Volume 15 Issue 5 by Student Independent News

News

INSIDE Free Student Newspaper | VOL 15, ISSUE 5 | 11 nov 2013

By Chelsea Tabert

Students and young people across the country have been taking part in the recent ‘We’re Not Leaving’ campaign which deals with the extreme crisis of emigration that the country is facing. A public Youth Forum was held at the Victoria Hotel, Galway on Thursday 7 November last. The meeting was intended as a forum where young people from Galway could discuss how the government’s austerity policies affect them and how it can be challenged. The meeting first saw brief presentations on the issues of housing, fee hikes and grant cuts, mental health, forced emigration, youth unemployment, unpaid internships and precarious work. Speakers at the event included Galway representatives from Threshold and youth mental health group Jigsaw, Union of Students in Ireand (USI) President Joe O’Connor, and Dr Piaras Maceinr of UCC, principal investigator of the influential ‘Irish Emigration in an Age of Austerity’ report. Barry Gorman of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Youth Committee and a representative of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed also addressed the meeting from the floor. When an economic downfall occurs you can suspect everyday tasks to become harder on your family and pocketbooks, but what happens when your family is forced to emigrate out of the country just to make ends meet? The ‘We’re Not Leaving’ (WNL) campaign was created to highlight the similarities between the lock out of workers in 1913 and the youth in the present 2013. A public meeting was held in Dublin which discussed the push factors causing emigration – youth unemployment, unpaid internships, precarious work, fee hikes and grant cuts, youth mental health, and housing.

Great response was given and it was decided that similar meetings would then be held in other cities across Ireland. Since the initial meeting held in Dublin there has been a We’re Not Leaving meeting in Cork and Galway. Although the Galway campaign is still in its beginning stages, many activists from the area have attended protests and gatherings across the country. Demos outside the Dáil have been held in regards to the recent cuts to the dole for those under 26-years-old and similar protests have sprung up in regards to the unemployment situation. “We are building up our contacts and resources and are working closely with the Students Unions, the USI, SIPTU, and other Trade Unions,” Joseph Loughnane, main activist for ‘We’re Not Leaving’ stated. Another topical situation that has arisen is the push to stop the Social Welfare Bill. The campaigns website expresses how “we need to let politicians know that the reason young people in this country are out of work is that there is no work. “Taking €172 per month from the pockets of 21 to 26 year-olds and forcing the young unemployed to live on €100 per week won’t change that. All it will do is force us to emigrate.” The campaign is asking all young people who have received job rejection letters from employers to please forward them to three senators; Denis Landy, John Kelly and John Whelan. The idea of this is to deluge the senators, and show how few jobs there really are available across the country. “The young people of Ireland need to realise that they’re not along with the issues they are facing. Problems such as mental health, emigration and unemployment seem so big that many people lose hope,” said Mr Loughnane. “If we all realise that we have these problems in common and join forces

Lifestyle Arts

to make a change, we genuinely have a chance of succeeding. That’s the message we want to get out there – there is hope if we emphasise solidarity and work together,” he concluded. For updates on this and other neighbouring topics involved with the campaign please visit: www.werenotleaving.com and join the Facebook page for you region. You can also follow the movement on twitter: @WNLGalway.

sport

leaving Galway

Features

We’re not

Links with Stanford University strengthened

NUIG Observatory to hold Open Days

Should Cannabis be legalised?

Interview with James Mahon

MAJs: Where are they now?

Home for the Weekend

A Suitable Occasion

Eyebrows 101

5 Minute Makeup

Reviews

Academic Writing Centre Competition

Alex Ferguson’s Autobiography

Money Talks

Diary of the Smokey’s Pigeon

2 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

Unofficial RAG week Facebook page gains 7000 Likes By Áine O Donnell A Facebook page promoting plans for an unofficial RAG Week in 2014 has more than 7000 likes. The page was started on 1 October and has been hugely popular over the past few weeks. “Galway RAG Week 2014” aims to organise the third successive RAG Week since NUI Galway banned the event in 2012. The first post on the page on 1 October stated; “2013 was epic... 2014 is going to be even better and once again...

nobody is going to stop us!” The defiant post was accompanied by a compilation video with scenes of last year’s unofficial RAG Week, a parody of film Project X. The status was liked 96 times by fans, the majority of whom are current students of NUI Galway. Subsequent posts included a clip of the notorious “who’s a sexy Garda” video and a link to another RAG Week page. One girl posted on the wall of the group outlining why she won’t support RAG Week this year; “we all like to have fun but this event is a bit too

crazy for me. I just want to let ye know that I will not be supporting it this year and I hope that all my friends will do the same”. Her post received 10 likes as opposed to the thousands of likes garnered by the event page. Sin contacted the admins of the Facebook page for comment and they had not replied to our questions at the time of the newspaper’s publication. The university promised students a bigger investment in the student assistance fund if they voted to ban the RAG

Week event. The university was eager to improve the institution’s image after RAG Weeks of previous years gained media attention for riotous and anti-social behaviour of its own students and other students who travelled to Galway from around the country. Students voted in favour of NUI Galway’s disassociation with the event but in 2012 the first unofficial RAG Week took place in Galway organised by students. The university’s plans to end RAG Week were met with

the most notorious RAG Week yet with Eyre Square being taken over by students and videos of anti-social behaviour going viral on the internet. RAG Week 2013 was the first event in which Galway businesses were forced to withdraw their support after the university took legal action against the owner of The Hole in the Wall pub for advertising RAG Week’s annual Donegal Tuesday in 2012. While the clubs and pubs of Galway did not promote RAG Week events, the celebration continued with Gardaí report-

ing a number of public order arrests and scenes of chaos outside Supermac’s once again being uploaded to YouTube. Mayor of Galway City, Padraig Conneely, in his role as chairperson of the Joint Policing Committee sent out a strong message in response to the threat of RAG Week 2014; “We can’t stop anyone from organising anything on social media; that’s out of our hands. But what we can do is send out a very strong message that anyone who breaks the law, during an unofficial Rag Week or any other week will be dealt with.”

The Sakharov Prize Comes to NUI Galway Links with Stanford By Aoife Barry On Wednesday 25 September NUI Galway’s Irish Centre for Human Rights hosted an event organized by the European Parliament called The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2013. The Sakharov Prize is an annual event which recognizes inspiring defenders of human rights worldwide. The fact that most of the nominees are in prison in their home country and unable to receive the award in person highlights the dismal state of human rights in our time. Students from the centre made presentations, arguing why their nominee deserved the award. The floor was open to debate afterwards. This year’s nominees were as follows; Malala Yousafzai, an 11 year old girl from Pakistan who is a fighter for the right of women to an education.

In her country, girls are not allowed to attend school under the Taliban regime. The Taliban tried to assassinate her in October 2012. Edward Snowdan, who worked for the National Security Agency in the US and exposed that the government there was not respecting the population’s right to privacy. He was charged with espionage. Reeyot Alemu and Eskinder Nega, journalists from Ethiopia who criticised the government and suggested an Arab Spring style revolution in their country. Both are currently in prison charged with terrorism. Ales Bialatski, Eduard Lobau and Mykola Statkevic, protestors and critical of the controversial presidentional elections in Belerus where Alexander Lukashenk was elected President. The three have been in prison since October 2010.

Mikhail Khodorkovsk, a criticizer of President Putin and the corruption in Russia. He is a political prisoner in the country since 2003. "Standing Man" protesters, the first of the peaceful protesters in Taksim Square, Istanbul being Erdem Gündü. These anti-government protests gained international recognition for respect for human rights and freedoms worldwide. The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slaver, a global media campaign that has drawn attention to slavery, human trafficking and child labour from countries such as Mauritania to the Philippines. Each group made a passionate presentation of their nominee. The “Standing Man” protesters received the most votes. This result was brought to the European Parliament Subcommittee of Human Rights, who took NUI Galway’s nominee into account.

However, it was decided that Malala Yousafzai deserved the award for her struggle against the repression of woman’s rights worldwide. The prize is named after the Russian physicist Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov (19211989) who discovered the Soviet hydrogen bomb. When he realized the damage the bomb would create he sought to raise awareness for the possible negative effects of nuclear weapons of human kind. His efforts resulted in the signing of the 1963 nuclear test ban treaty. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. Past winners of the Sakharov Prize include Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and the Arab Spring protesters. The award is not only important in acknowledging these devoted and inspiring human rights defenders but is influential in highlighting human rights abuses around the world.

Honorary degrees awarded to RTÉ newsreader and Irish Times journalist by NUI Galway By Áine O Donnell NUI Galway has awarded honorary Master of Arts degrees to western correspondent for the Irish Times Lorna Siggins and RTÉ newsreader Michael Murphy on October 21. Ms Siggins started her career in journalism in 1988. She spent 10 years in the newsroom of the Irish Times covering news and more specifically marine affairs. Then she became the Western correspondent, a position which she still currently holds. She is based in Galway.

Her ground-breaking journalism included a seven week stint in the Himalayas with the first Irishman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Dawson Stelfox. Lorna Siggins has also published books on Everest, the volunteer sea rescue services, the Corrib Gas controversy and former President Mary Robinson. Mr Murphy joined RTÉ as a continuity announcer on radio in 1971 and was shortly after moved to the newsroom where he read the news in

both English and Irish. He left his full time position as senior newsreader in 1993 to pursue a career as a psychoanalyst while remaining at RTÉ part-time. Mr Murphy currently lectures on the subject in UCD and St. Vincent’s Hospital Dublin. In 2009, Mr Murphy published his best-selling memoir At Five in the Afternoon which dealt with his personal battle with prostate cancer and also addressed child abuse and sexuality. It was nominated for the Bord Gáis Energy Irish

Book Awards in 2010. He has a collection of poetry and a successive memoir due for publication. Michael Murphy registered a civil partnership with his long term partner of 26 years in 2011, Terry O’Sullivan, in a ceremony in Dublin. Honorary degrees were also awarded to the director of the Galway Education Centre Bernard Kirk; journalist and author Liam Mac Con Iomaire; writer and historian Micheál Ó Conghaile and activist Thomas Roche.

strengthened as Mayor signs Friendship Agreement By Jessica Thompson Galway City Mayor Cllr Pádraig Conneely travelled to the states last month to sign a Friendship Agreement between Menlo Park in Galway and Menlo Park in California. Mayor Conneely visited the City of Menlo Park by the invitation of the Mayor of the City, Mayor Peter Ohtaki to strengthen the cultural, historical and educational links between Galway and Menlo Park. NUI Galway has long had links with Stanford University in the City of Menlo Park, but by signing the Friendship Agreement, those links have been significantly strengthened. According to Mayor Conneely, NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne was one of the first people to show his support for the agreement. “This friendship agreement will build on the many existing links between our two cities, in business, academia, culture and civic life. NUI Galway and Stanford University have a range of links including international student recruitment; staff and student exchange; and research partnerships,” Dr Browne explained. The partnership between NUI Galway and Stanford University is based on a BioInnovate Fellowship Programme. NUI Galway is home to BioInnovate Ireland, a specialist medical device innovation training programme modelled on the prestigious Stanford BioDesign programme. The aim of the programme

is to train graduates with knowledge of innovating medical technologies in a team-based approach, involving engineers, clinicians and business graduates. The programme is a unique pathway for the knowledge transfer and building enterprise product development research and spin-outs. NUI Galway has a very strong network of supporters and alumni in the Menlo Park region, led by Galway Foundation Board Member Moyra Malone. The foundation held a reception in the City of Menlo Park on Saturday 19 October to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the railroad, which included music and dancing. The anniversary celebration itself involved a re-enactment of the first time the train arrived in Menlo Park, with people dressed in the attire of the day. The Friendship Agreement was largely to celebrate the history between the two cities. During famine times, two men, Dennis J. Oliver and his brother-in-law, Daniel C. McGlynn, left Menlo in Galway to seek their fortune in California. The two men bought a ranch in California and named it Menlo Park. The City of Menlo Park grew around that ranch and now houses the likes of Facebook HeadQuarters and other major businesses. More information on the Two Menlos can be found at sites.google.com/site/twomenlosisters.

News 3

November 11 2013

Editorial: Want to see the SU naked? By Jessica Thompson Yes, you read that correctly. Now that I’ve got your attention, I might as well explain the title of my editorial. The Students’ Union launched their charity calendar last week and, that’s right, they were all naked. Myself and seven other sinners even got involved (you’ll see us in the month of May). The charity calendars are €5 each and feature several of the clubs and societies in NUI Galway, including the Orchestral Society, Sin Newspaper, the Students’ Union, the Kayak Club and many more. All of the proceeds go to charity and you get to have us completely starkers on your wall. What’s not to love? And with Christmas coming up, maybe you could buy a few as Christmas presents? More money to charity and it’ll cost you a lot less than your average Christmas present. All of the proceeds go to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre and the ISPCC/ Childline – two very deserving charities that need every penny. If you want a little sneak peek, just flick to the very back page of this issue of Sin and there you have it – 12 months of nakedness just waiting to be bought. The back page isn’t the only great thing about this issue. There are several great stories that were an absolute pleasure to read and edit. One that I could relate to was about going home for the weekend. When you come from the country like I do, settling into city life can be tough. The noise can be unbearable; endless parties and traffic and the general buzz. The street lights pour in your bedroom window all night, depriving you of the melatonin that you need to sleep well. When I first moved to Dublin, I was regularly awoken by sirens, student parties, doors slamming, random fire drills or people who felt it would be a great idea to set off the fire alarms, people shouting and laughing at all hours, cars, buses, the luas or dart, depending on where I lived at the time. In my first year in UCD, the lights outside were so bright that birds were singing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because even they couldn’t tell the difference between night and day. There were some pretty exhausted birds around UCD, that’s for sure. Galway of course is quieter than Dublin by a long shot. I’ve been living in cities for five years now, but I’ll always be a culchie at heart and going home to my native bogland is always a joy. I’ve grown up enough to be able to wash my own clothes and cook my own hot meals and look after myself, but it’s still always nice to go home to

the comforts of Mammy and Daddy’s care. I’m sure all other country folk will agree with that. It’s dark there. It’s quiet. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl and I am living proof of that. I am a culchie through and through and I have all the characteristics described in Kieran Kilkelly’s article on culchie habits. But townies need to consider that they have habits too. I distinctly remember bringing one back to Longford some time ago. While we were out walking, the townie in question said excitedly; “Oh! Look at the cow!” You see, they don’t have cows in cities – unless you count the ones in Dublin zoo that are kept there to show children where milk comes from. No. Milk does not come from a bottle. It’s also not uncommon for the culchie to be able to tell you the names of every bird (aside from pigeons and seagulls) and the difference between the types of trees. We grew up knowing these things. Both the above mentioned articles talk about the need to return to the nest and Mammy’s care every now and then. There’s nothing quite like sleeping in the dark for once, with no sounds at all. That’s a good night’s sleep. Moving on from culchies and going home, another very important article in this paper is a message from the SU Welfare Officer, Declan Higgins. Declan’s article was published in the Connacht and City Tribune a couple of weeks ago and has been getting a huge response ever since. In his article, Dec talks about depression and how it can destroy your life. He also talks about how he pulled through

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

with the help of his family and friends. The message we can take from this article is that talking helps. No matter how alone you think you are, you will always have someone who is prepared to listen. You just need to open up and let them in. If you’re struggling or in need of someone to talk to, you now know that your Welfare Officer really is looking out for you. He’s been through a similar experience and he’s come out the other side, happy and enthusiastic about the future. Declan can be contacted via su.welfare@nuigalway.ie or 086 385 3659. We’re preparing for exam season this issue and have some great health tips and even some style and makeup tips. Need to be comfortable for a day in the library but also look stylish? We’ve got you covered in our fashion section. Have you slept in after a long night of study and left yourself with no time to cover up that tired skin? Our five minute makeup article will help you out. Looking for some energy that will keep you focused and healthy without that awful sugar crash afterwards? Blueberries. Check out page 19 to see what I mean. That’s all for this issue, but keep an eye out for issue six on 26 November. That’s our last issue before the holidays and we’re getting in the Christmas spirit. Yes, it’s too early, but it will be worth it when Christmas finally does come around. Until next time,

Jess @Jess__Thompson

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 Photography Daniel O'Loughlin | photography.sined@gmail.com

Upcoming Sin Meetings Thursday 14 November: Preparation for Christmas Issue.

Thursday 21 November: How to Conduct an Interview.

All Sin meetings will take place at 6pm in AC213 on the Concourse. Adam Nihill performing in the third heat of NUIG's Got Talent recently held in the College Bar. Picture: Daniel O'Loughlin

Meetings are open to everyone and new members are always welcome!

4 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

Galway Entrepreneurs launch online store with a difference

SERVE hold annual information evening

By Jessica Thompson

By Lisa Penski

Two Galway entrepreneurs have launched a new website that allows users to sell their old clothes and buy almost new clothes for discounted prices. Roman Sadowski and Enda Glynn launched the website as Ireland’s only online store for ‘like new’ clothing. At littlethings.ie buyers can purchase the brands they love for a fraction of the high street price. Littlethings.ie was set up to give people the opportunity to realise the value of the items locked in their wardrobe. Most people wear only 50% of the clothes they own, yet they

are constantly adding new items to the pile. This realisation was the inspiration behind littlethings.ie which allows people to trade up their wardrobe by buying and selling the clothes they love. When registering for littlethings.ie, users can request a shipping

bag and send their unwanted clothes off to be sorted, allowing them not only to clean out their wardrobe, but earn cash while doing so. Once clothes have been received, they are reviewed and measured and professionally photographed. The very best stuff is sold for up to 90% off the retail price.

The website was founded during the summer by Roman Sadowski and Enda Glynn who met in university in Galway three years ago. The pair immediately hit it off and bounced several business ideas off each other before coming up with Littlethings.ie. Both men are from different backgrounds and different countries and have different histories, but both have the unifying goal of building a great company that creates real value for their customers. For more information, visit www.littlethings.ie or email info@littlethings. ie. Littlethings.ie can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ littlethingsireland.

Observatory open nights hosted by NUI Galway By Siobhán Whyte The Centre for Astronomy in NUI Galway is hosting two Open Days this semester on 13 November and 11 December both starting at 7pm. Attendees have the opportunity to get a 3D tour of the Universe after an hour-long information session. The facilities are usually reserved for students, but these open nights give others the chance to get their hands on the

observatory’s state-of-the-art computer-controlled telescopes (16” and a portable 10” model) and cameras. There’s also a radio telescope with a hydrogen line spectrometer which is able to map out and measure the velocity of the sun and the Milky Way. This would be a really good place to start for anyone seeking an introduction to astronomy. It is, of course, aimed at everyone from begin-

ners to seasoned enthusiasts. The open days are weatherdependent, but the Centre for Astronomy hopes to showcase as much as they can on the nights. Observatory open nights are suitable for children and adults alike. However, they recommend that children be at least 10 years-old before attending. Admission is free but access is ticket-only. Email tara.shanahan@nuigalway.ie to book in advance. Tickets are

limited to two per person. The Centre for Astronomy on campus opened the Imbusch Astronomical Observatory in 2004. The centre hosts open nights as part of an outreach programme which aims to make astronomy accessible for everyone. The programme also includes public talks. For more information on the outreach programme you can visit the CFA website on http://astro.nuigalway.ie/.

SERVE held their annual information evening for the summer of 2014 in NUI Galway on Tuesday 5th of November. The development and volunteering organisation is dedicated to fighting poverty in developing countries. SERVE has programmes in place in Ireland, as well as abroad in countries such as Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Brazil, Thailiand, India and the Philippines. SERVE volunteers dedicate themselves to bringing justice and equality to the poorest of the poor and to introducing sustainable development to areas of the world that lack essentials like health care and education systems. Up to 90 volunteers are signed up per year and with a budget of over one million euro each year programmes are put in place that improve the lives of those in need. Development and volunteering programmes are based on partnership or funding models. With 15 local partners throughout the world SERVE has a broad geographic focus. The main focus is put on South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique through implementation of long-term development programmes.

Small scale programmes including funding and capacity building support for local partners are put in place in Thailand, India, the Philippines, Brazil and Zambia. Funding donors include Irish Aid, Misean Cara, Electric Aid, JP McManus Charitable Fund, the RTE One World Fund and the Irish Dairy Board. Money is also raised by volunteers throughout the Irish community. Volunteering programmes range from educational programmes to development of infrastructure and sustainable development. The programme in South Africa for instance focuses on improving health care and public awareness on topics like AIDS and HIV. Volunteering work can include working in the public sector, like crèches and schools, visiting patients, improving infrastructure or educating the public. Projects in Brazil have seen to the construction of houses and improvement of infrastructure in povertystricken areas. There are volunteering options and different time periods available for individuals or groups of people, such as community groups and schools. Programmes take place between June and August each year and are open to individual applicants.

Great leaps forward for Galway Community Garden Project By Niamh Corry The following local organizations have dedicated themselves to the Galway Community Garden Project: Cuan Mhuire, Ability West, Shine, Rehab Care, Irish Advocacy Network, Quest and Grow. We are very much looking forward to working closely with them in developing the garden. Furthermore, the project has developed five subgroups for the service users to become involved in that will not only help get the project off the ground but equip the service users with new skills too. They are the logo group,

website group, space group, tree mapping group and photography group. Two events were held during the week of 23 September 2013 to begin raising money for the Galway Community Garden project. Students held a bake-sale in Aras Moyola and raised an incredible €450 for the project. In the same week the quiz and Disney societies held a quiz in aid of the project and almost €500 was raised. That was just under €1000 in one week. A huge thank you has been extended to everyone who supported these events. Some students from the class developed the first code

of ethics for the project. This marks an important step as the code of ethics will guide all decisions that are made involving the garden. A crucial milestone in the project was achieved recently. An initial design for the garden including plants and flowers, pathways and plant beds was developed. The aim is to develop the idea into a 3D design in order to create a clearer image of what the garden will look like. An interior designer has been introduced to the project and with her advice and expertise this idea will progress further in the coming weeks.

Jigsaw Galway Raise ¤5000 with 8k run around NUI Galway Campus Jigsaw Galway, the free and confidential support service for young people in Galway city, is to benefit from the NUI Galway/Kingfisher Club 8k run for staff, students and alumni around the University’s campus. Jigsaw support young people aged 15-25 experiencing difficulties that affect their mental health and well-being. Jigsaw also provides advice and guidance to anyone concerned about a young person in their life. Pictured at the cheque presentation were (l-r) Seán Kearns, NUI Galway SU President, Dr Jim Browne, NUI Galway President, Justin McDermott, Jigsaw Galway and Joe Cosgrove MD Kingfisher Fitness Club.

News 5

November 11 2013

Brazilian flavour on Irish campuses Made In Galway By Arindam Halder Irish universities have welcomed more than a thousand students from Brazil this year as part of Brazil’s Science without Borders (Ciência sem Fronteiras). Science without Borders directly funds 75,000 scholarships and a further 26,000 are being funded by the private sector. The programme seeks to add to students’ knowledge of science and technology and improve innovation and competitiveness through international mobility of

undergraduate and graduate students and researchers. These students not only gain from the high quality Irish education system but also help the Irish economy and colleges to the tune of €25m. The Irish Government hopes to get about 3000 more students over the next four years in a deal worth €110m spread over the next four years. The South American country has earmarked Ireland as a key destination for the program to take advantage of the highest quality education available in the

country across key subject areas spreading from international business to cutting-edge science. Institutes of Technology Ireland CEO Gerry Murray said the students were already making a positive impact on Campus life. He said the institutes were determined to ensure that the students' time in Ireland would be marked by high-quality education and an enriching cultural experience. The Irish Government is also taking advantage of the desire of the Brazilian students for greater inter-

national experience and exposure. The Irish Government is hard selling Ireland as a favored educational destination to emerging countries such as India, Russia and has been able to attract students from across the globe. Ireland is also favored by students given the friendly people and English as a medium of education. NUI Galway is a prime example of how this strategy is succeeding. NUI Galway has students from over a 100 countries and has the highest number of foreign students.

By Adrian Larkin A recent County Council initiative in Galway aims to promote a range of Galway craft and food producers. To do this, the Council has launched a website. Made in Galway is a free directory listing the fantastic range of food and craft products that are available in Galway. It is an initiative designed by Galway County Council in a bid to support and encourage cultural and economic development in Galway. Made in Galway can direct you right to the doorsteps of world class producers based in the county. Each listing is regularly updated by the individual

producer to ensure it is kept current, and most listings contain links to producers own websites or social media so you can browse even further. Galway has an incredible variety of top quality authentic local artisan produce to delight all tastes, and this is shown clearly through the website. The website also contains a number of blogs on many of the locally produced goods along with an interactive map which shows where exactly in Ireland the goods are produced. Be sure to check out the website at www.madeingalway.ie and to find further information on Facebook and Twitter.

Penalty system aims to encourage job seekers to take up suitable work Cannabis worth By Siobhán Whyte The Department of Social Protection has recently spoken about strengthened penalties introduced for job seekers in the welfare system. The penalty system is aimed at encouraging people to take up suitable work or education, and sanctions will be imposed should anyone refuse or fail to do this. Measures were first implemented in April 2011, but sanctions have been reinforced this year. Penalty rates and possible suspensions are now what unemployed individuals are faced with should they fail to comply with regulations.

Beginning last July, it is now possible for jobseekers to be disqualified from payment for up to 9 weeks. According to the Department, the number of penalties applied has risen over the last 2 years. In the period May to December 2011, 352 penalty rates were applied. In 2012, 1,455 penalty rates were applied but to the end of September this year, 2,403 penalty rates were imposed. This brings the overall number to 4,210 since their introduction. “ Re d u c e d p ay m e nt rates for job seekers […] allow for a penalty of up to €44 per week. A jobseeker claim may be disallowed where the customer fails to meet the conditions of

the scheme,” Deputy Minister Joan Burton stated when questioned in the Dáil recently This shows a willingness to enforce scheme regulations on recipients. These conditions are in compliance with the Job Seekers Allowance/Benefit schemes, which state that the claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work to retain payments. Many people have been dissatisfied, however with the Government’s failure to provide job seekers with suitable employment, training or education options. They are now left worrying about possible decreases in their already

low income. This criticism comes after the recent Budget 2014, where more austerity measures were taken. There have been cuts to under-25-year-old job seekers, a reduction in pension benefits (the telephone allowance has been scrapped) and the abolition of the bereavement grant. Changes were also made for Medical Card holders with regards to income limits. Job seekers can now avail of a new service, Intreo, which is in the process of combining FÁS and Social Welfare local offices. It is hoped that this will simplify the process for claimants by integrating employment services with payment applications.

The beanstalk of Shop Street targeted by Galway City Council By Michael Finn One of Shop Street’s most distinguishing features, the Beanstalk Mural on Claddagh Jewellers, has become the target of Galway City Council. The mural has caused uproar since it was painted by Ruairi O'Byrne and commissioned by Claddagh Jewellers in 2011. The council believes that it is “excessively obtrusive, does not integrate into the streetscape generally and affects the character of the area”.

However, the public believe that it is a great addition to Shop Street and 87% of those who were surveyed agreed that it should stay. There is some reason for concern with regards to keeping Galway aesthetically pleasing. Since Galway is an old city, allowing business owners to have free reign over how to present their shop front could make Galway look ‘tacky’. “To this end, shop fronts and any mural paintwork should respect the scale,

character and setting of the building to which it is attached,” according to the Galway City Development Plan 2011-2017. “The need to have regard to these policy objectives is more critical where the building lies within an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA).” Caroline O’Byrne, wife of the painter voiced her opinion on the matter to the Galway Independent in midOctober; “He really enjoyed the process and the positive

attention the mural got from so many locals and tourists alike. It seemed that everyone was happy to witness its creation.” Feature Walls, Ruairi’s company, has done murals in many locations around Galway, Sligo, Dublin, and many other towns and cities in Ireland. Their GAA mural in Drumcondra, entitled; ‘One will conquer all’, was sponsored by Guinness and remains one of their most famous pieces to date.

over 2 million Euro seized by Gardai By Lisa Penski Gardai seized a total of over €2m worth of cannabis plants in 3 searches. Three suspects, one of Chinese and two of Vietnamese nationality, were under investigation regarding the raids, while a fourth suspect needed medical treatment. Three searches were undertaken as part of Operation Nitrogen, an operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU). One factory containing around 1800 plants worth about 1.3 million euro was raided in an industrial estate in Clash, Trallee, Co. Kerry. The search was carried out by Gardai on Monday 21 October. A house in Carrigaloon, Virginia, Co. Cavan was also searched and found to contain 700 cannabis plants worth around €560,000. The search was undertaken by local Gardai. A third search took place in Oldtown, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, where a house was found to contain cannabis worth around 240,000 euro. The search was led by the Roscommon/Longford Drug Unit, who were assisted by members of the GDNU. The factory in Trallee, the

house in Carrigaloon and the house in Athlone were all searched at the same time. Regarding the operation a Garda spokesperson said; “The total value of the cannabis plants seized over the course of the three searches is approximately €2.1m.” Two Vietnamese men, believed to be in their late 20s or early 30s, were arrested during the search in Trallee. One suspect was held under investigation in Trallee Garda Station while the other injured himself while jumping off a roof in an attempt to escape and needed medical attention. A third suspect, a Chinese male in his 20s was arrested at the house in Oldtown, Athlone. The third search in Carrogaloon led to the arrest of a 50-year-old Chinese man. Relating to the arrests, a Garda spokesperson said; “There was three suspects arrested and are currently being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 in Trallee, Roscommon and Bailieboro Garda Station respectively. An additional suspect is currently receiving medical attention at Tralee General Hospital.”

6 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

Enda Kenny confident on bailout exit By Yvonne Clinton On 15 December Ireland will exit the EU/IMF bailout programme. Speaking at Fine Gael’s party conference, Enda Kenny was adamant Ireland would make a successful exit from the programme, declaring us to be on course to "retrieve our economic sovereignty and independence". After seven austerity budgets, including 15 October’s €2.5bn package of spend-

ing cuts and tax increases, it seems Ireland is finally on the road to recovery. In Enda Kenny’s words “the economic emergency will be over”. In November 2010, Ireland’s interest rates on the bond markets soared to 7%, making it far too expensive for us to borrow money. The then Government was forced to seek a bailout. It would total €85bn, with the interest rates on the loans now averaging just 3%.

The main question being asked now is whether or not Ireland will exit the bailout unaided. ECB President Mario Draghi declared that a precautionary credit line for Ireland is “just being discussed by the relevant authorities”. In a letter to his European counterparts on Wednesday, October 23rd Enda Kenny declared the negotiations to be “finely balanced”.

A precautionary credit line would act like an insurance policy supporting Ireland’s return to the bond markets. There are fears in Europe that a solo exit for Ireland could cause the markets to react negatively due to the countries’ high deficit. Fear is the enemy of markets, and could cause jitters across the entire EU. Whether or not Ireland exits unaided depends on the results of bank stress tests being carried out.

Minister for European Affairs Paschal Donohue has said that Irish banks were “well-capitalised” and “well-scrutinised”. However, a member of the Executive Board of the ECB declared there to be “pending risks” for Ireland exiting the bailout. Ireland has already managed to raise some money on the bond markets since June 2012, and the results have been promising. The interest rates charged have been

less than 4%, lower than any other country in a bailout. A cash pile of €25bn has been built up. This hopefully will be enough of an ‘insurance policy’ to allow a solo exit in December. The EU needs a country to successfully exit a bailout to show that this form of rescue programme has worked. After all the years of austerity, it looks like Ireland may finally be an example to Europe – and the world.

Roma child Maria New Children’s returned to her family Hospital for Belfast By Conor Lane A seven-year old girl who had been taken in a raid by the Gardai from a Roma family located in Tallaght in the West of Dublin has been returned to her family. It was believed she may not have been related to her family but DNA tests confirmed that she in was. The father of the little girl said that he “doesn’t want this to happen to any family”. The family’s solicitor stated that “her removal has been a cause of huge upset to her parents” and that “they do not accept there was any proper or sufficient basis to take their daughter away from them, thereby causing her and them the upset which has been caused”. The Roma family has been victim to racist attacks in the area previously and had been living in their house for five

years which now has fortified glass installed to repel bricks. The Gardai used their powers under the Child Care Act to remove the child from the family where she was kept in the custody of the HSE until DNA tests could be performed. This case came after a little blonde girl, Maria, was taken from a Roma family in Greece whose real parents were found in an impoverished camp in the neighboring country Bulgaria. A 35-year-old Bulgarian Roma woman said she gave birth to a baby girl while working as an olive picker in Greece and had no choice but to give her away as she was too poor to care for her. The Greek couple has been arrested on abduction charges but has said that they were given the girl as a baby from her biological mother willingly before she left the country. The case which has drawn

a global audience has led to other nations such as Ireland attempting to clamp down on suspected abductions but the criteria by which families have been targeted has led to outcries by people labeling these actions as a selected racism regime. Pavee Point said that there is a “real danger” that if the State is going to carry out actions such as these against families based solely on appearance then they would essentially be helping to foster an environment for racism in Ireland. A two year-old boy in Athlone has also been returned to his home after being taken from another Roma family. Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said that it is important that “no group or minority community is singled out for unwarranted attention, or, indeed, suspicion in relation to child protection issues.”

By Áine O Donnell Northern Ireland’s Minister for Finance Simon Hamilton announced in the Northern Assembly on 21 October plans to develop a “state of the art” children’s hospital in Belfast. The new hospital will be built on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Belfast. The project has a projected investment of £250m, the equivalent of €295m. The development of the hospital will be partly funded by a relocation of an investment which was originally intended to be spent on the A5 road from the border at Aughnacloy, Tyrone to Derry City. The Irish Government and the Northern executive had initially promised to allocate £400m each to the road improvement scheme under the St. Andrew’s Agreement

in 2006 but the Irish Government had to postpone funding due to the economic downturn south of the border. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland will receive £52m of the reallocated funds of which £15.5m will be dedicated to the beginning of development at the new hospital site. The hospital is estimated to be completed by 2021. The current children’s hospital in Belfast, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, was updated 15 years ago and has a capacity of 107 beds. Minister Hamilton admitted that although the building had been renovated it remained in unacceptable condition, saying he was “shocked” by the state of the hospital when he visited recently. He added that there are “dedicated health professionals going beyond the call of

duty to treat some extremely ill children, but doing so in surroundings that I’m ashamed to say are far from fit for purpose.” Work is set to start next year on the project. The hospital will mark an achievement for the current Northern Assembly as previous Governments including under direct British rule proposed plans for a new hospital, most significantly in the early 1990’s under Minister for Health Baroness Denton. The Minister for Finance also allocated funding to the improvement of the A8 Belfast to Larne (£30m) and the A31 Magherafelt bypass (£13.6m). Ferries running off the coasts of Antrim and Down will also receive funding. Minister Hamilton stated his allocations “will leave a lasting economic impact on Northern Ireland”.

Ireland welcomes 4,000 new Irish citizens in 2013 By Hazel Elliffe Last month, 4000 people from over 120 countries nations, including Syria, Egypt, Australia and South Sudan became Irish citizens in four special ceremonies in Dublin. Since the famine there has been a wave of Irish emigrants departing our shores, to America, England and as far away as Australia for economic reasons. Unemployment in the 1980s also saw a mass exodus of young

Irish seeking opportunities abroad. Then during the Celtic tiger era Ireland’s robust economy attracted refugees from countries such as Nigeria looking for a better quality of life, often poor living conditions coupled with corrupt governments were their reasons for coming. The property crash and collapse of the Celtic tiger has seen a new generation of Irish having to emigrate yet again to seek opportunities abroad.

The Irish ceremonies where individuals make a declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the state and to respect its democratic values were held in the convention centre in Dublin, overseen by the Minister for Justice and a High Court judge. Since 2011 there have been 81 ceremonies with 59,000 people becoming Irish citizens. The first ceremony took place on 24 June 2011 and, on that day, 73 new citizens were welcomed to the national family.

These new citizens come here for many reasons to set up homes, get jobs, pay taxes and open businesses. Some applicants are asylum-seekers coming from troubled parts of the world such as Syria; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Somalia; Egypt; Iraq; and South Sudan. Those that are granted citizenship under these circumstances were also granted political asylum by the state. The citizen’s information advice webpage have infor-

mation for anyone wishing to apply for Irish citizenship. The application fee is currently €175 and there are a number of rules to be adhered to. A person must be over 18 years of age and have lived in the country for a number of years; one year of residency immediately before application and have had residence in Ireland for four years before that. Applicants must also supply evidence that they are self-sufficient and show that they have not received state

support in the 3 years prior to application. If the application is approved certain documentation and a certificate fee of €950 is required before being invited to a citizenship ceremony at which they will be granted their citizenship of naturalisation. There are approximately 20,000 applications per year. While previously an application for citizenship could have taken up to four years, due to advances in technology, it now takes six months.

News 7

November 11 2013

Berlusconi banned from public office for two years

By Andrew Brennan A court in Milan ruled on Saturday 19 that Italy’s former Premier Silvio Berlusconi should be barred from holding any public office position for two years following his tax fraud conviction. Mr Berlusconi is currently a senator and as such the court's ruling will have no immediate effect. His expulsion from the Italian Senate will depend on a separate vote in the upper house of Italian parliament which is expected to take place in November. Saturday's court ruling reflected the prosecution's request for a two-year ban on Mr Berlusconi holding public office.

Berlusconi's lawyers said they will appeal the decision to Italy’s Supreme Court and have asked for the minimum penalty under Italian law which is a one-year ban, being applied to the case. The maximum ban would be for three years. The Italian Supreme Court previously and definitively upheld a tax fraud conviction against the centre-right leader, rejecting Silvio’s final court appeal against an earlier four-year jail sentence on 1 August. The four-year sentence handed down to Mr Berlusconi was commuted down to one year, and, if the Italian Senate expels him, Berlusconi, now aged 77, will spend the entire year either under house arrest or in community service. In the 1 August ruling, the Italian Supreme Court confirmed Mr Berlusconi’s tax fraud conviction but ordered a further judicial review of banning a person from holding public office regarding the tax fraud offence. The Italian Senate’s vote this coming November will effectively supersede the Milan court's ruling because it will be based

on a separate law, which, if Silvio is expelled, will ban Mr Berlusconi from public office for six instead of two years. Losing his seat in the It a l i a n S e n a t e w o u l d deprive Berlusconi, who is currently fighting a conviction for paying for sex with a minor, a girl of Moroccan decent nicknamed Ruby Heartstealer, among other legal cases, of Silvio’s parliamentary immunity from arrest. The Italian Senate is dominated by Mr Berlusconi’s opponents from both the left and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and is expected to vote on expelling Silvio from the Italian Senate. The media mogul billionaire and political veteran has protested his innocence, accusing magistrates of unfairly persecuting him since Silvio’s entry into Italian politics 20 years ago. Mr Berlusconi has appealed to participate in community service for a year rather than being confined under house arrest regarding another conviction and has appealed another conviction that would see him spend up to seven years in prison.

UK nuclear plant gets green light By Maria Keenan With operations set to begin in 2023, Britain has given the go-ahead for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset. Stake in the plant is split among French utility firm EDF (45%), China General Nuclear Corporation (CGN) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) (combined 30%) and Areva (10%). The cost of the project is estimated at £14bn. Hinkley Point C will be the first nuclear facility established since the Fukushima incident in March 2011. It is projected that the plant will produce 7% of the UK’s energy needs serving five million homes.

Though the site was initially designated for windgenerated power, these levels of production were deemed impossible, whether offshore or on-shore. The British Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, stated that the Hinkley Point reactor’s capabilities are 6,000 times that of the proposed wind farms. The Strike Price (or guaranteed price to be paid for electricity produced by the plant) has been guaranteed at £92.50 per megawatt hour – nearly twice the market price for electricity. The British Government has come under attack in recent months over vast increases in energy prices with consumer costs rising by up to 10%. These increases come in the shadow of Labour leader

Ed Miliband’s recent pledge to freeze energy prices for 20 months. Advocates of these criticisms have included the Archbishop of Canterbury. The move is backed by the Liberal Democrats who have responded to these negative accusations by advocating the necessity for the energy security provided by nuclear power. The government also argues that the taxpayer subsidies used to partially fund the project are equal to those being put into other carbonfree industries. The High Court has undertaken a challenge to the plant after the Irish government was not consulted about the planned establishment. The designated site is equidistant to both London and the Irish coast.

Rome hit by anti-austerity demonstrations and transport strike By Benjamin O’Gorman Large-scale demonstrations and occupations, coupled with a 24-hour transport strike, caused significant disruption in Rome on Friday and Saturday, 18 and 19 October. The protests and industrial-action followed the presentation of the budget by Prime Minister Enrico Letta earlier in the week. Demonstrators cited a number of concerns, including the socio-economic impacts of austerity, housing issues, and discontent with a planned high-speed rail link between Turin and Lyon. The protest organisers placed the number involved on Saturday at 70,000, whereas police estimated approximately 50,000 people took part. About 3,000 to 4,000 police were on duty. 15 individuals were

arrested during Saturday and about 100 demonstrators were witnessed propelling rocks at police securing the Finance Ministry, who pursued them down side streets. On Saturday night, in a similar occupation to Friday night, protestors established a camp with tents in Porta Pia Square. Approximately 140 flights were cancelled at Rome’s main airport Fiumicino as a result of the transport strike while national train and bus services operated solely at rush hours, leading to severe traffic congestion in Rome, Milan and Naples. Protestor anger came against the backdrop of a two-year recession and an unemployment rate which has climbed to a record high of 12.2 % as of August. The economic downturn has led many Italians to fall behind in mortgage repay-

ments and rent, resulting in a marked increase in repossessions and evictions. “We are protesting a oneway austerity that is bringing the country to its knees,” said Piero Bernocchi of the trade union Cobas on Saturday. Paolo Ferrero of the Communist Reformation Party called on Letta’s administration to change economic course and address youth unemployment; “It needs to answer the demand to abandon austerity and answer a generation that is not being offered anything at all.” The protest on Saturday has also been connected with the ‘NO-TAV’ movement, a group attempting to halt the construction of the new high-speed TAV rail line between Turin and Lyon. The increased militancy of the group has led to a number of bomb attacks on the line in Piedmont.

8 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

This week’s debate: Should Cannabis be Legalised? Roscommon TD Luke Ming Flanagan recently put forward a motion to l egalise Cannabis. The motion was defeated by 111 to eight in the Dáil last week. In this week’s debate we discuss whether Cannabis should be legalised.

Yes: We're losing the war on drugs No: Cannabis is a health risk By Marcus Mac Dhonnagáin We’re losing the war on drugs. Independent TD for Roscommon Luke Ming Flanagan recently proposed legislation that would see cannabis legalized. What Flanagan proposed would be a legalization of the drug along similar lines as the sale of both tobacco and alcohol. His legislation, which has not been passed, proposed an option that many world governments are not considering – the legalization of cannabis. In the early 20th century, the US instituted a prohibition on alcohol at the behest of societal groups that wanted to see the evils of the liquor be done away with. They naively thought that by banning it, society would become a better place, free from the taint of the devil liquor. This policy failed spectacularly; not only did the American people ignore it for the most part, but the sale of alcohol went from the legitimate honest businessman to the determined gangster. The measure didn’t prevent people from purchasing and consuming booze, and eventually the US repealed the policy, realizing that its continuation would continue to fund gangsters, as well as consume many of their resources that might otherwise be spent elsewhere. The prohibition era showed why simple criminalisation of a substance doesn’t work; because people who are determined to get their hands on it will always find a way, and there will always be a supplier, operating outside of the law and more than willing to use violence in order to profiteer from its sale. Thankfully prohibition was repealed, and the sale of alcohol went back into the hands of the market, as well as under the scrutiny of the authorities.

The past provides us with a real lesson for today. The US recognized that alcohol could cause social and health problems, the force and funding needed to keep a ban in force would be overwhelming, and in the end, mostly ineffective. The same applies to cannabis today. The people that are profiteering off cannabis – the groups that world governments have declared war on, be they criminal gangs or paramilitary organizations – are extremely well-funded, well organized and have shown that they’re more than willing to fight back so that they can maintain their lucrative businesses. Governments have become so wrapped up in trying to fight drugs, that they’ve resigned themselves to a long conflict that has no real end in sight. And no matter their efforts, all manner of narcotics continue to flow into the state. It’s time that we recognized that much like alcohol, there are smarter ways against fighting drugs; beginning with cannabis. In 2012 a report from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Public Health Information and Research Branch found that cannabis was the most illegally used drug in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Unlike cocaine and heroin, cannabis is a soft drug like alcohol or tobacco. This isn’t to say it isn’t harmful; all drugs have negative impacts, but it’s widely considered that its negative impacts are on par with drugs that are legal. Alcohol addiction is a very real disease, and has been responsible for the destruction of many lives. Likewise, tobacco is a leading cause of cancer. Why do we legalize these drugs when they are so harmful to public health? It’s because we can’t control them, and, in the end, they’re more socially accepted.

Cannabis for many years now has seen a normalization and social acceptance. Many political movements, albeit in the more alternative wing of the spectrum, have called for its decriminalization. Gone are the days of hysteria that were created by the 1936 film Reefer Madness. People smoke cannabis regularly, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, but are technically breaking the law for doing so. And by doing so, their money is being used to sustain a massive black economy. If people are still obtaining and smoking cannabis in such large quantities, and are being prosecuted by the law for doing so, we must ask if the current policy is being really effective. Not only that, but by ignoring the problem, the state has very little oversight over the quality of the drugs themselves, and receives nothing in terms of revenue from its sale. And if cannabis continues to be the most illegally used drug in both the Republic and Northern Ireland, then gangs are still profiting from it. In order to properly regulate the consumption of a product better, the state should legalize cannabis, and recognize that it cannot stop people from consuming it. It has failed to do so over the last number of decades; what hope is there that it can continue to do so? Its resources are finite, and its sellers are determined to continue to profit from it. It’s time that the prohibition of cannabis came to an end, and that the Irish government realize that the war on drugs is a fight it cannot win.

By Hazel Elliffe TD Ming Flanagan has opened the debate for a 2013 Bill to legalise Cannabis use in Ireland. Many people see cannabis as a harmless substance that helps you to relax and “chill” – a drug that, unlike alcohol and cigarettes, might even be good for your physical and mental health. The reported pleasant effects of cannabis use are a sense of relaxation, happiness, sleepiness; colours appear more intense with music sounding better. So what is in cannabis that causes such good effects? Cannabis is of the nettle family that have grown wild throughout the world for centuries. Its resin (ganja/hashish), leaves (grass,weed) and flowering tops (herbal cannabis) are used. Most commonly, the resin or the dried leaves are mixed with tobacco and smoked as a “spliff” or “joint”, inhaled strongly and held in the lungs for a number of seconds. It contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that is responsible for its mind-altering properties and also contains non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD), which can protect against neuron damage. Skunk refers to a range of stronger types of home cultivated cannabis, grown for its higher concentration of active substances. It is grown either under grow-lights or in a greenhouse, often using hydroponic (growing in nutrient rich liquids rather than soil) techniques. It has higher volumes of THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis, and reduced quantities of CBD which tends to counteract it.

Do you think Cannabis should be legalised? Join in the debate at www.sin.ie/2013/11/11/ should-cannabis-be-legalised

Meanwhile medical cannabis which has proven to offer pain relief to various illnesses is rich in CBD and low in THC. So what are the bad effects of Cannabis use? Well around one in 10 cannabis users have unpleasant experiences – hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia. These feelings are usually only temporary, although as the drug can stay in the system for some weeks the effect can be more longlasting than users realise. Heath studies on psychological health have shown it can cause anxiety, depression, lack of motivation and difficulty concentrating. Studies have shown a clear link between cannabis use and mental illness in later life. There is growing evidence that people with serious mental illness, including depression and psychosis, are more likely to use cannabis or have used it for long periods of time in the past. Recent research in Europe has suggested that people who have a family background of mental illness – and so probably have a genetic vulnerability anyway – are more likely to develop schizophrenia if they use cannabis as well. Regular use of the drug has appeared to double the risk of developing a psychotic episode or long-term schizophrenia. If it is legalised it could be abused or misused by young people. Adolescents who use cannabis daily are five times more likely to develop depression and anxiety in later life. Using it in the teenage years can cause permanent damage on the developing brain. Over the past few years, research has strongly suggested that there is a clear link between early cannabis use and later mental health problems in those with a genetic vulnerability. The brain is still developing in the teenage years – up to the age of around 20, in fact. Any experience that affects this process has the potential

to produce long-term psychological effects. There have also been suggestions that cannabis may interfere with a person's capacity to concentrate and organise information. This effect seems to last several weeks after use, which can cause particular problems for students. Cannabis can also have a detrimental effect on physical health. Consultant/physician Professor Joseph Harbison, a doctor at St James’s Hospital, has seen “five or six cases” of young people having strokes following the use of herbal cannabis in the past three years. He suggested the strokes may be linked to the increased potency of cannabis available in Ireland. The British lung foundation did research on the effect on respiratory health. The main risk to physical health from cannabis is probably from the tobacco that it is often smoked with. Cannabis is costly and people mix it with tobacco to make it last. Smoking is harmful for the lungs and smoking cannabis poses a risk to the lungs as cannabis smokers can inhale more deeply than tobacco smokers and hold it longer than tobacco. Some researchers are more worried about the effects of cannabis with other substances such as alcohol and tobacco. Some suggest it may increase cravings for other drugs. Studies have shown individuals experience withdrawal affects, irritability and trouble sleeping. The irritability, anxiety and problems with sleeping usually appear 10 hours after the last joint, and peak at around one week after the last use of the drug. The legalisation of cannabis would send the wrong message to young people that this is a harmless drug. The evidence is there that it has harmful effects on both mental and physical health. I for one will not be supporting a bill to legalise it.

Opinion 9

November 11 2013

Anyone who starts talking about Christmas before December should be shot By Valeri Tarassov Yes, it is that time of the year again, and no I am not talking about Halloween, and I should not be really talking about Christmas, should I? It is not even December yet. Folks, remember when we were little kids, when the excitement of approaching Christmas was great. We expected Santa to bring us presents, and the entire atmosphere was absolutely fantastic; the decorations, the Christmas tree, and especially decorating the tree with your loved ones. Wasn’t that amazing? But we’ve grown up and for most of us the excitement fades away from the level it used to be. But for some reason, some of us still start to go nuts in November, October and even in September. But it’s not the idea of reliving these fond memories that are driving people, but the shoddy commercialization that mars the season instead. Well the first question to ask is; isn't it time to grow up a little? Think of what will happen with a future genera-

tion who take their example from us, the adults. They will start thinking about Christmas in July, for all we know. Are we not forgetting what is Christmas really about? On Christmas we celebrate the birth of our lord, Jesus. It is a religious holiday that must be celebrated with our loved ones. So where is it all coming from? And who should we really shoot? Even walking around in Aldi recently, I can't help but notice that Christmas stuff is already there. Seriously? It was the beginning of October when I noticed that shops are filled with Christmas decorations, chocolate Santa's and every other possible thing a retailer can sell for this holiday. Again we have to face the facts, it’s all become about some suit’s pretty heartless money-making exercise. If the Lord sees how we celebrate the birth of his son by selling and buying a bunch of crap, it’s really no mystery as to why he is punishing us with a recession and austerity.

In a simple scenario, w h e n a you ng b oy i s promised a new Xbox for Christmas in April, you can be pretty sure he is going to be thinking about Christmas all that time, because that is when he gets what is promised to him. It’s all motivated by that feeling of victory, of possessing something that comes only once a year, on Christmas. What I remembered as a special time with my family now seems more

Amnesty International recently published a report calling the use of drone strikes in the Middle East the unlawful killing of civilians. What is more shocking? The fact it’s taken this long for Amnesty International to come out and condemn the US for its illegal drone activity, or the fact that the report states that the drone strikes “may” constitute human rights violations and that they “appear” to be war crimes? Rather than focusing on an organisation which congratulated NATO for its illegal occupation of Afghanistan on the basis that the war there was somehow benefiting Afghan women; attention needs to be drawn to Obama and the sheer amount of civilians who have died at the hands of his drone programme.

Ben Emmerson, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and CounterTerrorism, also presented a report to the UN last week on the impact of drone strikes. In his report, Emmerson said he received statistics from the Pakistani government indicating that at least 2,200 people have been killed in drone strikes in that country since 2004. Britain’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism has revealed that the CIA carried out 400 drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan, killing more than 3,500 people since 2004. It also revealed that there were deliberate targeting of rescuers and funeral-goers by the CIA. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Masood Khan, has already stated that drone strikes cause civilian casualties and called for

out of Christmas. Kids and adults are not expecting a family dinner, but a material possession for this event, so it’s really no wonder everyone starts going on and on about Christmas, when it is still months away. What once brought out the best in people, the generosity, the togetherness and the basic spirit of goodwill, now just seems to bring out the worst. People, forget all material gain for once; we can't expect that

from retailers and bankers, because they live for turning a profit. I am talking about us, the buyers. Remember, during his time on earth Jesus gave away all of his possessions and he became poor. Remember what the holiday is really about, and if you care about religion and those in need, help someone who is in need and have it quietly with your family and at appropriate time.

Bah Humbug! Tis the season for Scrooges.

Is Obama a war criminal? By Joseph Loughnane

like simple material accumulation; greed. So Christmas has in every sense become about shopping. I know people who have actually taken out loans to cover the expenses of the season. Can you believe that? And not cheap ones; some loans with very high interest rates. Who benefited from the season again? Retailers and of course banks. It’s safe to say that the heart has truly been taken

their cessation. The United States has been operating covert unmanned drone strikes for almost a decade in tribal areas of Pakistan against “militants”. These attacks, which began during President George W. Bush’s tenure, have noticeably increased under the Obama administration. The US has claimed that its drone warfare is restricted and targeted but the reality on the ground is quite different. The strikes have been blamed for “collateral damage” and killing civilians as well as violating sovereignty and humanitarian law. The U S has repeatedly violated a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by unlawfully entering its border and killing civilians by launching deadly drone strikes, which

is against the international rule of law and a violation of the UN charter. The CIA’s predator strikes are demeaning Pakistan and deteriorating the security situation within the county which has filled the inhabitants with deep hatred and rage. Pakistan never consented to such strikes and it could not be argued that the US is defending itself. The use of drones means that politicians and army commanders can launch armed attacks and undertake military intervention anywhere around the world at little or no cost – remote warfare always results in more warfare. Another question is whether this current drone policy violates US domestic law with regard to its possible expansion of the role of the executive vis-à-vis the Congress and also how it goes against the prohibition on assassination.

The US has refused to answer basic questions about the drone programme posed in litigation or by journalists and public officials. Some public comments have been made but there has been extensive reliance on selective and favourable leaks about the program to journalists. To determine whether Mr Obama is a war criminal, discussions about the legality of the drones policy both under International Humanitarian Law – the body of law governing armed conflict – and International Human Rights Law often require fact-dependent contextual analysis. It’s looking very unlikely that we’ll ever see such analysis offered by the Obama Administration. To highlight one case In particular, let me briefly mention the targeted killing of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki in a drone attack in Yemen in September 2011.

The U.S. government did not confirm or deny that it had a role in his death until almost 2 years after the case. Despite critics from all sides of the political spectrum stating that Mr Al-Awlaki was entitled to due process as an American citizen, the Obama administration maintained that he was a major figure in al Qaeda’s operations in Yemen and that he plotted to kill Americans and inspired Muslims to commit terrorist acts. Numerous human rights organisation have produced evidence to the contrary, but like with the more general aspects of the legality of these strikes, the jury is definitely not out on whether war crimes are being committed; instead we have to deal with the numerous ways Obama avoids international scrutiny and attempt to bring him and his administration to justice for the thousands of lives lost.

10 Opinion

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

Why pro-choice and pro-life should call off the battalions and join forces By Sarah Ryan After reading an article in the previous issue of Sin entitled “Stop trying to give every ejaculation a name: Abortion on demand is an integral part of women’s rights” [issue 3], I took to my computer, determined to write a rebuttal and stand up for my beliefs. I wanted to raise awareness about the physical and mental health risks associated with abortion, and to put forward a secular argument grounded in science in order to appeal for the rights of the voiceless. I wrote the article. I probably re-read it about thirty times, obsessively editing every sentence. I hit ‘save’. I considered using a pseudonym to avoid any social awkwardness, decided that that would be a spineless cop-out and typed my real name. I cried for a bit and then watched Juno. In my younger years I was adamantly pro-choice. It was a direct response to the scare tactics that were used by my religion teachers in a Catholic all-girls school. Among a class of thirty-something teenagers, I was one of two girls who remained pro-choice after the religious intervention. That was until I took a practical ethics class in first year philosophy. During my

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research for an assignment I realised that abortion was not that simple. In the end, I couldn’t take a side and resolved to write about vegetarianism instead. I lingered in no man’s land for several years, until I met Theresa, a Spanish girl. During the course of our friendship she opened up to me about how her mother had almost had an abortion when she was halfway through her medical degree. If she hadn’t changed her mind and decided to become a nurse instead, Theresa would not be alive. After this revelation I was decidedly pro-life, but for the most part kept it a secret in fear that I would be judged for my beliefs. At some point while Juno was out “handling things way beyond her maturity level”, the truth started to sink in. The reason I couldn’t bring myself to submit the rebuttal was that deep down I knew it wouldn’t do any good.

It would not ease the decision-making process of a young woman facing an unwanted pregnancy. It would not change the minds of pro-choice supporters who were already decided on the issue. Right or wrong, legal or illegal, as long as there are crisis pregnancies there will be abortions, and it will take a lot more than a strongly worded article to change this reality. Such is the problem with the pro-choice and pro-life campaigns. For one they illustrate the danger of two sides becoming so extreme and distant they can no longer relate on any points of discussion, or even as human beings. What’s more is that their main point of argument concerns legislation which has little effect on the source of the issue, and which fails to address the complex nature of the situation. Countries in which abortion is illegal have similar rates of abortion as countries in which it is legal. Outlawing abortion does

If she hadn’t changed her mind, Theresa would not be alive. After this revelation I was decidedly pro-life, but for the most part kept it a secret in fear that I would be judged for my beliefs.

little to prevent its occurrence. It is also true that unsafe abortions can lead to physical complications, mental health problems, and even death. Still, those very same risks apply to “safe” abortions. Therefore, the only way to reduce the number of lives at risk is to reduce the number of abortions. This can only be done by preventing unwanted pregnancies from happening in the first place. When the labels are removed and all the biases, finger-pointing and childish namecalling are stripped away, the aims of the opposing sides of the abortion debate are not all that different. The pro-choice side aims to protect the rights and lives of women. The pro-life side aims protect the rights and lives of foetuses. Both aims can be accomplished by placing a greater emphasis on prevention - improving access to contraception, sexual education, contraceptive counselling, and unbiased support services for women who experience an unwanted pregnancy. If we can set aside our different beliefs and instead set our minds on ensuring that every person has unrestricted access to the kinds of care and resources listed above, together we may accomplish more than we ever could separately.

New Fat-Shaming Public The latest trend in our ‘material world’

By Fionnuala O’Leary Fat-shaming is not a recent phenomenon, but rather one which has flourished in today’s body-conscious, looks-obsessed culture. This is especially evident via social networking sites, such as Twitter, wherein the tag ‘#FatShaming’ went viral just over a fortnight ago; with some users going as far as to declare a fat-shaming week. The Urban Dictionary has two alternate definitions for this; the first being just a tad harsh to say the least: “a term made by obese people to avoid the responsibility to […] take proper care of their body and instead, victimize themselves[sic] by pretending they're discriminated [against].” The second, however, certainly appears to be a more apt description, likening fatshaming to a “bullying tactic”. Yet, many victims of this are not de facto morbidly obese, contrary to what the perpetrators would have them believe. They are mostly people who have fallen-foul of a rather unpleasant individual: the object of the exercise (excuse the pun) being to shame that person into losing weight.

Consequently, in light of the purpose here being to put-down, or ridicule, someone on account of their appearance, we are presented with an unpleasant justification for excessive weight-loss, particularly for women. If you are, what another considers to be a ‘fat’ individual (or worse, a ‘fat bird’ by d’ladz’ standards) you have failed before you have even begun apparently. This is laughable considering the maturity levels of those little boys hiding behind their keyboards, or rather, a lack-thereof. Indeed, the majority of jibes at a person’s weight are most definitely not intended as a sort of constructive criticism. Moreover, what is the first thing someone is likely to criticize a woman for? You guessed it, her weight of course. Surprise! And yet, women themselves are culpable of oppressing each other with harsh comments related to weight, not merely online fat-shaming, but also face-to-face. And why is this? It is because nowadays, rather than being venerated for your internal attributes, a woman is judged predominantly on the way that she looks.

Daily, we are inundated with unrealistic images of celebrities who have just given birth for example, and yet have somehow managed to procure abs of steel in a matter of weeks. Oh, but she eats whatever she wants, trill the trash-mags, lest we forget how inept we really are (i.e. she eats nothing – it’s a miracle that starvation diet). But, then again, what else could possibly demonstrate one’s success more than being underweight, ladies? Nothing apparently if someone like Rachel Zoe is anything to go by: “I've never told anyone to lose weight [LOL] I've worked with all sizes of women from slim to full-figured, some of my clients are a size 12.” Not a size 12 – blasphemy! I would just like to reiterate here that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14-16, a lesser known fact that speaks for itself. Of course, if Monroe was alive today she would find that societal conceptions of beauty have changed considerably, with companies, such as Abercrombie, catering only for ‘the attractive all-American kid’ (that is to say, only up to a size ten for women) according to their suitably chauvinistic CEO, Mike Jeffries.

The fat-shaming trend indicates a far more worrying agenda than we realise, as Naomi Wolf, author and political activist, aptly surmises; “[a] culture fixated on female thinness is not an obsession about female beauty, but an obsession about female obedience. Dieting is the most potent political sedative in women’s history; a quietly mad population is a tractable one.” Nowadays, this class of online bullying has been embraced in lieu of tolerance. The insidious message therein being that, if you are thin, you will get on in life: you will be met with pleasant squeals of “ohh have you lost weight? You look amaaaaazing,” etc., ringing in your ears. And effectively, you will be what your neighbour deems to be a success, unlike fatty in the corner there (because that just makes a world of sense). I do not lend myself to morbidity, but it is this positive-reinforcement of ‘thinness’, combined with a condemnation of the fuller figured person, that leads us to that unfortunate, emaciated girl in a hospital ward; with a drip in her arm and the prospect of death looming.

Features 11

November 11 2013

Journalism Graduates: Where are they now? By Niamh Towey This summer we were greeted with the discouraging announcement from the Central Statistics Office that in the year up to April 2013, on average one person emigrates from these shores every 6 minutes. That’s 240 people a day; 6720 a month – that’s about the same as the population of a large town in Ireland, such as Dunboyne in County Meath. Yet here we are; young, aspiring journalists full of hope, dreams and ambition – committing ourselves to a costly education in hope of a rewarding career. What murky waters lie ahead of us? Added to the Irish Brain Drain is the technological revolution threatening the very core and foundation of traditional print journalism and our job prospects. As an exercise of faith and encouragement I have decided to reach out to some recent Journalism graduates and find out where they are now, how they got there and if they’re happy. Meghann Scully works as a news intern with MTV in London – what she calls her “dream job”. Meghann started off just like

the rest of us; graduated from her masters into a world of unknown, with hopes of pursuing a career in television. She enrolled in a private TV training course with The Park Studio in Dublin, which took eight weeks. During this time she created a road safety campaign, a topic which she says “has always been close to my heart following my brother’s death in 2005”. This tragic event, along with other personal heartbreak, is documented very openly and sincerely by Meghann on her blog meghannmix.blogspot.ie. Her road safety campaign began to gain momentum, and Meghann found herself in London at an interview for MTV. The interview led to a wonderful opportunity, one which Meghann is clearly very grateful for; “I work with an amazing, young and creative news team. Each week is different. I get to interview a number of stars, attend events, screenings, red carpet and numerous gigs.” Meghann believes that the key to success in this industry is positivity; a skill she has earned the hard way, both personally and professionally; “sometimes you meet those who are not as friendly but you need a thick skin for this industry… I feel I now have the

tools and skills needed in life and the working world that can take me anywhere.” Another graduate is Mark Higgins, who only just completed his MAJ this year. Long before he ever started his masters Mark reported on local matches for the sports section of his local paper The Western People; “I was paid €30 per match and was basically one of the back-up staff who got a call when needed.” During his time in Galway he kept up this work at the weekends whilst also being the Sports editor of Sin. He continued on to do his work placement with the Western People – an unpaid internship which led him on to a fully paid contract with paper. “It was great to get the contract extended, I’m very happy to be here in Ballina until Christmas,” he said. Mark is now living in Ballina with a coveted press pass to the All-Ireland Football Final between Dublin and Mayo – his home county. Another successful NUI Galway Journalism Masters graduate is Jessica Thompson, current editor of Galway’s Sin newspaper, founder of the website The Daily Shift and

intern at The Connacht Tribune. After graduating from her English and Music Degree at UCD, Jessica spent a lot of time agonising over whether she should go down the road of teaching or follow her dreams as a writer – a decision many of us had to face. Choosing the Journalism masters in Galway was, as she said “the best decision of my life”. Jessica went on to do her work placement with TV3, and then succeeded in becoming editor of Sin newspaper – an achievement she believes was made possible through her work with The Daily Shift. From here she went on to achieve an internship with The Connacht Tribune, crediting her success to her work with Sin. She secured the editor position in Sin for another year and has developed the newspaper’s website to a much higher standard, using the skills which she learned in her work with The Daily Shift. Jessica finished with some lasting and encouraging words; “The Daily Shift led me to Sin Newspaper. Sin Newspaper led me to the Connacht Tribune. So where will the Connacht Tribune lead me? Who knows?”

What are your fondest memories of contributing to Sin?

my CV no matter how hard I try, which is a pity because not all of us who leave want to stay gone forever but are left with very few choices back home.

Interview with James Mahon And what was your first thought when you found out you'd be staying in America? I need to get back to work to try for an Emmy nomination in the next two years and prove I deserve this o-1 extraordinary alien visa. I immediately thought of how much more I can do and need to do and give back to those who stood by me and believed in me when very few did.

By Jessica Thompson The past month has been an eventful one for 23-year-old James Mahon. When his visa ran out, he feared he would have to leave his dream job as a reporter for WDEF in Tennessee. But fortunately, his worst fears have not come true and the former NUI Galway student is remaining in Tennessee for the foreseeable future. A former contributor to Sin, James was one of the authors behind the very controversial ‘How to get the shift’ and ‘How to get from the shift to the ride’ saga a few years ago. In this interview, he recalls his time with Sin, discusses his American Dream and divulges his hopes for the future.

How does it feel to have such a huge amount of support and large fanbase over in America? It’s overwhelming yet I am grateful for the public and the fans and viewers as they make you believe in being better.

What was the first thought going through your head when you found out you might have to return to Ireland? Terrified and scared and I felt angry and unsure as I never had a plan B!

You contributed to Sin for two years - is that where your love of journalism started? No, but I was editor of an Irish Times shortlisted Secondary School magazine and also presented an episode of news2day on RTE as winner of a TV presenter competition when I was 16. But I always wanted to study law or become a teacher, never to pursue journalism as a career. Sin taught me that words can have a lot of power and influence and journalism and blogging are two very different things.

Rumour has it you were the author of the controversial "How to get the Shift” saga in Sin a few years ago. Is that true?

International Suit and Tie Day in 2010 was so much fun, so entertaining, people were just so happy and eager to talk to you; it was a truly wonderful time.

What was your favourite story to cover during your American career (so far)?

Yes I was one of the writers behind it. It fizzled out; it wasn't as controversial as people made out. It was a very quiet time for news in the city and it got more attention than it deserved; it taught me that journalism can divide as quickly as unite.

Tornados were a bit of a shock; we don't have them in Gort! Gang Shootings and teen murders and stabbings are so common but initially I was taken aback at how young and how scary the frailty of life can be to gang members.

Do you think your contributions to Sin helped you in any way towards getting a job in America?

Do you think you'll ever come home and work in Ireland and if so, how do you think it will compare to your current job?

Not directly but experience of real life controversy with Sin got me into a BJTC and NCTJ Masters at Sheffield University and BBC Yorkshire. From there that gave me the platform to move into US media.

I would someday but no one would ever hire me; I'm trained by the BBC in the UK and work for CBS in the US. Most irish media outlets would see me as a liability and I doubt anyone will ever even look at

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? In New York or Philadelphia as a Morning TV Anchor hopefully with the influence to support fellow Irish in America and provide a support network to those interested in pursuing media.

What advice would you give to the budding journalists who read Sin? Listen twice as much as you talk. Never ever, ever underestimate an interviewee and don't under prepare for your topic, issue or interview as someone will call you out and bring you and your organization down. You are a voice, you are a face if you chose public life don't forget that and don't forget the role you play in a community is 24/7 not just for a one hour newscast.

12 As Gaeilge Pamplona: Rith na dTarbh Le Dylan Mac Réamoinn I bPamplona guíonn an pobal do Naomh Fermín, díreach sula dtosnaíonn Rith na dTarbh. Impíonn siad ar an naomh iad a thabhairt slán ó chontúirt Fhéile na dTarbh. Seo thíos a nguí: San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro dándonos su bendición. Entzun arren San Fermin zu zaitugu patroi zuzendu gure oinak entzierro hontan otoi." I mbliana bhí an deis agam dul go Pamplona, áit atá suite i Navarra sa Spáinn. Is áit iontach í Pamplona, atá lán de thraidisiún, cultúr agus radharcanna áille tríd na sleibhte ollmhóra atá laistigh den cheantar. Is é an traidisiún a bhaineann le rith na dtarbh a sheas amach dom, áfach agus mé ag tógaint cinneadh taisteal go dtí an áit éagsúil seo.

San Fermín a ghlaotar ar an fhéile, a mheallann timpeall is milliún duine don deich lá ina mbíonn an céiliúradh ag dul ar aghaidh. B’é San Fermín éarlamh an cheantair seo, agus cuimhníonn siad ar a bhás trí chéilúradh na hócáid speisialta seo. Faraor, sa lá atá inniú ann tá ról tánaisteach ag an reiligiún, agus tá níos mó béim curtha ar na sluaite a thagann ar an láthair, agus bhí mé féin i lár an aonaigh i mbliana. Is cuimhin liom agus mé ar an mbus isteach go Pamplona, na sluaite a bhí ar na sráideanna ag canadh is ag damhsa. Bhí an bus ina raibh mé, gafa sa trácht, mar go raibh an áit dubh le daoine agus iad ag damhsa ar nós gealt. Sheas mé amach ón mbus, tar éis turas sách fada a chur díom, agus bhí mé i measc an tslua mór don chéad uair, agus an torann ó na drumaí i mo chluasa.

Bhí chuile dhuine gléasta ó bhun go barr in éadaí bána, ach amháin an scairf dearg a bhí ceangailte timpeall a muinéal. Bhí rian an sangria fágtha ar t-léinte daoine mar go raibh sé á ól go rábach. Bhí sé deich a chlog ar maidin, agus an céilúradh tosnaithe cheanna féin. Bhreathnaigh mé ar aighaigheanna mo chairde, agus an t-aon rud a bhí le feiceáil ná meangadh mór gáire ó chluais go cluais agus iad ar bís le hiontas. Sin é an uair a thuigeamar gur féile cheart a bhí inti! Chuamar ansin go dtí an t-árasán, a bhí curtha in áirithe againn, chun ár gcuid éadaí bána agus ár scairfeanna dearga a chur orainn. B’shin an chéad uair a mhothaigh mé mar dhuine den slua agus mar chuid den chéilúradh a bhí ag dul ar aghaidh lasmuigh. Bhí an t-am tagtha faoi dheireadh, bhí sé in am dúinn an craic

agus cúltúr a bhlaiseadh, bhíomar réidh le tabhairt faoi! Tríd an lá bhuail muid le daoine eagsúla ó ar fud an domhain agus thosnaigh an comhrá, ráiméis a bhí i gcuid de, ach chuid eile a bhí fíor spéisúil agus ionraic. Labhair mé le fear amháin ó Pamplona féin, agus roinn seisean a chuid tuairimí liom faoin ócáid agus an fáth go dtéann sé ag rith leis na tairbh chuile bhliain. L a b ha i r s é f a o i n a mhothúcháin féin, agus an bealach inar léirigh sé ómós do rith na dtarbh. Tríd na glúnta, rith an chuid is mó dá mhuintir san ócáid seo, go háirithe na fir. Bhí sé mar bhealach dóibh a léiriú gur fir chearta a bhí iontu, ag rith taobh leis na tairbh ag taispeáint don saol mór go raibh muinín agus crógacht intu. Chraith mé lámh an fhir agus mé réidh le dul abhaile, bhreathnaigh sé orm. Bhreathnaigh sé orm

Deireadh Ré na Nuachtán? Le Sarah de Poire Nuachtáin, is foinse eolais iad na nuachtáin atá thart leis na blianta. Ní foinse eolais amháin atá iontu, áfach, ach cuid den saol. Ag breathnú go géar orthu, is siombail iad na nuachtáin, do roinnt daoine, ar chuimhní ón óige, go háirithe in Éirinn is dócha. Is cuimhin liom féin a bheith ag léamh na nuachtán os comhair na tine agus mé i mo pháiste, mo mhuintir timpeall orm. Spreagann siad cómhrá idir strainséirí, rud a chruthaíonn caidreamh nua uaireanta. Feiceann tú é seo ar an mbus nó i gcaifé chuile lá. Tarraingníonn siad daoine le chéile, an chlann ar fad fiú. Ní hamháin gur bealach iad na nuachtáin chun eolas a fháil, tá traidisiún ag baint leo freisin. Is cosúil go bhfuil na nuachtáin chlóite ag dul as feidhm. Cúis amháin leis seo is ea go bhfuil an nuacht níos insroichte ar an teilifís agus ar an raidió agus go háirithe ar an idirlíon. Is é an t-idirlíon an fhoinse atá suas chun dáta i gconaí. Fiú má tá nuachtán laethúil i gceist ar nós an Irish Independent, an Irish Examiner, The Irish Times agus mar

sin de. Tá an t-eagrán nua de na nuachtáin seo ar díol gach maidin agus mar sin ní féidir brath orthu ó thaobh na nuachta is déanaí. Má thágann scéal nua amach ag a seacht san oíche tá an nuacht ar an telifís ar siúl ar a sé agus ní bhíonn aon nuacht arís go dtí naoi a chlog. I gcás na nuachtán, níl bhíonn an scéal sin acu go dtí an mhaidin dár gcionn. Tá sé cloiste ag gach duine faoin am sin. Sean-nuacht atá foilsithe ag na nuachtáin anois. B’fhéidir gur seo cúis amháin a bhfuil na nuachtáin ag dul i léig. Ach chomh maith leis seo, tá sé níos easca an nuacht a aimsiú ar líne. Ní chaithfidh tú ach tús na habairte a chur isteach in Google agus tagann an scéal aníos ar BreakingNews.ie agus RTÉ.ie. Tá alán suíomhanna ar an idirlíon a bhaineann le nuacht ach is féidir a rá gur b’iad RTÉ.ie agus BreakingNews.ie na cinn is coitianta in Éirinn. Tá sé deacair a rá cén uair a thosaigh BreakingNews.ie ag foilsiú nuachta don chéad uair. Dúirt Jill O’Suillivan, a oibríonn le BreakingNews: “Idir cúpla seoladh den suíomh idirlín agus athraithe ag an nóiméad deireanach, níl aon dáta

cruinn againn don seoladh oifigiúil, ach measaimid gur 1 Eanáir 2001 an dáta is cruinne” De réir Sinéad Johnson, a oibríonn le BreakingNews: “D’úsáid 878,000 duine an suíomh i mí Mheán Fómhair.” Ag cur seo i gcomparáid leis na léitheoirí atá ag an Irish Examiner chúile lá, tá difríocht mhór i gceist. Deirtear i suíomh idirlín an Irish Examiner: “de réir na bhfigiúirí is déanaí ón gComhsuirbhé Náisiúnta Léitheoireachta (JNRS), chuir an Irish Examiner ardú de 4% ar a gcuid léitheoirí, tá 189,000 ag léamh an nuachtáin gach lá.” Cé go raibh figiúirí an Irish Examiner ardaithe, ní féidir iad a chur i gcomparáid leis an 878,000 a d’úsáid seirbhísí BreakingNews. Is é sin mo thuairim féin ach léiríonn an JNRS scéal eile, sé sin: “go léann níos mó na ceathrar as cúigear, 82% de phobal léitheoireachta na hÉireann, nuachtán clóite gach lá, 11% a léann a gcuid nuachtán ar líne.” Téann sé seo i gcoinne mo chuid taighde féin. Má tá 82% de na daoine fós ag léamh na nuachtán clóite in Éirinn, chaithfeá an cheist a chur, an bhfuil siad á léamh de bharr traidisiúin

agus nósmhaireachta? An smaoineamh céanna a bhí agam féin ag tús an ailt seo. Ar cheart na nuachtáin chlóite a choiméad ar na cúiseanna seo? Bíodh is go mbíonn an nuacht atá iontu as dáta. Is cinneadh é seo le haghaidh lucht léite na nuachtán.

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

agus dáiríreacht ina éadan, agus chuir sé an cheist orm “An bhfuil tú reidh le haghaidh saol na bhfear?” d’fhreagair mé é le aoibh gháire agus d‘fhágamar slán lena chéile. Ag siúl síos na sráideanna go dtí an t-árasán, d’fhan focail an fhir i mo cheann. Chuir sé imní orm, ach ag an ám céanna, bhíos as súil go mór leis an rith. Bhíomar go léir éirithe agus réidh ar a sé a chlog an mhaidin dar gcionn. Ní raibh leath an méid cainte againn is a bhí an óiche roimhe. Ní raibh muid in ann ár ndroim a chasadh anois, fiú tar éis cúpla scéal gránna a chloisteáil. Mar sin, shiúil muid síos go dtí na sráideanna, uair an chloig sular thosnaigh an rith. Bhreathnaigh mé timpeall na háite ar na daoine. Bhí chuile dhuine ar bís gan dabt, ach sceitimíní a bhí iontu a chaithfeá srian a choimeád orthu. Tá sé mar thraidisiún trí chinn de thinte ealaíon a lasadh roimh an rith. Nuair a lastar an chéad cheann, ciallaíonn sé go bhfuil an geata oscailte do na tairbh. Ciallaíonn an darna ceann go bhfuil dhá cheann déag do na taribh réidh le rith agus lastar an tríú ceann nuair a shroicheann na tairbh go léir an staid. Cuimhním ar a bheith i mo sheasamh ansin nuair a las an chéad tine ealaíon agus chaith mé

súil ar dhaoine a bhí ag guí, daoine a bhí ag léimt thart de bharr go raibh siad ag iarraidh fanacht socair agus réidh. Bhí mo dhá chois féin imithe ar nós glóthach. Nuair a scaoileadh an darna tine ealaíon, rith mé ar nos na gaoithe. D’imigh chuile smaoineamh a bhí agam sular rith mé. An t-aon smaoineamh a bhí agam ná deireadh an chúrsa a bhaint amach slán sábhailte. Agus mé ag rith, mhothaigh mé an tsráid dhuirleogach ag creathadh thíos fúm agus é ag éirí níos láidre agus níos láidre agus iad ag teacht níos gaire chugham. Níor bhreathnaigh me siar, choinnigh mé orm ag rith go dtí go dtí go raibh na tairbh os mo chomhair. Agus mar sin, laistigh den chúig nóiméad gearr sin, bhí an rith déanta agam. Bhí an chuid eile den rith ar nós a bheith ag rith i dtreo mo shaoirse. Bhí an aidréanailín fós i mo chuid cuislí agus ag sodar trí mo chud feitheacha. Mothúchán aisteach a bhí ann an rith seo a criochnú agus is bónas breise é gur tháinig mé slán. Bhuail mé leis an gcuid eile de mo chairde agus d’imigh muid suas go dtí an staid chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an gcéilúradh. Feicim anois an fhírinne atá sa seanfhocal “An rud is annamh, is iontach”. Viva San Fermín!

Acting up… Oisin Robbins performing in the play Five Kinds of Silence, recently held in the Bank of Ireland Theatre. Picture: Daniel O'Loughlin

Features 13

November 11 2013

How to raise your children in different cultures By Michael Finn What our culture would consider child neglect, other cultures would see as the ‘done thing’. This became apparent when Annette Sorensen had her 14 month old taken away by the authorities in New York. It was a real culture shock for the tourist, as in her native Denmark it was common practice for people to leave their children on the street while they sit inside a café and eat. Take a walk down Copenhagen, and you may see lines of strollers outside restaurants with young children in them. This may seem bizarre to us, but the context is key. Denmark has a very low crime rate and very few kidnappings. However, it was very naïve of her to think the same rules would apply in a city the size of New York.

Scandinavian countries are generally praised for their high quality of life, generous social welfare system and world class education systems. Most progressives would assume that these countries have a more healthy approach to lifestyle. But their approach to child rearing could be seen as neglectful to an onlooker. Another practice in these countries is to let your baby nap outside in extremely low temperatures. It is believed that children sleep longer and are healthier when put outside. Many day-cares would do the same, and guests with children would be offered a balcony instead of a bedroom to rest their infants. What these countries don’t tolerate, however, is corporal punishment. Giovanni Colasante, an Italian politician was arrested in Sweden when he lifted his son up by the hair after he

refused to follow him into a restaurant. Corporal punishment is banned in many countries in schools, but there are a lot of countries where it is still legal to hit your own children as a form of punishment, including Ireland. The wooden spoon was always the weapon of choice in Ireland, but countries like Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway would see that as call to arrest the parent. So parenting is left to moral relativity. Italians are known for their family orientated culture, and there is a stereotype that the boys are usually mollycoddled by their mothers. It’s not uncommon to see men in their mid to late twenties living at home. The same could be said about Ireland to an extent. A true Irish ‘mammy’ would never expect her sons to have to cook and clean for themselves. They would find

Exams: What to Expect By Kristina Reynolds Remember when you honestly believed that the Leaving Cert was going to be the death of you? All that pressure to do well and all of those people on your case; the teachers bombarding you with mountains of homework and extra essays, the guidance counsellors telling you to choose what you wanted to do with your life now or you’ll never succeed, and your poor granny stuck in church lighting candles all day trying to work miracles with the man upstairs. The reward? University! Great! No more pressure, no more teachers, no more CAO forms. Now you can go and enjoy yourself – get leathered everyday of the week with no one there to force you into going to class and telling you what to do. No harm. Exams? Ah sure, be graaaand. So eh, no… Apparently that’s not the case. You may or may not be familiar with the interior design of the James Hardiman Library, but you can be sure that you and James are about to be acquainted very soon and unfortunately, you’re going to see him in full swing.

What to expect? Well, for a start, a lot of early mornings if you’re planning on getting a seat. It’s going to be wedged, lads, seriously. Somewhere to sit with a plug? Gone. Seats without a plug? Gone. Bit of carpet in the corner of the library to park your backside and plonk your laptop on top of your knee? Gone! And if you do manage to get a seat, you’re going to find yourself surrounded by people equally, if not more stressed than you, finals in particular. A lot of sighing, frustration and possibly a few tears. Those whispers that never bothered you before become deafening and the person next to you with the sniffles is about to be pushed out of the second floor window if they don’t go and knock a Lemsip back pronto. Please just try to remember that you are in the same sinking boat as every other poor student in here. The good news? You’ve still got time to prepare. There are ways around this. Attend your last few lectures and take notes – even if it’s just about how to get through the exams. Ask the

person next to you if you’re unsure about something. If they’re unsure too then at least you know you’re not alone. It is vital to pay attention to your student emails; there are always updates about what rooms/lecture halls are available for study when the library is jammed. Be aware that you will need your student card for the exams or you may face a financial penalty. Make sure to eat something that will keep you going and take a break! Go for a fag – and if you don’t smoke – go and treat yourself to some chocolate. Talk to someone who can help, but remember that if they’re in the same boat as you, they might be hanging out the side and drowning in their own sea of missed lectures and overdue assignments. It’s all a learning curve, folks. I bet you’re sick of hearing that, but it’s true. When the Christmas exams are finished and semester one is over, you’ll now know what to expect come January. The promise that you make to yourself to turn it around in semester two might actually stick and by God, by the time you’re where I am, you’ll be a professional seat finder. And possibly a chocoholic. Good luck!

a good woman to fill the role that their mother would play, and until then, it is up to the mother to mollycoddle. In America, Asian immigrant parents tend to have high expectations for their children. Consequently, Asian-Americans have a lot of pressure put on them from an early age, and belittlement is seen as encouragement. “42% of all Asian American adults have at least a college degree, the highest of all the major racial/ethnic groups,” according to a study from John Hopkins University. “It's also common for Asian American students to have the highest test scores and/or GPAs within any given high school or college cohort.” Saving face is also very important among Asian cultures. Getting to brag about your son graduating from an Ivy League university with a well respected degree is paramount.

As a result of all this pressure, depression is prevalent in the Asian American community, as old and new world ideals collide. While moral relativity can be applied to different nations, it can also be applied to different generations. The average college-aged person would most likely have a ‘Baby Boomer’ parent. The ‘Baby Boomer’ generation are now in their 50s and 60s. They are characterised by their strong work ethic, and believe you have to work hard to be successful. They also tend to have a lack of understanding of the struggles young people face in the new economy. They could have gotten a job straight out of secondary school, and an even better job straight out of college. With the money they saved from their secure job, they would have bought a house and settled down

easier. Unfor tunately, their plan for their children to go to college clashed with everyone else of that generation, resulting in a flood of college graduates competing for entry level positions. There is a lot of bitterness towards the ‘Baby Boomers’, as they hold many positions of power in the corporate world and the political world. They see the lack of employment in the younger generation as a result of poor work ethic and laziness. And while a college degree helps give a leg up in finding work, many graduates have to do unpaid internships from exploitive businesses. Careers that were once vocational, like nursing and journalism, have now become university courses. This results in a lot of student debt, because of a generation’s idea of how to succeed.

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14 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

Culchie Habbits By Kieran Kilkelly ‘Culchie’ is a word used by people from the town or the city to describe, in a slagging fashion, those who are not from towns or cities. These creatures as we’ll call them are habitus and have traits and characteristics that only they themselves possess. Whether they are the ones who are in awe of a streetlight or can’t believe that there is no mart within the city they all still have their habits that they have developed within their parishes. Since the introduction of locks, the culchies have adopted a habit of not using them. It is well renowned that if you enter a country parish you can enter any household freely without the need of a key. Regardless of whether they know you or not you will be offered tea and perhaps madeira cake or a fruit cake depending on what has recently been baked. This is something that makes the culchie a welcoming being, however, this is highly risky to bring into practice in the city. If you avoid the possibility of being robbed of all your possessions because you are still in the house at the time of the burglary, the burglar will most definitely take advantage of your generosity and eat all your cake and biscuits. The main reason why the door is left open is because a culchie knows everyone, and I mean everyone. From the postman’s daughter’s second cousin to the auld lad at mass who is always coughing up the front. Conversations are a thing of routine and if a culchie doesn’t see at least everyone in the parish at least once a day there may be a search party out for them. With this in mind, after moving to the city there may be somewhat of a panic and disarray of not hearing from one of their new townie friends for a day or two. The

Home for the weekend alarm might be more intensified if the lack of contact comes after a night out, something a culchie loves to have to wrap up the events of the night before. The local back home has a special place within the heart of a culchie. It is the meeting place for the craic, especially after a local GAA match at the weekend. A Friday night drop-off point before they head into town, they feel at home here. A place for the cure on Saturday morning where the barman (and your neighbour) listens sympathetically to your plights is also important to the culchie. This tradition will be longed for after the student nights out they will endure. It begins in an unfamiliar crowded pub and moves on towards a busy nightclub where they know no one; they will feel a little lost. The next morning waking up to the sounds of traffic and general city life and no place to go for a sympathetic ear, the nostalgia for the country will set in. However, there is one thing that will always be missed by a culchie over everything else and that is ‘Mammy’. The ‘Mammy’ is the one that looks after them and feeds them. When a culchie flies the coop into the city it is something of a culture shock but the loss of the ‘Mammy’ is more of a shock to the system. No clean clothes and no dinner on the table will leave the passive habits of a culchie with something to think about. They will have to fend for themselves in their different and unusual surroundings. They will long for the weekend to see ‘Mammy’ and have one of her ‘special’ dinners again. The nature of a culchie is a unique one, with very many natural instincts. While people from the city tend to jeer and taunt their way it is worth noting that it is not an easy transition for a culchie. Maybe instead of slagging them about the way they talk, lend a sympathetic ear or give them a hug like ‘Mammy’ would. After all it’s the little things that count.

Meet the ALIVE Interns By Megan Reilly We’re just a bunch of students, trying to harangue you all in a bitta voluntary work (ah go on, give it a go). Here’s a little bit about each of us, and why we think you should get involved with Alive (we’re not biased at all, we swear!). Emer O’Keefe: BA Connect with Children’s Studies

“I have been involved in volunteering since I was a teenager. After starting in NUIG, I volunteered as a Student Connect Mentor for incoming first years, as well as working with children and taking part in community-based events. I have really enjoyed the experience of volunteering, meeting new people and learning new skills (like tying

different types of knots with Cub Scouts or making Lava Lamps in jars!). I would encourage everyone to get involved in something, because it is definitely worth it, not only for your C.V. but also for your self-confidence!” Megan Reilly: Commerce with Accounting

“It was the Gaisce Programme that got me hooked on volunteering, where I started off helping out first in a nursing home and then an animal shelter. Since starting University I have worked on society and club committees, volunteered in a homework club, and acted as class rep. Volunteering really is one of the best things you can do at college, and the ALIVE programme is the way to do it!”

Ciara Treacy: Public and Social Policy

“After my first Year at university I was disappointed with my lack of involvement in student activities so immediately sought to remedy that in second Year, beginning with signing up as a Student Connect Mentor for incoming students. As well as being an intern this year, I am also a Mentor Leader for new participants of the Mentor Programme, Beauty and Fashion Editor for Sin and a member of the Students’ Union Welfare Crew at NUI Galway. Of all the knowledge I have gained at university to date volunteering has taught me the most (just don't tell my lecturers!) in terms of people and organisation skills and has given me a greater appreciation for my surroundings.”

By Brenna Dolan We all know the feeling your finished college on a Friday and after a long week of study or socialising all you want to do is return home for some home-cooked food and endless hot water. The journey usually begins around 12 o clock on a Friday depending on how adventurous you are. Note some Donegal people may have to get the 9 o clock Feda in order to reach Donegal while there are still daylight hours. The most vital part of travelling home is to get the quickest route possible. Planning ahead you will:

1. Try and Figure out if any of your friends/acquaintances are driving. Shotgun! 2. Ring home to see if the neighbours’ cousin’s sister-in-law or anyone in between has a hospital appointment in Galway that day and will gladly give you a lift considering “they will be going that way anyway”. 3. I hate the bus as much as the next person but if you’re getting the bus you get the fastest one. The likes of the Feda, Healy and McGowan buses all ensure you of the fastest way home and some of them even have Wi-Fi. So, when you arrive. Expect your Mam to have the kettle on and the spuds boiling for the dinner and telling you to “go in and relax yourself there, you must be wrecked”. This will be followed by a 15 minute check-up usually consisting of biscuits and more tea. Zhao Li: International Management

“My volunteering started when I was studying in Shannon College where I helped with a music festival. That experience really made me excited about volunteering because it enabled me to try something completely new from what I was studying and gave me a chance to meet people. After I began my study in Galway, I joined ALIVE and searched the website for organisations I am interested in. By now, I have worked with numerous organisations, such as Music for Galway and Threshold.”

After the dinner the phone will be going mental to see who is around for a catch-up because frankly Coronation Street is over and you’re bored already. You find out that your friends from school are home too and they want to meet up, this will involve a few house calls a sleepless Friday night and lots more tea and biscuits. So you awaken half way through Saturday and your great intentions of getting “loads of college work done” will be demolished as your little brother/sister wants to go somewhere and guess who’s driving? That’s right... it’s you. So you head along with your family getting treated to a food shop. You get some refreshments for the night you had planned the night before with the mates from school knowing fine well you won’t drink them all but sure you can bring them back to college anyway. Sharing college stories and comparing shifting partners, you and your school friends reminisce on the banter you all used to have together, making arrangements to visit them in college for a night out. So you make your way to the local, bombarded by people you haven’t seen in ages. Waking up hung-over, you remember that it’s Sunday and you’re at home in bed. You can already smell the fry cooking downstairs and the local radio belting out the death notices. You emerge down stairs and a plan is made for your return to Galway usually accompanied by a bag of clean clothes and your food shop from the day before. So grabbing your left over cans and your laptop you head back to Galway for another successful week in college. Martina Gannon: English and Psychological Studies

“I excitedly delved into volunteering with ALIVE in first year through projects such as Positive Mental Health charity, Access Programme as well as a related international organisation whereby I volunteered in South Africa in teaching, construction and conservation – one of the best months of my life. I believe ALIVE is one of the most important, powerful and uplifting areas of this university. In ALIVE students are drawn together motivated by good to reap even more good for themselves and countless others.”

Features 15

November 11 2013

Alumni Interview: Darren Glynn Year of graduation: 2007 Course at NUI Galway: B.Corp Law/Masters Corp Strategy Current Occupation: Management Consultant

What has been your career path to date? When I completed my Masters I joined British Telecom (BT) in London on their Global Services Graduate Scheme. I worked with BT for nearly 4 years across various functions such as Strategy, Programme Management and Consulting. I then moved on to a Niche Management Consultancy, Pcubed. I worked with the team developing the Energy Business over the last three years and currently lead the Nuclear Practice in the UK. I also founded the London Irish Business Society three years ago which is one of the main networking groups for Irish Professionals in London. We currently have over 3,000 members who come together to network, share ideas, and listen to the insights of our guest speakers, such as Willie Walsh, Peter Sutherland and Enda Kenny. We are very fortunate to have received support from the NUI Alumni team from the very start and they are now one of our main sponsors.

How has your time at NUI Galway prepared you for your career? My job right now is all about leading and managing teams to help clients solve their problems and implement solutions. I learned so many practical skills from my Degree and Masters. My Law degree has really helped me reason out problems and situations, whereas the Masters has provided plenty of analytical tools and methodologies that are still very useful for analysing and solving problems, as well as some great

theory on how to manage and motivate people. The other side to my job is Sales and Business Development, which has really been helped by the experience of getting to know the great people that I met during my time in University. Working with BizSoc team and learning the value of making and maintaining relationships was extremely useful, and being able to have a pint and get on with people is something that you quickly learn to get good at in Galway!

Did you partake in any societies, sports clubs or volunteering at NUI Galway? Yes. Myself and a good friend of mine, David Keane, founded the Business Society (BizSoc) and I sat as Vice Auditor for the first couple of years. It really went from strength to strength and ended up winning the best society in Ireland in its second year. It’s great to see it still going as one of the biggest societies on campus and that they are still getting great speakers and putting on excellent events.

Do you have any advice for NUI Galway Students who wish to pursue a career in your industry / sector? To really get a fast track career in Management Consulting; it’s really helpful if you get on one of the large graduate schemes, such as Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, PWC or Ernst & Young. You will get to work with different clients on various projects and you will get great experience very quickly. The key is to make sure that you fill out the applications before the deadlines, which are usually very soon after you come back for your final year! If you don’t manage to get on top graduate scheme it’s not the end of the world. Firms are always looking for candidates with good project management, analysis and relationship skills who are willing to work hard. If you can display them in another company there is every chance you can move into the main consulting firms.

Diary of an Erasmus Student By Áine O Donnell I am officially one quarter of the way through my Erasmus and against everyone's advice I am headed back to Ireland for midterm. This trip home made me think about how I have progressed since I have arrived in France. It has been six weeks and I finally have classes sorted. I just filled out my learning agreement (shush don't tell anyone, it is very late) and upon getting it signed by the university, I was told I didn't have as many credits as I initially thought...quelle horreur. At the beginning, I would have been having a hissy fit and ringing my Mammy when I encountered a setback like this but now I am much more laid back. If Erasmus teaches you anything, it teaches you how to give less of a damn. I can think of some of my definite achievements since arriving like boosting France's wine sales (imagine €1.70 for a very tasty bottle of wine), making loads of friends (even if they all speak English) and watching all of Breaking Bad.

More importantly, I think my French is slowly getting better. I have become more confident at speaking French and I am picking up new words all the time. I can now explain myself if I need something and am no longer breaking out in a sweat and wanting to cry. Mary Lyons, the international relations officer from Galway, came to visit us in Poitiers. As the woman who is in charge of the money (our Erasmus grant), this was an important meeting. She asked us all about our Erasmus experience and life in Poitiers. While we informed her of our hiccups and successes on Erasmus, I realised that maybe I wasn't making the most of my time in France. Now that I am finally settled in, I want to focus on improving my French and start travelling around Europe. I'll start planning once I get back to Donegal and have a proper cup of tea.

Was there anyone at NUIG who really influenced your decision to move into your profession? What advice did they give you? There are two people who spring to mind. Paul Ryan, my lecturer while I did my Masters, really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do and gently pushed me in this direction when I asked his advice (he advised me against pursuing an a career in Academia!). The other was well known Galway native and classmate David Lloyd, famous for bouncing on the door of Buskers and asking millions of questions during lectures. On one of our society trips to Barcelona he put the idea in my head to move to London and the rest is history.

What is your fondest memory of NUI Galway? Finishing up the exams at Christmas and summer and having a big night out with the class!

Has NUI Galway changed since you were here? The campus has changed massively. When I was at the University it was mainly made up of the buildings nearest the Cathedral, such as the Concourse, the Quad and Aras na Mac Leinn. The IT Building and the Bio Chem building

where also under construction. Now there are lots of new state of the art buildings such as the engineering and nursing buildings, and many of the older buildings have been upgraded. However, the atmosphere is still the same. Lots of great, fun people looking to have a good time, and even learn a thing or two along the way!

What was the college newspaper like when you were in NUI Galway? Did you write for it? No I never wrote for it. It was pretty much a paper edition when I was at NUIG, but it was always good for finding out what was going on around the campus, and some of the articles were really well written and received (although sometimes controversial!).

If you could go back and do it all again, what would you do differently? The only thing I would have done differently is that I would have got more involved in the University, especially in the clubs and societies. Once you finish up and start working you realise the great (and generally free) resources that are the clubs and societies where you can try your hand at so many different things. Where better to try things out than University!

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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

THE SU PAGES

What’s coming up from your Students Union in the next Two Weeks?

• Disability awareness campaign • Condom Wednesdays • Residence Runs • Naked Calendar Launch – Calenders only ¤5 and all proceeds go to SU charities • Launch of Students’ Union cookbook – easy recipes for students to cook • Please talk initiative being run by Welfare officer this week. Watch out

Members of Students’ Union executive and students spent an evening trying out some of the recipes in the new Student’ Union cookbook that will be launched this week.

Class Reps showing their opinions and thoughts on how NUI Galway can be a better campus at class reps training.

Watch out for people in these GOATING t-shirts as members of the exec every week will be asking you, what YOU want from YOUR union.

Some of our residence crew – who visit student residences with information on upcoming events, getting home safe, how to be a good neighbour, anti-social behaviour and much, much more.

for free tea/chocolate and information on support available • Bernard O’Shea on Monday on November 11th • Fight night in aid of SU charities on November 14th • Continuing to register students on SERD (Student Elector Registration Drive)

And feel free to get in touch with any of the officers at any time through email and we can arrange a meeting to discuss what’s on your mind, or just to have a chat.

NUI Galway Students’ Union GOATING (Going Out And Talking)

We’ve been out talking to students to see what they want from their union. Aisling Doherty – Final Arts

Hannah Tierney – 2nd Commerce & Nnenna Akamnonu – 2nd Commerce

What is your favourite thing about the Students’ Union? The life skills courses.

What is your favourite thing about the Students’ Union? The SU card. There are so many offers and cheap food, it’s great. What would you like to see us do? Fight harder against fees.

What would you like to see us do? Some campaigns on suicide awareness.

What do you think about making NUIG a smokefree campus? We are all for it. The smell of smoke is disgusting and 2nd hand smoke is really bad for you.

What do you think about making NUIG a smoke-free campus? Bad idea. A lot of students smoke and a cluster of people outside the college gates looks really bad.

Emma Van Der Putton – Final Film Studies & Celine Gregory – Final Arts What is your favourite thing about the Students’ Union? It is so easily accessible and the journals are so handy. What would you like to see us do? Become more interactive with students and have a presence in their daily college experience. What do you think about making NUIG a smoke-free campus? Not really for it but happy to go to a smoking area on campus provided they are evenly dispersed throughout the campus.

Jamie Chambers – 2nd Podiatry

What is your favourite thing about the Students’ Union? How available and accessible everyone is.

What is your favourite thing about the Students’ Union? The SU card.

What do you think about making NUIG a smoke-free campus? It will be very difficult because a lot of students smoke but I’m all for it if it is well planned. I think attendance at lectures could suffer as a result of this if it’s not planned.

What do you know about the Students’ Union? That you fight fees and run the college bar and smokey’s. What would you like to see us do? Get air conditioning in the Kirwan theatre. What do you think about making NUIG a smoke-free campus? Don’t care. It has never bothered me before.

Hazel Larney – 2nd Marine Science

What would you like to see us do? Focus more on disabled access around college.

Eric Ohlstrom- 1st Commerce

What would you like to see us do? Campaigns on suicide awareness. What do you think about making NUIG a smokefree campus? No no no! I don’t want to have to walk outside the campus for a smoke between lectures.

Kevin Sheridan – 3rd Computer & Electronic Engineering What is your favourite thing about the Students’ Union? The college bar. What would you like to see us do? Cheaper pints. What do you think about making NUIG a smokefree campus? I’m all for it but smoking areas is a must. It might help smokers to cut down or even stop smoking.

A message from Declan Higgins, Vice President for Welfare at NUI Galway Students’ Union "We’ve lost too many people in this country to suicide; enough is enough. It is only by speaking out, by opening up, that you let the bright light beams of promise and healing illuminate the darkness you feel right now." The past few weeks have seen the issue of suicide and mental health thrust into the national discourse like never before. On Monday night, and Tuesday morning of two weeks ago, a fantastic blog post by the former Cork hurler Conor Cusack began doing the rounds on social media. Last month, our friend and colleague Tom Lenihan, President of Trinity College Students’ Union, told of his battle with depression. Perhaps, finally, and not before time, we are facing our national demon and silent killer head-on. What’s most interesting is how these things can bring you face-to-face with your own past. In July I took over as Vice President and Welfare Officer of the NUI Galway Students’ Union. The day of the election, when the returning officer told the assembled room “I deem Declan Higgins, elected Vice President and Welfare Officer” and so on, was without a doubt one of the proudest days of my life. On the face of it, I have it all: finished college, a job, a degree, a large group of friends and now being chosen by my peers to represent them. But it wasn’t always like that. In 2005, I started secondary school in ‘The Bish’. I found the transition extremely difficult, and things that had happened in my past had very much come back to haunt me. I did two weeks of school, before it all got too much. I can pinpoint the moment it all came tumbling down, when the switch tripped. It felt much like the pressure cap on my life had blown off, and the stress and strain and worry had disappeared, replaced with an eerie feeling of nothingness. I spent days in bed: the thought of going outside made me feel sick. Some days felt like there was a massive slab of concrete on top of me on the bed. I cried a lot.

services in Galway. I sat in the waiting room with other people, in and around my age. But there was silence. He asked a few peripheral questions about this and that, and asked me if I was hearing voices in my head, something I got a certain level of comic relief from. “I just have to ask,” he said. Then he asked me “So what has you here?” The floodgates opened, and I started to cry. I spent about an hour with them, and we arranged to meet again in a few days. After that, my mam and my cousin, who I had confided in, and I went for dinner. I had a feeling of undeniable relief at having opened up and made the first steps towards some kind of healing. Exactly what that was going to be was beyond me. But we were on track – to where, I didn’t know. But this followed me into my life. It awoke with me in the morning, sat beside me on the bus to school, took the seat next to me in class, and cast a pall over the affirming words of everyone. And thus, everything was viewed through that prism of darkness. My grandmother passed away in November of that year, and I took that very hard. It wasn’t unexpected, but the sense of loss was magnified many times over by the sense of despair I already felt.

attendance began to increase, as did my hope that the future did indeed hold something for me. I wasn’t a sports enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination, so this gave me a much needed extracurricular activity. The school appoints Prefects from the fifth year group every year. Needless to say, I wasn’t picked in the first batch, as I was very much finding my feet in an emerging reality. As luck would have it, one Prefect dropped out, and there was a secret meeting to select the successor. One day, the Prefect coordinator, Christy Griffin, pulled me aside during the morning rush hour and extended his hand, and presented me with a Prefect badge. All the lads gathered around and clapped. I was told, anecdotally, that I had not been selected initially as it was thought I was not ready. And they were right. Finally, I was beginning to win this battle that started three years earlier in that psychologist’s office. The summer of 2009 heralded in the Leaving Cert year. In May, the then-principal John O’Keeffe called me aside and asked me to speak at the Graduation Mass in the Augie. The pit fell out of my stomach. The thought of speaking in front of hundreds of people made me feel sick, and, thankfully, it was more of an instruction as opposed to a request.

I was lucky in that I had and have an excellent group of friends, and to this day, while the group has expanded, they are still there. They knew when I was down, and acted accordingly. They provided a release valve for me, and were always there, even if they didn’t always know what to say.

I sat down over a few nights and drafted a speech. And on that summer’s evening, I delivered it to the Class of 2010. Before I started, I looked straight forward to the top window of the church, and the words began pouring out. Finally, I was overcoming my past.

I began attending counselling regularly, which helped a lot. Medication was never suggested, on either side, and wasn’t an option. My first counsellor was Pat Monahan, and we established an excellent rapport.

I looked around the Augustinian and saw so many of the people who I had reached out to or who had helped me, the lads, my family, my guidance counsellors, teachers, and so on. It was all beginning to take shape.

We began to fix the initial difficulties, with school, on a day-by-day basis, setting preliminary targets. Some of our sessions focused on the substantive issues that had me there in the first place, and others were just general chats where I could express things. This helped massively.

That was over three years ago now, and over eight years ago since those dark days. Like most, I loved college, but after three years, it was time to move on. However, I didn’t move far – I now work for the students of NUIG as their Welfare Officer.

I would spend a few days in bed, and then manage to go back to school, and then it would be back to square one. I had an underlying heart condition at the time, which provided a useful distraction as to what might be going on for the outside world.

I forged a link with the guidance counsellor in my school, Barry McDermott, who helped me through the toughest of days and his office provided an oasis to which I could escape to when the pressure built-up and it all got too heavy.

I found the school work tough, and life even tougher. I didn’t know what to do or say or how to handle this or even what the hell was wrong with me. I wanted to feel better and to beat this, but it all just seemed too much.

I saw a notice asking for expressions of interest in becoming involved in the Student Council at school. I contacted the teacher in charge of it, Keith O’Reilly, to see what was involved. I ran, and was elected.

I eventually saw a psychologist and social worker at the local child and adolescent mental health

The council afforded me lots to do, and a good deal of responsibility which I embraced. My

I wouldn’t be in the position I am in now but for the people who helped me along the way: my family, my counsellors and my friends. You can face your demons and turn things around, but you have to make those first steps. You have to speak out. Please don’t suffer in silence, there are so many people out there who are there to help you and be there for you, please take that opportunity. We’ve lost too many people in this country to suicide; enough is enough. It is only by speaking out, by opening up, that you let the bright light beams of promise and healing illuminate the darkness you feel right now.

Lifest yle 19

November 11 2013

Wise Words: Budget-busting (veggie) Burger By Móna Wise I am catching all kinds of hell f ro m f r i e n d s and colleagues these days about the cost of food. When we meet for lunch or dinner, everyone seems to be concerned about the value for money vs the overall cost of good, clean and nutritious fare. All you need to do is stand in the pay line at the Bialann to gather evidence that their best seller might be chips and sausages, or a bowl of lack-lustre soup with a ‘cusine de france’ par-baked

bread roll. I am killed asking students why they don’t bring their own packed lunch, or just cook something at home before they come in, as opposed to spending their (or sometimes their parents) hard-earned cash on food that does not measure up to what they are looking for. Most of the students I spoke to, ranging from first years to those at PhD level, all gave the same three reasons for choosing to settle for the food readily available to them, as opposed to buying the groceries and making their own; lack of time, lack of money, lack of cooking skills. There is a lot of ‘lacking’ going on here. When I sat down this week to come up with a recipe for the next issue of Sin,

I wondered how impossible it would be to make a quick supper for two on a very tight budget. It was not as difficult as you might think. This recipe for a delicious Kidney Bean Burger takes less than 20 minutes to whip up and costs less than €2.00 with a side of homemade coleslaw. You could throw in a sweet potato to share if you wanted to splurge with an extra euro. Note I have not included the cost of a splash of oil to sauté the onions and burger.

How to make it: 1. Open the tin of kidney beans and strain them. 2. Peel and chop the garlic finely. 3. Mash the beans in a mixing bowl until it forms a paste. 4. Add the raw egg, garlic, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and mix well. 5. Form into burger and set aside for a few minutes. 6. Slice the onion into rings and sauté on medium to low heat until they have softened. 7. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper then set aside. 8. To make the coleslaw, grate the cabbage and carrot and mix it with the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. 9. Cook the burger for five minutes on each side, toast your buns and top the burger with the sautéed onions before serving. Healthy, nutritious, tasty and very affordable. Now, you have no excuse!

Ingredients

Quantity

Price

Kidney Beans

400g

¤0.21

Eggs

¤0.15

Garlic

1 clove

¤0.10

Onion

¤0.20

Breadcrumbs

85g

¤0.25

Burger buns

¤0.32

Cabbage

⁄4 head

¤0.25

Carrot

¤0.10

Mayonnaise

55g

¤0.25

Sugar

1tsp

¤0.05

Salt/Pepper

Pinch

¤0.05

Vinegar

Splash

¤0.05

Total

¤1.98

Health Tip of the Week By Rebecca Sweeney Exam time is looming and we're all beginning to feel the stress creeping up. Not to worry! Blueberries to the rescue! Blueberries may seem small, but just a handful pack a powerful punch of antioxidants and vitamin C, making them mighty stress-busters. When we’re stressed, our bodies need vitamin C and antioxidants to help repair and protect cells.

Not only do they relieve anxiety but they may be effective in improving or delaying short term memory loss. They also taste delicious, what's not to love about these superfoods? Why not try this simple scrumptious smoothie?

• 1 cup blueberries • 1 ripe banana • 1 cup milk • 1/4 cup raw walnuts (ano ther brain boosting food) • 1/2 cup natural yoghurt

Is this the only weight loss tip you need?

By John Mulry You are completely fed up... and I don't blame you. For ages you've been eating healthy and exercising, and yet still haven't met your fat loss goal. What's the deal? This is a quandary that all dedicated fat-loss-seekers find themselves facing, sooner or later. Why won't the weight come off? You are doing every-

thing you can think of to make it happen. It's time to come face-toface with an ugly truth about yourself... and until you do you'll always be stuck in this place where healthy eating and exercise do not get you that amazing body you want. There's one simple thing standing between you and a slimmed down, amazingly fit body. One. Simple. Thing. And here it is... You eat too many calories. That's it. Solve this problem and your dream body will quickly and easily become reality. Wait, don't give me the excuse that, "I only eat healthy calories." That's great, but even healthy calories add up to extra pounds when we let them go unchecked.

Back to Basics: Why Calorie Counting Works

There is a famous and well documented story of a professor from Kansas State University, Mark Haub, who performed a now infamous junk food diet experiment. Professor Haub proved a powerful lesson for anyone who still has weight to lose, so let's listen up. In a demonstrative experiment for his nutrition class, Professor Haub ate a diet of pure junk food for 2 months. I'm talking chocolate bars and packaged, highly processed snacks – the kinds of things you find in a vending machine around campus. You'd expect him to gain weight, right? Well, there was one catch. He was only allowed to eat 1800 calories each day. Yes, those calories were pure junk, but the limit

was firmly put at 1800 calories. Before the experiment, Professor Haub's typical calorie intake was closer to 2600 calories. So his junk food diet put him at an 800 calorie per day deficit. Boy did that calorie deficit pay off? Within 2 months he had dropped 30 pounds, bringing his BMI from overweight down to normal. No, I'm not recommending a junk food diet as your answer for fat loss. What I am pointing out is how powerful a reduction in calories is when it comes to lowering your body weight. Do you know how many calories you eat each day? If you're not sure, don't worry. You're about to learn the one fat loss tool that will change everything for you. First we need to get to the bottom of how many calories you're eating each day.

Yes, even those healthy calories. Before you start whining, let me explain. Food journaling doesn't involved lugging around a journal, writing down each food item throughout the day then looking everything up at the end of the day to manually tally calories like it used to. These days food journaling has gone digital, and tracking your calories only takes seconds of your time. Here's what I need you to do:

Irish and English foods and it’s really easy to use.

to find a daily calorie count that will allow for safe weight loss and then diligently maintain that number. Eat healthy, fresh foods and when you decide to indulge, make sure to do so within your target calorie range. If you don’t want to meet with a doctor you can get a fairly accurate estimate from BMR (base metabolic rate) calculators online.

#1: Download a food journal

#3: Stick to a consistent and

application to your smart phone. At the touch of your fingers you'll be able to look up food items and instantly see your running calorie tally. I highly recommend the My Fitness Pal. It has pretty much all the food listings for

challenging exercise routine, one that has you constantly improving. These three simple steps will give you structure and clarity that you need when it comes to making food choices and will quickly result in pounds lost and goals achieved.

#2: Meet with your doctor

20 lifestyle

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

A suit-able

occasion

to dress up Daniel McGlynn, Roisin McGovern (winner of Best Dressed Femail), Ciara Treacy (Judge) and Ross Doyle

Roisin McGovern

Colm Hally (winner of Best Tie)

Niall Dugera, Ciara Treacy, Colm Hally (winner of Best Tie), Daniel McGlynn, Ross Doyle and Darragh Reynolds

Colm Hally, David Kilcoyne, Niall Dugera, Kenneth Neary, James Boyle

By Ciara Treacy The NUI Galway Law Soc and Engineering Soc recently hosted a ‘Suit Up’ event in aid of charity, which took place on Thursday 17 October in the College Bar followed by Carbon nightclub. The event, through which funds were raised for the UHG Children’s Ward, encouraged people to don their finest suits in aid of the cause. “We decided to go with the Children's Ward as it's a place close to many people's hearts and its facilities could really do with a facelift,” says Daniel McGlynn, Law Soc Social Secretary. “Even if the money went towards something as simple as toys for them we felt it would go a long way especially in the eyes of the staff and of course the children. “ But why an event focused around this attire? “Nothing suits like a suit,” explains Ross Doyle, Law Soc Public Relations Officer. “To be able to turn the most legendary day of the year into a fundraiser for such a good cause gives it an extra dimension. Everyone loves suits and everyone loves toys.” It’s true. Epitomised by renowned figures such as James Bond, Barney Stinson and that table of overeager Commerce students in the library, a man in a suit exudes sexiness greater than its female counterparts of a side boob top and bodycon skirt put together. Anyone can be transformed by a suit. Maybe even Miley Cyrus could be transformed in the eyes of the public was she to wear a suit (or anything...). Ever ything seems classier in a suit. A man behaving disorderly in

public wearing a t-shirt and jeans will generally be frowned upon. A suited man making a holy show of himself – well that’s a different story. Now that man is just back from doing something important. That suited man was out there performing an activity required of suited men, of the utmost importance, and there is a perfectly logical explanation for his behaviour which we ordinary-clad folk are not privileged to understand. Of course, women are not excluded from the fun. In fact, Cara deLevigne, Olivia Palermo and Jessica Alba have all been spotted recently sporting their own variations of the classic look. The winner of the Best Dressed Female at the event exemplifies this, with a daytime female twist on the suit. However, ordinarily for formal occasions the suit is the only choice for guys, which helps them avoid the stress of hunting for an outfit. Generally college events lack the suit specialists to distinguish between those purchased at Louis Vuitton or Lidl, so price is not a major concern. And a different tie with each wear of the suit will transform the outfit, avoiding circumstances such as that of Marge Simpson when forced to constantly tailor the same Chanel suit to give it a different look. “Ever yone enjoys scrubbing up as often as possible and around c a m p u s t h e re a re n ' t many chances to do so apart from graduation and balls,” says Daniel, pointing out the sad fact that these occasions do not come about as often as one might hope. Maybe that’s the major appeal of them. Whatever the explanation, roll on ball season.

Photos by Ciara Treacy

Leah Daly, Johanna Stock, Tori Hume, Niamh Allen

Niamh Hearty, Bethany Endersby, Christina Wilkie, Rob Watson

Rob Mulcahy, Daniel McGlynn, Feidhlim Seoige, Ross Doyle, Darragh Reynolds, Cáthal O’Hagan

Helena Kilbane and Ciara Treacy

Claire O’Sullivan, Kathleen Redmond, Rosanne Timlim, Denise Phair

Lifest yle 21

November 11 2013

How to look beautiful in 5 minutes

Tutorial: Brows 101 By Chelsea Tabert

By Samantha Kelly

Taming those brows can be a tricky thing to do, so we’ll start from the top. Follow these 5 simple tips and you’ll have beautiful brows in no time at all!

Well ladies, have you been questioning how to save time in the morning rush of getting ready while still looking beautiful? Want to know more about a five minute look that will leave you fresh-faced? Well look no further; the following four steps will give you just that!

1. Start point: Flip your tweezers upside down and place them vertically alongside the outer part of your nose. The point where the tweezers hit should be the starting point of your eyebrow. Using your eyebrow pencil draw a vertical line to mark where the brow starts, and remove any hairs that fall outside of this region.

3. Thickness: Start just below the thickest part of your eyebrow, using your eyebrow pencil draw a line along the bottom of your brow. This should be above any stray hairs and follow the natural shape of your brow. Pluck the hairs below the line and you’re almost done. 4. Arch: Take your tweezers and lay them on an angle from your nostril so that your tweezers are in line with the middle of your pupil. For a larger arch, use the side of your pupil. Mark this point and pluck accordingly.

1. Fresh Faced The best thing any of us can do is look after our money maker and if your skin is good there really is no need to cover it up. If you have blackhead trouble then use a face scrub that will cleanse your skin, or why not treat yourself once a week to a face mask? In shops they are no more than about €1.30 and you can buy one that will suit your own skin needs. Lastly the finishing touch: moisturise. Using a suitable moisturiser for your skin will be the best thing you can do, after all who would want dry flaky skin? Eww. 2. Make-up to Skip Now if you have been following step one then you will have no worries about leaving the heavy foundation for a night in the town; after all we are only going to college to study. I must vouch for 1000 Hour Eyelash & Brow Dye Kit; this is a home dye kit that lasts for six weeks with eight applications, so basically a year of eyelash and brow dye. It is so easy to use and for only €8.12 in most pharmacies. This wondrous product will save you time on mascaras and filling in those brows every morning. Maybe just a quick use of an eyelash curler and you’re sorted. 3. Must Haves Powder and bronzer are an essential in every girl’s make-up bag. Just a quick dust of powder will cover shine and the bronzer will add a bit of colour to our inevitable pale skin. Secondly, concealer: we are preparing ourselves for sleepless nights of study, so get your cover stick at hand to cover up those dark circles. Finally why not go natural, use a lip balm such as Vaseline or Carmex to restore moisture and give you a matt shine finish. Simples. 4. Hair So I think we are aware by now that messy is the new perfect, so why not take advantage of this? Ideas such as a high pony, bun or braids are so quick and easy – and if it looks messy, doesn't it look perfect?

2. End point: Lay your tweezers on an angle along your cheek so that the end of your tweezers reaches the outer part of your eye. Where the tweezers meet your brow should be the end point. Mark this with your brow pencil and pluck the strays beyond that away.

5. Filling in: Select your eyebrow filler. Pencils create a more defined look, while powders and creams create the most natural look. Match the color to your natural hair, or as desired. Make a light outline around the tops and bottoms of your brow, as this will create and emphasise the shape you’re wanting. Fill in the centre of your brows once you have completed the outline. Last, run an eyebrow brush, or spoolie brush over your brows to evenly distribute the colour and tame any stray hairs.

Recommended tools • La CrossTweezers • Rimmel professional eyebrow pencil • Spoolie brush • Mac Fluidline Brow Gelcreme • Angled brow brush

Caring for yourself this winter By Ruth-Ann Browne Read my lips This winter make sure to keep your lips covered with a good quality lip balm, e.g. Nivea Aqualia Thermal lip balm. Apply it several times during the day to keep them moist. Avoid licking your lips and do not bite the skin on the surface of your lips. The skin will never have a chance to heal if you chew on it. This is a hard habit to break but well worth the effort. During the winter, you might be tempted to apply a layer of lip balm followed by a layer of lipstick. However here is a better suggestion; instead of the lip balm during the day, switch to a moisturizing lipstick and save the lip balm for before you go to bed. The reason for this is that the lip balm could interfere with the adherence of the lipstick. Lastly, during the winter months, it would be wise to stay away from the lipsticks that claim that they are long lasting. Often they can really dry your lips out and the cold weather in itself will do that fast enough, so look out for creamy formulations instead. You have this nailed Nails take quite a beating all winter long so here is a little tip for keeping them at their best! Every few days, brush them with cuticle or nail oil and if you cannot seem to find any then petroleum jelly, i.e. Vaseline, will do just fine. If your nails are weak, splitting, fragile etc., this could be due to your lack of water intake. Drinking plenty of water will ensure your nails stay healthy and shiny. Hand over the moisturiser This winter give your hands a much needed break. Stop using harsh soaps on them, as they strip the moisture from your hands and since the hands have very few oil glands, they can easily develop cracks. Try creamy bath gels as an alternative. One of the most obvious reasons for chapped hands is over-exposure to cold weather. Apply an intensive moisturiser and keep applying until the condition of your hands improves. An example of a good hand moisturiser is Vaseline Hand & Nail Care. Hairway to Heaven As your hair tends to be dryer during the winter months, try cutting down on how often you wash your hair. You do not want to remove even more oil from your hair. If need be, use a dry shampoo to give you hair a break, e.g., Batiste, which not only works wonders but also smells great! Before the cold winds do their damage, get out that Aussie deep conditioner and give your hair a treat. It will make a world of difference.

22 lifestyle

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

The college style stakes Be comfortable in style By Hazel Elliffe College is a great time to experiment with one’s style. You are enjoying the freedom of not having to wear a school uniform and are a few years away from having to wear formal work attire. It’s difficult to define a particular style in college as there are so many nationalities and ages of student now. American students seem to adopt the preppy look favoured by American designers of cool, casual pieces. Europeans have always invested in statement pieces with a good coat, bag and shoes. They chose quality over quantity, and they can be spotted on campus in stylish neutrals - think navy’s and blacks. So what other trends can be seen on campus and what are the trends favoured by Irish students? The Sporty Type favour a tracksuit teamed with their local county jersey. They pull off this effortless look that takes them from lecture to training. Most often spotted catching the bus coming to or from training. The Adventurer consists of outdoorsy type students with a keen interest in surfing, kayaking and mountaineering. They need clothes for warmth - think puffy jackets, hats with ear flaps and cool sweatshirts. This relaxed beach look is mirrored in their hair-

styles - loose and wavy just came off the water look. Spotted heading to their next adventure! The hipsters on campus are independent free thinking individuals. Think vintage fashion, tight jeans and shag hairstyle. Their favourite hangout is the college bar for a pre-gig drink. They are often joined by artistic creative types who favour a hippie, festival chic look. The Fashionistas are always on style and on trend. They are all about heels, a structured outfit, immaculate make-up and perfectly coiffed hair. They often take their style inspiration from glossy magazines and know how to pull off the latest trend with class. Finally the Casual look consists of students who are not really into fashion. They wear clothes for comfort, warmth and practicality. Think jeans, runners and a comfy top, often referred to as the rolled out of bed look, it’s an easy style to pull off. We all go through various style evolutions. College is a time to express ones individuality with a certain style. It’s a time where we are trying out different activities, pastimes and experimenting with life. If we develop an interest in a particular music, sport or pastime we seem to adopt that look. Style is an individual taste and we do not have to conform to any particular trend, so go on have fun experimenting!

By Rebecca Hastings As the exams loom ever closer and temperatures hit rock bottom, we’re all going to be wrapping up in the cosiest clothes possible. Winter woollies are hitting the shelves this month, so it’s time to stock up on the essentials. Here are the only things us ladies will need during exam season (aside from copious amounts of chocolate and coffee, of course…) Hoodies: The ultimate college necessity, the humble hoodie is perfect for layering up in the cold weather, and for promptly removing once you enter the burning furnace that is the James Hardiman. Always buy one that’s a size (or three) too big and has a cosy, fleecy lining. New Look have a great selection in their loungewear range at the moment, in lots of bright colours and at pretty reasonable prices. Leggings: No longer the reserves of 13-year-olds going to their first Foroige disco, leggings now feature in most female students’ wardrobes. Most shops have stepped up their leggings game, so they’re made of thicker material (phew), but still maintain their status as Comfiest Article of Clothing Ever Invented. Penneys have a great pair in at the moment, under the name of ‘slimming trousers’, for just €17.These look great when teamed with heels on a night out, but are just as handy to throw on before running in to grab a library seat at 8am.

Converse: Everyone already owns a pair, but you can’t talk about essential exam clothes without mentioning good old Converse. They’ll last for season after season, and go with everything from tracksuit bottoms to your favourite jeans. And amazingly, for canvas shoes, they don’t let the rain in too much – a Galway musthave, then. Checked shirts: Again, go a size bigger than usual with this one – it makes all the difference. Checked shirts are supercomfy without managing to look too much like you’re in your pyjamas. Go for one with shoulder patches or an embellished collar for an up-to-date look. Topshop and River Island have beautiful ones in at the moment, and there are cheap-and-cheerful versions in the likes of Dunnes if you’d rather not break the bank, thank you very much. Pyjamas: Sorry, but if you don’t change into your pyjamas as soon as you step through your bedroom door after a long day at college, you’re doing life wrong. Unfortunately, it’s not socially acceptable to wear them in the library just yet, but at least it’s something to look forward to all day. Penneys have some amazing Disney pyjamas (and onesies) in store right now, so you can relax and relive your childhood all at once. Exam stress? What exam stress?

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November 11 2013

Arts & entertainment 23

New by Paul McCartney: The Galway Music Residency a wave of variety By Michael Ferris

By Jessica Pezzato At 71 years old, Paul McCartney still has the music in the blood and the same desire to impress. Us i n g t h e s e ma g i c ingredients, combined with a good deal of originality, the great and passionate singer has once again unified different generations under the same notes.

Ta l k i n g a b o u t t h e album, McCartney said; “It's funny; when I play people the album they’re surprised it’s me. A lot of the tracks are quite varied and not necessarily in a style you'd recognise as mine. But I didn't want it to all sound the same. We had a lot of fun.” Certainly, with ‘New’ Paul McCartney proved – once again – not only his

New is a concentration of talent, creativity and harmonious infusion of different music styles that characterized Paul’s career over the years. M c C a r t n e y ’s n e w album, New, was released on 11 October and is a concentration of talent, creativity and harmonious infusion of different music styles that characterized Paul’s career over the years. We are led from a sprinkle of rock in ‘I can bet’ to a jump backwards with ‘Everybody Out There’ to the joy and nostalgia for the past with ‘Early Days’ – Paul himself admitted that he was thinking of John Lennon when composing this song. Opening the album with all its overwhelming and contagious rhythm is ‘Save Us’, a song that was already presented to the public during Paul’s tour last summer and that presents all the characteristics to capture you and draw you in to the rest of the album. The perfect opening song is followed by ‘Alligator’, which alternates fast melodies with the incredible talent and ability of an awesome guitarist. ‘On My Way to Work’ is a gentle melody typical of many Beatles hits and yet untiring in its British style. The song ‘New’ adds even more freshness and brilliance to the album – one of those perfect happy songs to listen to in the car with its joyful melody that immediately sticks in your mind.

original musical talent but also his incredible ability of transmitting all his passion to the public. It is undeniable that

Paul and his crew (among the producers we find names such as Giles Martin, Paul Epworth, Ethan Johns and Mark Ronson) had a lot of fun with this album and just listening to it we can immediately feel contaminated by their feelings. The album doesn’t only make everybody want to start singing the catchy melodies, but it is able to share the emotions of the singer with the public, which makes it even more extraordinary and entertaining. The album is surely destined to have great success. Should we expect another tour soon? Probably, but for now, one thing is certain: if the “old” Paul really died in a car crash in 1966, as the legend of The Beatles tells, the “New” Paul is more alive than ever.

Mock the Lyric This week’s most ridiculous lyric is… Lyric: “Your mouth is a revolver firing bullets in the sky.” Song: Bonfire Heart Artist: James Blunt Suggested by: Tracey Halloran

October’s Finest Our October favourite was… Album: New Artist: Paul McCartney Suggested by: Chelsea Tabert

The Galway music residency celebrates its 11th birthday this year and have organised a feast for the senses with its new season of music events situated around the NUIG campus and across the city centre. After 10 successful years of organising splendid music events they have done it again and the sweet sounds floating around are the cultivation of some of Ireland’s most talented musicians such as The Contempo Quartet and special guests like Mairtin O'Connor. Over the coming months an ensemble of events have been meticulously prepared for the public’s pleasure. It would be a shame to miss their popular Lunchtime Concert Series, which now takes place monthly. The next event in this series takes place on the 5th of November at 13:00

at the Galway City Library. The Contempo Quartet will perform the world premiere of ‘Tribe’ by Ian Wilson. Mr Wilson will introduce his piece at the concert. Early arrival is advised. Another exciting event to keep an ear to the ground for is MINUS 3 on 23 November at 14:30 at the in the Galway City Museum, which is situated by the Spanish Arch. This performance will bring music by Santa Ratniece (Latvia) out of the concert hall to the museum space. The four members of the quartet will play in different rooms on different levels throughout the building. The audience will walk around the museum watching the MINUS 3 quartet (individual quartet members playing solo) and hearing a full quartet piece from both the solo live musician and speakers (pre-recorded tape).

Some of the Christmas events are definitely worth braving the winter cold to enjoy. On the 12th of December at 18:00 in the Mechanics Institute the Christmas at Home Concert event will take place with the Contempo Quarter and special guests. Tickets at the door: €10 /€8. Children under 16 admitted free. The public is also invited to Celebrate Christmas with music by the Contempo Quartet at the City Hall on the 16th of december at 13:00. This seasons programme is packed with other events you don’t want to miss. The majority of their regular events are free and open to the public and new faces are always welcome. For more information visit http://www.thegalwaymusicresidency.ie/ and find us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ thegalwaymusicresidency .

24 Reviews

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

Katy Perry: Prism

Kodaline: In a Perfect World

By Jane Kearns

By Brenna Dolan

It’s been three years since Katy Perry released her record-breaking album Teenage Dream; since then then the pop star has gone through a lot, including a sell-out world tour, six number one singles and most notably her very messy and public divorce from English comedian Russell Brand. After this whirlwind period in her life Perry promised that her next album would be entirely different to the cartoonish pop sound and image that fans were used to, for the most part she followed through on her promise in the form of Prism which was released on 22 October. Prism is the fourth album from the California native and after the phenomenal success of Teenage Dream a lot was expected from Perry; Prism gets off to a great start opening with ‘Roar’, the first single to be released from the album. ‘Roar’ sets the tone for the entire record with its strong message of being happy, independent and brave in the face of adversity. From here we can see just how much her divorce from Brand and new relationship with musician John Mayer have influenced her song writing in the form of songs like ‘Legendary Lovers’, ‘Unconditionally’ and ‘Ghost’, all of which directly address her divorce. The most remarkable of these is ‘Ghost’, an emotional ballad which mentions her embarrassment and shock when Brand texted her with his request for a divorce. Despite the fact that many of the songs on Prism expose the singer’s insecurities and vulnerabilities, it still manages to maintain

the fun side of Perry which garnered her fans in the first place. The album is peppered with fun and flirty pop songs like ‘Birthday’, as well as some experimentation with other genres such as ‘Dark Horse’ which uses an R&B bass line as the hook, and ‘Walking on Air’ which pays homage to 90s Dance with a Katy Perry twist. However Prism does have its flaws; the major sound and image change that Perry promised isn’t fully seen with this album. Some songs are more vulnerable and demure than her past work, but many of the songs still have that playful pop sound that we saw with Teenage Dream. However, unlike the 2010 album it’s hard to imagine as many hit singles being produced from Prism due to the fact that so many very obviously deal with the singer’s personal life. Overall Prism is a fantastic effort from Perry; it appeals to the fans but may struggle to garner as much attention from potential new listeners as Teenage Dream did.

As some of you may remember Kodaline played a crowded free gig in Monroes earlier this year. Having been in attendance myself I recall the disappointment from the crowd when they only played five songs. At the time Kodaline were number one in the IRMA charts from their hit record High Hopes and it was truly the highlight of the night. Thankfully Kodaline have been busy in the studio and have finally released their new album. The album is entitled In A Perfect World as is one of the most popular songs titles in the album. Kodaline is a four-piece arrangement of musical genius. Steve, Mark, Vinnie May and Jason who hail mainly from Swords, County Dublin, have raised the bar in terms of new Irish talent.

The band was previously known as 21 Demands, the one-hit-wonders who produced ‘Give me a minute’. 21 Demands got to the final in series five of You’re a Star, the Irish Music Talent show. Sadly, they came second to David O’Conner, a Wexford Native who won the series in 2007. Since then they have gained themselves a tasty 140 thousand likes on Facebook and some amazing gig locations including San Francisco, Boston, Toronto, London, Paris, Brussels and even Milan. It’s hard to believe this will only get the guys up until Christmas. Who knew a name change could lead to such success? They fall into the Alternative Rock category with a similar sound of The Killers and One Republic. They have produced a collection of very calm but powerful songs and combined them all onto one CD. As member Steve Garrigan quotes on their band website; “When we write music, the first thing we think of is, it’s therapy for us. Then we think of how we can use that feeling to touch as many people as possible.” The new deluxe album has 14 singles including the chart-topper ‘High Hopes’ and other popular hits such as ‘All I want’, ‘Love like this’ and the currentlyaired single ‘Brand New Day’. ‘Big Bad World’ and ‘The Answer’ are highly recommended too (Trust Me). The album is available on iTunes and on CD/DVD for a pocket friendly €14.99.

Panic! At The Disco: Too Weird To Live, To Rare To Die By Shannon McHugh Panic! At The Disco are back with a brand new album but there's no need to panic, it's pretty darn good. Although the album title sounds like House Hipster's motto, the content is most definitely jumping on the mainstream bandwagon. Yes, Panic are yet another band that has joined the Electro Pop revolution, but no, this is not a bad thing. Panic are bringing some quality to the genre unlike some of their Pop counterparts. Yeah Miley, I'm talking to you. Panic have evolved into the Electronic Pop genre and done so tastefully. The album picks from the best part of 80's pop, including sound influences from the Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell and the kings of this genre, Depeche Mode.

The catchy comeback single, ‘Miss Jackson’, was released in July; five months after their musical rivals Fall Out Boy released their My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark. The songs are uncannily similar. The difference in the song’s intros consists

of Fall Out Boy singing “oohoohooh” and Panic singing “heyheyheey”. This doesn't necessarily mean I dislike the song; it's actually one of my favourites on the album. As a matter of fact, this album gets better with every listen.

The band may be accused of “selling out” with this new sound but Panic! are a band that have always experimented differently with each album while continuing to maintain a splash of their original sound. The best example of an “Old Panic” sound can be

heard in ‘Casual Affair’. In typical Panic style, the song begins with a murky bass intro followed by Brendon's sullen robo-esque voice. The chorus erupts into a compelling chorus that will sate the die-hard fans. It's a toss-up between ‘Nicotine’ and ‘Far Too

Panic are yet another band that has joined the Electro Pop revolution, but this is not a bad thing. Panic are bringing some quality to the genre unlike some of their Pop counterparts. Yeah Miley, I'm talking to you.

Young to Die’ for best song. ‘Nicotine’ uses a cigarette analogy for a difficult, romantic relationship. The song begins with a haunting starrylike intro that suddenly kicks into the perfect pop song; electric guitar riffs, heavy thumping drums and anticipating shoots of technopop. You half expect the cast of Kick Ass to be beating the crap out of each other to this tune. ‘Far Too Young to Die’ is the polar opposite. The song is more Depeche Mode influenced. The relaxed techno beat and chilled synthesizers are present throughout the entire song with the last thirty seconds exploding into a mash of guitars and drums. All in all, I can happily say that Panic! At The Disco have not disappointed with this album. Fall Out Boy, watch out; the boys are back!

November 11 2013

Arts & entertainment 25

Academic Writing Centre launches writing competition By Karen McDonnell The Academic Writing Centre has announced details of this year’s competition for academic writing. The prize is an Apple iPad2. The AWC is a James Hardiman Library service. The centre, which has moved to a permanent home on the top floor of the library, is a writing support open to all students. It comprises of the AWC’s administration office, a consultation room, and a waiting area where handouts are also available. Students can drop into the AWC or make appointments. The AWC aims to facilitate students in writing better essays. The AWC core service is one-onone help with academic writing. It is staffed by tutors who are currently pursuing postgraduate degrees in NUI Galway. The manager of the AWC, Dr Irina Ruppo Malone, says that the tutors “help students of various disciplines to become more confident and proficient writers.” The AWC runs projects to promote good writing, to highlight what academic writing can achieve in terms of style and quality, and to demonstrate its application beyond the world of academia. On its website, tutors review books on academic writing – in Irish and English – in the Book of the Month slot. The AWC website also publishes faculty recommendations illustrating specific writing

‘etiquette’ demanded across individual disciplines. Feature of the Month focuses on academic articles, or examples of writing; journalistic vs. academic writing, for example. The centre is not without a sense of humour. A film, Night of the Living Deadlines – showcased with the aid of BA in Theatre Studies students – explored the horror-fest that is procrastination. The centre also organised exhibitions in the James Hardiman Library to promote an interest in etymology (this has been made possible by the EXPLORE staff and student collaboration scheme). The loneliness of the long-distance PhD student is not ignored. The AWC has a writing group for PhD students, whose projects are often solitary experiences. Over a three-hour session, students have a timed discussion, work at writing together, and receive tips for coping with stress caused by solitude and work issues. The first AWC academic writing competition was in 2011, when it was realised that there were few opportunities for students to express themselves in this genre of writing beyond essays submitted as coursework. Ruppo Malone says the competition is seen as “a method of self-expression and a chance to take a developed skill to another level”. The variety of topics set by the AWC allows students

• The competition is open to undergraduates only. • Course work may not be submitted. • Satirical or jocular work is encouraged. • The Harvard System of referencing must be used, and the piece must include citations from one or two published sources available at the James Hardiman Library (including databases). • The entry may be no longer than 500 words, and must address one of the topics listed below:

nomenon? If this is the case, is it a negative development? If this is not the case, what is the actual impact of social networking on society? You are encouraged to ask further questions and develop an original argument along this line of enquiry. 4. Identify a commonly held perception and explain why it is incorrect. The following are examples of such perceptions: ‘votes for women was a great cause with a positive outcome’; ‘everyone has a right to education’; ‘one must distinguish between dreams and reality’; ‘homicide is not civilized behaviour’; ‘modern life owes a debt of gratitude to Thomas Edison’s inventions'; ‘we cannot escape the burden of the past’. Any commonly held perception in any field is acceptable. However, your piece may not contain anything libellous.

1. Given that many people in what we call ‘first world’ countries have easy, and often instant, access to information via the internet, what should education look like? Is there still an argument to be made for the memorisation and rote learning that often occurs? 2. Should governments fund programmes for space exploration? 3. Is social networking an anti-social phe-

The deadline for the competition is February 21 2014. Entries should be sent to both of these email addresses: irina.ruppo@nuigalway.ie and awccompetition@gmail.com Any queries about the competition may be emailed to Irina at the above address. Or see the AWC Facebook page http://www.facebook. com/pages/Academic-Writing-Centre-NUIGalway/251359598231815

to show off in the same way that debating is a platform for verbal dexterity. Dr Ruppo Malone emphasises the fact that the Centre’s writing competition is open to students from all faculties in the University. The rules are as follows:

Galway Poet to Judge Poetry Prize

Book Review: Just Kids by Patti Smith

Theatre Review: The Lion King

By Karen McDonnell

By Kristina Reynolds

Come on, how many of us could say we have never seen The Lion King, growing up? Not many, I can bet, right? I remember from personal experience that there was a time I could recite all the words; okay so I was a bit obsessed myself, but who could deny the affect we all felt when Scar killed Mufasa? I still get emotional. So I think it has been established that the movie was a big hit when it was first released in 1994 – but what has influenced directors to turn The Lion King movie into a theatre production? I must encourage those who are stressing over a perfect first date option, or those who are fans of the arts and are looking for a worthwhile show: Hakuna Matata! What could be more fun or a better date plan than going to see a show? I can tell you, nothing! I was more than delira when I got a ticket to see this amazing production in the Lyceum Theatre, in London’s West End. Tickets were a very reasonable €44 considering that the director, Julie Taymor, made something that was already so magical even more ecstatic.

The Galway-based poet, Fred Johnston, will judge the 2013 Desmond O’Grady Poetry Prize. “I am honoured to have been asked, as I know Desmond O'Grady quite well over the years. When I lived in Algeria, I tried my hand at translating the 'Mou'allaqat' pre-Islamic poems from French, only to come home and see that Desmond ...had already translated these major works. He is an amazing poet,” Johnston said. Desmond O’Grady was born in Limerick, but now lives in Cork. Widely-travelled and an author of 17 collections of poetry, O Grady was a founding member of the European Community of Writers. He is a former European editor of The Transatlantic Review and also the organiser of the Spoleto International Poetry Festival. His works include Off Licence (Dublin 1968), The Gododdin (Dublin 1977), A Limerick Rake (Dublin 1978), Grecian Glances (Cambridge MA 1981), The Seven Arab Odes (London 1980), Ten Modern Arab Poets (Dublin 1992), Alternative Manners

(Alexandria 1993),Trawling Tradition (Salsburg 1994), and CP Cavafy, Selected Poems (Dublin, Dedalus, 1999). Belfast-born Johnston writes in both English and French. He has published three novels, as well as several collections of short stories and poetry. He won the Hennessy Prize for prose in 1972, and the Sunday Independent awards for prose and poetry in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Johnston was awarded the Prix de L’Ambassade in 2002. This year, he received literature bursaries from both the Irish Arts Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. In Galway, Johnston founded the Cúirt literature festival in 1986. He is also the founder and director of the Western Writers’ Centre – Ionad Scríbhneoirí Chaitlín Maude. His latest volume of poetry, Alligator Days, will be published by Revival Poetry this year. For the O’Grady Prize, Johnston will first select a longlist of 45 poems. A shortlist of 10 poems will be read by the authors at the Final Competition Celebration on 11 December in Limerick, after which the winner will be announced.

Known as ‘The Godmother of Punk’ Patti Smith has been around since the seventies, gracing the world with her art and music, a fusion of both poetry and rock. She released her first album, Horses, in 1975. Her most famous song, written alongside Bruce Springsteen in 1978, Because the Night, reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978. But Patti Smith was not always such a successful rock-Goddess. In her awardwinning, autobiographical book, Just Kids, she expresses the hardships and confinements of her earlier days and just how difficult the emergence of her success really was. Born in Chicago to a family of Irish heritage, Smith begins her story by recalling how she was raised through bible education, later abandoning the idea of religion in her teens and having a child out of wedlock. Any dreams of being a teacher disappeared when she found her love for poetry. After deciding to give her child up for adoption, she moved to New York, penniless and homeless, to

begin her artistic adventure through life. Here, she met Robert Mapplethorpe, also a poor, aspiring artist. The two begin an intense romance where Smith recalls Mapplethorpe to be “the artist of her life”. Living together, working together, finding themselves and finding each other, the pair suffers through poverty, facing drug addictions, exploring their sexuality and learning to love. This heart-warming autobiography recalls a time where influential rock music was not entirely accepted, where one – particularly women – had to be brave enough to pursue a career in this area. Smith is the voice of so much more than song, and her story is captivating. A life of poverty could not be more attractive. While reading the book, one easily imagines living a life of appreciation; where money cannot buy happiness and passion was the centre of their everyday lives. On 17 November 2010, Patti Smith won The National Book Award for Just Kids – a well deserved award for a truly inspirational book. You won’t be disappointed.

By Samantha Kelly

From the beginning surprise took over when the characters all made their entrance through the audience, leaving the crowd in awe. A personal favourite scene of the production was most definitely when the choreographer, Garth Fagan, incorporated ballet dance. This was so beautifully prepared: as a result it just flowed through the songs and dances. The Lion King has not made its way to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Ireland yet. Nonetheless it’s most definitely on the way; so no panicking! I am not just informing you of the impressiveness of this production as a tease. Tickets are expected to be within a range of €25-65, depending on what area you choose to be seated in. The rating so far is very impressive at a 4.8 out of 5 stars! So there are no excuses to not go with high hopes. A review that was posted on Ticketmaster on August 21, 2013 was titled Truly an Unforgettable Experience: 'my daughter and I loved the show from start to finish, it was spectacular and huge congratulations to everyone involved, it was amazing, the best show that I have ever seen' writes a very satisfied customer! So what's not to get excited about?

26 Arts & entertainment Painting a Scene with Words From the Library:

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

By Zoe Macfarlane To me poetry has always been an artful use of words which can give a real glimpse into the mind of a writer; the way in which they so delicately choose their words has always intrigued me. If someone were to tell me a few years ago that I myself would begin writing my own works of poetry and to even get two into publication – I would’ve thought they’d gone mad. My first experience of poetry was not the same as how I would approach it now. I showed no interest in it, nor could I find any deeper meanings to the words on the page. I just flicked through page upon page of school textbooks trying to decipher

what it all meant, lost among the typeface scattered on those crisp snow white pages. As years progressed that disinterest slowly melted away, thawing out what I would call a sense for the creative flare. But still I could not gather the confidence or the creative ability to fashion myself into a writer. I kept to the sidelines, staying a member of the audience to the literary art form. Upon delving into the life of an academic I began to take even further delight in the beauty that is English literature. Though I still stuck to my safe and unchallenging ways, disregarding any attempts at writing thoughts or ideas onto the pages scattered before me. As I began to engage with

the works that were thrust into my life I thought more and more about the ideas I’d been formulating within my mind – those creative bursts left to extinguish in the darkness. But as I was to find out later those ideas could not be kept hidden away and began to push their way through, soon becoming my first poem entitled I Only Need a Pen. And it was with the creation of this piece that my love for writing poetry began. After I had a few pieces under my belt I decided that submitting a piece for the Writers’ Soc publication would be a good way of getting my work out there. The excitement I felt when I had completed and submitted my poem was unlike any other

They say that eyes are the window to one’s soul, but to me it is through the written word.

I had felt before. Unlike the other poems I had created, this one was different – it seemed like this was one I had to write. And then it came: the day when I saw my name and my work in the publication. A flurry of emotions took over, dancing around like butterflies. With that boost of confidence I began to create more, finding influence in all things around me – be it through the literature I was learning, my own thoughts or even ideas that seemed to just come into being. When the time came around for the next publication I knew instantly that I would write another piece. I couldn’t nor can I still explain what it is that drives me to write my poems. I still question how it all began and how it works. I tend not to dwell on it too much for fear I shall over think it and therefore not create the poems I want to. And so with that Paper Wishes was born. Like before, the excitement overwhelmed me. I poured over every word as I read and re-read what I had created. Again, the same emotions took over me when I saw that I had gotten another piece published. But a part of me felt like there was something else I could do. It was then that I realised I wanted to read my poem for others, to add the emotions and atmosphere I felt when I created them. It was at the first English Soc event that I decided to do so. The experience I felt during that reading was like no other, I had finally given a voice to my words. They say that eyes are the window to one’s soul, but to me it is through the written word that one sees how another truly is – painting a scene with words and sharing it with others.

David Nicholls By Rebecca Hastings

We’ve all heard of One Day, David Nicholls’ novel-turnedfilm that had hundreds of us reaching for the Kleenex back in 2011. Note: if you’ve only seen the film, pick up the book now. The story is far more enjoyable and moving minus Anne Hathaway’s dodgy English accent. But the 46-year-old’s collection of novels doesn’t stop here – in fact, One Day is Nicholls’ most recent of three published books. The Hampshire-born writer has been churning them out ever since his screenwriting career took a turn for the worse in 2002. His six-part series Rescue Me was cancelled after the first season, frustrating him to the point where he decided to take a break from screenwriting and get to work on his first novel. This may have been the best decision he ever made. Starter for Ten is the hilariously witty story of knowledgeobsessed Brian Jackson as he navigates his way through his first year of university, where he joins the University Challenge team and falls in love. Brian is one of those loveable-loser characters that make you laugh and cringe simultaneously. Anyone here can relate to his misadventures – we all remember starting First Year and not having a clue what’s going on. Like Brian, Nicholls himself studied English at university, and student life seems to be a recurring theme in his work (One Day begins on the morning after the protagonists’ graduation day.) “That post-university time, I found very difficult,” Nicholls revealed in an interview with The Guardian in 2011. “I loved university so

much: I'd found my vocation, and that was being a student.” Like One Day, Starter for Ten was made into a film (penned by Nicholls himself) and like One Day, the film’s got nothing on the book. Without Brian’s lengthy internal monologues and the brilliantly memorable quotes, the whole thing is nowhere near as funny. Plus, huge parts of the story are changed, or even left out altogether, which is always disappointing. So if you liked the film, get your hands on the novel – you’ll realise what you’ve been missing. In 2005, Nicholls followed up his debut with The Understudy, which chronicles the career of the unfortunatelynamed, unsuccessful actor Stephen C. McQueen, who falls in love with the wife of the handsome actor he understudies. The grim plotline combined with Nicholls’ unique humour makes for a fairly up-and-down reading experience. Stephen’s situation is genuinely heartbreaking, but there are plenty of laughs along the way, too. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t mind a no-frills novel that’s heavily peppered with self-deprecating humour, The Understudy is for you. So what’s next on the agenda for Nicholls? According to his website, www.davidnicholls writer.com his latest project is a TV play called The 7.39, which will be broadcast on BBC One at some point next year. He’s keeping fairly quiet about his next novel, though, saying only that it’s “been my main priority since One Day's release, but it’s slow work. I hope to finish it next year, 2014, though can make no promises about publication.” Fingers crossed that it’s sooner rather than later!

Well-renowned Irish musicians, Mel Mercier and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, playing a short recital during a discussion in St. Mary's College, Galway, on the 'Intelligence of Art' partly organised by the Department of English, NUI Galway. Picture: Daniel O'Loughlin

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.

28 Sports

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

NUIG Rugby Restore Momentum NUIG Ladies Soccer team v Carlow IT with Bonus Point, Six-Try Victory By NUIG Ladies Soccer

By NUIG Rugby Having narrowly lost their last two games against their closest competitors in the league, NUIG travelled to Heffernan Park needing no less than a victory to keep their competitive season on track. The game was played in near perfect conditions, and the opening exchanges were intense and physical. Benefitting from sluggish College defence, the home team struck first with a well worked try that saw their winger benefit from a barnstorming break from the Ballina backrow; where the three-quarter was on hand to finish off the move and touch down close to the posts. The Ballina outhalf added the conversion. Following the restart, College wrestled back the initiative and started to assert some territory and possession. Midway through the first half NUIG secured a penalty after a period of sustained pressure. College’s impressive outhalf Kealen O’Flaherty expertly nudged the ball up the touchline to secure a line out five metres from the Ballina line. Ronan Mulloy, one of College’s standout players on the day, combined with

the highly impressive Stephen Dwyer to provide the backs with quality possession off the top of the lineout. C o l l e g e ’s t a l i s m a n , scrumhalf Jack O’Callaghan dispatched a perfect flat pass to the onrushing O’Flaherty who twice stepped the covered for a brilliant individual score. Alex Kirwan slotted the conversion and College were back to parity. However, following the restart, College’s exuberance to run the ball back from their 22, combined with good pressure play from Ballina, afforded the home team a kickable penalty, which the Ballina outhalf dispatched with ease. The teams turned around at the half-time break with the home side sitting on a slender 10-7 lead. Ballina then made the perfect start to the second half by scoring a well worked team try shortly after the restart. With Ballina stretching their lead to ten points, the momentum seemed to be turning in the home team’s favour, but College’s riposte could not have been more definitive. Led by Captain, Darragh O’Loughlin, Pete Small, Shane Ryan, Max Sale, Eoin Himpers, and man-of-the-match

Colin Lawlor, the team raised their intensity and ran in five impressive tries. Of particular note was the performance of Alex Kirwan. In addition to his near-flawless return with the placed ball, the winger was at the heart of College’s attacking renaissance. While threatening in either counter-attack or when coming into the line, Kirwan’s try was a fantastic individual effort, where he broke tackles and fended off his opposing number before rounding the cover to race in behind the posts. College's three-quarters impressed as a unit, with James Kennedy, Shane Galvin and Mattie Kavanagh also to the fore. With the pack laying the platform, and with sterling performances from Conor Gantly, Adam Brady, Eugene Kilkenny and the ever-brilliant Jack O’Callaghan, the penetration and space was created for the College backs to finish in some style. Mattie Kavanagh, Ruairi Kehoe-Clarke, Stephen Butler and O’Callaghan all crossed the white wash, the pick of the tries KehoeClarke’s touchdown after great interplay and teamwork by both forwards and backs. Ballina did not relent and were rewarded with a further unconverted try late in the game, which left the final score at 38-22 to the visitors. An important result for NUIG Rugby, one that restores College’s momentum going into the next few weeks and the crucial remaining fixtures before Christmas.

The NUIG Ladies Soccer team travelled away to Carlow IT for their opening game of the season on 17 October. With a strong backbone to the squad from last year and some fresh talent also added, NUIG started the game brightest. They were one to the good within five minutes thanks to a great curling shot from the boot of winger of Danielle Gordon. Carlow slowly began to get a foothold in the game and before long their persistency paid off as a clever through ball deceived the Galway defence and was finished to the bottom corner, leaving keeper Sorcha Dowd with no chance. Minutes later however,

NUIG again took the lead due to a kickout gone awry. Young striker Paula McGrowry took full advantage finishing calmly past the stumbling keeper. With Jennifer Byrne driving the team forward from defence, NUI seemed in control until an unfortunate mix up at the back led to the Carlow equaliser. With both teams giving it everything, the game was well poised at half time 2-2. Unfortunately, Carlow were undoubtedly the side that came out fighting in the second half and quickly beat the Galway offside trap to make it 3-2. NUIG were really under pressure from then on and soon the score was 4-2 to Carlow IT. Manager John Hynes made some substitutions

which came to fruition as Sarah came on and started a hopeful Galway comeback with a swift counter attacking goal. The team was unlucky to concede further goals to an on-form Carlow striker but continued to give it one hundred per cent nevertheless. Rachel Keyes and Julie Heyboer were powerful in the middle of the park for NUIG and a wonderful chip shot from Julie 30 yards out left the keeper stranded, making it 7-4. The ladies finished strongly and though the final score of 8-4 meant they left defeated, they will certainly draw many positives from this promising performance. Without a doubt this talented squad will continue to grow in confidence throughout the rest of the season.

NUIG Ladies Soccer v Trallee By NUIG Ladies Soccer NUIG Ladies Soccer team travelled again for their second game of the season, this time making the long journey down to Tralee IT. After losing their first game, the ladies were full of determination, positivity and purpose, starting the match brightest. From the off NUIG dominated the possession stakes, created numerous opportunities and should have been leading from very early on. However they finally broke the deadlock after 20 minutes when Rachel Keyes was taken down inside the penalty box. Danielle Gordon calmly stood up and slotted the ball brilliantly

passed the keeper to make it 1-0 to the away side. With Kristen Cooney and Julie Heyboer pushing on strongly from midfield, NUIG quickly increased their lead when Julie danced passed the defence and, following a great save from the goalie finished the rebound to the back of the net. NUIG deservedly went in at half time two to the good with Tralee really struggling to get to grips with the girls attacking firepower. Although Galway were slightly sluggish at the start of the second half, defenders Shantelle Reid and Deanne Jones were unbeatable and Tralee could find no way through. Maebh Coleman

also did a wonderful job sitting in front of the back four, preventing a lot of ball from even reaching the NUIG defence. Substitutions were again made by Galway manager John Hynes to freshen up the team and with Paula McGrory hitting the post and Eimear Foley hitting the side net NUIG looked ever threatening. Soon after Paula rounded off a 3-0 win after finishing a great solo run with an accurate left leg shot to the bottom corner. NUIG will be delighted with this commanding and deserved win after making the long journey to play the Kerry side and will hopefully push on from here in their next few games.

NUI GALWAY Exercise your body as well as your mind

* Terms & Conditions Apply

091 570 800 www.kingﬁsherclub.com

Sports 29

November 11 2013

A tribute to Niall Donoghue

Review: Alex Ferguson Autobiography

By Ciaran McGreal

to 3-11 in the replay. At the end of the day, Galway supporters will remember the 2012 championship as the year their county claimed its first Leinster title with young players like Donoghue, Johnny Coen and Joe Canning all excelling. Niall Donoghue's contribution to Galway's 2012 success must not be forgotten. He truly was the unsung hero of the team as he missed out on an All Star despite six of teammates winning the award. He was part of the 2013 panel as well as Galway were beaten in the All Ireland quarter final by Clare, who went on to win the title. The Galway county board rescheduled this year's county hurling final from Sunday 27th to Monday 28th of October as a mark of respect to Donoghue. A minute's silence was observed at the match in which Portumna defeated Loughrea. Niall Donoghue's death was extremely tragic and represented a huge shock in the sporting world. He will be missed by his family, friends, teammates and supporters alike. May he rest in peace.

By Michael Farrell

think that the ERC would have been able to fight off the possible takeover. And so it panned out this way but it was the insecure caving to the aristocracies that left a sour taste in the mouth. The recent murmurs from the much maligned Mark McCafferty suggest the Premiership may want even more from a deal that they’ve already exhausted. What’s next for any team that falls outside the elite group is a state of limbo. In terms of a team like Connacht, they have in recent years just begun to gain a foothold in the Heineken but now face a future of uncertainty. Players like Craig Clarke won’t be whetting their appetites at the prospect of playing for a club that will surely once again become bereft of a competitive yearly turnover. It’s

always been one step forward and two steps back for Connacht, this time they’ll be retreating three. Connacht’s problem is just one of many, another huge issue could surround the availability of players for international duty. Currently, the French clubs are starting to gain a too tight a stranglehold where some players are being refused international exile as the busy club calendar is taken into account. With the English and French gaining even more from the new set up the repercussion for the Northern Hemisphere could be irreversible. It’s too late at this stage to prevent the death of the Heineken Cup but all true rugby fans up north must be hoping that the English and French don’t see blood and go for the kill.

Galway hurling lost one of its most promising young players on October 23 as Niall Donoghue died in tragic circumstances at his home in Kilbeacanty. Niall was due to celebrate his 23rd birthday two days after his untimely passing and having been a key man for both club and county. Donoghue made his name in a Galway jersey as part of the under 21 team that claimed an All-Ireland in 2011 under the stewardship of current senior manager Anthony Cunningham. He played full-back that day as Galway defeated Dublin 3-14 to 1-10. He was then promoted to the senior side for the 2012 campaign. That year saw Galway beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final and Donoghue pocketed a welldeserved Leinster medal. Galway defended brilliantly on the day with Donoghue to the fore at right-half back. After winning the Leinster title, Galway qualified directly for the semi-finals. They faced Cork in the last four and came through 0-22 to 0-17. Joe Canning contribution of 11 points

which combined with wellorganised defending from Donoghue and co. saw Galway earn a place in the All-Ireland final. Kilkenny and Tipperary contested the second of the semi-finals. Brian Cody's men were comprehensive winners by a scoreline of 4-24 to 1-15. It seemed that Kilkenny were on course for yet another All Ireland title but Galway were in the position of having already beaten the Cats and the Tribesmen knew what to expect from the Cats. Galway led 1-09 to 0-07 at half time in the final with Joe Canning grabbing a sensational goal. Donoghue's long range point in that first half will be one of the abiding memories of his tragically short career. In the second-half, Henry Shefflin took control for Kilkenny who dragged themselves back into the game. Galway had goalkeeper James Skehill to thank as he denied Colin Fennelly a goal with a spectacular save while Joe Canning pointed a last minute free to take the game to a replay. Ultimately, Kilkenny proved too strong for Galway as they triumphed 3-22

Money talks By Daragh Small As we now sit comfortably within the realms of the autumn international series it’s easy to forget the bleak backdrop that awaits the Northern Hemisphere. As usual the money talked and the Anglo-French scenario has successfully raised its ugly head. Not enough was done by the ‘weaker’ nations and now we have the unfortunate 20 team European Cup set-up to try and look forward to. The second tier proposal is even more intangible than the on-going Amlin Challenge Cup equivalent. The current top tier is set to consist of eight clubs from both the English and French leagues with the RaboDirect Pro12 (at least one from each country) making up the rest of the contingent. The Pre-

miership were the main backers of the venture and even managed to get the Welsh to back their scheme along with the unusually apprehensive French. It is thought the English came up with the initial idea in order to reduce the influence of the successful Irish teams on European’s most premiere club competition. Increased TV revenue was another suggestion as the English fat cats began to get the attention of their French counterparts. Although Toulon and Toulouse are thought to be against the idea, the huge financial capabilities of an AngloFrench league was too good to refuse. Sky are the cur rent holders of the rights to the Heineken Cup but with the lucrative package being set out by BT it was foolish to

You get the feeling that if Alex Ferguson had not become a dire ctor at Manchester United after he retired then this would be a very different book. One can’t exactly slate players and staff at the club and remain in a job, albeit a ceremonial one. How does he sell an autobiography then? Attack the players no longer affiliated to the club. Roy Keane is the first name on the list. You can say what you want about Keane as a person and you can bring Saipan or his less than successful managerial career into the argument, but you cannot argue that Keane was not a world class player. The driving force behind United’s nineties success and while he was temperamental, I doubt any other player could have brought United back from the brink the way Keane did against Juventus in the 1999 Champions League semi-final. Keane has come out in the press and said that Ferguson should have more respect for the players who

brought him success and he should have more respect for a man who was his captain and leader on the pitch. Every book needs a bad guy though and as Roy Keane still sells papers it is no wonder that Ferguson targeted him. His second target is also an obvious one. Ferguson’s only criticism of David Beckham is that he was “the only player I managed who chose to be famous”. This leaves a bad taste in the mouth when one of the main stories used to sell the book was Beckham’s move to Real Madrid and the fallout between the two. Ferguson has a point in what he says however, if Beckham had stayed at United he could have been an all-time great at the club instead of the media personality he has become. Indeed, the main selling point of the book are the high profile spats with the likes of Rafael Benítez, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney. While José Mourinho and Arsène Wenger have Ferguson’s respect it is quite clear that Benítez doesn’t. When Ferguson talks of Benítez he says that his biggest mistake was to make their differences personal with his infamous “fact sheet”. Fergie dismisses Rafa as a boring manager and questions his managerial ability by pointing out the fact that Benítez has been very lucky to inherit readymade teams at both Valencia and Chelsea.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy is a different story. He comes out of this one well because he rang Fergie to apologise and as Ferguson says: ”I like people who can apologise”. Owen Hargreaves, Jordan Henderson and Mark Bosnich are others that Fergie feels the need to give a tongue lashing to. Although there is an entire chapter on Wayne Rooney, Ferguson really can’t say too much as Rooney is still at United. He is critical of Rooney’s attempts to hold the club to ransom over his wage demands in 2010 however, and there must be more to the story. Throughout the book Ferguson is keen to protect those players and staff still at the club and speaks very highly of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes although both have had issues during his time both on and off the pitch. Ferguson also chooses not to go into detail when describing the Rock of Gibraltar affair. Ferguson chalked it down to a ‘misunderstanding on both sides’, but realistically there must have been much more to the story than that. Ferguson refuses to paint himself in a bad light at any point in the book and he lacks the self-depreciating honesty that Paul McGrath or even Keane’s autobiography had. In Fergusons world there is no black and white, he is always right. This book is definitely worth a read for any football fan. Love him or hate him Alex Ferguson is one of the most successful managers of all time and it is fascinating to see his some of his man management skills in action. We get an insight into the mind of Alex Ferguson. He says when talking about the strikers he coached: “I’m sorry, but none was as good as I was in my playing days”. That list includes Eric Cantona, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo. Maybe you need that kind of confidence in yourself to be to as successful as Ferguson was.

30 Sports

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 5

NBA Preview International Rules: How bad will the bad teams be? Can the Heat three-peat?

By Céimin Burke Would a professional sports team ever want to lose games, ever want to have a bad season? Taking aside various match fixing scandals that have cropped up over time surely this is never the case? I mean it goes against everything we believe about sports! Yet that is precisely what several NBA teams are going to do this season. The reason for this is that the worst teams in a season have a greater chance of getting better players in the following years draft. The 2014 NBA draft is loaded with talent and will probably turn out to be the best in at least a decade. This has led to a situation where some teams are trading away their better players in order to win fewer games and also free up space on their salary cap so they can build for the future. The Boston Celtics, the most successful franchise in the history of the NBA, decided to blow up the current team in order to begin the rebuilding process in earnest. They traded three of their best players to the Brooklyn Nets and their coach Doc Rivers, one of the best in the league, to the Los Angeles Clippers. There are numerous other teams who have already employed similar strategies for the upcoming season and several others who may end up doing so if results dictate it. Even the storied Los Angeles Lakers may succumb if Kobe

Bryant doesn’t recover from injury in a timely manner. How bad will the bad teams be? Awful. The Philadelphia 76ers in particular are shaping up to be outstandingly bad. However at the top end of the rankings things are looking extremely competitive. The Miami Heat are going for a three-peat and in many ways this season will be defined by whether they can be stopped. Steve Kerr, who three-peated as part of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls team, believes that the constant scrutiny of the team, the emotional exhaustion of continuously going to the well year after year, and the accumulation of injuries will make it a bridge too far for the Heat and predicts that they won’t get out of the Eastern conference. The most likely candidate to topple Miami in the East is the Chicago Bulls, who will be rejuvenated by the return of their star player Derrick Rose. Other difficult teams are the Indiana Pacers, who pushed Miami all the way to game 7 in last year’s conference finals and the Brooklyn Nets who have strengthened considerably by trading for the heart of the Boston Celtics. In the Western conference there is a couple of genuine contenders and also a couple more teams that may prove to be over the course of the season. In the former category you have the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. These are the finalists from the last two years who fell

to Miami. Both of them should be strong again this year and every other team will wish to avoid them in the playoffs. The potential contenders come in the form of the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers. Both of these teams strengthened over the summer but there are question marks that would need to be answered before they’re declared bona fide contenders. Despite the strength of the competition, and the mental and emotional toll of going all the way to the finals three years in a row, if Miami can keep their important players injury free, particularly the ‘Big Three’ of Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and Lebron James, then it will be very difficult for anyone to stop them. Yet at least one member of the “Big Three” has had injury problems during the playoffs in the last two seasons and it has nearly derailed them on several occasions. But they weren’t derailed; because of this and because they have Lebron James they remain the favourites for the NBA Championship. Something to look out for this year: As incredible as it may sound there are rumblings about a possible return of Michael Jordan to play at least one professional game. Michael Jordan is 50 years old! This may not happen, and that would probably be for the best, but if it did… Three things: It would be unmissable, it would go viral, and it would sell merchandise.

Series of Unfortunate Events

By John Ivory Recent weeks saw the climax of this years’ instalment of the International Rules Series between Ireland and Australia, although, calling it a climax is a huge overstatement. From the beginning of the opening game of this two-match competition, there was only going to be one winner as the Irish dominated the Aussies in every facet of the game. So rather than review the contest, let’s review the concept. It’s a question of whether this is a dying tradition, or it’s already dead. It’s not so long ago since the exhilarating contests of 2006 were gripping the nation, but an almost reversal in the physicality policies have been just one of the issues that have crippled the games. So what can be done to revive it? Upon viewing the game, it’s hard to see any features of the Australian version that help the Aussies gain an advantage over the Irish. The tackling system that used to cause havoc for the Irish is now quite similar in ways to how Gaelic Football has evolved. The ‘mark’ slows down the game and prevents any meaningful tackles being put in. In addition to this, the one point ‘behind’, just rewards the Irish for their inaccuracy. In commentary, many people posed the question, ‘Who were the pros’ and who were the amateurs?’, but

in all honesty this was the Irish playing Gaelic Football against a group of men who looked like fish out of water on the rectangular pitch. The Australians even had to employ one of their players as a goalkeeper, a concept totally alien to their sport. When it’s our ball, our pitch and our way of playing, of course it’s easy to make the Australians look like amateurs. One thing that could add to the spectacle would be both countries selecting their best teams, for example, the All-Stars from both leagues coming together to play the matches. Without disrespecting anybody who took part, there won’t be too many players who represented Ireland on the All-Star selection of 2013, not that this is the be-all-and-end-all, and they should be commended for giving up their time to represent their Country, in such a professional manner. Maybe the All-Ireland Champions should face their Australian counterparts? At

When it’s our ball, our pitch and our way of playing, of course it’s easy to make the Australians look like amateurs.

least that way there would be real, tangible pride in the jersey on both sides. Lest we forget, the Aussies chose from indigenous players only this year, ignoring many of their best athletes due to ethnicity and thus, weakening their chances. A change in ball could be solution to even the playing field as it were. The challenge that would be presented to the Irish by using the Aussie rules ball, similar in shape and size to a rugby ball, could be comical at times, but would most certainly represent a more mixed rules encounter. Introducing less stringent policies regarding the physical side of the game would also add to the entertainment factor. This would just be bigger hits, nothing like the barlike brawls that ruined the tradition in the aforementioned 2006 series. As it stands, this tradition will die out if nothing is done to change it. Attendances have been slumping in both hemispheres, especially in the Southern, and the glory days of Barney Rock, Pat Spillane and the late Jim Stynes, (who represented both countries) are well and truly gone. This is a sporting event that is so truly unique and not enough is being done to preserve and grow it. There are numerous things that can be done, but something must be done so the Cormac McAnallen Cup receives the respect he deserves.

Republic of Ireland courts Liverpool By John O’Sullivan Rumours emanating from the Irish Examiner claim that Republic of Ireland 'manger in waiting' Martin O'Neill will attempt to convince promising Liverpool full back Ryan McLaughlin to switch his international Footballing allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.

Under the doctrines set forward in the Good Friday agreement, anyone born on the island of Ireland, regardless of whether it is North or South of the border, is eligible to receive an Irish passport and, therefore, under the rules of FIFA, are available to be selected for the Republic of Ireland. The Republic will have been encouraged by McLaughlin's rejection of

call ups to Northern Ireland's squad. Instead of representing the Windsor Park side, McLaughlin said he would rather focus his energies on his club career. The Boys in Green have previously exploited this politically instigated loophole by convincing several players, such as Darron Gibson and James McClean, to turn their back on the place

of their birth, Northern Ireland, and to instead pursue their international career with the Republic. McLaughlin, a rapidly quick attacking full back, is highly regarded at Liverpool and his rich potential was rewarded with a five year contract last summer. The only reason he has failed to make his senior bow for the Anfield club is because some senior

coaching staff don't believe his positioning in defence is as yet strong enough for the travails of the English Premier League. Where his defending can perhaps be culpable, like most attacking full backs such as the Brazilian pair Marcelo and Dani Alves, the Belfast born flier compensates for this defensive frailty with his rapid pace, sweet right foot and general attacking nous

that could be useful to Ireland from a right midfield role, if O'Neill again utilises the flat four misfield that he used at Celtic and Sunderland. Potentially, McLaughlin, should he follow in James McCleans footsteps, could form a strong bond with his Merseyside neighbour, Everton's impressive Seamus Coleman, down Ireland's right side.

November 11 2013

Final Word 31 Useful facts to prepare you for the “What Do They Teach You in College?” scenario • Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. • The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses. No one in Greece has memorized all 158 verses. • There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar. • The average secretary's left hand does 56% of the typing. • A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes. • There are more chickens than people in the world (at least before that chicken-flu thing). • The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched." • All of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20. • "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt". • All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill. • Almonds are members of the peach family. • Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance. • There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. • Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula". And can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, "L.A." • An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. • The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "Its A Wonderful Life" • A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours. • John Lennon's first girlfriend was named Thelma Pickles. • The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat. • Honey is the only natural food that is made without destroying any kind of life. What about milk you say? A cow has to eat grass to produce milk and grass is living. • Spiral staircases in medieval castles are running clockwise. This is because all knights used to be right-handed. When the intruding army would climb the stairs they would not be able to use their right hand which was holding the sword because of the difficulties of climbing the stairs. Left-handed knights would have had no troubles, except left-handed people could never become knights because it was assumed that they were descendants of the devil.

diary of the Smokey’s Pigeon I’m beginning to gain the first years’ trust. It’s taken a while, but after two months they are finally getting used to me... There’s still the occasional shriek of fear when I fly overhead, on my way to the next pile of crumbs across the hall. But what have I got if not the element of surprise? Everyone is starting to prepare for exams and we all know what that means. Comfort eating. Yes, they all huddle on the couches reading their notes, munching on muffins and pastries and chocolate and paninis, oblivious to the fact that they’re getting more food on the ground than in their mouths. I love that time of panic, when the study starts and the essays are due.

It’s feasting time.

The NUI Galway Students’ Union

Naked Calendar 2014

€5 all proceeds go to Galway Rape Crisis Centre and ISPCC/Childline On Sale now in the SU Office, the Socs Box, the SU Shop, Smokey’s and the SU Desk in the Engineering Building.