FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 16, ISSUE 6 | 24 NOV 2014
NEWS
INSIDE NUI Galway hosts Mass Marriage for Marriage Equality Miss Watts estimated that over 400 people had registered to vote at the Mass Marriage by the afternoon, which she believes is due to both the strong support of the college and the wider Galway community of LGBT people. The event, organised through a combined effort of the Students’ Union and the GiG Soc, was a tremendous success both aesthetically and in terms of achieving their goal for the day. For those who didn’t get a chance to register on the day there is still time to do so at the SU. Please register before 25 November to vote in favour of marriage equality in the 2015 referendum. Check out the GiG Soc on Facebook for more updates on LGBT support events.
FEATURES
“This is why a lot of people in the 18 to 24 age category do not register. With this event, we [hoped] to take the chore out of registering and have a lot of fun in the process.” Despite the joyment of the festivities, events manager of the GiG Soc Jessica Watts noted how this pretend marriage ceremony, signified what members of the LGBT community will miss out on if the referendum is not passed in 2015. The referendum, if put in place, seeks to establish equal rights for LGBT marriages, meaning they will have the same equal right as those of a hetro-sexual marriage. When asked if she believed those who registered on the day will turn up to vote on referendum day, Jessica Watts confirmed that she fully believed in the support people had shown on the day.
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Continental Christmas Market returns to Galway
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ENTERTAINMENT SPORT
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To Dissect a Broken Heart
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The changing definition of Amazon
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Students’ approach to exams: Expectation vs Reality
FINAL WORD
Some of those in attendance at the NUI Galway Mass Marriage, which was held to encourage students to register to vote in the 2015 referendum for Marriage Equality.
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LIFESTYLE
The Bailey Allen Hall at NUI Galway was flooded with signatures and balloons for the Mass Marriage 2014 organised by the GiG Soc on Wednesday 12 November. The event, co-hosted by societies officer Paul O’Flaherty, was organised to encourage people to register to vote before 25 November. People who are registered to vote before this date can vote in the marriage equality referendum in 2015. Th e Ma s s Ma r r i ag e involved people finding a partner, or arriving with one, and getting married. Paul O’Flaherty conducted the ceremonies, and the newlyweds got to take home a pretend marriage certificate. Sean Reilly, Co-Auditor of GiG Soc said: “We know that college students are in favour
of same-sex marriage. But we also know that the majority of them aren’t registered to vote. We hope to get that majority on the Register of Electors so they can use their vote to affect positive change for the LGBTQ community.” For one day only, NUI Galway’s Bailey Allen Hall was transformed into a wedding venue for Mass Marriage 2014, allowing a “minister” to marry students irrespective of gender. Instead of signing a Certificate of Marriage, students signed a Voter Registration form. Students could also go to an information point to find out if they were already registered to vote. “To a student who has grown up in the noughties, the current system of voter registration seems very outdated,” said Mr Reilly ahead of the big event.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS
By Áine Leech
Christmas Day at NUI Galway
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How to pretend you love your Christmas gift
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Christmas shopping on a student budget
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Why you should invest in a Christmas jumper
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#SinBeards: Ground Zero
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RETRO REWIND: The Great Depression
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REVIEW: My Favourite Faded Fantasy by Damien Rice
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Sin’s Poetry Competition winner
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World Rally Championship Season review
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Who’s better? Ronaldo or Messi?
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Diary of the Smokey’s Pigeon
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College Insider
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