Volume 15 Issue 3 by Student Independent News

News

INSIDE

and the guarantee of a free healthcare unit. The stance of the university is to perhaps reemploy these charges in some fashion or another to which the SU are “steadfastly opposed". As it is, every student of NUI Galway pays a student levy of €224 regardless of whether they receive a grant or not. Approximately €18.46 of the levy paid by students is allocated to the health unit, alongside an additional percentage contributed by the

university which is subject to the amount of students paying the fee. The problem as such lies within the decreased number of students attending the university, resulting in less income generated by said levy. In an attempt to combat the issue, the university has implemented a permanent 8% cut leaving the health unit, as it is, financially unsustainable.

GIG Soc strive for equality with new Ally Campaign NUI Galway’s GIG Soc (Gay in Galway) launched its Straight Ally campaign last week, with the aim of raising awareness of the need for LGBTQA (LGBT Questioning and Allied) equality. The campaign was launched on Monday 7 October. The Gig Soc committee has hailed the effort as a fantastic success, with over two-thousand students putting their signatures to the Ally pledge, vowing to support members of the gay community against homophobia. According to GIG Soc Secretary James Sweeney, a Straight Ally is anyone who helps in the struggle for gay rights. “Simply put, an Ally is someone who believes in and supports LGBTQA rights. ‘A’ in this stands for Allies. This week is to get support from people for the equality of all. We [had] many events on that people [could] attend if they wish that will inform people of the differ-

ent aspects of the LGBTQA society across the world and talks for Allies by Allies. Our aim is to get as many people as possible to sign up to show their support for equal rights. It also informs them of their rights as an Ally,” he said. Supported by the Students’ Union, the Straight Ally Campaign aims to promote the role that heterosexual people can have in fighting for equality; that even those who aren’t gay still have a vital role to play in working for an equal Ireland. Last week, SU president Sean Kearns told Sin; “The LGBT Ally campaign is one that is of great importance and the SU have been only delighted to get involved. This week when getting pledges, I was delighted to see that many students were surprised that this even needed to be done. To quote one student ; ‘Is anyone against this?’ But the reality is that homophobia and harassment still does exist in our college. “The sheer volume of

these pledges and discourse caused due to it also causes solace for many people struggling with their sexuality, that if and when they choose to ‘come out’ or talk to their friends, they know

that many are already supportive. “As an SU President that is openly gay, it has made me proud that NUI Galway students are engaging with and talking about the changes

NUI Galway moves up 22 places in World Rankings

Debate: Should prostitution be legalised?

Female genital mutilation: A violation of women’s rights.

Why are we so Obedient?

Interview with Charlie Byrnes

The ugly face of fashion

De-clutter your make-up bag

REVIEWS:

Continued on page 2…

Tolerance isn’t Enough By Leigh Ashmore

Lifestyle

The Student Health Service at NUI Galway has been subject to budget cuts for the academic year of 2013/2014. Since 2 September 2013 the health unit has been unable to provide the full GP service that was formerly available for all medical circumstances at a first-come-first serve basis. The unit will now primarily concentrate on emergencies and cases of acute illnesses.

The consequences of the cuts include the loss of staff and reduced services such as night cover and the sexual health clinic. The RAG week agreement of 2011 – which was passed by a landslide of 107 class representatives to seven – abolished the official 'Raise and Give' event in a move to save the university €60,000. Concessions included the abolition of the €2 charge for the gym; further financial contribution towards the Student Assistance Fund;

sport

By Jenna Hodgins

Arts

Students’ Union battles to save student health services

Features

Free Student Newspaper | VOL 15, ISSUE 3 | 14 OCT 2013

Sonal Shah addresses NUI Galway

Film: Prisoners

Album: Miley Cyrus – Bangerz

Theatre: The Quiet Man

Book: The Fault in Our Stars

Hurling championship review

The fickleness of modern day football fans

that this government needs to promote equality for all,” he concluded. On Tuesday 8 October, GIG Soc held a public oncampus meeting where straight allies from various

roles in the college came forward to discuss their experience with the struggle and the harsh realities of being gay in Ireland. Continued on page 2…

Students all over Ireland marched as part of the USI #fightforyourfuture campaign recently. NUI Galway students travelled to Sligo to do their bit in the fight. Photo by Kieran Durcan.

2 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Sonal Shah: Innovation is key to positive change By Martha Mahoney Universities are an ideal platform to drive change through social innovation, a former advisor to US President Barack Obama told students, faculty and community members gathered for the lecture at the Siobhan McKenna Theatre Thursday. Sonal Shah, who served as the director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, at the White House, discussed how her job involved identifying where innovation was taking place across the United States, and channelling funding to give non-profit organizations recognition, capital, and a voice. Ms. Shah was the keynote speaker at NUI Galway's Community Knowledge Initiative, an event that was free and open to the public. Understanding the general idea of social innovation, she said, starts with understanding where facets of innovation exist within our society. “When we think about technology, we think about innovation; when we think about the economy, we think about innovation; when we come to the

social sector, we think about giving money away,” Miss Shah said. Her address – “Breaking Down Barriers: Real Social Change Requires Revolutionary Innovation” – focused on ways to empower the university community through the concept of social innovation, and its potential impact in the local and global society. Miss Shah has had experience in government, business, and the not-for-profit sectors, inspiring the Community Knowledge Initiative to invite her to Galway. She held the position of Deputy Assistant to President Obama from 2009 to 2011, and was the Director of the first White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. Prior to the White House, she led Google’s global development initiative for philanthropy and was Vice President at Goldman Sachs. Ms Shah’s experience and understanding of what's happening in the private and public domains were reflected through her address, as she highlighted the importance of both spheres in inciting true, social change. Projecting technology into her talk to an audience of about

20 people, Ms Shah shared a YouTube video with the room. “BE FEARLESS,” streamed across the projector screen. The two-minute ‘Be Fearless’ video, produced by the Case Foundation, aimed to inspire viewers to “rethink, reframe, and retool” society through social innovation. Understanding the general idea of social innovation starts with understanding where facets of innovation exist within our society. The traditional method of funding US Not For Profit organizations, for more than 30 years, has only required that these groups detail how the funds would be used. Miss Shah said she adheres to the importance of obtaining an additional set of data which would include the results or the outcome of what the monetary funds were used for. Thus, instead of solely asking for the number of people that were served each year at a particular organization, the US government should determine if the groups improved on any of the metrics before them, she said.

As a result, the Federal Government gave the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation an initial budget of $50 million to fund social innovation grants in communities across the nation. Organizations received funding on expected results to be yielded within three years time. The results of the first round are in the process of being evaluated now. “Hybrid models are where opportunities and options are,” Miss Shah said. These models underscore the ideas within social innovation, and merge together the entities of For Profit, Not For Profit, and the government. Miss Shah reminded students in the audience that universities act as great platforms to make social innovation possible. “You have the ability to change how you want the world to look beyond what you see,” she said. “I challenge you to figure that out... because social innovation has the potential to think about the sectors in a whole different way than we’ve ever thought about it, and I hope you'll take the opportunity to do that.”

Students’ Union battles to save student health services Continued from page 1… When asked for the Students' Union's opinion on the recent cuts, SU President Sean Kearns said; "The service is suffering quite substantially in regards to finances already. The additional 8% cut which accumulates to €60,000 is a final blow that shows what little regard [is held towards] health in this university." The SU have sent a letter to

President of NUI Galway James Browne, but are still awaiting a response. The letter was sent over six weeks ago. In addition to this, reminders regarding the letter were issued, and it has been confirmed that the letter has in fact been read. “The Health Unit is one of our integral front line services and should not be subject to such shortsighted, 'slash and grab' cuts” reads

an extract from the letter written by the SU’s Vice President for Welfare Declan Higgins. “The number of people succumbing to stress related illness and emotional and psychological difficulties in this current economic climate has skyrocketed. Young people are particularly vulnerable, with students being even more vulnerable. “Never has the future been so

uncertain for the student body, with jobs at a premium, emigration at a generational high and grant aid and supports being massacred. Don’t allow their health and wellbeing to be yet another uncertainty. “The effect of these proposed cuts would be incalculable as of yet, and I fear its effects would not be measurable in Euros and Cents. You and your advisers have applied a financial formula to a human cri-

NUI Galway Students' Union supports March for Choice By Gerard Madden Students from NUI Galway joined over a thousand pro-choice activists who took to the streets of Dublin on Saturday September 28 to call for a liberalisation of the country’s abortion laws. Members of NUI Galway Students’ Union joined the Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) and numerous other groups who marched from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square at 2pm. The march was organised as part of a Global Day of Action for access to free and safe legal abortion, with marches taking place in many other countries on the same day. A bus had been arranged by NUI Galway Students’ Union to transport NUI Galway pro-choice activists to the march, and the banner of the Students’ Union was prominent and highly visible throughout. The NUI Galway contingent held placards with slogans such as “Girls just wanna have fundamental human rights” and “Jesus isn’t a d*ck! So keep him out of my vagina.” Pro-choice campaigners noted that no woman of child-bearing age has voted on the 8th Amendment, which was passed in 1983 and means that Ireland’s abortion laws are still very limited. They have criticized the current abortion law as insufficient and have called for the Amendment to be repealed.

Sarah Malone of ARC believes people cannot afford to be become complacent; "This is very restrictive legislation and only provides abortion to a woman who will literally die if she does not receive one. “There are still 12 women every day travelling to the UK to access medical care that they should be getting in their own country but they can’t because of our laws. We need to repeal that amendment to our constitution so that we can give women equality in our healthcare.” Speakers at the march’s terminus included Clare Daly TD, representatives of groups such as Catholics for Choice, the National Women’s Council of Ireland and Terminations for Medical Reasons, and a number of women who have traveled to Britain to procure abortions. Last March, students in NUI Galway endorsed a motion which called for the SU to campaign for full abortion rights by “every available measure” by a motion of over two to one in a referendum. UCD Students’ Union has followed suit, with a similar referendum passed by their student body. The referendum was held on Tuesday 1 October and Wednesday 2 October, and members of the UCD Pro-Choice Society were also prominent at the Dublin march. The Students’ Unions in Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin are also pro-choice, having also passed referendums on the position last year.

sis, a mistake that could have the most tragic consequences well beyond our term.” In relation to the future of the student health unit, Mr Kearns said; “This will be a tough fight but we are confident that we can retain a quality service and arrive at a resolution.” As it stands, the health unit will operate principally as an emergency and acute illness clinic.

The night services and sexual health clinic are no longer available at the unit. Alternatively, students who need medical attention in the night time are recommended to visit the UHG emergency room. With regards to sexual health, students can make an appointment with GUM (Genito-Urinary Medicine) clinic at UHG by phoning: 091 525 200.

Tolerance isn’t Enough: GIG Soc strive for equality with new Ally Campaign Continued from page 1… Former student and past member of GIG Soc Niamh Ní Argáin talked about the obstacles that still haunt the fight for LGBT equality. She spoke of a society not just of homophobic attacks in the street, but also situations where homosexuals face unemployment and persecution at work for being honest about their sexuality. She herself recalled being

suspended from her teaching position for marching in a gay rights protest, condemning the Irish school system for attempting to indoctrinate young children with prejudice and the idea that ‘Gay’ is a dirty word. Riona Hughes, the college’s Societies Officer, followed this by giving a rousing call for national equality, asking; “why should I have more rights than someone else born in this country?” She praised Ireland for mak-

ing enormous strides in social change since her own college years, but argued emphatically that Ireland “cannot be legislating against its own people.” Miss Hughes ended her address by recalling the courage and sacrifice of the organizers of GIG Soc in its earlier years. Taking details from an end of year societies report, she recounted the days when the society’s committee would only sign documents with their

first names, and were fearful of meeting in public because of the commonplace and often violent homophobic attitudes of the student population. But by far the most impressive, passionate and emotionally stirring was a speech made by NUI Galway English lecturer Lionel Pilkington. Describing the Ally Campaign as something that is “badly, badly needed”, Pilkington shared with the lecture

theatre the harsh trials of his young son’s life as a gay man. Within his first week at NUI Galway several years ago, his son was physically attacked on campus, berated by someone who yelled at him; “You fucking queer!” Despite this horrible incident, Pilkington declared that he was “incredibly proud” of his son and his ability to be himself, regardless of the dangers. Following this, on Wednes-

day 9 October, GIG Soc invited Ally and filmmaker Cian Tracey to premiere his documentary entitled Out in the West, a film which contrasts the experience of being gay in the city to that of the country. For anyone looking to know more about the Ally campaign or the Gay in Galway society, you can contact them at gigsoc@ socs.nuigalway.ie or visit their website, http://www.gigsoc. nuigalway.ie.

News 3

October 14 2013

Editorial: Charlie Byrnes, selfies and grannies

By Jessica Thompson I won’t lie. This issue is bursting with great content. Often when I’m editing Sin, I leave my editorial until last. It gives me a chance to finish the rest of the paper and pick up ideas along the way. But I’m not really sure where to start with this issue. One article I’m really excited about is the interview with Charlie Byrnes on page 14. Charlie Byrne’s bookshop recently won the Irish Times Best Bookshop award, though when it comes to bookshops, this one is definitely worthy of any award going. In the interview, we get to know a bit about Charlie himself. He divulges his deepest, darkest secrets to Sin’s Jenna Hodgins, revealing snippets of information that have never before been revealed. Ok, so that’s a lie, but the interview itself is definitely one of my favourite articles in the paper. Another article I enjoyed was the one on social media, which can be found on page 12. It questions the way in which social media has changed society. It seems our whole lives are documented on the internet these days. We all have that one person who we know a little bit too well.

You know the person I’m talking about; our newsfeed is crammed with updates on their lives, selfies in the bathroom, etc. When he or she gets a boyfriend or girlfriend, we know about it immediately. We know when things are going great (“luv yhoo bbz”) and we know when things are going bad because there’s always a status directed at them (“yhoo thiink yhoo cn jst stomp on mii <3 lyke dat?”). And finally, when they break up, we know about it immediately. Yes, that person is quite annoying. I can’t decide whether they’re more annoying, just as annoying or less annoying than the person who snapchats photos of themselves with people I’ve never seen before with the caption “Look who I met on the train!” Yes, that’s all very well and good, but who the hell are those people, and why are you snapchatting me?! It is only recently that I joined the world of snapchat. I avoided it because I don’t like to have too many social networks going at the one time, but after reconnecting with a friend in London, I downloaded it so we could keep in touch via photographs of our lives. It took me ages to figure out how to use it. I couldn’t understand where the photo went (I was unaware of the fact that photos disappeared after a number of seconds); I didn’t know how to caption my photos. It was a very stressful time for me and I ended up sending someone a photo of me looking very confused, with the words “How do I write a caption?!!!” scrawled in red around my head.

That person never did tell me how to write a caption, but thankfully I learned from someone else. Then there’s the person that clogs up your Instagram newsfeed with pictures of their lunch, or the outfit they’re wearing today. This person is much like the aforementioned Facebook updater, except they divulge the details of their lives through very hipster, very heavily edited photographs. Times have changed. There’s no talking to one another anymore. I know people who would talk all day every day on Facebook but keep their head down and avoid eye contact so they won’t have to talk to me in the street. It really is a sign of the times. Speaking of times, I also got a good laugh from Hazel’s Yellow Brick Road column this issue. It can be found on page 13 and deals with the ‘Dating Game’. She discusses the differences between dating today and dates her grandparents had. Back in the day, sharing an apple and holding hands while walking the pier was the height of romance. Nowadays romance can be difficult to find – especially in a nightclub or Supermac’s at 2 o’clock in the morning. Clubbing was never my scene. I’ve already arranged to walk the prom with my boyfriend, holding hands while we share an apple. That’s pretty cute, right? And speaking of grannies, Jenna has written a pretty epic article on granny fashion on page 21. That's trend I plan on buying into immediately, just for a bit of a social experiment to see if it catches on...

On the topic of social experiments, another article I enjoyed was Why are we so obedient? For this article, James carried out a bit of a social experiment. He disobeyed the rules and some of the reactions he received were quite interesting. Most of the articles I mentioned above can be found in the features section alone. But we have several other sections that are bursting with great content too. In the Fashion and Beauty section we walk you through the fine art of looking sexy without taking your clothes off, a smoky eye tutorial, and how to declutter your make-up bag. The Arts and Entertainment section is filled with film reviews, music reviews, theatre reviews and book reviews. Sports is packed with more great content that should hopefully appeal to various sports fans. Our next issue will be out just in time for Halloween and will be filled with great tips for costumes and make-up as well as several other spooky articles to keep you entertained. For now though, you should get stuck in to this issue. Comments are very welcome via email at editor@sin.ie. You can follow us on Facebook (Sin Newspaper NUI Galway) or Twitter (@sin_news). And don’t forget to check out more articles on sin.ie. We’re not instagramming our lunch just yet, but I’m sure we’ll catch up with the times at some point. Until next time, Jess @Jess__Thompson (that’s two underscores by the way – just in case you want to know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow).

Editor in Chief: Jessica Thompson editor@sin.ie Layout: Shannon Reeves | contact via Ed.

News Jenna Hodgins | localnews.sined@gmail.com Conor Lane | nationalnews.sined@gmail.com

Features Leigh Ashmore | opinion.sined@gmail.com Michael Finn | features.sined@gmail.com

Lifestyle Ciara Treacy | fashion.sined@gmail.com

Arts and Entertainment Tracey Halloran | artsentertainment.sined@gmail.com Karen McDonnell | arts.sined@gmail.com Shannon McNamee | entsonline.sined@gmail.com

Sports Daragh Small | sport.sined@gmail.com Céimin Burke | sport.sined@gmail.com

Creative Writing Helen Hughes | creativity.sined@gmail.com Webmaster Valeri Tarassov | web.sined@gmail.com

Upcoming Sin Meetings Thursday 17 October: Layout, Design and Photography Thursday 24 October: How to write a Feature All Sin meetings will take place at 6pm in AC213 on the Concourse. Meetings are open to everyone and new members are always welcome! Students fighting for their future at the recent march in Sligo. Photos by Kieran Durcan.

4 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

NUI Galway up 22 places in Times Higher Education World Rankings By Valeri Tarassov NUI Galway has moved up 22 places in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2013/2014. With a recent increase to 284th place in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2013/2014, NUI Galway is the only university in Ireland to increase its position within two major higher education rankings. NUI Galway President Dr. Jim Browne commented; “This is very

good news for NUI Galway. As the only Irish university to increase our position in both the 2013 THE World University Rankings and the recently published QS World University Rankings, I am pleased to see that our position globally is on the rise. “We have experienced significant cuts in overall funding at third-level in Ireland, while student numbers have continued to rise. Despite this, our university has gone against the tide to secure a marked improvement in these

very competitive rankings. “This is a testament to our high standards in teaching and research, and an affirmation of our very focused approach to developing an international reputation in a select set of research areas.” The top three universities in the Times Higher Education list are California Institute of Technology, Harvard University and University of Oxford. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings were developed in concert with rank-

ings data provider, Thomson Reuters, with expert input from more than 50 leading figures in the sector from 15 countries across every continent. The Times Higher league table of the world’s top universities is based on 13 separate performance indicators covering all of the core missions of a world class university; teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The survey also includes the world’s largest academic repu-

tation survey, with more than 10,000 academics asked to rate the world’s best universities for the 2013 ranking. President Browne added: “It will be critical for Ireland to maintain its investment in its universities if we are to remain internationally competitive. Every year, rankings such as this are broadened to include a burgeoning number of world-class universities. “While the rankings evaluate universities against a limited range of measures, there is no doubting

their influence on a University’s ability to attract international students. We operate in a global market, competing for students and research support on an international playing field. Support on a national level must be maintained for universities such as NUI Galway to continue with their success.” The Times Higher Education World University Rankings can now be viewed online at: http:// www.timeshighereducation. co.uk/world-university-rankings/

NUI Galway students attend anti-hate speech conference 'Game Over Hate' in Budapest By Jenna Hodgins NUI Galway students attended the Game Over Hate conference that targets hate-speech in online video games. The event took place at the European Youth Centre in Budapest from 22-28 September 2013. Gaming enthusiasts and human rights activists joined together to discuss the current state of online gaming and the behavioural issues between the headsets.

More than 217 million people worldwide are a part of an online gaming community. It has become a sphere of social diversity with various cultural, political and religious backgrounds. This includes a massive variation in age, gender, sexual orientation and nationality. The gaming culture has transformed in the past decade with the introduction of PSN and Xbox Live, online platforms that have transformed the way we play, interact and compete with one

24 hour booking app developed at NUI Galway By Jenna Hodgins Helplink is a free appointment booking app developed at NUI Galway. The app allows users to book appointments 24 hours a day, free of charge. Its official launch took place on Wednesday, September 11. Users can book appointments for dentists, doctors, hairdressers, physiotherapists, beauticians etc, on their phone, even when the practice is closed. Psychology graduate from NUI Galway and managing director of Helplink, Lochlann Scott, said; “We all have been in those situations, for example, it always seems to be out of hours when you need to book an appointment, or are constantly trying to get through at nine in the morning to an engaged tone or answering machine.” The app is ideal for late workers, busy parents and simply the unlucky few who spend hours of their lives talking to answering machines. Scott believes “[the app] will help free up A&Es because people can find those real time appointments for minor injuries.” The application has a catalogue of over 2,500 health and well being services available nationwide, all in the palm of

your hand. From public and private health practitioners to your local nail technician, Helplink provides various categories of services available for bookings. The idea behind Helplink was to “use technology to reduce the cost of providing health and support services and also make these services and health information accessible to everyone in Ireland no matter where they are,” according to Scott Clients have the option to view appointments in real time and book themselves in after last minute cancellations. The accessible, easy to use app is the creation of Sean Coleman, a member of NUI Galway's School of Information Technology, under the supervision of Dr. Owen Molloy and with the help of Eircom. The best part? The app is free to download and its directory completely free to use. Users can also receive text messages detailing their chosen listing for free. To download the app, search “Helplink” on either the iTunes App Store or Google Play. For more information visit www.helplink.ie or contact directory@helplink.ie.

another through video games. As online gaming became more popular, a community was born and the issue lies therein. This ever-growing community of online gaming becomes subject to the same issues associated with other online social networks. Cyber-bulling, 'trolling' and general hate speech are a part of everyday gaming life, with other gamers using these as devices for competition and sick fun, poisoning the online gaming

environment. Cases of racism, sexism, bigotry and general bullying have been reported on an hourly basis. In conjunction with the Council of Europe, the conference aimed to tackle these issues by questioning, debating and discussing the causes and finally, to come up with a solution to protect online gaming from these hate crimes. Inputs were received from companies such as CCP Games,

online gaming websites like Polygon and the European Gaming Federation. The conference recognised that a solution cannot change these gaming environments overnight. At the convention, cofounder of Polygon Brian Crecente spoke about the difficulty in introducing such changes so late into the game. “If you let the players rage for a couple of months and then try to change them, it becomes a matter of education; hard on the people that are used to vent and offend,”

he said. "Haters need victims but victims do not need haters. We are seeking to empower players that play inclusively and facilitate a network that is supporting them". The conclusion met at the conference was to expand and broaden the conversation. The issues discussed at Game Over Hate need to reach the global community. Feedback, case studies and input are welcome and will be used to finally end hate speech in the gaming world.

By Helen Hughes

which the final decision will be announced in February 2014. With a number of tutorials and workshops scheduled into the programme, it was designed by local businesses and academics to give students the opportunity to grow their own tech ideas. May 16 of this year marked a milestone in the relatively short history of the ‘App’. Apple issued a press release to mark its 50 billionth download. Among the market’s highest earners have included games such as Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja, Tiny Wings, and the immortal Angry Birds; the instant messaging service WhatsApp; and the photo editing software Color Splash. It’s hard to believe these icons only began to appear on screens in neat squares a mere five years ago. So get those thinking caps on. Registration is open, and introductions begin on 21 October. Prizes range from iPads to cash prizes. For more, and for the competition schedule, see www.codeninja.ie.

Bulmers Pear Comedy Festival returns to Galway CodeNinja 300 gives By Áine O Donnell students the opportunity to design an app The Bulmers Pear Comedy Festival is back in Galway this year after a break in 2012. Stand-up comedians will perform in venues all across the city from October 22 to 28. The line-up consists of some of the best international and Irish comics including Kevin Bridges, Sean Lock, Jason Byrne and Andrew Maxwell. British comedian Phil Jupitus, star of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, will be playing three gigs during the festival in the Seapoint Ballroom, Roisin Dubh and in the Radisson Blu Live Lounge. Sean Lock, another panel show host on 8 Out of 10 Cats, brings his new stand-up show Purple Van Man to the Black Box Theatre for a two-night run beginning on October 27. Star of Not Going Out and Would I Lie to You? Lee Mack headlines the festival playing shows in Seapoint Ballroom, Roisin Dubh, Town Hall Theatre and the Black Box Theatre. From October 23 to 26 Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges makes a welcome return to Galway when he plays two shows at the Radisson Live Lounge, the first gig on October 27 is sold out but a second performance has been sched-

uled due to high public demand. Bridges was a regular comedian at the Roisin Dubh in his earlier days as a comic. Leading the Irish contingent is David O’Doherty who is playing the Town Hall Theatre for one night only on October 25. O’Doherty is renowned for his unique brand of musical comedy which includes skits based around his tiny keyboard. Anonymous host Jason Byrne returns to Ireland for three nights for the festival, a break from working on his new BBC sitcom Father Figure. Andrew Maxwell performs two nights on the comedy programme and is a veteran of the Irish and British stand up scenes, most recently becoming a fixture of UK panel shows like Celebrity Juice. Other well-known comedians playing in Galway include Russell Howard, Neil Delamere, Stewart Lee, Omid Djalili, Tony Law, Karl Spain, Michael Winslow, Colin Murphy, John Colleary, Colm O’Regan (better known as the creator of the Irish Mammy Twitter account) and Maeve Higgins. Tickets for the festival are available on the website and in Supervalu and Centra stores countrywide. More information and details on the full line up can be found at www.galwaycomedyfestival.com

CodeNinja, an App competition for third level students is back on Galway campuses for the second year running and seeking applications. The competition aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to create their own apps, suitable for mobile and web technology. CodeNinja’s doors are open to students of any discipline from both NUI Galway and GMIT, who have the idea and the ambition to build an interesting and functional app. The competition is split into two categories: Group and Individual. The winners of the 2012 Group category were NUI Galway’s own Mike Rockall and Con Crowley, for their androidbased app What’s the Score, a mobile application for taking scores during any type of sports game, and for reporting both on-going and final results through a website to interested parties. The competition will run for a total of 15 weeks, after

News 5

October 14 2013

Up to 2,000 students march against increases in fees and cuts to grants By Mark Kelly On Tuesday 1 October approximately 2,000 students marched through the streets of Sligo as part of the USI “Fight for your Future Now!” campaign to protest against cuts in the student maintenance grant as well as the planned increase in the student contribution fee. The protest saw students from NUI Galway, IT Sligo, GMIT, St Angela's College Sligo, Athlone IT and Letterkenny IT come together to make their voices heard in an effort to put pressure on the government.

It was an early start to the day for NUI Galway. Around 200 students boarded the buses to Sligo at 9.30am –despite the fact that almost 600 tickets had actually been sold for the planned protest. The NUI Galway contingent arrived into the IT Sligo campus at 12pm and was allowed indoors to hear speakers try to rally the crowd. Other buses pulled up from GMIT, AIT, LIT – as well as students from IT Sligo – and joined the crowd. The march began at 1.30pm, with students filing out from the car park of IT Sligo and down towards the town.

As students marched, onlookers from town stopped and watched as the protest went by, with some people voicing encouragement and praise to the large mass of students. “Fair play to ye” and “It's good to see students standing up for themselves” were some of the positive comments directed towards the students as they made their way through the town to St Stephens Square. Here, students congregated in front of a large stage where student leaders from each of the colleges would stand up and give a speech to the students.

The president of IT Sligo Students Union, Paul Smith, gave an impassioned speech on the stage. “We as students understand that this country has a major debt on its shoulders. I, however, have to ask why students are being targeted with such a heavy burden?” he said. NUI Galway SU President Sean Kearns and presidents from all of the other colleges gave speeches as well, all highlighting issues facing many students, including the fact that any increase in fees or reduction in the grant will result in students being unable to attend

Trinity and UCD consider campus-wide smoking ban By Marcus Mac Dhonnagáin Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD) have both shown intentions to implement smoking bans across the whole of their respective grounds, according to The Irish Independent. With about 50,000 students and staff members between them, both comprise Ireland’s largest universities. Though smoking is prohibited indoors, smokers are allowed to smoke around most outdoor areas. The move by the two Dublin-based universities raises questions of if NUI Galway would also consider putting a similar proposal in place. Speaking to Sin, NUI Galway Students’ Union Welfare Officer Declan Higgins said that any prohibition of smoking on campus would need proper consideration. “I would welcome a discourse around the issue of smoking on campus, however, careful consideration must be given to the logistics of enforcing such a ban,” he said. “While the smoking ban operated on the grounds of

University Hospital Galway (UHG) appears to be working well, it must be noted that UHG is a health campus and more self-contained than NUI Galway, and I believe it would be difficult to enforce but it most definitely should not be ruled out, and I hope the reports about the proposals in TCD and UCD will act as a precursor to a discussion here in Galway.” A meeting with the Class Reps Council would be needed in order to garner a full range of perspectives and views of the larger student body, he added. UCD’s health promotion committee has called for the ban to be put in place by next year, and that it would cover the entirety of its 320-acre campus. It has already designated that some outdoor areas as smoking-free zones – such as outside its Arts Café. UCD President Dr. Hugh Brady supports the ban, while the UCD Students Union will put a referendum to its students this week. If rejected, the SU will be allowed to campaign against the proposal – but it does not guarantee that it will be

stopped. TCD’s board is currently assessing whether such a ban on their campus would be accepted, as well as if it would be feasible to do so. A recent survey conducted amongst its students and staff suggested that the latter would be more supportive of it than the former. There was also a link with age; older people were more open to the idea, while younger respondents were less enthused. The Irish Cancer society welcomed TCD’s and UCD’s measure. In a statement to Sin, Irish Cancer Society Head of Advocacy and Communications Kathleen O’Meara said “The Irish Cancer Society is very supportive of UCD’s and TCD’s proposals to implement smoking bans on their campuses. “We know that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Ireland. Every day in Ireland, sixteen people die as a result of smoking and one in two smokers will die prematurely and as a direct result of being a smoker. “Second-hand smoke is also highly dangerous and we welcome any move to protect

non-smokers who can also be affected from the toxins and carcinogens in second-hand smoke. Public bans on smoking are imperative in the fight against tobacco,” she added. The Irish government has also discussed policy ideas to further discourage the uptake of smoking. Minister for Health James Reilly recently launched a new report titled Tobacco Free Ireland, which outlined the policy to achieve a smoke-free Ireland by 2025. Writing in the report, Minister James Reilly says; “This is a battle that must be won. If the cigarette companies did not recruit new smokers they would disappear within a generation. Therefore, for the industry to simply maintain the size of its customer base in Ireland, it is estimated that 50 Irish children have to start smoking every single day. We know that half of them will ultimately die from their addiction. “No-one, whether smoker or non-smoker, wants their children to smoke,” he adds. Smoking has been forbidden in workplaces since 2004 by government legislation, and has been extended to other outdoor areas as well.

Shooting in Nigerian college leaves 50 students dead By Conor Lane Islamic extremists killed up to 50 students in an early morning attack in the northeast of Nigeria. 1000 students were able to flee the college in the early hours of the morning when the attack took place. The gunmen made their

way into the College of Agriculture in rural Gujba where they shot students who were sleeping in the state college. They also set fire to classrooms. There was no exact death toll at the time of print but the Nigerian military had stated that it had collected 42 bodies and had transported

18 students to a specialist hospital in Damaturu. A senior administrative officer of the college had been assured that security forces would be stationed at the college by the government as the North-east of Nigeria is under a military state of emergency. Since 2010, more than

1700 people have been killed by Boko Haram militants who fight and kill for an Islamic state. Haram’s troops have killed thousands since the uprising started which in the process has changed from a clerical movement opposed to Western culture and transformed itself into a militia with grow-

college and eventually, forced to drop out. USI Vice-President for the Border, Midlands and Western region Kevin Donoghue, said he was pleased with how the day went; “We were happy with how things went today. It is important to remember that this protest was held at the end of a consistent twelve week campaign in which we lobbied the government against education cuts. That will continue right up until the budget. The day after the budget USI will be holding an emergency national council to determine how exactly we will react to any cuts to the

grant or other student supports.” In conjunction with the Sligo march, two other marches took place. In Cork, 1200 students took to the streets in protest against the Government attacks on third-level education. Meanwhile in Dublin, 800 students marched to Leinster house to voice their concerns and anger over any possible cuts. At the march in Dublin, USI president Joe O'Connor said; “The maintenance grant has been hit in four consecutive Budgets, the cost of college continues to spiral upwards, and hard-pressed students and families have now very much reached breaking point.”

NUI Galway to host Ireland’s first science video competition. By Lyndsay Hughes Over 300 schools across the country – including every primary and secondary school in County Galway – are invited to make a short video and go viral for science. ReelLife Science is an initiative set up by NUI Galway’s Dr Enda O’Connell, and is the first of its kind in Ireland, which aims to promote Science to a wider audience. Students from schools that were involved in the inaugural ‘I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here’ event last year, along with any school in County Galway, are invited to submit a short (1-3 minutes) video communicating a scientific topic in an engaging and entertaining way. No special camera skills are needed – the videos can be created using a smartphone or digital camera. Primary school students can make videos on ‘Our Bodies,’ ‘Habitats’ or ‘Keeping Healthy,’ while secondary school students can sink their teeth into ‘Stem Cells,’ ‘The Environment,’ ‘Evolution’ or ‘Astrobiology.’ The ReelLife Science project is the brainchild of Dr. Enda O’Connell who won ‘I’m a Scientist’ in November 2012. His win secured some start-up funding for a Science

Communication project. Additional funding was then received from NUI Galway’s EXPLORE Innovation Initiative and the College of Science. Now supported by a team of NUI Galway Science Communicators, ReelLife Science will award a total of €1000 in prizes. The best Science Communication video at each level (primary and secondary) will receive €250, to be spent on a science project or event, as proposed by the winning students. Second and third-placed entries at each level will receive €150 and €100 worth of scientific resources for their school, respectively. The competition will be judged by a panel of experts including Professor Rhodri Ceredig, REMEDI, NUI Galway and Professor Andrea Brand of Gurdon Institute, Cambridge. Special guest judges will include Ciara Judge, Sophie Healy-Thow and Emer Hickey – winners at the 2013 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibiton and first prize winners at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists. Students have until October 25 to submit their videos to reellifescience@gmail.com, and more information can be found at www.reellifescience.com.

ing links to al-Qaeda. President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan ordered a state of emergency on May 14 and has since ordered an operation against Haram. There was a similar attack on July 6 where 29 pupils and a teacher were killed which led to most schools in the area being closed.

The rebellion is now in year four since it started and within the last few weeks before this most recent attack several hundred people have died. 30,000 people over the last number of years have fled to neighboring countries Cameroon and Chad to escape the combat zones.

6 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

‘No’ vote retains Séanad in Irish Referendum By Mark Kelly The referendum to abolish the Seanad has been defeated. On Saturday afternoon, 5 October, the returning officer Ríona Ni Fhlanghaile announced at Dublin Castle that the ‘Yes’ vote to abolish the Séanad was defeated by a ‘No’ vote. The result of the referendum was a tight conclusion statistically with 51.7% of votes nationally geared against the abolition of the Seanad and with 48.3% in favour of abolition concluding with a margin of 3.4%. The national turnout for the referendum was 1,240,729 from an electorate of 3,167,484 meaning 39.2% of the electorate voted. Out of the 39.2% turnout around 14,355 votes were

spoiled and so the ‘Yes’ vote had a count of 591,937 and the ‘No’ vote 634,437, a difference of 42,500 votes. The second referendum, to establish a Court of Appeal, has been passed by a majority of almost two to one with the official result displaying just over 65% of voters voting in favour of the new Court of Appeal. An Taoiseach Enda Kenny was disappointed with the results of the Seanad referendum as he addressed the nation publicly on RTE shortly after the results were official saying “sometimes in politics you get a wallop in the electoral process”. Enda Kenny first proposed a referendum to abolish the Séanad in 2009 and acknowledged that he had suffered “a wallop" both politically and publicly

after four years of attempting push for Séanad abolition. On 3 October, the eve of the referendum, Enda Kenny had argued that reform of the Seanad was not possible and had reiterated his view that the Seanad was an ineffective and powerless body incapable of reform. The Irish Independent’s Lyndsey Teleford reported on 3 October that Enda Kenny stated; “if ‘the Seanad’ costs €20 million a year to run. It is undemocratic. It is minority-representative. It is not possible to reform this body.” Tánaiste Gilmore had shared the opinion that there was not a convincing argument for a country of Ireland’s size to retain an Oireachtas with two chambers, being cited by the Irish Independent

having said; “we do not need two parliamentary chambers.” Sinn Féin was also advocating an abolitionist stance with their leader Gerry Adams expressing the opinion that the Séanad was both “dysfunctional and elitist in its being and should be abolished”. Speaking from Dublin Castle shortly after the formal declaration of the Seanad referendum, Mr Kenny remarked on the need for reflection on what role the Seanad would now play and comprise within his agenda of political reform. Taoiseach Kenny defended his absence in the ‘Yes’ campaign by stating that this was not about leaders or parties but was a decision for the people. Mr Kenny acknowledged there was a consensus that reform was needed in Irish pol-

itics. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said; “Mr Kenny now has a duty to engage with political parties and civil society about reform of the Oireachtas and government”. On Saturday evening, the Government faced a wave of criticism internally and externally with Senator Sean Barrett suggesting Mr Kenny should consider his position. Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher went so far as to label Mr Kenny a coward. Leader Micheal Martin said the referendums result on abolition was a “complete rejection of the Government's strategy of talking about reform but simply increasing their own power”. On Sunday 6 October, Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin said the

Labour party is prepared to work quickly on Seanad reforms but another referendum may be required. The constitution would cater for some movement and reform for the Seanad but there are also confining parameters. Fine Gael members seem to be particularly hostile to Mr. Kenny with TD Tony Mulcahy overtly stating as reported by Daniel McConnell and John Drennan on Sunday, “the €20m thing was a load of bollocks”. All Dublin constituencies voted to reject the referendum and the voting pattern very much geographically divided the country with most of Leinster, the southeastern part of Munster, West Galway and Donegal responding with a ‘No’ vote.

New internship scheme proposes better jobs prospectives By Frank Doherty The expansion of internships in Ireland under the Dept. of Social Protection’s Jobbridge internship scheme, a more recent development, is a policy reaction to high levels of youth unemployment and emigration. Internships are an employment mechanism whereby a worker is offered a temporary usually unpaid position as an industrial entry or work experience or training opportunity in place of a paid job. Originating in white collar professions, similar to the sort of work experience many degree programs include today. According to Minister Joan Burton, the scheme is

designed for labour market activation (getting people jobs) the major features of the scheme include; internships of a duration of six and nine months offered by host companies/organisations. 67% of internships are in the private sector, 21% in the public sector and 9% in voluntary work, where interns receive no payment for their labour from their host company/organisation but instead receive a “top‐up” to their social welfare of €50 to cover travel/subsistence. The government’s rationale behind this is three-fold; firstly it’s designed to break the cycle whereby jobseekers are unable to gain employment without relevant experience.

It is also meant to keep interns close to the jobs market (easier to find proper employment). Finally, the scheme is supposed to more generally enhance an individual's prospects of getting a job. Christened “ScamBridge” by Paul Murphy, Socialist Party MEP, it has already come under cr iticism from groups such as 1913 Unfinished Business; an anti-austerity youth activism group, and the youth committee of the Communication Workers’ Union. The European Students’ Union recently stated; “Students need a much stronger commitment from employers and policy-makers than the European Alliance for Appren-

ticeships that was introduced in July. The alliance does not set any requirements for minimum benefits that should be provided to interns.” In a report published by the CWU’s youth committee in November 2012 entitled “JobBridge to Nowhere”, the Indecon report on the scheme heralded by Minister Burton as displaying the scheme’s success, is re-assessed. This analysis draws stark conclusions from the report around the direct exploitative aspects of the scheme and the negative and destructive effects it has for those in work and seeking employment in general. The committee found that the scheme depresses job

creation by creating a pool of free labour for employers, is inherently exploitative with young people being particularly vulnerable as all workers deserve to be paid for their labour, and will inevitably result in job displacement (where a paid job is disappears forever). The committee pointed out that it puts downward pressure on wage levels across all sectors of the economy. The report also highlights the high dropout rate of 59%, the high number of those dissatisfied with the scheme, around 20%, and the relatively low number of interns getting jobs from their host companies/ organisations which stands

at 29.3%. And of these 29.3%, 28.8% of the companies had said they will either be highly or fairly likely to have hired the interns without the scheme, and a mere 3.7% gave financial constraints as the reason for not making hires, while 42% indicated that there weren’t existing vacant positions reflecting a lack of job stimulating, investment and expansion. In related news, recently published CSO Statistics for youth unemployment showing a drop of 10.2% (7,515) over the last 12 months are being interpreted as a result of emigration rather than a surge in employment in the age group.

Survey reveals students’ perspectives on the quality of their education By Áine O’Donnell A recent survey has revealed students’ perspectives on the quality of their education. The study was published by the European Students’ Union (ESU) in Brussels. It stated that the results yielded fundamental expectations from third-level education which included personal growth, to study issues that they are interested in and are taught by specialists in their field of study. The study proved that intrinsic satisfaction out-

weighed employment-related factors when it came to choosing a course at university. The survey was completed by students in Germany, Norway, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia as part of a three year research project undertaken by the European Students’ Union called QUEST or Quest for Quality for Students. The survey was distributed electronically with the help of the participating universities. Over 6,000 students’ results were collated for the published findings on the quality of education.

The majority of students surveyed (over 90%) felt that the courses they had undertaken had equipped them with more knowledge and more opportunities. The majority of students also concluded that they thought the quality of their education would not improve if they paid higher fees. When deciding to go to university, students were least concerned with expectations from their families and their employability after completing secondary school. While family and friends

had little to do with choosing to continue education, students were very dependent on their opinions when it came to picking a third level institution and selecting a course. Third year Arts student Aifric Cunningham agreed with the findings of the study, stating that her decision to continue to third level education had little to do with her parents but that her choice of institution was influenced by them; “both of my parents are graduates of NUI Galway and I spent a lot of time here when I was younger. I think

that was the main reason I chose NUI Galway”. More than half of the students questioned believed that evaluations had an impact on the quality of their education with 85% saying they participated regularly in evaluations. While students seemed aware of quality assurance in their own institution, they had little or no knowledge of quality assurance at a European-level including a lack of awareness of groups such as the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).

The group of students that were most aware of quality controls especially at an institutional level were members of the Students’ Union and also full-time rather than part-time students. The more time a student has spent at college results in a higher awareness in quality assurance and a European and international level. The project was funded by the European Commission and the remainder of the findings will be presented at the end of October when the project concludes.

CMY

Working and Travelling Abroad Fair Áras na Mac Léinn Wednesday 30th October 12pm-3pm - Free Entery

More information is available at: www.su.nuigalway.ie

www.nuigalway.ie/alive

www.nuigalway.ie/careers

8 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

This week’s debate: Should Prostitution be legalised? Yes: The case for legalization No: The case against legalization By Maria Keenan Every man has his price. With increasing frequency, Irish women are forced to see this as a reality rather than a proverb. To those of us with even the basest amounts of compassion, prostitution is repugnant. It appears obvious to us that there can be no morality in selling one’s body and one’s emotional stability. For swathes of women (and, though often overlooked, men) who enter into this occupation each year, it is undertaken with desperation. The trade-off these individuals face is one which rationality, under normal circumstances, dictates cannot be worth remuneration. However, we do not live in ordinary times. Poverty is becoming ever more brutal. With unemployment rampant and resolutions few, with debt insurmountable and the continual necessity of survival ever present, more Irish citizens are forced to resort to means of solving these problems which they would once have never considered. I concede the darkness of these times. So too do I recognise that prostitution should not be proliferated, but the reality we must surrender to is that this industry is one which will not dissipate as is and has not since its inception. What, then, does this mean for the destinies of those entering into prostitution in its modern guise? The choice is harrowing. There is no respect allotted to these individuals. Much though we preach the abhorrence of the situations prostitutes find themselves in, we face other challenges which hinder our compassion. For one, we feel that there is a sacrifice made by those who enter into the sex trade which we cannot conceptualise. Further to this, the consensus is that there is a still a choice involved and that

these women have sacrificed their self-respect, an act which can never be tolerated. What we fail to consider is that a choice fails to be exactly that when we are pressured into it. In this case, the choice is sullied by financial pressures. If this is not enough to convince you of the woman’s innocence in habitually selling herself, let us consider that the income she receives for her actions is intended for the betterment of her future. No one at the start of their journey through the sex industry sees their decision as an eternal one. Prostitution is also a means to an end for the prostitute. To reinforce the idea of these good intentions yet more, we must consider that the profits from her actions are often used with the intention of bettering her family’s or other dependent’s future. All of us should be entitled to aspirations and, in hurting no others, should not be judged for these. Practically, legislation can alleviate some of the hazards of the trade. For one, selfincrimination is mooted. There is no detailed contract in prostitution. Though the time and fee may be agreed these, along with certain tenets which one would take for granted in regular sexual relations, are breeched. Too often are women assaulted in the sex trade. These people are left physically brutalised with no means by which to report their assailant without also surrendering that they too are criminals. The same is true of a client overpowering those from whom they are buying sex. The prostitute is already in a

morbid state of vulnerability and now must also realise that their consent means nothing. They can be tossed away and left unpaid. Victims, if seen as the innocents they are, can then report their injustices. Legislation can introduce contraceptives. Even under some unregulated yet thriving sex industries, this has become the norm. In both Mexico and Bangladesh, this is insisted upon and obliged. However, in western countries this seems to be overlooked. Perhaps this is a question of ‘quality of service’, but the negligence must be abandoned for the sake of health. Legislation can provide a physical security for women. The introduction of panic buttons in various red light districts has led to tangible decreases in assaults and provides solace. As to this question of morality, is it not moral to protect as many of our citizens as we feasibly can? There are arguments contradicting the legalization of prostitution which suggest that the issue will not go away. These opponents insist that the market will simply be pushed to the underground. This argument contra legalization is absurd. In acknowledging that the sex trade cannot be abolished, this side favours the status quo, the repugnance of which we have already established. We favour a quality of life many others are too negligent or terrified to offer sex workers and we can establish its feasibility. We do not accept that nothing can be done and that this will never end. The interim is our time and this is when we must act.

By Fionnuala O’Leary Legalizing paid sex is fundamentally unethical. It is a source of contention within the Oireachtas and countrywide due to the growing Irish sex trade, in areas such as Catherine Street in Limerick city. Those who argue that prostitution should be considered a legitimate “profession” under the pretence of human rights should consider what a physical and psychological toll it actually takes. Prostitutes may gain financially, but what does one lose as a result? In her book, Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution, Rachel Moran, a former Limerick prostitute, gives us an insight into the harsh realities of the business. “The most potently damaging element in the prostitute experience of violation is the voice that communicates with actions. It says: you are nothing,” she explains. This is not a ‘voluntary’ occupation and it is rare that any prostitute will profess their enthusiasm for the job. To render something like prostitution as legal, something so insidious and damaging, as a viable career path, is utterly laughable, is it not? There are ‘traditionalists’ who advocate legalization, on the somewhat shaky grounds, that prostitution is “the world’s oldest profession”, thusly earning its right to exist because it can never truly be abolished. Call me old-fashioned, but when did our moral conscience roll over and die? What of slavery, another oppressive institution? Had slaves been afforded trade unions, had they been taxed, had they been given an economic purpose like the rest of the employment sector, yet remained subservient by the

What’s your opinion on this topic? Join in the discussion on: www.sin.ie/2013/10/14/ should-prostitution-be-legalised

Sin would like to apologise for a mistake printed in the last issue’s debate. The corrected article can be seen on sin.ie.

very nature of their work, had all this been done, would anything have changed? That is to say, a ‘slave’ would always be just that: an inferior, never equal; likewise in prostitution, where the worker is a slave to the punter’s sexual will. Would slavery be ‘okay’ if the law dictated as such? Would prostitution? In Prostitution, Trafficking and Posttraumatic Stress, authors Colin A. Ross, Melissa Farley and Harvey L. Schwartz discuss the psychological damage it entails; “The existing data suggests that almost all who are in prostitution suffer from at least one of the following types of disorders; dissociative, posttraumatic, mood or substance abuse.” Perhaps there would be STD screenings if prostitution was legalized. Irrespective of this, contraception is not always reliable (illness, human error etc.). An unwanted pregnancy, courtesy of a random client, raises a number of complex issues for the woman involved. The autonomy of the sex-worker is void by virtue of the fact that they must give themselves to another, at a cost that is not namely physical payment. It is in no way an exertion of free-will, but rather desperation. As evidenced by Doras Luimni’s concern for Limerick migrants, it is a different social playing-field in comparison to the Nordic regions. Ireland’s sex-workers are for the most part, trafficked women, the poverty-stricken and drugaddicts. They do not want to be a ‘professional’ sex-worker and thus, forgo their anonymity in being registered with the State for tax. They do not want the trauma they experience to be legalized. As one Law student said to me; “Where do we draw the line: prostitution, then drugs?” Accordingly, some form of forcible rehabilitation for drug abuse, psychological trauma and employment is necessary. The idea that legalization would fully protect the workers is naïve. Just look at the booming sex-industry in Amsterdam. Instead of giving prostitutes the

incentive to leave, legalization has informed the public consciousness that is acceptable to put your body up for sale in a window, like an unthinking, unfeeling, unemotional object. No matter how vigilant security may be, the threat remains. Take Zurich in Switzerland, for example, where prostitution is legal (akin to Germany and New Zealand). Drive-through ‘sex boxes’ have been built there – hut-like structures complete with panic-buttons and open doors. Now, if the aim of this is to ‘protect’ the workers in a safer environment, does the inclusion of that button not contradict this? Does ‘panic button’ not indicate danger? Prostitutes will still be at risk regardless: they are always at the mercy of the men they are paid to please, hence why such an unethical practice should not be embraced. To legalize the sale of sex completely, would be to legitimise it. Furthermore, in the countries that have acquiesced through legalization, there is no proof that in doing so, they have lessened the associated problems. Ruhama, an organisation helping women affected by prostitution, maintain that it should be seen as “an issue of violence against women,” that the punter should be culpable in lieu of the woman. Just as the complete decriminalisation of prostitution is not the solution, nor is leaving legislation as is. If the act itself as illegal yet criminalises the buyer and not the prostitute (‘The Swedish model’) we are one step closer to abolishment. To opinion that abolishment is unrealistic, that we should incorporate an immoral convention, I, along with the National Women’s Council of Ireland and countless others, refute this. Not only is it wrong in the humane sense, but legalizing prostitution completely is an improbable expectation in the Irish context; mere fantasy. It will never happen. A change in legislation however, could very soon become fact.

opinion 9 Is armed revolution in Ireland necessary? October 14 2013

By Frank Doherty “War; what is it good for?! Absolutely Nothing,” but death, destruction and the wrecking of peoples’ lives. That’s why the default position for everyone should be explicitly anti-war, especially given its historical record. However human conflict does exist in today’s society both on the individual level and the globalised society as witnessed in the economic conflict between worker and boss, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Troubles in our own country and various other imperialisms around the world. So when to advocate violence or, put differently, under which circumstances if any should we break from a principle of nonviolence? Rather than delve deep into different ethical codes and moral

theories and attempting to apply them to the many practical everyday situations, lets look at armed anti-imperialist struggles and revolutionary violence from a generally marxist perspective. The planet seems in a constant strife with the outrages of the Arab Spring, the collapse of systemically important, global and national banking institutes in the economic recession together with a weakened and disorganised working class in the West and the existential crisis inherent in climate change. That perennial question of Lenin’s What is to be Done? is as relative as ever, and from this perspective the answer is revolution. A social and political revolution changing of the social order from one of class and exploitation, to one without classes called communism.

The details around this what aside, its the how we are interested in; more specifically the part of the how to make resistance or revolution, relating to violence. In today’s class society the order is maintained by the state through its monopoly of violence enforced through the police and armed forces. This is typically understood under the dominant bourgeois view of things, as correct, legal and of course “democratically” mandated through the constitution. It may even seem beneficial and just when looked at with respect to robbers and murderers, interpersonal violence between equal citizens etc. When taken from the perspective of the colonised, enslaved, exploited or oppressed, the state while protecting imperialist from colonised, master from slave, boss from worker and

“Greek democracy won’t tolerate Einsatzgrupen” By Patrick Glynn “Greek democracy won’t tolerate Einsatzgrupen”. That was the inflammatory statement that the Greek Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection released several days ago. They were making reference to the arrest of high-ranking members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party in Greece. The arrest of the party hierarchy was prompted after the murder of leftist DJ and musician Pavlos Fyssas. Fyssas was an anti-fascist and condemned the racism exhibited by the organisation, making several speeches criticizing the Golden Dawn. He was subsequently stabbed to death by a member of the party, although it is unclear whether it was sanctioned by the council. Nonetheless the Greek authorities reacted rapidly and nearly a week ago 22 people were detained including the party leader, the spokesman, 4 MP’s and several members of the police. The accused have been arraigned on charges of being a part of a terrorist organisation, murder, assault and money laundering. The leader of the Golden Dawn, Nikolaos Michalolakos is a former commando and holocaust denier who was dismissed as a vociferous extremist by many observers but his party

has made significant gains in the last few years. A raid on his house uncovered three unregistered guns, ammunition and thousands of euros in cash. The party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris who was also arrested became infamous for slapping a female Communist Party politician on a national talk show. The rise of the Golden Dawn party has mirrored the rise of other right wing anti-immigration groups across Europe although the Golden Dawn is far more extreme and many of their members have been found with Nazi paraphernalia. Their emblem clearly resembles a swastika. They bear more resemblance to the Brown Shirts of the Nazis than a modern European party and Humans Rights Watch have documented organised campaigns in which Golden Dawn members participated in motorcycle patrols where they would assault ‘’immigrants’’ with clubs and iron spikes. There has been a recorded 104 racist attacks this year alone. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the Golden Dawn enjoys considerable support in Greece gaining 500,000 votes during the 2012 election. This is 7% of the overall vote. This gave the party 18 MP’s in a 300 seat parliament. Their emotionally charged appeals against immigrants and the politicians

who failed Greece are attractive to a nation blighted by economic depression. The fact that the Golden Dawn has been seen as electable at all speaks volumes about the state of Greek politics where political discourse has become poisonous. Several advisers and politicians in current ruling party New Democracy talked about a new ‘’Goudi’’ for the previous part in power who accepted the bailouts. This was a military tribunal that executed 6 politicians and military men for treason after being defeated in the Greek-Turkish War of 1922. They also referred to the past ruling party (PASOK) under Georges Papandreou as ‘’traitors’’ and “collaborators”. This is an incredibly dangerous period for Greece. Greece experienced a military dictatorship from 1967-1974, so democracy is still a fresh concept to the country. The Golden Dawn supporters have already tried to mobilise support claiming New Democracy are using the Golden Dawn as scapegoats to distract from further cuts to public services. It is crucial to the outside world and the Greek people that their government be seen to be giving a fair trial and not prosecuting them for their political beliefs or it will be at risk of inflaming Golden Dawn’s popular support and undermining democratic.

man’s dominion from women; becomes our enemy’s protector. Thus, the state violence loses its facade of legitimacy and resisting it oppressive nature becomes not just legitimate but a moral imperative. Here we find the moral justification for revolutionary and anti-imperialist violence as a principle. The second aspect to the use of violence is whether its goals are likely to succeed or have unwanted consequences and do these outweigh the benefits implicit in achieved goals? Or do such considerations warrant the breaking of the principle of nonviolence? Again, specific answers to changing circumstances and situations; we can however say that resisting and opposing oppression and exploitation in all its forms is a moral must. Whether this takes the form of violent resistance is specific to each instance. Taking the Republic of Ireland today as our historical example, should the working class return to armed struggle,

in order to bring about a socialist republic and end to partition with a long term objective of dissolving our then workers state into the nascent, classless global society? As James Connolly might have put it a century ago. Right this moment? A most definite no. In the near future perhaps? Not likely. In order to achieve such goals, any goals, we need to be organised to achieve them. The Irish working class is very disorganized, some might say organised to contrary purposes. Rejecting the political process, the seanad referendum turnout a case in point, is a reflection of the disparity of opinion between government and the people. This was a low order of engagement with the Political and not really resistance when compared to say, Dublin Bus workers and NCHDs who went on strike. Violent resistance will always fail to achieve victory unless it has high participation rates and high levels of popular support. There is no existing

support for the violent overthrow of the government and social order in Ireland. There is however mass opposition to government policies; it just hasn’t been rendered into coherent mass organised resistance. The closest examples of contemporary mass working class organisation have been the national property tax and water charges resistance campaign. This is not to say however that this resistance won’t grow and over time become more experienced, more organised and more confident; that this matured resistance would not challenge power and be met with suppression and violence as history predicts. Finally, this is not to say a violent revolt will never be at the same time both morally warranted and worthwhile again in Ireland, just not anytime soon and until then we will see a growth in nonviolent civil disobedience in line with the countervailing neoliberal and austerity policies.

10 Opinion

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

“Stop trying to give every ejaculation a name” By Caroline O’Shea When we think of the history of Ireland we think of a small country standing on its own and against all odds, fighting for its freedom and winning. We think of men like Michael Collins and Patrick Pearse. All of this should fill us with pride for ourselves and our country, but what of the history of women in Ireland? When all these men existed and were in power, women were under the thumb of Irish law. When I think of the history of Ireland I think of oppression, bullying, disregard for human rights and the rumbling desire to fight back. I do not mean in relation to Irish people and England, but Irish people and their relationship with women. It’s easy to think of The Magdalene Laundries as something in Ireland’s distant past. Yet the very last Magdalene Laundry only closed in 1996. Probably one of the

Abortion on demand is an integral part of Women’s Rights greatest symbols of Ireland’s cruelty towards its women were these hellish places. If you were sexually assaulted, you were punished by being shipped off to a prison run by nuns. Your hair was cut, you were used as a slave, no family visits, no freedom whatsoever, and forever seen as scum and a prostitute. There were many reasons why women were sent here, for being too good looking, for being raped or for getting pregnant. It couldn’t be described what these women went through. When it comes to the abortion argument I always used “The X Case” as an example of the way Ireland

Female genital mutilation (FGM), defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”, is a cultural practice among various ethnic groups, which is performed on girls from the ages of four to ten. This leads to the need for further surgeries when a woman marries. Often an incision needs to be made to allow conception to take place. During childbirth, the wound must be ripped and then sewn up again afterwards. This dangerous practice is largely situated in sub-Saharan and Northeast Africa where no legislation exists to prevent it.

wanted to throw herself down a flight of stairs or under a train instead of having that man’s child, yet her suicidal pleas were ignored and she was forced home. The baby was miscarried and the foetus brought home as evidence. Abortion is a basic human right. I am not pro getting rid of babies. I am pro having the right to choose whether or not I have a baby. I want the right to my body. I want women in this country to be finally recognised as human and given the same rights as men. If men could get pregnant would there be an abortion clinic every 30 miles?

A male friend of mine said the other day “Why do women complain so much about giving birth? It can’t be that bad.” I said to him when his wife is in labour, I would love if he tried to push a watermelon out of his back side at the same time. Perhaps then he’d have a good idea of the cruelty being inflicted on women who are forced to be pregnant. Oh well sorry, not forced, I mean if I’m dying maybe, just maybe I’ll be allowed an abortion. Or if I’m suicidal, but I’m going to have to be a very convincing suicidal pregnant woman to get off so easily. 47,000 women in the world die per

Re:

By Mary Egan

treats its women in more modern times. A young girl of 14 was raped by her friend’s father and became pregnant. He had been sexually assaulting this girl since she was 12, but she was too terrified to say anything. After telling her parents they made hasty plans to go to the guards and inform them what happened. They then made their way to England to procure an abortion. The high court got word of this and they ordered them home on the basis of Article 40.3.3 of the constitution; the right to life of the child being equal to that of the mothers. This girl has said she

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FGM usually takes place without sterlising the knives, scissors or razors that are used to carry out the process, or anesthetic. The reasons for carrying out this procedure include religion, preservation of virginity until marriage, increasing marriageability, economics, tradition, rites of passage, cultural aesthetics, myths and beliefs. FG M i mp o s e s s e r i ous health risks to the woman during child-birth, whereby it doubles her risk of death, and makes it three or even four times more like of conceiving a stillborn. Further health risks include hemorrhages, an increase in urinary tract infections, greater pain during menstruation and the development of scar tissue, to name but a few.

Often, the same tools are used on many different girls, which make the transmission of HIV/AIDs very easy. It is estimated that eight girls are mutilated every minute. Furthermore, FGM violates the human rights of girls and women. This practice highlights an inequality between males and females, as it cannot be compared to normal male circumcision. It is highly discriminatory against women, and violates the rights of the un-consenting children. Furthermore, it violates a woman’s right to health, security, physical integrity, the right to life (in extreme cases) and the right to be free from torture and cruel inhumane or degrading treatment. Article 5(a) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimi-

annum as a result of unsafe abortions. The women have fought and fought and we’re not getting anywhere, men have more say then we do, it’s unfair but it’s true. Do something; step up for your sister, for your mother, for your friend and your girlfriend. Show the men around the world that Ireland isn’t full of sexist, backwards pigs, but modern men who are going to fight for their women and fight for freedom again. Give the women in this country a basic human right, allow women to be treated as equal in this country, to be treated as human beings and not objects created for one purpose but people who deserve the same rights as men, who deserve the right to choose. Do you agree with Caroline or do you have your own opinion on the topic? Feel free to post your thoughts on www.sin.ie/2013/10/14/ womens-rights-to-abortion.

Female Genital Mutilation

A Violation of Women’s Rights nation against Women (CEDAW) requires the elimination of any prejudicial customs or practices, which create an inferiority of superiority of either of the sexes. The 2006 census revealed that an estimated 2,585 women and girls residing in Ireland have undergone FGM. While there are no medical practitioners in Ireland that will perform FGM, this does not prevent it from being practiced secretly or girl’s being transported to their home countries to have the procedure done. FGM was banned in Ireland in March 2012, with the passing of an Act which states that those who carry out female genital mutilation, or those who transport a girl or women to another country to have the pro-

cedure are punishable by fine and/or up to 14 years imprisonment. It is the government’s job to prevent this from occurring. Amnesty International’s executive director, Colm O’ Gorman, has highlighted the lack of awareness in the government of which department is in charge of dealing with these issues. Anti-FGM activists have been passed from different ministers, as no one is clear on the leadership for FGM action. Ireland’s Nation Action Plan to address FGM includes not only prevention of FGM in Ireland, but provision of high quality to health care and support (community and psychological) to women and girls who have undergone FGM, and contribution to the worldwide campaign to stop FGM.

Fu r t h e r m o r e , W H O highlight the importance of gathering and spreading knowledge on the causes and the consequences of FGM in raising awareness in countries that might not be aware of the health risks imposed. It is estimate d that 180,000 girls within Europe are at risk of either being transported to their home countries to perform FGM or illegally having the procedure done within the European countries. In a review of the Irish EU Presidency, published in September 2013, Amnesty again urged for the development of a comprehensive EU strategy on Violence against Women. While cultural practices must be respected, a line needs to be drawn between respecting culture differences and the denial of the rights of women and girls.

Opinion 11

October 14 2013

Should Ireland boycott the Winter Olympics in Russia? By Freya Carroll On 30 June 2013 the President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a bill that banned the ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations to minors’ causing huge ripple effects on all LGBTQ communities throughout the country. Gay pride parades have been put to a halt, gay rights groups have been heavily

fined for propagating homosexuality, and due to long running campaigns of antigay propaganda in the media there have been multiple reports of mass homophobic vigilante attacks. This legislation and its effect on the media has led to a surge of homophobia throughout the country with a poll in April revealing that 43% of Russian Citizens believed homosexuality

Vladamir Putin, President of Russia, signed an anti-gay law in June of this year.

was “a bad habit” and 35% thought it was “an illness or result of psychological trauma”. In fact, despite homosexuality being decriminalised in Russia in 1993, homosexuality was not taken off the list of mental illnesses until 1999. Because there is no clear legal definition of ‘gay propaganda’ there is a huge scope which the Russian government may use to prosecute where they see fit. Any Russian citizen that is deemed guilty of homosexual propaganda can be fined up to 5,000 rubles (€100), a public official is fined up to 50,000 rubles (€1,000) and an organisation is fined up to 1,000,000 rubles (€22,000) with fines rising even higher if the offence is committed online or in the media. A major issue with the legislation is that it still applies to non-Russian citizens; they can also be fined up to 5,000 rubles with the added risk

There is also the fear that a boycott would be of further detriment to Russia’s LGBT community as they may be used as a scapegoat for an important event gone awry. On the other hand these circumstances go against the spirit of the Olympic charter; equality and international community. In reality the International Olympic Committee should be taking this into account and calling for the Winter Olympics to be moved to another country. There are a number of arguments both for and against Ireland’s participation in this boycott but the issue that I believe stands strongest is that of moral integrity. How can we be seen to support a country that will not afford its citizens their basic human rights? Even if we are competing with the intention of protesting this attack on equality, a situation this hostile runs a

of being deported from the country or detained for up to 15 days. This outlandish law has put Russia under the scrutiny of the western world, and with the Winter Olympics being held in Russia this year many countries are threatening to boycott the event. Many argue that a boycott won’t achieve anything, that it dashes the dreams of many Olympic athletes that have trained away years of their lives for the opportunity to compete but does little to discourage Putin. Some Gay rights activists are also against a boycott, seeing the event as an opportunity to stand and shout out against social injustice; to have gay athletes act as modern Jesse Owens’, to embarrass Putin the same way Owens embarrassed Hitler: by winning multiple medals and not being afraid to stay true to his own identity.

huge risk of causing added tensions, violence and possibly damaging those who are already being oppressed. We are also putting our own athletes and their supporters at a personal risk that just doesn’t seem logical to take. Regardless of our intentions, competing is supporting Russia. An Olympic event is of huge benefit to the Russian government; it provides a huge economic influx and a massive boost to their tourism industry as well as their media outlets, the very implement that is being used to drive this homophobic propaganda. An Irish boycott of the Winter Olympics is a very loud protest against Vladimir Putin and the legislation his government have put in place to deprive people of their rights as human beings. It shows him that the rest of the world will not stand for this injustice and refuse to participate in it.

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12 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Why are we so obedient? By James Falconer When we hear the word ‘obedience’, what do we think? Essentially, it is compliance with an order, request, law, or submission to someone’s authority. An example would be when we were young and were taught to obey our parents, schoolteachers etc. Like language, many of these traits last into adulthood and the obedient child becomes an obedient adult. Recently, a friend and I played hurling on a patch of grass at the rear of the Nursing library, in front of Arás na Gaelige. It was a fine sunny afternoon and many people were going about their educational pursuits. There are two signs which clearly state: ‘Cosc Ar Chluichí Liathroíde, No Ball Games’. Failing to resist temptation, we began pucking [that’s ‘hitting’ for those unfamiliar with hurling terminology] the ball over and back to one another. I was conscious of people staring at us while we manoeuvred our carefully crafted sticks to control the fast moving sliotar (ball). Hurling is one of the most skilful games on the planet. Indeed, we were providing great entertainment for the passers-by. Facilities manager Dean Pearce from the Buildings Office said that “the

signage was requested by library staff in response to numerous complaints from students studying in the Nursing library disturbed by ball games, loud music, screaming and shouting from the green outside.” Where are the signs that read ‘no loud music, no screaming, and no shouting ’? Do ‘balls games’ naturally lead to these other occurrences? Surely students can be responsible and conscientiousness enough to refrain from acting in an inappropriate fashion so close to an obvious place of study. However, quietly pucking a ball over and back at a short distance is an eloquent and poetic art. If disturbed, what is stopping someone from confronting the source of the noise and asking them to keep it down? Isn’t this one of the most essential skills of a nurse, the ability to reason with people? Do we really need signs everywhere telling us what to do and what not to do? Queue here. Wait here. Pay here. No smoking. No dogs allowed. Don’t feed the birds. No loitering. Keep off the grass. No ball games. These are some of the signs we often see in public places; we unconsciously obey them, but are our freedoms slowly being taken from us?

‘No loitering’ means that you are not allowed to do “nothing”! What was really interesting about our social experiment was the reaction of some passers-by. Many people stopped and looked in what seemed like astonishment. A few minutes into our illegal puck around a lady exited Arás na Gaelige and upon seeing us declared “No ball games allowed”. Of course, wise men say nothing, and we continued our dexterous exhibition of the ancient game. When Michael [my accomplice] over exerted himself and hit the ball over my head onto the path behind, I heard an exclamation upon my retrieval, this time from a group of young male students, “Sure, there’s no balls game there”. I don’t think they quite got the statement we were making! Why do we obey? As long as we lack selfconfidence we are unlikely to do anything other than obey, cooperate with, and submit to our rulers. Obedience is a form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual, who is usually an authority figure. We inferred that because some form of authority put ‘No Balls Games’ there we should not have acted in

this way. Obedience has long been a practice of humanity, and has become a habit. Many believe that the habit of obedience is the essential reason for continued obedience. Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume believed that once accustomed to obedience, “men never think of departing from the path in which they and their ancestors have constantly trod, and to which they are confined by so many urgent and visible motives.” Never say never, David; there are those who disobey the abuses of the Irish elite/state and the threat of violence against the disobedient subject is never far away. This coercive power operates on people simply through their fears. How many times have we seen violence from the state against peaceful protests in Ireland? One only has to look at the situation that arose in Rossport with the Shell to Sea campaign. As Oscar Wilde pointed out; “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Should we continue to obey?

Sin’s James Falconer casually disobeying the rules.

No, we should not accept €70 billion worth of private debt that is not ours? Are we going to obey this catastrophic swindle? We cannot trust promises made by politicians who are led down the garden path by the Troika. Yes, even our leaders are led, and lack the ability to disobey. These payments are not to the benefit of anyone in Ireland, they are to maintain the solvency of the European banking system – we are the slaves of Europe. These bondholders are unsecured

and can be burned. The people in Ireland have no relation to this private debt. However, our government uses the obedience and cooperation of part of our society to rule the whole. The ruling minority is united and can act in harmony; conversely, the ruled majority is unorganised and divided. Isn’t it time to organise, unite and disobey? Please spare a thought for the still studying nurses; however, there’s a lot to be said for grass root movements. Do not obey.

Has Social Media made us completely self-obsessed? By Liley-Beth Griffin Us Irish used to be renowned for our modesty and self-depreciating humour. Where an American might receive a compliment with an easy ‘I know, right?’

One of Kim Kardashian’s many selfies – taken in a hair salon by the looks of it.

we used to shrug our shoulders and declare it nothing more than ‘Penneys’ Best’ or ‘the state of me’. However, anyone using social media nowadays (i.e. everyone) can vouch for the fact that we once shy folk have become a lot more self-orientated and eager to receive positive feedback about ourselves, whether it’s counting likes on Facebook or retweets on Twitter. This new breed of socially savvy internet user is no stranger to the ‘selfie’. You know the one I mean. Perfected by Kim Kardashian and recaptured by millions, this camera pose mainly involves a lot of pouting and sunglass wearing, preferably in some uber cool hipster

joint that no one else has heard of yet. Once limited to the cyber grounds of Instagram with a falsely modest hash tag such as #shameless #selfie, this self-portrait is now deemed acceptable as a profiler on Facebook too. Most popular among but not limited to ‘GAA head’ lads and D4 girls, the purpose of the selfie is simple: to present oneself looking as hot and cool as possible in order to render ‘haters’ ‘wel jel’ and achieve the maximum number of likes. Cleavage enhancing angles are often a by-product of this (you know who you are). We now lap up compliments like there’s no tomorrow and seek approval

from peers at all costs. Twitter once used to be for the commoner to ‘follow’ celebs and get an inside scoop on their daily routine but now we follow each other. I now know what every one of my friends is doing/ thinking about eating/wearing at every minute (give or take) of the day. The fact that we even think that other people care what we are doing shows a definite change in our society’s thinking. Us, a self-effacing people? The Tw itosphere choco-bloc full of our random musings, updates and selfies begs to differ! Snapchat is another app that would have once been at odds with our attentionavoiding ways but it now

reinforces the nationwide notion that everyone wants to know what you, yes you, are up to. So when we are not busy Instagramming a picture of what we are eating, or Tweeting what we are wearing or checking in where we are while posting on Facebook our opinions of the above, we are of course, Snapchatting everybody in our contact list a picture of us that we can caption! The mind boggles… When you actually realise the amount of social media attention we think we are worthy of you might be forced to believe that we are a self-obsessed narcissistic society drowning in echoes of ‘me, me, me’. And you might be right.

To be fair on us Irish, this vainglorious self-obsession is part of a larger emerging global trend where anonymity is seen as tragic. It has become widely acknowledged that world culture is now drenched in self-love. Over-indulged celebrities have given way to an over-indulged people. Although, perhaps I’m being too cynical? Of course a healthy sense of self is vital in everyone’s personality. To be honest I’m glad that we no longer have to shrug off the compliments that once cowed us. All I’m saying is let’s not completely forgo our country’s natural shyness about being deadly. We all know we’re deadly; but it’s not admitting it that makes us charming.

Features 13

October 14 2013

The Dating Game By Hazel Doyle When my grandparents were going out, Way Back When, they used to go on dates together and Grandad would always pay, because he was the man, and he’d earn more. That was a rule. It was a thing society expected. Sometimes he’d have no money that week and they might just take a walk along the pier or the harbour or whatever it is in Howth, and maybe share a bag of chips, or cut an apple in half and walk along, holding hands. Grandad, I know how you felt; often at the end of the financial month, there’s only enough for a few tins of tomato sauce, and really that’s not going to impress anyone! Mammy Doyle has often said that the kind of boy to look for is “one who’ll buy you a bag of chips at the end of a night out”. Ah, but if you waited that long, you’d be hit by the Anti-Shift Lights in Supermacs and ain’t nobody a Sexy Garda under those fluorescent bad boys. I think, though, that the bag of chips was probably a good idea, so that both people could chat and arrange to meet up if they liked one another, as there was no such thing as using whatsapp to ask your new beau/ beure to the cinema.

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My friend’s father asked her mother to dance with him one night in a ballroom, and they hit it off. Without mobiles to arrange dates, they’d meet up every Sunday after mass. It seems to me that the rules were all pretty clear back in the day; lots of holding hands and the lad paying because he earned more by law (and mass every week of course). How different it all is from nowadays. Obviously, I don’t expect any lad to buy me a bag of chips after a night out – sure we’re all students! And anyway, I’m more of a tea-andchocolate kind of a girl. Or toast. (Yum; tea and toast. The batch bread kind with real butter). But it’s all very complicated these days. Facebook should have a few more options in the ‘relationship status’ drop-down box. Like, there’s ‘we’re shifting’, ‘we’re kind of texting’, ‘ah, we’re kind of shifting, but we’re shifting other people’, ‘he asked me out but he was definitely drunk; I’ll wait ‘till he reads his texts this morning’ and ‘he stayed over last night but I don’t know if we’re going out now or what the craic is there’ to name but a few. And I haven’t really heard the mass-dating technique working for anyone in a while. I wonder how the Holy Ghost would take that? Maybe that’s what the whole ‘peace be with you’ thing is about; so you can see if the sparks start flying with the over-the-back-ofthe-pew-handshake? Are dates redundant now? They’re so uncommon. People just seem to meet up on nights out. There’s less romancing and more fake tan involved than back in the day. A lovely little old lady named Phyllis told me once I was looking lovely as I headed upstairs to her

grand-daughter’s room before a night out. She said it was such a shame that girls get so dressed up “for the boys that are after them”. She isn’t very approving of the lack of ties these days, as far as evening attire goes. This was a metaphor for the woo-ing I think (I’m pretty sure her grand-daughter would settle for the chips though!). Then there’s the actual texting part. Like, that’s no craic. Who wants to walk about with their head in a phone for an hour, reading things like ‘well, what’s the craic?’ and waiting to see if they’ll sign off and leave an ‘x’ at the end of the conversation? Back on the pier in Howth, this was not an issue. And then there’s the obligatory creep on Facebook. What if the person you shifted in the Róisín the last night turns out to be a minger? (‘Though of course, it’s not important and they’re a lovely person). Or they’re someone’s brother? Or they have some really cringey hobby or are one of those people you’ll eventually need to block from your newsfeed because their statuses are so annoying? And if you’re creeping on them, they’re probably going to creep on you. It’s guaranteed to happen as soon as someone has uploaded a ‘funny’ photo of you from first year in secondary school. You know the ones with the braces and the spots and the nomake-up and the tie up to your nose and the school bag bigger than you are? With that kind of photographic evidence knocking around the place, it’s no wonder dates seem to be on the decline these days. That or the lights in chippers are after getting way too bright.

You know you’re a 90s kids when... By Michael Finn Because people of a certain generation have become aware of their unique upbringing and have gotten all nostalgic about said childhood, they have dubbed themselves 90s kids. Now your Facebook is riddled with ‘Fresh Prince’, ‘Johnny Bravo’ and other pop culture icons of the 90s as an attempt to form an identity. Here are the cold hard facts as to what really makes you a 90s kid.

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1. Your birth certificate says you were born between 1990 and 1999:

Consult a calendar, if you are lucky enough to have one. Have a look at what date your birthday falls on and subtract the age you turn on that day from the year it is on the calendar. If the number you end up with is between 1990 and 1999, then you are a 90s kid. Some say that it is your formative years that make you a 90s kid, and people born in the late 80s still count. But they are technically wrong! The worst kind of wrong.

ily. They needed at least one trip on the plane. And there’s a good chance you got to visit the cockpit, because there were no terrorists! Nowadays, you can’t even watch The Late Late Toy Show without hearing the term ‘recession friendly’ thrown in every once and a while. 3. When most of your friends are also 90s kids: Statistically, you are more likely to be friends with people your own age than otherwise (unless you’re weird!). Consequently, if you were born in the 1990s, your friends may have been born then as well, unless you were born in 1990, and some of your friends were born in 1989. If that’s the case, rid yourself of them!

recession as an excuse to be cheap:

4. You are probably not an accident: By the time the 1990s rolled in, Ireland began to experience the joys of contraception. A happy couple could have a jolly night in the fetish club without having to worry about nine month reminder of why sex shouldn’t be enjoyed. As a result, if you were born in the 90s, there is a chance your parents actually wanted you in their lives.

Ireland was experiencing an economic boom during this time period, and nothing was too ambitious. A holiday to Mosney just wouldn’t cut it for a 90s fam-

5. Your parents said that you could be anything you want to be: And they probably meant it as well.

2. When your family couldn’t use

14 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Interview with Charlie Byrnes By Jenna Hodgins

Galway's beloved independent bookshop, Charlie Byrne's, won the ‘Best Bookshop’ category in the Irish Times 'Best Shop in Ireland' awards. The Middle Street store was selected from a short-list of 50 book shops across the country. Charlie Byrne's bookshop was announced the winner of its category on September 7. Since the shop itself is my home away from home, I went in to speak with Charlie himself about kindles, air fresheners and of course, what it means to be recognised as the best bookshop in Ireland.

First and foremost; congratulations on winning the best bookshop category in the Irish Times 'Best Shop in Ireland' awards. How does it feel? I'm delighted, I really am. It's great for the staff; it's a boost for them. The customers are delighted as well; it's for everyone really. Customers come in and offer congratulations. Myself, the staff and the customers; it's great for all of us. It's also nice to be recognised by the Dublin media [laughs].

In your opinion, what makes Charlie Byrne's the best bookshop in Ireland? Well I think the shop is unique because of its range of books; its diversification; its second hand books, number one. There's all the discounts, bargain books and then there's the new books. It's those three elements that make it unique, not many shops do that. When you go into the shop, it's not like a regular bookshop. You don't know

8 signs you’ve been in Galway too long By Rebecca Hastings 1. The bouncers in the Roisin Dubh know your name: You’ve been a regular there since you started college, you’ve spent more time chatting to the bouncers than to your own parents, and they have so much dirt on you that you never, ever want to get on their bad side. They’ve nurtured you from an impressionable fresher to an almost-responsible adult, and that emotional bond can never be broken. You count them as good friends, feeling lucky to have such important connections, but also deeply ashamed of how often you go there. 2. The thought of crossing the Salmon Weir Bridge gives you the fear every morning: Hell hath no

fury like a student standing on the kerb for five minutes, waiting for a gap in the traffic so they might have a chance of making it to the lecture they’re already late for. You’ve learnt that the only way around it is to leave your house at least fifteen minutes earlier than you think you need to—and even then, you need luck on your side if you don’t want to die there on the roadside, waiting for a kindly driver to let you cross. 3. If it’s above 13 degrees outside, you feel obliged to consume a beverage at the Spanish Arch: It’s just the

law. Your friends would disown you if you refused. 4. When you go home, you’re unnerved by the quiet: Where’s all the singing? The drums? The man dressed up as the town crier, yelling historical facts at tourists far too loudly for 9am on a Monday?

You’re used to having your own personal soundtrack as you make your way down Shop Street, and your hometown just doesn’t cut the mustard here. 5. You’ve destroyed every nice pair of shoes you own: Wearing pretty shoes isn’t an option in Galway during the winter. Or Galway during the summer. Or ever. The rain works its magic and—oops—you might as well have left the house barefoot. Just don’t tell Mammy how much you spent on them. 6. You leave nightclubs early to beat the Supermacs rush: It’s okay. Supermacs at 2:30am on a Thursday night is a scary, scary place. There’s nothing worse than being part of the sweaty mob advancing towards the counter at a rate of two centimetres per minute, caught between some lad waving his shirt above his head and a girl who looks suspiciously like she’s going to get sick on your shoes. You’ve been here long enough to know that if you need chips now, you need chips now—and sometimes that means sacrificing that last song in Carbon.

what you're going to find, there's lots of surprises and people are delighted with that. They love the unexpected; a volume they didn't know existed. I think that's the attraction really.

On your career, did you just wake up one morning and say to yourself: “Today I will open the best bookshop in Ireland”? No, well I came to college here in the late 70s – UCG as it was called back then. But even before that when I was in secondary school I had this idea in my head of having a bookshop. So it was even back then, all those years ago. When I finished my degree and qualified as an archaeologist, I worked at that for years but it was always in the back of my mind. This idea of what I really wanted to do – open a bookshop – and it had to be a second hand bookshop. I wasn't really interested in new books. There was something about second hand books that I really loved.

What are your views on the e-book revolution? Do you own an e-reader yourself? No, I don't own an e-reader. I think that they're brilliant; they're probably very good for travelling. They will probably become a bigger thing in schools now... I think that people will switch over between the two, I don't think people are just going to get a Kindle, or an e-reader and that'll be the end. People are very adaptable and will go between the two, there will be a sense of duality. It's popular for fiction but if people want a nice history book, I say they'll still buy the actual books. There's room for both. With children's books, parents are very anxious that their children read the physical book and get the experience. Our sales of children's books have really grown and I don't think the e-reader will change that. It's going to be a part of the business but I don't think it's a bad thing.

Are you a big reader or are you just sick of the sight of the things? I always have a book on the go, finding the time is the thing. Every evening I'll have something to read. I do, I love books and it's important to be on top of things to know and find out about new books and old. Yes, books are very important. [Laughs]

What's your favourite book? I understand it's a hard question, perhaps even your favourite genre or author? I love history books. I've also read a lot of good novels and I love crime as well. But I really like a good history book, Irish history and also WWI, WWII. One of my favourite books would be Woodbrook by David Thompson. It's a non-fiction book but it's also a memoir. I read a good fiction book a couple of years ago. A book called Stoner by John Williams. It's a good read as well; I love that book. It was John McGahern's favourite book too.

Do you think there's a “must read book before you die”? If so, what would it be? Off the top of my head I wouldn't know. [Pause]. I'd probably go back to Woodbrook; it's definitely one you'd need to read, particularly for Irish people because a lot of it is about the Famine, it's also a memoir about living in Ireland before WWII. Yeah, I think Woodbrook would be one.

Now, this is my question. Since I moved to Galway I've just loved the smell of your bookshop. I think you should enter the fragrance industry and mass produce “eau de Charlie Byrne's bookshop”. How do you get that signature Charlie Byrne's bookshop smell? Really it's the second hand books. It's just boxes and boxes of books. Dust I suppose as well. [Laughs] When you have thousands and thousands of second hand books that's the kinda smell they give off, I suppose!

7. You know all the back routes to take to avoid the tourists: It’s impossible to walk down Quay Street and not end up featuring somewhere in a Facebook photo album entitled “Galway!!! <3” Enough is enough, you decide after your fiftieth background appearance that day, and you memorise alternative routes to college in order to avoid the paparazzi. 8. You’re genuinely affronted when someone suggests getting fish and chips from somewhere other than McDonagh’s: Even if you’re on holidays.

Charlie Byrnes enjoying the classics section of his bookshop. Photo via his website, charliebyrne.com.

Features 15 Alumni Interview: Aedhmar Hynes

October 14 2013

Year of graduation: 1986 Course at NUI Galway: BA degree in Economics and English. FAS Marketing Program in 1988. Current Occupation: Chief Executive Officer, Text100 Global Communications Agency. I manage a business that spans 28 countries and provides consultancy to brands such as IBM, British Airways, American Express, Cisco, Facebook and MTV.

of resources, facilities, faculty members, and breadth of courses. I assume, however, that it’s also changed the culture and feel of the campus. It may be less likely that you get to know as many people and lose the intimacy of a small campus environment. Yet, I suspect the good outweighs the bad.

How did attending NUI Galway develop you as a person?

What is your fondest memory of NUI Galway? There was a strong sense of community built around a collective sense of learning; great professors and lecturers who were interested in students’ progress and ambitions. Also, there was a wonderful student body where I was able to build lifelong friendships across many disciplines.

Has NUI Galway changed since you were here? NUIG has seen some tremendous investment and development since the 80s. I expect that this has some incredible benefits in terms

My time at NUIG has given me a lifelong love of learning. Regardless of the positions I’ve held or the countries I’ve lived in, I’ve always had a fundamental belief that I will want to learn from the people around me. The culture that I’ve built within my own agency is similar to a university culture; one which brings the best minds together regardless of background or discipline and where they can coalesce around great ideas and produce something that is far greater than the sum of the parts. This is underpinned by a non-hierarchical environment where people can be themselves, acting as a team to create excellence on behalf of some of the greatest brands in the world.

Did you partake in any societies, sports clubs or volunteering at NUI Galway? I was part of DramaSoc – although I’ll confess I was only there because I followed my sister’s (Garry) footsteps. I quickly discovered that there was only one true thespian in the Hynes family. I participated in Lit&Deb, English society and was a big volunteer in ‘College Week.’ I was even elected as Miss College Week, one year, which I was convinced to do by my friends, as it was a free passport to every possible event that was held throughout the week. Well worth the pain!

What was the college newspaper like when you were in NUI Galway? Did you write for it? I don’t remember much about the college newspaper, I’m afraid, and no, I didn’t write for it.

Do you ever miss NUI Galway? Yes I do, but I remain in contact. I sit on the North American Development Board and appreciate the opportunity to interact with the President and many of the current executives who keep me up to speed on the progress being made. Although I live

in NY, I return to Galway regularly to visit family and appreciate the ties between NUIG and the Druid Theatre Co as well.

Did you ever get in trouble while you were here? Not that I’m telling anyone about now!!

Any juicy stories of your time here? As above. ;-)

What advice would you give to current NUI Galway students? My biggest advice is to dream big. An education at NUIG equips you to do more than get a great job. It teaches you skills that will help you lead a meaningful life that will extend way beyond your career alone. Be careful not to pursue a narrow set of goals and always remain openminded to the possibilities that come when faced with the choice of going left or right on the road. The less well-trodden path can often present surprising outcomes that you may never have dreamt possible.

If you could go back and do it all again, what would you do differently? Not one thing.

Diary of an Erasmus Student By Shannon McNamee

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connected With the Alumni Association and support NUI Galway’s vision for the future For more information on priority projects, events & activities: Visit us @ www.guf.ie l www.nuigalway.ie/alumni l T: 091 493536 Find us on Facebook

I read over my last Erasmus blog entry, so I could relive the sense of stress and despair I so greatly expressed in my description of my temporary homelessness. Well, it's a month later and things have changed, quite a bit! I'm not homeless, and have settled into my new home in Lille (despite my questionable housemate, Benji). I've been in university here in Lille for over a month now, and I can only just say now, that I've finally got my classes and timetable sorted. Things are done a little differently here, than in Galway. To keep it short, no one can tell you where your classes are on, who is teaching them, how many credits they are worth or any other information that would enable you to actually go to the class. In short, the French university administration is a joke; even some of the teachers here say it. I've been shouted at by angry Indian teachers, I've been outraged again and again by the sheer complications that come with living in France and I get annoyed on a daily basis by the fact that rudeness is accepted as normal in this culture, but apart from all that, I've been having a great time finding my way over here. The language barrier is becoming less of a problem, meaning my French is getting better. All my classes are fairly enjoyable and I don't have

many hours, so college is getting that bit easier all the time. Though I have to say, I miss the Bialann. Nothing here compares to it, the students in Lille don't know what they're missing. I do love this part of the world's obsession with chocolate though. Chocolate and Nutella. Nutella is everywhere. You can buy 1kilo jars of Nutella in the normal supermarket for well under a tenner. And the wine. So cheap, and so delicious. I'm gonna miss the wine when I get home. Either that or I actually start forking out and buying something other than Lidl's finest. The French way of greeting friends is also something I have to start getting used to. For a typical Irish girl, people that you barely know kissing you on both cheeks is quite the change from a “howeya” at home, and although I don't think I'll ever get used to it, it's all part of getting to know and appreciate foreign cultures, and exploring different countries’ cultures' is a lot easier while living On The Continent. So a couple of weeks ago, I boarded the super fast TGV and set off for Brussels to meet a few fellow NUIG friends who are on Erasmus in Leuven. We saw the pretty buildings, the Atomium, ate real Belgian waffles and drank real Belgian beer, it was great. We even saw a model of the Mannekin Pis, a famous water feature of a young boy peeing into a fountain in Brussels, donning an aran jumper and shamrock, celebrating Belgium's connection with Ireland through the EU. In the time between my last entry and now, I've also been to the free zoo several times, gotten lost a lot and spoken a lot of bad, but improving French! In the time between this entry and my next one, I'll have visited Nice and Paris and will have gotten up to loads more Erasmus shenanigans. Until then, À bientôt!

THE SU PAGES Hi guys my name's Cian, the Equality Officer here at the SU. I decided to run for the position late last year as I had been involved in SU as a class rep and got to see how much the then current Equality and Welfare officers had been able to help students in need. I've always been conscious of the treatment of others and noticed that many people were not treated fairly in their day to day living; so I decided to get involved and dedicate my services to anybody in the university who felt mistreated because of their gender, background, ability or any other circumstance beyond their control. So far I've made progress in sorting the outdoor lift near the library and have put into place an audio signage system for new comers to the campus or students with a visual disability, which you will see rolled out across campus in the coming months. I'm also upgrading all doors leading from the Concourse to the various departments to make them accessible for differently abled students, phase one of which has just started! Equality week is running from the 14th of October so keep your eyes peeled for the events during the week and of course, everybody is more than welcome.

How Patriotic are you? Can you fill in the blanks of our national anthem? Sinne Fianna Fáil, atá faoi _______ ag Éirinn, Buíon dár slua thar toinn do ráinig chughainn, Faoi _____ ______saor Seantír ár sinsear feasta, Ní _____ _____ _____ _____ faoin tráill. Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun _____ nó saoil, _______________________________ Seo libh canaig amhrán na bhfiann Clue: Soldiers are we, whose lives are pledged to Ireland, Some have come from a land beyond the wave, Sworn to be free, no more our ancients ireland, Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the "bearna baoil", In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal, ’Mid cannon’s roar and rifles’ peal, We’ll chant a soldier's song

Equality Week Timetable:

Monday 14th Disability awareness and fun & games at the Kingfisher

Tuesday 15th Disability awareness and fun & games at the Kingfisher Wednesday 16th Sexual Celebration night in the College Bar with sexual games

Friday 18th International Student night in Aras na Mac Leinn

4) Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar, 3) fhágfar faoin tíorán ná 2) mhóid bheith 1) Gheall

Answers

Q&A with recently elected Students’ Union Officers By Ciara Treacy Paula Arkins – Mature Students’ Officer Why did you decide to run for Mature Students’ Officer? Well, it's simple - I felt that I could represent my fellow mature students. You know, as a mature student, it can be daunting sometimes being in a lecture theatre filled with 17-18 year olds. I just want mature students to know that now they have a representative in the Students' Union - one of their own that can voice their opinions, thoughts and ideas. What are your aims as Officer for the coming year at NUI Galway? I don't want to say I will be doing extraordinary things this year - that's what a politician would say and I am not a politician. I can say though that my primary objective is to represent my fellow Mature Students with professionalism in front of the Academic Staff, Students' Union and any other organisations that my new role will connect me with. Basically I am here to listen and help in any way I can. Would you consider running for a full time position in 2014? I haven't really thought about that... Let's just say that for the moment I won't get up on any high horse, I'll just focus on my new role, representing mature students through the Students' Union.

Conor Nolan – Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy & Law Why did you decide to run for Convenor? I felt that I still had something to offer to the students of the school of Business, Public Policy and Law. Last year as Convenor I learnt how things work and the best way to get things done, so hopefully that will stand to me this year and I will be able to help the students more efficiently. It’s also great craic being part of the Students Union. What are your aims as Convenor for the coming year at NUI Galway? My aims are to make sure that the students know that I am there to help them with any issues or problems that they may have and to represent them as well as I can. I have certain things that I would like to get done during the year but it’s too early to talk about them now. Would you consider running for a full time position in 2014? Never say never.

Conor Lane – Postgrad Officer Why did you decide to run for Postgrad Officer? I felt I had the capability to be able to do some good in the position. Having been on the periphery of the SU for three years during my BA and seeing how it was run I thought that I had seen enough to know how it worked and what I could offer if I were elected. What are your aims as Officer for the coming year at NUI Galway? I aim to bring back karaoke nights for Postgrads in the SU on a monthly basis. It worked really well two years ago and they should be on the last Friday of every month. I will also have industry specific workshops and talks set up throughout the year for students to attend. I will have bi-weekly drop in sessions where I will be available to people who want to come in and talk about issues they may be having. Would you consider running for a full time position in 2014? It has always been a very tempting idea but I can't see myself running because there are ventures outside of Galway that I wish to pursue.

Do you know of the services available to students for their Welfare? Student Counselling Service NUI Galway

Health Promotion Service

University is a big step, with many potential rewards to be enjoyed. However, there can also be challenges and it can be very stressful at times.

The Health Promotion Service assists students to reach their full potential by providing non-judgmental and up-to-date information, skill-building workshops, and one to one help. Students can schedule a Wellness Check-up which looks at the 7 domains of wellness (Social, Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Environmental, and Spiritual) to see if things are in balance, or if some changes are needed.

You may be experiencing personal difficulties which are affecting your studies. These can also affect your ability to take full advantage of the opportunities available to you at NUI Galway. This is where we can help. We are a team of qualified and experienced counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists. The service operates within the Code of Ethics and Practice agreed by the Irish Association of University and College Counsellors. We offer: • Individual Counselling • Drug and Alcohol Counselling • Personal Development Workshops • Information and Referral • Many other services A consultation service is available for those who may have concerns about a student – such as tutors, university staff, friends or parents. The service is confidential and it is free of charge. You can come to our drop-in session which is available every weekday from 2.15pm to 4.15pm in term time in 5 Distillery Road. Or phone us at 091-492484 (Reception) or email us at counselling@nuigalway.ie We look forward to meeting you.

The Wellness Centre is located in the back of the Hub in Áras na Mac Léinn. Drop in to browse the large stock of information leaflets and books on a range of health topics, or get information about services and resources available on campus and in the community. The Wellness Centre has a Relaxation Room that can be booked for personal use, to take a break, or for other health reasons. The Health Promotion Service also runs programmes throughout the year including the 'Mind, Body & Soul' programme of workshops, and the 'Exam De-stress' programme, providing massage, reflexology, and other relaxation treatments. Cindy Dring, Health Promotion Officer Phone: 091-492048 e-mail: cindy.dring@nuigalway.ie

Disability Support Service NUI Galway positively values the participation of students who have a disability, significant on-going illness or specific learning difficulty. The Disability Support Service (DSS) promotes inclusive practices and is committed to the provision of an equitable learning environment. At present, we support almost 500 students who are registered with our service. If you have a disability, significant on-going illness or specific learning difficulty, we’re here to support you. Contact us to arrange a needs assessment meeting. One of staff will meet with you to discuss your learning support, exam accommodations and assistive technology needs. Our Assistive Technology (AT) Area is on the ground floor of the James Hardiman Library. The AT area is a large open access area with general study spaces, computers on height-adjustable desks, a CCTV machine, which magnifies the pages of books and other documents, and a low-level photocopier. Also, we have two learning support tutors who assist students in developing their independent learning skills. Our tutors have many years experience supporting students with disabilities in higher education. During the semesters, we will deliver group workshops developed by our tutors to assist students in making a successful transition to third level. Location: Áras Uí Chathail, 1st floor room 216 . E-mail: disability.service@nuigalway.ie Phone: 091 492813

18 lifestyle

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Wise Words: Nutty Pumpkin Cheesecake By Móna Wise Sometimes, because we live such hurried lives these days, it is the smallest things that might drag a fond food memory to the surface. As we plod along through the daily grind of life, we pay less attention to what we are doing, saying or tasting, unless something stands out from the crowd, and makes us a bit more mindful of what we are experiencing. When we sit down to eat supper with the family, especially during the school week, we do our best to listen in on the smaller con-

versations and love hearing them banter on about their day and we are always presented with curious questions like “when can we have cheesecake for lunch?” Ordinarily we would say no, but this one is really hard to resist. Every time I make this cheesecake memories of ‘first bites’ surface, recalling the first time I ever tasted a baked cheesecake. It was in a small bar in Middleborough, New Jersey. Cheesecake and beer; Heineken to be precise (oh the shame of it all). Sometimes, the best flavour combinations are stumbled-upon instead of crafted or created. This is how the locals were eating their cheesecake; with an ice cold pint of Heineken. The sweetness of the cheesecake coupled with the sharpness of the beer is still a favourite of mine and I am certain when you try it, you too will be hooked. If you get the chance, try this Pumpkin Pie cheesecake with a pint of Galway Hooker. You will be back for more. This might seem like a hard recipe to attempt - but I am telling you it is worth the effort. It also makes an excellent graduation dessert ... in case anyone is gearing up for conferring here in a few weeks. I know I am!

rECIPE: Nutty Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake What you will need for the crust

How to make it - for the crust

160g [1 1/3 cups] digestive biscuits 40g [1/4 cup] brown sugar 76g [1/3 cup] melted (unsalted) butter

Crumble up the digestive biscuits in the food processor (or smash them in a ziplock bag until in crumbs). Add the sugar and slowly pour in the warm melted butter. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the butter is mixed throughout. Press the crumbs into the cheesecake pan (with removable base) making sure to spread the crust up the sides of the cheesecake pan too. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to let it set up.

What you will need for the nut layer

170g [1 cup] sugar in the raw 160ml [2/3 cup] maple syrup (or golden syrup) 76g [1/3 cup] butter, melted 2 eggs 180g [1 1/2 cups] chopped almonds or pecans 1tsp vanilla extract What you will need for the cheesecake filling

Four 225g [8 oz] packages of cream cheese 1tsp vanilla 210g [1 1/4 cups] brown sugar 2tbsp flour 4 eggs 160ml [2/3 cups] heavy cream 200g Pumpkin puree (available at McCambridges in town) Glaze topping – optional

240ml [1 cup] of Greek yoghurt 60g [1/2 cup] icing sugar 12 whole nuts (almonds or pecans)

How to make it - for the nut layer

Place all ingredients into a heavy based pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Once it starts to boil, reduce to a simmer and keep stirring for eight to ten minutes. Leave to cool while you start working on the cheesecake filling.

together remove from the stand mixer and mix in the vanilla by hand using a spatula. Assembly

Take crust out of the fridge and pour in the nut layer, spreading it all around the edges, making sure it is as even as can be. Pour in the cheesecake layer on top of the nut layer and fill almost to the top leaving a little room for it to bake up (If you find yourself with leftover cheesecake filling, this can be frozen for another day). Bake at 190ºC for 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave it sitting in the oven for another half hour. Allow to cool in the fridge overnight. Mix the sour cream with the icing sugar and pour over the top of the cheesecake and then top with the whole nuts.

How to make it - for the cheesecake filling

Place the cream cheese into the bowl of your stand mixer and add the cream, eggs, brown sugar, flour and start the mixer on slow speed. Once the ingredients have mixed

How to stop craving the wrong foods in two simple steps after dinner you’re convinced into hitting the town for vodka, cocktails and late night takeaway. You tell yourself that tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow you won't give in to food cravings. But then tomorrow comes with its own special circumstances, and cravings get the best of you once again.

By John Mulry You wake up each morning with every intention of eating "good" today. You'll skip the croissants and sausage rolls on the way to college. You'll refuse to get lunch from the fast food counter in the canteen. You'll boycott the vending machines in between lectures. And you won't even think about having a drink this week. But then your cravings win. Your friend drops by with what seems like a hoarded amount of biscuits. A group of friends invite you to that greasy spoon down the street for lunch. The stress of that assignment causes you to reach for the unhealthy convenient options for dinner. And

Why do food cravings always win? Let's face it; college life is a world where food temptations are everywhere... which leads to cravings, which leads to you eating things that you shouldn't. Again. And again. Until you're so fed up with your body that you don't even know where to begin to get yourself back on track. Shops display the most tantalizing junk food items right where you could easily reach them. TV commercials for greasy, fattening foods portray them so scrumptiously that you literally salivate. Sugary snack items have fullpage, glossy pictures in your favourite magazines. And as if all of these weren't enough, the people in your daily life are another, constant source of food temptation. To make matters worse, you've been conditioned since childhood to have a positive association with the act of

indulging in your cravings. You use food as a reward. You use food as a source of emotional comfort. You use food as a way to relieve stress. And quickly these associations and uses of food become habit; a habit not easily broken. New technique to end food cravings: Food cravings don't need to have the upper hand on you anymore. Here's how you can fight back using your most powerful asset: your brain. Remember that your mind is an amazing thing. Once your mind is made up about something it's nearly impossible to change it. Try this powerful mind exercise: imagine that you are peacefully floating down a river on a raft. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and you are having a fun, relaxing time. You feel wonderful about the river because it's making you feel happy. Now change perspectives for a moment. You're now in a plane flying over the river and the raft. Instantly our eye is drawn to an enormous rocky waterfall. Then you look back to the person floating on the raft, having a wonderful time, headed straight for the treacherous falls. With this new perspective of the river, do you think that you'd agree to get on a raft and take your chances floating

toward the falls? Laughable, right? You've seen the hidden danger of the river. You know it leads to pain and suffering. Now your negative association (watery death) with the river has replaced your initial positive association (relaxing fun). This is the key to overcoming food temptations and putting an end to food cravings: building negative associations in place of existing positive ones. I'll break this process down for you in two steps: Step One: create a strong negative association with unhealthy food You may not have realized it, but up until this point you've placed unhealthy, fattening foods on a pedestal in your mind. As long as the wrong foods are on that pedestal you'll continue to give in to your cravings and will continue to gain fat. Take the wrong food off that pedestal by listing off everything negative about them... • These foods make you unhealthy. • These foods cause weight gain. • These foods drain your energy. • These foods kill your confidence. • These foods lessen your quality of life. • These foods damage your love life. Every time that you feel tempted to

eat an unhealthy food, focus on your list of negatives. Kick the junk off the pedestal and put something healthy in its place. Step two: create a strong positive association with wholesome foods Now that your mental food pedestal has been cleared, put truly wholesome food items on it. Juicy fresh fruit, crispy vegetables and savoury lean meats are the place to start. List off the things that you love about healthy food... • These foods make you healthy. • These foods promote fat loss. • These foods boost your energy. • These foods build your confidence. • These foods improve your quality of life. • These foods enhance your love life. I encourage you to immerse yourself into the world of healthy, wholesome foods. Browse the aisles of the health stores in town. Stroll through the weekly market in town on Saturday. Pack healthy snacks to bring to work. Clear your kitchen of junk. Use the technique above consistently and you will soon find that healthy, wholesome foods are your favourite. And craving the wrong foods will be a thing of your past.

Lifest yle 19

October 14 2013

The Ugly Face of Fashion? By Rebecca Hastings It’s the fashion news of the fortnight: Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN recently stormed the runway of the Nina Ricci fashion show during Paris Fashion Week. The topless protesters had the slogans ‘Model don't go to brothel’ and ‘Fashion Dictaterror’ painted across their chests. Hollie-May Saker, a Liverpool model who was on the catwalk at the time of the protest, sparked more controversy as she ‘punched’ one of the protesters. “I punched her – I didn’t mean to but she grabbed my arm and I just wanted to get her off me,” said Miss Saker in a statement to the Liverpool Echo. According to their website, www.femen.org, FEMEN condemn sexism in the fashion industry and the way in which “women sacrifice their private life and health for this dirty male business, which seeks to exploit women in every possible way”. Do they have a point? Pointing out sexism where necessary is something I’m all for, but can we say that it’s a problem in the domain of fashion?

There are definitely a few things wrong with the fashion world and FEMEN are right in saying that many women compromise their health in order to be part of it. According to www.models.com, most runway models are required to be over 5’8” and between 90-120lbs—setting the skinny stakes high. It’s worth remembering though that nobody forces fashion models into the trade. Modelling is a muchcoveted career—maybe it’s because it’s so exclusive, but it was up there with ‘singer’ and ‘circus performer’ on my highly unrealistic, pre-teen dream career list. Yes, models are often under a lot of pressure to stay slim and work hard—but it’s their choice. The models themselves are not being “exploited” here. They’ve chosen a career in the fashion industry, and they can leave it whenever they want. They may be “sacrificing their private life and health”, but they’re sacrificing it for their career—not for anyone else. Many—if not most—fashion designers are women, including Nina Ricci, whose

show the protesters chose. Equally, there are male models, who sacrifice just as much as their female counterparts. In fact, they most likely spend a lot of time sitting passively in a chair, having their make-up done and their clothes picked out by a woman. Considering that the fashion industry is one in which women have just as large a degree of power, it feels wrong to label it a “dirty male business”. There are plenty of industries in this world that FEMEN could condemn for being sexist, but was fashion really their best call? It’s not perfect, by any means. Being bombarded with images of skinny women in dresses that cost more than your average island can make you feel pretty inadequate and there definitely needs to be more diversity in the business. But female models aren’t being violated. Runway fashion isn’t about revealing clothing or giving men something to look at. It’s about art, about expression, about the work of designers being realised on the runway—and I’m proud of the large hand that women have in it.

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Ryan, 3rd Year Biomed

Shirt: Hollister T-shirt: Hollister Jeans: Sixth Sense Shoes: TK Maxx Bag: A thrift shop

What do you think of the sense of style in NUIG? You know, it's hit and miss but I think that I actually like it. Sometimes people look cool and then other times... not so much! How do you think the boys dress in NUIG? They all seem to wear a lot of Hollister and chequered shirts. It's very cool, I get it. They seem to mainly wear that kind of thing. Have you any favourite store in particular? I do love Penneys because it's always so cheap. On the other side of things, I have to say that Topshop is amazing! There's also Forever 21 in Dublin - I could spend ages walking around that place.

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Do you have a favourite shop? Yes, I like Jack & Jones but sadly, it's often too steep for students. Although, it's good to save up some money and buy a few bits from there but it's a bit of an investment. Do you think that music would have an influence on the way that you dress? Yes definitely, especially the likes of rock music and hip hop. I associate things like high tops with hip hop and I like the grunge look that goes with rock music. Can I also just say that I do like a good beanie! How would you describe your own, personal look? I think my look is chilled enough. I like to be comfy, but without wearing tracksuits. Even during the day, it's important to still look good.

Style Poll Danielle, 3rd Year Arts

What kind of o utfits do you like to see lads wearing? Umm, definitely shirts on a night out and maybe skinny jeans? I like lads with a different sense of style during the day. I couldn't really describe what that is, but just not the typical 'boy look' that the majority of lads seem to wear, if you know what I mean. I also like a decent amount of facial hair! Cian, 3rd Year Arts.

What kind of clothes do you think girls look their best in? It depends on the actual girl but for daywear definitely something that enhances their natural features. I think that some girls look great in lots of colour. On a night out, I like girls in outfits that are both alluring and attention grabbing. After all, everyone likes to be appreciated.

20 lifestyle

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Tutorial: smokey eyes By Kayte O’Malley In terms of eye make-up is there anything that screams ‘night out’ more than a sexy, sultry smokey eye? I think not. Love it or loathe it, the smokey eye has become a firm favourite of celebs and plebs alike. The key to this look is blend, blend, blend so, brushes at the ready, we’re about to step through how to create the ultimate smouldering smokey eye.

Step One: Prep the skin. Use a primer, like

Step Four: Remove any excess shadow

Benefit Porefessional, around the eye area. Or, if like me you are a poor student, some concealer will also do the trick. This simply gives the eyeshadow a base and helps it stay in place for longer.

from this flat brush before applying the mid tone shadow to the middle of your eye. The key to flawless smokey eyes is in the blending. Harsh lines will ruin the effect so using your blending brush, or your fingers if you prefer, gently brush across the eyelid from the inner corner out to blend the colours together.

Step Two: Apply the lightest colour in the trio all over the eye socket, from the inner corner right up to your eyebrow using your flat eyeshadow brush. Pay special attention to the creases as you want a nice, even finish.

Materials: Primer (Gosh is my personal favourite but Rimmel also do a pretty good version) Eyeshadow trio Eyeliner (pencil and liquid) Eyebrow pencil (Benefit Brow-zing) Mascara (Rimmel Scandal-eyes for volume) Highlighter (Benefit High Beam) Eyeshadow brushes (one flat brush and a fluffier blending brush) Step Three: Next,

using the flat brush again, make a V-shape on the outer corner of the eyelid using the darkest colour. This gives a slightly feline but very sexy look and really defines the eyes.

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Step Five: Like

eyeliner and mascara to give your eyes the perfect finish. Apply a little pencil eyeliner along the lower lash line. Using the flat brush, gently brush some of the mid tone eye shadow just under the lashes. Be careful here - too much shadow can give you bags under your eyes that any insomniac would be proud of. Next, use some liquid liner on your eyelid. Stick close to your natural lash line, adding a flick toward the end to really up the wow factor. Step Six: Finally, two coats of mascara and

a dab of highlighter in the inner corner of your eye to finish. Ta-dah!

all masterpieces, your smokey eyes need to be framed. This is done using your eyebrow pencil to define and shape your brows and your

Spring clean your make-up bag By Ruth-Ann Browne “Cosmetics can cope with everyday use but they aren’t sterile - some products can become contaminated through dipping your hands in, and sharing products,” says Eleanor O’Connor, of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association. Be honest, when was the last time you had a good clean out of your make-up bag? Let alone washed your brushes and finally chucked out that lip gloss and random cotton buds that have been hidden at the bottom of your bag for the last two years? In a perfect world we would wash our hands before dipping into that cream blush and our lip brush after every application, but when it comes to our favourite beauty products we just never do such a thing. Keeping a favourite lipstick for too long will, of course, hardly be life-threatening but we should still be aware of how old a product is and exactly how long we have been using it, especially when it comes to water-based products (i.e. foundations, creams, mascaras and even cream blushers – basically anything that isn’t a powder or a waxy lipstick).

Lip products: Lipsticks are more waxy than ‘watery’ so it’s not likely that your lippy will pose a threat, but if you use a lip brush try and wash it (at least) once a month to prevent bacteria building up. Treat lip glosses the same as mascara and again, do not share them with anyone. Lip pencils are the same as eye liners and sharpening them before use will ensure they are kept fresh!

Eye products: The key area to pay attention to, so as to avoid any unnecessary eye dramas. Mascaras should not be kept longer than two months

because of where and how they’re used (the wand being dipped in and out causes bacteria to build quickly). Powder-based eye shadows are the safest (no water content) but be wary of cream shadows as these do have a use-by date. To be on the safe side, sharpen pencils every time before using them so you’re starting a new bit of colour each time. Also if you are really stuck to get that last bit of mascara out of the tube try the brilliant trick of popping the mascara tube into a mug of hot water to loosen any clumps inside the tube.

Skin products: Foundations, BB creams and tinted moisturisers which are oil-free won’t last as long as those that are not. Any smell or separation is a sure sign that it’s time to re-stock. And if you use your fingers for your cream blush, wash them (using a brush actually gives a better, more blended finish). Dirty hands, dirty product. Foundation Life Span after opening: 12 months

Brushes: Use common sense; anything used regularly on your face should be cleaned regularly as unlike the product itself, brushes don’t contain the preservatives products do. And don’t share brushes (would you share your tooth brush?). Be careful of the sponge applicators that come with your product – we can keep them for years without cleaning them. Chuck them if necessary. Clean your makeup bag out as often as you clean your brushes. Remember, bacteria thrive in warm conditions, and this is a perfect hideaway – some can be chucked in the washing machine, others can be wiped out carefully with an antibacterial wipe. Tip: Wash your makeup brushes with a mild or baby shampoo.

Lifestyle 21

October 14 2013

A highbrow affair By Jane Kearns I’ve always been a big fan of a strong natural brow shape. It makes you look more youthful yet glamorous and big brows are way easier to maintain than the thin, overly arched brow that had been in style - until young model Cara Delevingne burst onto the fashion scene in 2011 sporting some seriously oversized eyebrows. Cara’s unique style and attitude have cemented her as the supermodel of our generation. In just two years she has become the face of countless fashion campaigns and this is in part thanks to her signature look of strong, thick brows. Like all trends, eyebrows change with the times; for now ditching the tweezers and trying to achieve Cara’s look is what’s in, but what was popular before her look? Here are the brow trends down through the years; some are timeless and classic, while others should definitely be left in the past:

1920s: Brows in this era were incredibly thin and straight, often slanting downwards and stretching beyond the edge of the eyes. This popular look among actresses gave a pensive and slightly worried look to the face. 1930s: The trend of thin eyebrows continued into the 1930s but instead of having no arch, women now opted for enormously arched brows that went well above the brow bone, leaving behind the demure look of the 1920s and adopting a much harsher look. 1940s & 1950s: Popular culture at this time was dominated by screen sirens Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Their styles were emulated by women across the globe and this of course included their eyebrows, which were arched but dark, thick and defined. 1960s: Brows during this era were still full and defined but in a much more subtle way than before. Brows were well plucked and shaped but then lightly filled in with pencil to add definition.

1970s: After decades of plucking, reshaping and shading in eyebrows it was time for a change and this happened in the 70s when women were seen sporting much more natural brows. 1980s: The 80s was all about going big: big hair, big shoulders and big brows were the order of the day and no one encapsulated this more than actress Brooke Shields, who sported the most iconic brows of the decade. Thick, dark and unruly was definitely the trend of the 80s. 1990s & 2000s: Being extremely groomed was popular in the 90s. Waxing away any body hair became a necessity this of course went for eyebrows too, so many women got into the habit of overplucking or waxing their brows and this trend continued into the 2000s. 2010s: Apart from Cara’s brows, many other celebrities have influenced the trend of the moment; the Kardashians are all known to sport fuller brows with a slight arch and people like Colleen Rooney have made trends like the Scouse Brow well known. All of these are much fuller than the popular trends of the last 20 years. However, as with all fashion and beauty trends, this style of full brows is just a phase. Who knows what will be popular in a few years? Don’t just blindly follow the

Cara Delevingne – probably the most famous eyebrows on the planet. trends but instead take the time to figure out what suits you best based on the shape of your face and who knows, maybe it will be the next big trend in brows.

How to look sexy Get the look: Granny Chic (without taking your clothes off) By Carla Avenia Koency What is sexy? Certainly not twerking it like Miley Cyrus. For those of us looking to up our sex appeal, there are certain tried and true tips that don’t require caked on make-up, expensive procedures or showing off too much skin. Actually, to exude sexiness, you have to feel it. And the best way to feel it is to focus on being comfortable in your own skin and boosting your self-confidence. These pointers can get you not just looking, but feeling sexy in no time!

Show off other body parts Not all of us have been gifted with a voluptuous derrière to flaunt, à la Kim Kardashian. But no worries: showing off your bum or your cleavage has become a bit trite. And there are two very sexy body parts that don’t get enough recognition: your back and your shoulders. Backless dresses have been making a comeback with Hollywood starlets, and shoulder-baring shirts prove that modesty and sexy do mix. If that’s not reason enough, then how about this: they look great on everyone!

Focus on one feature at a time Stay away from the mask-like makeup! Focus on one thing at a time. If you are going to play up your eyes with some cat eyeliner, then go for a neutral lip. If you feel adventurous and you want to go for a bright lipstick, tone down the eyes by sticking to some basic mascara and lightly applied eyeliner. Trying to play up both at once just calls for too much attention all over, and fails to highlight the sexy in one special facial feature.

Walk the talk Heels certainly add on the sexy but just make sure you know how high you can really go. Heels can become unsightly (and far from sexy) fast, if you can’t walk right in them. Wearing pumps that you can comfortably walk around in is far more attractive, as well as confidence-boosting, than towering stilettos that have you going all wobbly – even before you have had a few pints. If you need a bit more support, you can always opt for some wedges: you will still get the extra height and slimmed leg effect created by a heel, with the feeling of stability from your comfiest trainers.

Change it up If you have a bad day and feel that you are at a loss about what to do, there is nothing simpler to boost your self-esteem than changing up your hair. You can of course go for a radical haircut or colour change, but you can also go for a less adventurous solution such as changing your hairstyle. If you’ve got curly hair, straighten it. Or put on some curlers if your hair is normally straight. If that’s too much effort, a deep-conditioning treatment (even a homemade one!) can leave your locks shiny and your confidence glowing.

Up your underwear game Just because you’re wearing a t-shirt and jeans, it doesn’t mean you can’t still feel, and irradiate, sexy. The secret weapon? Sexy underthings. Wearing beautiful lingerie under a simple outfit does wonders for boosting your self-confidence. If you feel sexy underneath your clothes, it will show off on the outside: even if you aren’t wearing revealing clothing.

By Jenna Hodgins There's a picture of my granny at 20 years-old framed in our sitting room. As far as my memory stretches, I can remember always being in awe of her sheer beauty in that picture. The photograph was taken by her late husband in their back garden a year before my father was born. She's smiling with one hand on her hip and the other holding a trowel in the air; I can safely assume she was gardening – I hope. Despite the simplicity and her explicit beauty, the reason I love this photo so much is for her clothes. Dressed in a midlength tweed skirt, black leather boots and a chunky cardigan, she looked like Kate Moss if she were a tea-cosy. The best part is the woman would still wear that get-up today as if she was 20 again. Forget the LBD, Granny chic is timeless. To get the Granny chic look isn't hard. There are a simple set of necessities, all of which can be bought on the high street or in charity shops. These are:

• a comfy oversized cardigan • a mid-length skirt (or the 'midi') • sheer shirts/pretty blouses • above all, a pearl necklace All of these items can be worn together or separately to experiment with other looks. A favourite of mine is the tea-dress, cardigan and scuffled boot trio, complete with pearls and thick farmer socks. The best part about Granny chic? The cost. I usually buy all my tea-dresses in

charity and second hand stores. I once bought a blue polka-dot dress for €2.50 in Oxfam. It was two dress sizes too big but the baggier the better - it is Granny chic we're going for after all. In fact, your costs may be non-existent. Rummage out your summer dresses and team them with a woolly jumper and tights. You can transform your summer wardrobe to a practical yet stylish outfit fit for the cold. If you're feeling a bit too Granny – a.k.a. lamb dressed as mutton – you can add more accessories to your look. Perhaps a simple brown belt to synch in your waist, ditch the pearls for chains or swap the brogues with ballet pumps – you'd be surprised how much an accessory can change a look. Despite the affordability and regardless of its versatility, the reason why I love Granny chic is because it's comfortable. When I'm flicking through the likes of Cosmopolitan or Company, I feel like I am constantly bombarded with tips 'n' tricks on how to wear skyscraper heels, make this bump look smaller, fit into those 7 year-old's clothing, and so on. It's all well and good if that's what you're into, although they all sound very uncomfortable if you ask me. Hence why I am a self-confessed woolly Aran jumper lover (second-hand of course!). Comfort really is everything; if you're comfortable you can do anything. In that photograph I mentioned earlier, the woman is doing the gardening – who knew green-fingers could be so glamorous? So move over Delevinge, Mrs. Doyle is à-la-mode now.

22 Film Review: Prisoners There is

something devastating about this two-hour forty-minute descent into obsession and moral corrosion. By Ken Glennon As far as endurance tests go there is something effectively devastating about Canadian director Denis Villeneuve's thriller Prisoners, a two-hour-forty-minute descent into obsession and moral corrosion set in motion by the abduction of two young girls. Prisoners primarily follows the twin efforts of Keller Dover, one of the girls’ fathers, played by Hugh Jackman and a detective with a one hundred per cent hit rate played by Jake Gyllenhall. As shot through the lens of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins who brings a deeply atmospheric visual sense to go with the meaty performances offered by the two male leads, this a suitably tough but effective labyrinth plot that twists and turns its way with tension and palpable sense of dread right up to the final shot. It all starts so pleasantly; two happy families converging at the holidays, Viola Davies and Terrence Howard showing up along with Maria Bello as Keller's wife. Before long a suspicious motor home passes through the neighbourhood and the couple’s respective two young girls, having evaded the watchful eyes of their parents and older siblings, vanish. Enter Alex (There will be Blood actor Paul Dano) as a young man with the brain capacity of a ten-year-old who was in the RV when the two girls disappeared. For a brief time Alex is held in custody but when no DNA evidence from his RV surfaces the police are forced to let him go. Distraught by this Keller takes the law violently into his own hands, kidnapping and imprisoning Alex for

torture until he reveals the whereabouts of the two girls. Meanwhile Detective Loki (Gyllenhall) follows a series of leads, mainly local sex offenders, with increasingly grim results. On the surface if this all sounds a bit standard-issue revenge-drama the screenplay by Aaron Guzikowski takes this family tragedy and uses it as a drive through which we see Keller disintegrate as a man while the superior talent behind the camera elevate the film visually as well as creating a stunning sense of tension, foreboding and uncertainty. While Prisoners boasts a first rate cast also including Melissa Leo as Alex's concerned aunt most of the film’s extensive run time features Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall put through their paces. They do impressive work, the latter bringing an insomniac twitch to his overly dedicated cop and a reminder of his sterling work in David Fincher's masterpiece Zodiac. Mysterious in as much as a cop can be, covered in tattoos and seemingly a walking advert for some unexplained past trauma, Loki is a compelling and somewhat sad, isolated figure perpetually without rest from his work and struggling under the weight of a tough case. That I came to care and fear for Loki with such little knowledge of who he is testament to the actor’s nuanced portrayal. Gyllenhall carefully gives us the sense of a good man who we sense knows dark places all too well and wanders in willingly in the hope of saving two children. More clear-cut and raw, Hugh Jackman brings a desperation and fury to Keller that is both incredibly force-

ful and achingly honest. This has been construed as overacting elsewhere but I found the performance, like the film, gruelling and sincere in its fears and manic sense of loss, duty and love. These strengths considered, the film does still hinge on plot points that wouldn't be out of place in a less refined procedural. After the resolute sense of frustration accompanying Loki and Keller's increasingly strained attempts at finding the girls the revelation heavy final act could have inevitably diluted the film's power for me but it didn't. The atmosphere, lead performances and the director’s well observed sense of human behaviour when faced with the unthinkable allow Prisoners to ride over arguably contrived plot developments. Small things come back to play in an important way later on in the film but never once did I feel cheated. Well-acted and meticulously crafted Prisoners is an emotionally dynamic and sometimes disturbing drama the effects of which are still felt long after that haunting final shot.

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Interview: Joseph Lydon, The Randomers By Daniel Nestor It was an early, crisp morning on 25 September, and one single thumbnail kept repeatedly appearing on my Facebook newsfeed. This thumbnail was of course the trailer for The Randomers. Immediately, I was surprised that this was actually an Independent Irish film, and not something showcased at Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Graham Jones, it shows a unique insight into the life of a young man, Joseph Lydon and woman, Sarah Jane Murphy, who spark up a relationship without any words. “Even the most verbose relationships don't seem deeply rooted in words...” says Graham Jones, when asked about the lack of dialogue throughout the film. Jones previously directed The Green Marker Scare in 2012, and How to cheat in the Leaving Certificate in 1998. The Randomers, shot in County Galway and Mayo in spring of this year, features visually stunning scenery and local actors. It seems as if the movie as a whole was a challenging project to create, but I quickly realized that it was going to be a huge success from watching the trailer. It was one of those moments where I felt as if I absolutely had to find out more about this production, so I went off to interview Joseph Lydon, one of the central actors in the movie.

I met Lydon at 10pm in the Roisin Dubh on a Tuesday night. It was a sort of humid few hours that couldn’t decide whether or not it wanted to be summer or autumn. Despite this, conversation started flowing immediately. I thought it only fitting to first ask him about when he first started acting. “My mother brought me to Drama classes when I was around 7 or 8,” explained Lydon. “I was always bouncing off the walls, so the easiest thing for her to do was to send me somewhere I could bounce off the walls in a creative way.” He then began to tell me that he lost interest in it at the age of eleven or so, but soon returned to it properly later on in life. “It was kind of one of those things where I asked myself, ‘Why did I ever stop doing it?’” Beginning to talk more about The Randomers, we came on to the subject of his role in the movie. “I don’t think it differs much from previous roles I’ve been in because I have this compelling desire to play weird characters that stand outside of society, which I really like.” I asked Joseph about the character he’s playing in this film, and how the character sees himself as a person. “He’s one of these characters that, at the age of seventeen, eighteen or nineteen, has this certain image of himself to look a certain way and act a certain way. Even if he doesn’t want to admit it, he does. He has this

image of what he should be like. It’s a constant fight with him. Every day is so draining for him because he’s so caught up in actually being this other person.” I couldn’t leave it much longer without asking about the lack of dialogue throughout the whole film. I questioned Joseph about it, asking him if he thought it had anything to do with his character’s self inflicting anxieties. “That’s really down to the Writer/Director,” he says. “He came up with this really interesting concept, which hasn’t been done before in Ireland. The main actress in the film, who is played by Sarah Jane Murphy, is looking for a relationship without words because she’s sick of the way she’s been treated before.” We then began to discuss Joseph’s character in the movie a little further. “He falls in love for the first time. He notices things about himself that he never noticed before… …Finally the real person comes out. You actually see that change happen in the film. He becomes this other person, thanks to her.” Upon asking Lydon about his future, he was understandably unable to answer. However, it is quite poignantly clear to me that he will receive well-deserved credit for this movie and anything else he does in the future. Check out the trailer for The Randomers on Youtube, Hot press or TheRandomers.com

Music 23 Review: Haim: Days Are Gone

October 14 2013

By Freya Carroll For those who are unfamiliar, Haim consists of three sisters: Este who plays bass, Danielle who is lead vocals and guitar and Alana who plays keyboard, guitar, and most of the percussion. Born and raised in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles the sisters started off playing in a band with their parents before deciding to start playing their own shows around L.A. They recorded a number of demos but didn’t really

make any waves until the release of the Forever EP in February 2012. It was this release that led to them touring with both Florence and The Machine and Mumford & Sons, gaining them the top spot on The BBC Sound of 2013 poll. And now, a year and a half after the release of the Forever EP, their début album has finally dropped. With so much anticipation surrounding this album, especially considering their well received singles; ‘Don’t

Save me’, ‘Falling and The Wire’, there was plenty of room for the Haim sisters to disappoint but I have to say that I am a huge fan of this album. The overall sound is a mesh of Indie pop, Fleetwood Mac 80’s vibes and even some more modern R&B stylings. In theory it shouldn’t really work but they’ve managed to put together a light, catchy collection of tracks that are a total pleasure to listen to. You can hear a lot of their

influences throughout the record; the title track ‘Days Are Gone’ has got some Prince vibes and Danielle’s guitar solo in ‘Let Me Go’ is reminiscent of some classic rock guitarists like Hendrix and Rory Gallagher. The girls often list TLC and Destiny’s Child as some of their favourites and you can hear those R&B themes trickle through in ‘My Song 5’. The album is full of energy and is produced extremely professionally for a first album with a lot of layer-

Bruno Mars in the O2 By Jane Kearns Hawaiian singer/songwriter, Bruno Mars, has been topping the international charts for just over three years, and in this time the young musician’s fame has reached astronomical heights. On 22 June this year he kicked off his second world tour, The Moonshine Jungle Tour which has sold out most of its 88 stops around the world, one of which happened to be in Dublin’s o2 arena on 3 October. Mars and his eight-piece band, The Hooligans, played a 90-minute set to the soldout arena, which held a

variety of fans from young families to older couples and everything in between. The set list included most of Mars’ hits from both his first and second albums; however some of his bigger songs were completely left out, most notably ‘The Lazy Song’ which was incredibly popular among Irish fans when it was released. But this didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying the songs he did play which kept them singing along and dancing all night. The staging for the show was quite minimal and obviously influenced by performers such as James Brown, Michael Jackson and the Police. Mars himself was clearly paying homage

to Michael Jackson circa his Off the Wall phase, this was most evident in his dancing throughout the show, which was surprisingly good and so much fun to watch. The choice and placement of songs for the show was wonderful, with Mars and his band moving from his fun and upbeat songs like ‘Treasure’ to his slightly more adult themed ones such as ‘Our First Time’ and finally into the heartfelt love songs and breakup anthems which catapulted him into fame in the first place. For the encore the audience was treated to an amazing drum solo from the singer, followed by two of his best songs ‘Locked Out of

Miley, you and I aren’t twerking out anymore. Actually, we never were. And after enduring your first so-called post-Disney/adult musical endeavour, we most certainly never will. The experience of listening to this record is one much filled with dread and regret. The same type one might feel the morning after a drunken night out when you realize that pictures of you making out with your friend’s friend’ happily married cousin have made their FB rounds. Her first attempt under the RCA label resulted in something completely bland and unsurprising. Hip-hop and pop with a lot of electronic sounds,

a few borrowings from classic tunes (like from ‘Stand By Me’ in her single ‘My Darlin’’), with cheap attempts at making lyrics rhyme. In other words: mainstream commercial. The album is just a reflection of her newfound persona: loud, annoying, in yo’ face attitude, and plentiful references to drugs, money, partying and sex. The tracks are fine for a drunken dance or two on a night out, but much like the aforementioned hypothetical cousin, the risk of photographic evidence of you twerking it making its way online, and the ensuing self-hate and regret the morning after, will make you think twice (this is a public service announcement: Think before you twerk).

The positives? The autotune is out of this world. And it should come as no surprise that the queen of auto-tune herself, Britney Spears, joins Ms Miley Cyrus in order to delight us with their electronic vocals in perhaps the most perplexingly titled track, ‘SMS (Bangerz)’. Urban Dictionary elucidated the term ‘bangerz’ for me. Apparently it means “Something that radiates unbelievable swell or swag,” so one must naturally infer that the album’s title was a misnomer. But with cringe-inducing grammar such as “I ‘bout to piss myself”, “Can’t you see it’s we who own the night”, “It's bananas like a f***ing 'rangatang bi**h”, “I'mma do my thang” or “I ain't take no shots,

in Ireland twice this year, with another gig coming up in December and another in March of next year. Whilst the album does require a specific taste, and might not necessarily appeal to everyone it’s definitely worth giving a try, and if it is your cup of tea you’ll be hooked. Overall Days Are Gone is a very strong foundation for what is only the beginning of Haim’s career; one that I can see being lengthy and successful.

Mock the Lyric Heaven’ and ‘Gorilla’. Overall the Moonshine Jungle Tour was wonderful, and despite being advertised as a concert from a solo artist, the show was very much about the whole group of performers on stage, and it was clear that all nine of them were enjoying themselves throughout. The best thing about the show was that it wasn’t too polished or over the top, the group dances were simple and a lot of fun to watch, there was no costume changes and there was some obvious banter and jokes on stage which really made you believe that Mars and his band were just a group of friends at the heart of things.

Review: Miley Cyrus: Bangerz By Carla Avenia Koency

ing and harmonies in every track. With such a specific and interesting sound the band run the risk of having all their tracks sound so similar that they blend together but they manage to have enough variation that still sticks to their sound without getting too repetitive. It’s the kind of sound that seems to transition well to live gigs, probably because Haim have so much touring experience for such a young band. They’ve already played

but used to got me high”, I’d be surprised if Miley had any idea about what a misnomer was. Much like Cyrus’ whole persona, this record is a desperate cry for attention. And like her MTV performance, I am once again left aghast, as if witnessing a major traffic accident. I am not in shock, nor surprised, just disappointed in the resulting underwhelming mess. After all, more could be expected from someone with basic vocal talent, good looks, a fan base, and connections in the music industry. Yet, this album proves that she continues to take the easy way out by attempting to scandalize and shock the public with her wannabe risqué style, rather than actually create art. Ratchet indeed.

Every issue of Sin will bring you the stupidest song lyrics as voted by the Sin team. And this week’s winner is...

Lyric: “I don’t want to see a ghost, it’s t sight that I fear most, I’d rather have a piece of toast and watch the evening news.” Song: Life Artist: Desr’ee Suggested by: Benjamin O’Gorman

Riff of the Week Every issue Sin will bring you the best riff or solo as voted by the Sin team. And this week’s winner is... Song: Sultans of Swing Artist: Dire Straits Suggested by: Áine O’Donnell

24 Theatre

Rocky Horror at 40 (Why we all need a little Frank in our lives.) By Sam Ó Fearraigh I first saw The Rocky Horror Show, watching the movie with my dad, at the tender age of 15. As you might imagine, a musical starring a cannibalistic, polyamorous, bisexual, transvestite scientist can make for some awkward father-son viewing. An a w kw a r d n e s s e x a c e rbated by said son's (then unacknowledged) lessthan-hetero sexuality. Jump forward to last month, however, and my father and I are rocking out to the 40th anniversary production of Rocky Horror at the Millennium Forum, Derry. Around us, a crowd of otherwise ordinary people, many in costume, are belting out lyrics like "I'm just a sweet Transvestite / from Transsexual / Transylvania!" or "I'll oil you up and rub you down ... You need a friendly hand and I need action". We're just one of hundreds of crowds doing that in cinemas and theatres across the world. At 40 years old, Rocky Horror is still going strong – the movie has the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

It's being shown right now, somewhere. So, what makes so many tax-paying, sober-minded adults want to dress up in leather and sequins and sing about hot alien-onguy action? I can't answer definitively but there was a moment near the end of the play that threw me for a loop. You see, I'd expected the dancing, the singing, the flouncing, the innuendo, the outrageousness and the sheer camp of the show. I expected to have a great time. I never expected to cry. But as Frank-N-Furter (played by the stupendous Oliver Thornton) looked out at the audience and sang the opening lines of the song "Don't dream it, be it", the show clicked and what had seemed random, humorous and irreverent was suddenly touching, political and lifeor-death serious. Funny songs became hymns to queerness; the show a single firework of fabulous in a night-time of heteronormativity. I got it. And just like that, it was all ripped away. Like Blanche's paper lantern in A Streetcar Named Desire,

the beautiful, fragile space the play eked out was collapsed, leaving behind a cold, harshly-lit void. It was devastating. And I cried. I won't tell you how the play ends but, even though the cast returned for three upbeat rock-n-roll encores, we all knew what had really happened. In a very real way, Rocky Horror is a microcosm of queer history. Whether in 1930s Berlin or Russia today, the frail spaces we carve out for difference, beauty and love are all too easily overwhelmed when fear and ignorance combine with power. It's this space the play creates; that draws so many people to Rocky Horror. It's why the play and movie continues to be shown/ performed almost every day. People come – in costume or not – to sing and dance and be a part of Frank-N-Furter's world for just a little time. And though we know it has to come to an end, we also know that when we leave the theatre, we'll leave a little more human and a little more fabulous. Long live Rocky Horror. Here's to the next 40 years.

Review: Killing Jack Murphy By Hazel Doyle Killing Jack Murphy appeared in the Druid Theatre for one night only during the Galway Theatre Festival. Having won the Jerome Hynes Award in NUI Galway earlier in the year, the play was remounted in the Druid, and definitely represented college and Dramsoc well. A short, snappy oneact, Killing Jack Murphy, directed by Kori Kilduff, ran for about twenty minutes. In those twenty minutes, I was sucked straight into the atmosphere of the play and spent the rest of my short time there laughing along, while my heart simultaneously thumped, as I felt the pressure the character Anna Rowe – wonderfully played

by Claudia O’ Sullivan – was under to finish her play. The three muses who inspire Anna had a good dynamic. They worked well together and vocalised Anna’s stress. These three phenomenal actors never once out-shone one another, while Anna’s publicist added a fantastic hit of comedy, ever-so-naturally parodied. It was lovely to see such a high calibre of acting coming from all areas of the stage, showing great team-work and professional cohesion, and to feel each actor bounce off one another’s energy, which began on a high and remained there for the duration of the play. Kori Kilduff brought Niamh Dennis’ excellent script to life smoothly. The staging was smooth, the

light changes were smooth, and the minimal set was smoothly chosen. Good use was made of the long stage in the Druid Theatre. Clear pictures were created – using the stage and the actors – established, and then changed. Everything was snappy and smooth. The audience was always on its toes, and never catching up. The play was perfectly paced. If you missed this play last week, you ought to be kicking yourself. It was only a fiver, and it was only twenty minutes. What a nice burst of culture, of comedy and of clever writing, which would’ve left you satisfied for the evening, and raised the bar for all your future Dramsoc expectations. Keep it coming guys!

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

The Quiet Man returns to Galway By James Falconer Adapted for stage by Chicago playwright Frank Mahon, Maurice Walsh’s The Quiet Man ran for two nights (Sept 27/28) in An Taibhdearc theatre, Galway. The Quiet Man is a 1952 American romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Based on a short story by Walsh, the film is noted for its lush portrayal of the Irish landscape and an enduring, climatic, semi-comic fist fight. In 1953 the film won two Academy Awards for best director and best cinematography. In July 2013, Abbey Acts drama group collaborated with the Ballyglunin Railway Restoration Project and transformed the old Tuam ruin into an intimate theatre. They managed to cram 180 people into the tiny venue and resurrected the original location of the Ford classic. The sell-out success of the play at Ballyglunin raised €4000 to aid the

restoration efforts being undertaken at the historical site. Moreover, these efforts have received recognition from President Michael D Higgins. Frank Mahon’s adaption of The Quiet Man is based on Green Rushes, the classic 1935 book of short stories by Walsh. Set in County Kerry during the War of Independence, the play sees members of a flying column (guerrilla fighters) band together in peace as they did in war, along with the women who rally to the cause. Paddy Bawn Enright has returned from America and is dubbed “The Quiet Man” by his comrades-in-arms. Despite his fame as a champion boxer in the States and his ability to man a machine gun during the war, his friends know that all Paddy Bawn yearns for is a quiet place on a hillside where he can raise horses. But to win the heart of the woman he loves, Ellen Roe O’Danaher, sister of Red Will, the local land-grabbing bully, Paddy Bawn’s biggest fight is yet to come.

The play had some very good moments; however, some of the acting was unconvincing. A few of the actors seemed to be overacting and I felt it took from the overall performance. That said, I suppose they are amateurs and it’s possible that my expectations are fairly high after seeing fantastic performances like Olwen Fouéré’s Riverrun and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Nidge–Love/Hate) in Howie the Rookie during the Galway Arts Festival. Furthermore, I think I may have grown tired of the romancing of Ireland’s past. It’s seems to be a national pastime. I believe in theatre which is more contemporary and challenges the status quo. Our war with the British ruling class may not be over [“gone, but not forgotten”, The Bull McCabe], but there’s much hungrier vultures circling us these days. Who is really trying to explain what is happening in Ireland today? Will the malaise in Irish theatre continue?

Review: The War of Attrition By Hazel Doyle The Devious Theatre Company ended their programme note with a wish to give their audiences a good night out. And they certainly did just that. Their play War of Attrition featured as the Galway Independent’s Play of the Week last week, and for good reason. War of Attrition discusses the internet as a weapon. As the audience entered, the play arrested us immediately with a distinctive colour-theme. Pink and yellow was the order of the day, and I felt a kind of euphoric calm settle over me as I looked at the coloured sand-bags lining the stage for the war. An Taibhdhearc was an ideal choice of venue. The stage depth was filled and used well, while the minimalist staging was utilised well throughout the piece; two boxes were used to

create a variety of spaces, along with a variety of different atmospheres. Good use of spot-lights aided the creation of these new spaces and atmospheres throughout the piece, while aiding the comedy of the play (something which remained consistent throughout). Niamh Moroney’s direction was clear and well thought-through, while the script was cleverly constructed and unexpected. All three actors embodied their parts very convincingly and the natural chemistry between them made the audience feel as if we were flies on the wall. The natural style of the acting roped us more and more into the storyline, and ensured we were right where Devious wanted us by the end of the play – that is, convincingly unsettled. Multi-media were used throughout the piece,

effectively reminding us of our dependency on all things technological. I felt as if I were engrossed in a film, in the cinema-style seats of An Taibhdhearc, except for the fresh, raw atmosphere created by the actors. Interspersed throughout the piece, a rolling old-style-documentary film flashed, questioning the audience as to their likelihood of having one of Hervey M. Cleckley’s 16 characteristics of a psychopathic personality – involving the audience, drawing us deeper into the paranoia of the war and breaking us down to become technophobes. The verdict? Definitely deserving of its title of Play of the Week, as it ticked all the boxes in terms of a traditional play, and added a little something extra in terms multi-media and innovation. Not to mention that little bit of pizazz.

Literature 25

October 14 2013

Fringe Benefits By Cathy Hogan The Dublin Fringe Festival is a beast. One that I was asked to help tame (to an extent) in my capacity as box office manager in 2009. This was before, during, and after my entry into second year at NUI Galway on the BA with

Creative Writing course. Up to that time I had heard lots about the festival but had not attended it over its fourteen years in existence - the same years that I have been working with festivals, mainly in Kilkenny. Box office management is one of the few boring jobs of a festival. We help facilitate the public's enjoyment of shows and the bringing in of revenue. My schedule is usually to be present two hours before and one hour after every show, meaning that, unless my assistant manager is not busy assisting me with show reports and/or running the rest of box office, seeing a show is rare thing indeed. Instead, I try to attend other festivals as punter, or in the

case of Dublin Fringe 2013, as box office cashier and one of the top show-attendees. I moved to Dublin two days after completing my summer job with the Kilkenny Arts Festival and began selling tickets for the Fringe, where I was able to absorb all the information about the ninety or so shows and coordinate my schedules. This took a week to finalise and still I knew I would miss many amazing performances. But tough choices had to be made based on the best information available, as they say. I booked thirty shows and left the last few nights free to be filled with others' recommendations once the shows opened.

A second reason for choosing to work on the Fringe was because, last year it had cost me a few hundred Euros in tickets, and the same amount on accommodation, to attend eighteen shows. Dublin Fringe is uncommonly generous when it comes to staff comps and this year I was able to book tickets for free to see almost any show I wanted – heaven. And my earnings went a long way towards the expense of a temporary move to the capital. Over the eighteen days I saw thirty-seven shows. Some were of the highest quality on any stage anywhere today; others offered more in the lines of inspiration and entertainment then of polished perfection. And a few were

simply not my thing. But I got something from every performance and, usually, I was utterly astounded by the level of fresh talent and ideas coming from the artists, most of whom were in their twenties and the majority were Irish. There were major enterprises, like Briefs - a troupe of Australian performers for adults, to Anu's set of shows called Thirteen - a type of socialist revolution (catch Anu whenever you can). Beowulf: The Blockbuster! was pure, moving theatre, and Break was a funny and cutting look at the educational system in Ireland. Then there was the music-based Taylor Mac, who should be the next president of the world! Fringe is a pioneer in inno-

vative approaches to the arts, and because art reflects life in so many ways, one of the pleasant surprises for me was The Trailblazery's Rites of Passage – “an excavation of collective happenings and experiences that have shaped who we are as people and where we might be going on this little island and beyond”. I graduated from NUI Galway this time last year, and this project made me miss intellectual stimulation and inspiration. In all, my head and heart are reeling from over a fortnight of shared stories and experiences that made me laugh, cry and desire better for myself and the world. Now, to put my desires to practical use...

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green By Kristina Reynolds I started reading the book with the notion that I wasn’t going to like it. It was recommended to me by a friend who told me that I would connect with the main character because she is just as stubborn as me. I wasn’t convinced. Having already read John Green’s first book, Looking for Alaska, and feeling that I didn’t connect with his target audience, I thought that this book was going to go in the same direction. It definitely isn’t the type of

book that I normally go for, and yet I couldn’t have been more wrong. You go into the book knowing what the outcome is going to be. You’re reading about teenagers suffering from a terminal illness and getting on with ‘life’. It’s a hard book – a tragedy – but it’s also charming and leaves you with a sense of such gratitude that, by the end, you wonder how you live your own life so care-free while the characters in here can’t. Hazel has terminal lung cancer and is obstinate about

dying; she refuses to give up easily. She meets Augustus Waters, recovering from osteosarcoma, at a cancer support group and the two are instantly attracted to one another. Perhaps the reason I actually connected to the book more than I thought I would, and maybe you will too, is because despite the fact that the target audience is directed toward young teens, it really wasn’t that long ago since I was sixteen and head over heels for a boy who actually liked me back, too: nobody forgets that.

Yet there is still the element of cancer in the book – the overall plot – and even if you have never suffered from the effects of cancer personally, we all know of someone who has and how hard it is for family and friends. We fall for Hazel and Augustus and for all the minor characters in the book who are suffering from some form of terminal illness, and it somehow feels as if we get to know these people. We live through them and we experience what they experience. At the end we are so involved they become real, and so does their story.

Book Clubs, Workshops and Words By Michael Healy If you enjoy the consumption, creation, or critique of the written word Writers’ Soc is for you. We have two weekly meetings. Firstly, WIP or Work in Progress: every second Wednesday from 7 - 9pm, we meet outside the O’Flaherty Theatre. Once you’ve assembled I’ll whisk you away to a wondrous location on a magical journey … or upstairs in the tower blocks. Life changing mystical adventures are likely but not guaranteed. Secondly, if you enjoy warm caffeinated beverages at the low, low price of free, come

to our weekly workshops 7 9pm in the Áras na Macléinn meeting rooms. Aside from the lure of tea, coffee and biscuits the weekly workshops feature hilarious people and writing games. These games have featured giant panthers, hordes of mutant cacti, a time travelling Patrick Bateman and countless badly rendered drawings. If that cross-section intrigues, confuses, or makes you concerned about our mental health, come along and experience it – live and in 3-D. We’re a little odd but you’ll like it. Our flagship meetings also feature the sharing of writing that would humble a master, as well as much hyperbole on

my part. Everyone’s equal and contributes the same level of advice and critique. It’s normally kind, constructive and enveloped by justified praise. Most people find their writing is better than they thought. The idea is to recommend ways to improve a piece, not to lay out its flaws and decimate your confidence. For those who revel in the absorption of words rather than the emission thereof, we have a fortnightly book club alternating with WIP; those who attend it define its direction and form. You choose the books and the discussion – you probably have enough

imposed reading lists already. The first meeting was on Oct 9, the second will be on the 23rd and so on. It also meets outside the O’Flaherty, before scuttling away to somewhere more comfortable. Feel free to join in at any time, or to drop in or out depending on what’s being discussed. There’s several theme weeks stewing in our members’ heads and when they are ready, you’ll be the first to know… provided you spot the e-mail before anyone else. I hope something here peaks your interest and that you’ll join the most integral part of any of our activities: the incomparable personalities that attend.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that has made me laugh and cry, feel young and old at the same time, and feel so grateful in more ways than anyone can ever express on paper. The Fault in our Stars is simple and honest, and definitely deserves the title, ‘bestseller’.

Sin Flash Fiction Competition By Karen McDonnell Yes folks, it’s that time of the year again. If it’s autumn, it’s fiction competition time. This year we have decided to make it Flash Fiction. 500 words are all we’re asking for. ‘Psshaw!’ we hear you say. ‘I could rattle off 500 words while reciting Book Four of the Aeneid and stirring my tea in an anti-clockwise direction!’ Great. We want your story. The winning entry will be published in Sin and the winner and two runners-up will be published in the online edition. The writer and poet Nuala Ní Chonchúir was approached – but not threatened in any way – and she agreed to judge the competition. Nuala has just published a chapbook, Of Dublin and Other Fictions. Other work includes Nude, The Juno Charm and Tattoo:Tatú. You can read more about Nuala and her work at www.nualanichonchuir.com We want 500 words by email (thus avoiding teastained copy), which must reach us by October 31. Send your opus to arts.sined@gmail.com Results will be published in December. Now, off you go.

9 – 10am 1 – 2pm 6 – 8pm 6 – 8pm 6 – 8pm 8 – 10pm 8 – 10pm 8.30 – 11pm 5 – 6pm 6 – 7.30pm 6 – 8pm 6 – 8pm 7 – 9pm 7.30 – 9.30pm 9 – 10.30pm 9 – 11pm 8 – 10.30pm 8 – 10am 1 – 2pm 1 – 2pm 4 – 6pm 6 – 7pm 7 – 9pm 9 – 11pm 7 – 9pm 6 – 8pm 8 – 9pm 9.30 – 11pm 7 – 8.30am

Hall 2 Hall 3 Raquetball Court Hall 1 & 2 Hall 3 Hall 1 & 2 Hall 3 Full Pool Hall Hall 1 Hall 2 Hall 3 Hall 3 Hall 1 Hall 3 Full Pool Hall 2 Hall 3 Hall 2 Hall 3 Hall 3 Hall 2 Hall 1 3 halls Hall 2 Hall 3 Hall 3 Full Pool 2 Lanes

University Sports Clubs Schedule – Kingfisher Get off the couch this semester!

ThUrsday

Mens Varsity Basketball Aikido Karate Badminton Archery Club Futsal Soccer Taekwondo & Judo Swim Club Boxing Club Fencing Club Ladies Basketball – Varsities Karate Club Aikido Club Maui Thai Cricket Club Kayak Club Volleyball Archery Volleyball Aikido Archery Mens Varsity Basketball Cricket Club Badminton Taekwondo Karate & Judo sharing Table Tennis Sub Aqua Swim Club

VENUE

FrIday

TIME

sUN saT

MoNday TUEsday WEdNEsday

CLUB

TIME

Frizbee Muai Thai Cricket Ladies Basketball – Varsities Ladies Basketball – Recreational Table Tennis & Fencing Taekwondo & Aikido Fencing Advanced Swim & Lifesaving Club Mens Basketball – Varsity Archery Club Inline Hockey Volleyball Club Blank Judo Club & Table Tennis Swim Club – Varsities Team Taekwondo Swim Club

5 – 7pm 7 – 9pm 9. – 10.30pm 6 – 8pm 8 – 10pm 6 – 8pm 8 – 10pm 5 – 6pm & 8 – 10pm 9 – 11pm 11am 10.30 – 1.30pm 7 – 9pm 6 – 10pm 6 – 7pm 7 – 9pm 9.30 – 11pm 12 – 2PM 4 – 5.30pm

VENUE Hall 1 Hall 1 Hall 1 Hall 2 Hall 2 Hall 3 Hall 3 Raquetball Court Full Pool Hall 2 Hall 3 Hall 1 Hall 2 Hall 3 & 1 Hall 3 Full Pool Raquetball Court 2 Lanes

Fencing Club

2 – 4pm

Raquetball court

Check www.clubs.nuigalway.ie for updates.

Sports 27

October 14 2013

NUIG Rugby Defeat Galwegians with a bonus point to top the League By Peter Hanna NUIG Rugby remain unbeaten in the league this season after a well-deserved bonus point 46-8 victory away to Galwegians in Crowley Park. The home team started very well, controlling possession and keeping College pinned inside their own half. Wegians’ continued intensity and pressure finally yielded the dividend of a penalty, after College were penalised for straying offside at the breakdown. The Galwegians’ fly-half expertly dispatched the place kick into the strong breeze. After the restart, Galwegians continued their general dominance of play. However,

led by inspirational captain, scrum-half Jack O'Callaghan, College defended stoutly and on a number of occasions last ditch tackling prevented Galwegians from crossing the College line. Of particular note at this pivotal stage in the game were the performances of man-of-the-match, winger Mattie Kavanagh and fullback Ross Tiernan who put in well timed hits to prevent Galwegians from scoring what could have been gamechanging tries. Having weathered the storm and soaked up intense pressure for the opening twenty minutes, the College forwards started to take the game more to Galwegians, and following some good

interplay between backs and forwards, the College backs got some good possession to work off of. The ball was released to the backs just outside the Galwegians’ 22 and good handling enabled second centre James Kennedy to break on the outside before he released Kavanagh who flew in for the game’s opening try. However, with the significant breeze at their backs, College’s slender 5-3 lead after 30 minutes seemed hardly sufficient, especially if Galwegians could continue to impose their game on NUIG. College’s next opportunity for a try came after great work again by the pack, led by pack leader Luke Murphy, and loose forwards Ronan Mulloy, Adam Brady, Max Sale and Ross Stapleton. Fast ball to the backs enabled fly-half Tony Hallto chip over the rush defence and as impressive centre Kennedy was winning the footrace to the touchdown, he was impeded and College were awarded with a penalty under the posts.

Another of College’s standout backs Alex Kirwan slotted the kick and NUIG extended their lead to 8-3. College then struck for a crucial score just before the half-time whistle, when excellent offloading play from the forwards created the space for the supporting Kennedy to step the cover and touchdown out wide. The impressive Kirwan slotted the tricky conversion. College turned around at half time leading by 15-3, which seemed tenuous enough, especially considering the strength of the breeze and increasingly wet conditions they would have to face in the second half. However, after initial sustained pressure from Galwegians, the College forwards turned over possession in a maul, and Brady was able to find Hall who threw a large skip pass to Kirwan. The winger showed his vision and speed to outpace the defence on the outside and run in from all of 60 metres. He duly converted his own try, and College were

now leading 22-3. Galwegians had a number of enforced substitutions due to injury, and this allied to the momentum and space that College were now generating, meant that further tries followed. The platform was laid by great work from the College forwards who were now in the ascendancy, in both the set piece and out of touch. Colin Lawlor, Conor Gantly, Rob Conneely, Brian Carey and Shane Ryan in particular all impressed. The next score for College came when Brady, who exploited a weakness in the Wegian’s pillar defence, burst through at the breakdown to score next to the posts. Kirwan converted Brady’s classic loose forward try. To their credit, Galwegians did not give up and replied with a well worked try of their own, to reduce the margin somewhat. However, with the game entering its final quarter, College were dominating in most facets of play, and with Conor Dennehy and Jason O'Halloran especially prominent, they added three further tries,

contributed by talisman Sale, impressive centre Steve Butler and wing three-quarter Ruari Kehoe-Clarke, who topped off a fine move that had started deep inside the College half. Overall, another solid team display by NUIG, one which puts them top of the league, where they have scored 21 tries in two games. The coaches, Pete Small, Justin Conboy and Tom O'Regan will be especially happy as College were missing key players on the day, including Club Captain, Darragh O'Loughlin. Credit is due to both teams who both tried to play attacking, creative rugby in less than ideal, wet and windy conditions. NUIG Rugby v Galwegians RFC: Conor Gantly, Luke Murphy, Rob Conneely, Colin Lawlor, Ronan Mulloy, Adam Brady, Ross Stapleton, Max Sale, Jack O'Callaghan (c), Tony Hall, Mattie Kavanagh, Steve Butler, James Kennedy, Alex Kirwan, Ross Tiernan, Jason O'Halloran, Shane Galvin, Ruairi Kehoe-Clarke, Shane Ryan, Eoin Savage, Conor Dennehy.

Future Events

possible throughout the year to aid their fallen heroes. A trip to the Cheltenham Races are also on the cards in March as is the annual Cheltenham preview night which takes place in the Salthill Hotel in aid of Direct Aid For Africa (D.A.F.A.)

ing Society’s colours (maroon and white) for the upcoming National Hunt season. This nine year-old son of Fruits of Love has already tasted success three times in his career and is sure to make his presence felt over fences this term. This offers all students a real incentive to go racing and cheer on ‘our own’ horse. Pickapocketortwo is set to make his debut for the Horse Racing Society this Friday at Downpatrick and is sure to take some stopping, so get your bets on fast!

Student Race Day has Arrived By Brian Sheerin It’s finally here. Student Race day has arrived in Galway. At long last the two things that this beautiful City is famed for, students and racing, are coming together on 28 October for our very first Student Race day. The first race takes place at 1.35 pm and there will be a host of buses leaving Eyre Square on the morning of the race day. Ticket sales have been strong so anyone who has yet to purchase their ticket are advised to make their way down to the Socs Box in NUI Galway, the XL shop in An Glasan student village in G.M.I.T and the Phone Doc (opposite the University Hospital.) Tickets are retailing at a price of €10 per ticket and each ticket includes entry into the racecourse on the 28th, a free €5 bet with Ladbrokes, free entry into Electric Garden Nightclub on the night and a free Racing Post newspaper. There will be entertainment throughout the day with the popular Rualie Buaile

taking to the stage as well as a massive €500 cash prize to the best dressed lady, kindly sponsored by The Hole in the Wall Bar. There will also be a prize to the person who can ride out HRI’s racing simulator the longest, as well as tips from top jockeys and trainers who will be marking our card for the day. There has been a lot of interest from other colleges due to the fact that the races are on a bank holiday so a large crowd is anticipated. For more information, log onto www.facebook.com/galwaystudentraceday or follow the guys on Twitter @NUIGHorseRacing. Successful Launch Party

The NUI Galway Horse Racing Society were delighted to be joined by top jockey Andrew Mc Namara on Monday the 30th of September for their AGM/ Official Student Race day Launch Night. Andrew’s presence was greatly appreciated and all of the members got to relive some of their favourite rac-

ing memories with Andy, such as Newmill’s romp in the 2006 Queen Mother Champion Chase and Beef Or Salmon’s last gasp victory in the 2007 Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown. The Galway Racecourse Manager John Maloney was also in attendance and provided everyone with a comprehensive understanding of the day to day functions of a racecourse as well as putting plans into place for the student race day. A couple of the NUI Galway Horse Racing Society committee members have been working alongside John in the build-up to the Student Race Day on the 28th of October, so it was really nice for John to meet up with the whole team at the AGM. Following the AGM a massive 700 patrons attended the official Student Race Day launch party in the same venue, Electric Garden Nightclub. ‘Frankel’ proved as popular as ever and everyone had great fun posing for photographs with the greatest equine athlete of the modern era.

The NUI Galway Horse Racing Society is actively encouraging new members to come along to their events and enjoy the sport of Kings. Along with their student race day on 28 October, the Society will be running a charity race night in aid of J.T Mc Namra and Jonjo Bright who were both paralysed earlier this year. These unfortunate accidents highlight the risks involved with this great sport and the society plan to raise as much money

Pickapocketortwo

Finally, possibly the most exciting news that the society has ever received- Patrick Mullins has kindly offered Pickapoketortwo to race in the official NUI Galway Horse Rac-

28 Sports

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

Pat Lam's Influence on Connacht By Ciarán McGreal Five games into the new season and Connacht sit second last in the RaboDirect PRO12 with just one win from five games. Only points difference separates them from Edinburgh who prop up the table. Due to this unfavourable league position, Connacht fans could be forgiven for feeling worried about the season ahead. Despite the early forecast looking bleak, I think there are reasons for Connacht fans to be hopeful. Pat Lam has just taken over and his Southern Hemisphere background is evident from the style of play he has employed to date. In their matches to date Connacht have focused on running the ball from deep. This is second nature to

most Southern Hemisphere teams and it is a tactic that has served the All Blacks well down through the years. The emphasis is on making ground at speed, drawing opponents to the ball carrier and opening up space for support runners. Now I'm sure most Connacht fans realise that Connacht are not blessed with backs of the calibre of Conrad Smith, Dan Carter or Israel Dagg. That said, the players need time to adapt to this new style. Under former coach Eric Elwood, Connacht focused on gaining territory. This usually involved Dan Parks kicking strategically into the opposition half and the other backs pressing the defence. This was effective as Parks is one of the best players in the world at finding and exploiting space. While watching Connacht

take on Treviso, I set about keeping track of Dan Parks' kicking. Treviso dominated the opening exchanges and spent a lot of time in Connacht's half. That said, Parks didn't make a clearing kick until the 20th minute. Last season, Connacht would usually have kicked the ball to safety. Under Lam they have relied more on running the ball clear. If executed correctly, this tactic can lead to tries and in the first few games, Connacht have looked dangerous when running with the ball. Once the players are used to the system, Connacht will be more effective. To most people watching, the Westeners' use of the ball can look a bit aimless. This was a big criticism of Rob Penney when he took over Munster. His team were criticised for "going wide too quickly". Pun-

dits called for Munster to "earn the right to go wide". In Penney's second year in charge they sit 2nd in the RaboDirect PRO12. They have adapted to the system and Connacht need time to do likewise with a similar system. Aside from the new system he has brought in, Lam has made some impressive signings. New Zealand's Craig Clarke's signature was a real coup for Connacht as Clarke was not far off an All Blacks cap. Munster's Sean Henry and young New Zealander Jake Heenan look to be a good additions while Samoan fullback James So'oialo with a good reputation. Once these players have settled in, they will benefit Lam greatly. Once Eoin McKeon, Dave McSharry and Wille Faloon, all key men under the last regime, return

to fitness Lam's options will be strengthened. Despite their poor record to date, a number of players have performed well for Connacht. Former academy player Matt Healy has been a threat out wide, Sean Henry and Craig Clarke are developing a good understanding at line-out time, while Kieran Marmion and Robbie Henshaw have kept up last season's form. Henshaw was called up to the Irish training squad for the Autumn Internationals next month and the former Westmeath minor footballer will be hoping to see some action over the three game series as Ireland take on Samoa, Australia and New Zealand. As this goes to print Connacht will have played host to Saracens in this season's first game in the Heineken Cup.

Few give Connacht a chance in this fixture with Saracens boasting such names as Kelly Brown, Owen Farrell, Chris Ashton and Alex Goode. But Connacht fans will be hoping for an improved performance from Pat Lam's side who will look to put losses to Cardiff Blues, Ulster, Ospreys and Treviso behind them. Connacht need to be more disciplined at the breakdown and make better use of the ball. They're due a good performance and fans will be hoping that it comes against the English giants. Finally, fans need to give Pat Lam time. He's only five games into his tenure and he's now operating in a league that he has never experienced before. But he is an experienced coach and once he's settled, things will improve for Connacht.

The sad case of the washed up NFL player By Patrick Glynn Have you ever heard the clown joke? Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says ‘Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.” Man bursts into tears. Says “But Doctor... I am Pagliacci.” That is from the graphic novel Watchmen and in a

way the clown is analogous to the current situation for many professional athletes across many different sports. Professional Amer ican football is currently the highest profile example but it applies to many other sports such as boxing and rugby. The athletes are separate from the audience due to their athletic prowess or the size of their bank account and so when we hear of case of a sportsman down on his luck we snort and nudge each other knowingly it’s the same old sad story.

It happened to George Best, it’s happening to Paul Gascoigne and, for a case closer to home Paul McGrath is, quite publicly, battling with his own demons. But it is not only potential psychological impact of fame and the squandering of fortunes that is the danger of modern sport but the increasing toll those sports are taking on fragile bodies. It was back in August that the NFL agreed a gargantuan settlement $700 million dollar pay-out to over 4,000 thousand players. And if you think that is just isolated case

and that the heavy hits that make the highlight reel each week in the NFL you would be dead wrong. Rugby has seen an increase in these types of injuries with concussion. Only a few months ago Brian O’Driscoll suffered a serious knock-on the head and the team management were criticized for not exercising enough caution in leaving him on. There was a case in January of 2011 when Ben Robinson, 14, from Northern Ireland collapsed at Carrickfergus Pitch, Co Antrim and later died from head injuries.

Many in the professional, or amateur, sides of rugby can attest to how many times they have forgotten a period in the game or even the whole game due to a concussion. The issue made an appearance during the football All-Ireland Final when Rory O’Carroll collided with Enda Varley. O’Carrol was concussed and seen to visibly stagger to the line. Some commenters have raised the idea that a blood sub could be used in lieu of a player with head injuries but at the moment that has not been decided.

It raises serious questions about our enjoyment of sport that the people lionise for their abilities on the pitch are in danger of Alzheimer’s, dementia or strokes. How can you maintain the aggressiveness and flow of a game without compromising on physical danger? It certainly raises moral and ethical issues over such sports as boxing when you see boxers like Evander Holyfield or Muhammed Ali barely able to string a coherent sentence together from the beatings they received. It difficult question and it is not clear what is the right answer.

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Sports 29

October 14 2013

A championship to remember By Michael Farrell What makes a championship great? Is it the quality of the games, is it when the team playing the best football wins or is it when the championship has a new and fresh feel about it? Like other vintage years, 2013 had all of the above. In years to come it will be remembered as a championship of firsts. London’s first win in the Connacht Championship, a first Connacht final appearance and on top of that, their first qualifier match in Croke Park. Great credit must be given to the Exiles who overcame the odds and rewrote the history books. The GAA itself made a couple of progressive decisions, first deciding to use Hawkeye in Croke Park and choosing to play the first inter-county championship match on a Friday night. Hawkeye

was a success, notwithstanding the malfunction in the minor hurling semi-final between Limerick and Galway and the GAA will now have to decide whether to use it in further stadiums across the country. The decision to play the qualifier between Carlow

by the semi-final stage. Cavan managed to make it to the semi-finals and were one of the teams of the Championship. It was to be the Breffni County’s best run since their Ulster triumph in 1997. Their style of football may not have been easy on the eye, but it was bru-

In the past a combined score of 3-18 would have sufficed, but it shows the gung-ho style in which both teams played that Dublin managed to rack up such a tally themselves. and Laois on a Friday night was met with strong opposition from players and managers, but the scheduling of the match did prove to be a success with Carlow drawing a large crowd of 4,606. The Ulster Championship was a battlefield as usual, with Derry, Tyrone and Armagh knocked out

tally effective. Although they lost to Monaghan in Ulster, they progressed to a glamour quarter final against Kerry. Cavan’s first half performance was poor in Croker, yet their second half display will give them the experience and the belief needed to achieve bigger things.

The success story of the year was Monaghan’s Ulster final win ov e r re i g n i n g c ha m pions Donegal. The manner in which the physically outmuscled Donegal was every bit as entertaining as the high scoring shootouts later on in the championship. Monaghan proved again what can be achieved in sport with hard work and determination, although it would be an insult to Conor McManus, Kieran Hughes and Paul Finlay to suggest that Monaghan’s success was solely built on brawn and not dependent on the fabulous forward play which they produced. When we think back on this Championship in years to come one match in particular will stand out in the memory. For once, all the Dublin/ Kerry hype lived up to the billing. In the past a combined score of 3-18 would have sufficed, but

it shows the gung-ho style in which both teams played that Dublin managed to rack up such a tally themselves. We may have seen the last stand from the remnants of the great Kerry team of the noughties. The Kingdom are an aging side who will suffer more with the retirement of Tomas O'Sé, one of the best half backs the game has ever seen. If this is to come to fruition then it is one that won’t be forgotten in a hurry, with Colm ‘the Gooch’ Cooper playing at his imperious best, Marc O’Sé having a titanic battle with Bernard Brogan and James O’Donoghue showing there is hope for the future with two brilliant goals. In the end a championship is remembered by its champions and in 2013 we got a team worthy of the name. In an era dominated by defensive football, Dub-

lin bucked the trend and played a swashbuckling style based on pace and the ability to create goal chances. It was this ability to create goals that was the difference against Kerry in the semi-final and again against Mayo in the final with late majors proving to be the decisive factor in both games. It w ould be unfair not to spare a thought for Mayo. They were in unstoppable form in the championship up until the s emi-final stag e, however they peaked too early with their comprehensive win over Donegal and will feel disappointed with their showing in the final. In recent times it has been extremely hard to get to the final in successive years with only Mayo themselves achieving it, so it remains to be seen whether this team will have the commitment and determination to get back to Croke Park in September next year.

Hurling Championship Review 2013 By Ciaran McGreal When this year's hurling championship began who would have predicted Clare to win Liam McCarthy, Limerick to be Munster champions and Dublin to win their first Leinster senior title in 52 years? Who would have thought Kilkenny, Tipperary and Galway would be knocked out before the semi-finals? Yes, this year truly was the year of the unexpected. Looking back on the championship as a whole, it's difficult to pick one defining moment. Limerick will never forget the pitch invasion in the Gaelic Grounds after their Munster final victory over Cork. Limerick hurling has been in the considerable shadow of Munster Rugby over the last few years but hopefully this year will spur the Treatymen on in the future. From a local perspective, it was a disappointing year for the Galway's seniors.

Anthony Cunningham's team faced a highly-fancied Dublin side in the Leinster final but it proved to be Dublin's day as Paul Ryan's two goals inspired Anthony Daly's men to a comprehensive victory. Dublin heroically defeated Kilkenny with a late Danny Sutcliffe goal in the semifinal replay and were well-deserving of the title. The men from the capital progressed directly to the semi-final while Galway ultimately faced Clare in the quarter final after Clare came through the qualifiers having lost to Cork in the Munster semi-final. Clare were worthy winners on the day as Galway never replicated the performances that got them to the final in 2012. That said, Galway's minors reached the final but were beaten by a powerful Waterford team. However, players like Shane Cooney, Conor Whelan, Eanna Burke, Adrian Mor-

rissey and Ronan O'Meara will all be looking to break into the senior panel in the very near future. In the other quarterfinal, Kilkenny faced Cork. The cats had beaten Waterford and Tipperary in two cracking qualifier games. They were buoyed by the return of Henry Shefflin to the starting line-up. But it proved a day to forget for Shefflin as he was booked twice and sent-off just before half-time. Cork's Anthony Nash saved Richie Power's penalty as Cork progressed to the semifinal where they met a fancied Dublin side. Dublin had Ryan O'Dwyer harshly sent off in the second-half. This numerical advantage worked in Cork's favour and Patrick Horgan's fortuitous goal sealed victory. In t h e o t h e r s e m i final, Clare were paired with Munster champions Limerick. Darach Honan netted a crucial goal for Clare from which Limer-

ick never recovered and "the Banner" progressed to the final to face provincial rivals Cork. The final itself was a tense saga. Cork looked to have clinched victory in the last minute with a superb point from Patrick Horgan but Clare's Domhnall O'Donovan popped

with twelve Clare men on the line. Conor McGrath netted an excellent goal for Clare after some great build-up play. But it was young Shane O'Donnell who stole the show with an impressive 3-3 from play. The 20 year old was a late replacement for Honan as manager

The scenes at the final whistle were euphoric as captain Patrick Donnellan lifted the Liam McCarthy for Clare for the first time since 1997 up with a brilliant equaliser to take the game to a replay. The replay was scheduled for a Saturday evening at 5pm. This presented hurling fans with the first final played under floodlights. The replay will live long in the memory as an enthralling spectacle. Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash managed to score a thumping short-range goal

Davy Fitzgerald looked for goals. And he certainly repaid his manager's faith with three goals in less than twenty first half minutes. The scenes at the final whistle were euphoric as captain Patrick Donnellan lifted the Liam McCarthy for Clare for the first time since 1997. This capped a hugely successful year for Clare who

also clinched victory in the Under-21 final against Antrim earlier in September with the likes of Tony Kelly and Podge Collins central to their success in that competition as well. Clare had some brilliant individual performers all year. David McInerney and Brendan Bugler were solid at the back, Colin Ryan was superbly accurate from frees, Podge Collins was excellent up front, Shane O'Donnell proved the unlikely hero while Tony Kelly is the favourite to win hurler of the year. Ultimately, their togetherness as a team coupled with well-worked tactics resulted in them winning Liam McCarthy for just the fourth time in their history. With an average age of just 24, this Clare team look set to dominate hurling for years to come, and with Davy Fitz at the helm, don't be surprised to see them knocking on the door next year.

30 Sports

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 3

The fickleness of the modern day football fan By Ross Cannon Fickle – ‘Changing freq u e nt ly , e sp e c ia l ly a s regards one’s loyalties or affections.’ Fickleness and football fans seemingly go hand in hand in the modern footballing era, where managers are discarded and replaced as often as croissants in a Parisian baker y and millionaire footballers routinely throw their expensive toys out of their Ferrari F30’s and Audi R8 supercars only to settle down and get on with things. Whilst most footballers and football clubs routinely take most of the flak for rash and bold decisions, the populous can easily forget that they too make some of the quickest U-turns imaginable. The majority of football fans pride themselves on their undying love and passion for their club, but this passionate faithful-

ness can dissolve in split seconds given the correct scenario. Take the curious case of one Wayne Rooney. In October of 2010 midway through the month it came to light that Rooney did not want to stay with the reigning Premier League champions. Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the news during a pre-match interview before the the Red Devils took on Bursaspor in a midweek Champions’ League group game. Prior to this, a rumour had been bubbling of the possible departure of United’s key striker and fans voiced their feelings of the need for Wayne Rooney to stay and how he was a integral part of their squad, but once the news was confirmed he wanted to leave the love and affectionate comments disappeared in moments. What ensued was sheer unadulterated hate, filled comments and remarks about the want-away striker

on social media outlets. Rooney was swiftly linked by the media to a crosstown move to arch enemies Manchester City, resulting in a threat on Rooney’s life being spray painted in red on the windows of Manchester City’s city centre megastore. In the space of 24 hours Wayne Rooney had gone from admiral prince to a public enemy number one, with a cross hairs firmly planted on his fore head. Fast forward three years to 2013 and the same scenario repeated itself. Wayne Rooney wants out of Manchester United. Cue the scathing attacks and cat calls right? Wrong. The fickleness of the football fan reared its head. Rooney was being lavished with praise from the United faithful, this time they wanted their man and they wanted Rooney to know it too. In Rooney’s first competitive game for the club since his

Ireland v Kazakhstan By Kieran Kilkelly There are 73 places between Ireland and Kazakhstan in the FIFA World rankings but they both face the same fate after tonight; an unsuccessful World Cup Qualifying campaign. While Kazakhstan’s hopes of qualification might have been non-existent, Ireland’s were evident, however optimistic. It is through this expectation that we now have to face disappointment. An opinion that shouldn’t be so harsh considering the array of talent we have faced compared to the lack, thereof, that we have. Noel King takes charge of an Irish side tonight that are in their lowest ever world ranking position. Nevertheless, he can walk away from this poison chalice and hand it over to another manager with Martin O’Neill being the hotly tipped favourite. It seems like the ideal job for O’Neill to get back into management after over six months out. The ex-Sunderland boss is an Irishman himself (albeit a northern

one) and his successful spell with Celtic will mean he has a place in many Irish hearts already. This is something which is needed as the vibe surrounding this squad is predominantly a negative one. Confidence is low and tonight’s match is not expected to attract much of a crowd. O’Neill, whose only real competition for the post is Mick McCarthy, (currently employed by Ipswich City) looks like the right main to return the country to its more illustrious years. Yet what kind of task will he be faced with? Since the ‘Charlton era’ Ireland has always had some degree of class at their disposal. The likes of Paul McGrath, Roy Keane and a younger Robbie Keane gave the side something to work with. We can no longer be dragged through by Richard Dunne and the latter Keane. Their ages alone, thirty-four and thirty-three respectively, suggest that they may very well be playing their last competitive game. If this is deemed to be true then there is a distinct absence of a true leader heading into our new era.

So, does this vacancy within the squad propose the question of some sort of upheavel? An influx of youth maybe? While it may be drastic, it can only benefit the future. The two Evertonians Seamus Coleman (24) and James McCarthy (22) could prove to be central to our Euro 2016 qualification and with Robbie Brady of Hull (21) turning in some impressive performances of late in the Premier League it might be a case of out with the old and in with the new. One thing for sure is the new manager will face some tough decisions. So many of Trapattoni’s “outcasts” could now make themselves available for selection. While the style and tactics also need reviewing. There shall be no old man stuck in his traditions anymore. Instead a revival; a resurrection of the green army. Trapattoni’s summer romance has entered autumn and ended badly. The support for the new man will mirror the hostility shown against “Trap”. Tonight is the final prelude to the unknown.

request to leave in a league game away to Swansea City, a chorus of “Rooney, Rooney, Rooney”, could be heard ringing from the away end of the Liberty Stadium. So what gives? The same scenario occurred twice but with two different reactions from the fans. One must take a couple of factors into account. Firstly, the hive mind nature of the football fan is a powerful thing. A popular belief and opinion can become an unstoppable juggernaut. Secondly, some situations like Wayne Rooney’s may seem the same, but sometimes they aren’t. Different squad members, manager and board of

directors can have a direct impact on how the football fans perceive a certain situation or scenario. In contrast with this constant fickleness there is in fact brief moments and signs that fans can shrug off the fickle label. Take for instance the tenure of Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini. Tasked with bringing trophies to a money soaked Eastlands, he was backed fully by the new owners and equally so by the fans. Mancini clinched the FA Cup in his second season as manager and a coveted Premier League trophy in his third, but this was deemed not enough as the title was relinquished to bitter

rivals Man United the following season which partly resulted in Mancini being replaced. What followed from this was an outpouring of love and appreciation for Mancini from the City fans which culminated in the City fans buying a full page ad in the national Italian newspaper, La Gazetta Dello Sport, with the headline ‘Grazie Mancini’. It is safe to say that fickleness is part and parcel of modern day football, as football fans demand more and more from their respective clubs, but every now and then we see the faithfulness of old shining through allowing us to see that the romance of loyalty in football is not dead yet.

Student Race Day is coming to Galway at the end of the month. (see page 27 for more information)

October 14 2013

Final Word 31

diary of the Smokey’s Pigeon I have self-esteem issues you know. I can't wear make-up or preen my feathers to hide the parts of my body that I hate. Some of my feathers look like they've been torn out and glued back on again the wrong way round. My foot is like a piece of popcorn and I can almost smell the disgust when people see me hobbling around on it. But I can't help it if my foot looks like it's been chewed up and spat out by some hungry animal that changed its mind at the last moment. Pigeons don't wear shoes.

Why can't you just accept me for who I am?

Useful facts to prepare you for the “What Do They Teach You in College?” scenario • Not getting enough sleep and being hungry are the two biggest reasons for being angry. • Four is the only number that has the same amount of letters as its actual value. • Anatidaephobia is the fear that somewhere in the world there is a duck watching you. • When you laugh while being tickled, what you are experiencing is actually a form of panic. • Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

Have a good idea? How about ¤1,000 to make it happen? 435 Explore Poster New.pdf

EXPLORE is all about getting NUI Galway staff and students working together in bringing innovative new ideas to life. Since 2012 we have helped over 200 staff and students work on almost forty projects. We are looking to fund 25 projects this year with up to ¤1,000 in funding each.

outreach programmes to encourage science among primary school children, the organising of meetups for entrepreneurs in Galway, workshops and training sessions, the production of various videos and websites aimed at online learning and many more projects which are all available to browse on the EXPLORE website.

Proposed projects can involve almost any topic and are often inspired by study, sports, technology, current affairs and social issues as well as clubs and organisations in which staff and students are involved. The key element is that all projects must involve staff and students working together.

19/09/2013

15:45

HAVE A GOOD IDEA?

Applications for EXPLORE are through a simple, two-page application form, available online at www.su.nuigalway.ie/explore. Applications are now open but will close on Friday 11 October. All students and all staff at NUI Galway are welcome to apply. Email Emmet Connolly, EXPLORE Coordinator, Past projects include a phone app if you have any questions: emmet. for locating nearby defibrillators, connolly@nuigalway.ie 424 Explore Poster Badges.pdf

16/09/2013

20:33

Staff Bring your idea to life

Student

CMY

Team up with a student or staff partner

Put idea into action!

Come up with an innovative idea

Apply to EXPLORE for €1,000 funding

How about €1,000 to make it happen?

EXPLORE is all about getting NUI Galway staff and students working together in bringing innovative new ideas to life.

APPLY NOW ONLINE Open to all NUI Galway students and staff C l o s i n g d a t e : F r i d a y, 1 1 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 3

www.su.nuigalway.ie/explore

Ideas can be big or small and are often inspired by coursework, interests, hobbies, clubs, societies and whatever else makes you tick. 25 projects will be funded this year with up to €1,000 each. The one-page applications are on

www.su.nuigalway.ie/explore and all staff and students are welcome to apply.

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Applications close: Friday 11 October

www.twitter.com/EXPLOREnuigsu Supported by the Office of the VP for Innovation and Performance, and the Student Projects Fund