenue got a place in the Wildcard heat.

Witless Heat 1 winners, Anomaly. Photo by Kieran Durcan.

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

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 

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

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

{22} Arts & Entertainment {sin} 14–03

15–10

,

If you see a broom fly around the campus, do not fear...

By Rebecca O’Connor and Cathy Gormley Harry Potter. Two nostalgic words that almost always manage to transport our generation into an age where anything was possible. Back when queuing up at midnight for the release of the next Potter book was a given; back when the only thing we were stressed about was whether or not the next movie would be as good as the book; back when we waited with anticipation for that letter from Hogwarts…

Here in NUI Galway you can recapture the magic, relive the memories and experience all Hogwarts has to offer. And what would a student experience in Hogwarts be without Quidditch? All Hogwarts students have the opportunity to sign up and train for Quidditch. The tension, the exhilaration, the team spirit and all that goes with it is an experience like no other. If you’ve been hiding

under a rock (in fear of Voldemort, of course) or have failed in your attempts to read or watch Harry Potter, I shall describe the game to you.

A Quidditch team consists of seven players, all witches or wizards, flying on brooms. Three of them are Chasers, who pass a ball (The Quaffle) to each other and attempt to score goals through the three hoops at either end of the pitch.

Each goal wins the team 10 points and a Keeper guards the goals. All seems logical thus far in this seemingly magical sport.

Each team has two Beaters. The aim of the Beaters is to use bats to hit balls called Bludgers at the other team's players, all the while protecting their own team.

Bludgers may seem like innocent dodge balls at first, but be warned, they're “nasty little buggers” that whizz around knocking people off their brooms.

And finally, the Seeker.

The Seeker has to catch a

small golden ball called a Snitch. If he or she catches it, their teams earns 150 points and the game ends.

Sounds awesome right?

If only the Snitch wasn't the size of a walnut and couldn't fly faster than an eagle on drugs.

The wonderful idea of bringing Quidditch to life originated in 2005, when a group of students at Middlebury College, Vermont, USA adapted this game for muggles. Since then we have seen the number of teams worldwide rise from one to over 600, the formation of an International Quidditch Association and the hosting of five World Cup Tournaments. Someday, NUIG hope to win the Quidditch World Cup. This year NUIG's very own PotterSoc are organising the university's first Quidditch league and all societies and students are welcome to enter a team.

For more information, email PotterSoc at pottersoc@socs.nuigalway.ie

Áras na Mac Léinn to become a mini festival venue

By Lily McGarry Áras na Mac Léinn is set to be transformed into a miniature festival venue this November as NUI Galway’s annual Music Week is to become a Music Festival.

The NUI Galway campus will be alive with music during the societies-dedicated week which will take place from 12 – 15 November this year.

The festival will not only provide a better platform for the celebration and showcasing of the musical talent present within the University but also facilitate the invitation of nationally known acts.

With events such as the Witless Christmas Single launch, a Choral Society concert, Music for Galway, Arts in Action and many many more, the week is shaping up to provide entertainment that will suit everyone.

The highlight of the festival, however, will be the

inaugral University Ball which is being organised in conjunction with the NUI Galway societies. This event will take place on Tuesday 13 November.

This will be the first year the University Ball will take place on campus, and with acts such as The Rusty Fixtures, it promises to be a fun and entertaining night for all. Áras na Mac Léinn will have five dedicated spaces for concerts; The Bailey Allen Hall, The Cube, and The View will become smaller venues which will feature dinner and entertainment.

The Space will feature an art exhibition, and The Hub will become a “chillout area”.

Later on, for the highlight of the night, the Bailey Allen Hall will host a concert by a highly acclaimed headline act, which is yet to be announced.

Societies Officer Riona Hughes said: “The development of Aras na Mac Leinn has been a fantastic boost

for the societies giving them dedicated spaces to develop their creativity and the music festival University Ball is a big invitation to the campus to join with them and celebrate in their very own student building.”

Another highlight of the week long Music Festival will be the final of 'NUIG’s Got Talent' on Wednesday 14 in the Bailey Allen Hall, where a €1000 prize will be up for grabs.

In addition, numerous societies will be hosting a series of diverse concerts and exciting events which will provide a wide range of opportunities to experience different genres of music across campus throughout the course of the week.

The festival is a Societies Office production. Most events will be free. For information and timetable keep an eye on www.festivals. nuigalway.ie. Tickets will be available in the coming weeks from the SocsBox, Áras na Mac Léinn.

Dear Darcy, I’m screwed. My confidence and self-esteem is at an all-time low lately and I just can’t help comparing myself with everyone around me, which makes it even worse. I can’t remember the last time that I was happy. I can never seem to reach my ideal me – the perfect weight, grades and personality.

I feel like nothing I do is good enough, there is always someone better than me more intelligent, better-looking or experienced. Am I ever going to be satisfied with who I am?

Yours, Bundle of insecurities

Allow me to once again highlight the blindingly obvious. You clearly have not been given a solid base from which to build your self-esteem. By the sounds of it you are evidentially trying to scrounge around for reassurance and self-affirmation.

Damn it dude pull yourself together and quit the pathetic worry.

Now I am going to do something that I will eternally resent you for. Here goes: take a minute to really look in the mirror. Then realise how lucky you are to even be here. See those imperfections that you’re constantly failing to improve upon? They are a part of you and essentially make you who you are and they ain’t going anywhere. Once you accept that sorry fact you may find yourself some satisfaction.

The fact is life has no meaning. Zero.

The sooner you accept that the sooner you can liberate yourself from that sickening self-doubt.

Now thanks to this equally sickening emotional overdose you’ve subjected me to I’m now going to indulge in some ‘manly’ activities to replenish my testosterone stores.

Dear Bundle of insecurities,

and inexperience.

I think I’m going to have to agree with surprisingly soppy Barnacle today and agree that acceptance of the things about yourself that you can’t change is crucial to building self-esteem and from there generating lasting and satisfying confidence.

Honey I feel your pain, the anxiety that derives from social comparison to peers and strangers alike is an uncomfortably common issue. However this kind of comparison can be hugely detrimental and is just plain futile. True there is always someone ‘better’ than you in certain aspects of life but there is also always someone less well off. You must remember that everyone suffers from self-esteem issues.

Remember as well that every artist was once an amateur. Every single person that you compare yourself to started off somewhere as a blank slate of doubt

That’s Life, Barnacle

Hugs —Darcy

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

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{24} Arts & Entertainment {sin} 14–03

Review: JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy

By Isabella De Luca

middle classes.

Rowling’s narrative Although the publi- voice transitions seamcation of JK Rowling’s lessly from one character first adult novel wasn’t to another. Although it is accompanied by a queue difficult to differentiate of costumed fans form- between the Gavins and ing around the bookstore the Simons in the opening corner in anticipation of sequences of the novel, a midnight release, there each character leaves a was a sense of fizzling mark on the reader as excitement and expec- they make their own contation to 27 September, tributions to the tightly the launch of The Casual developing plot.

Vacancy.

It is with glum abandon It has been a whole that one comes to realfive years since the final ise that there is a part of installment of the Harry someone they recognise in Potter series was released. every one of these figures, Followers were itching to and that they are all pitiget their noses into this ful yet monstrous in their latest offering, even if it individual ways. was just because Rowling’s For the first hundred name is sprawled across pages or so, I stopped the cover. Many have myself occasionally to been left disappointed by a d m i r e t h e s t a m p o f the absence of the spark Rowling’s unmistakable of magic that made Harry writing. Her voice, tone Potter so special. and intended audience H o w e v e r, o n l e a v - may have changed, as is ing those expectations evident in the sex scenes behind, readers could be and swear words she must surprised at the legacy it have been holding back could leave on their psy- since she started writche. ing Philosopher’s Stone in 1990, but it They are all pitiful is clear that she placed as much passion yet monstrous in their into the town of Pagford as individual ways she dedicated to the stories of Hogwarts.

By the halfway mark I was veritably sucked into the new world of the Fields and the Parish Council, and grieving along with the characters for the honest Barry Fairweather.

The Casual Vacancy is a darkly comical venture that is entrancing to its tragic end.

When questioned how she will A grimy, realistic por- gauge whether the book trait of a seemingly idyllic is a success or a failure, JK town, The Casual Vacancy Rowling responded that is at its heart a character she’ll judge it by speaking study and social criticism to the readers. of the bigotry and selfThis is one reader who interest of the British is very satisfied.

“ “

15–10

Rich Hall to perform at the Galway Comedy Festival

By Gillian Keating Hilarious US comedian Rich Hall is back in Galway for this year’s Comedy Festival. Hall has gathered widespread acclaim for his deadpan humour and acerbic wit on telly.

Rich Hall is well known for his appearances on popular BBC TV shows such as QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Have I Got News for You. He holds the record for most guest appearances in one series on QI. Interestingly he is also the inspiration for The Simpsons character Moe Szyslack.

Not only appearing on TV panels, Hall has also produced several BCC documentaries. The most recent was Rich Hall’s Continental Drifters, where he explores the history of the American road movie. This documentary is a delight, combining his witty observations with enduring classics, like Thelma and Louise.

Rich Hall really turns on his magic in his live performances. His live acts encompass a broad range of topics about politics and

culture from both sides of the Atlantic. Hall shares hilarious anecdotes about his fellow Americans, his experiences of being an American in Britain and often humorous headlines he finds in newspapers as he travels from place to place.

What really makes Rich Hall a comic genius is his improvised performances with members of the audience, and his trademark songs. Hall performed at the Róisín Dubh in Galway 2010, during this act he played a song using the counties of Ireland as a way to subtly tell your significant other that they may need to keep an eye on portion control. His untitled rendition included such lyrics as “I know you have been trying to lose weight baby, you’ve been trying Offaly hard, but I think you have to Tramore”.

The entire song is one gutbusting pun that is unique to Ireland. Hall definitely hit the right the chord at the Róisín Dubh receiving deafening applause at the end of his set.

Rich Hall’s lives shows are undeniably entertain-

ing both comically and musically. Hall has sold out every show he has performed in Galway. The upcoming Comedy Festival starts on Wednesday,

24th October. Rich Hall performs Friday 26th at the Town Hall Theatre. On Saturday, 27th and Sunday the 28th he will be at the Róisín Dubh.

West Cork Ukulele Orchestra descend on Galway

By Cara Cribbon The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra is currently storming through Ireland and quickly growing in popularity. They have managed to make a name for themselves in a short time since officially forming in 2001.

The talented Orchestra, who are based in Clonakilty Cork, have performed to a large audience in the Cork Opera House in May 2011 launching them into the limelight. It all began with a text message sent by founding member Kevin McNally after he received a small four-stringed instrument for his birthday.

Looking back on the

whirlwind success of the past year, McNally wonders what their lives would be like had he not sent a text to his friends. What makes the Ukulele players special is that they bring both a classical and contemporary style to pop songs that emerge into turbo-charged electric ukulele magic.

The Ukulele Orchestra features ten contrasting musical talents brought together for the purpose of exuding their musical genius. In their own words they want to ‘Rock Ireland, Ukulele Style!’ Linking barriers of genre, period and sophistication they solely managed to reinvent the stereotype that Ukulele playing has carried for

some time.

McNally sheds some light on why he thinks the group have enjoyed so much popularity recently: ‘We look like we are having fun. And we are. I suppose that translates to the audience’. They attacked the last half a decade of Ukulele playing and manage to present it in a breathtaking and amazing show every time. If you want to see the rip-roaring show, bursting with luxuriant harmonies, look no further than their superb live show.

The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra continues to surprise, inspire, and entertain audiences. They are guaranteed to treat you to a

night of wonderful musical moments. If you are lucky enough to get tickets to their Galway show on Saturday 20 October then you are surely in for a great night.

The Ukulele Orchestra are excited to get back to Galway stating that: “The crowd we had in the summer were the craziest, most energetic we’ve ever played to.”

If you’d like more information, visit their website or Facebook page. Maybe it is time Ireland started to recognise ukulele playing as an awe-inspiring genre.

The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra will be appearing in Róisín Dubh on Saturday 20 October at 9pm.

{sin} Arts & Entertainment {25} 14–03

15–10

Film Review: Anna Karenina

By Marése O’Sullivan Directed by Joe Wright of Atonement fame, the latest adaptation of Anna Karenina is a remarkably artistic take on a very old tale. Based on Leo Tolstoy’s 1877 novel of the same name, the film tells the 19th century love story of a young Russian wife, mother and aristocrat, Anna Karenina – spectacularly portrayed by Keira Knightley – who has an affair with a dashing young officer, Count Vronsky, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

As Karenina pursues her fiery relationship with Vronsky, she plunges herself into a realm of despair, passion and hope, outraging society and challenging her own personal values.

As this is the third collaboration between Wright and Knightley, following their previous successes, Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Atonement (2007), Knightley’s acting very much benefits: she sizzles onscreen and enhances the vulnerability of the character, effortlessly capturing Karenina’s maternal bond with her son, as well as the inner and external conflict that she suffers as a result of her indulgent affair.

Adapted by The King’s Speech screenwriter, Tom Stoppard, the film stars a host of other familiar

faces. Jude Law depicts Anna’s husband – Alexei Karenina – with a deep intensity, clearly relishing the role of the serious government official torn by moral doubt.

Casting 22-year-old Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Law’s rival seems a slightly unusual choice, given the eighteen-year difference between the two men; the decision merely overe m p h a s i s e s Vr o n s k y ’s youthful appeal for the protagonist. Taylor-Johnson’s lack of extensive acting experience with deeply complex characters perhaps does him detriment: while he suitably reveals Vronsky’s passion for women and a good time, he falls short of a superb performance in comparison to his co-stars.

The relationship between farmer Konstantin Lenin – played by Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson, known for his role as Bill Weasley in Harry Potter – and the beautiful Princess Kitty, portrayed exquisitely

by Swedish thespian Alicia Vikander, functions as a wonderful subplot to the film, but perhaps overshadows Karenina and Vronsky’s fervent affair in some aspects with its sweetness.

The film owes much of its visual beauty to its theatrical setting, often showing actors walking

Film Review: Looper Moral conundrums of time-travelling hit-men

By Kenneth Glennon Set in the years 2044 and 2074 writer-director Rian Johnson’s Looper sees Joseph Gordon- Levitt play an a specialised type of assassin known as a ‘looper’.

His job is to execute mob targets sent from the year 2074. In 2074, time travel is possible, but highly illegal and used only by powerful crime syndicates. Crime bosses send a person back (with silver as the looper's payment) for the ‘looper’ to execute before disposing of the body in the past where the victim does not yet exist.

All straightforward and risk free, except for one hitch. When a looper’s contract is up the future crime syndicates, not wishing to be implicated in the murder, send the older version from scene to scene with seamlessly edited and choreographic transitions. Its dazzling emphasis on the visual elements, however, becomes slightly overpowering during the course of the film, distracting the audience from the plot and character storylines.

Overall, a visual masterpiece, but lacking in true emotional integrity.

Anna Karenina is now showing at the Eye Cinema, Galway.

of that ‘looper’ back who is then unknowingly executed by their younger self. This process is known as “closing the loop”. The young ‘looper’ earns a golden pay day and has thirty years to live in luxury before their loop is closed.

This interesting premise pits Joseph Gordon-Levitt against his older-self (played

by Bruce Willis adding considerable nuance, despite his limited screen time) when young Joe, recognising his older-self, hesitates long enough for the Willis’ character to escape. Young Joe (Levitt) must track and kill his future-self to square things with a mob boss (a terrifically dry performance by Jeff Daniels in an extended cameo).

At this point however “Looper” deviates from the cat-and-mouse thriller suggested at in the trailers.

It turns out old Joe had a life in the future that was taken by a very powerful

crime lord known only as The Rainmaker. Armed with scraps of information from the future Old Joe aims to kill the Rainmaker as a child before he destroys Joe’s life in the future. After a violent confrontation between the two Joe’s, the film dramatically shifts gears when Levitt, deducing where his older-self’s child target will be, winds up on a farm run by a lone mother named Sara (Emily Blunt) and her “gifted” son Cid. Young Joe is here because he believes his older self will target Cid as the potential Rainmaker.

Here the film slows down long enough for Levitt to establish a firm bond with Sara and her Cid (played stunningly by young Pierce Gagnon who mixes Omen like terror with affecting innocence and startling intelligence). Both victims of childhood trauma, Joe sees past the potential tyrant his older self is striving so desperately to

kill. The trio’s bond gives “Looper” some heart and complexity as does older Joe’s tragic need to kill children to save his future and presumably many others (consider your willingness to travel back in time and kill Hitler as a child and you have an idea of where Old Joe’s moral compass is pointing).

All of this makes for one very interesting viewing however, as clever as Looper is, it’s not without its problems. The sudden introduction of Sara and her son, though absolutely essential, halts an already erratic tempo as the film blends action, drama, morality and an inherently intricate time-travel storyline. As such Looper never quite settles into a comfortable pace. That being said Looper still has ingenuity and wit, coupled with an outstanding performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt; certainly not one to miss.

{26} Arts & Entertainment {sin} 14–03

15–10

News

50 Shades of Bogger

By Martina Gannon

50shadesofbogger. wordpress.com Continued from issue two…

When we set off on road trip number two, I felt a little unsettled, not knowing where we stood with each other, but I shoved it to the back of my mind to debate with him later.

We set off south. In the words of this lovely Irish rogue: “We’re gonna chase the sun today.”

Sometime later, we were in county Clare, at Kilrush beach, until he chose his point of interest at another crossroads and headed onto a port where the the Shannon Breeze ferry was just visible from across the dock.

We had half an hour to wait until the next one so we got out of the now volcanic-like heat of the car and he leaned up against it while I jumped onto the back bonnet and curled my legs up under me happily, in wait for the ferry.

Everywhere that we had

toured through on all of our trips we could be trying to park, driving through a town or come out of a restaurant only to find a group of old men standing around the car, practically drooling on it.

I teased him about being an old man magnet. He was proud of the car and all the work he had put into it but was never boastful about it.

So there we were lounging against the car chatting, when sure enough another old guy shuffled over to perve over the car. I grinned at Teapot proudly while he recalled his muchtold tale of how he spent four months converting it from petrol to diesel, spray painted it from green to black and all the other minute details I had by now forgotten.

After a few more old timers looked at the car, the ferry finally docked and saved us and so we embarked on my favourite journey yet.

If ever there was a perfect Titanic moment it was now.

The only way I can describe it is: bliss. It was like floating in the middle of the sea, getting a private, once-in-alifetime performance from the sun. This particular performance was the ‘Mesmerizing Sink into the Sea’ scene.

Imagine that, added to the feel of a warming breeze caressing every shock of your exposed skin. I’ve never experienced a more

captivating performance of a sunset. It didn’t feel like we were in Ireland between Clare and Kerry; it felt as if we were suspended in a surreal twilight somewhere between real life and where I really wanted to be. We reluctantly left the ferry and drove on to Kerry, looking back behind us to see the sun doing its closing dance, mirroring itself, teasing us.

I couldn’t help it; I kept making him pull over so I could capture yet another scene of this dramatic performance. Any ordinary person would be ready to pull in and throw the camera and myself in with the sun’s rays on the water and race of with uncatchable speed – but he didn’t.

He would always indulge me and just smile while I snapped another few million photos of the same sun, performing different scenes as it faded, each one more spectacular than the previous.

After a few more stops to

catch “just one more picture I pinky promise this time!” he was all of a sudden in a hurry. He had seemed to be wrestling with a decision in his mind and judging by the determination in his driving it was an important one.

“I think I’m going to bring you to meet some friends of mine,” he ventured.

“Alright then,” I replied cautiously – knowing him he could be talking about cows.

“So does that mean that we’re going to Limerick then?” I asked, surprised.

“Oh yes but a part of Limerick that very few people ever get to see,” he replied mysteriously.

Is there no end to what this man can show me?

The way he’s going there could be a lifetime of intrigue to experience in Ireland…

More bliss, bring it on…

To be continued in issue four…

Caricature artist Podge Daly at the first heat of Witless, which has been taking place in the College Bar every Tuesday night.

By James Falconer

Too much news is demoralizing, Why can’t we be left in peace?

Bombarded with Sky News, BBC, RTE, ITV They’re all much the same, to me.

It’s not by choice, It’s only by chance, In saying that, I choose to glance, But, I’m glad of the awareness, To avoid the trance.

It’s only “news” they say, What’s your problem?

Don’t look away, Sure you have to see what’s going on, In a world, crippled with wrong.

Power and domination, In propaganda fuelled, Administration, Mainstream media mind control, Can take its toll on the human soul, Flags and symbols, Arabic unrest, Are some of the creations, Of the greedy West.

Well, it’s all too much for me to bear, Yet, people stop and people stare, Headlines, explosions, flames in the air, Most of the time, I couldn’t care.

Public spaces, colonized, By private interests, Sometimes I don’t know, where to go, To escape the stress, On the run from the media machine, Trying to keep my young mind clean.

I’ll get there yet, to the safety net, Have a look inside, With no regret.

Tribal Rituals

By Kieran Duffy

They lie empty for much of the year, But not yet abandoned, Curious practices remain, tribal rituals p ­ ersevere Clung to in hope of something more, Or in the face of our oldest fear, Yet in May’s spate of first communions, This spiritual remnant takes material forms, A gilded display of hollow indulgence, A bag of silver above the crown of thorns, As few of the tribe now follow its creed For good or for bad, they reject its demands, Clinging to spiritual opiate they need, The moral dictates of bishops, Ignored in a society half-free.

Yet the tribe clings to its rituals, A national legacy stubbornly defended, Amidst the wrapping into Britain’s fold, Religion and race linked tightly together, The green, white and orange with the white and gold, The way things are done, the way it’s always been, A tribe in the grip of conformity’s hold, Unlike those before me I can choose to dissent, Exiled in spirit, but in body I remain, And when I walk by churches Or by the headstones grey, I feel as though I trespass, On the ancient tribes domain.

{sin} 14–03

S ports & F itness

{27} 15–10

Diet myths debunked

By John Mulry We’ve heard it a thousand times: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, “Don’t skip breakfast or you’ll get fat”. Okay – maybe not as blunt as the second one but you get the idea…

If breakfast is so important then how come recent studies have shown that even though 90% of the western society eats breakfast everyday that obesity rates have never been higher? Doesn’t really add up, does it?

Think about it for a second, when we were cavemen and cave women we rarely had breakfast because we were always hunting for our food, eating it, then fasting until our next meal came along.

I know what you’re saying – what about the studies that associate skipping breakfast with weight gain? What about the studies linking breakfast with insulin sensitivity?

There are lots of large epidemiological studies that link breakfast-skipping with obesity.

These studies are constantly being cited by the largest companies in the food industry. One particular study done in 2003 on “The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index” concluded that: “The analysis provides evidence that skipping breakfast is not an effective way to manage weight.

Eating cereal (ready-to-eat or cooked cereal) or quick breads for breakfast is associated with significantly lower body mass index compared to skipping breakfast or eating meats and/or eggs for breakfast.”

This study was actually conducted by Kellogg’s. They’re hardly going to say: “Oh yes, yes, skipping breakfast is fine” are they?

They and every other large food company have a lot riding on the notion that “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

One of the researches from that study actually said: “These groups [people who skip] appear to represent people 'on the run,'

eating only candy or soda, or grabbing a glass of milk or a piece of cheese. Their higher BMI would appear to support the notion that 'dysregulated' eating patterns are associated with obesity, instead of, or in addition to, total energy intake per se.”

Funnily enough Kellogg’s and other groups with a high monetary stake in the breakfast industry never mention that in their citations. Instead they cite their spiel on it being the most important meal of the day when in reality all their study showed was that the breakfast-eaters in the study maintained better dietary habits overall.

Fair enough – but what about insulin sensitivity?

First of all what is insulin sensitivity? Without bogging you down with jargon here’s a simple definition: the more sensitive your body is to insulin, the more likely you are to lose fat and gain muscle. Increasing insulin sensitivity almost always leads to more efficient dieting.

Supporters of eating breakfast claim that insulin sensitivity is higher “in the morning” so naturally consuming a carbohydrate-rich breakfast will have the greatest balance in using the energy without weight gain.

Not exactly. You see, there’s

nothing magical about that time “in the morning” that increases insulin sensitivity; what increases it is the period of fasting for 8-10 hours while we’re sleeping. What happens is our glycogen levels (energy stores) reduce while we’re asleep.

As long as you are eating enough, and eating the right food, whether or not you eat first thing in the morning doesn’t actually matter. Shocking right? Think about it for a second, though – it’s only ever been the companies and people who have a monetary stake

in whether or not you eat breakfast telling you that it was the most important meal of the day.

What if you enjoy or like eating breakfast though? Perfect – keep on eating it, this isn’t an article telling you to stop eating breakfast, if it’s something you enjoy and you are healthy and happy – that’s fantastic. I just wanted to inform you that: • It’s not the most important meal of the day.

• There’s a lot more to the diet and fitness industry than meets the eye.

Tenth annual Galway Bay Half Marathon a record-breaking success Shane O’Neill On Saturday 6 October, a record breaking 3000 people lined Galway Bay to participate in the tenth anniversary of the Elvery Sports Galway Bay Half Marathon and 10K Race.

Conditions were perfect for the participants as the sun shone brightly all morning, which, combined with the relatively flat terrain, resulted in a pleasant running experience for all those

involved.

The atmosphere at the event was overwhelming. There was an exhilarating sense of anticipation as people swarmed into Galway Bay. The athletes’ determination was almost palpable as the race begun, each proving to be seemingly inexhaustible throughout the duration of their run.

As they crossed the finish line, relief washed through the faces of the participants who were immediately provided with food and drink in a huge marquee which had been installed for the occasion. As they lined up for the refreshments available, it was evident that the athletes were overcome with a sense of jubilation and personal achievement.

Sergei Ciobanu from the Santry based athletics club Clonliffe Harriers was the overall winner of the Men’s event in the half marathon, finishing the race in an impressive time of 1:07:16, while Pauline Curley came first in the Women’s event, finishing at 1:19:10.

The Men’s event in the 10K was won by Sean Hehir, who finished the race after coming in at 0:30:38 and Mary Gleeson from Mayo AC won the Women’s event in a time of 0:36:41.

As in previous years, the event was held in aid of Cancer Care West, a West of Ireland based charity which focuses on providing cancer support services for both the victims of cancer and their families.

In 2011, Sharon Fitzpatrick, Cancer Care West’s Fundraising Manager stated that the event “has made it possible for us to open and expand our cancer support services in the West of Ireland.”

Leadership Development Programme The purpose of the NUI Galway Clubs’ Leadership Development Programme is to: • • • • • •

"Learning is the essential fuel for the leader, the source of high octane energy that keeps up the momentum by continually sparking new understanding, new ideas, and new challenges. It is absolutely indispensable under today's conditions of rapid change and complexity. Very simply, those who do not learn do not long survive as leaders.”

— Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge

Develop Leadership and Management expertise among the Executive Officers of the Clubs Ensure the Clubs help themselves regarding their growth and development Complete proposals to galvanise learning Understand Strategic Thinking and ensure proposals are aligned to the future direction and development of their club Provide practical management and leadership insights which can be applied immediately Ensure more effective and active clubs

Workshops: Mondays 6.30pm in MY243, Áras Moyola (except Workshop 4 – at 7pm) Workshop 1: Understand Leadership

PArk AND rIDE to Dangan Sports Pavillion: now operating!

Commences to Dangan at 5.45pm Last bus from the Pavilion at 9.15pm Bus will start at the Orbsen Building and complete its usual pickups.

You can hop on and off as usual but this bus goes all the way to Dangan Pavillion!

October 8th. Guest Speaker: Alan Kerins • Management versus leadership • Understand the Leadership Journey • The dos and don’ts of effective leadership • Step Back to Move Forward • Dealing with the Urgency Addiction – don’t sacrifice what is important for what is urgent

Workshop 2: The Culture for Success October 15th. Guest Speaker: Helen Ryan • Understand what values are • Develop suitable values for your club • Understand false beliefs and how they hold you back

Workshop 3: Strategy Development October 22nd. Guest Speaker: Gerry Hussey • Have a clear grasp of the key components of a strategy • Vision, Mission, Core & Purpose and values • Know how to align their team to best deliver on areas if the strategy that they have responsibility for.

Workshop 5: Strategic Execution November 12th. Guest Speaker: President Jim Browne • What is Strategic Execution • Setting standards and committing to them • Developing Trust and Perseverance • Developing a winning mindset

Workshop 4: Effective Communication and Presentation Skills November 5th, 7pm. Guest Speaker: TBA

Workshop 6: What Makes Winners

• Developing Active Listening skills and effective feedback • Effective Communication is: How to consistently provide clarity • You cannot, not communicate – what message are you giving.

November 19th. Guest Speaker: TBA • A question and answer session with a leading Irish Sports personality.

• Learning lessons from proven winners, how can you apply them to your sport, your club and your own personal goals

Presentations of Proposals: November 26th Each club presents outline club strategic plan Specific project to progress implementation of club strategy presented Questions and Answers

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

Service Operates:

5.45pm – 9.15pm 5.45pm – 8.15pm

Monday – Wednesday Departing from Orbsen Building:

5.45 | 6.15 | 6.45 | 7.15 | 7.45 | 8.15 | 8.45 | 9.15 (final bus from Dangan Pavillion)

Thursday

Departing from Orbsen Building:

5.45 | 6.15 | 6.45 | 7.15 | 7.45 | 8.15 (final bus from Dangan Pavillion)

€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.

{sin} 14–03

S ports & F itness

Tae-kwon-do Connacht Open hits NUI Galway

By Leigh Michael Keeney A fantastic air of discipline and determination took hold of the Kingfisher Sports Centre on Sunday morning the 7 of October, as the venue was filled with keen Tae-Kwon-Do competitors, judges, referees, spectators and proud parents, all present for the Tae-Kwon-Do Connacht Open.

The day began with a home-coming ceremony for members who had competed and won medals at the recent World Tae-Kwon-Do Championships. Observing the faces of those receiving the medals is a moment that makes all the hard work and commitment of Tae-Kwon-Do worth every second; grinning like Cheshire cats and subconsciously biting the gold medals like Olympic athletes – and who knows, maybe a future Irish Tae-Kwon-Do Olympian stands among their ranks.

Those participating surrounded the hall in groups to stretch, kick, punch the air, check that their supplies of deep-heat canisters are ready for impending injury and get into the fighting mindset. Everyone hoped to win a medal, be it bronze, silver or gold, but speaking to the competitors, they’ll tell you, “I just want to go

out there and know that I did my best,” and this truly is a great example of the sporting spirit that they all embodied.

It’s a good thing they had helmets and gloves because the black-belt sparring was ferocious, exceptional, mesmerizing. If you’d ever been thinking of learning some form of self-defence, Tae-Kwon-Do in NUIG is definitely the way to go.

Ta e - K w o n - D o i s n ’ t solely about the fight however, patterns are of great importance as well and the competitors each had to perform a series of stances and manoeuvers in front of the adjudicating panel. This was executed with immense precision and it was undeniably elegant to watch.

From the age of seven and up, those eager to follow the “way of the hand and the foot,” (what Tae-Kwon-Do loosely translates as) give it their all to master the skills of this rather technical combat sport. Although, with recent demand, divisions have started offering training to those as young as five years which they call, “Super Sonic Kids.”

Watching the juniors sparring was like seeing miniature ninjas and they certainly can pack a powerful punch. This no doubt led to both tears of joy and pain as children were kicked to

floor left, right and centre.

Mr. Shane Fitzgibbon, conductor of Sunday’s event, said; “I’m delighted with the huge success of this venture of Connacht Tae-Kwon-Do Academy supported by NUIG TaeKwon-Do Club as we have participants here from UCD, UCC kickboxing, CIT and from NUIG itself.

“This is the first time we’ve come to NUIG for an open tournament like this and we’re very impressed with the fantastic staff support in accommodating us in this first-class facility.

I’d like to thank Barry the manager for having us and also Oliver McCarthy from NUIG Tae-Kwon-Do Club, they really have helped ensure that today went as smoothly as possible and I’m sure we’ll definitely come back to NUIG in the future.”

Sunday really had a great atmosphere and congratulations are in order for all those who won medals as well as those who took part.

To find out more about Tae-Kwon-Do in Connacht you can visit www.connacht-taekwondo.com and if you think it sounds like the sport for you feel free to drop in for a training session with Tae-Kwon-Do club NUI Galway on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

{29} 15–10

Caifé na

Gaeilge ...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

...Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

...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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  

Kayak Club Launch New App

By Katie Finnegan NUI Galway’s largest club is delighted to announce the launch of their new app, the first of its kind for an NUIG Club.

The Kayak Club has launched the free app for its 700+ members. The app, which features news and information about club activities is currently available on the Google Play Store, and is set to be released on the iTunes store shortly.

P.R.O of the club Fion-

ntan O’Hara is thrilled to be launching the app: “We're delighted to be the first club in the college to launch their own app. It will give students an easy way to check out all the things that are going on in the club. It’s currently in the early stages, but we’ll be adding to it and catering to the demands of our members.”

He also outlined some of the activities planned in the club in the coming weeks: “We have a jam-packed timetable this year. Beginner sessions are already under-

way and have so far been a huge success. We have a first year trip planned for the end of October, as well as a Surfing Trip and a first year River Trip. We would also be encouraging everyone to come along to our Wednesday night talks where we have a different speaker each week and a social gathering afterwards. There's always a surprise or two as well at the talks so everyone is encouraged to come down.”

People of all levels are welcome to attend the sessions that run throughout

Splashing around in one of the kayak club's pool sessions. the week. Beginner sessions are Wednesday 1.30-3.30, Friday 12.30-2.30 and 4-6, and Saturday 2-4.

“Due to demand at beginner sessions in the first week, we had to add an extra session on Saturdays,” Fionntan added.

“We also run Pool Sessions in the Kingfisher every Tuesday at 9.30pm. These sessions are great fun – and everyone stays warm,” he said.

Places at the pool sessions are limited, and people who wish to attend must sign up

on the club’s website www. nuigkc.com.

For more information on how to join the Kayak Club and attend sessions visit the website or head along to the Wednesday night talks held every week in the Dillon Theatre at 8pm.

{30} 14–03

S ports & F itness

Heineken Cup Rundown

By Mark Higgins The weekend saw the return of Europe’s premier club rugby competition, with the Irish provinces favourites to continue their recent dominance over the continent’s elite. Here, we examine the prospects of the four Irish teams, and debate whether or not we can expect a sixth Irish Heineken Cup winner in eight years.

LEINSTER The reigning champions are the bookies favourites to claim an unprecedented fourth crown in five years, and it’s not hard to see why. The Dubliners have a squad bristling with proven international talent, with a host of promising youngsters supplementing a core group of senior players showing no signs of decline. The performances of Andrew Conway and John Cooney in the Rabo Pro 12 have shown that Leinster’s legendary supply line of backline talent is still functioning well. Such young guns join established world-class players such as Rob Kearney, Sean O’Brien and the incomparable Brian O’Driscoll to form a unit capable of beating Europe’s best. With Joe Schmidt’s future now securely based in Dublin 4, Leinster look ominously well-equipped

to defend their position as Europe’s premier side. They find themselves in Pool 5, alongside competition debutants Exeter Chiefs, Wales’ LLanelli Scarlets and their opponents in last year’s epic semi-final, Clermont Auvergne. The French side came within inches of beating Leinster in that bruising encounter in April, with Wesley Fofana’s try in the final moments being ruled out by the TMO. They will fancy their chances of progressing from this group, if not as winners, than certainly as runner’s-up behind the reigning kingpins.

VERDICT: Leinster to come through, with Clermont also making the cut.

ULSTER Last year’s beaten finalists, the Ravenhill side surprised many by blazing a trail to the Twickenham decider with their exciting running rugby and ferocious forward line. The big summer signing of Tommy Bowe from the Ospreys has added an extra dimension to their back line, with the Monaghan man an immeasurably improved player today from when he left the province in 2008. New coach Mark Anscombe has taken up from where Brian McLoughlin left off, preaching a devastat-

ing brand of power rugby that has seen Ulster climb to the top of the Rabo Pro 12, undefeated after five games and with a match in hand. If they are to repeat the success of last season, or even go one better and claim Europe’s crown, much will depend on the fitness of man-mountain Stephen Ferris, Ulster’s spiritual leader and an incredible footballer in his own right. The sadness from the death of centre Nevin Spence last month will undoubtedly touch the hearts and minds of Ulster’s players as they seek to capture their first European title since 1999. Their Pool 4 opponents are Castres, Northampton and Glasgow, and while the all three can be expected to offer stern tests, especially on home ground, Anscombe’s men should have enough to escape the group.

VERDICT: Ulster to progress.

CONNACHT The Galway side’s sophomore year in the Heineken Cup has seen them drawn in a very tricky group, with both English Premiership winners Harlequins and Heineken specialists Biarritz due to pay visits to the Sportsgrounds. Eric Elwood’s charges should be hopeful of overcoming Italian newcomers Zebre, but

{sin} 15–10

No clowning around for NUIG Hockey

By Michelle Carey The NUI Galway ladies’ hockey team took a trip to Birmingham recently. A game against the Warwick Ladies hockey team was a fantastic way to start off the trip.

The ladies performed excellently, finishing the game with a 4-1 win.

The team’s second match was against the Warwick medical students team. Both teams put in impressive performances, each dominating for patches of the match. In the end, Warwick’s home advantage proved difficult to overcome and the final whistle signalled a 3-3 draw.

The third match versus Leamington Ladies hockey team proved challenging for the NUIG girls. A mixture of tiredness and aches from the two previous matches combined to produce a will face a mammoth challenge to progress from the group.

Their resounding Rabo victory over Leinster will have given the Galwaymen confidence, and in wide men Tiornan O’Halloran and Fetu’u Vainikolo, they have players capable of testing the sternest of defences. In Elwood’s final campaign after over 20 years with the province, he will be relying on the heroic Sportsgrounds support to carry his team. They have already shown

disappointing result, and the final score was 4-2 to the Leamington Ladies.

The final match was against the Warwick med students once again and the meds were out to retain the cup they had handed over during their visit the previous weekend.

Unfortunately, Warwick managed a narrow win beating NUIG 3-2. Curiously though, Hannah Jenkinson ‘accidentally’ forgot to bring the cup with her to Birmingham; it’s still resting in her trophy case (at least until next year).

The NUIG ladies hockey team are looking forward to playing the Intervarsities competition at the end of October in University College Cork and are excited for the rest of the hockey season; we hope we can count on your support! their ability to generate a shock, overcoming Harlequins in last year’s final pool game. Expect a few more shocks and endless supplies of passion and effort, but ultimately, the big guns to prove too strong.

VERDICT: Harlequins to move on to the quarters, Connacht finish third.

MUNSTER Somewhat overshadowed by the resounding success of their eastern rivals in recent years, Munster remain a side with proven quality throughout, and a Heineken Cup pedigree most teams can only dream of.

In new head coach Rob Penney, Munster have a leader who will aim to play fast, aggressive rugby, and who has the players at his disposal to make it happen. Simon Zebo has developed from a wispish wide runner into an all-action winger, whose breakthrough into first-choice Irish team is surely imminent.

In a reunited Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer, Munster have a half-back pairing with almost 200 Heineken Cup appearances between them, experience that will prove vital in navigating a tricky-looking pool. The twotime champions are joined by Saracens, Edinburgh and Racing Metro of Paris, with their sternest competition likely to come from the English side, who can count English internationals Chris Ashton and Dave Strettle among their number.

VERDICT: Munster to advance after a fight.

{sin} 14–03

F inal W ord

{31} 15–10

Overheard in NUI Galway

NUI Galway Memes

by Conor Stitt

Seán Ó Maonaigh: “I’ve thought of an excellent use for the big yellow thing!”

— Overheard by… no one ever

Book 2

Book 2

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