Volume 15 Issue 11

Free Student Newspaper | VOL 15, ISSUE 11 | 10 MAR 2014

News

INSIDE

“I just want to say a massive congratulations to the two boys Alan and Paddy for an amazing week. They’re gentlemen and I’ve made two fantastic friends,” she added.

The Vice President for Welfare will advocate on behalf of NUI Galway’s students in sectors such as Grants and Fees, Health, Student support, and Student Security and Safety. The elected will hold a high focus on the student’s safety and wellbeing on, and off campus.

Likewise, the welfare officer will combat rising tuitions, and promote expansion and awareness in all sectors that fall under the health category such as mental and sexual health, on behalf of the students.

The first count for referendum regarding the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign was the second result to be announced. The total poll was 3,261, of which 248 were spoiled, equalling 3,013 valid ballots.

Of the valid ballots, the ‘Yes’ vote held 1,954, whereas the ‘No’ vote tallied 1,059. As the ‘Yes’ vote exceeded the agreed

quota of 1,507. This vote determined that NUI Galway will actively support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction against the State of Israel.

Representing the Palestine Solidarity Society, Fionnghuala Nic Roiberird spoke with Sin about what the referendum results means for the movement and what our ‘Yes’ votes achieved.

“We thought this one would be a struggle because when you ask people to boycott something especially for a cause that’s thousands of miles away, normally it’s a case of ‘Ah sure I’ll not bother with that’ or anything that makes other people go their own way,” she said.

“They’re not interested in it but our students have shown – NUIG students have shown – they’re not comfortable with apartheid and we’re sticking up for human rights – it’s unbelievable.

“Any links with any Zionist institutions will be smashed. No Israeli or Zionist cultural workers will be allowed to come over here and spread their pro-apart-

Continued on page 2…

Lifestyle Arts & Entertainment

Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin (Vice President for Welfare), Declan Higgins (Students’ Union President) and Phelim Kelly (Vice President for Education), after their election to the Students’ Union last Friday.

sport

Elections for the full-time sabbatical officers and two out of three of the referenda proposed were held on Thursday 6 March last.

The counting of the ballot papers took place the following morning, Friday 7 March, in The View in Arás na MacLéinn where the new sabbatical officers, the results of the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) referendum and the appeal of RCF13/1 (stance on abortion) were announced.

Fianna Fáil’s Ken Curtin was the returning officer overseeing the ballot count.

The first ballot boxes to be emptied and counted were votes for the referenda and the sabbatical position of Vice President for Welfare.

The first count saw current Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin, total 1466 votes, Alan O’Dowd reached 1013 and Paddy ‘Tam’ McDonald got 600 of the votes cast.

The second count was the redistribution of the ‘Reopen Nominations’ and Paddy ‘Tam’ McDonald’s votes. A quota of 1572 votes was required to win.

The quota was reached by Aoife Ni Shúilleabháin, meaning no further votes after the amount were counted. Aoife reached an overall total of 1771 votes, making her the Vice President for welfare.

We asked Aoife how she felt about her win, and she said; “It’s a bit funny, I’m still in a small bit of disbelief. I just rang my mum at the home there and was chatting to her and I think that’s when it started to sink in properly now.

“But I’m really, really excited about this. We’ve all put a lot of work into this week and even building-up, preparing manifestos and everything, you really get invested in what your plans are, what your hopes are for the SU.

heid, any Israeli produce off campus; we’ll be kicking G4S off campus because of their blatant abuse of human rights and their complicity to holding Palestinian people under administrative detention, not to mention the kids; they jail 700 kids a year.

“G4S are complicit in that.

We don’t want them on our campus. Clearly, that’s what has been shown today – we don’t want that… Free Palestine,” Fionnghuala concluded.

Enoch Burke, who is the campaign manager for the ‘No’ to BDS campaign, also spoke to Sin after the result.

“Two words sum up the 'Yes to BDS' campaign: intimidation and misinformation. From Day one of the campaign, posters offering an alternative viewpoint were ripped down around campus and our canvassers were harassed by leaders of the BDS campaign,” he said.

“The majority of students on campus did not know what ‘BDS’ stood for and, as such, were not in a position to make an informed decision on the boycott. Many notable universities around the world including Oxford have rejected this boycott.

“NUI Galway's new stance, including its implications for Israeli academics, is not just an insidious form of racism but a slight to freedom of speech, inclusion and free academic discourse. Time will tell how all this will play out."

The repeal of RCF13/1 (last year’s referendum where students voted for the Students’ Union to take a Pro-Choice stance) and for the SU to adopt a neutral stance resulted in a total poll of 3,296; 130 of which were spoiled, equalling 3,166 valid ballots. Of the valid ballots, the “no” vote held 1,748 and the “yes” vote held 1,418.

The repeal was defeated, and the Students’ Union’s stance on the issue of abortion remains Pro-Choice.

Final Word

By Chelsea Tabert and Jenna Hodgins

Features

Over 3,000 students vote in Students’ Union Elections

Lineup announced for Rock the Prom

2

Scholarships to be awarded to elite athletes

4

Youbloom on the hunt for Galway bands

5

COPE report 40% increase in women seeking refuge

6

This Week’s Debate: Marriage Equality

8

Facebook buys Whatsapp

10

One night in Bangkok

12

India: The pushcart and the Benz

13

Wise Words: Cookies

18

Guys’ Style

19

Fitness Fashion

19

Fashion Phenomenon: Victoria’s Secret

20

The Pros of being a Conman

22

Review: Morning Phase

23

Poetry Competition winners

25

Former NUI Galway student launches first book

26

Success for Ladies Soccer team

28

Swimming team prepare for Intervarsities

29

Archery Club raise funds for Croí

29

Diary of the Smoky's Pigeon

31

What do they teach you in college?

31

2 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Line-up announced for Students’ Union Ball ‘Rock the Prom’

By Siobhán Whyte The annual Students’ Union Ball is getting a makeover. Revamped and restyled as ‘Rock the Prom,’ it will now be held at Leisureland in Salthill, on Thursday 20 March.

The SU promises that this will be “the biggest music event NUIG has ever held”.

Judging by the announcement which features Labrinth, it is set to be a massive success.

With major hits such as ‘Earthquake,’ ‘Last Time,’ and ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ which

feature other chart-topping artists, Labrinth will be a huge draw for students to this event.

Among those he has worked with are Emeli Sandé and Tinie Tempah.

Labrinth has two UK Platinum singles and a UK Platinum collaboration. He was included in ‘Teardrop,’ a charity single for Children in Need. He won a MOBO Award for Best Song in 2012 along with three other nominations. As well as that, he has been nominated for various Brit and BET awards.

Also on the line-up are Gorgon City, our

very own DJ Byrno, and Graham Doherty as well as Gin ‘n’ Juice.

Gorgon City are an up-and-coming electric music production duo consisting of Foamo and RackNRuin from North London.

Their latest single ‘Ready for Love’ featuring MNEK charted at number four in the UK. They have collaboration with The Klaxons coming out later this year.

DJ Byrno is a familiar face around the SU as well as town, in venues such as Kelly’s Bar. He will be playing with Graham Doherty, a

local DJ resident in Carbon Nightclub and Electric Garden.

Graham has previously warmed up for Zane Lowe, Wilkinson and Soulwax/2ManyDJs. Gin ’n’ Juice are Dublin’s first hip hop covers band and played in Halo last year.

Tickets cost €35 and will be on sale Wednesday 12 March in the Students’ Union Office, Áras na Mac Léinn. Be there early because the tickets will no doubt sell out quickly!

Over 3,000 students vote in Students’ Union Elections Continued from page 1…

The repeal of last year’s referendum was requested by the Life Society, who wished for a neutral Students’ Union on the issue of abortion.

After the results of the count, Enoch Burke, who is also the Public Relations Officer of the Life Society, said; “I was the campaign manager [for the referendum appeal]. First of all, we’re very happy with the result of the count.

I think we can see there that there’s only one out of every six students, approximately about 3,000, in an 18,000 strong University that have come out [and voted].

“There’s something very seriously wrong with that when only one in six students are voting. But out of that, 45% voted to get rid of the Pro-Choice stance. There’s a message there.

“I think there’s a message for the Students’ Union which is supposed to represent every student. I think there’s a message for the college/university. I think there’s a message for them to listen to and take seriously because really, the campus is divided when you have 45% of students voting to get rid of it [the stance], and 55% voting ‘No’.

“That’s a serious thing, to have a campus divided. And because of that we will be continuing with this battle, this fight. The Students’ Union should represent every student.

They said Abraham Lincoln lost maybe eight or nine elections before he was elected. So we

will be continuing. Just to emphasize that, we have come an awful long way since last year and we will be going further and further.”

Sin also approached a representative of the Choice Society, Mariel Whelan; “I’m delighted. I’m ecstatic. I’m furious we were put in this position in the first place, you know have to do it all over again, but Choice won. People actually are Pro-Choice, even with all the confusion with the tricky wording [of the referendum] people still came out and voted for the right thing.

“It’s just going to solidify the fact that we have a pro-choice union now, that’s what the people want, that’s what the students want,” she concluded.

Shortly after the referendum results, the first count was announced for the position of Vice President for Education. 3,266 votes were cast in total; Phelim Kelly earned 1,510 of the votes, and Conor Fitzgibbons held 1,479.

A second count was carried out to determine the winner by the redistribution of the re-open nomination votes. The redistribution total was 142; 12 were for Conor Fitzgibbons, giving him an overall total of 1,491 votes; 14 were for Phelim Kelly, giving him an overall total of 1,524. The vote was too-close to call in the beginning but Phelim Kelly was deemed the new Students’ Union Vice-President for Education.

Sin spoke with Phelim shortly after his win; “I feel ecstatic. It was such a close race between me and Conch, I mean there was

literally 33 votes. I feel over the moon.

There’s no words to describe it,” said Phelim shortly after his win.

When asked about his next step, Phelim answered, “Next step is to pass my exams this year! That’s the next step before I can step into the office!”

The elected Vice President for Education will be in charge of all educational matters within the university, including chairing of Educational Forums. The education officer will tend to matters such as exam deferrals, ensuring open contact between lecturers and students, fees and grant applications and all other general matters regarding courses and the students’ education.

Finally, at around 3pm in the afternoon Ken Curtin announced the first count for the position of Students’ Union President.

The total number of votes cast was 3,306 including 64 spoiled, equalling 3,242 votes that were considered valid.

The results were as followed: Paul “Jigs” O’Donnell held 213 votes, Stephen Duff 324, Jack McDonnell 827, Cian Moran ‘El Presidente’ held 110 votes, and Declan Higgins held 1,734 votes thus surpassing the quota of 1,622. This deemed him the Students’ Union President.

When asked about his new position as President, Declan stated the following; “It feels great! We put on a big campaign all week, with loads of people involved in it.

To be elected is probably one of the biggest

honours anyone could be bestowed with.

So I’m just over the moon!

“First thing is to carry on with the mental health campaign which takes place over the next few weeks, so it’s straight back to work. I’ll be contacting community partners to try and build relationships and continue engaging with the Union of Students in Ireland in relation to the campaign next year, and I plan to be heavily involved with them.”

The elected president will commit to a full-time leadership role within the Students’ Union while solving both short and long term student issues that arise. The president will play the voice that represents the students as a whole, and continually strive for bigger and better politics within the university as well as being the elected spokesperson on behalf of the union.

The election for the part-time officer positions of Societies Chairperson, Postgraduate Officer, Mature Students Officer, Equality Officer and four out the five College Convenors will take place Thursday 13 March, as will the third referendum which will decide the Students’ Union’s position on marriage equality.

No nominations were received for the positions of Clubs’ Captain, Oifigeach na Gaeilge and Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences. A by-election will be held to fill these vacant positions.

NUI Galway voted in favour of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel and to remain Pro-Choice in the recent referenda. Photo via @kencurtin on Twitter.

The moment it was announced that NUI Galway Students’ Union would actively support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the state of Israel.

Phelim and Aoife after their recent election to the positions of Education and Welfare Officers.

For more photos, turn to page 9...

Representatives at each table oversee the count.

News 3

March 10 2014

Editorial: Back to reality

By Jessica Thompson Elections week is always exciting in NUI Galway – or indeed in any other college.

Brightly coloured, t-shirtsporting students will skip class specifically to go out and canvass for other students who are running for the positions of SU President, Education Officer or Welfare Officer.

This year, students voted Declan Higgins for President, Phelim Kelly for Education and Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin for Welfare.

All of the candidates for this year’s full-time elections had excellent manifestos, fantastic personalities, were extremely approachable and made some brilliant promises.

Contrary to popular belief, I have always been a very shy, introverted person and have always been slightly anxious about starting conversations with, approaching or befriending strangers. People who make the effort to include people like me (who are afraid to fight their way into the inner circles of society) have always stood out in my memory.

Declan Higgins is one of those people. After Sin interviewed Declan dur-

ing his election campaign this time last year, Declan always made a point of saying hello to me when he met me on campus. We had only met briefly, yet he always felt it was important to say hello.

It’s such a small, simple gesture, yet so many people cannot or will not bother with it.

This desire to include everybody, to get to know everybody and to care about everybody is so important in an SU Officer.

Candidates can be as loud and outgoing as they want during their campaigns, but if they don’t take the time to remember a face and to treat a person with respect and friendliness when they meet in the corridor, they are not good candidates.

Declan Higgins has done his best to make himself known to students around campus as the Vice President for Welfare this year.

He has been extremely busy with case studies and has done an excellent job.

As president, he will no doubt make this university an even better place than it already is.

I first met Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin last year at USI Congress. She was my roommate for the week and we met when I arrived late to Congress and sat down beside her, unaware of who she was.

She immediately introduced herself and made me feel comfortable. She introduced me to the

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other members of the NUI Galway delegation and ensured I was never left out.

She took my phone number and gave me hers.

She had even looked after my key to our room when I couldn’t make it to the first day of Congress, and gave met directions so I could find the room.

As a shy person who knew very few people at Congress, it meant a lot to me that someone would ensure I was included in everything.

Aoife and I were complete strangers, but we left Congress as friends. For this reason, I know Aoife will make a fantastic Welfare Officer.

At the same USI Congress, I came across a fun-loving character called Phelim Kelly. We didn’t talk much on the first day of Congress, but he was the first person there to add me on Facebook later that day.

Our mutual membership of what became known as the “tashte team” (don’t ask), and his ability to make everyone laugh and keep the fun in Congress meant we soon got to know each other.

Again, Phelim is one of those people who will remember a face and who will say hello when he sees you. And with his fun-loving nature and his passion for all things education, I can really see him leading NUI Galway students in Marches against fees or whatever else we may protest.

And now, while the remains of last week’s posters and manifestos finally start to disappear, it’s hard to get back to the reality of every day college.

But wait… we’re doing it all again this week?

Yes, the part-time elections are happening on Thursday and students will once again be asked to vote to decide who will fill the part-time positions in the Students’ Union.

Once again, it’s important to read the manifestos of those who are running, and to listen to what they can do for you. If you’ve got an issue, take it up with

them, find out how they can help you and then think about who you’d like to vote for.

If you decide you’d rather not vote for anyone or that none of the candidates are suited to the job, you can still have your say in the elections and vote RON (Re-Open Nominations).

There were over 3,000 students who voted in the full-time elections, but there are five or six times that many students in the college, with the majority not using their voice to decide the future of our SU. You have a voice; use it.

This week, you will also be asked to vote in a referendum that will decide the Students’ Union’s position on Marriage Equality. This is a very important issue and if you go to our Opinion section, you’ll see that two Sin contributors have debated on the matter.

You’ll find this on page 8.

Other great content in this issue includes our usual columns, Yellow Brick Road, Wanderlust, Diary of a Cynical Graduate, Diary of an Erasmus Student, not to mention Diary of the Smokey’s Pigeon.

But with summer on its way, it might be time to think about travel. While Carla discusses France in her Wanderlust column this issue, there’s also an article about Thailand and another on India (complete with excellent photographs).

You might find some of last week’s content in this issue and wonder why.

With only a week between issues this time, we felt there would be a lot of content that might be missed or unread if issue 10 was taken from the Sin Bins too early.

For that reason, we’ve included some of last issue’s lifestyle articles, as well as some features. But don’t worry; it’s all good content.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for our final issue which will hit the Sin Bins on 25 March. It’s sure to be a great one!

Until next time, Jess @Jess__Thompson

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

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

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

Lifestyle Ciara Treacy | fashion.sined@gmail.com

Arts and Entertainment

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

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

Creative Writing

Helen Hughes | creativity.sined@gmail.com

Webmaster Valeri Tarassov | web.sined@gmail.com Photography Daniel O'Loughlin | photography.sined@gmail.com

sinners Leigh Ashmore | Carla Avenia Koency | Maurice Brosnan | Dean Buckley | Brenna Dolan | Hazel Doyle | Hazel Eliffe | Ivan Fahy | Michael Finn | Mike Finnegan | Eimear Foley | Tracey Halloran | Deirdre Harnett | Jenna Hodgins | Nadine Hoesler | Helen Hughes | Eniola Kasim | Niamh Kelly | Samantha Kelly | Helena Kilbane | Kieran Kilkelly | Áine Leech | Hannah Macken | Shelly Madden | Merry Man | Aoife McCollum | Amy McDonnell | Karen McDonnell | Eoin Molloy | Mary-Beth Mulligan | John Mulry | David Nevin | Áine O'Donnell | Benjamin O’Gormley | Simon O'Sullivan | Lisa Penski | Eva Proske | Dr. Anastasia Remoundou-Howley | Derek Rogers | Claire Stone | Rebecca Sweeney | Chelsea Tabert |Valeri Tarassov | Jessica Thompson | Pádraic Ward | Tara Ward | Siobhan Whitehead | Siobhan Whyte | Móna Wise

Keep up to date with the latest news from the Sin team: Online: www.sin.ie Facebook: Sin Newspaper NUI Galway Twitter: @sin_news

4 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Gender Conference 2014: “Together we’re Stronger!”

By Eniola Kasim From Friday 28 February to Saturday 1 March, NUI Galway hosted the national gender conference. Although events such as this exist round the world, this was the first time ever that a gender conference took place in Ireland.

Organised by both the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the National Women's Council's Y Factor (youth voices for women's equality), the conference offered workshops on heteronormativity, trans*activism, pro-choice activism, running for Students’ Union elections, and a panel for activism for health. With just over 70 people in attendance it was a memorable weekend.

The conference started on Friday evening with young people coming from all over Ireland to register.

Though the event was aimed at students, quite a few of the attendees were people out-

side of college which meant there was a broad spectrum of people in attendance.

The evening events were really just an opportunity for people to meet and chat with one another – people were friendly and eager to do just that. With a barbecue and some karaoke, the conference started with fun that lasted until the early hours of the next day, and a sense of camaraderie that lasted the whole event.

Saturday morning is when the talks officially began. The first speaker for the event was Leslie Sherlock, a researcher, educator and activist whose main focuses include trans, sexual health, sexuality, feminism, hetero/cis-normativity and queerness. Speaking about both heteronormativity and trans*activism, Sherlock kick-started the event with deep and meaningful discussion. “ Heteronor mativity” dictates that there are fundamental differences between

men and women; that a person must fit neatly into one of two gender categories and are naturally attracted to the opposite sex.

This is just not true as members of the LGBTQ community can attest to and yet, heteronormativity is seen as a given and people who deviate from this perceived norm are discriminated against.

Themes such as privilege, class, hierarchy and social norms were also broached upon in this workshop.

Teaming up with a member of TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland), Sherlock spoke about trans issues.

Gender itself is a complicated issue, with many of us unaware of its concepts, defintions and attributed normative biases. The conference dealt with definitons of gender, cisgenderism, and the issues associated with such.

Attendees reported the event to be an eye-opener

regarding the subject, showing that the concept is not just limited to male and female, but that there is a much broader spectrum of gender.

Throughout the event there were periods of open discussion where groups, or pairs of two, could talk about issues and their views and perspectives. It was this open environment that both encouraged and empowered people to speak-up and consequently, fuelled the sense of camaraderie prevalent throughout the conference.

The panel on activism for health was chaired by Rachel Doyle, Head of Development and Outreach for the National Women's Council. The panel had a range of speakers, each one discussing an issue related to gender health.

Laura Harmon from USI spoke on Sexual Violence; Fiona Dunkin from Re(al)-Productive Health spoke about the barriers women face in getting emergency contraceptives; Leslie Howard spoke on LGBT Health, and lastly, Rebecca Smyth spoke on the

behalf of the Y Factor.

Each speaker spoke on the issues concerning their topics and campaigns active to take measures against said issues.

The event ended on a high note with everyone present being asked to give their opinion on the conference and how they could improve for future events.

The unanimous consensus of all in attendance was that this Gender Conference should serve as the first of many. This is an event for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation/gender.

‘Performance CAO Points’ for elite athletes

By Samantha Kelly A new NUI Galway scholarship scheme has been enhanced to include an extra 40 points on the leaving certificate results for elite athletes hoping to study in NUI Galway.

Although this scheme is only awarded to 15 athletes who must meet a strict criteria, additional benefits are also given, which include a grant, performance supports, gym membership and medical support.

“NUI Galway has produced and supported leaders in sport for many years. The Performance Points Scheme will broaden the horizon of achievement both for NUI Galway and for the athletes themselves, and we have the

facilities, structure and supports in place to help athletes achieve their goals, both academic and sporting,” said NUI Galway Elite sports officer Gary Ryan.

Applicants will be selected through an application form and interview process. It has been said that points will be given on an aspiring athletes’ skill, time and dedication to their chosen sport.

The closing date to apply to this scheme is Monday 31 March 2014. The successful candidates will then receive a conditional offer of the 40 performance points in May prior to the Leaving Certificate and CAO changes.

Furthermore, this scheme is only offered to the top 15 elite athletes who do well in their chosen sport, who are

applying for an undergraduate course and who earn at least 350 points from their leaving certificate, from a sitting of at least six subjects.

Students hoping to study medicine are not currently eligible to receive bonus points under this scheme, but it is being examined in the hope of including it in the future.

“NUI Galway has a long and proud tradition of sporting success. Our success has fuelled our ambition. We aim to be leaders in research, innovation and learning and as a university we are proud to support the next generation of elite athletes as their ambition and dedication leads them to sporting success,” Dr Jim Brown, the President of NUI Galway.

Indian Holi Festival comes to NUI Galway By Áine Leech Get ready for some colourful fun this March 13 with the Indiasoc as they celebrate the festival of colours NUI Galway style.

The Holi festival promises to infuse fun music and food, much like any regular festival you may think of, right? Well not exactly.

This Indian festival sees people running around throwing coloured powder in the air, allowing themselves to be covered in the fantastic shades of the rainbow. Think of a daytime rave – only more cultured.

Originally a Hindu celebration, the festival of colours represents the triumph of

good over evil and the chance to patch up bad relationships.

Arindam Halder from the IndiaSoc explained that the festival is not solely about the colours, it is also a chance to meet new people and celebrate spring with music and dance.

It's not just India joining in the events these days either.

The festival has spread across the globe with people from all over the world wanting to join in on the colourful banter and perhaps experience a part of this Indian culture, Ireland included.

In the summer of 2012, Irish language college Coláiste Lurgan brought the festival to Ireland infusing the two worlds of Indian and

Irish culture whilst throwing coloured powder to the music of ‘Seo Linn’. The success was huge and the college now have it as an annual feature of their course. It really is that much fun!

The festival takes place Thursday March 13, between 3pm and 5pm on the green beside the Orbsen building. Those who want to get involved are advised to wear appropriate clothing, preferably white if you really want your Holi colours to shine.

So what are you waiting for? The festival of colours is the perfect spring clean for any spirit and the chance to experience India without leaving the NUI Galway campus.

News 5

March 10 2014

Dean Clinic Galway to give presentation on Anxiety and Depression Early intervention in signs of the on-set of anxiety and depression is the central focus of an informative and interactive talk being held at The Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill by Dean Clinic Galway on Tuesday 11 March at 6.30pm.

A community-based mental health recovery service, Dean Clinic Galway, based at Merchant’s Square, Merchant Road, is one of seven clinics operated by St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Ireland’s largest independent and not-for-profit mental health service provider.

Mental health awareness has

become a significant matter for public attention in recent years, as statistics show that anxiety and depression are on the rise amongst the general population.

The planned presentation is open to the public with an opportunity to participate in a questions and answers session.

Clinicians from the Dean Clinic in attendance will include Prof.

Jim Lucey, Medical Director; and Consultant Psychiatrist at Dean Clinic Galway, Dr Dympna Gibbons and CEO at St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Paul Gilligan. They will be joined

by Galway hurling legend Iggy Clarke whose work with communities in the region is exemplary.

Dr. Dympna Gibbons states that, “recognising the early onset signs of anxiety and depression can make a vital difference in a person’s recovery. Meetings such as this are important so that we can highlight these symptoms and educate whole communities on the importance of mental health.”

Speaking on the topic of ‘Anxiety and Recovery’, Professor Jim Lucey, Medical Director at St.

Patrick’s Mental Health Services will discuss the latest understandings of psychotherapy and ‘why therapy works’.

“Recovery is possible because human beings can learn. In recovery we learn to overcome our mental distress and unlock the power of the brain so that we once again are able to live, work and love,” said Professor Lucey.

At the event, Paul Gilligan, CEO at St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services will also elaborate on the recently announced nationwide awareness campaign, entitled, ‘Don’t Wait to Enjoy Life Again’,

aimed at encouraging people experiencing mental health difficulties to seek support, particularly from their GP. “Our recent research has shown that 20% of those surveyed believed that mental health sufferers were of below average intelligence; 30% said they would not accept someone with mental health difficulties and 41% saw undergoing treatment as a sign of personal failure,” Mr. Gilligan explained.

“These results clearly show that the stigma of experiencing mental difficulties directly

inhibits people from seeking the help they need to get better. This urgently needs to be redressed if the well being of the population is to improve,” he added.

Also stressing the importance of heightened awareness of services in Galway, Dr Gibbons said, “Empowering people with the tools and the knowledge of early detection and intervention is a vital step on the road to recovery for many.”

The free public presentation will take place on Tuesday 11 March at 6.30pm in the Galway Bay Hotel.

Youbloom@Dublin calls for Galway bands NUI Galway hosts Energy Night youbloom, the global music village, will be making a return to Dublin for three days from 13 to 15 June 2014. youbloom@Dublin incorporates both a music conference offering a chance to learn from and network with industry professionals and live gigs to showcase emerging talent.

The event’s ambassadors include Bob Geldof, Eleanor McEvoy and Colm O’Snodaigh (KILA), who join an international collective of musicians, fans and industry professionals whose mission is to ensure every aspiring artist has the skills needed to make it in the music industry. youbloom@Dublin will be hosting the music conference on Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15 in the Royal College of Surgeons in the heart of

Dublin city centre.

They aim to educate up and coming artists, giving them the vital information and tips required to succeed in the music business learning from industry professionals hoping to impart their knowledge. “youbloom@Dublin offers artists and bands the opportunity to learn about the business of music in the DIY industry, to network with music industry and artists from around the world and to play to Dublin audiences and music industry,” said festival organiser Phil Harrington.

A keynote speaker for the festival is Alan McGee with Q&A by Neil McCormick. Other leading speakers include Nigel Grainge, Rupert Hine and Alex Von Soos

Life is a gift. Pass it on.

By Eimear Foley Last year was a record year for organ donations in Ireland. The incredible figures showed that 86 deceased donors saved the lives of 245 people, proving that it is indeed the charitable public that is the essential element in organ donation.

Today however, 550 Irish people, from babies to adults, still remain on transplant wait-

ing lists. Some of these suffering patients are on kidney dialysis every day of their lives.

The majority of Irish people do not carry an organ card, or their family are not aware if they do. When asked, most of these people would be happy to donate, but unfortunately these kind thoughts are simply not enough.

If you are one of these people, you must take action now.

with more to be announced. youbloom@Dublin live shows will be occupying the vibrant Dame District for three nights with up to 100 bands from around the world set to perform. Bands are encouraged to apply now through youbloom.com to take part in the festival in June and showcase their talents.

The application to play process closes on 16 March with the fee of €10 including access to the music conference for one person. Full details can be found on the following website: http://www.youbloom.com/ sign-up-to-play-at-youbloomdublin.

Last year’s festival saw 350 artist applications from over 20 countries resulting in 90 bands

from 11 countries performing live in Dublin. This year’s successful emerging acts from across the globe will be selected

by Nigel Grainge and Lindsey Reade to perform over three nights in Dublin.

Grainge was the A&R legend responsible for successful signings such as Thin Lizzy, Boomtown Rats, Sinead O’Connor, Waterboys, Steve Miller Band, 10cc and World Party while Reade co-founded Factory Records alongside Tony Wilson, the home of acts such as Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses and OMD. youbloom@Dublin is in association with DUBLINTOWN.ie and supported by DCC and Music Maker.

All it takes is a few simple steps; request a card which you and your family sign, or download the Organ Donor ECard app on your phone, and you will be carrying out the greatest possible act of generosity – possibly giving the gift of life.

You could save the lives of up to eight people who are in end-stage organ failure. To learn more about organ donation, why not join Colin White of the Irish Kidney Association, and his associate who will share his personal experiences with

you, in the ‘Organ Donation Awareness Talk’?

They will tell you the basic facts about organ donation if you are unsure about the process and will have cards available should you want to take action.

Arrive early to get a free lunch on Tuesday 11 March, at 12pm in the Larmor Theatre.

Please also carry out our survey which is sent out by NUI Galway Student Mailer to help us raise further awareness about this vital cause.

Energy Night 2014 was held at NUI Galway in the New Engineering Building on Tuesday 13 February. The evening was organised by energy students with the Career Development Office.

The night was a success for the two hundred attendees who began the event with a tour of the new building and features.

The tour began in the Foyer, and visited the Laboratory, including demonstrations of new equipment, the building management systems and the Energy Centre.

Within the tour were state of the art developments in the sec-

her late grandfather Jimmy Dooley, who sang in the Augustinian choir for more than 65 years and played the drums in the Galway Bay Jazz band in Busker Brownes every Sunday.

She has also set up a business, Sing-Bang Music Workshops, which brings music workshops to nursing homes to improve memory ability, happiness, and quality of life in elderly adults through group music making.

Sing-Bang Music Workshops was

runner up in the 2013 Student’s Union Enterprise Awards.

All respondents to the survey who enter their email address will be included in a raffle on win one of a number of €50 One-4-All vouchers.

The survey of Adaptive Music Listening Functions can be found at www.adaptivefunctionsofmusic.wordpress.com.

For more information email jenny.groarke@gmail.com or phone 086 0333 033.

Left to Right: John Mulcahy, Proposals manager/Engineer, Glan Agua, Aoife Weekes, Organiser, Kathleen O'Connell, Career Development Centre at the recent Energy Night.

By Siobhán Whitehead

Can music enhance wellbeing?

By Jessica Thompson Researchers at NUI Galway are exploring the powers of music and the ways in which it can enhance wellbeing. Jenny Groarke, a musician and PhD student at the School of Psychology in NUI Galway is seeking volunteers for her research project on the benefits of listening to music.

As part of her project, Miss Groarke is looking for participants who will complete a questionnaire

about their music-listening habits.

“We hope to understand what benefits people get out of music, and how we can use listening to music to improve well-being. We are especially interested in how music-listening could be harnessed to improve the well-being of older adults,” said Miss Groarke.

Emerging evidence as part of the ongoing study at NUI Galway suggests that people listen to music for a wide range of reasons, but their reasons for listening are

primarily emotional.

“Music has long been known to give rise to positive feelings, memories and emotions. People of all ages listen to music to cope with the stresses of everyday life, they listen to music to connect with others in social situations, and those who are isolated say they often listen to music to reduce feelings of loneliness,” said Jenny.

The Galway native was inspired to study the link between music and well-being in older adults by

tor. Visitors saw an ESB Electric Car before presentations were made for employment in the sector of Energy by representatives from ESBI, ENERIT and EireComopsites.

As well as the attendees making contacts and learning about job opportunities, Glan Agua and the Irish Wind Energy Association made a presentation showing the research done by students in Third Level Institutions to be of importance in its innovative sector.

The Energy Night panel also had a discussion; ‘Energy in Ireland – Local Wellbeing, National Priorities, Global Challenges’.

The speakers included Gabriel D'Arcy (CAO of Bord na Mona), Mike de Jong (Communities for Responsible Engagement with Wind Energy) and John Fogarty (Chairman of Templederry Windfarm Ltd.).

They spoke about issues in the development of Energy, specifically aimed at large scale energy projects and their impact on local communities; conflicts and opportunities were also discussed.

The discussion was followed by questions and answers, and was moderated by Rory Monaghan, Mechanical Engineering Discipline and Director of the NUI Galway Energy Systems Engineering Course.

6 News

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Council in talks for COPE Galway report 40% increase in on-the-spot public women seeking refuge drinking fines

By Hannah Macken

By Brenna Dolan Galway city council are considering implementing fines ranging from €100 up to €1,500 to penalise drinking in public places. The new measure has come into place after the mass amount of public drinking that took place over the Galway Unofficial RAG Week.

Councillor Peter Keane has drafted by-laws which would give both Gardaí and the City Council authority to fine people on the spot for drinking in public. It is claimed that reinforcing these rules will call an end to the beach parties that are very popular in Galway City during the hot weather.

These beach parties apparently ruined the family atmosphere based around Salthill and the Spanish Arch as troublesome youngsters intimidated and upset families quietly enjoying the blissful weather.

The proposed laws will give Gardaí the power to seize alcohol from anyone found drinking in prohibited areas. The Gardaí will then have the authority to impose a €100 fine on the spot. A 21-day grace period will follow to pay the fine and if not paid in time will result in a fine up to €1500.

Cllr Keane’s drafts have been sent on to City Manger Brendan McGrath and the implementation will be finalised at a later date.

COPE Galway has reported that the numbers of people looking for their domestic violence services have increased by up to 40%, with an increase to almost 400 women using their refuge services.

According to the Connacht Tribune there was 215 times in the past year when a woman could not be facilitated due to lack of space and facilities, but were referred to other services.

Dublin Says No to Austerity While in Dublin last week, Sin journalist Siobhán Whyte came across a protest. Here’s her report on what she saw…

Arriving in Dublin yesterday, my bus was halted by a sit-down protest in the middle of the road at Spencer’s Dock. With no sign or hope of the bus moving, my

travel companion and I decided to depart the bus and walk the rest of the way.

But once I realised what the uproar was, I stayed to find out more. A few young men, the odd woman and some older men were stopping the traffic. A relatively small but effective group had

COPE runs both a refuge, at Waterside house, and crisis helpline service for people who come into contact with domestic violence. The service has in the past year dealt with increasing numbers of calls; last year 1,200 calls were taken by the COPE helpline.

Waterside house manager, Wendy Heuston, has said there will not be women in need turned away. However, she goes on to say how if there is to be sufficient services available the government

must recognise the increased demand faced by refuges.

This increase in the last year follows on from an increase in the services sought in the past few years. In 2012 alone 600 women and children were given refuge in Waterside house.

When refuge is not available or sought by a particular woman, there are one-to-one sessions available to them. In 2012 three hundred of these sessions took place. Despite this being located centrally in the city, 55% of one-

to-one sessions involve women from a rural location.

COPE will be relocating to new premises in the coming years with the former buildings of the Sisters of Mercy being donated to them on a long term lease. This will be allow them extra space and a more expansive area to provide women with refuge.

The need for government recognition of the increasing trends in domestic violence is at the forefront of the needs to be met for services like COPE Galway.

gathered, and more were joining.

There was a disproportionate amount of Gardaí, with more continuously arriving. Massive posters had been erected on a nearby building (Dublin Convention Centre) advertising the European People’s Party Congress.

Approximately 2,000 delegates from all across Europe – including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council, José Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy – were attending the EPP meeting.

The protesters were soon holding up the entire junction, trying to get their voice heard. They let the odd car through; those with children inside or those with urgencies. There were people with megaphones and someone with a loudspeaker and amp.

‘Zombie’ by the Cranberries was on full blast in one of the intervals between cries of “The banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” Placards had messages that read “42% of Europe’s crisis paid

by Ireland” and “Get out, out of the EU.” They identified themselves as Dublin Says No. Across the quay, Ukrainian flags flew as another, smaller group held a quiet protest against the EU – the only word I could read on their banner was “BLOOD” in bright red. Ukraine’s newlyelected interim Prime-Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk was in attendance at the meeting.

After I left, I was seeing some reports of arrests after some other organised groups had joined up.

RTE has reported three arrests and Irish Independent states that a Garda has been injured. I contacted Dublin Says No and this is what they had to say: “We are Dublin Says No. We took the route of Ballyhea [Ballyhea Says No, a group set up to protest bond bailouts] and march weekly against austerity and the bank bailouts. Countrywide, we gather as ‘Ireland Says No’. We are non-political so we invite everyone to march and leave the political banners behind. It makes

it inclusive. So the protest is not about any one group and is not led by egos.

“We were at the convention centre to stand against the EPP party and [Angela] Merkel, they being the largest group in Europe and are responsible for the bailout forced on Ireland and the resulting austerity measures; austerity which has driven people to suicide, forced families to go without food, families facing eviction from their homes, cuts to front line services, education and the rising numbers in emigration.

“What happened yesterday?

A small group of protesters and Gardaí engaged in taunting each other. The Gardaí raised their batons and charged the crowd.

They singled out people and went over the top. Not sure who the group were or called. I think they were called Black Block.”

For more information on Dublin Says No and find out about their events, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/DublinsaysNOtoAusterity.

JCI search for the next Outstanding Young Person of the Year The Junior Chamber International (JCI) has opened nominations for the 2014 JCI Top Outstanding Young Person (TOYP). The award serves to recognise up to ten individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who exemplify the best attributes of the world’s young people.

Honourees selected in past years have represented the heights of progress in all human endeavours. Many have gone on to even greater achievements. All have continued to serve humanity in a great variety of ways.

There are ten categories in which young people can be

nominated, including: Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial accomplishment; Political, Legal and/or Governmental Affairs; Academic Leadership and/or Accomplishment; Cultural Achievement; Moral and/ or Environmental Leadership; Contribution to Children, World Peace and/or Human Rights; Humanitarian and/or Voluntary Leadership; Scientific and/ or Technological Development; Personal Improvement and/ or Accomplishment; Medical Innovation.

JCI Galway is part of the independent world-wide personal development organisation for

people in their 20s and 30s who want to become successful in all aspects of their lives.

Junior Chamber members throughout the world have made a positive contribution to their local communities. Many have gone on to become business or civic leaders and testify that their time spent in Junior Chamber was invaluable to their personal and professional development.

For more information or to nominate someone for the Outstanding Young Person of the Year award, visit www.jcigalway. org/page-top-outstanding-person-of-the-year-award.html.

8 Opinion This week’s debate:

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Referendum on whether or not the Students’ Union supports couples of the same gender to avail of civil marriage.

On Thursday 13 March you will be asked to vote in a referendum on whether or not the Students’ Union supports couples of the same gender to avail of civil marriage.

The wording which will appear on the ballot paper, requiring a Yes/No answer, will be: Do you agree with the following proposition: “That NUI Galway Students’ Union actively supports all measures that extend to homosexual couples the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples, including, but not limited to, supporting a referendum to amend Bunreacht na hÉireann to expressedly permit couples of the same gender to avail of civil marriage.”

This referendum has been requested by 500 members of the Students’ Union in accordance with the Students’ Union Constitution, Article 16.

Vote YES

By Leigh Ashmore This is a debate I'm kind of sick of having, for the reason that it doesn't really seem to be a debate.

I can count with all the fingers on my right hand the amount of people I've met who've opposed gay marriage.

What we've seen from the late legalisation in Ireland of things like homosexuality, divorce and contraception, and the ongoing struggle to legalize abortion, is that these issues are rarely splitting the public right down the middle, but are instead battles between the vast majority of society and a small but financially powerful string of Catholic pressure groups.

Probably the most popular and simultaneously nonsensical argument against gay marriage is that it redefines marriage, a sacred age-old institution meant for the creating of children, and turns it into something that has no real meaning.

Essentially, the argument boils down to the idea that institutions simply don't change. Ever.

Marriage has always been a mummy-daddybaby-making fest and anyone outside of that black-and-white distinction just has a hard-on for the destruction of civilization.

But institutions do change; they're in a constant state of change. Marriage used to – and still does in certain parts of the world – act more as a mechanism for trading and consolidating property.

Those like John Waters and Breda O'Brien who quote the Bible as defining marriage as being between a man and a woman are singing from a book that also advocates killing homosexuals, keeping slaves and keeping many, many wives instead of just the one. The idea of getting married because you 'love' that person is a relatively recent development in the history of marriage.

This same argument was used against the women's suffrage movement in the early 20th Century; that the vote would become less valuable and less meaningful because some broad ruled by her emotions would simply throw her vote away rather than exercise any kind of informed opinion.

Legal and government processes have been opened to so many minorities and persecuted peoples over the last hundred years that to say that gay marriage redefines the idea of marriage is both strange and pathetic.

This argument also falls flat on account of the fact that these families – children being raised by same-sex parents – already exist. We've seen

countless examples across the world and here in Ireland of gay couples raising children and managing not to murder them.

As of now, fifteen countries, the likes of Denmark, Holland, France, Norway, Portugal, Argentina and Spain allow for same-sex marriage. These countries have yet to become Mad Max-esque wastelands ruled by gay pirates, but in all probability that won't happen.

And if marriage is a solely child-centred institution, what about those who can't or don't have children? What about the couples who are too old?

Or infertile? Or simply don't want to? What about single-parents?

Outside of this argument, there's really no other reason for opposing gay marriage that doesn't fall pretty much into the category of homophobic, even if the last argument was also homophobic. I won't go into them now, but you know it yourself.

There's only so many times you can use the words ‘reasonable debate’ before it just becomes an unconvincing mask for your ultimate argument: the virtue of discrimination.

It's been established that we'll have a referendum on the subject and, even though the issue is probably being used by the Coalition as a topic they can definitely win some points on after quite a few embarrassing defeats, at least it's happening.

Though, when you think about it, the idea's also a bit perverse. The rest of the population is effectively deciding what a minority that poses no threat to anyone should be allowed to do in their private lives.

Don't get me wrong. There's no magical switch that the electorate can flip that will immediately dispel homophobia from this island. Anti-gay prejudice has been fought by decades of campaigning and sacrifice and this will carry on into the future.

The only way to completely smash homophobia in Ireland is to continue this struggle not just in the voting booths, but to challenge attitudes and perceptions on the streets and call out the right-wing forces of reaction.

Though this is just a university referendum, it'll seal NUI Galway's place as a college that is beyond the ravings of an intellectual midget like John Waters.

Though I'm dreading the amount of cringeworthy hate-speech masquerading as reasonable debate that will naturally ensue from this upcoming 2015 referendum, I suppose it'll at least send the likes of David Quinn and his Institute the message that their bigotry isn't something that the Irish people want to touch with a twenty foothigh crucifix.

So c'mon, let's just get this the hell over with and pack it in.

Vote NO

By Dean Buckley When Eamon Gilmore described marriage equality as “the civil rights issue of this generation”, his pronouncement was met with derision, and not just by opponents of gay rights.

In a world stuck in the pungent muck of an economic system that violates, victimises and oppresses anyone who doesn’t fit human society’s “default setting” — an affluent, straight, white, cisgender, able-bodied man – this generation has more civil rights issues than it knows how to struggle against.

A particular example for Ireland would be the brutish way in which we treat asylum seekers, an issue on which we have one of the worst records in the West. This makes it more than a little disappointing that, to a great extent, Eamon Gilmore is right. Marriage equality is the civil rights issue that our generation has chosen to take up, and it stinks.

Access to marriage is not an issue that concerns the most marginalised and victimised members of what we have taken to calling the LGBT community.

Homeless trans folk struggling to feed themselves on a day-to-day basis because they’ve been kicked out by their families do not lie awake at night on their rotting cardboard thinking about a white wedding. They’re too busy trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible, lest the police, a rapist, or both, decide to put them in their sights.

The young traveller man standing at the river with stones in his pockets is not there because he’s afraid he’ll never get to share a knowing smirk with his best man about the stripper from the night before.

The lesbian woman from West Africa fighting for space in an overcrowded, underfunded and poorly-maintained temporary refuge in an isolated, desiccated town is not enduring victimisation by the foreign government who are supposed to be protecting her because some goober in Dublin won’t make her a wedding cake.

Marriage equality and the campaign to achieve it is symptomatic of a deeper problem in the mainstream LGBT movement; the problem of assimilation. This is a movement that does not fundamentally concern itself with changing the destructive powers that be, but with joining them.

Is there any institution more bourgeois, conservative and obsolete than the institution of marriage?

What a thing to be wasting money and political capital on! Yet this is the shiny prize that the heads of this movement have decided is their raison d’être.

And this attitude, of becoming the establishment

rather than working to, at the very least, change it, or, ideally, destroy and replace it, permeates throughout the movement’s other actions.

The gentrification of “gay neighbourhoods” is often described in glowing terms as gay people finding a place of their own in the world, where they can build a safe, stable and strong community together.

But we don’t hear about what the creation of these shiny happy places entails – the forceful ejection of homeless queer and trans folk, the exclusion of poor LGBT folk, or those from ethnic minorities.

The mainstream LGBT movement, epitomised in the misogynstic, racist, transphobic Human Rights Campaign, doesn’t just ignore marginal queer and trans folk, it is entirely willingly complicit in their victimisation. More than that, it engages in wholesale erasure of their voices and history.

Anyone with the most passing knowledge of the history of the LGBT struggle is familiar with the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, one of the earliest examples of violent resistance by the LGBT community.

They are best known in the popular consciousness as the origin of the gay pride parade, when the LGB T community in Greenwich Village, New York decided to step out of the shadows and publically rebuke their oppression by the American government, which had some of the most cruel and vicious legislation against those who did not conform to the West’s vulgar vision of “normal” human sexuality.

However, though its legacy is claimed by the mainstream LGBT movement, the rioters themselves consisted mainly of those groups still systematically marginalised by that very movement: trans folk, male prostitutes, queer people of colour, homeless gay youth and the poor.

Rejecting the assimilationist and conformist project of homophile groups, precursors to the modern-day LGBT movement, these brave few responded in kind to a violent raid on the Stonewall Inn – one of the few establishments where the poor and marginalised of the LGBT community could find shelter – by rioting against the police who’d victimised them.

Now, their courage and sacrifice has been stricken from record, and their actions are being used to prop up a movement that abandoned them then and continues to abandon them now.

Are we going to add our voices to the mainstream LGBT movement’s trajectory towards assimilation?

Or are we going to stand for real, radical change and refuse to support the continued isolation and marginalisation of those the LGBT movement still doesn’t think are good enough?

Let’s take a stand. Let’s say No, just this once.

Let’s vote against the SU referendum in support of marriage equality.

Opinion 9

March 10 2014

Misogyny sells, unfortunately

By Leigh Ashmore The words ‘Rape Culture’ are being used quite a lot in colleges these days and rightly so. Things like the Savita Halappanavar case and the nationwide anti-date rape campaign Don’t Be That Guy, among other things, have forced into the public eye the inequality that exists between the sexes.

In the UK, the struggle has intensified further. Lately, several universities in the UK banned the song ‘Blurred Lines’ from being played on campus, saying that the song’s lyrics were blatantly misogynistic and trivialized the idea of sex without consent. But there are still other aspects of college life that have yet to be examined, and challenged.

Despite how liberal and enlightened we may perceive our culture to be, our press often reflects many of our own prejudices.

Taking a glance at the newsstand in the SU shop, you’ll have a better idea.

Most newspapers and magazines will have on their front-page pictures of successful businesspeople, politicians and sports stars.

The vast majority of the time, they’re men, with women featuring far less often. It’s a sad day when the most prominent woman in the news is Lucinda Creighton. Unfortunately, a newspaper section that will always have

women in its light is the Page 3, which features pictures of nude or semi-nude women.

Last November, Kingston University Students Union moved to ban all newspapers from its SU shop that contained the Page 3. These newspapers will not be sold in the SU shop until the Page 3 section has been removed. So far, over 29 UK universities are taking part in the boycott.

Though some may say it’s all hysteria, this is the way sections of society have always been repressed throughout history. For thousands of years, women were consistently depicted as second-class citizens, designed to fulfil the needs of a patriarchal society.

What you see on the third page of the redtop newspapers is a carry-on from that ideology.

The women on page 3 are depicted as passive, inert and silent. They’re treated more as a commodity – something to be owned and enjoyed.

Regardless of the intent, the effect of things like Page 3 is to degrade a woman’s standing to a sex object – something that’s there for male gratification. It creates a warped perception of what a woman looks like and should aspire to.

The women presented don’t really look like any woman you’d see in real life, but instead mirror the expectation of a patriarchal society, attractive, available and vulnerable. The Sun, with unrivalled sensitivity and taste, even ran

Students' Union Elections Clockwise from below: The sorting well underway while returning officer Ken Curtin oversees affairs; the moment Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin was deemed Vice President for Welfare; the reaction of the onlookers when it was announced that the SU would keep its Pro-Choice stance on the issue of abortion; an emotional moment for current Welfare Officer Declan Higgins as he celebrates his election to the position of SU President with his campaign team.

interviews with a plastic surgeon who described what perfect breasts look like at length.

The opposition’s argument will be pretty predictable, with howls of ‘censorship’ and ‘free speech’ coming loud and fast. But is this an issue of free speech? Are major publishers like the Sun or the Star going to be wounded or disenfranchised in any meaningful way?

In reality, this is an issue of how our society views the place of women. Do we see women as fulfilling the same roles as men, as doctors, politicians, barristers, guards etc., or do we see them as a possession that should be coveted, something that really exists as a receptacle for a man’s urges?

The truth is that we don’t live in an equal society. Women in Ireland have been the worst affected by the government’s austerity measures; women are often paid less than men; they’re daily victims of our country’s high

rate of domestic abuse and don’t even have control over their own bodies because of the massive restrictions to medical abortions and the awkward and often expensive procedures to get the pill.

Women are also drastically underrepresented in politics, with only four women on the list of Ministers and Ministers of State.

While boycotting newspapers that contain a Page 3 may seem like a small step, the start of a similar campaign in Ireland would draw attention to the quiet suffering of many women across Ireland, who live in a society geared towards serving the interests of men, whether they’re powerful bishops or the maledominated ruling business class.

In Ireland, we should fight against newspapers like the Sun profiting off the exploitation of popular misogyny and the oppression of women.

Looking for a sugar daddy?

By Samantha Kelly Has third level education become a privilege to only those who can afford it? What can a student do when fees are continuing to increase yearly; a part time job can only go so far when a student is in full time education.

Have you ever thought of escorting? According to the Independant.ie many Irish students have turned to escorting and prostitution to pay off their ever-increasing student loans.

But prostitution amongst students is not a new thing; it is just an increasingly worrying and dangerous job many more students feel they need to do to financially support themselves.

Many escorting agencies such as Escort Ireland are targeting female students daily.

However, according to one escorting agency, for every 11 female escorts there is one male escort. So it is evident that even though young women are at highest risk of falling into prostitution, young males are also wanted and recruited to escort.

Following this a spokesperson for Ruhama Ireland, which supports women affected by prostitution, told the Sunday Independent; “What is worrying is that this escort website is using universities in Ireland as a marketing strategy and has the potential to lure young girls who may be under financial pressure into the sex trade.”

The average prices for escorts are around “€160 each hour or up to €500 for a 12 hour night”, according to a male student escort.

It must be said that sex is not always mandatory, however it is not a defiant no either.

Commonly, rape occurs to those who only want to escort and not to engage in any other activity.

SeekingArrangement.com is a website for “sugar babies” who are looking to find a “sugar daddy” in Ireland. There was a 17% increase in the last year of college students who signed up to this website.

Apparently there is a mutually beneficial arrangement made before any events take place so that the “sugar baby” and the “sugar

daddy” (as they are called), are aware of what is going to happen before they agree to see each other.

On average a “sugar daddy” spends around € 6,200 a month on the cost of his “sugar baby” for housing and expenses not to mention the extra gifts he splashes out, such as clothes and jewellery. In return his “sugar baby” is expected to go on work events and trips with him, not to mention, also having sex.

On this list of young women who have signed up looking for a “sugar daddy”, NUI Galway has climbed up to number four, with 77 of our students signed on the list. This is a shocking number of female students struggling to pay their way through a three or four year course.

The University of Limerick (UL) is number one with 99 of their female students on the “sugar baby” list. It is said that a “very small percentage” of these “sugar daddies” are married and the rest are either single or divorced.

Although one should not judge the decisions another makes, especially when they are trying to get through college, most of these students are ashamed of what they are doing. A male escort said that he would “die” if any of his family or friends found out what he was doing.

Contrary to this, a female escort says that she is “open-minded” about escorting men, considering the amount of money one can earn in a week; anything up to €2,000.

But prostitution is rarely a choice for these women with 9/10 surveyed saying they would like to leave but feel unable to, according to UCD's paper, the College Tribune. This online website also highlighted the negative aspect to the lives these college students have to lead, saying that these young women are “sisters, daughters, girlfriends and best friends” who are only “trying to pay off the debts they owe”.

The cost of education is on the increase and there are no signs of any financial help being offered to these students. What do you think is more appalling: these students escorting to fund college? Or feeling like they have no other choice than to escort to have the “privilege” to go to college?

10 Opinion

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Proven Solution to create Mark Zuckerberg lasting peace in Syria buys Whatsapp

By Teresa Studzinski and Dr David Leffler Here we go again! Peace talks regarding Syria are beginning once more in Geneva, Switzerland. Even if President Assad could be convinced to set up a transitional government in order to end the violence in Syria, lasting peace will be difficult to maintain.

What would be the best scenario? Previously, regarding any prospective military action, President Obama has said “…we cannot resolve someone else's civil war through force, particularly after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Obama's previous actions and any future military actions are based largely on conjecture, and such is their outcome. It is particularly dangerous to base actions on guesswork, especially in the Middle East.

A massive regional firestorm could erupt.

There is a scientifically-validated approach to effectively, efficiently, and quickly end turmoil. If President Obama has the political will to order his military to deploy an unusual but effective approach, he no longer needs to base actions on guesses.

This means of violence removal is based on peer-reviewed research. The approach has been field-tested by non-US militaries and validated by 23 studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Based on 25 years of research, it has been endorsed by independent scientists and scholars.

Where deployed by foreign military circles, it is known as Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). This preventive defense system is thought to work on the level of the unified field, where all the forces of nature are united. This defense technology supersedes all others based on weaker electronic, chemical, and nuclear forces.

For political reasons, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has ignored this unified field-based approach. Despite the success of IDT deployment by Latin American militaries, the DoD continues to rely almost solely on its non-unified fieldbased weaponry, rather than on the IDT prevention-based approach.

IDT involves creating Preventive Wings of the Military. Their warrior's daily routine includes two hours twice a day practice of a human resource-based technology, also known and researched as the Transcendental Meditation and its advanced TM-Sidhi program.

As a military societal coherence-creating unit, they quietly practice these programs for about two hours, twice a day, seven days a week, preferably in a secure location near the targeted population.

Their presence and operation does not need to be disclosed to achieve the effect of violence removal and conflict resolution.

The 23 studies carried out in developed and developing nations in all continents, including the Middle East, Africa, South-

east Asia, and Latin America, constitute the largest and the most successful experiment in social sciences of the 20th century.

Such coherence-creating groups have achieved positive benefits to society, shown statistically, in even just 48 hours.

Modern statistical methods used in this research preclude chance or coincidence.

The IDT approach was used during wartime (drop in fighting and in number of deaths and casualties, progress toward resolving the conflict), and in peace (drop in crime rate, drop in violent death index, decrease of misery index, drop in unemployment, rise in a quality of life index).

Societies using it perform extremely well in a very short time. This is what decreased the intensity of war in Lebanon in 1984 in a dramatic way in 48 hours, to name only one of the successful experiments.

In 1992, President Joaquim Chissano, Lt. Gen. Tobias Dai, and the Chiefs of Staff of the Mozambique military carefully analyzed the IDT research. They made a unanimous decision to adopt it for their country by training about 3,000 soldiers and 16,000 police.

As predicted, violence disappeared by 1993. Societies using these groups also become more self-sufficient. For instance, in Mozambique the economic growth reached 19%. Once the poorest world country in 1992, by 2000 it had moved up to be the world's fastest-growing economy.

History has been shaped by technological innovation that was radical at the time.

The Roman Empire developed a revolutionary sword. British soldiers used their new menacing muskets. The German war machine required fast engines burning fossil fuels to launch their Blitzkrieg.

Powerful atomic weapons as well as the flying devices that carry them have greatly influenced political decisions since World War II. Such technological innovation is taking place now. At least one Latin American country is training 11,000 military IDT experts. The historical ramifications of this are profound. According to previous research, this number will create a global effect of coherence. By accessing the Unified Field of all the Laws of Nature, this military IDT group will harness the most powerful force in the universe, and hence become the most powerful military in the world - simply by creating a peaceful influence.

If Commander-In-Chief President Obama really has "...a deeply held preference for peaceful solutions," he should have the courage to order the US military to use IDT. If he quickly acts, the US could once again make history by catching up just like it did with the Russians in the race for outer space. It could gain international prestige by winning both the race to conquer the ultimate "inner space" the unified field and create lasting world peace.

By Siobhán Whyte Mark Zuckerberg, creator and owner of Facebook, announced to the world on 19 February that Facebook Inc., have acquired Whatsapp in a deal worth $16 billion but up to $19 billion with stock included.

“WhatsApp is a simple, fast and reliable mobile messaging service that is used by over 450 million people on every major mobile platform,” explained Zuckerberg in the press release posted on his personal Facebook profile.

“More than one million people sign up for WhatsApp every day and it is on its way to connecting one billion people.”

For those without smartphones, Whatsapp lets you send people messages and photos, as well as adding a short status beside your name, which your friends can see.

It is connected through your phone number so it’s easy to add people with pre-existing mobile contacts that have an account; these are automatically added to your Whatsapp contacts list.

It doesn’t use your credit and is free in most places, with the exception of a few countries where there is a charge of $1 per year, with the first year being free. It is used internationally.

The deal has sparked a lot of speculation about Zuckerberg’s reasons for doing so, especially considering the high price tag. There have been suggestions that Facebook heads were feeling threatened by the ever-growing Whatsapp; some users of Whatsapp have been worrying that Facebook is simply trying to eliminate the competition and that it may be on course for closure.

Of course, Facebook would gain from this strategic move – Facebook’s chat feature is falling behind, even with the introduction of its Messenger app. That gain would not be met with financial rewards, however; the social media network is already at saturation point with adverts and has no current plans to start charging for the service. A change in that could be fatal for Facebook, since it is already losing its young teen market.

Others feel it was simply a smart business move, perhaps an effort to enter the Chinese market.

Forbes Magazine has dubbed it a poker game and “the most lucrative two-year courtship,” questioning Whatsapp’s worth and comparing the latest purchase to the acquisition of Instagram for the much smaller sum of $715 million (after a previously agreed $1 billion).

Another factor coming into play is Facebook’s reported attempt to buy Snapchat for $3 billion last year. That offer was rejected; was Mark Zuckerberg feeling threatened? He seems insistent that the purchase was a bargain.

Zuckerberg’s creativity shouldn’t be overlooked here. Maybe he sees something

that we don’t – he seems mostly concerned (or excited) about the possibility of connecting one billion people and even up to four or five billion people.

Do that many people even have phones, let alone internet access? Is he looking to dominate the world? He isn’t planning on buying anything for a while – and chuckled at the notion in a recent conference.

It is definitely a risky business venture, when you add up numbers in revenue and current profitability as well as the fact that they have effectively paid $80 per user.

Realistically, not many users are going to pay back that $80 in fees of $1 per year which apply only in certain countries.

So, Zuckerberg must have plans he isn’t telling us. Whatsapp users; prepare for massive advertising (as per your standard Facebook page) and an increased usage fee. That’s the worst case scenario. Switching off a $19 billion app seems a bit insane even for America.

On the other hand – the positive hand – who knows where Whatsapp will go? It

Another factor coming into play is Facebook’s reported attempt to buy Snapchat for $3 billion last year.

That offer was rejected; was Mark Zuckerberg feeling threatened? is already working on introducing voice calls? Video calls will more than likely come next and it will expand with future technological improvements to networks.

Developing countries will be the focus of Whatsapp’s long-term plans, and developments there might make or break this company which started out from such humble beginnings.

Whatsapp and other similar apps have certainly damaged the SMS market, as Skype has destroyed revenue generated from international landline calls.

Jan Koum – the creator of Whatsapp – was actually unemployed before he started the business. He had been rejected for a job at Facebook – probably a rejection he’s quite happy about now.

Co-founder Brian Acton was in the same boat, yet now they are both billionaires who have created secure well-paying jobs for those who supported them in the beginning.

They still don’t have a sign above their door – they will still be working with Whatsapp and maintain shares in the company. Hopefully their continued input will keep Whatsapp the simple, straightforward app that so many people love.

Opinion 11

March 10 2014

Films that kill careers Single in the city A short look at the destructive power of a bad film

By Leigh Ashmore If rubbish films have had any message at all, it’s that no actor is invincible. Even the brightest star is capable of coming down to earth in a blaze of bad reviews and pure stupidity. One minute you’re on top of the world, like John Travolta after Pulp Fiction, and the next you’ve hit rock bottom, like John Travolta playing a Rastafarian alien in Battlefield Earth.

Remember Sean Connery? Probably the most memorable James Bond, the charismatic antidote to Roger Moore’s wooden, dry take on the character?

Despite the unpleasant fact he’s OK with the idea of beating women, Connery cut himself as an iconic screen presence.

But even with his rugged charm and quaint accent, no river of well-aged scotch could protect Connery from the career bullet that was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

This was a 2003 action film, loosely – very loosely – based on a comic book series by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O’Neill. The film centres around a team of Victorian literary characters like Captain Nemo and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde coming together to fight evil genius no.4539.

The film bears about as much resemblance to its source material as being drunk resembles real life, it’s stuffed with a rubbish script, unconvincing CGI and formulaic performances all-round, forcing Connery to step away from the big screen after almost fifty years.

The film proved to be so bad that, from then on, Alan Moore refused to have his name in the credits of any more film adaptations of his work.

It’s just as easy to kill your career with success as it is failure. Michael Keaton scored the biggest hit of his life with 1989’s Batman but starred in progressively smaller roles from the 90s onwards.

The killer blow was probably dealt when he played a father who dies and then comes back to life as a freakish snow beast to haunt his son, you know, Jack Frost (1998).

For a long time, the same fate fell on Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of the Star Wars series. That’s not to say Mark Hamill hasn’t done anything worthwhile since, voicing the Joker in the early 90s animated series of Batman is probably his best creative endeavour. But for years, Hamill struggled, and never really succeeded, to rid himself of the Luke Skywalker image.

When he finally performed on Broadway in a production of The Elephant Man, a play about a horribly disfigured circus freak in Victorian England, the poster instead showed Hamill in his Jedi costume and read ‘We’ve Got Luke Skywalker!’

It doesn’t have to be a massive flop that destroys you; sometimes a massive hit and enough toys, collectables and merchandise with your face on it are enough to typecast you into oblivion.

Despite this long laundry list of carcrashes, probably one of the worst nose-dives in living memory is the career of Elizabeth Berkley, likely known to you as Jessie from Saved by the Bell.

Straight from the world of early nineties twaddle, Berkley set about casting off the skin of an early-morning kids’ show actress, spiraling into infamy with the 1995 film Show Girls.

The plot centres on a vengeful, bitter, manipulative stripper who dreams of becoming a star in Vegas, essentially going from a low-paid small-time stripper to a big-time well-paid stripper. It was quite a character arc.

Melting audiences’ faces with inane, convoluted subplots, one-take acting, anatomically impossible sex scenes and featuring stellar dialogue and memorable lines like ‘It’s gonna be weird not having anyone cum on you’ and ‘Everybody got AIDS an’ shit’, Show Girls was a misogynistic, nonsensical three-hour continuous assault on the viewer.

What’s bizarre about the whole scenario is that Berkley’s career (we’ll use that term lightly) was built on safe Nickelodeon pulp, and was eventually washed away in a blast of sleaze and unappealing sexual gratuity.

But having your career disintegrate before your eyes isn’t necessarily an indicator that you’ve no talent, sometimes a combination of bad choices and unpreventable accidents can lead to the destruction of years of graft and hard-work in one fell swoop.

Or, as The Simpsons said once; “That’s show business for you: one day you're the most important guy that ever lived, the next day you’re some shmoe working in a box factory.”

By Samantha Kelly Is life ever really like the movies? I am a single nineteen-year-old female student, studying in Galway city; does that mean my life is anything like Sex and the City?

Just because I like writing and my friends are either broody, man- or sex-crazed... oh no maybe I am a version of Carrie and my friends a version of Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. Hang on, my experience as a student in Ireland is no way like that... is it?

Going back to the beginning; that moment on the train when my parents waved me off to college was just heartbreaking. “I'm on my own” I thought, until I got to Corrib Village that is, only to soon realise as the year went on that living with four other girls was by no means a pretty experience.

Nobody wanted to be left to do all the dishes, the bins were just too smelly to manage and do not get me started on the bathroom.

Although this year there is not the same amount of mess, my housemates and I are hopeless when it comes to what we consider to be “man” jobs. Changing a bulb became a three man - I mean a threewoman job.

It’s not all fun and games when you’re arguing with him two hours later outside Supermac’s that he can’t just come home with you because your housemate is a lady bird and not a “dirt bird”

Mairéad Ní Nuadháin, Head of External Affairs in RTÉ pictured with (right) President of NUI Galway Dr Jim Browne and (left) RTÉ Broadcaster and Chair of the NUI Galway Alumni Board Seán O'Rourke presenting a limited edition Seamus Heaney Box Set to the James Hardiman Library in NUI Galway. The Heaney Box Set, contains programming on Heaney's work, RTÉ coverage of the Nobel Laureate's funeral, an 'Arena' special and the broadcast of The Burial at Thebes. Photo: Aengus McMahon

Oh how I miss my mammy's homemade cooking and baking, all I seem to eat now is cereal, pasta and rolls from Centra. Nothing is the same anymore. Once I would have walked in the door from school to be greeted with the smell of fresh vegetable soup and wafts of bread in the oven, while the fire roared, heating every nook and cranny in the house.

Now I come home – to my college home that is – soaking wet (as it rains everyday under the sun in Galway), to a cold damp house with no fire blazing and no wafts of home cooking. I have been left to fend for myself.

All is not so bad when your friends are as cold and hungry as you are. However when I came to college I was completely on my own and I'm pretty sure I looked liked a frightened animal on the first week. Nevertheless, it was not long before I started making new friends, which to this day has proven to be the highlight of my college experience so far.

Even though making new friends can be daunting at first, it is best to throw yourself in the deep end and join clubs and societies. Personally I keep myself busy writing for Sin, the college paper, volunteering for SUAS, a literacy program, volunteering as a mentor for Health Connect and being the public relations officer for the Journalism Society. Before you think it, yes I am a wee bit of a nerd but I love to be kept busy in college, as the results are so rewarding.

Anyone a fan of American college movies, such as American Pie? I have always wondered how the students seem to skip class and still do well. I missed one late lecture on a Monday evening and the following week I was sitting in my lecturer’s office trying to explain myself, begging for help. For some reason I do not think it is that easy, lectures are a must to do well.

However, college is not always volunteering, lectures and study, it is also really great fun, especially if you’re single in Galway City. Getting all dolled up with your friends, heading to Electric nightclub on a Wednesday night for Brooklyn Zoo and dancing until you physically cannot dance any longer; there’s nothing like it.

One cannot forget to mention having your drinks bought by a student waving his credit card likes there's no tomorrow.

Although it’s not all fun and games when you’re arguing with him two hours later outside Supermac’s that he can’t just come home with you because your housemate is a lady bird and not a “dirt bird”.

All in all, the college experience shouldn't be missed by anyone. Ok so at times it is not perfect when it comes to being broke all the time, not having your mother's skills in the kitchen and having to come to terms that Carrie Bradshaw's lifestyle is just a distant dream.

Nonetheless the friends you make, the memories you get to hold dear forever and not to mention the skills and qualifications you earn are just too priceless to miss. Anyway who wouldn't want to experience all this being single in the city?

12 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

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Pro g Ope

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Time for a change?

Post-graduate Diploma in Accounting

Enhance your existing qualification, or set out on a new career path with GMIT’s Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting 1 Year Conversion Programme (Level 9)

» Graduates are exempt, in full, from the CAP1 examinations of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Exemptions are also available from ACCA and the Irish Tax Institute.

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“As a law graduate with no accounting experience, the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting was one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life. The lecturers, from various professional backgrounds, were all passionate about their subjects and the course as a whole.

Doing this course I have learned more in one year than I would have ever imagined I could. I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in accountancy” Lucia Knizkova, Accounting Trainee , PWC For further details contact: Carmel Brennan, Head of Department of Accounting & IS Tel: 091 742266 / Email: carmel.brennan@gmit.ie

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One Night in Bangkok

By Nadine Hoesler After a seven-hour flight from Frankfurt to Beijing, eleven-hour layover at the airport and another six-hour flight from Beijing to Bangkok – I finally reached my destination: Thailand.

Even though my brain was only capable of repeating the song ‘One night in Bangkok’ by Murray Head (yes, I know – and Mike Tyson in Hangover 2) over and over again, I somehow managed to get on the right bus to Pattaya.

To put you in the picture, it was Christmas Eve and I was on my way to visit my sister, who is working as a volunteer in an orphanage in Pattaya.

Katharina and I experienced funny, exciting and moving moments on our journey through Thailand, which I would like to share with you.

My sister is part of the Human Help Network Foundation Thailand (HHNFT) volunteer programme, which supports children and adolescents in need and fights child trafficking in Thailand and South East Asia.

One day after my arrival, the Pattaya Orphanage hosted a Christmas party for the children, staff members, sponsors – and me. My jet-lagged self perceived the evening programme, which included dance performances, singing, handing out of presents, an auction, a magician and loads of food at a loud and colourful celebration.

It quickly became clear that the volunteers gained the children’s affection and trust – during the evening programme my sister constantly had a little one on her lap. Considering that some children, especially the former street children, have had some terrible and tragic experiences in the past, their openness towards the volunteers touched me.

After seeing Pattaya’s walking street – a red-light district and sadly Pattaya’s number-one tourist attraction – I came to realise what kind of background some of the children have. My deepest respect goes to the staff and volunteers of HHNFT, for the important and hard work they do to protect children. I am not sure if I would be able to bear it.

Returning to more joyful topics, Katharina took a few days off and we started our Thailand adventure. She, with her travel backpack, and me, with my trolley bag, set out to our first travel destination: Koh Samet, one of Thailand’s beautiful islands. After a somewhat bumpy start, (we had to wait almost one hour for the mini-van to bring us to the port) we safely crossed the Gulf of Thailand and checked into our hotel.

Fortunately, the I-Talay Zone Sea Hotel is situated right next to the ocean and my sister and I were able to relax to the beautiful melody of the sea and of the chickens. Yes, chickens. It turned out that behind our little hotel there was

a big dumping ground and at 7 o’clock in the morning chickens (chickens are very punctual) would go through the garbage noisily to search for food.

This sounds worse than it actually was; at least Katharina and I woke up early everyday to enjoy the island. Koh Samet, with its blue ocean, sunshine, exotic fruit and outgoing people, truly is a piece of paradise.

After three days of bathing in the sun, we set out for some culture in Ayutthaya. The ancient city used to be the capital of the Siamese, until the kingdom collapsed in the 18th Century.

Surrounded by several reliquary towers and gigantic monasteries, Katharina and I celebrated the New Year. We found a little bar called Streetlamp and ended up partying all night with a group of Thais. With a few words of Thai on our side and a few words of English on their side, combined with wild gestures, we were able to have a conversation.

One told us that he sells T-Shirts in a booth to make a living – this lingered in my memory. It is not that I pity him – he

Fortunately, the I-Talay Zone Sea Hotel is situated right next to the ocean and my sister and I were able to relax to the beautiful melody of the sea and of the chickens. Yes, chickens. seemed very happy with his life – but it did make me think about equal opportunities and how our society mistakenly takes the possibility of a good education for granted. In fact, I can proudly say that so far I have not missed any lecture this semester.

Our last destination was the Erawan National Park; its major attraction is the seven-tiered Erawan falls. On our hike to the top of the waterfall, my sister and I had contact with criminal activity.

Unaware that a very cunning creature was watching us, we settled down at a picnic spot to eat our sandwiches.

We were literally only one second distracted and – swoosh – suddenly greedy monkey hands grabbed our lunch and escaped up a tree.

But all good things come to an end.

After three lovely weeks in Thailand, I had to go back to Europe. Hopefully my travel report stirred some wanderlust.

As a clever man once said: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” (Aurelius Augustinus).

Features 13

March 10 2014

The pushcart and the Benz

By Eva Proske “No, we're definitely not going to India,” was my boyfriend's initial response when I enthusiastically announced where I wanted our next trip to go. Only one day before, he had read about another brutal gang-rape on a tourist in India.

Not even the massive protests after the death of a young Indian student, who was gang-raped in late 2012, had stopped the massive violence against women in a country, where three out of four rapes go unpunished.

What it affected though was a new worldwide awareness of the problem, reflected in a 35% decrease of female visitors to the country. In light of all this, I suppose there is no further explanation needed for his concern with my choice of destination.

Instead, this article is about our experiences when we finally made it to India and explored its streets, fortunately, without any serious troubles.

We came back safely and with plenty of great impressions, but also serious food for thought.

Fear, concern and curiosity describe my first feelings best, when we arrived in India's urban chaos. Sitting in a smelly taxi from the airport to Mumbai city centre the hustle and bustle of the streets and its people immediately fascinated me.

Yet my fascination was not necessarily entirely positive and already on this first 45 minute drive, India's distinctive characteristics became terribly clear.

India's poor strongly shape the cityscapes of the megalopolises like Mumbai or Delhi, as the most distinguishing by-product of their poverty is a blurred line between public and private sphere. India's streets encompass virtually everything: besides traffic ways they also serve as playgrounds, market places, dining corners, mobile barber shops and sometimes even bedding.

Spotting clotheslines became one of the daily activities during my stay, as I always discovered a new one at an even more bizarre place than the last. These conditions result in an unbelievably lively street life, which can scare, amuse and excite a visitor.

When I think back about my trip to India, I have no doubt that the most memorable impressions were waiting on the streets and little corners. Of course, the sights and attractions are historically and culturally interesting, but what really makes the experience so impressionable is what you see on your way there.

Watching people living will definitely tell you more about the country than the overcrowded sights, such as the Taj Mahal could ever. A rickshaw ride through Old Delhi or just the mere crossing of streets also feels highly adventurous, if you are not used to the insane Indian traffic that undoubtedly has its own rules.

One anecdote I heard gives a good insight to the typically Indian traffic chaos. When a tourist asked why there are road markings on their streets at all, as they are usually completely ignored anyway, the Indian answer was simple; “To make them look like streets.”

Mere decoration, that's what road markings are considered and so are traffic lights or one-way-signs. If you add the variety of different road users you can probably imagine what the average Indian street feels like. It ranges from cars, trucks, motor and bicycle rickshaws, motorbikes and mopeds to oxcarts, cyclists and pedestrians with all kinds of pushcarts and colossal head-burdens.

Mingling within all this is also a considerable amount of street dogs, who are surprisingly peaceful and totally unimpressed by the traffic noise. In more rural areas like the countryside of Rajasthan your ride will be stopped every now and then by herds of goats and also camels, who amble down the highways carrying carts with all sorts of industrial or agricultural goods.

Smaller villages are characterised by water buffaloes, straying pig families in the streets and home-made mini-trucks, which need no license plate but always colourful decoration, displaying many symbols of Hinduism. The true king of the road, however, is the cow.

Rather rare in Delhi and Mumbai, India's holiest creature notably shapes the streets of Jaipur and Agra. I was stunned to see cows wandering completely independently around the streets of these big cities, stopping and going, lying down and turning round whenever and wherever they feel like it. Even cars and trucks always give way and go round this most privileged road user of all.

One feature that unavoidably catches the eye during strolls through Indian mega cities is the grotesque visual demonstration of social injustice, which is impressively represented in the scene of the shiny Mercedes Benz passing the primitive pushcart.

Luxurious palaces contrast shanties and tent camps and if you expect, like I did, that there is at least one street separating extreme wealth from horrible distress, the bitter reality will shock you. To me this scene also seemed symbolic for one other of India's extreme contrasts: the mix of tradition and modernity which I sensed as constantly present.

The pushcart and the Benz serves as visual metaphor for India's modern style of living with high education standards and advanced technology, clashing deeply traditional values, arranged marriages and a precarious status of women.

Divisions, contradictions and contrasts is what you experience in this highly multifaceted country and I think I am not the only visitor who left India with mixed feelings – just the way I entered it.

14 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Wanderlust: Nice

Italian Soc host seventh Masquerade Ball

By Carla Avenia Koency

By Aoife Barry

I imagine that by now most of us are craving some sun – and there is nowhere better to get a good dose of it that in the French Riviera!

Yes, hearing the name might put you off price-wise, but don't fear: there is much more than just the sun to enjoy on a student budget in our destination for the week, Nice.

Food: Bienvenue en France, the land of fresh-baked croissants and macaroons. Once you’ve satisfied your sweet tooth, head down to the Vieille Ville (Old Town) for a walk by the seaside and hunt for some flavourful (read: anchovies) pissaladiere, a speciality from Nice.

If the former one evokes thoughts of pizza, then you are right: Nice was for a long time part of Italy and not France. It's mixed heritage means that here you will get the best of both worlds: Italian food, with a French Mediterranean twist. What's not to like?

If you favour your greens, try socca, a crispy chickpea pancake, or farcis, hollowed out vegetables stuffed with meat and breadcrumbs. Thirsty yet? Then sip on some cool rosé or the typically Provençal pastis (warning: it's anise flavoured!) at one of the plentiful terraces dotting the Old Town.

What To Do: There is not much sight-seeing per say to do in Nice. Once you’ve enjoyed some time at the beach and soaked up the local culture, you might be left craving more.

Nice is perfect because it's nestled in between other fantastic sight-seeing opportunities, all under a 30-minute train ride away: Monaco, Antibes and Cannes. All offer lovely sights and experiences: from quaint old town feel (Antibes) to gambling James Bond-style (Monaco) and haute couture window shopping (Monaco and Cannes).

Where To Stay: Nice is certainly your cheapest bet. You can get a bed at a hostel in a shared dorm starting at €11.50.

Where From: Daily flights from Dublin starting at €26.51 (flights start from March 30th onwards).

The Italian Society of NUIG held their seventh annual Masquerade Ball on Thursday 20 February 2014. The event took place in the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill and kicked off at 6.30pm with a mulled wine reception.

On entrance, one was met by a congregation encircling the chocolate fountain with marshmallows on sticks which succeeded in warming up the shivering bodies from the bitter night air.

The meal was served at half seven and consisted of a vegetables soup starter and the choice of chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham or a fillet of salmon on a vegetable julienne; and of course there was the vegetarian option of mushroom tortellini.

All three dishes were served with creamy mash and fresh steamed vegetables, not to mention the constant refilling of glasses with red or white wine. The dessert of milk and white chocolate mousse drizzled with a fruit of the forest coulis and Chantilly cream stole the show. A cup of tea or coffee washed down the meal beautifully.

With a full belly, the guests were prepared to dance the night away. The entertainment consisted of Rofi James and Franklin Tree and was followed by a DJ so all present could dance the night away.

Ailish Costello, the auditor of the Italian Society, says that each year, the society encourages as many people as possible to embrace the masquerade theme and each year their efforts are met with a varying response.

She was delighted with the turnout of Venetian style masks this year and the effort people made. Ladies in gowns and men in suits, the crowd, which numbered approximately fifty, were stylish and sophisticated.

The wearing of masks in the Masquerade

Balls of Italy in past times served as an outlet for all that was prohibited as the Venetian Republic came to an end. Being masked allowed anonymity, escapism and class equality for a night. In fact, it is for these very reasons that the Catholic Church and Mussolini both banned the wearing of masks until their revival in 1979.

There are specific selections of different types of masks that represent different characters from “Commedia dell’Arte” which was a form of improvising theatre popular in Italy.

Check out Camacana.com for a viewing of these various masks.

There was a raffle on the night with prizes including a signed Liverpool jersey by Steven Gerrard. Both the raffle and the ball itself were in aid of the charity Pieta House and the Italian Society hopes to increase its contribution to the NGO suicide prevention group by hosting a table quiz in early March.

Questions will not be solely based on knowledge of Italy or Italian. All are welcome and Ailish encourages people to check out the society’s Facebook page for upcoming information.

It is difficult to avoid complications when organising large scale events and this year’s masquerade ball was no exception. The ball was scheduled for the previous week but was moved forward to the following Thursday due to it coinciding with the Arts Ball and the Society Ball the day before.

After much discussion with the Socs Box, it was decided that it made more sense to change

The Life and Times of Comrade Moran

By Michael Finn The latest military candidate on the scene, Comrade Cian Moran, has reached the masses with his clear message; “Viva la Revolución! Viva Galway libre!”

As part of his campaign, he wants to make sure to annex GMIT and burn their colouring books.

Other campaign points include; crushing the rebels before the start of the rainy season, conscripting your first born, commemorating Galway’s liberation from the Indians on the 19th July, shiny new donkeys for every student and free puppies.

With his charisma and proletariat support, Comrade Moran has brought some light-heartedness to the campaign for student union president.

“El Presidente is so confident in his own victory that he did not vote for himself for president. Instead, he voted for Declan and Jigs for President (Imposters but they'd be great at the job), Phelim for Education and Aoife for Welfare.”

Although the polls haven’t worked in his favour, he will be running for the position of postgrad officer.

the date than to have three balls within two days. Another disappointment came in the absence of the promised “champagne reception”. This was due to the hotels decision to replace it with mulled wine instead – a decision, one can only guess, that was rooted in economic reasoning.

With a mere fifty guests present at the event, I believe it was a perfect opportunity for the event organisers to endeavour to integrate the party, introduce people and host games. Instead, people stuck to their friends. There was no effort made, other than the masks, to render the event “Italian”.

The menu, decorations and music displayed no trace of “Italieness”. A lost opportunity one may argue. This is not to say that the event was not hugely successful.

Cian Mac Cathmhaoil, a first year student of science, who attended the balls comments; “The event was pricy and I think that this led to the low turnout. But I didn’t mind paying the €50 – it went towards a great cause.”

The event coincided with Galway’s infamous RAG Week and this has also been attributed to the small number of guests present.

“I felt proud to have attended such a formal and sophisticated event, when most other students got really drunk, it being RAG week especially. To be surrounded by such classy people instead of drunk boys was a plus,” added Shannon Stubbs, a science student from Waterford, also present at the event.

While admittedly encountering a few obstacles along the way, the ball was nowhere near as problematic as the infamous masquerade ball of 1393 known as “Bal des Ardents” where the French King, disguised as a wild man covered in wax and hair, caught fire when his brother brought a flamed torch to his face to examine him closer.

The whole venue caught fire and the distressed King was saved when a Duchess present quenched his flames with the train of her dress.

Thankfully, the NUI Galway Italian Society Ball posed no such fire hazards.

The annual event is timed to coincide with the season of Carnevale which begins forty days before Easter with the equivalent of our Pancake Tuesday or Mardi Gras.

Next year’s event promises to surpass this year’s ball – a difficult challenge indeed. The night was a great success with everyone, either adorning masks or not, putting on their dancing shoes to dance the night away – some more gracefully than others.

But hey, “A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo”“Anything Goes At Carnevale!”

EU considers banning Russia from Eurovision as Ukrainian situation escalates

By Eoin Molloy Sources report that in a fax sent earlier today, the European Council has issued a direct ultimatum to the Kremlin urging President Putin to desist from using further military action in the Crimea, should they ever wish to participate in the Eurovision again.

This comes as a response to Russian troops entering the Crimean peninsula, seizing

administrative buildings and airfields, as well as demanding that Ukrainian troops stationed at military bases surrender by 5am tomorrow morning, or face the almighty wrath of President-for-life Putin.

The statement, signed by the foreign ministers of all 25 member states, dictates that should Russia fail to evacuate all military personnel from the Crimea, the EU will be 'very very disappointed', and will consider

imposing sanctions on Moscow, including the afore-mentioned ban from the Eurovision.

This proposal has been met with widespread hostility in the former Soviet Union, with the country recording its last win in the fabled song contest in 2008.

Speaking in an interview with national network, Russia Today, Putin said should the EU decide to go ahead and ban Russia from the Eurovision, which is immensely

popular in the country, then they will simply create their own song contest, which will be titled: 'Glorious Song Choosings of the Russian Federation' and will be judged by none other than Putin himself.

It is undecided if this decision will help ease the phenomenon of Eastern Block voting, but only time will tell.

(Please note that this is a parody, so put down your pitchforks).

Features 15

March 10 2014

Alumni Interview: Ciara Staunton but dig behind that. That was often necessary as an officer and is at times necessary here, in South Africa.

The SU also taught me that we have to fight for our rights and, particularly women, are entitled to those rights and we should empower each other to recognise that and to fight for them.

Do you think the SU is a good way for students to get involved in college life?

Name: Ciara Staunton Year of graduation: 2006, 2007, 2013 (Students’ Union VP/Education Officer 2007/08 & Postgrad Officer 2010/11) Course at NUI Galway: Law Current Occupation: Researcher on ­ethical and social implications of HIV Cure Research (South Africa)

What is your fondest memory of NUI Galway?

Probably the amount of people who came in my box during the last ever “legal” College/ RAG Week. My box was licked, tickled, fisted and despite all the action, more kept coming!

Had a few lecturers from the Law School too…

I probably should explain that I lived in a box for a week to raise money for charity during College Week in 2011.

Has NUI Galway changed since you were here?

Smokey’s is oh so bright.

How did attending NUI Galway develop you as a person?

I think it made you realise that despite what happens you can’t take yourself too seriously. And that it is possible to have an absolutely great time while achieving what you want to achieve.

Did you partake in any societies, sports clubs or volunteering at NUI Galway?

I did some volunteering under my undergrad and Masters but tended to avoid clubs and societies. Unless there was free stuff. And it didn’t really matter if I wanted/liked/needed the free stuff. Feeling sick from overloading on Flumps is a lasting memory.

What was the college newspaper like when you were in NUI Galway? Did you write for it?

Pretty much the same as it is now. Only wrote one piece for it. I think it was on elections.

How did your role in the Students’ Union set you up for your career after you left college?

My two years taught me a lot of things: patience, dealing with difficult people, knowing that those who shout loudest are not always the majority and how to be pragmatic. For my current job, I guess it taught me not to judge people.

I live and work in an environment where you are judged by the colour of your skin. You have to learn to not take people at face value,

I would definitely recommend it as it has had such a lasting impact on my life. Not only has it taught me a lot about myself and life, but most of my friends are somehow linked to the SU and despite living in Africa, I still hear from them daily.

However, the SU, like clubs and societies, is not for everyone. While in college, the important thing is to take all the opportunities that come your way and do what makes you happy. For some that may be in the offices of the SU, for others that may be playing “Who Am I?” in Smokey’s (my record is spending 6 hours playing that game).

However, everyone, irrespective of your interests, your hobbies and individual circumstances, must get behind the SU in securing the future of third level education in Ireland.

It is only through a strong collective voice that Irish students will no longer stand for the draconian and extremely regressive attacks which have been made by successive Irish governments will the future of Ireland’s future be secured.

Society Profile: The Art Society

By Hazel Elliffe The Art society, or the 'Art Soc' as it is better known around campus, is one of the most active societies on campus. It is made up of a mix of local students, Erasmus and foreign students with membership currently standing at 523 students.

They are resident in Aras na Mac Léinn, with their own fully equipped Art Room. They run a range of classes catering for beginners to the more advanced.

In fact as their website states; “Our motto is if you can’t draw we can teach you how to draw!”

For students who want to explore their artistic abilities or simply de-stress with a creative outlet, this is the society to join! Their art classes are on every Monday from 6pm8pm, Tuesday from 7pm-9pm and comic book drawing classes are on every Wednesday from 7.30pm-9.30pm.

They have a resident art teacher Podge Daly who is happy to teach anyone willing to learn.

They try to vary the classes during the year and run classes on life drawing, nude drawing, sculpting, painting, caricatures and mask making. They also run certain workshops throughout the year and are currently running a street art workshop with a local artist.

The art materials are supplied for every class and what is even better is the cost!

Classes are an amazing €2 a class and tickets can be purchased before the class from the socsbox located downstairs in Aras na Mac Leinn. There is also an open studio from 1pm to 5pm on Thursdays where students can finish off work they may have been doing in a class or work on other pieces.

This very busy society is involved in many events. In fact they will be hosting the intercollegiate art competition in NUIG on the 14th of March, 2014. They also went on a trip to Edinburgh in January where they visited the national galleries and toured the cities.

Auditor of the Art Society Mataka Flynn told me that ‘the society have been aiming to get out there and help out’. Indeed they are currently working with the students Union on a project to paint a section of the Children’s ward in Galway University Hospital.

The society also offers budding artists an opportunity to display their works. Make sure to check out their upcoming art exhibition ‘double yellow lines’ which will commence on the 10th of March, 2014 in Aras na mac Leinn, NUIG. If you wish to get in contact the ‘Art Soc’ you can email them at: artsoc@socs.­ nuigalway.ie.

Do you ever miss NUI Galway?

Everyone misses Galway! It is almost like a drug at times as people find it hard to leave.

Galway is an incredibly unique city where anything can happen and no one will care.

I do enjoy going back, but I also do not miss the rain and the fact that someone is always wanting you to go out!

Did you ever get in trouble while you were here?

Yes! Great student but too fond of messing. I danced that line between messing and trouble quite a bit. But that shall remain outside of this paper and inside the confines of banter over pints with friends!

What advice would you give to current NUI Galway students?

Take advantage of everything. I’ve studied and worked in Ireland, Europe, the US and Africa and NUI Galway really does offer a unique student experience. Take some time to go and see what it has to offer to you and grab it while you can. If it wasn’t for NUI Galway offering me so many opportunities, I wouldn’t have ended up in Africa working on a HIV Cure project!

If you could go back and do it all again, what would you do differently?

I would have done Erasmus. What an experience I missed out on!

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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 contact Galway University Foundation.

Visit us @ www.guf.ie l www.nuigalway.ie/alumni l T: 091 493536 Find us on Facebook and join National University of Ireland Galway on LinkedIn

16 Features

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Diary of a Cynical Graduate

Week 4: The Weighting Game

By Shelly Madden A decent job. A rodent free apartment. A wage packet that doesn’t make you weep. There are so many things we hope to achieve after we exit the gilded gates of university, and justifiably so.

You have put in the groundwork, endured the unpaid internships and taken the necessary steps to avoid a future behind a sandwich board. There is one significant gain however, that you may have overlooked and that, my dear pre-graduates, is weight.

Yeah, that’s right. Fat. You were looking for a hefty raise and you have ended up with just the hefty part.

If your hourglass has now become the apple, fret not; it happens to the best of us.

The trouble is that we feel we have already conquered the weighty trials and tribulations of college life.

Remember the first-year 15? Of course you do. Your earliest Facebook pictures are the epitome of cringe. A diet of chicken fillet rolls and Devil’s Bit was only going to steer you in one direction and that was Chubbville.

Were it not for a certain vegetable-conscious roommate, that 15 may indeed have been a 20 in my case. But all of this is natural and even accepted at this particular stage in your life. You are young and experiencing freedom for the very first time.

Crisps as a breakfast staple clearly falls under the YOLO category. So if you’re reading this, first years – eat up! It is only now and during pregnancy that society will allow for that extra chin.

However, there is a resurgence brewing for the real world when you become surrounded by all the trappings of adulthood. You are on the cusp of brilliance, standing in the dole

Erasmus Diary of an Student By Áine O Donnell It is officially midterm so I am back home in Donegal after a trip to Madrid. I couldn’t get out of Poitiers quick enough. I was getting fed up of the almost Groundhog Day-esque life of Erasmus. We would go to college, come home and go out. We always see the same people and go to the same place. I couldn’t wait to go to a brand new country and meet different people.

I flew with Air France because in typical Ryanair style, their Parisian airport is not in fact in Paris. It was the first time flying on a premium or non-budget airline. I had so much legroom and they gave us free refreshments.

The minute I become a high flying journalist I will never be flying Ryanair again.

Aifric is on Erasmus in Alcala de Henares which is about an hour outside Madrid. It is a beautiful city with paved streets and really amazing original buildings. After travelling all day we hit the pub and I met all of Aifric’s Erasmus friends. They are a great bunch of girls and I had the best craic being amongst ladies again given I live with all lads.

queue or serving coffee merely as a stepping stone to greatness.

This is the weighting game. You are in a state of flux (the in-betweeny stage, I like to call it) and you are unsure yet as to what path will be travelled. So you bulk up for the journey.

There is no shame in this extra layer of insulation. Some people are unable to eat when they are upset/anxious/bored but if you belong to the opposite category, welcome to my rounder world.

In fairness, you were not adequately prepared for any additional stress in the wake of final year exams. You may have even believed that it would be plain sailing in the seas of early employment. But this, unfortunately, is not the case and your ladder to the stars must be diverted to an alternative galaxy. Or Milky Way. Or Twix. I’ll stop now.

Do be advised however, that I do not wish to glorify any decisions that may contribute to the eventuality of booking two seats on an aeroplane. I am merely empathising and assuring you of the comforting reality that you are not alone. Your career unfulfillment is a temporary blip on the road to a bountiful future.

But, as of today, you may have to buy new jeans.

We went into Madrid and visited all the major sights from the Retiro Park in the middle of the Spanish capital to the Royal Palace.

While we were in the city, Gemma, one of Aifric’s friends, noticed a tug on her bag and a young girl had tried to pickpocket her.

We were all so shocked having seen an actual pickpocketing taking place. We went to a restaurant and when we went to pay, Aifric noticed her bag was gone. Her bag was stolen while we were in the restaurant. She had to cancel her card and replace all her stuff that was in the bag which proved to be no easy task when you are away from home.

I had to go to Madrid airport at midnight as I had to catch the last train so I had to wait six hours to get my flight to London Stansted then wait a further eight hours in London to get my connecting flight to Derry. After all that travelling, I was delighted to be home and I got to eat plenty of pancakes.

Even though I live in the home of the crepe, Daddy’s pancakes will always be my favourite.

I am really enjoying my time chez moi and my break away from France. Being on Erasmus has made me realise how much I love my family and my home town Letterkenny.

So for now…bonjour Donegal and la France, à plus tard!

Training

By Hazel Doyle I’m currently typing this on the train as I head home for the first time in about six weeks. Isn’t the train so much better than the bus? There’s no seatbelts and you don’t get stuck in traffic and you can pop to the loo – then decide you’ll hold it because it’s a bit mank – whenever the call of nature hollahs its Beyoncé bladder moans. Plus someone comes along with a trolley and offers you tea, and there’s a plug for your laptop and charger (and hair-straightener, just saying).

The thing which really sets the train apart from the bus is the conversations you overhear. The bus is too convenient for those who want to hold a whispered, private conversation. It’s very intimate, with its side-by-side seats, perfect for leaning over to whisper something, or shielding a shly shift.

The train, on the other hand, invites you to propagate your private conversations.

As I’ve said before, you are provided with tea – once you’ve parted with about a fiver – and a table. This creates a sense of false privacy. You are looking at members of your company on more than one side of you, and somewhat walled in by the placement of the seats.

This allows four fellas commencing their lads’ weekend away to discuss all the normal lad things they discuss on a lads’ weekend; football, the state of the lad who isn’t there because of his new buuurd and plans to go back to the same place as the last time for the unreal fry-up.

Four little women travelling to Dublin for a day’s shopping can just as easily feel at home loudly discussing the quality kids’ clothes they got the last time in some shop in the Jervis Centre, and how handy it is that you can get the feeder pass now for the LUAS, and what would you be doing driving up and trying to find parking?

I do love a good ould eavesdrop. It’s hard not to listen, in fairness, sometimes because people talk so loudly, feeling at home with their table between them. They forget the seats don’t block out all their chatter.

One time a guy was organising a drugs sale between stations, I’m pretty sure. We could all hear him.

The last train journey I was on, the woman opposite me got a phonecall from Roísín Ingle and I learnt that she’d a headcold. I hope she feels better now. (Roísín is big news in my house; she’s the columnist for the Irish Times Magazine).

One time a guy was organising a drugs sale between stations, I’m pretty sure. He was a good few seats back from me and we could

all hear him. It was really interesting to hear how he talked when answering the different ring-tones. He must’ve had two phones. He would hop onto a platform and then hop back on the train again. He definitely felt at home at his table. I certainly didn’t that day!

The table thing invites people to speak to you as well. This can be both a blessing and a curse. Ipod dead? Yeah, go on and have the chats with me about the price of milk. Ipod working and feeling a bit rough? Do I look like I want to be thinking about milk right now?

Most people are pretty good at getting the hint when you start off giving those politebut-not-so-interested one-word answers. But then there’s the woman who gave me some fliers to hand out in Galway having distracted me from my – impending – assignment for about an hour.

Or the people I don’t know, but I do know.

The ones who I’d say hi to in the street, or have a chat to in a queue, but when spotting them in the train station I’d feel a sense of dread at the thought of sitting next to them for the whole journey and making small-talk.

It’s meant to be small; not two hours long.

It’s always those people who decide to go get a seat right at the end of the train, walking the length of the platform to find a good spot.

And I’d always try to escape them and save us both the awkwardness, and, thinking they won’t venture so far up the platform, would chose a seat right up near the driver.

We’d now be the only two in the carriage, so by default we would be sitting beside one another, in an empty carriage, dying for the trolley to come by and give us something to do.

But still, I’d be in a better position than the people who brave the bus home every weekend. I’ve got that voice that announces the place-names in both Béarla and Gaeilge to break up the silence, because putting in my headphones would just be considered rude in this situation.

And since I’ve been on the train last, they’ve added a new bit about not putting your feet on the seats, so I can learn how to say that in Irish. And there’s that trolley. Go on that trolley.

EXPLORE Projects The Journal of Medical Students, Galway With rapid advancement in Medicine, scientific research has become an imperative constituent of medical students’ academic curriculum throughout pre-clinical and clinical years.

Comprising eleven medical students and three clinical staff, the Journal of Medical Students, Galway (JMSG) is the first peer-reviewed, open-access student medical journal of its kind in Galway community.

Serving as an extension of the School of Medicine, JMSG paves the path for budding undergraduate students to publish meaningful abstracts, review articles, clinical case reports, medical illustrations and more.

JMSG functions as a platform for the exchange of innovative research and opinions among medical students, clinicians, surgeons and academic lecturers at the local, national, and international level.

Following reception of an overwhelming number of submissions, we look forward to publishing the first issue in April of this year, while continuing to perpetuate our professional aspiration in supporting undergraduate medical research for the prosperous years to come.

Visit us at www.jmsgalway.com.

The Big Yellow Thing

I LIKE BEACHES

The gargantuan yellow structure outside the NUI, Galway library, otherwise known as “Archimedes’ Balls” or “The Big Yellow Thing” was the inspiration of a new clothing line about to hit the NUIG campus.

I LIKE BEACHES is a student-staff collaboration developed through the Explore initiative. The project is working in conjunction with Galway City Council to add value to the Salthill area with a range of environmental education boards outlining scientific processes of the beach environment as well as the history of the area. The project has been gathering pace since its conception and the team are currently in the process of coding the results and preparing a report for a public meeting which was held in the Galway Business School on the 18th. The meeting included residents, business owners and local councillors and was a huge success overall.

Funded by the EXPLORE innovation initiative, The Big Yellow Thing creates comedic, modern and unique designs for each of the 5 colleges of NUIG. Each custom design is printed on hoodies and t-shirts and embodies NUIG campus study and student life.

Michelle Campion, creator of The Big Yellow Thing is studying MSc. Neuropharmacology at NUI, Galway. She’s had a long history in art, attending the National College of Art and Design in 2007 and over the years, commissioning illustrative murals around Galway City (i.e. Club K, Carbon).

The Big Yellow Thing is currently a finalist in the 2014 Student Enterprise awards, which aims to bring the business national i.e. spreading the designs to all National Universities of Ireland. The winner will be announced on 29th March.

A website is underway and apparel is printed, join www.facebook.com/thebigyellowthing for BIG offers! YELLOW news! And update THINGS!

I LIKE BEACHES has also developed a media presence both on Galway Bay FM and in local and provincial newspapers. This has increased the popularity of the project with Dr. Eugene Farrell also giving two presentations at Trinity College and UCD. The forthcoming weeks will see the team enter talks with Galway County Council concerning the adaptation of the project for the county’s beaches and also further discussions with Galway City Council and residents concerning the progress of the Salthill education boards. As well as seeking to expand the project the team hope to branch out into the creation of biodiversity trails and the development of an educational workbook and fieldtrip for primary and secondary schools.

EXPLORE is a joint initiative of NUI Galway and NUI Galway Students' Union, and is funded by the Office of the VP for Innovation and Performance and the Student Projects Fund.

www.su.nuigalway.ie/explore 091 49 4290

su.explore@nuigalway.ie

www.facebook.com/exploreinnovation

www.twitter.com/EXPLOREnuigsu

18 lifestyle The Health Hub

Lent “cheat” treats

Lent is here! For me, since I was a child, it means staying off all sweet stuff and then gorging on chocolate eggs when Easter Sunday comes along.

Each year I find those 40 days the toughest days of the year (I’m assuming all you chocoholics are the same). But this year, I’ve decided, I’m going to be resilient and not cave into my cravings. But I can only do this with a little help from my new best friends.

Chickpea Cookies Blend a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) until smooth.

Add 4tbsp honey/agave syrup, 2tbsp almond milk, 1tsp baking powder and 3tbsp melted almond butter.

Mix in 1tbsp vanilla essence, 1tbsp crushed almonds and 1tbsp cocoa powder.

Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Avocado Brownies Blend 2 mashed avocados and 1tbsp oil (I use Coconut Oil) until smooth.

With an electric mixer beat together 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1tbsp flour (I use coconut flour), 1/2 cup honey, 1tbsp vanilla, 1tbsp flour (I use coconut flour), 3 eggs, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Add the avocados to the mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Avocados are high in oleic acid, lutein, folate, vitamin E, monounsaturated fats and glutathione and all work together to help protect your body from heart disease, cancer, degenerative eye and brain diseases. Chickpeas have a variety of health benefits as they are rich in fiber, a good source of protein, can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and are low GI so excellent for weight loss diets.

So now you can actually enjoy Lent whilst staying healthy.

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Wise Words: Cookies

By Móna Wise We Irish have an unusual love affair with our tea and biscuits; something that the rest of the world would never really understand.

For starters, the rest of the world calls them cookies. But really, at the end of the day, what does it matter what they are called as long as they taste good, right? A plain rich tea or digestive dunked in milky tea or a Jaffa cake or Kimberly Mikado sat tempting and teasing us alongside a cup of coffee at 4 o’clock.

Cookie culture - the making, baking, decorating and sharing of homemade cookies - is massive in the US and I am surprised it has not taken off here in Ireland. Perhaps it is because we need to learn a thing or two about decorating the cookies?

When setting a few minutes aside to whip up a quick batch of cookies, I usually go for something quick and easy like a chocolate chip cookie. But when it comes time to do something special for a friend’s baby shower or as a gift for the kids’ teachers then shortbread is one of the most requested.

A few months ago, frustrated at my own lack of skill in the cookie decorating department, I was delighted to come across a young lady named Gail Porter, owner of LizzieMay’s Cookies (named after her two Grannies) right here in Galway. An SOS plea was sent to her and she came out to the house armed with her tools of the trade to teach me a few new tricks.

Decorating cookies is not an easy task, especially when you have a bunch of kids all trying to ‘help’. Proper consistency with your icing, patience and a steady hand are the essential tools needed when you set about to make, bake and decorate a batch of cookies.

This week we are sharing a recipe that will get you well on your way to biscuit baking bliss starting with the easiest shortbread recipe we know. Knowing how to make a plain but delicious biscuit is an essential skill to have and this recipe will never disappoint.

Try your hand at making these when you are not strapped for time and maybe decorate a few for someone special in your life.

The second recipe is for royal icing. Now, I know you can buy royal icing in bags and the only instructions are ‘just add water’ but trust me, there is no comparison when you make your own and it could not be easier.

One (room temperature) egg white with a bit of icing sugar whipped into perfect peaks, piped prettily on your cookies gives you a cracking cookie coating. It is one thing to be able to bake a fabulous cookie but you can take these to a whole new level if you learn how to decorate them using a delicious icing.

Taste and texture is important here so do not compromise on the instant icing because it cuts a few minutes of time off the job.

I have found over the years that they always go down a real treat when received as a birthday gift or graduation present. I am certain you will love them.

Shortbread – makes 60 biscuits (rich tea size)

Royal Icing – makes 500g

Introduction

There are quite a few bags of instant royal icing on the market these days but none of them taste quite as good as a homemade icing. If you want to give your icing a little lift, a squeeze of lemon juice when thinning out your icing (instead of water) will do just that and leave a lovely lemony taste lingering on your lips as you bite into your cookie.

We have been using this recipe for almost twenty years. It’s imple and delicious and incredibly versatile. This biscuit transforms from the perfect partner for your elevenses to a dream dessert when sandwiched together to make Millionaire Shortbread or even better as ice-cream sandwiches for a summer BBQ party. The hardest part is learning how to decorate them. Be patient and you will do just fine.

Introduction

What you will need • 90g egg whites (at room temperature) • 480g icing sugar • Food colouring (your choice)

How to prepare Place both ingredients into a large mixing bowl (or use a stand mixer) and mix until the icing has billowed up into firm stiff peaks.

To ice a cookie

What you will need • 450g plain flour • 200g cornflour • 200g icing or caster sugar • 450g butter • 1tsp orange oil extract (optional)

How to prepare it Cream the butter and sugar using an electric the food mixer. Sieve the flour and cornflour together (and orange oil if using) then fold it in to the butter and sugar mix. Using your hands, knead it until it comes together in a ball. It will be crumbly to start with. Divide it into three equal pieces and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out to ¼ inch thickness.

Using a cookie cutter cut cookies to desired shape and place on a parchment lined baking tray. It is important to work fast because once the butter starts to melt and the dough softens it can be tricky to move it around and the cookies might lose their shape.

Bake at 160ºC for 20 minutes. The cookies will not have any colour. If you want them to have a golden glow then increase the heat to 170ºC but watch them closely as they will burn. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for at least one hour before you start to decorate them.

They are perfectly fine to eat as they are but work deliciously as an iced cookie too.

Line your cookies up on a baking sheet tray lined with parchment.

You will need two consistencies of icing. The first, for piping the border of the cookie, you will need icing that is the consistency of shampoo. By the time you have iced the border on ten cookies you can return to do the fill in (or flood) icing on the first cookie.

Flood icing should be a little thinner than the border icing. You can thin the icing down to the right consistency using a few drops of water, added one drop at time.

Once you have iced your cookies place them in a fan oven on virtually a zero heat – just make sure the fan is turned on. The cookies will dry in twenty minutes.

Once they have dried you can finish decorating them with an accent colour to your liking. Leave overnight to harden up before boxing them up as a gift or serving to your friends and family.

Lifestyle 19

March 10 2014

Fitness fashion

By Helena Kilbane Move over high fashion brands like Louboutin and Prada, the new labels you just have to be seen in are ones such as Nike, Under Armour or Reebok.

Sports luxe and fitness in general has become the next big craze since the start of 2014. Forget going to the gym in dad’s old t-shirt and frayed tracksuit bottoms, with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Whitney Port seen looking fabulous post workout, it’s time we caught up.

While New Year’s resolutions may be cast aside already, here is some fitspiration to put on those super cute running shoes again and squat like Jen Selter in the most on-trend yoga pants.

Leggings: Leggings or yoga pants, as the Americans like to call them, are a must-have staple in any gym bag. They don’t have to be plain and boring though; a simple black with a pop of colour on a fold-over waistband are enough to keep you looking stylish yet practical. Teamed with a bright v-neck t-shirt you’ll be the (bar) belle of the (exercise) ball.

Runners: Although Asics are the classic great running shoe, they’re not the

most aesthetically pleasing. There are now so many more styles to choose from by other brands such as Nike and Reebok that are fantastic quality as well. Move the high heels to the back of the wardrobe and replace them with runners such as the Nike Flyknit or the Nike Women’s Revolution that can not only be worn in the gym but also if you’re sporting a casual sports luxe look á la Cara Delevigne. With prices ranging from €65 to €175 they don’t come cheap but are certainly an investment piece in any fit fashionista’s wardrobe that will last for years.

Sports bra: Without a good sports bra, women can experience breast pain and back ache while exercising. The lack of support resulting from not wearing the right bra can cause permanent ligament damage, resulting in breasts heading south in the future.

Shock absorber sports bras made by all the top brands like Nike, Adidas and the Shock

Style guide

for guys

By Helena Kilbane

Absorber brand itself are the best for giving the ultimate support required and minimal bounce.

Neon gear bags: With all the stylish workout gear you need something equally fabulous to carry it in. EBay is a great place for finding the perfect gear bag. Neon bags are the perfect finish to any workout outfit and a fitness style staple that’s much cheaper than a Michael Kors bag – perfect excuse to buy one.

Fashion staples

By Samantha Kelly A perfect staple is one that is versatile; and should be able to go with almost everything you have. The colour is almost always either black or neutral as you can add colour and any accessories to match for any occasion.

The quality of a fashion staple should be excellent. I know this means the cost will go up but if you get the wear out of it, it is definitely worth it. So save your pennies and buy good quality items.

A classic style should be sought after, as classic never goes out of style. Sometimes the best classic item to have is simple and elegant.

Now that the approach to staples has been set, what should every girl actually have in her wardrobe?

A little black dress will never fail you, I promise. This is the secret weapon in your wardrobe as it should go with everything and for any occasion – once you know how to shop for the right one. An LBD should be sexy yet sophisticated and fit like a glove – do

Fashion dictionary

By Amy McDonnell Braids: A hairstyle closely resembling the plait, the difference being that plaits tend to be larger than braids and braids are that bit more complicated. They are made up of many pieces of woven hair. Braids can be worn in many ways, but they are just the perfect and simple way to adorn your tresses. Simple and versatile, braids are suitable for a sophisticated updo or for adding some style to your day-to-day look.

Cat Eyes: A popular make up trend designed to give eyes that sexy feline look. It is created using eye liner on the upper lid right along the lash line and extending the line upwards and outwards to give that angular appearance! A secret to this look is to use cotton buds and baby oil to get the look just purrfect!

Pastel Colours: Pastel colours are soft delicate shades of a particular colour.

They are sweet-like in appearance and just so girly! These are a popular fashion staple for the spring and summer months when the sun shines (hopefully). Well-known hues include baby blue, lilac and blush pink. So sweet!

Reverse French Manicure: An elegant nail trend which is a contemporary twist on the classic French manicure. A tiny crescent of the nail directly above the cuticle is painted one shade. Following this, the rest of the nail is painted another colour all the way to the tip. Different effects such as glitter and crackle effects can also be incorporated into this look to keep it on trend each season.

not have a dress that is either too tight or too loose; being able to see your curves is what it is all about. If you have the perfect LBD it should be able to take you from day to night, with just an alteration of accessories.

The right blazer! Not everyone will be fond of always having black, so for the blazer I will suggest a nude colour. Nude will go with everything and can work with a casual look or a dress for nights out.

Quality blue jeans work every look. A nice, good quality, skinny, high-waisted pair of blue jeans can make a girls day. We should all have one, it goes with blouses, jumpers, a statement tee; can be worn with sandals, boots, heels and converse and still make every look.

Statement jewellery has made an impact in the fashion world and should have made an impact on your wardrobe. Not all of us like chunky jewellery, however having an item that makes a statement will work the LBD and blue jeans. It can be chunky, have colour, be vintage, essentially once it says something about you it’s fulfilling its purpose.

We all should have a pair of black pumps lurking somewhere. Pumps can go with jeans, skirts, dresses, leggings – literally everything.

They look sophisticated and are comfortable to wear and not expensive to buy.

Last but by no means least, the perfect bag. I was considering the overall perfect staple bag: oversized, either black or neutral, good quality, comfortable on your shoulder.

However for everyone a bag is a personal item, some will prefer a small structured bag, while other will like a slouchy across the body bag. A bag is really up to your own style, once it ticks off the approaches to staples, you literally have it in the bag!

Throw out the flared jeans, football jerseys and GAA jackets and pick up some style tips from this easy guide that is sure to make the girls swoon.

There are so many simple ways for men to keep up to date with current fashion trends but many don’t know where to start.

I always say start from the top and guys really can’t go wrong with a good haircut. Keeping the hair freshly cut can change a whole look and transform a scruffy man into a heart throb (take note of Ryan Gosling).

According to Men’s Hairstyle Trends, the hottest new male hair trend for 2014 is short undercut sides while keeping length on top. Whether you decide to slick it back or to one side, or use product to peak it in the centre, this is a diverse haircut that can be worked into almost any style.

It’s important for men to take care of their skin too. As most lads don’t wear makeup it’s essential to keep skin clean and healthy looking. An easy three step skin care routine to follow is to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise.

This may not appeal to the macho men out there but it’s the price you must pay if you want to look as good as the ladies.

Nivea do an inexpensive, yet high quality, men’s skincare range and even do a moisturising shave gel to save time in the morning.

The next step to looking your finest is to invest in decent clothing. All guys really need is a few style basics to carry them through all seasons. A good pair of denim jeans is a necessity but flares are not allowed under any circumstances, unless you never want to get the shift again.

With Topman you really can’t go wrong as far as style is concerned and they do a 20% off student discount so there’s no excuse for being ill dressed. A nice pair of chinos can take a man from daytime dapper to night-time alluring and come in a variety of colours girls can’t say no to.

Now that the trousers are sorted all you need are a few snazzy t-shirts and shirts to match. Generally a plain block colour or t-shirt with a cool pattern is the best way to go. As long as there’s not an image of a half-naked woman or polo with a stand up collar you should look ravishing.

Shoes are often the first thing a girl looks at when eyeing up a potential suitor as we must be aware of ‘old-man-shoe’ syndrome before things get too far. These are usually black or brown square-toed suit shoes that men like to wear as a female repellent.

On the same level are Asics, these are fine for exercise but please do not wear them at any other time, ever. Casual tennis shoes, high tops, or brogues if you want to dress up are a stylish alternative.

20 lifestyle

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

My androgynous style

By Ivan Fahy My style is androgynous.

That means that the style I have incorporates both the feminine and masculine aspects of myself in it ; I like to wear clothes that are unisex. I don’t like wearing anything that is too male, or too female. I have no interest in wearing dresses.

The only female item of clothing I wear is high heels, though I do not consider high heels to belong exclusively to women. A shoe is a shoe, and a foot is a foot; if the shoe fits the foot, wear it. I like to wear fitted clothing, such as skinny jeans. There is nothing wrong with showing off the shape of your legs!

I try to keep things simple. They do say that less is best, and the less, the more. I like to wear monochromatic t-shirts – t-shirts of only one

colour. I avoid t-shirts with too many colours, pictures, logos and writings. As the weather is cold right now, I enjoy wearing warm winter jumpers. A bulky winter jumper contrasts nicely with a tight skinny jean.

When I’m not wearing a winter jumper, I would wear a monochromatic hoodie, which helps to give off a casual, relaxed look. I have two styles - the style I have as myself and then the style I have as a model.

As a model, I would try anything. The modelling work that I do presents me as being in the middle of male and female. I am not exactly either in the visual; I am a combination of male and female, masculine and feminine.

I like suits, but I don’t always feel comfortable in them. I would need to add my own personal touches

to a suit. I did a photoshoot with a suit once and I moved the trousers from my hips to my waist, I opened the shirt, and I threw on a pair of black high heels, and in a few simple steps I had changed the suit from something very masculine to something quite feminine and ooh la la.

That’s what I enjoy doing, switching things up, experimenting with clothing and gender. I wouldn’t wear dresses or anything too over the top. I like to dress simply, in clothes that do my height and shape justice. I am not a drag queen, so I avoid extreme make-up and clothing.

I try to keep things as natural and as understated as possible, wearing only a few items of clothing with minimalist and natural make-up. I like jewellery and accessories,

but I wouldn’t always wear them. I don’t wear watches or rings normally; in a photoshoot I could wear a necklace but usually nothing more.

My style complements all that my body is, rather than hiding what it is not. I wear clothes that make me look my height; long and tall. I would wear a pair of jeans that accentuate my legs, their length and their shape.

As regards shoes, I love high heels - they are just fabulous. They demand attention and change a person’s entire aesthetic. I don’t wear high heels walking around town, or even outside of photoshoots. I wear normal runners and hightops. I love hightops.

They go so well with skinny jeans.

Check out Ivan on Facebook here: http://facebook. com/IvanFahyOfficial

Fashion phenomenon: Victoria’s Secret

By Ciara Treacy Hailed by the Wall Street Journal for portraying “sexy underwear as fashion”, Victoria’s Secret is a phenomenon whose star is constantly on the rise. Literally, as it was the first trademark to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame due to the success of its clothing sales, generated mostly from its fabulous lingerie.

With 2013 sales figures of $6 billion it’s clear that females worldwide have realised the feel-good factor of owning matching pretty and sexy underwear. This idea may have manifested itself through extensive marketing by the company, with phrases like “you can’t have one without the other” making one splurge on the matching bra, not to mention the infamous VS Angels.

The Victoria’s Secret Angels are almost better known than the products they’re trying to sell, with only the world’s most famous models signed up to advertise the brand. With the early days run by favourites like Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and Gisele (who was once entrusted with modelling the

$15 million Red Hot Fantasy bra – get saving girls), today’s top angels include Adriana Lima and Cara Delevigne.

Their job? To advertise the most luscious lingerie on offer, while simultaneously donning a pair of giant extravagant angel wings on their back. Although they must take hours to create and maintain, this is what makes the brand the most recognisable and has contributed to its enormous success.

No cost will be spared if it means the best campaign will be achieved; for this year’s holiday commercial shot in Paris, the company paid to keep the Eiffel tower lit all night. The girls had to shoot in freezing conditions in nothing but their delicates but we doubt they were complaining. Victoria’s Secret bosses have made it known they only hire models who are positive, enthusiastic and likeable to females.

And of course there’s no doubt these models are fabulous, although it makes us feel better to discover they don’t just roll out of bed with perfectly curled hair and dazzling make-up. For the 2013 Fashion Show, 56 staff were involved in prepping the girls

for the runway – 26 make-up artists, 22 hairstylists and eight manicurists. The result was amazing, with a winter wonderland inspired theme and performances from Fall Out Boy and Taylor Swift.

The success since 1977 has not gone without a few controversies, however. The launch of ‘Pink’, a line aimed at teenagers was argued to sexualise underage girls who were being encouraged to buy underwear with statements such as ‘call me’, ‘feeling lucky’ and ‘wild’ emblazoned on the fabric.

Bosses made it clear that they wanted to give younger girls a chance to be like the college girls they idealized, but later changed the target market to college-aged women.

Another error made by marketing executives was to create a ‘Go East’ range which included geisha teddies which were seen to reinforce ethnic stereotypes and were quickly removed.

Hopefully bosses will become more careful in future developments of the iconic brand, which hasn’t done half bad for a company started when the owner was too embarrassed to buy underwear for his wife in a department store.

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22 Film

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

The Pros of being a Conman: A shot at Oscar glory

By Eoin Molloy Crimes, heists and conmen have always been favourites of the Academy. From The Godfather (1972) through to The Departed (2006), there has been a regular recurrence of crime films scooping the Best Picture gong at the world's most prestigious film awards.

This does away with the notion that in order to obtain Oscar glory, a film must be an uplifting, compelling drama with underlying societal subtext, or some rehashing of a personal triumph over adversity.

In fact, it appears to be quite the opposite.

Sometimes, all you need is the autobiography of a conman, booze, sex, drugs and more sex.

While 12 Years a Slave deservedly scooped the Best Picture award this year, it must be noted that American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street received fifteen nods between them.

The standard was extremely high this year, and on any other year, both films would probably have scored a lot better.

Based on the memoirs of a notorious Wall Street swindler, Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street centers around the life and crimes of the aforementioned snake-like stockbroker. Belfort sold useless penny stock totalling $200 million to investors who were none the wiser. He conducted business out of his boiler room office at

Stratton Oakmont Inc., where sex, drugs and sex were the order of the day.

According to legend, this self-professed wolf motivated his underlings to peddle more fraudulent stock by hosting liquor-soaked blowouts right in their New Jersey office, where prostitutes and drugs were supplied and paid for on the company card.

Belfort told The Guardian that the office debauchery was probably worse in real life than in the film. But to be fair to him, his drug of choice was the Quaalude, not something really bad like cocaine. Phew. I guess that makes up for the fact that this malicious stockbroker

served just half of his four-year sentence.

To this date, Belfort has paid less than 10% of his court-ordered $110 million in restitution to his victims, with none of this coming from the cool $1 million he made from licensing his memoirs for the screen. I don't like using generic phrases, but Belfort's case proves that crime can pay.

Directed by David O. Russell, the costumeheavy Hustle tells the story of New York conman Melvin Weinberg. His gig was much simpler than Belfort's. In the mid-seventies, he began conning people with bad credit into applying for loans with a non-existent company called London Investors in return for an advance fee.

The loans were always turned down but the fees were non-refundable. Easy money, eh?

The FBI, as they often do, got wind of his little operation and recruited him for a scam of their own, known as Abscam. This was a sting operation designed to lure politicians into taking bribes from an FBI agent posing as a fictitious Arab Sheikh.

Nineteen convictions were secured during Abscam, including several Congressmen and a mayor. All of Weinberg's previous convictions were washed away and he rode off happily into the sunset with his wife, and his mistress (whom he married some time later, after his first wife committed suicide).

By no means am I saying that the Oscars should forego tales simply because they display dubious morality. Simply put, it seems that one of the pros of being a conman is the seemingly-high probability of being immortalised on screen by the likes of Scorsese or David O. Russell.

We all crave a bit of debauchery now and again, but to take it to such extremes as The Wolf of Wall Street did is to push the boat out a bit too far. The film embodies everything that is wrong with the obscene excess of Wall Street.

While it may have been entertaining, the reason it lost out to films of substance like 12 Years a Slave was precisely because of its sheer lack of conscience.

Review: Robocop

By David Nevin Film re-makes often find themselves in a nowin situation; sticking too rigidly to the source material or straying too far in a new direction can draw the same levels of criticism. It’s a delicate balancing act that audiences don’t hold much faith in.

Such was the case with the Robocop reboot, which suffered a brutal slating before it had even been released.

I don’t believe it fair to instantly dismiss a movie by stating that a re-imagining should only be justified by necessity. Like a good argument, I’m always interested in what the other party has to offer.

Sony rebooted the Spiderman franchise in 2012 to critical and commercial success, despite the previous entry only having been released barely five years previous. Robocop is close to 30 years old and although its sharp satire and hyper violence hold up remarkably well, it’s largely lost on a new generation.

A ‘fresh lick of paint’ has never been more metaphorically and physically appropriate.

If nothing else, Jose Padliha’s Robocop is a visual spectacle that beautifully brings the near future to life.

Joel Kinnaman offers a surprisingly robust performance as fatally wounded cop turned justice-seeking cyborg Alex Murphy struggling to cope with the reality of his newfound existence.

He’s no Peter Weller, admittedly and director Jose Padliha is certainly no Paul Verhoven, but the film is a competent one that at least touches upon the same themes and issues that the 1987 classic did and offers a number of homages to the original.

The PG13 rating sits in stark contrast with the hard R of the excessive original, but as PG13 films go, this is about as ‘hard’ as they get without crossing the line. The blood may be absent but the body and bullet count certainly is not.

On the down side, Crime-ridden Detroit is portrayed somewhat unconvincingly. The film’s characters never exuberate the captivating charm and personality that their counterparts did in the original, and there’s a wealth of potential perpetually under-realized, but Robocop as a whole is a better film than it could have been and certainly a better film than was expected.

Thanks to component performances, stunning visuals and exhilarating action, Robocop is passable entertainment that manages to stand on its own uncertain feet.

Music 23

March 10 2014

Review: Morning Phase Review: Sun Structures

By Niam Kelly On 2002’s Sea Change, Beck delivered perhaps the most remarkable record of his lengthy and experimental career.

Documenting the break-up of a long-term relationship, he ditched the break beats, turntables and irony and reverted back to the simplicity of his folk singer-songwriter roots.

The result is a record of heavy-hearted honesty and introspection, backed up by lush and wistful production. The album was acclaimed upon its release and continues to grow in stature over a decade later.

However, on his following three albums, Beck suddenly sounded inconsistent and less assured and after 2008’s Modern Guilt, one of music’s most iconic and original voices went silent.

It seems somewhat apt then that Beck’s first studio album in six years should be named Morning Phase, as the artist makes a bleary-eyed and flickeringly hopeful foray back into music.

Described as a “companion piece” to Sea Change and feeling very much like the sequel, Morning Phase covers similar ground and includes familiar names (including string arrangements provided by Beck’s father David Campbell), yet the end product is one that feels warmer and dazzlingly brighter than its predecessor.

Opening with the dreamy despondence of ‘Morning’ (which bears a striking similarity to Sea Change opener, ‘The Golden Age’), and ending with the ‘Waking Light’ at the end of the tunnel, the album is laced with the sorrow that weighed heavily on the emotional wreck that was Sea Change, yet offers a sense of optimism that things will get better.

Indeed much of the power of Morning Phase comes in how perfectly it juxtaposes dark lyrics with soaring, sun-drenched instrumentation, giving a sense of a reawakening and newfound clarity. This is felt strongly on ‘Unforgiven’, a track that sees Beck attempting to “drive into the night, far as it goes, away from the daylight”, and is underpinned by sweeping production that offers a glimmer of hope.

Similarly, ‘Heart Is a Drum’, which evokes the memory of Nick Drake, has the singer posing the question “Pain – does it hurt this way?”, and is infused with a sense of resolve by a shimmering piano and delicate harmonies.

Stand-out track ‘Blue Moon’, a musing on loneliness featuring the desperate refrain of ‘don’t leave me on my own’, is enveloped by the enchanting clinking of guitar strings and the thudding of drums, and “oohs” and “aahs” in the background that recall sunny Brian Wilson harmonies.

The album does have its moments of pure desolation harking back to Sea Change, perhaps most powerfully communicated on the lovely ‘Wave’. The track is awash with misery, as Beck’s plaintive, trance-like repetition of “isolation” sounds like it’s being summoned from a tomb by the hypnotic, orchestral strings.

The song is followed, however, by ‘Turn Away’, a track that has the singer on the brink of a breakthrough. With lyrics like “turn away from the weight of your own past”, the song sees Beck reaching some sort of epiphany and finding some strength of spirit.

The album’s closer, ‘Waking Light’, speaks of a light that “grew from the shadows” and captures in one moment the core concept of the album – the struggle towards the light.

Beck is an artist who, for much of his career, has managed to remain an enigma.

From his slack-jawed rapping on Mellow Gold, to the funk-infused jams of Midnite Vultures, he is a chameleon who has dabbled in many genres of music, but never quite let his guard down long enough to let anyone see the real man behind the music.

Sea Change came as a shock then as it allowed listeners a deeply personal glimpse into the singer’s emotional turmoil.

Morning Phase continues in that vein, albeit this time with an older, wiser Beck who has come to learn that grief does not have to be long-lasting. It is a lonely record, and yet its greatest achievement comes in its capturing of a feeling.

Despite the threads of desolation that run throughout, the record swells with sunburst hope and a gorgeous diffusing light that casts its warm glow across almost every song.

By Keiran Killkelly Released early last month, Sun Structures is the debut album by English band Temples. Formed in 2012, the band consists of James Bagshaw, the vocalist and lead guitarist, Thomas Wormsley, on bass guitar, Adam Smith, guitarist and keyboardplayer and finally Sam Toms who plays the drums.

Both Bagshaw and Wormsley were recruited by their now record label Heavenly Records and released their first single and the first track on their new album, Shelter Song in November 2012. Toms and Smith then joined the band at a later date and started work on an album of which the first track was ‘Colours to Life’ released last summer.

While this band might be obscure to most, they do have a unique sound in today’s music industry.

Inspired by the sounds of the 60s and 70s, it really shines through in the album. Even both the title of the band and the album give rise to a spiritual element that is so much associated with that time period.

They have been strongly backed by ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher, who are both icons and influential musicians of their respective decades.

Concert Review: Suzanne Vega at the Olympia Theatre

By Tracey Halloran Dusty air hung like a stubborn cloud. Out from the shadows comes a short woman dressed in black, her hair tied back casually as if she had stumbled onto the stage of The Olympia after an evening stroll.

She was accompanied by a shaggy, whitehaired elder who was sporting tighter jeans than a Kardasian could ever dream of. The humble pair stood facing their audience with only two guitars strapped to their bodies. In the hazy, rouge glow of the stage-light, she lifts a top hat from a nearby stool and nestles it on her head. Suzanne Vega is ready to play.

The moment she opened her mouth and that familiar voice echoed around the hall, it was crystal clear the 54-year-old singer had not lost even a drop of her essence. One could easily mistake her live performance for her albums because every note and word rang out so perfectly and identically to what she recorded so long ago.

Concert Review: London Grammar at the O2 Academy, Birmingham By Áine O Donnell A chance to see one of the biggest new bands of 2013 brought me to a cold and rainy Birmingham.

Expecting a crowd of 14-year-old girls, I was surprised when the concert goers turned out to be quite a motley crew of everything from hipsters to couples of a similar vintage to my parents.

Given London Grammar are known for their mellow electronica tunes, the crowd was rendered into a state of peaceful head bobbing and foot tapping. Not the usual mosh pit I was used to.

The stage in true London Grammar style was very uncomplicated: just a few lights and screen at the back. The band arrived on stage in incredibly casual attire with lead singer Hannah Reid wearing a jumper and jeans.

The band who formed at Nottingham University make everything seem effortless and the stripped back aspect of the production leaves us left to focus on Reid’s voice which can only be described as astounding. Accompanied by her cup of tea, she manages to drift from high note to low with ease, she manipulates almost every line to make it unique from the studio recorded album which has gone platinum since its September release.

In the interim between songs from ‘If You Wait’, the band take turns talking about their first performance together in a ski lodge in Milton Keynes which was unbelievably just one year prior. The following Wednesday they were attending The Brits; they were nominated for Best British Breakthrough.

It would have been easy to think that the band’s

Temples are being put into a genre of ‘neopsych’, an almost revival of all things psychedelic.

Halfway through this album this “vibe” is felt with the song ‘Move with the Season’. Track 10, ‘Test of Time’, I think sets the general tone of the album, giving the image of a generally upbeat nostalgic trek back into the past.

However, you can see a clear producer’s input into the album. Both ‘The Golden Throne’ and ‘Keep in the Dark’ try to bring a modern day feel without losing the feel of the whole album. And it works quite well, as long as the authenticity of the band’s original sound remains the same for the next album.

This revival of the original 70s sound is somewhat affected by their most recognised song ‘Mesmerise’. It is, frankly, the black sheep of the album in comparison to rest. While, it is quite catchy, it tampers with the general scheme of things.

But overall, as an album, Sun Structures will have you bopping and waving your head in a sort of trance-like state whether or not you are in the same, ahem, mind-set, that the people were when they first heard all things musically psychedelic.

success hinged on Hannah’s vocal but Dot Major and Dan Rothman treated us to a musical jam session at the close of ‘Flickers’. From a “disastrous” performance in a ski lodge, the band had obviously come a long way to become the tight three-piece that played in Birmingham.

The encore consisted of the eponymous ‘If You Wait’ and ‘Metal and Dust’, the single from their EP which was released last February. ‘Metal and Dust’, one of their more up tempo tracks, provided an explosive ending to juxtapose the mellow tunes which dominated the gig.

London Grammar may be a massive success story but they remain uncomplicated. Still wearing jeans and jumpers and performing together just like they did in hall in Nottingham University.

They let the music speak for itself.

This was a positive thing, but also came carrying negative baggage. It became glaringly obvious a few songs in that improvisation or spontaneity would not be a factor in this show. If one came for an element of surprise, they would leave dissatisfied.

However, for those of us who became enchanted by the witty, articulate character of Ms Vega as the night slid on, the repartee she provided between songs was enough of a bonus to forget about any weaknesses. She told stories, explained the inspiration for her songs and squeezed giggles out of the audience without making any conscious effort to do so.

Playing hits such as ‘Luka’, ‘Tom’s Diner’, and ‘Caramel’, riddled with as much spirit as was captured on her records, Suzanne also slipped in a few new tracks from her new album Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles, which were greeted with a booming applause, although, admittedly, were not half as good.

You certainly don’t go to a Suzanne Vega concert to dance. You go to snuggle into the dreamy melodies and sway back and forth along with trickling acoustic guitar notes. And when you leave you feel enriched and optimistic that there are still interesting songwriters floating around.

Hall of Shame

By Benjamin O’Gorman This week’s Hall of Shame features Billy Ray Cyrus for ‘Achy Breaky 2’, the hip hop sequel and, in particular, the accompanying music video.

24 Theatre The curtain goes up on Theatre Week

By Karen McDonnell Running until 14 March, NUI Galway’s fifth theatre week features on-campus performances, schools outreach, performances from associate theatre companies, a mini-musical and the popular Jerome Hynes One-Act plays.

The festival director, and NUI Galway Societies Officer, Ríona Hughes said: “We are delighted to welcome our professional guest companies and to afford our students and staff an opportunity to showcase their talents and the importance of theatre to the University.”

There is still time to catch Frank McGuinness’s adaptation of Sophocles’ Electra which is being presented by the students of the new Drama and Theatre Department. The final performances take place at 10am and 8pm on Tuesday 11 March at The Cube.

Dramsoc presents a version of George Orwell’s 1984, newly adapted and directed

by Chris Moran, at the Bank of Ireland Theatre 11-14 March at 8.30pm.

ThereisBear! a company founded by NUI alumni, presents school workshops at the Bailey Allen Hall, covering Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, and Othello.

Grace O’Malley is the subject of a collaborative project between Mephisto and Anam Theatre companies. Devised by Sarah O’Toole and Caroline Lynch, the production attempts to pin down, or blow apart, the labels applied to the woman known as Granuaile, the Pirate Queen. This work-in-progress, which is part of the Arts in Action programme, takes place at the Bank of Ireland Theatre 13 March at 1pm.

Admission is free.

Musical theatre is provided by the GUMS Mini-Musical. The university’s musical society will choose, rehearse and perform a musical in 14 days. The action started on Monday at the Bailey Allen Hall; you can catch the results

Hannah O'Reilly, festival manager and Riona Hughes Societies Officer and festival director at press launch for NUI Galway's 5th annual Theatre Week. March 10th - 14th.

of their ambitious project daily at 6pm until Wednesday 12 March.

On 13 March at 8.30pm, the Bailey Allen is the home of host MC, drag queen Pixie Woo, who will perform from her own show and introduce a variety of acts drawn from guest societies.

On the same day from 3-5pm, India Society will present Holi or the Festival of Colours, on the green beside the IT building. The festival marks the end of winter and the coming of spring and is a celebration of renewal and forgiveness. The organisers recommend that participants wear old clothes – it’s not called the Festival of Colours for nothing!

The six plays chosen for the 2014 Jerome Hynes One Act Play series will be performed at the Cube Theatre in Áras na Mac Léinn from 12-14 March. The playwrights, directors and casts have been mentored in the last few months by Charlotte McIvor, Maria Tivnan and Emma O’Grady. The series manager is Hannah O’Reilly, technical manager is Matt Burke and the series director is Ríona Hughes.

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

The Little Shop of Horrors

By Claire Stone Little Shop of Horrors was one of those shows that, despite its popularity, I never got around to seeing. Luckily for me, The Maree Musical Society kindly offered the NUI Galway Journalism Society the opportunity to go and review their production, free of charge. The show ran from the 25th February – 1 March in Kilcornan Hall in Clarinbridge.

As an audience member what struck me most about the show was not only the production and talented cast, but the utter strength of the community spirit.

Galway girl as I may be, travelling to Clarinbridge was an adventure in itself. Little did I realise Kilcornan Hall is a lot further from where the bus stops than I had anticipated.

Lost, and with less than a half hour before curtain-up, I went inside the local post office.

Before I stepped inside the door the shopkeeper exclaimed “Well, are you going to the show tonight?” Pride was pouring from him as he told me how much I was going to enjoy the performance.

It was then that I explained to him my, eh, situation. My little legs hadn’t a hope of getting me there on time! His friend, on overhearing my predicament, was so afraid that I would miss out that he offered me a lift there. The whole journey was spent with him telling me how well the opening night had gone. This community spirit, this pride, was echoed in the theatre. Families and friends of the whole community had well and truly gathered to support their locals.

As the energy swelled in the hall it wasn’t long before the curtains came up. The music began and not one person could resist joining the cast in song. I’ve never seen the likes of this before, yet it was spectacular. Kudos to The trophy is named after the late Jerome Hynes, an alumnus of NUI Galway and a highly respected figure in the Irish cultural milieu. His managerial roles included those at Druid Theatre Company and the Wexford Festival Opera.

A final omnibus of all six plays and the award ceremony will take place at 6pm on 14 March at the Cube. Dates and times of all

This year’s plays are: When Threatened go to Sleep by Robin Oree.

Director: Peter Shine.

Caroline Cawley on directing, producing and choreographing such a fine production. I’m positive Ashman himself would be proud of it.

With a well-chosen cast everything certainly worked together on the night. Principals Padraic McDonagh (Seymour), Yvonne Spelman (Audrey), Paul O’Dowd (Mushnik) and Mike Kerrigan (Orin Schrivello) gave commendable and believable performances.

Each brought their unique take on their characters and went above and beyond to remind you why you love or loathe them so.

Antoinette Van Ravestijn (the voice of Audrey 2) radiated attitude through her voice. You could challenge anybody to listen to her without wagging their figure and going “mmmhum gurl”. They would fail. Every time.

The puppeteer for Audrey 2, Rick Officer, and the Dream Girls – Ciara McWilliams, Claire Gill and Ruth Randles – made Audrey 2 come to life with their performances.

Young girls in the audience will be envious of the urchins: Hannah Wright, Katie McGrath, Naoise Costelloe and Aisling Officer, who pull off the style, sass and voices of the 1960s almost too well. By the end of the show I was totally convinced I need to go buy myself a denim jacket and some red lippy.

Another impressive point about this production is the incorporation of video into the performance. By making use of the technology we all know and love, another dimension to the show was discovered. I’ve never seen that before and I thought it was downright cool. Fair play!

I’m not sure what I was expecting Little Shop to be about, exactly... but a love story involving a man-eating plant was not it. And I absolutely loved it. Well done Maree Musical Society and Thank You for such a wonderful night. the performances, as well as the themes of each play, may be obtained at the links below.

Ríona Hughes hopes that “the city will join us for the dramatic festivities. The week is an opportunity for us to welcome our friends in the wider community onto campus to celebrate the great tradition of drama in NUI Galway.”

A full list of dates, times, venues and ticket prices is available at www.nuigsocs.wix.com/ theatreweek or www.socs.nuigalway.ie Tickets from SocsBox, Áras na mac Léinn.

E-mail: socbox@nuigalway.ie Phone: 091 492852

Spoiling Sunset by Gemma Creagh.

Director: Charlotte Moore.

Stolen by Mary Kelly.

Director: Emily Murray.

The Ward by Diarmaid Blehein.

Director: Niamh Nic Aodh Bhuí.

Members of the Societies at the launch of NUI Galway Theatre Week March 10th – 14th.

Back row: (L- R) Colm Mc, Billy Stewart, Colum Wedel, Ronan Gallagher, Riona Hughes, Kori Kilduff, Oisin Hanlon, Harry Walker.

Front Row: (L- R) Emily Murray, Hannah O'Reilly, Susan Collins.

The Inn by Darragh Cooney. ­Director: Alison Sheery.

Café by Russell Browne.

Director: Julie Breen.

Ainne Cleary as Electra and Oisin Robbins as Orestes in Electra as part of NUI Galway Theatre Week 9th 12th March in The Cube Theatre.

Literature 25

March 10 2014

Why Fantasy Fiction Deserves to Stay in the Literary Ghetto

By Dean Buckley I grew up on a healthy diet of fantasy fiction. From the trendy YA fantasy of my generation – Harry Potter, Darren Shan, Artemis Fowl – to masterworks of the genre – The Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, The Chronicles of Narnia – fantasy was my life’s blood.

When mothers brought their children to the local library and wanted recommendations of what they should read, the librarian would point them to me, my head submerged in a sea of browned pages. And in those days, I reacted viscerally to what is called the “literary ghetto”, the consignation of certain genres to a dark pit, far away from the “real literature”.

In the ghetto, one finds the most popular genres of fiction – crime, romance, detective, horror and, of course, my beloved fantasy novels. But time and perspective changes things. Looking back now, just

SIN Poetry Competition 2014 There were two entrants for this year’s poetry competition. Consequently, Sin is not making an award and printing a single winning poem. Instead, we are publishing contributions from both Michael Finnegan and Mary-Beth Mulligan: comprising the sun, the moon and the stars. We wish them well with their writing in the future.

Chewing Between Bites

By Mike Finnegan

The new day is an egg cradling a sunrise yolk.

Cracked, it sizzles on freshly opened eyes.

Don’t burn it, and bin it, like the many times before.

Savor every last fleck.

Let it run down your tongue and warm you within, with Life.

For soon your plate will be as bright and bare as the wayfaring moon that snuck up on all of us.

Star Chaser

By Mary-Beth Mulligan Perhaps I will meet the fox who led my dog back home, leading her through the grass in a merry dance, through the wild rushes growing in the old lakebed.

There, I will sit and wonder, watching the stars gallop by.

a handful of the books I adored so much still sit high in my esteem. And in the others, I see a prophetic vision of the hot mess of terrible writing that fantasy fiction has become, and will likely remain.

Before J. K. Rowling, before the fantasy genre’s explosion in popularity, it took real tack to be a fantasy writer. You weren’t going to sell well, and you weren’t going to get any respect or critical acclaim for your work.

Such accolades were reserved for giants of the genre like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, writers who infused their fantastic works with so many of the political and religious themes that held sway with the critical establishment in those days that they were touted as an exception to the general rule of fantasy’s alleged wastefulness and stupidity.

That’s why the legacy of the husband-and-wife writing team David and Leigh Eddings still sits so large with adherents of fantasy.

They turned their backs on the “respectable”

genres of the day, thematically-dense tales of rugged manly adventure in the style of Hemingway, and embraced fantasy instead. They produced, among other works, The Belgariad, a series whose unspoken influence has done more to shape the history of fantasy fiction than even Tolkien.

But now, we don’t have writers turning their backs on money for love, but the reverse. Fantasy fiction, especially YA fantasy fiction, has been corrupted by money and finally deserves its place in the literary ghetto.

If I might start with a particular, shocking example: James Patterson now has his own fantasy series. James Patterson! The most purposefully commercial writer in the entire world, a man who focus-tests his plots to make his books (I say “his books”: James Patterson has been exploiting the desperation of ghostwriters for decades and probably hasn’t written a book since the 90s), has his own fantasy series.

But James Patterson is no isolated outlier. One only need wander into the fantasy section of the nearest Eason bookstore to see shelf upon shelf of poorly-written fantasy series pre-packaged as franchises and ready for big-screen adaptation.

Now, the true passionate lovers of fantasy– Neil Gaiman, Susanne Clarke, Terry Pratchett, Ursula K. Le Guin, Phillip Pullman – are the exception, and instead we're left with examples such as Eoin Colfer, who extended a perfectly complete fantasy series by three extra, unnecessary (and terrible) books.

Here’s a challenge: next time you’re in a bookshop, go to the fantasy section and try to find a stand-alone fantasy novel. You’ll be a while, and most of them will be by Neil Gaiman. It’s a sad truth to come to terms with, especially if, like me, you lived and breathed fantasy in your childhood, but fantasy has, at last, earned its reputation for being utter crapola.

The little earthquakes of literature

work with new ruthlessness, as William Faulkner once put it: you will kill your darlings. When drafting your story, time apart is essential. You guys need a break, you and that notebook, refill pad, .doc. You’ve been fighting it out. It’s a demanding relationship, both fun and infuriating. Or think of it like leaving a pint to settle.

Sometimes I think this is why the Irish are renowned for the short story. We have the patience required for it; we know when something is ready and when it is not.

But you learn a craft by practise, and to learn from mistakes you have to start making them. So start writing.

By Helen Hughes The short story is a cunning thing. Some don’t read like they were written, but have simply grown on the page, fully formed and ready to go. A great short story will appear like a statue before you, polished and hiding all of the hard work that went into its creation. As they say, easy reading makes for hard writing.

For those who are new to the genre, the short story works in a different way to longer fiction. It demands more of the writer. V.S. Pritchett described them as ‘something glimpsed from the corner of the eye in passing’, and Truman Capote once famously labelled it ‘the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing.’

There’s no room for waffle; a novel can suffer a defective structure, a wrong opening, a dead or fractured end and still maintain some form of balance.

But if a short story suffers these aesthetic flaws, it risks being nothing at all. Richard Ford called it the ‘high wire act of literature’. Where the novel is constructed on plot, the literary short is driven by the point of a story.

You must ask yourself A) what story do you want to tell? B) How do you want to tell it? Joyce used the term ‘epiphany’ for those frequent moments of profound realization the short story centres around. A quiet bomb. A little earthquake.

This year saw the return of the Davy Byrne Short Story Award, which was run by The Stinging Fly magazine. First prize will net the writer a staggering sum of €15,000. If you missed the deadline, never fear, the platform for new writing is a little less scary than you think. Irish publications both online and in print accept submissions at various times of the year, The Moth, The South Circular, The Stinging Fly, and Hennessy New Irish Writing are but to name a few.

Ireland has a rich tradition in the genre, and acclaimed writers among us today include Mike McCormack, Clare Keegan, Desmond Hogan, the IMPAC award-winner Kevin Barry and the Man Booker finalist Emma Donoghue. Town and Country, the latest Irish anthology from Faber, and Young Skins by Colin Barrett (launched by The Stinging Fly), were just some of the titles to appear on shelves in 2013.

Due to their brief nature, short stories will widen your reading pool much faster than the traditional novel. Read far and wide, northern hemisphere and south. Sample the Russians, Israelis, Americans. You will find gems awaiting you in Anton Chekhov, Etgar Keret, Jorge Luis Borges and Flannery O’Connor.

The web is full of wonderful resources. Use them.

The Guardian Book Blog archive on short story writers is fully available online. Try IrishWriting.ie. Many stories can be found online in pdf form.

But why bother? What will this genre teach you?

The craft of short story writing will teach you the value of a sentence. You will make your words earn their place on the page. You will learn to judge your own

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26 Literature

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Galway Business Strategist Launches First Book Your Elephant’s Under Threat- How to Expect Success & Transform your Life NUI Galway alumnus, founder of the Expect Success Academy and Galway-based business and marketing strategist John Mulry launched his first book Your Elephant’s Under Threat in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop on Friday 28 February.

Part memoir, part guide to personal and business development, this book details John’s story from lost, alone with no direction and living someone else’s life to drawing upon the transformative power of positive change within him and the others he surrounded himself with.

Leaving behind his unhappy life in the corporate finance world, John embarked on a journey that began with volunteering in South America for a year, where he witnessed hardship, brutality and kindness side by side.

He continued on to learn from and study under some of the most world- renowned experts in business, lifestyle and coaching.

In this book, John shares his stories, past

failures and successes, as well as what he believes to be the defining way to get everything you want in life. An inspirational book, its personable format belies its power as John distils fundamental principles and illustrates them with easy to grasp examples.

“The main point in my book is that no amount of positive thinking or self-improvement will help an individual achieve their business and life goals until they tackle the underlying threats that are holding them back,” John explained.

A core belief underpinning the book is the principal of the ‘expect success’ attitude to life; “In life, you don’t necessarily get what you want and you don’t necessarily get what you need; instead you get what you honestly and truly believe you deserve. In other words, you get what you expect. So why not Expect Success?”

True to his own words, on returning from his travels in 2011, John established the Expect Success Academy where he now consults with and provides small business owners and entrepreneurial professionals

with the systems, strategies and tools they need to attract their ideal clients and unlock the untapped potential in their lives and their businesses faster than they could ever do on their own.

Your Elephant’s Under Threat has attracted excellent review from many of the world’s top business, personal development, and sales & marketing experts.

Commenting on the book, Jim Fennell, President of Galway Chamber said; “If you go with it, listen, read, and apply the techniques and skills John shows you while keeping an open mind, you will begin down a path to a happier, healthier, and more successful you than you ever thought possible.”

In addition to reading Your Elephant’s Under Threat, entrepreneurs can catch up with John at his monthly marketing and business building summit held in the Ballybane Enterprise centre every month.

Your Elephant’s Under Threat is available from www.amazon.com and Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop Galway and retails at €19.99.

How do you eat an elephant? 8-month-old Ellie Whelan demonstrates by eating her Uncle John’s book one bite at a time.

From the Library: Eavan Boland

By Jenna Hodgins My first memories of Eavan Boland aren't the fondest. It all started in fifth year of secondary school when my Leaving Cert English teacher handed out a photocopied sheet that read 'Child of our Time' and I, the reluctant nerd hissed and sighed as if to say "urgh, more poetry". It was the first time I encountered Boland, and it was the first time I teared up reading a poem. Ever since, I've been an avid fan of her work and of poetry in general - never thought I'd see the day, ey?

First impressions: a little bland. A boring mother figure who writes about her snot-nose baby going to bed because she has nothing better to do after taking-in this morning's washing from the line. Typical.

Then our teacher handed us a second photocopied sheet. This time it was a picture; a picture of a firefighter carrying the limp, lifeless body of a child from the rubble of what appeared to be bomb site. She read the poem out loud to us again. That's when I got

it. 'Child of our Time' is based on the very image we had in front of us, a real-life event and its very real photo. Boland responded to this picture by writing a poem appealing to us to change our ways: to negotiate, communicate and save the suffering of innocents across the globe. I had never wanted to find "a new language" so badly before, I wanted to help. That's when I fell in love with Boland.

A little background: Eavan Boland is a female Irish poet born in Dublin in 1944 to her diplomat father and painter mother.

Aged five, Boland and her family moved to London after her father landed the position of Irish Ambassador. Throughout her work, Boland focuses on her painful experiences of migration or 'childhood exile' and how it affected her national identity later in life.

Boland's first collection of poetry 23 Poems (1962) was published during her time as student in Trinity College Dublin.

This particular series of poems deals with the role of women in Irish history, culture, and the literary world based on Boland's

personal experiences. In her collection of autobiographical essays, Object Lessons, Boland comments on the harsh climate of writers' Dublin when "the word ‘woman’ and the word ‘poet’ seemed to be in some sort of magnetic opposition to each other".

Seven years later, Boland married her novelist husband, Kevin Casey. The couple now has two children together.

It wasn't until her fifth book In Her Own Image (1980) did Boland earn worldwide recognition for her poetry. In Her Own Image continues to explore the portrayal of women in Irish history and myth whilst honing-in on controversial issues such as cancer, anorexia, domestic violence and miscarriage.

Aspects of Boland’s poetry that stand out in particular are her rejection of Yeatsian ideals and a subverted criticism of deValera’s Ireland, which are concepts characterized throughout the Irish cannon of literature and our history textbooks. Her first volume of selected poetry, Outside History (1990), embodies these perspectives as Boland

finds her voice as a dislocated Irish poet who has the ability to subjectively view Irish nationalism in an exiled and female context.

Recommended works from this collection are ‘Mise Éire’, ‘Outside History, ‘Achill Woman’ and truthfully, the entire collection.

It's in her compassion and usage of personal experiences to explore national narratives that Boland presents herself as an accessible poet. Regardless of your experiences, exposure to literature, or even your general understanding of poetry (or lack of ), you can access the work of Boland and feed on the issues she brings to the forefront.

Since ‘Child of our Time’, Boland has earned me honours in Leaving Cert English (yes, I was that year she came up. Sorry class of 2010) and continues to haunt me in presentations, essays and, if I’m honest, on my bedside table where her entire collection of prose and poetry resides on my Kindle.

Top five Recommended Reads: Object Lessons (prose), In a Time of Violence, In Her Own Image, The Lost Land and Outside History

The strongest borrowings were certainly from Bridget Jones' Diary, which is quite ironic given that Bridget Jones' Diary draws from Pride and Prejudice.

Not only is the book written in a diarytype manner, but we have: a self-conscious, 30-something goofball of a heroine who constantly complains about her wobbly bits (check), a supporting cast of friends that consist of two heterosexual females and one homosexual male (check), an irresistibly sexy guy whom she falls for initially that ends up being a cheating jerk (check), and finally, our originally underrated knight in shining armour who likes Cathy just the way she is

and comes in to sweep her off her feet (check).

Nevertheless, Fiona O'Malley's talent does manage to shine through. She shows promise in her writing, and certainly does exhibit a comedic knack. The tired-and-old storyline or the un-fleshed-out characters were easily forgotten at times simply because of her wit and prowess.

Overall, this is a good first attempt at a novel. Perfectly recommendable for those who enjoy light-hearted chick-lit or an easy and predictable read with a happily-everafter ending. Which is perhaps just too flawed to stir blasé critics such as yours truly.

What Would Kate Do?

By Carla Avenia Koency Let me tell you what she wouldn't do: wallow in self-pity, endlessly complain about her weight or use the “s” word to refer to a good friend who prefers to lead an active as well as varied sex life.

Yet, much like the pathetically goofy main character Cathy, she did certainly overlook her professional life in the name of a man.

The premise of the book seems to indicate all women live their lives out just waiting for prince charming to come along and pop the question: will you...?

No I won't. I'm just not convinced this is the real thing.

For the most part, Cathy and her friends seemed too stereotypical to be believable; from the chubby mishap-ridden Cathy (Bridget Jones), and Aine, the level-headed pearl-clutcher (very Charlotte from SATC), to Rachel the promiscuous party girl (very Samantha from SATC) and Philip the sassy as well as predictably flamboyant... you guessed it, gay friend (very Stanford Blatch from SATC).

And the story line did indeed drift back and forth between deja vues reminiscent of Bridget Jones' Diary and Sex and the City.

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

sUN

saT

FrIday

ThUrsday

WEdNEsday

TUEsday

MoNday

Check www.clubs.nuigalway.ie for updates.

CLUB

TIME

VENUE

Swim Club

7am - 8.30am

Aikido

1-2pm

Hall 3

Karate

6-8pm

Raquetball Court

Badminton

6-8pm

Hall 1 & 2

Archery Club

6-8pm

Hall 3

Futsal Soccer

8-10pm

Hall 1 & 2

Taekwondo & Judo

8-10pm

Hall 3

Swim Club

8.30pm - 11pm

Mountainbike - Spinning

6-7pm

Fencing Club

6-7.30pm

Hall 1

Ladies Basketball - Varsities

6-8pm

Hall 2

Karate Club

6-8pm

Hall 3

Aikido Club

7-9pm

Hall 3

Maui Thai

7.30-9.30pm

Hall 1

Cricket Club

9-10.30pm

Hall 3

Volleyball

8-10.30pm

Hall 2

Kayak Club

9-11pm

Full Pool

Swim Club

7-8.30am

2 Lanes

Archery

8-10am

Hall 3

Volleyball

1-2pm

Hall 2

Aikido

1-2pm

Hall 3

Archery

4-6pm

Hall 3

Mens Varsity Basketball

5-7pm

Hall 2

Cricket Club

7-9pm

Hall 1

Badminton

9-11pm

3 halls

Taekwondo

7-9pm

Hall 2

Karate & Judo sharing

6-8pm

Sub Aqua

9.30 -11pm

Full Pool

Swim Club

7 – 8.30am

2 Lanes

Frizbee

5 – 7pm

Hall 1

Muai Thai

7 – 9pm

Hall 1

Cricket

9. – 10.30pm

Hall 1

Ladies Basketball – Varsities

6 – 8pm

Hall 2

Ladies Basketball – Recreational

8 – 10pm

Hall 2

Table Tennis & Fencing

6 – 8pm

Hall 3

Taekwondo & Aikido

8 – 10pm

Hall 3

Fencing Advanced

5 – 6 & 8 – 10pm

Swim & Lifesaving Club

9 – 11pm

Mens Basketball - Varsity

11am - 12.30pm

Hall 2

Archery Club

11am - 1pm

Hall 3

Inline Hockey

7-9pm

Hall 1

Volleyball Club

6-10pm

Hall 2

Judo Club & Table Tennis Club

7-9pm

Hall 3

Swim Club - Varsities Team

9.30-11pm

Taekwondo

12 – 2PM

Swim Club

4 – 5.30pm

Fencing Club

2 – 4pm

2 Lanes

Full Pool Studio

Hall 3

Raquetball Court Full Pool

Full Pool Raquetball Court 2 Lanes Raquetball Court

28 Sports

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

Hard luck in Collingwood final for NUIG Soccer

By Derek Rogers A brave NUIG team lost the Collingwood final 2-1 to a very good Maynooth side in UCD College last Friday. NUIG had done really well to get to final after defeating Limerick University on penalties 4-2 and then beating DCU 2-0 in the semi final.

Mickey Creane a long time servant to NUIG soccer scored the first of the 2 goals and Shane o Rouke the Donegal native scoring the second to put the game out of sight of DCU. The good work done by all players and their manager John Brennan was evident to see, NUIG were a wellorganised team and very hard to beat.

Unfortunately NUIG conceded a goal early in the final; just five minutes had gone and Galway were 1-0 down .This was a surprise as NUIG, defensively had been excellent. Their goalkeeper

Michael Casey, NUI Maynooth, in action against Shane O'Rourke, centre, and Tommy Bradshaw, NUI Galway, Eircom Centenary Collingwood Cup Final, UCD Bowl, Belfield, Dublin. Picture credit: Barry Cregg.

Evan Duffy had very little to do in the previous two matches but anything he had to do he did well.

In the second half NUIG again failed to defend properly and went 2-0 down to a smartly taken free kick from the half way line-which ended in a good cross going in to the box and with a headed goal Maynooth went 2-0 up.

Galway rolled up their sleeves and substitutions were made to give more attacking options.

This was rewarded by Mickey Creane scoring his second goal of the tournament.

This goal was certainly one to remember; from all of 30 yards Mickey put the ball in to the top corner of the net. From this, the onslaught came on the Maynooth goal but unfortunately with no luck; NUIG could not break down the Maynooth defence.

That is the sixth final lost since 1999 but

surely the time will come for NUIG to win the ­Collingwood.

Thanks again to all our supporters who helped us along the way and we hope to bring the Collingwood trophy to Galway next year. As the competition is in Galway next year we will do everything possible to get our hands on it.

The NUI Galway team. Eircom Centenary Collingwood Cup Final, UCD Bowl, Belfield, Dublin. Picture credit: Barry Cregg.

National Freestyle Kayaking Ladies Soccer: WSCAI Championships and team trial Premier Shield Final 2014 success for Galway Men

By NUIG Ladies Soccer

By Aoife McCollum In January the final of National Freestyle Kayaking Championships took place in Tuam. The competition attracted kayakers from around the country in spite of the harsh weather conditions.

In the discipline of freestyle kayaking, participants compete by doing tricks and flips on a wave, with points awarded for each completed successful move. The event doubled to decide the 2014 team that would go on to represent Ireland at the European Championships in Bratislava this September.

The water levels were excellent for the contending classes of men, women and junior men. With a high turnout, the contest was strong; with everyone in excellent spirits despite the wind and rain. The day was especially successful for Galway natives and NUI Galway alumni, Barry Loughnane and Andrew Regan, again succeeding in making the Irish team, both having previously represented Ireland at European and World Championships.

Barry's performance also achieved him

the National Championship, with Andrew coming in third.

Competing alongside them was fellow Galway man and current NUI Galway student, Aran Kilroy, making the Irish team for the first time. Aran left a strong impression on all who watched his performance on the day.

The Galway men will be joined on the Irish team by David McClure and Shane Little. The women and junior men also put in solid performances; Niamh Cleary, Aisling Griffin and Muireann Lynch coming out on top to form the women's senior team, while Ross Graham, Calvin O'Brien and Sean Cahill all showed good performances for the junior men leading to their place in the squad.

Attention then turned to the GalwayFest, an annual event started by Barry and Andrew, which has become one of the biggest Irish whitewater competitions and now attracts athletes from all over the world.

With such an important event taking place in Galway, it won't be long before there are many more Galway locals competing at the highest level.

The Women’s Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland decided to hold all Irish women’s finals in Drom Co. Galway for 2014. A home venue was great news for the NUIG ladies team as it meant they did not have far to travel for their shield final against NUI Maynooth.

The Galway side were the reigning champions and were fully prepared for a very tight battle to regain their title. The squad for this game was the largest and strongest squad which the Galway ladies have had for many years.

NUIG started the quieter side, possibly with the occasion affecting their nerves and keeper Sorcha Dowd was unlucky to see the opening Maynooth goal slip through her fingers to make it 1-0 early on.

However, from there on Danny Sears, Leanne O Dowd, Katie Hildreth and Trish Moran kept the defence strong and difficult to break down. Tessa Mullins and Maebh Coleman made numerous attempts to counter attack and put striker Emily Ing through on goal but were fighting poor conditions and an extremely powerful wind.

The teams remained fairly even through to halftime with the scoreboard staying the same. However the NUIG team dominated

the game all through the second half and were unlucky not to wrap the game up sooner.

A goalmouth scramble led to Rachel Keyes equalising the game shortly after the start of the half. From then on, midfielders Emily Lydon and Paula McGrory created more chances, yet Galway were not clinical enough to take them.

This meant the game eventually finished 1-1 and WSCAI rules meant the referee blew the whistle immediately for penalties.

Captain Jenny Byrne, who was subsequently awarded Player of the Match, calmly slotted the first penalty to the keepers left to get NUIG off to a great start.

Two misses for Maynooth and two excellent penalties for Galway meant it stood at 3-1 in Galway’s favour. Mairead Joyce was unlucky to see her penalty saved by the away goalie and the fate of the shield then lay on the shoulders of exchange student Brenna Kincaid.

She smashed the ball home before being swamped by her fellow squad mates who celebrated in delight as the home side won 5-2 in this thoroughly exciting shootout. Well done to all involved.

This now leaves the NUIG ladies with great confidence as they face Maynooth again in their semi final of the National Intervarsities.

Sports 29

March 10 2014

NUI Galway Archery Club raises funds for Croí

By Tara Ward On the weekend of 23 and 24 February the NUI Galway Archery Club hosted the fourth round of the intervarsity league and a charity event in aid of Croí at the Kingfisher Sports Hall.

The club delivered a great performance as they have done throughout the year. Being on home ground, the club seized gold in the following individual categories: Male recurve (Darren Wallace) Male Compound (Carl Byrne) Barebow (Sam Schultz) Female Barebow (Nada Khaled-Abdo) Beginner Recurve (Katrina Kelly).

The team also achieved gold in all the team categories: Recurve Team (Darren Wallace, Aisling Finn & Katrina Kelly) Compound Team (Carl Byrne, Callum Conroy & Nicole Shellenbarger) Barebow Team (Sam Schultz, Tómas Mac Craith & Derek Naughton) Mixed Team (Darren, Carl and Sam).

The Team also obtained standings in 2nd and 3rd in many of the categories. Overall a great day as the club continues to expand its medal haul, bringing them one step closer to taking the league title.

On the Sunday 24 February a charity shoot was held in aid of Croí. The shoot was held in order to raise awareness of the heart disease and heart defects that athletes may not be aware of.

Local businesses in Galway sponsored Raffle Prizes (Sub City, Charlie Byrnes, Sweetie Pies, Million Dollar Secrets, Anthony Ryans and Boojum).

As a result of people's donations and sponsorships we were able to raise €350 for the local charity.

After meeting Barry McCann it was nice to know where the money actual goes. Funds raised contribute towards the Cardiac Unit in the University College Hospital Galway, First Response and CPR classes, halter monitors, ECG scans and many more great causes in the West of Ireland.

Pictured after the Archery charity event in which ¤350 was raised for Croí are Paddy Molloy and Tara Ward with Barry McCann from Croí.

Big weekend for NUI Galway Swimming and Lifesaving at 2014 Intervarsities

By Deirdre Harnett

Karate Intervarsities Clockwise from top: The NUI Galway Karate Club at the end of a long day at the Karate Intervarsities. Caomhán Lyons receiving a gold medal at the Karate Intervarsities in recent weeks. Proud to receive a gold medal at the Karate Intervarsities is Linda Walsh.

In 2012, NUIG were first recognised for their excellence in competitive swimming after a team of 21 swimmers travelled to Donegal under head coach Brendan Breathnach to become the champions of the overall Men's Swimming as well as the Lifesaving, making NUIG the first team to claim the Frank O'Kelly lifesaving cup.

In 2013 29 swimmers travelled to compete in an intense meet at UCD. On day two of the competition, NUIG held thirty places in the finals and left UCD with 6 gold, 9 silver, and 6 bronze medals in swimming.

NUIG lifesaving held 9 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals affording the overall achievement of second place in Men's and Women's swimming and first place in the lifesaving competition which brought the Frank O'Kelly cup back to the West.

Now, in 2014, NUIG has sent the biggest team yet of 34 swimmers to Waterford. The team has been putting in many hours of training both in the pool and on land with head

coach Brendan guiding and pushing the team to be their best.

Second Semester saw the team working harder than ever putting in extra hours and even returning from Christmas Holidays early for a four day training camp.

The team has really pulled together this year to push each other to reach their goals.

Two swimmers from the Connacht Performance Centre, Cian Duffy and Dairne Ryan will also be representing NUIG this year.

The NUIG Swimming and Lifesaving team has been gaining recognition for their achievements against other colleges in Ireland as well as their quality as a team which represents the best qualities of NUIG itself.

The team competed against reigning champions UCD along with other colleges such as Dublin College University, University College Cork, Queens University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, and Sligo IT to name a few.

The Intervarsities this year were held on 7 and 8 March and at the time of publication, the results were not yet known. But watch this space.

NUI GALWAY Exercise your body as well as your mind! mind

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091 570 800 www.kingfisherclub.com

30 Sports

Sin Vol. 15 Issue 11

What’s in store for Cheltenham 2014?

Interview with a Jockey: Chris Hayes

By Kieran Kilkelly

By Kieran Kilkelly

Tuesday 11 March marks the beginning of Cheltenham, the biggest National Hunt Racing Festival of the year. Punters come out in their droves for the four day event to try and take the bookmakers to the cleaners.

However, it is not easy, unlike any other meeting all the top horses come together competitively. And this is where I come in. I will take you through what horses I deem worthy of laying your hard-earned cash down and hopefully I can guide you in the direction of profit and not a loss.

My first tip comes in Tuesday’s race at 4pm; the Olbg Mare’s Hurdle. It’s hard to look past the favourite ‘Quevega’ here. Having won this race for the last five years she has proven that she is a top mare, even getting up to win in unlikely circumstances after being tripped two out last year.

She was available ante post at around 4/5 and if you can get that price or better I suggest you get on as she is the class horse in the race despite her age. She will also make a nice added bonus in any doubles or trebles you might have planned.

Also running is a horse I fancy a lot ; ‘Dodging Bullets’. He runs in the Arkle Chase at 2.05pm and has been a revelation for the Paul Nicholl’s yard since going over fences this season.

He has won over course and distance posting an impressive time over similar ground. I don’t fancy either of the Irish horses, ‘Champagne Fever’ or ‘Trifolium’. I think if the ground isn’t soft the Willie Mullins trained ‘Champagne Fever’ won’t travel and ‘Trifolium’ just lacks something for me.

‘Dodging Bullets’ is available at a general price of 6/1 which provides good value for money. And if you happen to be a cautious gambler he is backable each-way and you will still collect a profit if he is placed.

Next is a race that has been of much speculation, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the third race of day two. With the news breaking that ‘Sprinter Sacre’ will not run due to an injury picked up at Kempton in December it has blown the race wide open.

‘Sire De Grugy’, an impressive sort this season has been posted as the 9/4 favourite and while I believe he will run a good race 9/4 is just too short for my money in a race where there is obvious each-way value.

The Nicholls’ trained ‘Hinterland’ catches my eye in this race at 14/1. His chase career was put on hold last year, Nicholls believing he wasn’t ready. However, this season he has put down his credentials following up his Beginner’s Chase victory with a Grade One success.

A winner over the 2m hurdle course three years ago and two subsequent places here suggest he likes it round Cheltenham and if the ground holds firm I can see him running a big race.

Another race which has been talked about quite a bit has been the Ladbrokes World Hurdle on the Thursday. Unfortunately, last year’s

winner ‘Solwhit’ is ruled out by injury so we won’t get to see four time World Hurdle winner ‘Big Bucks’ go up against him.

There is however the inclusion of the unbeaten Mullins-trained ‘Annie Power’. The market finds it difficult to separate these two but once again the price is too short for so many unsure outcomes.

Will ‘Big Bucks’ be backed to his best? Will ‘Annie Power’ stay the 3m? If you have the answer to either of these questions then by all means back them. My money will be on the JP McManus-owned ‘More of That’.

Question marks do arise over the trip but he seems to run on which suggests he’ll go further. Also, AP McCoy has already said he might have made the wrong choice in not picking him over ‘At Fishers Cross’ which is only positive. 10/1 is his price; another each-way bet for the bet slip.

Finally – and this is a horse who I’ve admired for a while and have been watching – the Dessie Hughes trained ‘Benefficient’ who goes in the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday.

An impressive winner at last year’s Festival who is back down in trip and I think his best is yet to come.

He does like soft ground and it will be a concern if it is posted as good. But the 5/1 is as good a price as you’re going to get for a horse of his standard with the going being his only real concern.

In a new three-part series, Kieran Kilkelly chats to various jockeys about their lifestyle. This week’s interviewee is Chris Hayes You've established yourself as one of the top jockeys in Ireland over the last couple of years, but what were the main influences that made you become a jockey in the first place?

My main influence was my dad buying me a pony. I went pony racing and I was hooked.

After graduating from RACE in Kildare you didn't waste time in getting your first winner, it coming aboard the Ger Lyons' trained 'Amourallis' in your second ever rules racing ride.

Every jockey wants to get the first one out of the way but does getting it so early reflect on your initial ambition?

I always wanted to be better than I was yesterday so getting the winner so early just enhanced the drive I already had to keep improving.

Following of from your first season of rules racing you were crowned Leading Apprentice three years in a row – 2005, 2006 and once again in 2007 – before ultimately losing your claim. Looking back at that now, did you ever think that you'd be as successful as you are now?

You always dream you’ll be a champion but honestly no I never thought I'd be where I am

The Glory of Colm Cooper and what we have lost now that he’s down

By Pauric Ward Last summer’s All-Ireland football semi-final between Dublin and Kerry was the greatest game I have ever seen. Players on both sides produced a pulsating spectacle and scaled heights never before seen on the hallowed turf of Croke Park.

One player scaled higher than anyone else though – Kerry’s talisman Colm Cooper.

Some of the football Kerry played that day; particularly in the first half was breathtaking.

Spectators sat riveted at the edge of their seats as Cooper pulled the strings of the Kerry forward line orchestrating one majestic score after another, linking up almost telepathically with his inside forwards whilst reducing a usually stoic Dublin defence into chaos.

For Colm Cooper, playing football is what he was born to do and he made it look so easy.

He is quite simply the greatest player to ever play the game.

Sports fans want to see the greats in action; those with more than a little spark of genius; those non-conformists who possess that deft touch of improvisation or that audacious temerity to make something happen out of nothing.

Think Messi and football, Brian O’ Driscoll and rugby, Ronnie O’ Sullivan and snooker.

These gifted individuals excite the soul more than any other. They draw the crowds – leave them spellbound. When the opportunity

to watch these greats ply their trade is taken away from us we feel robbed, let down. Short changed. The sport in which they participate is poorer for their absence.

And so it is for Colm Cooper and football this year. The news of his devastating double injury - a fractured knee and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament – has sent shock waves of disbelief throughout Kerry and across the country.

The men of the Kingdom already seem resigned to the notion that they will be without Sam for another year. His loss will cut them deepest. To lose such an influential player and needless to say their captain at the height of his footballing powers is a devastating blow to put it mildly.

As soon as the injury was confirmed Kerry odds for the All-Ireland title drifted out to double figures. That is the impact Cooper has in the game. For spectators, it is a crushing blow also. We won’t have an opportunity to marvel at his footballing delights until this time next year at the earliest. For many that is a crying shame. Championship 2015 can never reach the heights of its predecessor simply because of Cooper’s absence.

Having come through successful surgery to repair the ligament and the fracture, he can now begin the slow and painstaking process back to full recovery. I think I speak for everyone when I say “Get well soon Colm”.

today. I'm really lucky I've had great support from some fantastic owners and trainers.

Bringing it forward to the present day and last season, it was a breakthrough year for you.

Amassing the most winners you've ever had in a season and gaining that illustrious Group One victory that you've come so close to in recent years. What was it like to finally land that elusive Group One win and be recognised as a jockey at that top of the spectrum?

Getting the Group Ones so close together was unreal. You feel relieved, grateful and proud that all you dream of finally came true but the feeling of pressure is always there because that was last year. I have to try and get close to those figures again this year.

The Irish St. Ledger, another Group One followed a week later where you rode the Lady O’Reilly owned ‘Voleuse De Coeurs’. You must have been in dreamland?

Paying back Lady O’Reilly for her support over the years meant the world to me and it was great getting my first classic.

To top the year off, you were nominated by HRI (Horse Racing Ireland) for the 'Outstanding Achievement' award. What does it mean to, at such a young age in comparison, be nominated for an award like that?

Being nominated was great. Being mentioned in the same breath as those names is the ultimate goal.

Of course it wasn't always good fortune that came your way. Back in 2001 your contract wasn't renewed with the well-known owner Lady O'Reilly. After being with her since 2007 how did the breakdown of that partnership affect you?

It was a wakeup call. The safety net was removed and I had to work hard to get myself back on track because I had gotten a little lazy.

Kevin Prendergast has to be mentioned. It seems you will always be connected with him. How important is it to have someone like him behind you?

Mr Prendergast is a living legend with years of experience and to be associated with him is fantastic. His eye to detail is still sharper than ever and he’s always helped me in every way since day one.

Finally, your tally of winners seems to be always on the increase. You were in the Irish Jockeys Championship last year behind Joseph O'Brien and Pat Smullen respectively. While it might be a difficult task with the emergence if young O'Brien breaking the record of most winners in a season last year, do you think that one year, perhaps even this one, you could challenge and be crowned Irish Champion Jockey?

I'd love to be champion jockey and all I can do is my best; the rest is up to the horses. But I'll definitely be trying hard to beat last year’s total.

March 10 2014

Final Word 31

What do they teach you in college?

By Jenna Hodgins

was returned to the network after mass protests by members of the Hispanic-American community.

diary of the Smokey’s Pigeon

• During a dissection of a mother tiger shark, a scientist was reaching into the birth canal and was • JK Rowling told Alan Rickman the end to Snape's story before he ever began filming for the Harry bitten by a tiger shark embryo; tiger sharks are Potter films. This caused Rickman to often argue Apparently pigeons notoriously cannibalistic. This is the only recorded with the directors based on knowing something can’t run for SU elections. instance where someone was bitten by an unborn they didn't. animal.

It has to do with not having • In 1770, a law was passed in British Parliament con- • The founder of McDonald's has a BA in Hamburgerology. No, this course BA is not available at NUI demning women from wearing lipstick. It stated Galway… yet. “women found guilty of seducing men into matrimony by a cosmetics means could be tried for • During the Great Irish Famine, the Ottoman Empire witchcraft”. snuck ships full of food into Dublin despite being turned away by the British.

• 'American' was the official language in Illinois from 1923 to 1969.

• The inventor of the chocolate chip sold her idea to

Nestlé Toll House in exchange for a life-time supply • There used to be an American cable network called of chocolate.

'The Puppy Channel'. For three years it just showed footage of puppies playing.

• Bryan Cranston was actually taught how to make meth by the DEA in preparation for his role in Break• There are whales alive today who were born before ing Bad. Moby Dick was written.

• Intel employs a 'Futurist' whose job consists of pre- • Before Sylvester Stalone sold the script for Rocky, he was homeless and forced to sell his dog for $50. dicting what life will be like in 10 to 15 years’ time.

A week later he sold the script and bought his dog • Speedy Gonzalez was banned from Cartoon Netback for $3000. He also had to give the man who work for embodying an offensive stereotype. He had bought the dog a small role in his film.

opposable thumbs or something like that. I think it’s just an excuse because I have an obvious advantage over everyone else.

Anyways, who need thumbs when you can fly? Well, I can’t really fly anymore, not since the ‘chicken fillet roll incident’ a few weeks ago.

There I was minding my own business when BANG; a halfeaten roll hit me!

I’ve been walking funny ever since. People pointed and laughed but they never knew the real story behind it until now.

I haven’t had the best of luck in the last while. Even all the people eating nice things around Smokey’s are drying up.

It’s got something to do with lentils. I never even thought people liked lentils never mind give up things for them.

How long is this going to last?

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