Sin Volume 16 Issue 1

INSIDE Ice Bucket Challenge splashes across the internet

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Students march in their thousands for Marriage Equality

2

NUI Galway Students’ Union Raises €11,000 for charity

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Smoking ban introduced at UCD

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A SUMMER OF DISCONTENT: What’s been happening while we were gone

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DEBATE: If you don’t want nude selfies on the internet, don’t take nude selfies

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The Curious European

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Market Thyself

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To those still seeking accommodation, the NUI Galway Accommodation Office has suggested temporary, short-term, flexible accommodation – available in Kinlay House, Eyre Square – suitable for one semester students or students here for a few weeks.

Other students have opted for short-term stay in B&Bs. The Accommodation Office has also recommended students look into digs, which can be priced between €85 and €195.

Digs vary from self-catering to daily meals provided, and some offer students five-day stay while others are open to students staying seven days a week.

Those restricting students to five-day accommodation would not suit international students here as part of the Erasmus programme, many of whom have been staying in hostels since arriving in Ireland.

The NUI Galway Accommodation Office has also set up a ‘Pair and Share’ Facebook page where students can pair up to find housing together.

At the time of print, close to 7,000 Facebook users, the majority of whome are students of NUI Galway and GMIT, have also been seeking housemates through another Facebook group, ‘House Hunting Galway (For Sound People)’.

Although the university has plans to build an exten-

sion to Corrib Village, Declan Higgins says the matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

“While NUI Galway has started the process of identifying sites and seeking expressions of interest, these are very much in their infancy and one cannot help but think that much more needs to be done in the short-term to ensure this problem does not get any worse,” he said A recent Daft.ie report has found that since the second quarter of 2013 there has been an increase of 6.7% in housing rates in Galway city.

This problem is not confined to Galway, with a 10.8% average national increase in rates since the same quarter in 2013. The average rent nationwide between April and June was €915, compared to €825 a year previously.

Within this report, Trinity College Students’ Union President Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne has identified there is not enough accommodation to house the growing number of students looking to live in Dublin and further afield.

Prices in Dublin have seen the most dramatic jump with an increase of 15% in the last year alone. In the city centre, year-on-year rent increase stands at 17.2%.

FEATURES

USI President Laura Harmon met with Senator Aideen Hayden, who has raised the issue of student accommodation shortfall in the Senate.

LIFESTYLE

Both NUI Galway and GMIT students have faced a severe challenge in securing accommodation for the new academic year.

While previous years have indicated a shortage in suitable accommodation for students, this year has seen a sharp rise in numbers still without housing or staying in temporary accommodation including hostels and B&Bs. NUI Galway Students’ Union President Declan Higgins has expressed concern about students still without housing even after the academic year has begun.

“Issues around accommodation appear to have come to a head this year. Many students have had massive difficulty getting accommodation this year, and it is imperative that University management address this as a matter of urgency,” he said.

Landlords reluctant to lease to first year students, or students in general, pose further difficulty to those looking to rent in the private sector. This problem is set to escalate in the future.

“Many properties designated under the section 50 exemption will be coming out of the designation period over the next few years, which will only lead to further difficulties as landlords will no longer have obligations to rent portions of their apartment blocks to students,” said Mr Higgins.

The nine student residences available to NUI Galway students have been fully booked since before September. The only on-campus residence, Corrib Village, opened applications in February, and the majority of these places were filled by the middle of the summer. Some places were allocated in late August on a lottery basis to those on the extensive waiting list.

Domhnall McGlackenByrne said; “Superimposed on growing rents, of course, is growing amounts of money and time lost trundling to and fro on a bus or train.”

This also may be a disincentive to potential international students or those arriving through the Erasmus programme.

“Non-EU students might well choose to pursue their studies elsewhere – and take their ‘revenue generation’ with them,” he said.

The President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), Laura Harmon, has expressed concern that a combination of a shortfall of purpose-built accommodtion for students and the current state of the private rental sector will inevitably lead to students being forced to drop out of college.

The Union believes that Government intervention is now essential so that students can avail of homes conducive to study.

“There is already growing evidence of students commuting daily to Dublin from extremely long distances,” said Miss Harmon, speaking ahead of a demonstration in Dublin’s Grafton Street in mid-July.

“If you’re fortunate enough to find somewhere to live, the likelihood is that it’s costing significantly more, at a time when student finances are already past breaking point,” Miss Harmon continued.

“Some opt to spend multiple nights sleeping on couches or in hostels every week; others aren’t even able to attain that.

“There is now a real danger that this will start to impact on retention rates and it requires immediate attention from the Governmnt.”

NUI Galway students still seeking accommodation can seek help via the Accommodation Ofice at www.nuigalway. ie/accommodation_office/.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Ciara Treacy

SPORT

Students suffer as a result of accommodation shortage

NEWS

FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 16, ISSUE 1 | 15 SEPT 2014

SCHOOL VS COLLEGE: What’s different now you’re in college?

11

Catch 21

12

Single and the City

14

Fashion Essentials

20

Easy college meals

21

Film Reviews

22

THE DEAN OF LETTERS: The right way to write

25

REVIEW: World Rally Championship Summer Season

28

PREVIEW: All-Ireland Football Final

29

HAMILTON VS ROSBERG: The saga of friends turned foes

30

2 NEWS

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Students march in their Ice Bucket Challenge thousands for Marriage Equality splashes across the internet

By Freya Carrol On Sunday 24 August, crowds gathered in Dublin City to march for Marriage Equality.

The march which was organised by LGBT Noise, saw 8,000 people make their way to the Department of Justice in what was the biggest, and is hoped to be the country’s last, protest for same-sex marriage prior to the upcoming referendum in Spring 2015.

Authority of Ireland’s recent ruling that any discussions on Marriage Equality must be balanced, meaning they must have representatives from both the pro and antimarriage equality arguments.

Wickremasinghe said; “Every discussion on marriage equality does not have to descend into a debate about the rights and wrongs of homosexuality.” And ended her speech by saying to the crowd “Stand shoul-

Students gather in Dublin to march in support of Marriage Equality.

Among the marchers holding signs displaying slogans of equality and love, there were a number of people dressed in sashes and tiaras in solidarity with Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh, who had come out as the first openly gay winner of the competition the day prior.

There were representatives present from many different Irish LGBT organisations including youth organisation BelongTo, the teachers group INTO, transgender group TENI, and LGBT Pavee who represent the travelling community.

There were also some notable speakers from the Irish media including Irish Times journalist Fintan O’Toole and Newstalk’s Dil Wickremasinghe who spoke about the Broadcasting

der to shoulder. People of Ireland, rainbows are ahead of us. We are on the right side of history.”

NUI Galway had its own presence at the march, with members of GiGSoc in attendance as well as Welfare

Officer Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin and Education Officer Phelim Kelly representing our Students’ Union after the student body voted with a 95% majority to support Marriage Equality last semester.

Mr Kelly said that the SU have a number of things planned for the run up to the referendum and that even in spite of the controversy on campus that surrounded the vote last semester, they have a clear mandate to push the ‘yes’ vote.

In the coming months he said that the SU were “excited to work towards the Yes vote” and that “we’re not going to win this referendum without the student vote”.

Mr Kelly also stated that the SU have been in contact with the local government in the hopes that they may be able to set up polling stations around NUI Galway as well as having voting registration with the local authorities available on campus in the next few months to ensure that as much of the student body as possible is registered to vote in Spring.

They will also be organising lecture shout outs and are seeking to book drag queen and gay-rights activist Panti to come and speak at the ­college.

Members of NUI Galway SU show their support by carrying the SU banner.

By Dean Buckley The Internet has a proud history of filming itself doing silly things, then putting those videos online and using the power of peer pressure to make other people do those things.

The comedy duo Rhett & Link even came up with a YouTube Challenge Challenge, wherein a number of popular YouTubers completed, in order, the cinnamon challenge, the chubby bunny makeup challenge, the supernote challenge, the baby food challenge, the planking saltine challenge, the smoothie challenge, the draw your chicken nugget life challenge, the tin can challenge, the wasabi challenge and the harlem milk shake.

But recently we’ve moved from the potentially lethal, like the cinnamon challenge and NekNominations, to the potentially helpful. No challenge has swept the world quite like the ice bucket challenge.

Originally known as the cold water challenge, and unconnected with charity, the ice bucket challenge has now raised millions for dozens of national organisations which combat Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in the United States.

Participants dump a container of ice water over their head, then nominate others to do the same, in a kind of video chain letter. The connection with donations varies from place to place.

In America, the challenge is actually to either donate $100 or dump a bucket of ice water on your head and donate $10.

This has been pointed out as somewhat counterproductive and other countries,

including Ireland, prefer to just ask people to donate as much as they can, usually with links to donation sites or a number they can text.

To date, the ALS Association in the US has received over $100m as a result of the ice bucket challenge, compared to less than $3m in donations last year. For an organisation that spent less than $30m last year, that’s an incredible uptick in funding.

On our side of the pond, the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association broke $1m in donations. Despite this, many are critical of the challenge. Some cite it as an example of so-called “slacktivism”, where people are convinced they can do good from behind their computer screens.

Supporters of the challeng e argue the ter m “slacktivism” is ableist, as it defines “real activism” only as that activism that requires people to march or protest, somewhat ironic given the object of the activism is a charity in support of people suffering from a horrible physical disability.

They also question criticism of any activity raising so much money and awareness for a condition as underfunded and unknown as motor neurone disease.

Motor Neurone Disease is a terrible illness where the muscles waste away over time, gradually diminishing the sufferer’s ability to move, speak, swallow, eliminate and breathe.

Less than one in twenty sufferers of MND will live longer than five years after diagnosis, usually succumbing to respiratory failure once the disease progresses beyond the ken of assisted breathing.

Famous sufferers include

scientist Stephen Hawking, baseballer Lou Gehrig and sociologist Morrie Schwartz, subject of Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie.

Around 5,500 people are diagnosed with MND every year in the US alone, and 400,000 people around the world suffer from MND at any given time Many people, including some celebrity nominees, have refused to participate or donate on various grounds, including objections to water wastage and the use of animal test subjects in research for MND. This has resulted in widespread criticism, particularly given less than 30% raised goes toward research, with far more spent on palliative care for sufferers or education for a public largely ignorant about the condition.

But singer Amanda Palmer refuses to condemn these people, despite losing her own brother to MND. In a post on her Facebook page, Palmer told the story of her brother, Karl, and his long, painful fight against MND, which claimed his life when Palmer was just 21. Her family were uninsured and the cost of caring for Karl as he slowly declined from a bright, talented musician and artist to a brilliant mind imprisoned in his own flesh nearly bankrupted them, financially and emotionally.

Still, she would not say the moral concerns of those who refused the challenge were invalid. She just said that, in light of their financial situation, assistance for her family from a charity would have helped.

More than anything though, she said there’s nothing she wouldn’t have given for more time with her brother.

Participate launches new online programme for shyness and social anxiety By Éamonn Ó Dochartaigh This month will see the launch of the new and improved NUI Galway Participate online programme – a resource for anyone dealing with shyness or social anxiety.

Whether it’s just difficulty with public speaking that’s holding you back, or a more general issue with meeting people, this will be worth checking out.

Participate uses cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques. Similar

programmes have been run successfully in NUI Galway and elsewhere in the past.

The typical college years of 18-24 represent a peak period for problems with anxiety and depression. Social anxiety is a particularly common issue, with perhaps 10% of students

facing significant problems in this way, and a wider group having some problems with public speaking or high-pressure performance situations.

These difficulties impact on students’ academic retention and progression, social participation and employ-

ability. Social anxiety can also lead to or contribute to depression and alcohol or drug misuse.

Students who sign up will get a personal tutor who will check in with you online every week to help make sure that the programme is work-

ing for you.

This is also a research programme, so if you join you will be contributing to something that will help others, as well as yourself.

For more information, visit www.participate.nuigalway.ie/.

NEWS 3

September 15 2014

To the brave stranger at Smokey’s…

By Jessica Thompson My first week of college was a memorable one. My parents walked through the campus with me on a Wednesday morning to help me get my bearings – not that it helped.

They didn’t know their way around UCD either.

I was left in campus accommodation on my own because the two unknown housemates I’d be living with had not yet moved in. The apartment was quite big and empty and after making my own room a bit more homely, there wasn’t much more for me to do.

I missed home immediately. There were plenty of first years who were in the same boat, but while they all adopted D4 accents or fake American accents in an attempt to make friends,

I felt I was in a sea of backcombed hair, Abercrombie, Ugg Boots, and too much makeup.

It wasn’t me. I came from a quiet village in the midlands and wore knee-length boots that just happened to be covered in mud from a walk I’d taken through the fields that weekend. My jeans and t-shirts certainly didn’t fit into this environment.

Back in my apartment, in which my parents really didn’t want to leave me, I had a tiny bedroom with a single bed, a desk, a wardrobe and just about enough space to walk in between the furniture.

Everything was unfamiliar and when I went to make a cup of tea to cheer myself up (tea always cheers me up), I was very unpleasantly surprised. The kettle was full of either vomit or gone-off soup from the last semester. I certainly wasn’t going to take a closer look.

There were plenty of events going on during Freshers’ Fortnight, which I could have gone to if I wanted, but I didn’t, because I was the shy, introverted type, who didn’t know how to make friends.

I was nervous and worried that nobody would talk to me, and most of all I just

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Visit our website at www.sin.ie or simply scan the QR code.

wanted to go home. I was alone and unhappy and that homesickness stayed with me for most of first year. I spent a lot of time in my own bedroom.

I know exactly what it’s like to be a fresher. You’ve flown the coop. Mammy no longer makes your dinner or washes your laundry. Daddy isn’t there to pick you up when you want to go home (though my own dad would have driven all the way to Dublin to get me if I’d told him I was homesick).

For some, home is forgotten about as the quest to make as many friends as possible begins. But for the more introverted freshers, it can be a scary experience.

I was inspired last week by a girl I came across in the queue for Smokey’s. She may or may not have been a fresher. But as we stood in line, she suddenly turned to me and spoke.

‘Did you sign up to any clubs today?’ she asked. It was Clubs Day so the Kingfisher gym was full of first years hoping to sign up for some fun activity that would help them to make friends and make the most of their college experience.

At first, I’ll admit, I was a little taken aback. The introvert in me thought ‘I don’t know this person; did she mistake me for someone else or is she just being friendly?’

But I talked to her anyway because after my initial reaction, I thought about it: this is exactly what you should do if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the number of new people surrounding you.

If more people could comfortably turn to the random stranger beside them and strike up a conversation, then there would be less people feeling so alone during their first weeks in university.

I still don’t know who that girl was, but in the two or three minutes that we talked, I learned that she’s absolutely terrified of heights, but decided to sign up for rockclimbing.

It struck me that this girl was incredibly brave. Instead of keeping both feet planted firmly on the ground, she decided to face her fear of heights.

Not only that, but she turned to me – a random stranger – and told me about something that happened in her day.

And it made me think.

When I was a first year, my fear was people. If I had been more like that girl – if I had faced my fear and just talked to people – then I wouldn’t have felt so scared and alone.

So this editorial goes out to that random stranger from Smokey’s; I hope she talks to more random strangers, because whether she’s a first year or not, she’s bound to make plenty of friends and make the most out of her university experience.

And to anyone else who likes to talk to random strangers; I’m often around Smokey’s and I’ll certainly talk back.

I can also be contacted via email at editor@sin.ie, or by Twitter at @Jess__Thompson (that’s two underscores).

Have a wonderful year, Jess @Jess__Thompson

UPCOMING SIN MEETINGS Thursday 18 September Thursday 25 September

NUI Galway students showed their support for a number of issues over the summer, holding a Palestinian Solidarity march and also a march for Marriage Equality in Galway

SIN WANTS YOU! Want to be part of the team? Come along to one of our meetings, or email the editor on editor@sin.ie to find out more about Sin. We’re currently looking for subeditors in the following sections:

All Sin meetings will take place at 6pm in TB305.

News, Features, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Sport and Online.

TB305 can be located on the first floor of Tower 2 (on the Arts Concourse).

We’re always looking for new contributors and photographers are always wanted.

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

Do something productive in your spare time this year and get involved with your campus newspaper.

4 NEWS

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Smoking ban introduced at UCD NUI Galway Students’ Union Raises €11,000 for charity By Áine O Donnell

University College Dublin (UCD) has taken the first step towards a complete campuswide smoking ban. As of 1 September, all outlets within the UCD campus no longer sell tobacco products including electronic cigarettes. The initial stages of the smoking ban have been implemented following a student referendum last October.

UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) held the referendum after former president of the university, Dr Hugh Brady, showed strong support for a smoke-free campus following a suggestion from the UCD Health Committee. The referendum was passed after a small majority of students (55%) voted in favour of the ban while 45% opposed.

UCDSU president Fergal Hynes stated that he will be backing the introduction of the ban; “We respect the mandate that the students gave us on the back of the referendum last year. Therefore we will support the forthcoming measures

introduced by the university.”

Mr Hynes also confirmed that the prohibition of sales of cigarettes is merely the first step in a plan to ban smoking across the 320-acre Belfield campus.

A quarter of UCD students are likely to be affected as a Eurostudent V survey revealed that 25% of Irish students smoke with 11% doing so regularly.

The initiative has been welcomed by many following the success of the 2004 Public Health (Tobacco) Acts that saw smoking banned indoors in public places. Since the introduction of this legislation, cigarette sales fell by 16% in following six months and over 7,000 people have quit smoking.

However, the plan has faced criticism from many UCD students. Some students have stated the banning of smoking within the campus would infringe on their freedom of choice.

There have been claims that there was not adequate

discussion of the smoking ban as the referendum was overshadowed by the highly divisive abortion referendum which took place on the same day. The threat of a possible “black market” for cigarettes starting on campus is also of concern for students.

UCD commerce undergraduate Séafra Gallagher is among the students that are sceptical about the ban; “I think it will be very difficult to implement on such a large campus. Also to students living in campus accommodation will not be able to smoke outside their own ‘homes’ for the year.”

In regards to NUI Galway introducing a similar smoking ban, Students’ Union President Declan Higgins stated; “a working group in respect of a smoke-free campus was set up last year, and the process also involved some engagement with students and staff through a survey and an information evening last year. The group is due to meet again soon to consider the outcomes from the process.”

By Jessica Thompson NUI Galway Students’ Union has raised €11,000 for chosen charities, the Galway Rape Crisis Centre and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) over the 2013/2014 academic year.

Over 500 students took part in a series of fundraising events, including the SU naked calendar, charity skydives, aquathons, fight nights, a Christmas Day in November and various collection days.

“Despite the constant cutbacks and daily challenges we all face, students have once again done their bit to help others,” said NUI Galway SU President Declan Higgins.

“NUI Galway students have a very proud tradition of raising money for charities and they have excelled themselves this year,” he added.

Executive Director of the Galway Rape Crisis Centre Helen Mortimer has expressed delight at the amount of money raised for the charity.

Left to right: Phelim Kelly (NUIG SU Education), Declan Higgins (NUIG SU President), Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin (NUIG SU Welfare), Carmen Taheny (ISPCC), Aoife Lee (Galway Rape Crisis Centre). Photo: Mike Shaughnessy

“We are extremely grateful to the students of NUI Galway for their continued support of Galway Rape Crisis Centre’s vital work,” she said.

“Income levels for the Galway Rape Crisis Centre continue to fall due to grant cuts and a poor commitment by the government to address the issues of sexual violence and child abuse. These funds will be a huge help.”

ISPCC Fundraising Officer Emma Hayden has also expressed gratitude on behalf of the charity, saying; “We are delighted with this support from NUI Galway’s Students’ Union. The money raised will go towards funding for our 24-hour Childline telephone and online services.

“Last year in our Galway office alone, we received just over 35,000 calls from children that are vulnerable, alone or in need of the support of a trusted adult,” Miss Hayden added.

Applications are now open for charities wishing to apply to be considered as one of the Students’ Union nominated charities for the 2014/15 academic year.

Further information is available at www.su.nuigalway.ie.

$450,000 worth of Fulbright awards now open for applications New awards and partnerships announced The Fulbright Commission in Ireland today opened its competition for $450,000 worth of Fulbright Awards for the 2015/2016 academic year.

Fulbright grants are for Irish or EU citizens to study, research, or teach in the US. The awards include a monetary grant, accident and emergency insurance, cultural and professional programming and visa administration.

Applications are due by Wednesday 12 November 2014 and more information can be found on www. fulbright.ie.

This year sees the launch of six new awards. The Fulbright Commission has partnered with Tulane University, the University of Notre Dame and University of Pennsylvania on LLM Student Awards.

These awards offer exceptional opportunities for prospective postgraduate students to study law at top US universities.

In addition, the Commission is collaborating with the National University of Ireland to offer a Visiting Researcher Award for prospective or registered PhD candidates who hold an honours degree from a National University of Ireland Constituent University or other NUI member institution to complete study or research in the US. For Scholars, there is a Fulbright Visiting Lecturer in Irish History Award on offer at the University of Montana, and the Commission has partnered with the University of Notre Dame to supplement its Fulbright TechImpact Awards with two awards in Language Technology.

The Fulbright TechImpact Awards offer early career scholars or professionals the opportunity to explore how technology contributes to a larger social value through undertaking short-term, non-commercial projects and research in the US.

Speaking about the awards, Colleen Dube, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission said; “For 2015/2016 we have an unprecedented number of partners and awards on offer for students, scholars, professionals and Irish language teachers.

“Our new awards complement the existing awards we have forged with CRH plc, Enterprise Ireland, the EPA, the Marine Institute, Teagasc and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

“I am delighted that there is such a breadth of disciplines and opportunities available for Ireland’s leading students and researchers. I would encourage all applicants who are interested in learning more about their discipline, sharing new experiences, and crossing cultural boundaries, to apply to become a ‘Fulbrighter’.”

In addition to the discipline-specific sponsored awards, the Commission also offers Fulbright Irish Student Awards which are for Irish citizens or EU citizens resident in the Republic of Ireland for three or more years to complete postgraduate research or study over the course of one year in the United States.

There are also Fulbright Irish Scholar Awards, which are for Irish citizens or EU citizens resident in the Republic of Ireland for three or more years to complete postdoctoral or professional research or lecturing over the course of one year in the United States.

Finally, there are Fulbright Irish Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship (FLTA) Awards for Irish citizens or EU citizens resident in the Republic of Ireland for three or more years with fluency in Irish to teach Irish and take courses at a US college over the course of ten months in the United States.

Applications are encouraged in all disciplines, including the arts. Please see www.fulbright.ie for further details.

NEWS 5

September 15 2014

A Summer of Discontent: What’s been happening while we were gone

By Yvonne Clinton PUTIN MOVES 3,000 SOLDIERS INTO UKRAINE The Ukrainian Crisis escalated far beyond its borders over the summer months, culminating in shocking rhetoric reminiscent of the Cold War from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking at a youth camp in Russia, he reminded the world that “Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers”.

The international community has condemned Putin’s decision to move 3,000 Russian soldiers into Eastern Ukraine.

Economic sanctions against Russia have been widened; Russia has issued retaliatory sanctions and denies sending its army into Ukraine.

Early this month, journalists observed well-armed troops in Russian uniforms operating alongside rebels in Ukraine.

Progress made by the Ukrainian government in retaking their territory has been negated by these Russian troops. In recent days

they have assisted pro-Kremlin rebels in seizing land and turning the tide in the four month, see-saw conflict.

The regional conflict between the Ukraine and Russia took on an international dimension on July 17th, when civilian passenger jet MH17 was shot down with 298 fatalities, the majority Dutch.

US intelligence has pointed to the plane being downed by a surface-to-air missile operated by pro-Russian separatists.

The Ukrainian government had no such artillery in the rebel-controlled region.

Shortly afterwards, journalists observed such a missile launcher being transported over the border into Russia.

The accident, investigation – and conflict – are both ongoing.

GAZA CONFLICT LEAVES OVER 2,100 DEAD The 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict left more than 2,100 people dead.

Israel controls the borders of Gaza. The United Nations thus considers Israel to be occupying

Gaza. One of the main demands of Hamas, which controls Gaza, is a lifting of this blockade.

The Israeli army’s offensive was launched on 8 July with the aim of stopping rocket fire on Israel from Gaza. The rocket fire was in response to an Israeli crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank, which in turn was sparked by the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas members.

On 17 July Israel expanded the operation into a ground offence, moving soldiers into Gaza with the aim of identifying and destroying a system of tunnels in Gaza, including tunnels under the border with Israel.

Israel withdrew its troops in early August, having succeeded in destroying all known Gaza tunnels. An open-ended ceasefire was agreed on 26 August, ending the conflict temporarily.

More than 2,000 Palestinians were killed over the seven weeks, the majority of whom were citizens. In contrast, only 73 Israelis died, all but six of whom were soldiers.

The economic impact on Gaza is high, with the reconstruction of destroyed housing alone expected to cost at least $4bn; three times Gaza’s annual economic output.

OVER 3,000 INFECTED WITH EBOLA VIRUS Summer 2014 has seen the deadliest Ebola outbreak since it was first detected. More than 3,000 people have been confirmed as infected, and half of these have died.

Ebola is a virus spread through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. This outbreak originated in Guinea, spreading to Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal.

Initially confined to rural villages, the virus reached Guinea’s populous capital city

by June, making containment difficult.

These countries have found it difficult to prevent the spread of the virus, due to a lack of experienced medical staff and local people’s suspicions of doctors and hospitals.

Many of the infected areas suffer poverty without running water, making it extremely hard to stop infection.

10% of the dead have been healthcare workers. Several international medical staff, despite taking all protective measures, have still suffered infection.

Many were repatriated home to special hospital units, where some received an experimental drug, ZMapp.

Supplies of ZMapp, which has not undergone a clinical trial, have now been exhausted.

Ebola is still spreading, and the World Health Organisation fears up to 20,000 people may be infected before the outbreak is halted.

CONFLICT ONGOING IN IRAQ

The Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS and ISIL, is a jihadist group based in the Middle East. After proclaiming itself a caliphate, it claims religious authority over all Muslims. It formerly had

close links with Al-Qaeda.

It aims to establish a pure Islamic state.

IS has succeeded in seizing large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory. Many human rights abusers were reported and Amnesty International has claimed IS has engaged in “systematic ethnic cleansing” in northern Iraq, and other war crimes.

In August, IS beheaded on camera a pair of American journalists held as hostages in response to US airstrikes targeting IS in Iraq. Barack Obama has vowed that “America will not be intimidated” by IS and that “justice will be served”.

IS warns that a British hostage shown kneeling is their next target. David Cameron has stated that a ransom will not be paid for him as it would fund terrorism, and that Britain will not be “cowed” by “barbaric killers”.

The UN suggests that 1,420 people have died in fighting in Iraq during July alone. The conflict is ongoing.

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6 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

THIS WEEK’S DEBATE: If you don’t want your nude selfies on the internet, don’t take nude selfies.

YES: Privacy is not optional

By Kieran Kilkelly While I cannot condone the actions of the 4chan user who has leaked these naked photos of various celebrities, I cannot say I feel sorry for the people affected either.

To that statement I might lose readers out of disgust and such derogatory remarks regarding the fact that I am male might also being muttered.

But I have to be realistic about it. The celebrities themselves have to be realistic about it. And everyday people have to be realistic about it.

We now live in a society where to have privacy is not optional; you don’t have any, simple as that. Gone are the days where going out for a quiet one or two was to actually go out for a quiet one or two and not be bombarded with phone calls and texts about your whereabouts before someone actually tracks you down using a ‘Find My Phone’ app or something similar.

With this in mind, it should be realised that no personal information is ever really personal; it is always public or potentially public to some degree.

While it did take a hacker to get the nude ‘selfies’ of various celebrities, it is worth noting that they should have seen it coming.

It sounds harsh, I know, but of all the people reading this, who has not lusted after or thought about Jennifer Lawrence?

It’s alright if you have; it’s natural. She is the most adored person in Hollywood at the moment after all. She should have been more careful with her content considering the amount of phone hacking scandals and such that have happened in recent years. It is there to be stolen. It is unethical to do so but morals are lost in today’s world.

There is also the fact that she, and all the others whose photos were exposed, didn’t take them so that only they and they alone would view them. If they did then the photos that have been leaked are not their only problem.

The photos were taken for the enjoyment of someone else. Not the ‘someone else’ that is currently taking great pleasure from them but someone all the same.

Now take everything into account and look at it from a broader angle and not the singular one where the women in question were exploited.

You are a famous A-list celebrity. You have millions of fans worldwide. You are voted in the top 100 sexiest celebrities in the world.

A huge proportion of the world wishes

that they could be the one that goes to bed with you every night. Some of these are obsessive crazy people that would do anything to try and get their hands on a picture of you undressed, whatever the consequences.

With all that information would you risk taking a naked picture for fear that it may become public?

I know I wouldn’t.

Of course this doesn’t apply to all the naked photos that have ever been leaked. Not everyone has a worldwide following. There is such a thing as “revenge porn”.

“Revenge porn” is the sharing of nude or topless photos online without consent and it is becoming ever popular in our ever-growing cyber society. It is becoming so popular that there is a campaign across America for laws to be made to stop it.

So what of the girl (the majority affected are women) who has been the subject of “revenge porn”?

Well she was perfectly entitled to take those photos without them being distributed globally but she must be cautious about who is privy to them and how accessible the device that they are stored on is.

One night they get drunk and kiss their partner’s best friend and can’t remember it happening. A few weeks later their partner finds out and is angry to say the least. In anger, they could share those photos to embarrass you.

There are many instances where this type of scenario could occur and none moreso than a break-up. When you send the pictures, you are relying on that person’s trust – and not only their trust, but their human nature. And that is not reliable.

We are all prone to get mad and frustrated from time to time. In doing so, we do things that we regret, and that can be irreversible.

And posting invasive photos on the internet could well be one of those actions.

So you can complain about what has happened, say it is a violation of women and everything that goes with it but a great deal more care must be taken with private images.

It is not enough to store them on an electronic device.

This could be just the beginning of all sorts of private and personal information being leaked. It is the downside to the technological age we live in.

Moral of the story: Don’t take nude ‘selfies’.

NO: Why are we blaming the vicims?

By Freya Carroll Someone better give Seth MacFarlane a ring because it turns out his 2013 Oscars song was prophetic and half the world has now seen Jennifer Lawrence’s boobs.

A couple of weeks ago, the world was shaken, not by the situation in Syria, or Gaza, but by naked photos of famous powerful women that were leaked on the internet.

The question is: why do we care so much?

There are two main schools of thought here: on the one hand there are those who have been rocked by this scandal and have jumped to condemn these women for showing us that they have a sex-drive and some degree of body confidence.

And on the other hand, there are those of us who are disgusted and outraged for an entirely different reason; that these photos have become viewable to us at all.

The list of women whose photos have been accessed climbs as high as 100 individuals, the most notable of which are the aforementioned Jennifer Lawrence, along with Ariana Grande, Cara Delevigne, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, McKayla Maroney, and Victoria Justice.

Some of these women have claimed that the photos were fake and Maroney in particular stated that the photos of her were taken when she was underage, making their release all the more serious an offence.

There are many who say that these women should know better – from their public position of notoriety – than to take naked photos in the privacy of their own homes, on their personal phones, when any simpleton could easily hack into the highly protected iCloud and leak their photos to a public who would love nothing more than to slut-shame them.

But there is also the valid point that, despite the fact we live in a society where this is unfortunately possible, nothing makes it excusable. In the wisely-tweeted words of actress and UN ambassador for gender equality, Emma Watson; “Even worse than seeing women's privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy”.

There is also the fact that it is highly likely that these women had deleted these photos from their phones, completely unaware that they would be saved to Apple’s big cloud in the sky.

And yes, celebrities nowadays who are constantly stalked by paparazzi are aware that much of their lives belong to the public eye, but that does not make this excusable.

Even if the leaked photos were just personal photos of friends and family that they had chosen not to share on Instagram or Twitter, this would still be a major invasion of privacy and a felony.

The fact that the photos were of these powerful and important women naked is only more outrageous a crime because it puts these women in a very vulnerable position; it’s not just their privacy that has been violated now.

Male users of the popular website 4chan have given this event the vomit-inducing title of ‘The Fappening’, which is meant to be understood as humorous but frankly comes across as creepy and vile.

Against their will, these talented, intelligent, powerful, and important women have become sex-objects. In all honesty, the release of these photos could easily be deemed a form of sexual assault. It wouldn’t matter if Jennifer Lawrence had accidently dropped these photos on the street; their release without her consent is what makes this wrong and nothing else.

As Miss Watson said, it’s society’s lack of empathy for the abuse these women are receiving that is most shocking.

Why is it that we are so outraged that these women would take these photos in the first place? How dare they express any desire for sex, or bodily autonomy? As if half the world isn’t already using Snapchat to do the very same thing? As if the ‘dick pic’ isn’t something many a woman has had to endure?

Just because these women are celebrities doesn’t mean they aren’t human, nor does it make taking photos of yourself wrong.

There’s an underlying issue here that feeds into the idea that women are objects. That these women’s achievements in their fields are somehow diminished because they took naked photos for themselves or for their partners, and that they are sluts or whores because they took what they thought were private photos.

While the argument that they could have been more careful or wary is understandable, it doesn’t make it sound any less like the victim-blaming that we’ve come to associate with rape culture.

The fact is that this hacker should never have committed the felony of accessing their personal files, and he is the one who should be condemned, not the victims of his crime.

OPINION 7

September 15 2014

The Curious

European

By Marcus Mac Dhonnagain Do you remember that really inspirational scene in Braveheart, where Mel Gibson’s William Wallace stands tall and strong in front of his patchwork army of Scottish clansmen and proclaims that even though they might die, they’ll always be free? That’s sort of happening in Scotland right now, but instead of wearing kilts and heaving stonking big swords about, today’s combatants do battle in business suits and carry briefcases. You have to use your imagination a bit, but it is a lot like Braveheart when you think about it. Okay, I mean there isn’t a really big exciting battle where people gouge sharp metal objects into one another, but surely watching grey-haired men exchange volleys of devastating verbal artillery at one another gets the heart palpitating.

Should I stay or should I go?

Fine, maybe not, but despite its dull appearance the Battle of the Ballot Box this September 18th will decide Scotland’s future in the world.

It could become an independent country, and leave the United Kingdom all together. That’s kind of a big deal.

The most immediate question that might pop into your head is what it might mean for us in Ireland. Now most of you are probably thinking, “Well, fair play they should become independent country. That’ll show those Brits!”

And why shouldn’t you? That’s what we did nearly a hundred years ago. But times have also changed a lot since then, and the world is far more globalized and interconnected than ever before.

Speaking to SIN, political blogger Jason O’Mahony explained why an independent Scotland may not be in Ireland’s national interest.

O’Mahony said, “It depends on whether they copy our low corporate tax model. If they do we have a serious problem. Here's a country that can offer an English speaking workforce, a good education system, has an industrial institutional memory from shipbuilding and oil engineering that we don't have, and, most importantly, has land access to the 60m market of England and Wales and the Channel Tunnel to the continent.

“In short, an independent Scotland is a direct competitor for the same sort of FDI we look for. We don't seem to realise that.”

Perhaps you’re now thinking, “Well, to be fair, that’s no reason to not support them,

Despite its dull appearance the Battle of the Ballot Box this September 18th will decide Scotland’s future in the world. It could become an independent country, and leave the United Kingdom all together.

they’re fully entitled to follow whatever model they want to.” That’s all very true, but any jobs created in an independent Scotland could very well have gone to Ireland instead.

That means there might be less employment opportunities, which means less cash being spent, which in turn weakens our economy.

It’s great for the Scots, but not all that great for the Irish.

Then there’s Northern Ireland too.

“The funny thing about Northern Ireland is that whilst there is a mechanism in the Good Friday Agreement for dealing with what NI wants, there is nothing about what happens if England changes its mind,” O’Mahony continued. “We forget, the Brits didn't stay in NI because they wanted it, but because they would not accept defeat by the IRA. With the IRA gone, and fading into the mist of time, England in particular has no real emotional bond with NI. “As a result, if Scotland goes, it's not impossible that the English will start to look inward, and wonder why they are funding a bunch of paddies anyway. We all accept that the people of NI have a democratic right to self determination. What if the English exercise that right, and decide to leave the union as currently constituted? NI has a right to determine its own future. It doesn't have a right to determine England's, or how English taxes are spent.”

But the implications of the Scottish referendum mean that it will fundamentally alter the United Kingdom’s political landscape. The fact is, Scotland has proved to be a boon for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats – parties of the political left. In his blog, NUI Maynooth Geography lecturer Adrian Kavanagh pointed out that if Scotland were to leave the UK, then the big winners could potentially be the Conservative Party and the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Kavanagh said, “Even in the last two United Kingdom general elections, at which Labour Party support fell considerably relative to that party’s strong performances at the 1997 and 2001 elections, Labour won 41 of the 59 Scottish seats, or 77.4% of the total number of Scottish seats.

The region was just as, if perhaps even more, important for the Liberal Democrats, who won 11 seats in Scotland in both 2005 and 2010, or 20.8% of the total number of Scottish seats in the House of Commons. By contrast, the Conservatives only won one seat (1.9% of the total) in Scotland at both elections.

“Scotland effectively gives Labour a significant head start in its battles with the Conservatives to control the House of Commons. But it also accounts for a very significant chunk of the Labour and Liberal Democrats, even given the fact that this is a region with a strong regional/ nationalist party, the Scottish Nationalist Party.”

Then there’s the EU to consider. O’Mahony, although acknowledging that acquiring EU membership “will be a challenge”, thinks that “it will become rapidly unsustainable for the EU not to let them join fairly quickly.”

However, it’s worth keeping in mind that they aren’t the only minority group in Europe with nationalist aspirations. Indeed, the fact that they’ve been given a chance to decide whether they want to stay or go has already begun causing problems for other countries, most notably Spain. Catalonia, an autonomous region within the country, has already begun baying for an independence referendum of their own.

All of this hinges on if Scotland passes its referendum on the upcoming 18th. If it does, then things will undoubtedly become very interesting.

But unlike Braveheart, today’s Scots have a lot more to lose than William Wallace and his ragtag army. There are things like pensions, mortgages and jobs to consider. Will they be willing to risk becoming a country when it might just be safer for them to keep things the way they are?

#charity - The Way Forward?

By Bronwynne Young By now most of you reading this (and your Grannies) will have been called to duty – that duty being to dump a bucket of ice water over your head in the name of Motor Neuron Disease.

The ice bucket challenge has already raised €350,000 in Ireland alone - with €250,000 of that coming from €2 text donations. The ‘No Make-up Selfie’ craze has experienced similar success having risen over €500,000 for the Irish Cancer Foundation.

To put a bit of perspective onto these figures, Irish charity Trócaire only managed to squeeze a comparatively measly €29,537 out of the public during the entire year 2013-2014.

What is it about the ‘donate, post, nominate’ formula of giving that makes it so hugely successful? Is it a show of our narcissistic, celebrity worshiping culture? Or to quote Batman, do we simply “need a dramatic example” to shake us out of our apathy? Maybe to find the answer we have to look a little bit deeper – right into our own evolution.

Cooperative behaviour is seen throughout the

animal kingdom. Help someone out and future reciprocation is likely, forming a relationship which benefits both parties. Makes sense right?

Cooperation is therefore key to the survival of countless species. In fact cooperative behaviour is encoded so deeply within humans that many of us will not think twice about helping a stranger in a faraway place knowing that the interaction will almost certainly be a once off.

This seemingly selfless behaviour has puzzled evolutionary biologists for years; now however researchers at UC Santa Barbara believe it is simply a by-product of the importance of maintaining good relationships to our survival.

Evolution has programmed us to make the uncostly ‘mistake’ of wasting our energy to help out someone who we will almost definitely never interact with again. This small amount of wasted effort allows us to avoid taking the far more costly risk of shutting down a possible cooperative relationship - no matter how tiny the probability is of it continuing.

Now let’s put this theory into the context of an ice bucket challenge nomination and

once again we are presented with two choices.

Option one: pay the small cost of donating €2 and dumping a bucket of ice water over your head or option two: ignore the nomination and risk being seen as uncooperative (or in today’s terms ‘dry’) on social media, damaging your reputation and possibly your relationships with the majority of people impacting on your life at the given time.

Suddenly dumping a bucket of ice water over your head doesn’t seem all that stupid…

So the use of public nomination to play on our need to maintain good relationships is a fairly solid money-raising tactic, but is it the sole factor behind the success of charity?

A recent study carried out by the University of Austin, Texas has found that having participants read a letter citing the success of previous fundraisers for a fictitious charity resulted in a near tripling of donations. This implies that the number of new donors to a charity is largely affected by the number of people who have already donated.

Unfair as it seems, pouring all of the money raised into just one shared cause allows us to

very quickly see the impact we’re making. This in turn gives us those much-craved feelings of social inclusion and self-worth - despite only having made a very small contribution.

Now we have an idea of why charity is so effective, one question still remains – will this be the future of charitable giving or will people eventually tire of the ‘donate, post, nominate’ formula?

Well, the ‘Nek Nomination’ and ‘No Make-up Selfie’ phenomena certainly haven’t appeared to damage the success of the ice bucket challenge – which has recently overtaken the ‘No Make-up Selfie’ to become the most viral social media craze of the year (so far…).

It seems as long as there is a fresh gimmick and a few influential people to get the ball rolling then the ‘post, donate, nominate’ formula can help charities take advantage of our evolutionary quirks to aid a new cause each time.

Although this method of fundraising has its skeptics, no one can deny the massive impact its having.

That in mind, I say here’s to building a better future – one fad at a time!

8 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Tips for Mature Students

By Karen McDonnell You learn something new every day. I just had a quick consultation with one of my writing buddies – the dictionary – and I find that ‘mature’ derives from the Latin for 'timely'. And here you are, all you mature students, about to begin a new stage in your life. It's obviously timely for you. Each one has his/her own reason for being here.

Some of you have done Access or foundation courses, so NUI Galway – its ways and its geography – won't be difficult to navigate. Look around you. If someone looks lost, offer a bit of direction. Here are a few timely tips from someone who's been there.

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING:

By the time you read this, you should have your locker, your student card, and taken the orientation courses that tell you how to get around campus

and the Hardiman Library. If you don't have a laptop, learn where all the PC suites are.

The library is your greatest asset: Use it. Don't wait until the frantic weeks before exams before finding out what facilities are available. For example, you can book study rooms and form study groups to prep for exams or help each other out. I'm a JSTOR addict. I suffered withdrawal symptoms when I left college.

I'm not telling you what that means. Go to the library.

tory lectures. It can all seem a bit overpowering. Unless you need specific subjects for your chosen career path, pick the subjects you love.

You still have time before you register. Worried about whether you can sustain an interest in French or Archaeology until final year? Click into Colleges & Schools at nuigalway.ie and into the subject that interests you.

Look at the modules offered in the second and final years.

This really helped me with the final decision.

BE ORGANISED: Do get a

locker. Have a timetable. If you think before you plonk down a time for your tutorials you may find yourself with blocks of free time. I managed to create a four-day week for one semester in each of my second and final years.

CHOOSING YOUR SUBJECTS:

If you’re doing Arts you have had time to take in introduc-

GET TO KNOW YOUR LECTURERS AND TUTORS: This

does not mean that you stalk them! However, if you put the work in and show willing, they will give you support and encouragement.

Be the best you can be: Every mature student has his or her own reason for returning to college. You know your goals. You will

hear that first year results don't count for your degree.

That is true. If you want to do an international Erasmus year, however, they do. So don't settle for the minimum effort. Go that bit further.

You will surprise yourself and in the process you'll be ready for demands of the final years of your degree.

And there is nothing to stop you going to post-grad open days and the Careers Office in your first or second year.

It's all part of being organised and knowing what you want to achieve.

JOIN CLUBS AND SOCIETIES:

The demands on the time of mature students may be different to that of their younger colleagues, whether it’s having a family or long commutes. By the time you factor in study, you can feel you've little down time. That shouldn't stop you from joining a society or two, even those related to your chosen subjects.

VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION: There is

always, always time for coffee, tea, chat and studying the behaviour of Smokey's Pigeon (he has his own column in Sin).

HELP!: Being a student, let alone a mature student, should not be an endurance test. If things are piling up on top of you there are many areas of student support on campus. Use them.

You are not alone. Connect with your fellow matures and the younger students around you. This is about you – not in a selfish way. This is your time to shine. Explain to family and friends what it involves and how important it is to you. Your degree is now a part of your already busy life, so ask for their support and understanding.

You can buy them a drink on graduation day.

FINALLY: I envy you. I wish I

could be starting again. My four undergraduate years as a mature student in NUI Galway have been four of the happiest of my life. You got yourself here. You've already succeeded.

Go for it. Have a ball. Surprise yourself.

This year, be different!

By John Mulry For a lot of first years, this is the start of a new era; the big, bad, beautiful college life is before you. For others, it’s just another year and for those final year students and Masters students this is supposed to be the year where you ditch the booze for the books.

Whatever stage you’re at, this year, I urge you to be different.

Why do I want you to be different? Great question and I’m glad you asked. I’ll get to the exact reason in a second but before I do, I want to tell you what you can expect from my column ‘Market Thyself’ this year (the hint is in the name by the way).

This column is all about one thing: helping you stand out; helping you showcase what’s unique about you, to your friends, your lecturers but probably most important of all, help you stand out to potential employers.

As you read this, whether it be online or in print, have a look around. See all those students, friends and strangers going about their merry way; the sad but brutal truth is those students are your competition.

It’s no longer viable to float through college, grab your 2.2 by the skin of your teeth and hope to get a job, nope, not by a long shot. The degree you’ll be spending three, four, five or more years getting is merely the beginning. It does not give you entitlement, divine right or obligation to a career in your chosen field.

So, this year I’m challenging you to be different; to act different, to think differently and to essentially get outside your comfort zone, because, well, that’s where the fun’s at. That’s where you find out who you really are and how far you can really go.

So who am I and why should you listen to me? Well first and foremost, I was you, a few years ago. I was doing what you’re doing, no doubt thinking what you’re thinking: “I’ll get my degree, get a job and bob’s your uncle, fanny’s your aunt…”

But it didn’t turn out like that.

I went through a rollercoaster time after college (even wrote a book about it) but eventually fell into my groove and found my calling in business strategy and direct response marketing.

I’m now running a couple of different marketing and business growth businesses and one

Market Thyself of the deciding factors that got me where I am is my decision to look at what everyone else was doing and do the opposite. Earl Nightingale thought me that.

Anyways, enough about me; this column is all about you. This year, with my help we’re going to focus on some key areas that will help you to be more confident, find the right direction and career path and in the end, secure that job you so desperately crave.

We’re going to be using the exact same direct response and personal growth strategies I use day in, day out with my clients except instead of helping them get customers, I’ll be helping you get what you want.

So I start with a simple notion; this year be different!

I don’t mean, be different in so much that you need to dye your hair pink, refuse to wear clothes and adopt the Smokey’s pigeon as your one and only campus companion.

What I mean is, in business, being different is one of the core essential elements in successful marketing. Being different helps you stand out and get noticed.

This year, I want you to market yourself, promote yourself and get noticed.

What has marketing – specifically direct response marketing – got to do with you?

Short answer, everything; every single day, whether you realise it or not, you are marketing and promoting yourself to your friends, potential girlfriends and boyfriends, to your lecturers and definitely to potential employers.

Market yourself the right way and you win, do it the wrong way and you lose. I’ll close off this first issue of by urging you to be different and also by urging you to contribute. I don’t want this to be a one way conversation this year. Logon to sin.ie, and connect with me, ask me questions, tell me what areas of marketing yourself you want help with and together we’ll put together a plan to help you get what you want.

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10 WELCOME, FRESHERS!

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Things you’ll see Get Involved around NUI Galway

By Claire Stone

By Hannah Macken The main attractions of the NUI Galway campus range from the ordinary to the slightly bizarre. Starting with the bizarre, the most unexplainable attraction of the campus would have to be the Big Yellow Thing.

D

ESPITE BEING A central piece of art in the college, nobody quite knows what it is or what it represents. Everyone at some stage looks at it and considers the possibilities but generally the conclusions drawn are, “Ah yeah, it’s a big yellow thing”.

The practicality of the monument is also often called into question, but there is no doubt it would be missed were it disposed of. Its use as a meeting or focal point cannot be disputed though, as its size and general luminous disposition make it perfect for that purpose. The intrigue and look of the ‘Big Yellow Thing’ is almost synonymous with the laid back atmosphere of NUI Galway.

S

MOKEY’S PIGEON IS definitely a unique attraction. Sitting in Smokey’s and having a coffee does not feel complete without the viewing of this primitive beast. The pigeon is infamous for his brazen attempts to frighten the sometimes unsuspecting public into surrendering their lunch.

There are many pigeons that may happen to wander onto the concourse but none can be outdone by the Smokey’s Pigeon. He has

a personality that cannot be matched, and physically he stands out from the crowd.

However, even with his burly exterior and threatening manner, Smokey’s Pigeon has shown a more sophisticated side at times, with a regular column in Sin. His column reflects his inner thoughts and opinions as a social commentator.

Although sightings of the pigeon have reduced somewhat with the university’s installation of manual doors in place of the automatic doors near Smokey’s, he makes his presence known and is definitely a star attraction.

A

VERY IMPORTANT ATTRACTION at NUI Galway is the College Bar. Galway has no shortage of pubs and clubs but there will always be something special about the college bar. The location is the first bonus of the College Bar; it is no further than ten minutes from anywhere on campus.

The College Bar can always be relied on for a good time. On a regular day it provides a great atmosphere for a few pints with friends or a place to commiserate with oneself after a bad exam. On special occasions, such as Christmas Day and the afters of a ball, there is unlimited ‘craic’ to be had, with large crowds and endless banter.

There are plenty more attractions on NUI Galway that you’ll come across over the years, but these three are definitely the main ones.

Get to know your campus; it really is a great place.

You know you’re an NUI Galway student when…

By Áine O Donnell

YOU CALCULATE EVERYTHING UNDER THE CHICKEN ROLL CURRENCY: Didn’t you hear that the Euro is so 2002?

Here at NUI Galway we calculate everything under our own currency, the chicken roll. For example, you head into the college bookshop to buy the prescribed text to find it costs a small fortune: “sure I could get 45 chicken rolls for the price of that psychology book”.

When writing or texting the currency can be abbreviated to “cr”: “Didn’t buy that dress in Topshop, it cost 26cr. Rip off”.

If you’ve got the determination to make this year count but lack the information on where is the best place to begin then look no further. The college is full of opportunities to get involved. ics – all designed to help you gain the skills of finding, evaluating and using information more efficiently.

Clubs and Societies will always be there for you should you ever want to get involved, go places and meet new people. Some societies offer perks like tea parties, karaoke, game nights, and free tickets to shows.

Don’t take those opportunities for granted.

They are yours for the taking. You might never know how satisfying being part of something is if you don’t take the first step. Gone will be the days of chanting that “this year will be better” to yourself only to find that nothing about you has changed.

“This year will be better.” What will you do to make it so?

CREEPING IS NOT JUST A HOBBY BUT A WAY OF LIFE: You are “studying” biomedical science but let’s be real, all you really want is a first class honours in creeping. You have got yourself a prime spot on the first floor of the library during study week but you have no intention of doing any revision. You are far too busy checking out all the fine beours in the proximity then frantically sending your friends their co-ordinates on Facebook chat so you can all get a good look while wondering where all these hotties were hiding for the rest of the semester.

SMOKEY’S IS YOUR YOU HAVE THE CONCOURSE FEAR: SECOND HOME: You were out last night and got the shift but who knows what your wan looks like in the cold light of day. You have a lecture but first you have to walk down the brown tiled mile: the Concourse. You try your best to avoid eye contact with the hundreds of students milling past but someone looks at you for just a second too long. Oh feck it’s the shiftee, best start power walking as fast as humanly possible.

September is here and for many students (including myself) so too is the determination to make the new academic year a fulfilling one.

Whether you want to make amends for taking it too easy last year or because you want to continue tasting the unmistakable flavour of success – we all have our reasons for wanting to better ourselves.

If you’ve got the determination to make this year count but lack the information on where is the best place to begin then look no further. The college is full of opportunities to get involved.

The Students’ Union runs a Life Skills programme each year. Under this programme students can avail of practical courses all subsidised by the SU and running at a reduced rate for students. They are a fantastic way to broaden your skill sets and take a break from all the focus and stress of academic life.

Fancy having Feetac level 4 course in Door Security or Guarding Skills? The courses takes just 3 days to complete and will covers aspects of the skills, knowledge and theory required to prepare you for working as door supervisor or a security guard within a shop or patrolling grounds.

If that’s not your cup of tea, the 2014/15 programme also includes courses in BarSkills and Barista training, Self Defence, Sign Language, First Aid - Occupational First Aid and Cardiac First Responder, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and Yoga.

The college also offers a “Diplomá sa Ghaeilge” at a reduced rate for students’ interested in upskilling their Irish. At €200, the course runs for two years part-time and is available with or without prior knowledge of the language. Perfect if you have ever felt guilty for neglecting your “cúpla focal” or, like me, feel like you never gave Irish a proper

chance in secondary school.

The SU will be selling tickets to Connacht Rugby home matches on the cheap this year.

If you don’t want to be too involved this year, watching somebody else do all the action is a great alternative.

If you want to touch up on those library skills of yours then the library will provide you with free training whenever you like. The Library provides training on a variety of top-

You’ve got to the stage where the staff at Smokey’s start thinking you have no home to go to. You just roll up to the counter and order “the usual” then suddenly a cup of tea and a toasty appear in front of you. Once you have sat down, you could be there for hours catching up on all the craic. You have already adopted the Smokey’s pigeon as a pet. College isn’t about hitting the books; it’s about hitting Smokey’s (up to three times a day).

YOUR MANTRA IS “SURE IT’S ALL GOOD CRAIC”: You spent the last tenner your Dad sent you on a selection box in Dunnes and it is only October.

Then when he rings up to give out yards, you just throw him the classic “sure it’s all good craic”. Feel free to use this little gem when you’re caught getting cosy with your housemate’s boyfriend in the corner of Karma or when you have a disciplinary meeting with the head of the department.

New recruits at Socs Day. See page 18 for more! Photo by Daniel O’Loughlin.

SUPERMAC’S IS YOUR RELIGION: Every NUI Galway student knows that the night out must end in a pilgrimage to the holy land, Supermac’s. Known as “S’macs” to the devoted, this place is a Galway institution.

The idea is to stay as long as you can while chatting to friends new and old before being forced out by security. Amen.

September 15 2014

WELCOME, FRESHERS! 11

You’re not in school anymore

By Samantha Kelly Going to college is one of the best times of anyone's life, whether you are a mature student or you are starting straight after secondary school. Although, some of you first years may feel eager to know the differences between school and college and here are some major alterations you should know:

come change, such as late lectures that may only start at six in the evening. Although you may only have a few lectures and free periods throughout the day, these extra hours should be used for assignments and study, remember your lecturers are not like teachers, they will not go looking for your work, you will have to have it in on time or you fail and no one wants repeats, so be study aware.

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The amount of hours can be a major difference; in school a typical student does seven hours of school per day and about thirty hours a week not including any after school study. But in college, depending on your faculty, you might only have 12 hours a week (Arts) or you could have around eight hours a day (Engineering). It can take some time to get use to the change but just remember that the hours put into lectures does not cover the hours you must put in for work and assignments.

Similarly your college timetable can be much different, long gone are the days of nine to four Monday to Friday with a half day, now you can welcome a possible lie in on certain days and a possible short day with only two or three lectures. However, some downfalls may come with this wel-

A major alteration that first years must welcome is your new accommodation.

Even though living with new people may be daunting, just being friendly should settle you into your new way of living just fine, be aware that your housemates are in the same boat so you can all relate to each other. At first it may seem like the best kind of sleepover but if some of you start off with the wrong foot it can lead to an unhappy house, so make sure to get to know each other and make an effort!

Secondary may seem to be expensive at the start of September, buying your books, uniform and what not. Well welcome to travel, accommodation and college fees. College is such an expensive time for students and it is a huge change from what now seem to be minor fees in

school. From now on you need to budget, two years for one exam. In fact you just need budget, budget! Food and electricity, even to study 12 weeks of work for your exam. your internet, heating and soon to come So, if you don't like one of your modules it water charges can be all overwhelming at isn't all gloom, you only have to study it for first. However, fret not as there is help about twelve weeks, sit your exam and then it can in your Students’ Union. The SU is there to be put behind you. help so use them, don't feel you are alone just remember the other Even though living with new two thousand first years that are also walking about like headless people may be daunting, just chickens.

being friendly should settle

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With all this change comes all new responsibility and inde- you into your new way of living pendence, whether you are ready or not. But this is all part of just fine, be aware that your life and it is one of the best changes of college life. In school your big- housemates are in the same boat. gest responsibility was to make it in by nine in the morning and to do your Most importantly the biggest difference homework, whereas, now you must look between school and college is your qualiafter yourself, get assignments done and all fication, after six years of school you earn away from the comfort of mam and dad; go your leaving certificate; after three to four you independent newbies! years of college you earn your degree. It may be a lot of work but it most certainly Finals are similar to exams such as the is worth it. leaving certificate; you must do the So work hard and most of all enjoy it exam or it is an automatic fail. Study is because the years will go so quick and essential and you need to pass to move on. before you know it, you will be finished However, you don't have to do study over and qualified.

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12 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Things NUI Galway did not teach me

By Hazel Doyle I spent all day wondering what I’d write for this column. ‘Back to college theme’, Mrs Editor said.

Instead of coming up with anything altogether interesting, or to the point, I just made a botch-job of my lasagne.

Students are notoriously good cooks when it comes to pasta; it’s cheap, it cooks in a few minutes, you can leave it there on the hob

while you check out tinder and it’s ridiculously easy to carry – unlike the bag of roosters that your ma will try to send off on the train with you some Sunday.

So anyway, my lasagne didn’t taste like the tomato part of the sauce, or the white part of the sauce, and the bits of pasta sheet on the lower-down half of the lasagne were hard (I tried to ignore the stiffness at first but then one of them crunched). The worst part is that I offered to cook dinner for my new housemates. I guess I’ll be on washing-up duty for the rest of the year.

It got me wondering; what have I learned in my four years of college if not how to cook me up some glorified pasta? What are those tit-bits that spur you onto young adulthood? I think I missed the blackboard notice on them.

I still never really get how you clean a shower. I mean, I try to, but like, it’s kind of self-cleaning isn’t it? It’s where I clean myself like, so the suds from me must clean the shower? And then, like, you don’t want to be stepping into

a shower with a load of bleach in it that you just shoved down the loo, do you?

Then there’s budgeting. I know people who make payments to their savings accounts by direct debit every week and think nothing of it. And they always have nice clothes and are never too strapped for cash to go out.

Me? If I tried to set up a direct debit I think the bank would make it their Facebook status. I’ve been to every BOI in Galway over the course of my student career to take out what’s left in my account.

‘That’s three euro and fifty-seven cent Hazel, thanks very much, have a great day’.

Getting up in the morning.

That’s a very grown-up thing to do. It is a sign that you have moved away from your adolescent-duvet self and on to your new briefcase-clutching self.

Even if I am awake at 8 o’clock on the weekends, I still don’t leave my pyjamas until about noon…

‘Till me Ma tells me I’d better get dressed or I won’t be allowed to have lunch.

NUI Galway didn’t really teach me any of those things. I never had a tutorial on how to clean a shower or manage my money, and I tended to rush into 9am lectures with one of those Belvita Breakfast Biscuits in my gob.

Another academic year brings with it the promise of more late nights in the reading room, more mornings spent wondering where that twenty euro went the night before and another chance to catch up on getting ready for young adulthood.

September means it’s time to say goodbye to Mammy’s dinners and Dad’s Free Taxi (NUI Galway also did not teach me how to

drive). It’s time to get up off your summery, sun-burnt ass and hit up the stationary section. You’ll have to walk because the bus in Galway will not be on time.

It’s time to get your ass in gear and look up some of Jamie Oliver’s 15-minute meals, which will undoubtedly be too expensive for your student self and take far too long, so in spite of your best intentions, it’s back to beans on toast for another year.

September means it’s time to sign up to so many societies that if you were to go to all of them you’d need to borrow Hermione’s timeturner. You may also frolic over to Clubs Day and sign up for the ski-

Savour the Journey

By Ciara Treacy

Volunteering Fair

Wednesday, 24th September

1.00pm – 5.00pm, Wednesday 24th September Áras na Mac Léinn • Join a homework club • Fundraise for a good cause • Plant an organic garden • Maintain a charity’s website • Visit the elderly • Befriend a person with a disability • Campaign for human rights

Over 80 stands • Develop new skills • Increase your employability • Help a good cause • Meet new people • Have fun • Get the ALIVE Certificate

alive@nuigalway.ie For more info visit www.nuigalway.ie/alive or call 091 49 3823

ing society… those good-looking people may even get a fiver from you… and you will probably never ever go to a meeting.

NUI Galway didn’t teach me any household skills, such as budgeting or cleaning. It just reinforced that I maybe should have thought about doing Home Ec. It did teach me that there’s always google for these things, and reinforced the old saying “better late than pregnant”…

I mean “never”! And when it comes to stationary and societies, isn’t that all that college is really about?

Oh. And yeah, I suppose tutorials are important too.

Picture the scene: A group of females on their way to a popular nightclub, who when close to the entrance realise they’ve unknowingly picked up a young gentleman on the journey. The new addition to the group is wide-eyed, Abercrombie-clad and clutching ID in a sweaty palm. A Leaving Cert student.

When asked the nature of his business, he shrugs away the attention and instructs the females to wait until he has got past the bouncers, shielded by their twenty-year-old appearance. “We’re not old!” is proclaimed in disgust before the girls enter to realise they’re in the midst of a secondary school graduation party.

A gaggle of seventeen-yearolds teetering in heels and dripping with hair gel shriek and hug that they’ve got in and promises to keep in touch forever and always echo around the dance floor.

Our female protagonists exit in horror, in pursuit of comfort vis-à-vis a fixture of Galway’s nightlife for all ages: curry cheese chips.

Still reeling from this event, it’s fitting that a few months later I spent my 21st Birthday asserting the milestone by heading orientation events for NUI Galway’s latest recruits, ushering freshers in and out of Bailey Allen Hall like a school

headmistress and falling asleep on a bed of campus maps.

I was proudly gifted with a ‘key to the door’ in the morning by my parents, which turned out to be a pink-ribboned novelty apparatus too large to fit in the keyhole of any desirable property or automobile. My mother asking do people still give you ‘the bumps’ on your birthday was my cue to leave the house.

In an effort to shake off my leap towards adulthood and newfound status as a postgraduate student, I decide to pick up some tips from the new students on maintaining my youth.

In secondary school First Years were easy to find, cowering below the masses, carrying giant school bags and sporting locker keys around their necks.

In college it’s not as easy, especially when some are in fact older than me and others hold an advantage in knowing how to function an iron and several other household appliances (ah the perks of living at home).

The week’s events made it easier to play spot-the-schoolleaver as they were generally the ones signing up to every bank and society, and engrossed in taking selfies during the President’s address (#collageisgrate).

As the week went on, I couldn’t avoid the fact I had become out of touch. In the

words of Grandpa Simpson, ‘I used to be with it, until they changed what it was’. This may be a slight exaggeration seeing as I am still only just past the 20 mark, but in NUI Galway last week I might as well have had three kids and a mortgage.

When I was in first year people were trying to stop Kony and obsessed with planking and singing Gangnam Style. We were being replaced by younger models, just like they do with RTE presenters.

With this at the back of my mind I found comfort in bumping into friends moving back to Galway for the year and being able to leg it from building to building without a tour guide.

Then it dawned on me that all along I was seeing first year through a nostalgic Instagram lens – the truth is this place gets better with age.

You can only really enjoy it when you’ve found your feet, know the Cairnes theatre from the Cairnes building (rookie mistake) and have tried and tested the various extra-curricular opportunities (in my case including a failed stint with DanSoc - it turns out feeling like Beyoncé when you dance is not the same as looking like her).

To first year readers, my advice would be to savour the serendipitous journey of your time in this university. I can think of no other place where time goes as fast, or more enjoyably. Make the most of it.

My resolution for year is to do likewise, bearing in mind the words of dear Dr Seuss that “sometimes you will never know the value of something until it becomes a memory”.

FEATURES 13

September 15 2014

Year of graduation: 2009 Course at NUI Galway: One Year of B.Comm Intl.

Three years of Civil Law Current Occupation: Broadcaster with 2fm. M ­ aking videos with Final Boss Media (Galway production company) for Channel 4.

What is your fondest memory of NUI Galway?

I look back at the whole period pretty fondly. Fondest memory was probably the complete waste of a year I had in 2005/6 though.

I was one of those people who didn't put down what they'd

want to do on the CAO as I didn't think I'd get enough points. At the time Civil Law was 505 points so instead I put down Commerce with Spanish which was a lot lower, around 320 back then.

I got it, and (apart from Spanish which I can speak so those classes were easy enough) I utterly hated it. No disrespect to anyone doing it, it seems like a dynamic, fun course, but to this day I still can't understand the concept of double entry book-keeping or balance sheets, so much so that I basically gave up on any lecture attendance that year and put in a new CAO form.

Erasmus Diary of an Student

By David Molloy Two weeks ago, I arrived in Leiden, a small city in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands, to begin my year as an Erasmus student.

Though tired from the travel and desperate for a sleep that would have to wait until I signed my housing contract and bought some essentials for living here, I was immediately struck by how absurdly beautiful the place is.

I joked before I left that I was fairly sure that most Dutch towns are “95% bridge”, and while that is clearly an exaggeration, the town’s plentiful canals offer a multitude of options to sit by and relax with a cup of coffee and a good book (and isn’t that all we ever really need?). The town has a laid-back vibe that reminds me warmly of home.

I am probably still too wrapped up in the novelty of being in a new place to get any strong feelings of homesickness just yet, but the truth remains that despite my well-

worn enthusiasm for travelling and living in another country (something I’ve wanted to do for years), this is nonetheless the first real experience I’ve had in my life of living outside of Co. Galway, and this is something that is going to require a good bit of time and adjustment, as well as a whole host of complicated feelings to navigate no matter the level of excitement.

This is a feeling, I’m sure, is shared by anyone who is heading off on their own to a new country this year, regardless of experience, and it’s comforting to know I’m not alone.

While The Netherlands is similar enough to avoid an overwhelming sense of culture shock, there are certain qualities to the place that can take some getting used to.

The city is home to more bicycles than there are people, and the Dutch have a very blunt and to-the-point manner of speaking that allows for great conversation and efficiency (as soon

: Chris Greene

I started college at 17, still lived at home, and my parents weren't allowing me to just waste my days until the next round of CAO offers. They'd make me wake up and go to college, so usually I'd get up, drive out my gate, drive to a parallel road to my house and then climb back in my bedroom window which I would leave open before I went out the door and get another few hours of sleep.

Then around 2 or 3pm I'd head into college, just to more or less hang around in Flirt FM and go out for the evening. I also worked as a waiter, so I had money. Those were some wasteful, good times.

Has NUI Galway changed since you were here?

From what I hear there's even less parking now; parking was

as the oblivious socially awkward Paddy gets on their wavelength).

I could also write about the country’s infamous coffee shops, but I’m aware that my mam will probably read this.

There are also the little things that you take for granted after a couple of years as a student in Galway (and the big things: after living here I’m never complaining about the price of rent in Galway again) – lazy afternoons by the Sparch, walking along Salthill prom, getting probably too invested in the lives of pigeons… (oh yeah, and you’re likely to miss friends and family too… I guess).

Leiden University held an Orientation Week at the end of August with the aim of getting new international students familiar with the city and form new friendships.

With my group hosting students from around Europe, Australia and Asia, we got to learn all about the habits and nuances of each other’s’ cultures as we got to know each other, enjoy barbecues, see the sights of the town on a boat ride, and nearly knock each other’s eyes out in an inflatable zorb-like ball placed on the river at the week’s Waterfestival.

It was a great start to my year, I already know some familiar faces about town, and I’m excited for what Erasmus is yet to offer me.

Have I mentioned that my classes haven’t even started yet?

so bad that if I ever really needed to be in campus and have my car with me I would wake up early, drive to college and then sleep in my car for another while, just to have a space.

Apparently there are now even more buildings with cool angular glass protrusions and less space on which to park a car. That yellow thing is still there though, right?

How did attending NUI Galway develop you as a person?

It taught me how to do everything I currently use in my work life; and that wasn't from my degree, that was from attending societies.

What societies, sports clubs or volunteering were you involved with at NUI Galway?

I was pretty active in Chess Soc and Goal, but my main outlet was Flirt FM. Paula

Healy was good enough to let me try out on air, and when I first got there Paul Hannon (big man on Campus/the DJ world/Galway club scene) took me under his wing and basically taught me how to do everything relating to audio production, from how to use a mixing desk to audio processing software. When I think of all the technical stuff he's shown me I'm just glad he hasn't invoiced me up to this point.

What was the college newspaper like when you were in NUI Galway?

Did you write for it?

It was debates about abortion/legalizing weed and pictures of Che Guevara.

Do you ever miss NUI Galway?

Sometimes, I genuinely do. I remember some of the really cool people I met there, the sense of community, all of

that shit. It sounds cheesy, but you can't help but look back on it with fondness.

What advice would you give to current NUI Galway students?

Enjoy it. Believe me, you'll wish you had once you're out of there.

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

Nothing.

14 FEATURES Staying Safe in Galway: Tips for incoming first years

By Laura Roddy So, you’re settling in to life here at NUI Galway, familiarising yourself with the campus, the different lecture rooms, beloved Smokey’s and of course, The College Bar; some of you are, perhaps, even getting to know the city of Galway itself with its cobbled streets and beckoning nightlife.

It’s a lot to take in; an exciting time but a scary one two.

Amidst the chaos that this changing time will bring, here are a few points detailing how to make your first year of college, a safe one: 1. Familiarise yourself with your surroundings. For many of you, this is a new place, full of new people you’ve never met before. In your first month here, try to get to know the place as well as possible.

2. Keep your valuables to the bottom of your backpack. Be aware that thefts do take place and pick pocketers will find a bulging bag attractive. If you have a phone, laptop or money, hide them between your books.

3.Bring back up money/ access to more money on a night out. Make sure you always have a spare tenner stashed in the back of your purse/wallet. You will thank yourself when it is 2am in the pouring rain and you’ve spent the last of your food money on garlic cheese chips.

4. Never walk home alone at night. Don’t even contemplate it. Don’t walk down an isolated alley on your own or stray from the well-lit main streets. Just don’t do it.

5. Follow your instinct. It’s there for a reason. If you feel

you’re in a shady situation, remove yourself from it and remember that you’re always in control of your actions.

6. Know your limit when it comes to alcohol. Once you take that one drink too many, you are no longer in control and this is when bad things can happen.

7. Share taxis. They say never talk to strangers but if you are stranded on your own in Eyre Square on a Thursday night ask other students what direction they are going in and try to get a taxi with them. It will cut the cost and there is more “safety in numbers”.

8. Be a good friend. Look out for your friends and the new people you meet along the way. It’s important to have people around you that you trust.

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

By ­S amantha Kelly So it's that time of year again, back to college for another year of it all, the good the bad and the downright ugly! Yes I'm talking about study, assignments, housemates, deadlines, volunteering and societies and being the usual hopeless romantic that I know most of us are. What's not to look forward too?

Oh yeah the "hopeless romantic" is not always great, but I have a feeling this year is going to be a good year, possibly even my year, unless it is anything like the summer I had.

Now I won't lie, summer of 2014 was a great one; getting to see friends most days, wearing shorts everyday and having a natural tan (well no, I had sunburn but it did colour eventually).

Work on the other hand was not the best craic; every day I had to kick out teenagers, deal with stubborn customers, work past midnight and oh yeah the highlight of it all was the McDonalds uniform, it was just the cherry on top of the McMuffin. However, the money is money and it will do for all these college expenses that are to come.

On the love front, this summer I have just been surrounded with flowers, getaways, love messages and men – lots and lots of beautiful men. How blessed I am do I hear you say? Yes well all that romance belongs to my friends; I on the other hand am still single and glad to be back in Galway city.

Now I did have many dates this summer; cinema, dinner, bowling and so on. Most of those dates were with friends but I'm counting them all the same. The dates (that actually count) were in simple terms, disastrous!

How come it seems so hard to find a decent guy around here? They are either in a relationship and the rest just seem to be becoming extinct. But I won't give up just yet fellow students I don't care if I turn into Carrie Bradshaw, I will find my Mr Big. He's out there I just have to hunt him down; not literally now if you see a crazy girl running around campus with a sign saying "Mr Right where are you?", I swear it's not me. I on the other hand, being the organisational student that I know I can be, will be more discrete. I am looking for certain traits, you

know: tall dark and handsome.

Or maybe I should just spend this final year in every night studying. Nah, where would the fun be in that?

Now it all begins, who else is so excited to be moving back to Galway, out every night, no assignments due, meeting with friends you haven't seen all summer? There is nothing like this time of year.

Nevertheless, how I dread leaving a nice warm house, with hot water, a full fridge and homemade dinners. Even though I get to live with three amazing girls, I still hate the cold, expensive electrical bill and "it's your turn to get the washing up liquid".

Not this year I say; I have packed a hot water bottle, extra woolly blankets, a dressing gown and fluffy socks, along with endless amounts of tea. I think I'm 1-0 to student poverty, although that is to be continued…

Your Kitchen Essentials

By Chelsea Tabert Grocery shopping doesn’t have to be difficult!

The most frightening part of leaving the grocery store is the sudden realisation that all you have left the shop with is frozen pizzas, sausage rolls, and a flat of Yazoo chocolate milk.

And let’s be honest, we all know that processed foods do not make up a very substantial diet.

The first thing you need to do is establish your budget. This will depend on where you shop, how much you eat, and how healthy of a diet you choose to have.

Shops like Lidl and Aldi are perfect for any student and should be your first go-to when it comes to grocery shopping. The most useful nutrition tip I have ever learned is to “eat the rainbow” although, you cannot eat the rainbow unless you cook with real ingredients.

These below items are very adaptable to any meal, and the best part is that they are univer-

sally inexpensive. As long as you have a refrigerator full of these ingredients, you won’t be stuck having to order in Supermac’s every other night or resort to frozen meals/ PROTEIN/DAIRY: Milk, Eggs, Yogurt, Fresh Chicken, Mince Meat packets, and Fish Fillets.

Protein alternatives for vegetarians can include grains such as Quinoa, Tofu, or Beans.

FRUITS/VEGETABLE: Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Spinach, potatoes, and Colourful Peppers.

PANTRY FOODS: Tortillas, Rice, Oats, Assorted Pastas and Sliced Bread.

Remember! Whole grains are higher in nutrients compared to white flours and grains.

These main grocery staples should be found in every student’s kitchen. With these, you can make a

wide variety of meals from breakfast, straight through to dinner. Some quick and easy meals include: • Tacos or Burritos: Tortillas, meat, vegetables, seasoning (easy-tomake kits are available).

• Fajitas: Tortillas, chicken, peppers, and seasoning.

• Baked Chicken Fillets with Rice and Vegetables.

• Pasta with your choice of sauce.

• Spaghetti Bolognese: Pasta, mince, sauce, vegetables (optional).

• Chilli Con Carne: Mince, beans, vegetables, sauce (ready-made is available) on a bed of rice.

• Sweet and Sour Chicken: Chicken, rice, sauce (readymade is available).

• Fish Fillets with Rice and Vegetables.

And remember; avoid frozen or canned foods when at all possible!

If a fresh alternative is available, opt for that. If you are unable to eat the entire fresh portion, make sure to freeze the remaining portions after wrapping the food air tight with cling film.

FEATURES 15

September 15 2014

Your Introduction to USI

By Conor Stitt September is a busy time for an NUI Galway student, with settling in to a new year, meeting new friends, joining clubs and societies, maybe becoming a class rep or joining the welfare crew. Planning out your year can be hectic and you may or may not know there are people looking to help and represent you at every turn.

NUI Galway students have a great Students’ Union who will do incredible work in representing you this year but another organisation who is fighting your corner is the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

USI is the national Students’ Union and we fight for students on a national level through lobbying the government or through national on a whole array of issues such as rising fees/ grant cuts, mental health, accommodation, sexual health and equality.

USI has 354,000 members, including you and we are a democratic organisation in which you have a say and the national officers work to represent your views on a national level. This is done through your SU representing you at USI national councils and annual congress, but we are always interested in hearing your views, so get in touch!

You may see USI in NUI Galway over the coming weeks building towards our prebudget ‘Rally for Education’ in Dublin on 8 October, which is part of our campaign to protect student supports in this year’s budget.

We need as many people as possible to come to this, so watch this space.

We are also running voter registration drives across the country in the coming months to mobilise a strong student vote for

the upcoming Marriage Equality referendum and the next general election so make sure to get registered. If you’re not sure if you’re registered, go to checktheregister.ie.

Besides the pre-budget campaign and voter registration drives, look out for USI in NUI Galway, rolling out SHAG packs for SHAG week, the USI Accommodation and Finance Guide which holds great tips on finance and tenants’ rights and upcoming events this semester such as Activity Academy (TBC), the Mature Students Conference (Athlone IT, 7 November) and Pink Training (UCC and Cork IT, 21-23 November).

We are always looking for people to be involved in USI and the student movement; the best way to keep updated is to ask your SU, become a class rep or join your SU welfare crew.

Ballymote to Galway Licence No 14008

Route No NUG09 Sunday Returning Friday Ballymote Garda Station 17.20 Connacht Gold Lay-By 17.30 Gurteen Ballaghaderreen Oakwood 17.50 17.55 Lisacul X Roads Loughglynn Church 18.00 Castlerea Garda Station 18.15 Williamstown Square 18.35 Dunmore Square 18.45 Galway Glasson 19.55 14.20 Galway College Rd 20.05 14.30 Galway Eyre Sq 20.09 Galway Fr Griffin Road 20.15 Galway St Marys Rd 20.18 Galway Lower Newcastle 20.20 14.40 Galway Corrib Village 20.23 14.50 Galway Greenfield 20.25 15.00 Galway Thomas Hynes Road 20.28 Galway Siobhan McKenna Rd 20.35 15.05 Galway Gort Na Coirbe 20.45 15.15 Galway Centre Point 20.50

GOING TO COLLEGE IN GALWAY? Contact Geraghty Travel on 086 8234242 www.geraghtytravel.com

Mionscéalta na Mic Léinn: An Vóta Cinniúnach Le Feidhlim Seoighe, LeasUachtarán don Ghaeilge, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn Is é an grá an mothúchán is láidre, is treise agus is ceanúla. Tá sé deacair a thuiscint, san lá atá inniu ann, gurb ann don oiread sin daoine nach féidir leo a gcuid grá a léiriú don té a bhfuil cion acu air.

Samhlaigh saol nach mbeifeá in ann do grá a léiriú ann, nach mbeifeá compordach siúl síos an tsráid lámh le lámh le do chéile ann. Samhlaigh go mbeadh faitíos ort é, nó í, a phógadh is sibh ag suí lasmuigh, ar an trá, ar oíche álainn samhraidh.

Is é sin an saol atá ag cuid de mhuintir na tíre seo. Cuid díbh ár muintir, is cuid eile ár gcairde.

Tá Rialtais an Lucht Oibre agus Fhine Gael tar éis a fhógairt go n-eagrófar reifreann, faoi earrach 2015, ar cheist an phósta chomhghnéis, agus má éiríonn leis, beidh muidne ar an gcéad tír ar fud an domhain a d’aontaigh go daonlathach go bhfuil an pósadh ar cheann de chearta an duine.

Tá tasc agus troid mór os ár gcomhair anois i mbliana. Ag tús na bliana seo chugainn, beidh an seans againn freagra a thabhairt ar an gceist “An n-aontaíonn tú leis an bpósadh comhghnéis?”. Ach tá neart le déanamh roimh ré, caithfidh tú brú a chur ar do mhuintir, ar do chairde, agus ar gach uile dhuine eile clárú do chlár na dtoghthóirí, agus a chinntiú go gcaithfidh siad a vóta; vóta ar son an chothromais, vóta ar son an ghrá.

Ach ní hé an pósadh an t-aon rud amháin

atá á choinneáil ó dhaoine LGBT, ach an cheart le clann a thógáil.

Tá neart rudaí iontacha faoin tír seo, ár dteanga, ár bhféiniúlacht, ar gceol, ár spóirt, agus an chraic a bhíonn againn, ach is tír gan chothromas í.

Cuirtear an cheist go minic, “Cén fáth a mbaineann an t-ábhar seo le Mic Léinn?”, agus ní gá ach breathnú siar ar stair ghluaiseacht na Mac Léinn chun an fáth sin a fháil amach.

Is iad na Mic Léinn a chuir an brú chun go mbeadh coiscíní ar fáil sna siopaí, is iad na Mic Léinn a thóg an cás cúirte SPUC v Grogan, ar cuireadh eolas ar an nginmhilleadh ar fáil dá bharr, is iad na Mic Léinn a bhí lárnach i bhfíorú an homaighnéasachais. Agus is iad na Mic Léinn a dhéanfaidh an cinneadh seo faoin gcothromas pósta in Éirinn.

Bainfear áit amach sa stair i mbliana. Ní athróidh an reifreann an tsochaí atá againn, ach cuirfidh sé ar bhealach ár leasa muid.

Mohill to Galway Licence No. 14005

Route No. NUG08

Mohill Carrick on Shannon Boyle Frenchpark Ballinagare Castlerea Wiliamstown Dunmore Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway Galway

Garda Station Landmark Hotel Garda Station Post Ofce Main Street Garda Station Square Square Glasson College Road Eyre Square Fr. Grifn Road University Hospital Lower Newcastle Corrib Village Clifton Estate Hazel Park Corrib Park Westside Pitches Gort Na Coirbe Cathedral

Sunday 17:35 17:50 18:10 18:25 18:30 18:45 19:00 19:10 20:20 20:25 20:29 20:35 20:38 20:40 20:43 20:45 20:48 20:51 20:55 21:05 -

Returning Fri Returning Thurs 13:00 & 17:35 17.35 12:40 & 17:15 17.15 12:20 & 17:05 17.05 12:50 & 17:25 17.25

GOING TO COLLEGE IN GALWAY? New Thursday evening college service

Contact Geraghty Travel on 086 8234242 www.geraghtytravel.com

THE SU PAGES PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

By Declan Higgins, SU President It’s an honour to welcome you all to NUI Galway as President of your Students’ Union.

For those joining us for the first time, I would like to wish you all the best of luck and I provide you with an assurance that, as your representative body, we will represent your best interests.

To those returning to us, we are committed to advancing the good work done over successive years, as well as advancing some new initiatives.

In this edition of Sin, both our Vice President and Education Officer as well as our Vice President and Welfare Officer are featured.

Over the next few weeks we will feature the other members of our Executive, our part time officers.

If there’s anything we can do, or you are wondering anything, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

ABOUT DECLAN

My name is Declan Higgins and I am your Students’ Union President for 2014/2015. I am from Castlegar in Galway, a past pupil of St. Joseph’s College, ‘The Bish’ and I started college here at NUI Galway in 2010.

I hold a BA degree in Legal Studies, Sociology and Political Science.

Last year, I was Vice President and Welfare Officer of the Union, and I was elected President earlier this year.

I hope to continue and build on the work done last year to ensure our University is one of equal opportunity, where each and every student is appreciated and encouraged to reach their full potential.

I have been previously involved in the Literary & Debating Society and the Business Society.

As the President of the Union, it is my responsibility to ensure the smooth running and quality of representation we give you, our members.

A massive part of this is having you all involved, so take the plunge; this is your Union, convey your voice on your issues – get involved.

I look forward to meeting you all this year.

Responsibilities The President co-ordinates the activities of the Students’ Union and works with University Management to achieve the best academic environment and quality of life for NUI Galway students.

The President is responsible for the finances of the Union, for co-ordinating Union campaigns during the year and acts as chief spokesperson for the Union.

If you feel things could be done better or if you can identify an area in which improvement is needed with the University, then talk to Declan.

Phone: 091 492746 Mobile: 086 3855502 Email: su.president@nuigalway.ie

ABOUT AOIFE

Hi there, My name is Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin and I am your Welfare Officer for this year.

I am here all through the year to help so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to get in contact.

If you are ever finding things a bit difficult or need to talk or just need someone to listen you can call into my office in the Students' Union or you can call or email me.

Whether you are worried about your course or money, if you are having problems settling in or if you are feeling down or confused I am available to talk!

The very best of luck with your year ahead and remember: nobody has the perfect journey through college and we all face speed-bumps as we go. But know that the Students' Union and I are here to support you every step of the way.

Beir Bua, Aoife

Responsibilities The Vice-President/Welfare Officer is responsible for: • Co-ordination and delivery of Welfare Campaigns on relevant welfare issues e.g. SHAG • Providing a confidential listening and referral service • Representing students on University committees in relation to student welfare • Dealing with individual requests from students • Keeping the Executive and students informed of all welfare matters • Organise and Chair the Welfare forum • Providing welfare information through the publication of leaflets, posters and/or books • Reviewing and drafting welfare policy • Representing the Union in USI events and attending USI events, especially in regard to the Welfare Working Group and other welfare related areas • Providing information on student entitlements and rights The position of Vice-President/Welfare Officer means being clued in to all student welfare issues, being a voice for students within the University and also being an important member of the Executive Committee. As Vice- President, this officer is very involved with the day-today running of the Union, and helps with all Union campaigns and events. Issues that Aoife and previous Vice-President / Welfare Officers have worked on include: • Ensuring students are well informed about their accommodation rights • Promoting an awareness of sexual health through ongoing campaigns and targeted campaigns such as SHAG Week • Encouraging student well-being through the provision of information on the website and in the diary • Improving student safety by establishing the Campus Watch committee and continuing to liaise with campus security and community Garda • Working with Student Services to ensure adequate service for students in distress • Together with USI, working to improve funding for services in the University • Aiming to raise awareness of the many services available to students, e.g. the PleaseTalk campaign

Phone: 091 492747 Mobile: 086 3853659 su.welfare@nuigalway.ie

ABOUT PHELIM

Hi guys, my name is Phelim Kelly and I am your Education Officer this year. I am from Donegal and I am a current science student.

As your Edu­cation Officer, I am here

to ensure you get the education you deserve at NUI Galway. There is never an issue too big or too small whether it is a grant issue, exams or assignments.

Throughout the year I am here to help and as the Education Officer I represent you on academic committees within the University.

My details are all here and you can call into my office anytime in the Students’ Union office in Áras na Mac Léinn.

Best of luck throughout the year and if you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact me.

Responsibilities The Vice-President / Education Officer is responsible for: • Co-ordination of the Students' Union Council • Providing a confidential listening and referral service • Representing students on University committees which relate to Academic life • Dealing with individual requests from students • Keeping the Executive and students informed of all educational matters • Organise and chair the Education forum • Providing academic information through the publication of leaflets and/or books • Representing the Union in USI events and attending USI events, especially in regard to the Education Working Group and other Education related areas • Drafting education policy • Dealing with issues as the arise within the University e.g. re-structuring The position of Vice-President/Education Officer means being up to date on academic policy, being a voice for students on academic issues and also being an importance member of the Executive Committee. As Vice-President, this officer is very involved with the dayto-day running of the Union, and helps with all Union campaigns and events.

Issues that Phelim and previous Vice- President/Education Officers have worked on include: • Developing a support centre for Maths and English within the University • Creating an informative grants booklet to make applying for the grant easier for students • Lobbying the University for extended library opening hours • Encouraging students to use the available mechanisms for reviewing their lecturers • Increasing the effectiveness of the Class Representatives Council • Working with the national union (USI) to improve the grants system • Increasing awareness of students' rights in University • Lobbying for clearer and more frequent communication from the University to students

Phone: 091 493707 Mobile: 086 3853658 su.education@nuigalway.ie

517 Class Reps Poster.pdf

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WHAT IS A CLASS REP?

A class rep is someone who will represent the views of their class both to the Students’ Union and to the University. As a class rep you are essentially the “voice of your class” so the class rep is the one to speak up when things aren’t going well etc.

WHAT DOES A CLASS REP DO?

Class Reps C

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Sign-Up Now

Contact Phelim your Education Officer

Cláraigh Anois

Labhair le Phelim, an toifigeach Oideachais,

in the Students' Union for more information

iN Oifig an Chomhaltais le hAghaidh tuilleadh eolais.

su.education@nuigalway.ie

su.education@nuigalway.ie

www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

There are two main roles to being a class rep: representation and being a referral service to your peers. Class reps will sit on faculty councils where they can relay the views of their class to the college convenors and also the main decision-making body for the Students’ Union the class reps council.

Class reps may also be the point of contact for a student having difficulties and as a class rep they need to refer them to the relevant people. A class rep is not a counsellor and should never take that role upon themselves.

Some of the fun aspects to being a class rep is they can organise social outings for their class. Some do mystery tours, others organise bonding events.

Class reps also take upon themselves the role of organising class hoodies. Basically class reps can do whatever they want. The role is what you make of it so don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

WHY BECOME A CLASS REP?

Every class needs a rep if they want to get their voices heard. But for you, being a class rep is invaluable experience for your CV. As class rep you will be rewarded with certificates of volunteering and dedication to the student experience of NUI Galway. Being a class rep shows leadership, profound contribution to student life and student politics for any potential employer.

One of the best parts of being a rep is you get to meet a lot of people. You get to make friends for life as a class rep. Sitting in a lecture theatre with 300 random people is quite daunting and you don’t really get a chance to meet many people but as class rep you will meet a lot of people who share your views on various issues and they will be the ones who you’ll make friends with.

Let’s face it, any Tom, Dick and Harry can go to college and get a degree but when it comes down to it, what you do in college outside of academic achievements and your degree are what the employers are going to ask about.

HOW DO I BECOME A CLASS REP?

It’s simple, an SU officer will come in to your class at some stage to elect reps. Some lecturers also do this for the class as well but make sure to register with the Students’ Union either way. All you need to do is put your name forward. You can also put your name forward by calling up to the Students’ Union office in Áras na Mac Léinn or at the SU engineering desk.

18 OUT & ABOUT

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

GALWAY’S FIFTH ANNUAL ZOMBIE WALK by Katya Radovanova

SOCS DAY 2014 by Daniel O’Loughlin

September 15 2014

OUT & ABOUT 19

NUI Galway Students’ Union th 50 Birthday Bash – 7 June 2014

Photos by Kieran Durcan/ self-shot in photobooth.

20 LIFESTYLE

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Fashion Essentials for living in Galway

By Amy McDonnell Moving away from home can be a difficult experience for the best of us, but moving to Galway brings its own trials and tribulations, including the bad weather (which is sure to catch up with us soon).

To prepare you for the rain, nightlife and various other parts of Galway lifestyle, we’ve put together a list of fashion items that are essential when living in Galway.

Torrential downpours are entirely the norm in Galway.

Making your way to class requires stealthy manoeuvring through sheets of hail and numerous pothole puddles.

PARKA JACKET: A key purchase for any incoming

first year is a reliable, warm and cosy parka jacket.

Be sure it has a hood. I remember my unfortunate first week of college where I attempted the treacherous trek from Gort na Coiribe to college, wearing a very flimsy cream trench coat. Safe to

say, I resembled nothing short of a drowned rat squelching through the lecture halls.

A chunky, waterproof parka jacket may not be the most fashionable of items, but please believe me, it is one hundred per cent necessary! Check out River Island or Penneys for some purse friendly options, many of which have some unique twists such as fur trims and leather panels.

In college, you would be wise to purchase either a comfortable pair of black or nude heels. They will go with everything! Perhaps they won't always be the ideal match, they might end up scuffed, scratched and battered, but trust me, nobody really pays that much attention to your feet (and if they do, questions could be asked). These will become your go to essentials!

BOOTS: If you're a stranger to the west coast of

Ireland, you are going to be in for an unfortunate surprise. Torrential downpours are entirely the norm in Galway. Making your way to class requires stealthy manoeuvring through sheets of hail and numerous pothole puddles.

Do not, I repeat, do not in any circumstances attempt to undertake this in a pair of your prettiest Penneys pumps. The adhesive in these just isn't cut out for such harsh conditions; cue you losing your sole (and possibly your soul) by the time you make it to NUI Galway.

Invest in a decent pair of boots, even a cheap pair will spare you from the flu. If they're not really your style, even a pretty pair of ankle boots will do the job.

NUDE/BLACK HEELS: When socialising, us ladies

are frequently tortured by wearing our most beautiful and highest pair of heels on a night out, only to finish the evening hobbling home barefoot.

BLACK PENCIL SKIRT: Ideal with your new

black/nude dancing shoes. Take the hassle out of dressing for the numerous nights out before the hard work begins by mixing and matching different crop tops or chiffon shirts and jewellery. It will look like a new outfit every night, but ssh; nobody has to know.

FLUFFY SOCKS: For under your new pair of

boats, for wandering the cold floors of your new student abode... No more words necessary – ultimate comfort!

HANGOVER HOODIE: You need a big, warm,

oversized fluffy jumper to wrap yourself in and hide your shame on mornings where you may not feel the perkiest. It will keep you warm and safe and is nice and simple to throw on with a pair of jeans for a dreary journey to those early lectures.

The parka will be an essential for your wardrobe if you want to survive the Galway weather. Photo: stylecountz on Flickr

Does society really need ‘Date Rape Nail Polish’?

By Dean Buckley A group of male students at North Carolina State University have invented a nail polish designed to prevent date rape, and it’s really stupid.

Of course, their intentions are good, but apparently the road to hell is paved with those things, so they’re clearly not very effective at getting us anywhere we want to go.

There are a lot of problems with the nail polish. First of all, on a very practical level, there are only a few drugs it could possibly detect, and there are a lot of date rape drugs.

Most reports can’t even specify what it detects, though typically GBH, rohypnol and ketamine are listed, usually qualified with “may include” or followed by a vague “and other drugs”.

There are doubts over whether it even works at detecting whatever drug it’s supposed to detect, let alone any other drugs.

So even if its job is useful, it’s pretty crap at it.

But is its job useful? Well, not really, no, because it’s just one more heap of blame and responsibility put on the victims of rape. In fact, this isn’t even a new technology. We’ve had cups that change colour in the presence of date rape drugs for forty years and rates of sexual assault, violence and rape have risen, not fallen.

You see, it turns out that no matter how much pressure we put on women to not let themselves get raped, it doesn’t work, principally because if you could just let yourself

not get raped, no one would ever get raped, permission being somewhat central to the definition of rape.

Sure, it’s a lot harder for us to dismantle the toxic and hateful system of gender inequality that leads to rape, but also, it actually prevents rape, so we kind of just have to suck it up and get to work.

But okay, that won’t happen overnight.

And maybe we won’t adopt the attitude of “well, why did or didn’t you do X” that we do with everything else. And, who knows, the nail polish might detect at least one drug used in date rape. So it’s still good right?

Well, no, not at all, because date rape drugs aren’t really a thing. Research has shown time and time again that the most common date rape drug, used in the overwhelming majority of date rape, is alcohol, consumed voluntarily by the victim. And the next two most common are marijuana and cocaine, also consumed voluntarily.

If that seems surprising, it shouldn’t. Why would you go out of your way to acquire expensive illegal drugs that are difficult to administer, when you can just find someone who is already drinking, make sure they get blitzed, and take advantage of them then?

Turns out there are almost no date rapists who would take the more difficult choice.

Especially when we still live in a society who’ll tell that woman she wasn’t raped, or that it was her fault.

It really seems like we should just teach men not to rape women.

LIFESTYLE 21

September 15 2014

What’s Up Doc? Welcome back to College and the first instalment of ‘What’s Up Doc’. Each issue we hope to deal with some current topic which is relevant to students. We begin with Sexual Health and hope that you find some of the information handy.

Your college days are generally the best days of your life. You will learn new skills, develop academically and in many cases experience a social life, which even the more seasoned party goers will find difficulty contending with.

Alcohol and recreational drugs are sometimes par for the course and can cloud your usual sound judgement.

This is why you must always be prepared and think about how you need to protect yourself.

We all know that it is now more important than ever to protect ourselves especially when we look at the stats that say that 48% of STI’s (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) are accounted for by the 15 – 24 year age group.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) tops the list as the most common infection followed by chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis B, HIV and trichomoniasis.

It is more important to note that

some STIs have no obvious symptoms, so neither you nor your partner may be aware that you have a sexually transmitted disease. If you or your partner has been in a previous relationship, have you been checked for any sexually transmitted disease?

Guess what… the only fool proof way to avoid STI’s is to abstain from any form of sexual intimacy. Otherwise the simple rule is ‘always use a condom’, not just as a contraceptive but as a barrier for STIs. Sexual intimacy includes oral, vaginal or anal sex.

One night stands are most high-risk as partners do not often know each other. Imagine finding out down the road that you should have been more careful long after your partner has disappeared into the mists or getting a call letting you know that you should get checked.

The sort of thing to watch out for and get checked out either by your doctor or local STI clinic are any unusual discharges from the penis or vagina, pain when passing urine, itching and irritation or blistering or rash in the genital region and pain during sex.

If you have any of these problems, or if you have any worries then get

Student Meals: The good, the bad and the ugly

By Niamh Potter them checked. Anything you say to your doctor is confidential. An STI test can be done with your GP or an appointment at an STI Clinic can be arranged if needed (this is anonymous).

The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome and the fewer people that become infected in the future. Most STIs can be treated quite easily once diagnosed. Simple medication is the rule of the day for most infections.

But some STIs can have long-lasting effects and in particular may affect fertility later on so accurate diagnosis and treatment is essential.

If you have any worries or questions ask your doctor or healthcare professional. If you have worries or symptoms that you are unsure of then, ‘if in doubt check it out’.

We all have to take responsibility for ourselves so don’t rely on someone else to protect you and don’t trust anyone else to say they will.

So let the college term begin and when you come out the other end, know that your College Days were the Best days of your life!

Crescent Medical Centre, 1 The Crescent, Galway 091587213

I think it happens every student, no matter how well you plan your food shopping for the week. Sometimes you even make a list. But deep down you know that at some point during the week, be it after a night out or towards the end of the week when supplies are running low, you are going to end up eating a very typical “student meal”.

You start off the year thinking, I’m fairly good at cooking. I’ve got spag bol down, omelettes of course, maybe even the skill of boiling potatoes. Then you progress onto a stir-fry and relish in the gazes of awe from your housemates as you chop up your multiple veg like a budding Nigella Lawson.

Somewhere along the line though, your good intentions wane and you end up missing the days when you would come in from school and your potatoes, two veg and meat would be waiting for you. It’s a Thursday evening; you’re going out later and if you don’t eat now you’ll never get time to put on your tan. So what do you do? Improvise: student meals.

Pasta eaten from the pot; cereal at any given time of the day; beans on toast; more pasta; cheese toasties; noodles and bread are some of the most popular student meals.

Your shelf in the freezer is home to

many brands of waffles and not a whole lot else. Mould on bread? It’s still a perfect slice of bread just pick off the mould (this event occurred in real-life).

Worse again is the food consumed after a night out. Superma’s being the number one hot spot for your 4am meal in Galway. The night is over; I deserve this big chicken burger with a side of curry cheese chips and a large coke. I danced my ass off; it wasn’t easy but someone had to do it.

Cutlery brings its own set of problems.

What do you do when all the spoons are in the sink and the only knife available is one designed to carve a turkey? Or the only cup left to make tea in is that strange tiny teacup with the picture of a bird on it?

Many students have now developed the necessary skill of buttering toast with the straight part of a fork.

Then we have the cheaters. You know the ones; the students who bypass the whole process of learning how to feed oneself by bringing up prepared meals made by mammy at home in Dublin.

These are an elite type of student, unlike the rest of us who are resigned to eating three hardboiled eggs and the heel of a white slice pan on a Thursday night for fear of wasting away/starvation. Maybe someday we will figure it out. Until then, I’m off to make some cheerios.

22 FILM REVIEWS

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

REVIEW: The Grand Seduction On DVD this moth: Locke

By Ken Glennon At the 26th Galway Film Fleadh, while introducing The Grand Seduction, producer Roger Frappier promised this was the closest to an Irish film we could get.

And so it goes the picture’s jovial, comic tale of a small, ailing fishing harbor where morale and employment are at an all-time low and only a determined outof-work fisherman, played by the ever scruffily charismatic Brendan Gleeson can rally the community.

His scheme, such as it is, is to draw in a petrochemical factory which has been negotiating to set up shop in Tickle Head, Newfoundland. All Murray (Gleeson) knows is they’ll create jobs and restore a sense of missing pride and purpose to the once blissful locale where the majority of residents now live off social welfare. As Murray notes, the welfare lasts fifteen days; the shame a lot longer.

One issue standing in their way is the company’s criteria for a local doctor. By a happy contrivance, the harbour is welcoming a hotshot plastic

By Ken Glennon

surgeon (Taylor Kitsch) on a one month trial period. He can’t wait to leave. They need to sign him permanently to secure the factory.

So begins their grand seduction which over the course of 100 minutes involves such spectacular levels of deception and invasive surveillance that one might be forgiven for thinking there was something deeply sinister at the heart of this affable comedy.

In order to win over Kitsch, the locals invade every aspect of his personal life by recording his, sometimes intimate, conversations back home. This is all perpetrated in addition to setting up the elaborate illusion that the modest harbour of Tickle Head is a haven tailored to the good doctor’s various sporting and culinary fancies, information of which has been obtained via wiretapping.

So it’s a farce with an oddly creepy set up.

It’s also cheerfully acted

by Gleeson and in the film’s stand-out performance, Gordon Pinsent who plays Murray’s best friend, a

comically dour, sarcastic old crank in the tradition of lovable old cranks, just about steals every scene he’s in and is a good match for Gleeson. In a story that amiably offers up stock characters it helps having two old hands who imbue their scenes with sincerity.

The Grand Seduction has an undeniably pleasant sense of warmth and simplicity. It also lacks the deeper characterisation that elevates such small comedies when the laughs are in short supply. Seeing it at a packed IMC screening, I should point out the majority older audience fre-

quently burst into laughter.

Not for me, though a few visual gags and line readings elicited a smile, a few chuckles and, admittedly one or two proper laughs.

Remade from the 2003 French film La grande séduction (which I haven’t seen though Frappier said the attempt was an 80% remake) this latest incarnation of the story embraces convention and whimsical contrivance at every turn.

It also works some charm in through its fine cast and pleasing locale which makes for affable, though not especially memorable viewing.

mitted relationship. Despite this the pair agrees to just be friends and so the complications and confusions of their relationship begin.

The plot is incredibly predictable, we’ve all seen this story a thousand times since When Harry Met Sally, but the beauty of What If is the fact that what really matters is the characters and their amazing chemistry.

Radcliff and Kazan have constant onscreen banter and conversations that are very believable; the chemistry between the two is instantly noticeable and manages to suck you in straight away.

They are both likable yet realistically flawed.

The pair work incredibly well together; bouncing off one another’s wit during comic scenes and creating the perfect amount of sexual tension in more serious ones. Adam Driver also does an excellent job playing Wallace’s hilarious best friend,

whose witty commentary on Wallace’s predicament and his own whirlwind life move the plot along at a nice pace that never leaves you feeling bored.

Aside from the wonderful performances, the cinematography and directing of What If set it apart from other generic ‘will they? wont they?’ comedies ; Chantry’s worries and private thoughts are brought to life in the form of silent cartoons set against real life backgrounds that seamlessly make the transition from one scene to the next. This is a beautiful creative touch that allows the viewer to get inside the minds of both leading characters.

Despite being little too cute and predictable, What If is a thoroughly enjoyable film overall, that’s not to be missed if you love romcoms, Daniel Radcliff or just want to see the scenes shot in Dublin.

REVIEW: What If

By Jane Kearns Cute, fun, whimsical and highly entertaining are all words that spring to mind after seeing Daniel Radcliff’s latest film What If. Starring alongside the Zoe Kazan (Savages) and Adam Driver (Girls) the Harry Potter star finally takes on a role that shows just how far he’s come from his Hogwarts days and how good an actor he has become.

Adapted from TJ Dawe’s play Toothpaste and Cigars, What If follows the life of Wallace (Radcliff ), a loner, medical school drop out who’s still pining for his girlfriend a year after they break up; all that changes when Wallace meets Chantry (Kazan) at a party.

The pair instantly connect over their mutual love of puns and general awkwardness, but to Wallace’s dismay Chantry is in a com-

Ivan’s World; Tom Hardy in a car for ninety minutes. As hooks go it’s a pretty good one, with Eastern Promises and Dirty Pretty Things writer Steven Knight constructing drama around one man’s life unravelling over the course of one revelatory car journey.

That man is Hardy’s Ivan Locke, a usually reliable and excellent construction manager who abruptly and mysteriously departs his post on the eve of historical and multi-million pound concrete pour.

Driven by Tom Hardy’s performance, Locke is a near real-time drama which tautly traces the havoc the title character wreaks upon his life after one faithful decision. It’s fitting that the film bears Atonement director Joe Wright’s name as executive-producer.

Ivan is a man of principle and is attempting to rectify several potentially calamitous situations unfolding simultaneously over the phone. The initial mystery as to what is compelling Ivan is key to the opening scenes and will not be spoiled here though his actions jeopardise both his career and family (played by Ruth Wilson, Tom Holland and Bill Milner as Locke’s wife and sons whose voices sound off in real time opposite Hardy’s).

Amid the Spartan confines, Tom Hardy excels as a man buried in an increasingly unmanageable situation. Heavily bearded and speaking with a convincing Welsh accent, Hardy presents a fascinating and moving account of the ultra-competent Locke in breakdown mode. With every new phone call threatening calamity, Knight’s script doesn’t slow down long enough for Ivan to do

more than offer a few mournful glances out the window.

The closest thing to respite arrives in the form of Locke berating the memory of his late and desperately lacking father.

While pressure builds, escalates and barely subsides, the tension as to what combination of problems will finally break this man is carefully measured from start to finish.

It’s a note-perfect performance from Tom Hardy while the supporting ensemble makes its presence felt off-screen. From Irish actor and sometime Moriarty on BBC’s Sherlock, Andrew Scott as Ivan’s sole-remaining work aid and a drinker who doesn’t take well to the situation to Ruth Wilson as Ivan’s increasingly distressed wife to Ben Daniels as Hardy’s increasingly exacerbated boss, the talented off-screen ensemble also featuring Olivia Coleman shines through.

In addition, Ivan’s sons as portrayed by The Impossible actor Tom Holland and Son of Rambo star Ben Milner generate several dignified tearful moments.

Beyond the cast there’s only so much to report. There is something inherently cinematic about filming at night with a neon light motorway backdrop. Shot on digital and almost entirely from the interior of Ivan’s BMW, Locke boasts a hypnotic after-hours quality courtesy of cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos.

At 85 minutes Knight has crafted a taut and intense experience that never wavers in dramatic energy. Throughout the film Ivan reminds those on the phone that he has made a choice and is not turning back.

Knight’s screenplay and the work by Tom Hardy offer a riveting exploration of that decision and the consequences that follow.

FILM 23

September 15 2014

GALWAY FILM FLEADH INTERVIEW: Aoife Kelleher, director of

By Ken Glennon One Million Dubliners is a moving documentary, set within Glasnevin Cemetery, that had its world premiere at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh.

It’s an emotive journey through the final resting place of over 1.5 million people. After the screening I was fortunate enough to get an interview with the film’s director Aoife, Kelleher.

We sat down and discussed her latest film, her working relationship with Shane MacThomáis, the appeal of making a film about Glasnevin Cemetery and the difficulties involved, as well as the gender imbalance in the film and television industry in Ireland and more.

“An Irish way of looking at death, which I think is funny, quirky and warm,” is what Aoife Kelleher said her film One Million Dubliners.

What was your experience working with Shane?

He was an extraordinary person to get to know. Being introduced to Glasnevin through his eyes was a real privilege. He had worked there for years and the combination of his humour and the breadth of his knowledge was extraordinary to be around. You realised very quickly with someone like that that he was extraordinary. As an individual he was fantastic, great fun.

I wanted to ask you how you came into making the film and what was it that drew you to Glasnevin as a subject?

Well I met the executive producer, James Mitchell, and he told me that he was developing a film on Glasnevin and I absolutely adored the idea immediately. I think there is something completely fascinating about the Irish relationship to death and dying and commemoration and to visiting graves.

There’s something about it that captures something completely unique about the Irish psyche I think. The combination of warmth and respect and humour and joy I suppose. All of which feel they should be completely anathema to the idea of death and dying and yet there’s something about Irish people that manages to bring those into the whole experience.

I just loved the idea of capturing it. Also you know, as a filmmaker, Glasnevin is so beautiful as well.

It’s such a visually striking location and capturing that, all the little nooks and crannies as well as all of the big famous monuments, I loved the idea immediately so when James suggested I come on board I was absolutely delighted.

Rachel Lysaght (the film’s producer) chaired the Women in Film and Television Ireland discussion group.

She wrote in Film Ireland last year about the gender breakdown in Irish film and TV and highlighted that, looking at the Irish Film Board’s 2012 development slate of the successful directors, only 28% are female, and of the writers only 25%. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the imbalance within the industry here and abroad for women?

In some ways I think that when you work as a director you work so rarely with other directors. There would be occasions where you work with directors on projects but by and large you’re so much on your own that you don’t get a sense of the wider imbalance until I suppose you look at awards ceremonies maybe.

In the same article Rachel mentioned the IFTAs in 2011 creating a combined Lead Actress in a Film/TV Role category for example…

Exactly. So often you can be in your own little bubble and working away and not be aware of how things are in the wider industry. So I know that for myself I’ve been very lucky from my twenties, once I decided to be a director I’ve been lucky to be commissioned by RTE and by the film board and then to be brought on to projects like this.

So in some ways, personally, I’ve never been aware of a difficulty. It’s only on the big occasions when you

look around and you see, you can sometimes be aware, whether it’s awards ceremonies or whether it’s commissioning events, no matter what it is that you do notice, there are fewer women in the room and of course that’s something that would be great to change.

I think that, particularly looking ahead further to directors who are doing drama and who are doing bigger and bigger projects and have progressed further in their careers, you’re aware of the numbers too. You know it’s that idea that you can’t be what you can’t see.

I suppose as a woman director you’re aware that there are fewer women to emulate, although I mean obviously you have great Irish directors now like Dervala Walsh. And you have Kathryn Bigelow winning best picture and best director (at the 2010 Academy Awards, the first female recipient of the best director award) so you know it’s definitely getting better but I suppose anything that can be done with regards to correcting numbers I think would be greatly appreciated.

Kathryn Bigelow being a very late example. She only won her Oscar in 2010.

Yeah.

Just to move back to Glasnevin, how long was the process of making

It’s not big

the film and what was the greatest challenge in making it?

Well we spoke about it for a long time before we got funding and once the financiers came on board we started filming at the very start of November of last year and the last day that we shot was Shane’s funeral which was in March and then we edited it and it was officially ready two days ago. So that was the period.

Prior to that we would have all been working for quite a long time, getting ready together, meeting everyone out there, building relationships and trying to get funding for it which we were very lucky to secure in the end.

As we’re here at the Galway Film Fleadh and you’re up for the best Irish documentary award I was wondering what’s next for the film after Galway and where are you hoping to bring it?

We’re hoping it will have a theatrical release. We’re hoping that will happen in October or November of this year. So that’s our big hope for it and that it will be shown in cinemas around the countries, and then also possibly in smaller venues as well. I love the idea of bringing it to small communities and with something like this that has such an Irish feel to it it’d be nice to bring it to small communities.

Have you had a chance to show the film in Glasnevin?

We’ve shown it to Shane’s friends and family and we’ve shown it to the staff (at Glasnevin Cemetery). We’re hoping there will be an event soon for the staff, possibly around Shane’s birthday.

What impact or impression do you hope the film will have on the Glasnevin community?

I would hope that the staff of Glasnevin would feel that it’s reflective of the work that they do.

And I would hope that Shane’s friends and family and colleagues feel that it is reflective of all of the work that he has done and that it creates a legacy for him and for his life’s work.

What is next for you?

Rachel and I have a couple of projects in the pipeline. One is, I suppose, the main one at the moment that we’re focusing on is a feature documentary about Knock. We’re at the early stages of working on that but we’ve another couple of projects in mind and hopefully by this time we’ll have some projects off the ground.

And nothing you want to jinx right now?

No! [laughs]

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24 MUSIC

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Review of Goddess by Banks

By Austin Maloney Pop music is bored with itself. So it’s started cannibalising other genres to sustain its own interest. Katy Perry and Rihanna borrow from the shrill, Day-Glo world of EDM, while Banks looks in other places.

Monochrome replaces technicolour (Banks adheres to the black-and-white aesthetic so strictly that it’s weird to see a colour photo of her). SOHN and Orlando Higginbottom replace Dr Luke and David Guetta. A mixture of house, dub and R’N’B vocals retooled for the three and a half minute verse chorus pop format. Darkside via Destiny’s Child.

Of course, Banks has been around for a while now and has two EPs behind her, so we’ve heard quite a few of these songs before, which doesn’t diminish how good they are because as well as borrowing musical techniques from dub, Banks also uses that genre’s manipulation of tension to good effect.

So ‘Drowning’ is a slow, pulsing thing, built on the build-up on release of intensity. ‘Beggin’ For Thread’ skulks ominously before ramping up into a frantic middle-eight (“Hold it out, try to hide it out, but my tracks are better”) and one final chorus.

‘Brain’ is one of the few instances where her voice is allowed to leave the low register it

usually occupies, stretching up to some electronically distorted high notes.

Of the newbies, ‘Stick’ is a more minimalistic exercise, propelled along by the percussion and Banks’ best Aaliyah vocals, the synths largely staying out of things until the chorus. On some of the others she strays from the nightclub backroom vibes and moves into more traditional genres, which doesn’t work quite as well for her.

So we’re presented with a couple of überbland ballads in the Alicia Keys style like ‘You Should Know Where I’m Coming From’ (which even has some strings tacked on for extra feels), and ‘Under the Table’.

Goddess’s best moments come when Banks sticks to her own style of warped, electronic pop music. And she’s part of a larger group of new, skewed pop stars. FKA Twigs has been on the cover of more or less every magazine.

The Lorde album was one of the weirdest number ones in recent memory. Sky Ferreira sounds like a Britney Spears version of Low. Only Lorde of that group has had success at the level of a mainstream pop star, and Banks is probably unlikely to replicate that.

But despite its occasional weak moments, she has made a captivating and forwardthinking album.

LATE BAR

EVERY NIGHT music you love, music you love to hate and all your guilty pleasures With gugai & Ted

EVERY TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY DOORS 11PM LOADS OF DRINK S PR OM O S

SEP 18TH

T H U R S DAY S

Live music followed by indie beats, alternative rock and good vibrations from the past, the present and the not too distant future with Gugai.

THE MIGHTY STEF & GUESTS SEP 25TH

THE NOTAS, PADDY HANNA & GUESTS

playlists and more at facebook.com/strangebrewgalway

OCT 2ND

WE CUT CORNERS OCT 9TH

GIRL BAND

Planet of the Apes

ORIGINAL RUDEBOYS

Sep 19th

Sep 22nd

Sep 26th

WEEZER NIGHT

I can’t believe you haven’t seen...

Original Rudeboys

Weezer Night

The Blue Album vs Pinkerton

Planet of the Apes

Sign up for our mailing list at www.roisindubh.net for special offers & more facebook.com/roisindubhgalway

N TE THE BEAT My Fellow Sponges show versatility and originality in latest EP

By Jessica Thompson Galway has always had a lively and buzzing music scene, producing countless original and talented musicians who regularly grace the stages of the city’s most popular live music venues.

But within this sea of originality, it’s always a pleasure to come across something that stands out as original without fitting into any particular genre or style.

One such band is My Fellow Sponges whose second release, an EP entitled Something Like Light, will immediately stand out in any music collection as ‘different’.

Hailing from Galway, the Sponges show such diversity in their recordings, while at the same time keeping things simple.

With an array of instruments from bodhrán to clarinet, and their simple, but powerful, observations of the world, My Fellow Sponges will stand out as artistic in every sense of the word.

And according to Donal McConnon who performs vocals, banjo, guitar, harmonica and clarinet for the band (though not all at the same time), the Sponges enjoy including various artistic elements in their shows.

“We’ve planned some of our own gigs in the Roisin and they’ve always been a huge success.

We normally decorate the stage (the last one we had a maritime theme with glowing jellyfish), and incorporate other musicians and performers, including storytellers, dancers and mime artists,” Donal explains.

Other members of the band include Anna Mullarkey (vocals, piano, bodhrán, ukulele, harmonium), David Shaughnessy (percussion), Elva Carrol (vocals), Hazel Collins (cello) and Sam Wright (bass). And, according to Donal, it all started in NUI Galway.

“Myself and Anna met when we were in DramSoc in NUIG a few years ago. We acted in a few shows together and when we finished our degrees, we decided to make a band together and so we got a few extra members,” he said.

The band’s flare for the dramatic can cer-

tainly be seen in the video for ‘This Dream Song’, directed by Mia Mullarkey of ishkafilms.com.

The video is certainly redolent of one of those dreams that leaves you feeling confused, yet intrigued; amused, yet terrified; backwards, but completely mind-blown, establishing My Fellow Sponges as one of the most creative bands to come out of Galway.

“We are pleased with the highly motivated by the vitality of the Galway music scene at the moment,” said Donal.

“There are so many great acts such as Steven Sharpe, Dylan Murphy, Corrosive Joseph, Grounds For Invasion and New Pope.

“It’s an exciting time to be playing original music in the city and there’s a genuine interest among the public, not just because it’s local, but also because the standard is so high.”

The Sponges certainly live up to that high standard as they take you on a bright and colourful journey, with music that will have you falling over with laughter one minute, floating on waves of sadness the next, and climbing trees of elation the next.

The band has travelled all over the country to perform at festivals such as Knockanstockan, Sunflowerfest, Body and Soul and, most recently, Electric Picnic.

If you’d like to listen to some of their music, you can find the album, Bon Nuit, and their EP, Something Like Light, on sale in Renzo Café on Eyre Street.

Upcoming gigs by My Fellow Sponges include Clifden Arts Festival on 26 September and Musical Mayhem in Monroe’s on 3 October.

Guinness Amplify in Galway Guinness Amplify will present 42 live acts in 21 venues over four nights in Galway in a series of intimate gigs in venues and pubs across the city from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 September. Admission to all gigs is free; on a first-come, first-served basis.

Guinness Amplify is a major new nationwide music programme featuring the best of Ireland's up-and-coming bands and artists. The 35 emerging acts appearing in the Galway line up are featured on the guinnessamplify.com website where details on the

more than 500 live gigs taking place nationwide this September and October are available.

Guinness Amplify are also delighted to present on this very special weekend some of Ireland's best known live acts including The Minutes, Duke Special, Kormac & His Big Band, Kila, Keywest, The Hot Sprockets and The Barley Mob. The Guinness Amplify acts featured on the Galway bill are Acoustra, Animal Beats, Ben Reel Band, Blades Club, Bunoscionn, Canaries, Chris Haze, Corner Boy, Crow Black Chicken, Derek Ellard, Elaine

Mai, Electric Ceili, Harrisson & The Devil, Harrison Tweed, Havana House Party, Hogan, Joe Casey, Kicking Bird, Leading Armies, Mojo Gogo, Moone Boys, My Violet, Na Fianna, Newfoundland, OGMA, Other Kind, Paddy Hana, Rye River Band, Ruggedwood, Vitro, The Academic, The Blood Red Mountain Band and The Notes.

Venues and bars in the West, the Latin Quarter, Woodquay, Eyre Square and Prospect Hill are involved.

For more information, visit guinnessamplify.com. This is a strictly over 18’s event.

LITERATURE 25

September 15 2014

Reading in College: Make the time

By Dean Buckley Ah the college life; a perfect storm of debauchery, poverty and enlightenment.

Now is the time of exploration, and there are many avenues to consider. Perhaps you'll spend a weekend on a journey toward the limit of your tolerance for alcohol, or the distance you can stretch ten euro in a budget supermarket.

Or maybe you'll join a society where you can learn an interesting new skill, like juggling, acting or public speaking. The classic example is exploring your sexuality, but that turn of phrase is constantly used to pressure college-aged people into sex they don't want to have, so let's shelve that here and now, and talk about books.

Of course college is supposed to be about opening your mind and stuff, but just relying on your lectures to do that won't get you very far. And, speaking as an arts student, I'm also speaking to arts students – hard sciences and business subjects aren't the only place you can get wrapped up in a rigid viewpoint.

For example, even some of the most celebrated white writers who discuss race in America, like Tim Wise, end up marvellously racist because they constantly put their own opinions on race on a pedestal above the opinions of people who actually deal with racism.

So if you want to really bust down the walls and smear your mind across the world like marmalade on your morning toast, you should make time to read at college.

But what to read? Well, you know what you like better than anyone, so just don't read that.

You want new perspectives, new methods of expression. Read a few classics, sure, but also take a gamble on something you've never heard of before. I found and fell in love with Wait for Me by An Na last year, purely because I saw it in a bookshop and decided to take a chance.

If you don't already, try and read more books by women, particularly queer/trans women, women of colour and of faith, and

women with disabilities. Unless you make a concerted effort to do so, you're tragically unlikely to just stumble on these books, and you'll miss out on some of the most brilliant writing you could ever find because of it.

Non-fiction, poetry, fiction – whichever ones you don't read, read them. Not just the big names either, dig into the world. The New Yorker and Rattle Poetry are the gateway drugs of non-fiction and poetry, with essays and poems free to view on their websites, though you'll get a lot more if you subscribe, obviously.

But wait, there's more – read stuff that's not in any of the above categories. Consume what defies categorisation, read The House of Leaves

by Mark Z Danielewski, read Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje. And don't just read works of art, read what people think about the art. Even if you're not a student of English literature, reading what people think about the work you've read yourself is enlightening.

And while you're at it, read criticism of things that aren't themselves for reading. Obviously there are movies, TV shows, music, but the most fascinating yet might be the growing body of criticism – intelligent, interesting, real criticism – that is starting to grow around video games. And I don't mean the crappy reviews in professional games magazines, bought and paid for by the company.

I mean Brendan Keogh, possibly the only person yet to write a whole book just about a single playthrough of one game. I mean Anita Sarkeesian, who provides incredibly accessible, frank and entertaining commentary on the treatment of women in popular video games.

Read the news, but don't. Because what we think of as ‘the news’ is usually bought and paid for as much as the latest review of Call of Duty. Read news that's disruptive and disreputable. Read and read until you find your truth. And read forever, obviously, but, most of all, read while you're in college.

Make the time.

NUI Galway Students' Union facilitated academic peer support for first year Engineering students at the beginning of the semester in which 24 second year Engineering students completed two-day intensive CÉIM training. For more information see www.su.nuigalway.ie/ceim.

Lunchtime Lectures: O Silver Moon!

On Wednesday 1 Octover, the Special Collections Lunchtime Lectures Series 2014/5 will kick off with ‘O Silver Moon!’, a talk by Professor Mike Redfern and Professor Emeritus of the School of Physics, on Beer and Mädler's ‘Mappa Selenographica’, the first (and some might say 'last') exact map of the moon.

This exquisitely detailed hand-drawn map, which was published in Berlin in 1834, measures c.1m in diameter, and displays the standardised naming system initiated by its authors.

All are welcome to the G011 Seminar Room in the Hardiman Building at 1pm, but please do arrive early as seating is limited.

The right way to write

By Dean Buckley Why do writers write? Some write for the joy of creating, others for the joy of money.

There are writers who use their craft to strike at the heart of injustice, and writers who just can’t do anything else – every atom of their body burns with a compulsive energy that drives their bodies and minds toward the singular goal of writing.

But why should you write? Actual answer: it doesn’t matter, write if you want to write, don’t write if you don’t.

Unfortunately, that’s not good enough for some people. They say there’s right and wrong reasons to write. People who write for money are sell-outs. People who write despite never making money are useless dreamers. People who write for political reasons are ideologues, not artists. People who write apolitically fail the world by ignoring its problems. Weird how once you start this game, you end up classifying everyone “not real” writers, isn’t it? Almost like it’s… stupid.

The fact is a lot of different variables need to come together before good writing happens, and your reason for writing doesn’t really make that much of a difference. Anthony Burgess wrote A Clockwork Orange for a quick buck, and now it’s considered one of the masterworks of the dystopian genre, yet Stephen King spends decades on his unprofitable magnum opus, The Dark Tower, and most of the world could care less when Cujo or The Stand are right there.

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is remorselessly apolitical, but also an incredibly moving and layered work of historical fiction. George Orwell remains a frontrunner for greatest writer ever, and even his children’s books were political mouthpieces. Yet equally, My Sister’s Keeper and Atlas Shrugged exist.

The same thing happens with philosophies of writing. Some people write

escapism, some people write the gritty truth. Both types of writer tend to take massive steamy craps on each other’s approach to writing.

You know what? They kind of have a point. But only because when they criticise, they’re not really criticising the philosophies or even their products. What they’re actually doing is imagining a world where the philosophy they don’t like “wins”. Yes, a world with only escapist literature would be terrible. Also, a world with only realist literature would be terrible.

But why are you imagining a world where the philosophy you don’t like takes over everything? I suppose it’s probably because you’re imagining writers who subscribe to the other philosophy as crusaders or evangelicals, spreading their way of thinking by the sword.

And, yeah, some of them are doing that, but the real reason you’re thinking of them that way is because you are one of those people. You’ve drawn a boundary between “good” or “real” literature and “bad” or “not real” literature, so implicit in that divide is the idea that things would be “more good” or “better” with more “good” literature and less “bad” literature. Hey, presto, you are now the problem; congratulations.

The world is better when there is diversity in writing. And that’s true whether it’s diversity among the writers as people, their motivations for writing or the philosophies of writing they follow. Because, frankly, sometimes you need something as harrowing as The Road to make you see the cruelty and absurdity of the world in ways you can’t always do just by looking out your window.

Equally, sometimes you need an Enid Blyton book, where everything is relatively okay and the greatest challenge faced by our heroes is the theft of their sandwiches.

If you prefer a world where both exist, just stop pontificating.

There’s only one rule: write ethically.

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

ThUrsday

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

Get off the couch this semester!

FrIday

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

VENUE

University Sports Clubs Schedule – Kingfisher

sUN saT

TIME

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

CLUB

TIME

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

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

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

Fencing Club

2 – 4pm

Raquetball court

Check www.clubs.nuigalway.ie for updates.

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

ThUrsday

CLUB

VENUE

FrIday

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

sUN saT

MoNday TUEsday WEdNEsday MoNday TUEsday WEdNEsday

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

CLUB

TIME

VENUE

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

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

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

Fencing Club

2 – 4pm

Raquetball court

Check www.clubs.nuigalway.ie for updates.

SPORTS 27

September 15 2014

Gold for NUI Galway Academic at Success for NUI Galway Boat Club at Para-Cycling Road World Championships Irish Rowing Championships 2014 NUI Galway academic, Dr Eoghan Clifford has stormed to his second World Title winning the Men’s C3 Road Race at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Greenville, South Carolina in the USA yesterday.

The Men’s C3 Road Race was seven laps of a 10.2km course and the NUI Galway Lecturer in Civil Engineering pushed ahead with three laps to go, winning by a margin of almost two minutes.

This is a sensational World Championship debut for the rider who won gold in the MC3 Time Trial on Friday.

Speaking after the Men’s C3 Road Race, Dr Clifford said; “I can’t believe it. I had planned to not show in the first few laps, but it was very explosive, and I was struggling pretty bad, so hung in towards the back.

“I felt that as they tired and lost the explosiveness, I stayed the same. At the start/finish area with three laps to go, I got about 20-30 metres in the technical

section, and put my head down to see what would happen.

“I am the kind of rider that if I can get a gap I can hold it, and they would have to commit to a chase to catch me, I didn’t want it to come to a sprint. When I got up to two minutes ahead, I knew I had it.”

Dr Clifford added a special note of thanks to his fellow teammates: “I would like to thank the rest of the Irish team and management here. They made it really easy for me; the other squad members have so much experience, and were really helpful.”

Para-cycling has been officially administered by the UCI since an agreement to transfer governance of the discipline from the International Paralympic Committee was signed in February 2007. This discipline is divided into road and track races for a total of seven events.

The competitions comprise four groups of handicaps (blind and visually impaired

By Patrick Higgins

NUI Galway Lecturer Eoghan Clifford celebrates on the podium after winning gold in the men's C3 Road Race, with a time of 1:47:46. Picture credit: Jean Baptiste Benavent / SPORTSFILE.

riders, people with cerebral palsy, locomotor disabilities and handcycling) and a total of 14 functional categories for men and women in all the age categories defined by the UCI. Riders are placed in the appropriate category in the light of their functional capacity.

On 11-13 July, over 2,200 rowers representing approximately 50 clubs competed in 40 championship events With over 970 crews entered, the Irish Rowing Championships were the biggest to date in the 100 years of the event. The National Rowing Centre at Inniscarra Lake in Cork was thronged with athletes and their supporters from all over Ireland.

This season has proved the most successful in NUI Galway Boat Club’s history with a record number of eight championship victories including the two Blue Riband events rowing in Ireland – the Men and Women’s Senior Eights.

Notably, it was the third year in a row that NUI Galway has claimed the Men’s Senior Eight title having shown unrivalled character to charge from a length

down to edge out Trinity College Dublin in the final. It was also the most successful season of any previous women’s squad to date with five championship wins.

NUI Galway and its alumni club, Grainne Mhaol, reaffirmed their position this weekend as the leading outfit of Irish rowing having returned with more championship wins than any other club or university, including Senior Men’s Eight, Senior Men’s Coxless Four, Intermediate Men’s Coxed Four, Senior Women’s Eight, Senior Women’s Coxless Four, Senior Women’s Pair, Women’s Club Eight, Women’s Club Coxed Four.

NUI Galway also placed second in the Senior Men’s Pair, Intermediate Men’s Eight, Women’s Intermediate Eight, Women’s Novice Quads.

Additionally, Sean O’Con­ nor (NUIG) was awarded the bronze medal in the Men’s Intermediate Single Sculls.

This year marks great progress in the development of the club and the creation of a robust legacy. The introduction of a new club structure - which mirrors that of international teams - was finalised by this year’s committee with the backing of the Student Project Fund.

Notably, David Mannion in his second year as head coach made great strides towards fostering long-term success by establishing a high performance institution at the university.

It is even more impressive that this success is founded entirely upon the relentless energy of unpaid volunteers, namely David Mannion (Director), Sean Carolan, Shane Cawley, Paul Giblin, Dan Hindle, Charles Doyle and Huw James.

Without their dedication, experience and love of the sport, we as an institution would not exist. We are proud to take this passion forward into the professional era.

NUI Galway and Kingfisher Club announce details of annual 8km Race in aid of Jigsaw NUI Galway, in association with the Kingfisher Club, will host its second annual charity 8K Run/Walk on Saturday, 11 October at 10am.

The route consists of a traffic-free, mixed terrain run around the University’s campus and along the banks of the river Corrib.

The official charity partner for this event is Jigsaw Galway and coincides with global events around World Mental Health Day. Jigsaw Galway is a free and confidential service supporting the mental health and well-being of young people, aged 15 – 25, living in Galway City and county.

Jigsaw also provides advice and guidance to parents, family members, friends and other professionals worried about a young person. All proceeds raised from this event will go to Jigsaw Galway.

This charity event is forming part of the NUI Galway Alumni reunion programme which takes place from 10-12 October on campus and will be an opportunity to bring together students, staff, alumni and friends of NUI Galway in one place to take part in a fun event for all ages and abilities.

NUI Galway Vice President for the Student Experience Dr Pat Morgan

On your Marks – pictured at the launch of the NUI Galway 8k are University staff and students with members of the KingfisherClub and charity Jigsaw Galway.

said; “This is a wonderful opportunity to welcome staff, students and alumni to the campus as part of the Alumni Reunion programme.

“Equally, however, it is part of a wider campus initiative to encourage physical activity and perhaps more importantly a great opportunity to show support for Jigsaw and get moving towards better mental health and it is fitting that such an event should take place around World Mental Health Day.” The event is open to everyone, with runners and walkers of all fitness levels catered for. To register for the NUI Galway 8K please log on to the Run Ireland website at http://www.runireland.com/ events/nui-galway-8k.

Updates are also available on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ NUIGalway.8kRun. Local Kingfisher Fitness Clubs will be running training sessions over the next six weeks to help with your preparation and details are available at www.kingfisherclub.com.

All queries on the event can be sent to nuigalway8k@ kingfisherclub.com.

th Saturday 11 October 2014

Join students, staff, alumni and friends of NUI Galway for a spectacular run around the University campus along the banks of the River Corrib

For more info log on to

www.kingfisherclub.com or call 091 570 800

JOIN THIS FUN EVENT & HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR

28  SPORTS

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

REVIEW: World Rally Championship Summer Season

By Yvonne Clinton Defending champion Sebastien Ogier entered the summer with a 24 point championship lead over teammate Jari-Matti Latvala. Afterwards, it was 44 points. But the summer season was anything but a walkover for the Frenchman.

ITALY Early June saw Rally Sardinia.

Ogier, forced to be first into the gravelly stages because of his championship lead, found them difficult. He was frustrated, declaring “this rule is stupid.�

Appreciative of the road order rules was Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who lead in the early stages. That joy was short lived,

as he wrecked his suspension within a stage of the midday halt. Ireland’s Kris Meeke also met woe, retiring his Citroen with a flat battery.

Hitting his stride in the afternoon sunshine, Latvala stormed to the top of the timesheets. Not that Ogier had been complacent – he worked his way from tenth to second by nightfall. 22 seconds the deficit, Latvala was in his sights.

A mammoth 50km stage

would ruin Latvala’s chances.

Catching a rut, he was lucky to escape with a puncture. A two minute tyre-change later, his victory hopes were dashed. The Finnish VW would recover to third, but the win was Ogier’s.

POLAND-LITHUANIA In 2009 Latvala retired his car from second overall in Poland, in front of thousands of spectators. It had ultimately cost Ford the championship. It took him time to settle down. After facing his demon stage, he beamed. “I feel so much better, my rally can start now.�

It was too late. Give a world champion an inch, and he will take a mile. Ogier was already too far ahead to be reined in. With stages

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cut short due to bad weather, Latvala was running out of miles to catch a champion on a roll.

Lithuania would wreak havoc for more than Latvala – Meeke, running well down the road order, found himself floundering in the worst of the road conditions. Seventh would be a good result for him, while Latvala languished a distant fifth to his victorious teammate. Ogier had opened a fifty point lead over the Finn.

FINLAND Only five non-Finns have ever won Rally Finland – unfortunately for Latvala, his rival Ogier is one of them. But the Finn had fire in his belly, eager to give the fans a home winner after three years of French dominance.

And that’s exactly what he did. He led from start to finish through the Finnish forests.

The Frenchman showed none of his usual pace, losing second place to Meeke by Friday night.

The Northern Irishman was remarked that “it’s a little bit crazy!� to be leading a world champion. He was quickly banishing the bad memories of Finland 2013, which ended in a spectacular roll. He would slip to third, but still equalled his best-ever finish.

The misfortunate Latvala suffered on Saturday, damaging his brakes and losing almost all of his advantage over Ogier. After two hard days’ rallying, his near-half minute lead was reduced to a slim 3.4 seconds. “I’m not going to lose this rally,� he declared that night.

And he didn’t. All the world champion could take back next day was a tenth of a second. Latvala was back in the groove – and back in the championship.

GERMANY A return to tarmac should have signalled a return to Ogier’s dominance, but that wasn’t the case. His team’s home event would prove a disaster.

He wasn’t alone. The event saw four different leaders – all of whom survived major crashes.

The drama began on preevent practice, with Neuville rolling his Hyundai six times.

The car would be repaired just in time to start next day, with parts and mechanics brought in from the team base 200km away.

An uncharacteristic error led to the world champion sliding down the vineyards while leading. He was out of the fight.

Things would go from bad to

worse next morning, with the newly-wed smashing violently into a roadside barrier. With the crew requiring precautionary medical checks, and the car in bits, his rally was over for good.

Volkswagen were disappointed, but not disheartened – Latvala had slotted into Ogier’s number one spot. He held Meeke at arm’s-length for the day, and the lucky Neuville fought his way up the order to finish just four seconds behind. A battle for second beckoned.

That battle would become a fight to win with Latvala crashing on the mucky Sunday morning stage. Meeke emerged unscathed. The man who was “driving his own rally� now held an eight second lead.

He held it for a single mile, before being caught out and smashing into a vineyard wall.

The glory of a dream debut win for Meeke and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle ended in heartbreak.

The upshot of the Sunday morning carnage was that Neuville claimed his – and Hyundai’s – triumphant debut win just eighty miles from his Belgian hometown. What will Australia, in mid-September, bring?

Ireland get out of jail in Tsibili

By Kieran KilKelly

Special Student Membership KingďŹ sher NUI Galway It’s easy, join online now!

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It was labelled the dream partnership for Irish soccer when Martin O’Neill was announced as manager and Roy Keane as his assistant. But Irish fans were given a wakeup call in Tsibili.

After a shaky start by Ireland, Marc Wilson showed a sign of things to come gifting a chance to Nikoloz Gelashvilli on 21 minutes. Luckily it was deflected just wide for a corner and Wilson got off the hook.

A minute later however, a long goal kick was flicked on by the head of Jonathan Walters.

It found James McCarthy after a Robbie Keane dummy, the Georgian defence was stretched.

A simple lay off to Aiden McGeady, who nestled it in the corner, gave the Irish a 1-0 lead, somewhat undeservingly so.

As the game went on, the three Evertonians; Seamus Coleman; Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy looked Ireland’s best attacking outlets but frustratingly, there was a lack of quality when the ball reached the final third.

Wilson made yet another mistake at the back but this time it was punished. Losing out on an aerial battle the ball fell to Tornike Okriashvilli, he turned John O’Shea and Stephen Ward easily and unleashed a thirty-yard shot that caught out Ireland goalkeeper, David Forde.

It was 1-1 with eight minutes to go to half-time.

Ireland pressed and pressed for a winner in the second-half but could only create halfchances that neither Keane nor McGeady could finish.

And it was exactly that, a half-chance that settled the game; Coleman crossed the ball in to McGeady’s feet and what he did next was simply magic.

A Zidane-esque turn was executed on the edge of the box leaving the Georgian defender for dead before he placed the ball acutely into the corner.

With just over twenty seconds of normal time to go, Ireland had stolen it.

With Ireland’s next two fixtures being a home tie against Gibraltar and an away game against Germany, Martin O’Neill has the advantage of a little extra time to try and shape his squad.

The positive attacking signs were good but if Ireland are to qualifying for France in 2016, the defensive side of things will have to improve.

SPORTS 29

September 15 2014

Preview: All-Ireland Football Final

By Michael Farrell Few would have predicted a Kerry and Donegal final at the start of this year. Fewer still would have stuck with this prediction after Kerry lost Colm "the Gooch" Cooper, their talisman and leader, to a cruciate ligament injury and when Donegal also lost one of their star men, with former all-star Mark McHugh leaving the panel early on.

But as often happens when a team loses one of their best players, someone will step up and fill that void. In Kerry's case James O'Donoghue has been that go to man. An AllStar last year, he has brought his game to a new level and has taken most of the scoring burden on himself. So much so, that the 2-6 he scored against Mayo in the Gaelic Grounds has become the least that we expect of him.

Donegal have also seen a new star emerge in Ryan McHugh. He has no doubt made up for the absence of his older brother, Mark, and was man of the match in the semi-final, scoring an impressive 2-2 in the victory over Dublin, and also collecting the man of the match award in the Ulster Final win.

Physique-wise McHugh almost looks out of place in the Donegal team when com-

UEFA Champions League preview and predictions

By Ross Cannon With the final spots in Europe’s premier club competition now secured and the infuriatingly long and drawn out group stage draw completed; the UEFA Champions League can begin in earnest.

The top four teams (Real Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona and Chelsea) have bought big and improved their squads considerably over the summer; all four are arguably much stronger outfits as they look to capture one of the most coveted trophies in world football.

Real Madrid have raised a few eyebrows with their t ra n s f e r p o l i c y w h i c h seemingly makes more commercial sense than it does footballing sense.

Los Blancos have sold Xabi Alonso, a key player and their metronome in midfield; the 32-year-old showed little sign of any decline but has been replaced by Germany’s Toni Kroos.

Di Maria has been swapped for the much more marketable James Rodriguez after the young Colombian shone in Brazil at the World Cup. The departures of high profile players and the introduction of some questionable new recruits have led to initial imbalances in the squad; culminating in a 4-2 defeat to Real Sociedad in week two of the La Liga season.

Imbalances and a questionable transfer policy aside; Carlo Ancelotti has a front line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale at his disposal which is arguably the best attacking front three in the world. Should Ancelotti solve his midfield issues then Real should stand a strong chance of retaining their Champions League trophy.

Bayern Munich who were last year humiliated by Real Madrid in the semi-finals will be looking for revenge.

The additions of Robert Lewandowski and Mehdi Benatia should improve what is already an incredibly strong team. The Bavarian side has six players from the German team that clinched World Cup glory back in July at the Maracanã.

Pep Guardiola has come in for some criticism since he took over the German powerhouse in 2013. The embarrassing defeat to Real Madrid led critics to question the Catalan’s tactics and philosophy. If Pep can get his men to replicate their domestic form in Europe then a place in the final next May shouldn’t be too far out of reach.

Guardiola’s former team Barcelona, come into this season’s tournament as a team in transition. The talismanic Carles Puyol now retired, Xavi Hernandez in

the twilight of his career along with Barca installing their third manager in as many seasons may prove to be too much change all at once for the Catalan team; an early exit may not come as a surprise to many.

Chelsea and Jose Mourinho are the most likely of the English teams to go far in the competition as: Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have been dealt considerably tougher groups. Chelsea will face: Schalke 04, Sporting Lisbon and newcomers Maribor in Group G; Mourinho should expect to top Group G with little trouble.

The last two seasons of the competition have seen the teams labelled as ‘dark horses’ make it all the way to the final; Atletico Madrid last year and Borussia Dortmund the year previous both came exceedingly close to victory in the final. Should the trend continue Paris Saint-Germain have an outside chance of going on a genuine run to the final.

UEFA’s Fifa Fair Play (FFP) regulations have hindered the money soaked Parisian side in adding depth to their already stellar line-up, but if PSG manage to stay relatively injury free and Zlatan Ibrahimovic et al can stay in form for the duration of the campaign then an outside bet on the Ligue 1 side may be worth a flutter.

pared with the likes of Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy. However, McHugh, pound for pound, has probably been Donegal's most important player this year and they will need another big game from him on AllIreland final day.

The last time these two teams met was in the quarter-finals in 2012 and if Donegal are going to repeat their win, then it will be crucial for them to win the midfield battle. Against Dublin, the game started to go in their favour when they marked Dublin man to man from kick-outs and forced Stephen Cluxton to kick the ball long into midfield. This allowed Neil Gallagher to field some great ball which prevented Dublin from getting clean possession.

The Kerry midfield duo of Anthony Maher and David Moran will provide formidable opposition and are far

more traditional midfielders than either Cian O’Sullivan or Michael Darragh MacAuley.

Against Mayo, especially in the second game, both players put in heroic performances and somehow found the energy to keep going in extra time. David Moran, in particular, could have been man of the match and it is great to see him get over the injuries that dogged his Kerry career and start to fulfil his huge potential.

As always neutrals will be hoping for a close and high scoring game of football, however, the manner in which this game is played will depend on the tactics that Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Jim McGuinness decide to use. McGuinness needs to get his defensive match ups right. Neil McGee is likely to pick up Kieran Donaghy on the edge of the square, but it is O’Donoghue who really needs to be stopped.

Karl Lacey or Frank McGlynn may be sacrificed to do a man marking job on him. The other option for McGuinness is to simply drop a couple of extra players back and turn the game into a dogfight. If O’Donoghue, surely on his way to the Footballer of the Year award, is held to a few points from play then Donegal will come out on top.

Fitzmaurice will have to ensure that Kerry’s play is varied between the long ball into Donaghy and taking good shots from out the field, otherwise Donegal are likely to suffocate the Kerry attack as they did with the Brogan brothers and company.

Defensively it is important for Kerry to track Donegal attackers coming through the middle of the pitch, especially off breaking ball in midfield, where two of Donegal's goals came against Dublin.

Prediction: Donegal by 3 points

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30 SPORTS

Sin Vol. 16 Issue 1

Ryder Cup promises to be another classic

By Cathal Mullaney It only feels like yesterday. September 2012 will forever be entwined in sporting folklore – that six footer holed by the steely German Martin Kaymer, capped one of the finest comebacks not only in golf, but in sport itself. The European team had completed the ‘Miracle at Medinah’.

Now though, matters switch to Gleneagles at the end of this month. The Ryder Cup is up for grabs, and the Americans have the bit between their teeth. They have, in Tom Watson, a golfing great at the helm; so inspiration won’t be a problem. It will all be down to application.

Europe too have a captain with tactical nous, and Paul McGinley’s history with the Ryder Cup is sure to benefit a European side with plenty of aces up its sleeve. Rory McIlroy is the best player on the planet at the moment, while Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia have all set the golfing world alight with their play in recent times.

McGinley’s picks are also strong. Local Stephen Gallacher’s record around Gleneagles is formidable – 14 careers starts, 11 cuts made, seven top ten finishes – that’s pretty impressive.

Ian Poulter almost singlehandedly hauled Europe back into contention at Medinah in 2012, while Lee Westwood is a wily old campaigner with experience and a golf game that has stood up to Ryder Cup-like pres-

sure before.

But the Americans will be difficult to beat, even if their record on this side of the Atlantic in recent years leaves a lot to be desired. They have only won once in the last six staging’s of the event (in 2008), and this year have been rocked by the loss of Dustin Johnson, who is on a voluntary leave of absence from the PGA Tour, or so we are told, and Tiger Woods through injury.

What Tom Watson’s side does have though is flair in abundance.

Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler are all players that have the ability to feed off the unique, electric atmosphere created only by the Ryder Cup, while they have solidity in stalwarts Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar.

Watson’s captain’s picks – Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Hunter Mahan – only strengthen what is an increasingly impressive line-up, and it also gives Watson an opportunity to revive the Mickelson-Bradley partnership that was so successful in 2012.

This blend of youth and experience is likely to make team USA a more formidable outfit than other US teams from recent years, but they still face an uphill task.

Europe have world number one, Rory McIlroy, who is in the form of his life as this Ryder Cup comes around, and the significance of having the world’s best player in the team room cannot be over-emphasized.

While the USA had Tiger Woods in their side for 15 years

(1997-2012), it was clear that Woods didn’t really embrace golf’s most prestigious team competition. In seven appearances, Woods only finished on the winning side once, and missed their 2008 success at Valhalla through injury. Indeed, many suggested that the absence of Woods on that occasion led to a more unified team with a better togetherness between the 12 players. Whether that is the case on this occasion remains to be seen.

McIlroy, on the other hand, has shown a real love for team golf. In his short career to date, he has been extremely passionate when participating in team events, be it the Walker Cup as an amateur or the Ryder Cup as a professional. His ability to link up seamlessly with compatriot Graeme McDowell is also another aspect of McIlroy’s game which makes him an ideal Ryder Cup player, and should he and McDowell continue their terrific partnership in 2014, it will be a massive help to Europe in their bid to win for the third successive time.

Between now and the beginning of the competition players will begin to worry, begin to get anxious and nerves will set in.

However, once they all hit their first shot off the Gleneagles turf that will all be forgotten. Focus then will switch to regaining, or reclaiming, that golden trophy.

One of the world’s great sporting events will be underway – it should be another one to remember.

All Ireland Hurling Championship ends in a draw

By Padraic Ward What a difference a year makes. If the 2013 hurling championship is to be remembered for the emergence of a new breed of young exciting Clare hurlers playing an energetic, fast, swashbuckling brand of hurling, then 2014 will be remembered for the return of the bluebloods of the hurling world.

In many people’s estimation Clare’s win twelve months ago sounded the death knell of old style hurling and the stranglehold of “the big three” – Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny.

In 2014 the aristocrats of our ancient game returned with a vengeance and served up a final for the ages at Croke Park. In recent times Tipperary and Kilkenny have served up incredible feasts of fury notably in the AllIreland finals of 2009 and 2010 but the 2014 vintage will possibly go down as the most epic yet.

Both teams hurled up a storm and left us wanting more – and there will be more. Act II follows in just under three weeks’ time.

As the dust settles on the hallowed turf of Croke Park we take a moment to reflect on the hurling championship of 2014.

Central to Tipperary’s march to the final has been their full-forward and top scorer Seamus Callanan.

Prior to the final he had been touted as the “hurler of the year”.

Questions remained however, both inside his native country and beyond. Criticised as a player for not producing a big performance when it really mattered, he had a point to prove, both to himself

and others. And he made five of them from play against arguably the greatest defender in the modern era – JJ Delaney.

It was a fantastic performance in the context of an enthralling game that ebbed and flowed throughout. His accuracy in front of goal is unmatched, so much so that down Tipp way they say William Tell wears Seamus Callanan pyjamas.

He came away from the game with a reputation enhanced and surely the hurler of the year accolade. Other candidates include his teammate John O’ Dwyer who produced yet another sterling performance in the final.

All year when Tipperary have needed a score he has been their go-to man on many occasions both from play and placed balls.

After a man-of-the-match performance in the final Kilkenny’s Richie Hogan has been his side’s stand-out player all season.

The hurling faithful down Wexford way will reflect on their summer with quiet optimism over the winter months. Following on from knocking out All-Ireland champions Clare in a replay, they beat Waterford before eventually losing out to Limerick in the quarter-final.

Throughout the Championship Liam Dunne’s charges produced some great passages of hurling most notably in both games against Clare.

Hope springs anew in the southeast and with their U-21 team in the All-Ireland final next Saturday the Slaney siders will be hoping to build on a promising 2013.

By contrast 2013 will be a year to forget for the hurlers of Dublin and

Galway. Dublin will be desperately disappointed not to have built on their breakthrough year of 2013 and exited the Championship rather meekly to Tipperary in Thurles.

That defeat brought the end of the road for Anthony Daly’s association with the team and he, more than anyone, will be disappointed with Dublin’s year.

The fortunes of Galway hurling can best be described by Churchill’s description of Russia – they are hurling’s riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. For all the talent at their disposal they perennially fail to deliver on that talent.

Speculation is rife both within the county and outside that Anthony Cunningham’s days at the helm are numbered with the aforementioned Anthony Daly in contention to take over the Tribesmen if Cunningham is not retained.

The year 2014 will be heralded as a momentous one for the GAA. The organisation broke new ground with its agreement with Sky Sports to broadcast our national game internationally.

If the Twitter reaction to this year’s final is any portent of its popularity overseas then the GAA can only go from strength to strength. The country became obsessed with penalty taking and the debate resulted in the passing of “The Nash Rule”.

Who could have envisaged the impact it would have on this year’s final? The traditionalists got the final they craved for and what an epic it was. Can the sequel live up to the original? Recent encounters would suggest it can.

Roll on the 27th of September.

Hamilton versus Rosberg: The saga of friends turned foes

By Arindam Halder Not since after the intra-team rivalry of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost has Formula 1 seen a more intense and ugly rivalry.

With the Italian GP in his pocket, Hamilton has been all smug and seemed to suggest that Rosberg can't handle the pressure of leading the World Championship.

The Italian GP had its share of conspiracy theories when Rosberg ran wide at the Rettiflo chicane on lap 29 to give the lead to Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton didn't let the chance go to waste and

romped home first to whittle down Rosberg's lead to just 22 points atop the world championship standings with just 6 rounds remaining in the season.

But Hamilton and Rosberg were not foes; well, at least not from the start. The first embers of friction were lit in the season's third race in Bahrain where Rosberg protested over a failed overtaking manoeuvre where Hamilton barely managed to avoid contact.

In the same race, murmurs suggested the presence of an unauthorised overtaking mode surface. The rumours were

only confirmed in the Monaco Grand Prix. Rosberg didn't hide his emotions and clearly felt he was the faster driver.

Things again started heating up in the Spanish Grand Prix, where Hamilton was fast losing his lead in the driver standings and used the unauthorised features in the car without taking permissions from the team.

Hamilton did apologise later but the rivalry was now well entrenched in the Mercedes team garage.

In the meanwhile Hamilton tried to put down his rival by suggesting his modest upbringing has given him more desire

and hunger for the championship while Rosberg was born with the proverbial silver spoon and hence lacked the same kind of motivation.

The Monaco Grand Prix qualifying was in session. Hamilton in the last few minutes of the session was on a flying lap on his way to the pole position for the race. And then Rosberg locks up his brakes on his flying lap resulting in yellow flags and robbing Hamilton of a possible pole and eventually the race.

This moment might have damaged the relation between the two drivers beyond repair.

Hamilton didn't mince any

words when he said that Rosberg intentionally sabotaged the qualifiers. The race stewards ruled out any foul play and Rosberg went on to win the race.

Hamilton was left bitter by the whole incident and keeps up the not so subtle attacks on his teammate. The Mercedes team brokers an uneasy truce with Hamilton tweeting about still being 'friends'.

In the Belgian Grand Prix the facade of the truce came crashing down when Rosberg hit Hamilton's car leading to a puncture and potentially ended his challenge. What

followed after the race was explosive to say the least.

Hamilton leaked snippets of the internal team enquiry where Rosberg admitted to intentionally making contact.

Mercedes imposed a fine on Rosberg but F1 authorities took no action.

Hamilton emerged from the Belgian GP psychologically stronger and it showed in the Italian GP where Rosberg might have cracked under sustained pressure from Hamilton to give away the lead and the win to Hamilton setting up a very exciting last few weeks of the F1 calendar.

September 15 2014

FINAL WORD 31 diary of the SMOKEY’S PIGEON I don’t understand it. I’m gone for one afternoon and they lock me out.

I used to be able to saunter up and the door would magically open for me but now it just stays closed. It’s not fair! I’m locked out of my own home.

I can try and time it to get in before the door slams shut but that puts me and my feathers in danger (I’m very protective of my feathers).

I can enter through the main concourse door but the corridors are full of new first years and I can’t reach Smokey’s and all the delicious treats that are there.

So I wait outside the window and look in at all the crumbs dropping and the leftover food. It pains me to see all the food being wasted; food that I could be eating.

LET ME IN!

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