INSIDE 'Neknomination'
News
Free Student Newspaper | VOL 15, ISSUE 9 | 10 Feb 2014
Tragic death of GMIT students in fire
2
Free Burritos in Boojum
2
GiG Soc hosts first ever Rainbow Ball
2
Taoiseach Opens €30 Million Biomedical Science Building
4
TedFest to return to Inismore
5
Debate: Has Obama made a difference?
8
Ireland (USI) have launched a campaign to ‘break the chain’ of neknominations and have urged students to think about the fact that they may harm themselves or the person whom they nominate and the culture of videos containing alcoholrelated stunts can lead to cybershaming or cyberbullying. “The consequences of drinking large volumes of alcohol in a short time period can have very real impacts on those taking part,” the online campaign reads. “As this trend spreads, participants are trying to ‘better’ their friends’ efforts; more dangerous substances, greater quantities and risk. We are asking you to break the chain and not participate in this trend. Look after your own health and protect your friends from the serious risks associated with it.” NUI Galway Students’ Union has expressed concern about the issue and has issued a warning to those attempting
to record such videos on campus; “With the videos growing in exaggeration and extreme, anyone found to be recording or engaging in ‘neknominations’ in the College Bar or in any other Students’ Union outlet will be asked to leave. “We would also like to reiterate the points made in the media that safe drinking is important and that peer pressure from people to engage in potentially dangerous drinking is something that our businesses will neither promote or condone.” High Court Judge, Mr. Justice Paul Carney, has said that if such online drinking contests continue, it is going to result in “a tsunami of homicide and rape prosecutions” before his court. This came as he was sentencing a 38-year-old Waterford man who raped an acquaintance after consuming six to seven pints of Budweiser in a local nightclub.
Rebecca O’Reilly, Niamh Ronayne and Brian Kenny (First Year Commerce) pictured at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway for the Commerce Ball. For more photos of the Commerce Ball see ‘Sin Newspaper NUI Galway’ on Facebook. Picture: Daniel O’Loughlin
Final Word
sport
Arts
Lifestyle
The ‘Neknomination’ drinking craze made famous via Facebook videos has resulted in at least one fatality in the country this month and has led to a nationwide appeal for the game to come to an end. The process involves a person drinking alcohol at a rapid pace and posting a video of their attempts on to the social media site Facebook. They then tag their friends to do the same within 24 hours. Jonny Byrne, aged 19 from Carlow, jumped into the River Barrow after finishing his drink as part of the challenge and died after getting into difficulty in the water. His family have now launched a desperate appeal for the Neknominations to come to an end. Jonny’s brother Patrick, who had tried to rescue his brother from the water, asked people via his Facebook page to put an end to the drinking craze.
“He thought he had to try and beat the competition and after he necked his pint he jumped into the river,” he said, explaining the reason his brother engaged in the stunt. It is believed Jonny consumed a cocktail of alcohol before jumping into the river. Their father Joe Byrne has also spoken out about his son’s death and the impact this has had on his family; “I'm appealing to everyone who is associated with this to please stop. It cost my son his life because of a dare and I don't want to see anybody else in the same situation, because it has destroyed our family.” He has also called on the government to enact some form of legislation to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. The death of a Dublin DJ, Ross Cummins was also initially put down to neknominations, but this has since been reported to be untrue. The Union of Students in
Valentine's Special
By Ciara Treacy
Features
Facebook craze results in fatality
Neknominations and Peer Pressure
10
Alumni Interview: Olive Loughnane
11
How’s your self-image?
12
Online Dating
13
How do social media affect your relationships?
13
Yellow Brick Road
16
The best break-up songs
19
Spring Trends
23
Hall of Shame: Justin Bieber
24
Sin’s Poetry Competition
26
Victory for NUIG Ladies Soccer team
28
GAA: the ones to watch
29
Diary of the Smoky's Pigeon
31