Housing Crisis Read our special report on Galway’s current Housing Crisis 4 – 5
Easy Recipes
Socs Day See plenty of photos from Socs Day – look out for your friends.
Mammy's not cooking this week! 23
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Grant applications still open to students seeking financial aid By Mark Laherty
“The concerns that the residents have made will be closely monitored by the disciplinary officer in the university and any anti-social behaviour will be sanctioned accordingly. We have no choice now. There is a shortage of houses and the only way to fix that is more purpose-built student accommodation,” Mr Kelly said. The controversy comes at a time when Galway City is experiencing its worst housing crisis in living memory; with 25,000 returning university students competing for accommodation, the number of available bed spaces in the city has contracted by half since September of last year. The scarcity is being blamed on an increased amount of senior students and professionals opting to stay on in properties leased within the past year, a climbing rate of urbanization in Galway County as the national economy shows signs of recovery and the total number of students residing in the city being up by 18 percent since 2008.
Students struggling to meet the costs of education for the duration of their course can still apply for a SUSI grant via susi.ie. This support includes a grant to cover all or part of the €3,000 annual registration charge. Applications to SUSI are still open, although the deadline for ‘priority’ treatment has passed. The official website at susi.ie allows students to self-assess using their ‘eligibility reckoner’. Although the reckoner is helpful, the website stresses that it provides only “an approximate indication of your possible eligibility… Your actual eligibility for a student grant can only be determined on the basis of your formal application”. There are several criteria for eligibility. You must be Irish, from the EU or EEA (European Economic Area) or have specific leave to remain in the State. You must have been a resident of the EU/EAA or Switzerland for three of the last five years, although if you were a resident outside of Ireland, you may still receive the student contribution (fees element), but might not be eligible for a maintenance grant. You must be progressing in education. Leaving Certificate students going to college for the first time would be progressing because they are increasing their National Framework of Qualification (NFQ) level. However, you would be ineligible for funding to do another course at the same level. For example, if you have to repeat a year, you are not eligible. SUSI only provides funding for approved courses in approved institutions. Generally, courses have to be full-time to be approved. For the 2015-16, academic year, SUSI will assess an application with reference to income earned in 2014. Whose income is calculated depends on a number of different factors, including which class of applicant you are, dependent or independent. Be sure to apply under the right class, or your application will be cancelled and you will need to apply again. After an online application is received by SUSI, an initial assessment is carried out to determine what documentation is required to support the application. It is important to provide all of the requested documentation in a timely manner. The amount of documentation required by SUSI has decreased significantly since it first came into operation. So far, SUSI has been making better progress than last year in processing applications. The day after the Central Applications Office (CAO) offered college places, SUSI had decided just under half of the 97,500 applications received, compared to less than a third at the same time in 2014.
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FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 17, ISSUE 01 | 15 SEPT 2015
New 400-bed student village in the pipeline for university
USI recently launched a website that links house-hunting students with landlords willing to rent to students. Read more about homes.usi.ie in our special housing crisis report on pages 4 and 5.
NUI Galway plans new student housing to ease accommodation crisis By Odhrán Donovan NUI Galway has submitted a planning application to the city council to build additional student accommodation on campus. The new development is expected to be constructed parallel to the Upper Newcastle Road, extending the existing Corrib Village’s capacity by some 400 students. The complex is expected to consist of seven housing blocks, containing a total of approximately 429 en-suite bedrooms and several communal living quarters. Of the seven housing blocks one is planned to rise to five-storeys high, three to four-storeys high and the remaining number to three-storeys high.
The university’s latest request to local authorities is a revision of an earlier plan rejected by residents living along the Upper Newcastle Road. A group identifying themselves as the “Concerned Newcastle Residents” voiced concerns relating to the proposal, arguing that such an extension would potentially cause an increase in noise pollution and anti-social behaviour in the area. A number of people living in the adjacent Fairlands and Greenfields estates also objected to the plans, citing that such a development would have a negative impact on the availability of parking spaces. NUI Galway has moderated their initial submission in response, reducing the planned height of the apartments located closest to the affected housing along the Newcastle Road, as well as increasing the size of the green-area between the three-storey blocks and the site’s perimeter. Students’ Union President Phelim Kelly attempted to ease any reservations Newcastle residents may hold relating to the development.
2 NEWS
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
NUI Galway SU raises €12,500 for charity Console and BeLonG to benefit from SU’s charity work By Kieran Kilkelly In what was its sixteenth year associated with local and national charities the National University of Ireland Galway Students’ Union
managed to raise €12,500 for Console, the national suicide charity, and BeLong To, a national organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people aged between 14 and 23.
The money, which will be divided equally between the two charities, was primarily raised by SU-organised events beginning in mid-September and ending at the beginning of May. Almost a quarter of the money can be attributed to SU Christmas Day with BizSoc at the College Bar which was held on 20 November 2014. However, the three events that took place in February of this year– the Annual Charity Collection Day, the Charity Aquathon an d the Charity Croagh Patrick Climb with NUIG Mountaineering Club – also gave substantial weight to that figure with cake sales, ice-cream stands and quizzes helping out significantly also. These events which were arranged by former SU President, Declan Higgins, former Welfare Officer, Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin and former Education Officer and current SU President, Phelim Kelly, who managed to raise over €8,500 with the rest of the money coming from collection boxes around the SU outlets, calendar sales and Capture Your Campus postcards.
On hearing the final figure of €12,500, which marked an increase of €1,500 from the previous year, Declan Higgins responded ecstatically saying that; “despite the constant cutbacks and daily challenges we all face, students have once again done their bit to help others” before going on to praise NUI Galway students more, declaring that “they had excelled themselves”. The gratefulness of the charities was expressed by Margaret Tierney, Project Development Manager of Console when she said that Console “are indebted to NUI Galway Students’ Union for choosing [them] as one of their charity partners, thereby raising awareness of the work of the Console Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Charity”. The NUI Galway Student’s Union is continuing on its tradition of raising money and awareness for charities into 2015/16 for the seventeenth year in a row and is currently in the process of selecting which charities will benefit from the funds raised in the upcoming year.
Grá is now officially the law President Higgins signs Marriage Equality into the constitution By Siobhán Mulvey President Michael D Higgins signed the marriage equality amendment into the constitution on Saturday 29 August. The presidential signing of the Bill enshrines the marriage referendum result into Irish law. This action follows the #MakeGráTheLaw campaign which was supported and promoted by NUI Galway’s Students’ Union as well as Students’ Unions around the country and USI. NUI Galway’s Students’ Union previously maintained its stance to “support all measures that extend to homosexual couples the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples”.
Last May, Ireland’s marriage referendum was passed by 62% to 38%. The positive result gives bearing to the large turnout of young people to vote in the referendum, including college students. The Students’ Union in NUI Galway was instrumental in supporting the cause of LGBT marriage and organising registration drives. NUI Galway Students’ Union Vice President for Education Rebecca Melvin previously stated the importance of the referendum campaign to allow students “to be on the right side of history and to be able to say we did all we can to ensure the referendum passes”. When the Dáil resumes in late September, a final Marriage Equality bill will be passed to legalise the practise of LGBT marriage. The official implementation of the referendum result will affect the lives of NUI Galway’s LGBT students, while also contributing to producing a fairer society in both NUI Galway and Ireland.
Grant applications still open to students seeking financial aid SUSI is moving through applicants faster than previous years Continued from page 1 Total applications have increased, but so have the number of grants awarded. These improvements are due to changes to SUSI’s systems, most notably opening for applications two weeks earlier than previous, in late April. In order to help meet other costs such as rental deposits, the Department of Education has also changed funding to SUSI. This year, four grant payments should be made during the first term instead of the usual three.
SUSI communications manager Graham Doyle said that the grant-awarding body expects “to make our first payments this year on September 25”. 57,819 of the 75,197 students supported by SUSI in the last academic year received maintenance payments ranging from €305 to €5,915. Undergraduates also had their student contribution paid to their college. People from families with incomes between €45,790 and €54,240 can have half or all their €3,000 student contribution covered by SUSI. Postgraduate students are not eligible for maintenance grants. However, if they have household earning up to €31,500, they can receive varying levels of assistance with tuition fees.
NEWS 3
September 15 2015
Orientation Week
WHAT’S IN SIN THIS WEEK? Editor’s Picks:
What to expect from Sin Volume 17 By Jessica Thompson Here we are at the beginning of another year of college life – or the first year of college life if you’re a freshman. The school-to-college transition is never an easy one, no matter who you are. Everything changes the minute you step onto college soil. Suddenly, you’re on your own. Mammy and Daddy have let you leave the nest and it’s time for you to start fending for yourself. For many, over the past two weeks, this has meant going to the nearest off-licence, purchasing a few beverages and painting the town yellow, while trying out the Galway nightlife. But that lifestyle will be short-lived once the reality of college life sets in. Contrary to popular belief, partying is not what it’s all about… not always anyway. College life is about rolling out of bed in the morning to make your 9am lecture. It’s about sitting in lecture halls, trying to take in what your lecturer is saying. It’s about signing up for tutorials, joining societies, getting involved and meeting as many new people as possible. Queuing for busses, queuing for night clubs, queuing for the toilets between classes and, most importantly, queuing for coffee at Smokey’s, while watching our beloved Smokey’s pigeon pecking his way through the crumbs, all make up the daily life of a university student. It also means getting lost on your way to class, spending an age trying to find a space in the car park after 9am, cooking for yourself, doing your own laundry (unless you’re the student who brings it all home in a suitcase on weekends) and budgeting your money. There are many trials and tribulations to college life – especially in the beginning. But once you get past that, your college years will be the best years of your life. Fortunately for you, this issue of Sin has plenty to keep you on the right track. We’ve covered all the topics that matter the most to
students. Having trouble making friends? Turn to page 19. Want to know how to use the library? Your answers are on page 15. Need to get some help on something that’s bothering you? We’ve covered all the services available to you. For those of you returning for another year of college, you’ll notice a few changes to Sin. I’m extremely excited about this year. So far we have a fantastic team of writers and we’re hoping to recruit more. We’ve got a very pretty new layout, courtesy of our designer, Shannon Reeves. We sat down earlier in the month and mapped out a new front page and a beautifully colourful layout for the rest of the paper. Now all we need is a fantastic editorial team to get everything going to its full potential. We plan on getting our website (sin.ie) up and running properly this year. There you’ll find plenty of opinion pieces and other engaging articles that you can share and comment on to your heart’s content. In these pages you’ll find plenty of student-related content, helpful articles on what’s happening around campus or what gigs and events are happening around the city. This year, Sin will be your one-stop shop for all things student-related. If you’re interested in writing for us, doing some sub-editing, taking some photographs or just sending in story tips, you can contact me on editor@sin.ie. We’re also on Facebook (Sin Newspaper NUI Galway) and Twitter (@ sin_news). You can also reach me directly on Twitter at @Jess__Thompson (that’s two underscores). You’re always welcome to our meetings, which will be held on a regular basis, so make sure you come along if you have some ideas to make Sin even better than it already is. Most of all: make sure you enjoy this year at college. It is what you make it, so make it a good one. Until next time,
Jess E: editor@sin.ie T: @Jess__Thompson
See more at the NUIGSU Facebook page!
SIN NEEDS YOU!
Editor in Chief: Jessica Thompson
We’re looking to expand our team, so if you’re interested in getting some writing or sub-editing experience, email editor@sin.ie for details.
editor@sin.ie
Find us online:
Layout: Shannon Reeves | contact via Ed
www.sin.ie
Galway is facing a serious shortage of accommodation at the moment – student or otherwise – and as a result, many students are living in hostels, commuting long distances or dropping out of college altogether. We’ve done a special report on the crisis.
4, 5,
IADT has started a fantastic campaign called #LendAHand to, quite literally, lend a hand. The idea is to write inspiring and motivating messages on your hand and share the photos online with the hashtag #LendAHand.
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A local voluntary group called Galway Waterways Patrol is working hard to organise regular patrols around the city’s waterways. It’s important to stick together when you’re out at night, but should someone wander off and fall into the water, this group aims to be there to save lives.
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Go Galway! Our beloved city was recently voted the friendliest city in the world. We’re not really surprised considering our fun-loving, welcoming, carefree nature.
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Many first year students are still struggling with the transition from school to college life five months after starting this new chapter in their lives.
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Photos, photos, photos. Every issue of Sin features two pages dedicated to our wonderful Students’ Union and the things they do for the students under their wing. This issue, we’ve got plenty of photos from Orientation Week. Time to see if you’re famous!
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New education, new friends: this is an exciting time for first years, but where do you even begin making new friends and enjoying your new city? We walk you through making friends, finding the best spots in Galway and staying safe. There are also plenty of tips on sexual health, budgeting and keeping your belongings safe from theft.
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Whatever issues you have while you’re in college, there’s a service for that. NUI Galway is awash with useful services – some of which I didn’t even know existed until now. But Jenna put in the research and the result is a fantastic breakdown of the services available to you.
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Nutrition is so important now you’re away from Mammy and Daddy. You might have the odd frozen dinner in a lunchbox that you brought up from home, but there’s no harm in learning how to feed yourself. We’ve got you covered.
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Galway has an excellent Burlesque scene and for the first time ever, the city will see a whole festival dedicated to the art -from glittery outfits to nipple tassels!
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More photos! During Socs Day last week, I was sneaking about with my camera, taking photos of the various societies on offer, and the many activities that took place on the day. See if your face made it into the paper!
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Heartbreak for Galway: we were all devastated when Galway lost to Kilkenny but it was a match that had our hearts in our mouths. Padraic Ward relives every exciting moment
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Sadly, the poor lads in Mayo didn’t have much luck either when it came to battling Dublin for that coveted All-Ireland title. Read all about it.
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4 NEWS
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
SPECIAL REPORT: affects students for the Less accommodation available this year than last year… • Daft reports serious decrease in number of available properties • Prices have increased by ¤100 over the past two years • Student party reputation putting landlords off letting their properties • USI warns students to be careful with digs • Homeowners encouraged to rent rooms to students
New 400-bed student village in the pipeline for university Continued from page 1 City politician and candidate for the upcoming general election Niall Ó Tuathail has been campaigning for a solution to the crisis since it began. Mr Ó Tuathail said of the situation facing students that, “the long-term solution (to the crisis) is that we need to build more student housing, social housing and affordable housing but unfortunately that is still years away. “In the short-term, my team and I have been working on a short-term solution - going door-to-door helping people to rent out their rooms. Many people are either unaware of the crisis, didn't know that renting a room to students is tax-free or don't have the tech skills to put their room up on Daft. “The campaign has been going very well, and hopefully many more students will get decent, affordable accommodation as a result.” If a student still finds themselves still without accommodation they should make contact with Jimmy McGovern the SU Vice President for Welfare. If any student would like to find out more about Niall Ó Tuathail’s door-to-door campaign they can do so at niallotuathail.ie/digs.
By Jenna Hodgins The lack of housing in Galway City has reached crisis point with hundreds of students still without accommodation for the coming academic year. The Higher Education Authority published a report which estimates an unmet demand of 25,000 bed spaces in total for students including international and Erasmus students. The report also notes that the shortage of student accommodation is particularly high in Dublin, Galway and Cork. Accommodation in other university and college towns are apparently “adequate to meet demand” however students of these institutions have said otherwise. NUI Galway’s Students’ Union President Phelim Kelly said; “This is not news. The national students union pointed this problem out many years ago and public representatives were made aware of their respective constituencies. “The housing crisis has been getting increasingly worse over the last number of years and students are
particularly affected by this. Rent has gone up while the demand of housing is constantly going up with the new surge of students.” A recently-published report conducted by Daft (daft.ie) detailed the decrease in properties available on their website. Only 4,600 properties were available to rent on August 1 compared to the 6,800 available on the same date in 2014; and the 23,000 properties listed on the same date in 2009. Speaking to the Galway Independent, County Councillor Mary Hoade said; “The scale of the accommodation crisis in Galway is extremely worrying, and there is a genuine fear that many students will have a battle on their hands to get a quality, affordable place to stay. Unless urgent action is taken, we could see a situation whereby students are unable to attend third level courses because they can't find anywhere to live. “It is vitally important that new measures are introduced to ensure that new student accommodation is built in Galway, and in other towns and cities with third level institutions.” Plans have been made by NUI Galway to build five- and four-storey student residences in the Upper New-
castle area. Although this was met with controversy when a group called Concerned Newcastle Residents expressed their dismay with the plans. The rapidly decreasing number of properties available plus the increasingly high demand means those lucky enough to have a roof over their head are certainly paying for it. The same report states that private rental prices have increased by 10 percent in the last year. Regarding students, monthly private rental prices have dramatically increased respectively by over €100 in the last two years. Kim Regan, a final year Arts student told Sin; “When I was in first year in 2012, I rented with four others in a house at €300 a month. “It was the same in second year. But last year was when I first experienced the hike, with rent costing me about €360 a month. This year, however, I’m paying €430 in a four bed – and it’s down the road from my first place back in 2012. That was the most affordable place that would take students at the time”.
When asked about the raising rental prices, SU President Phelim Kelly stated; “I do believe students are being taken advantage of. If a student somehow manages to get a house, they are faced with ridiculous rent which is totally unjustified. Many houses are not even fit for study with some having mould, etc.” Sin contacted members of the Facebook group ‘House Hunting Galway (for sound people)’ – an online social media page with over 16,000 members. Since early August, the group has been inundated with posts of incoming first year, final year and postgraduate students desperate for accommodation.
Feidhlim Seoighe: “USI have been working all summer to try and get as many homeowners to let out rooms to students as possible.”
USI launch house-hunting website to match homeowners with students Homes.usi.ie could go a long way towards helping with the current housing crisis By Claire Stone The USI has launched a website allowing homeowners to list directly to students any spare rooms they may have available in their homes. The easy-to-use website, homes. usi.ie, gives homeowners, who are looking to rent out any spare rooms they have in their homes to students, the chance to advertise both their lodgings and their “conditions” for free. At the same time, this offers students a platform to seek accommodation where all listings welcome scholars and do not offer preference to “working professionals”. The website aims to provide students with contacts for those willing
to help out at during a particularly difficult time for students seeking accommodation. Lack of available accommodation has driven rent prices in Galway up 10 per cent in the last five years. This, combined with the fall in value of the student grant, has left many students priced out of their market range. Rental availability is known to be a key factor in drop-outs. A report by the Higher Education Authority released recently highlighted high levels of drop-outs, particularly from students reliant on the student grant. The website was launched to coincide with USI’s information drive, beginning in Dublin, to encourage home-owners to con-
sider housing a student during term-time in an effort to make available a short-term solution to the housing crisis occurring around Ireland at this time. It has been warned that the current state of the private rental sector will inevitably lead to students being forced to drop out of college, defer their studies or study elsewhere. Part of the USI information drive involved distributing 21,000 flyers advertising the ‘rent-a-room relief’ scheme around university areas. This scheme allows homeowners to benefit from a tax-free €12,000 relief if they take in a lodger. Since the website launched, USI president Kevin Donoghue said
within a day, 30 new householders had expressed an interest in the scheme. At one point the website had over 100 homes listed on the site. Mr Donoghue stated it was often families whose children had left home who now had a room free, which they could rent to students in need of accommodation. “One taxi driver said to me it was ‘empty nest syndrome’. He himself was doing it,” said Mr Donoghue, who also noted that the scheme was a good way of reintegrating students into local communities. If you’re stuck for a room to rent, or know someone who has a room to rent, visit www.homes.usi.ie to get the ball rolling.
NEWS 5
September 15 2015
Accommodation crisis second year running and for a higher price per month One member of the page, Fiona Hennigan, stated; “I have been looking for accommodation for my son for three weeks. He’s first year GMIT. I could probably get something if I paid upwards of €100 but I can't afford that. The most I can pay weekly would be €70 and this is proving impossible to find. I had found two and was promised them both but got let down at the last minute. “We live in Donegal so it's a long way to go for a viewing, to then be told you can't have it! I don't know what to do at this stage.” As reported by the Connacht Tribune, accommodation at Gort Na Coiribe student village sold out in seven hours in February. The housing crisis is a nationwide issue, not just for students but for families and working professionals alike. Maria Laura, a working professional living in Galway says that people in her age group (early to late thirties) have been just as severely affected by the crisis; “I have witnessed that lots of my friends had to move out last year, because their landlords were selling the house. I think this is part of the problem.” Landlords have furthermore expressed their reluctance to rent to students with a growing trend to explicitly state “No pets. No students” in letting advertisements. Speaking about students, Maria Laura added; “I understand students' struggle but their reputation comes first and I experienced lot of bad things because of them. “I used to live beside what is now The Electric Garden, and believe me when I say that there were people pissing outside my door seven days out of seven (sometimes groups of three). There was vomit on the door pad at least four times a week, and I still had to put my fingers on it in order to enter the property. I am sympathetic with them, but at the same time, it's hard to put up with all that.” Students across the country have had to make compromises when renting a property with some taking 12 month leases instead of the standard nine months of the academic year. Similarly other groups such as mature students, families and the unemployed have made similar compromises by renting Monday to Friday only. This is a particular occurrence in
When you do finally find somewhere to live… New manual will ensure you know your rights By Niamh Cullen
Kevin Donoghue: “College is becoming more expensive all the time. The financial situation that many student families face means that the academic part of college is often not the most challenging. If you are coming to Dublin from the west coast of Ireland renting is your only option and for more and more families that is no option at all.” cities such as Galway, Cork and Dublin. Other alternatives include commuting long distances to college. Figures from the the Irish League of Credit Unions state that 62 per cent of students have chosen to commute compared to only 44 per cent in 2013. However the cost of commuting is now the most expensive it has ever been after several frequent hikes in transport fares over the last five years. The Union of Students Ireland (USI) Vice President for the Border, Midlands and Western Region Feidhlim Seoighe, an alumnus of NUI Galway, said that “one of the biggest issues for students returning, or coming for the first time, to NUI Galway is the fact that student accommodation is difficult to find, which means that alternative arrangements might have to be made, for example the decision to live in Digs”. Digs is an alternative accommodation arrangement where homeowners take in lodgers, who generally rent a room and board. Although Mr Seoighe urges students to be cautious when arranging Digs as “they are not afforded the same protection as those living as tenants”. “Communication is key and it is a good idea to set out the living conditions; whether it will be a five or seven day lease, and if board (meals) will be included in the price, early on. This situation may suit some students, for example first years living away from home for the first time.”
Mr Seoighe and the USI have “been working all summer to try and get as many homeowners to let out rooms to students”. In attempt to address and help resolve the lack of housing, the USI distributed over 21,000 flyers which advertised the ‘rent-a-room relief’ scheme according to a statement on their website dated August 19. The scheme entitles property owners “to a tax-free €12,000 relief if they rent a room to a lodger, and in turn may encourage homeowners to house students”. USI President Kevin O’Donoghue said that within the first day, 30 homeowners showed an interested in the ‘rent-a-room relief’ scheme with regards to students. “One taxi driver said to me it was ‘empty nest syndrome’. He himself was doing it,” he said. NUI Galway’s Students’ Union will also engage with and encourage homeowners in Galway to rent to students. In tangent with that, the SU will continue lobbying local representatives “to get this issue addressed by our government” Mr Phelim Kelly told Sin. His advice to students is to “check out threshold and not to haltingly sign any lease for fear of not getting accommodation. That last thing you need is to be stuck in some overpriced dive which you won't be able to study in”. The USI has recently published the Accommodation and Finance for Students Guide which can be picked up in the Students' Union in Áras na Mac Léinn.
Renting for the first time can seem like a daunting process. Once you’ve found the housemates, the ideal property and a price that suits, the last thing you may be thinking about is your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Nonetheless, getting to know the ins and outs of legal requirements can save you a lot of hassle in the long run, both for you as a tenant and your landlord. That’s why the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) have launched a comprehensive manual to add to your reading list! The Tenant’s Guide to Renting will give you the lowdown on what you need to know before signing a contract, offering advice on paying your deposit, creating an inventory, understanding your lease and your full rights and obligations. Speaking at the launch of the guide, Chair of the SCSI Property Management Group Pat Winters explained the importance of brushing up on tenant information to avoid future conflicts during the college term. “We want to provide tenants with the requisite information to help them avoid disputes but we also want to help them resolve them effectively if and when they arise,” said Mr Winters. “Are friends entitled to stay over? Who will repair the fridge if it breaks down? What is the notice period? When will the deposit be returned? These are just some of the issues addressed in the Guide and which renters should be familiar with.” A similar handbook, the Clear Impartial Guide to Letting, aimed at informing landlords of the legalities of renting out their properties,
was launched in conjunction with the Tenant’s Guide to Renting to provide a balanced understanding for both parties involved. Landlord rights and responsibilities are outlined, as well as advice on letting through an agent, drawing up a fair tenancy agreement, understanding the legal requirements and dealing with repairs and maintenance. The SCSI acts as a professional body for construction, land and property sectors, ensuring the standards in these areas are set to the highest standard for members of the public. They, in addition to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), are involved in all stages of dispute avoidance and resolution processing. It is advised that landlords ensure they check that their property is chartered before purchasing it. Tenants and landlords should be aware of whether the house they intend to rent is registered with the PRTB, to allow for full legal protections in the event of a dispute. With many students renting for the first time, understanding tenancy may be something not yet touched on. The SCSI’s guide ensures that a solid foundation of understanding is offered for those who may be new to letting or renting; something that can be of assistance throughout many years of letting. The Chartered Surveyor’s also offer an entire section on their website dedicated to students, with a particular focus on job-searching, building your CV and interview tips and tricks. A wealth of relevant information for tenants and landlords, in addition to the two guides, is available at www.scsi.ie.
6 NEWS
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
Students’ Unions could be capable of running countries, USI says USI steps up to defend SUs against harsh comments by Minister for Health By Tomás M. Creamer During negotiations with Greece last July, brought about by the country’s debt crisis, Minister for Health and Dublin West TD Leo Varadkar attracted controversy by saying that it was as if the Syriza-led Greek government has been taken over by a Students’ Union. Mr Varadkar said it was hard for people not involved in the negotiations to follow what was happening in Athens, as “it seems like the student union has taken over the government. First there’s an agreement, then there isn’t…[t] hen there’s a referendum and then there isn’t… and then today they are saying it doesn’t matter if you vote
yes or no because there’s a secret agreement that nobody’s heard of”. These comments prompted a response from the USI (Union of Students in Ireland), who strongly criticised Minister Varadkar’s comments, especially considering the efforts of Ireland’s Students’ Unions to encourage and register young people to vote in May’s Marriage Referendum. In a letter, Kevin Donoghue, who took over from Laura Harmon last May as the USI President, pointed out the dedication of many students and young people to register their peers to vote, and to campaign in favour of a “Yes” vote for same-sex marriage, as proof that Students’ Unions could run a country. “Knowing the implications and value of a Yes vote, young people in this country registered thousands of their peers, knocked on as many doors and spoke to the farthest branches of their family trees in the hope that, maybe, we could make Ireland a better place… All things considered maybe Students’ Unions
should be running the country.” Mr Donoghue continued by also talking about how the Students’ Union of the Cork Institute of Technology raised funds to help finance the treatment of a student who suffered from lyme disease, saying; “The actions of CITSU were taken because the government and the Department of Health would not help a citizen who so desperately needed treatment.” He also highlighted the assistance given by Students’ Unions, such as providing food, books, hostel accommodation, counselling and various other support services to students “who have been adversely and horrifically affected by austerity measures”. Mr Donoghue concluded his letter by mentioning how, at the same time, Students’ Unions have also raised “millions of euro for charities, bringing revenue and a boost to the local economy surrounding our colleges, and educating ourselves so we can contribute to the economic recovery of Ireland”.
NUI Galway to come ALIVE with Volunteering Fair By Niamh Cullen With the new college year comes a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with exhibitor organisations and student volunteers alike. NUI Galway’s 14th annual ALIVE Volunteering Fair takes off on Tuesday 15 September in the Bailey Allen Hall, Áras na Mac Léinn from 11am to 4pm, and is set to be bigger than ever. This year will see the fair officially opened by Mayor of Galway City, Cllr. Frank Fahy with over 80 NGOs, schools, hospitals, charities, community partnerships and voluntary groups demonstrating their projects, programmes and visions, and promoting a variety of volunteering opportunities. Last year, more than 2,000 students, academics, staff and public members created invaluable links with organisations such as Enable Ireland, Foróige, The HOPE Foundation, Habitat for Humanity Ireland, Galway Rape Crisis Centre, Blue Teapot Theatre Company and more. ALIVE Student Volunteer Coordinator Lorraine Tansey said; “NUI Galway students have an incred-
ible opportunity, with positions in environment, children, education, disability, human rights, and international partnerships. Most importantly, students get to show their communities that they care and act for change for Ireland’s most marginalised.” ALIVE, which stands for A Learning Initiative and the Volunteering Experience, was a programme originally established in 2003 by NUI Galway’s Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) as a means of acknowledging and supporting students in their contribution to volunteering. Regular volunteering opportunities are posted throughout the year via regular fair and partnership events and updates on the ALIVE website, and students even get the chance to have their efforts, training and skills recognised with an ALIVE Certificate at the end of the year. Current roles include calls for computer tutors with Age Action, volunteers to spend 3 to 5 weeks in Uganda with Nurture Africa and leaders to work with Ladybird, Brownie and Guide units. For a full list of opportunities, see www.cki.nuigalway.ie/alive.
Students’ Unions unite to support IADT #LendAHand campaign Viral campaign kicking off the college year asks students to literally #LendAHand By Niamh Cullen Students’ Unions have been extending their palms to spread the word of positive mental health, thanks to an innovative social media movement launched by Dun Laoghaire’s Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT).
The #LendAHand campaign encourages everyone to get involved by writing a message of support on their hand and taking a picture of it with the hashtag #LendAHand, in a bid to promote support for anyone suffering with mental health difficulties.
Posts have ranged from witty messages such as “It is ok not being alright sometimes, sure I’m left!”, while others have offered words of empathy and motivation, for instance “Just because I look strong, doesn’t mean I am strong”, “It’s ok not to feel ok”, “You matter” and “We are here”. The photos have flooded Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, coming from unions in The Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT), Queens University Belfast, The Institute of Technology Tralee and more. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI)
have also gotten involved, boosting the campaign to a national level. IADT Welfare and Equality Officer Paul Downes spoke of the idea of #LendAHand, and its impact upon unions as a whole. “The idea of the campaign was to remind our students what we, as a Students’ Union, are here for. It is simple and visual, and gives strong communication from people willing to listen and open up to those who need it most,” he said. He added that, although the campaign was originally aimed at
students in IADT, he is “thrilled” to see other unions partaking. ITT Deputy President and Education Officer Aisling Cusack further asserted its importance, stating that “every day, people are suffering in silence, and this social media campaign can offer words of encouragement and positivity that can make a difference”. With a range of issues such as financial burdens and housing crises impacting students as they try to cope with their first few weeks, IADT’s gesture could not have come at a better time.
Travel for less with Student Leap Card By Tomás M. Creamer Introduced into Galway city in September of 2014, the Leap Card is a special credit card that can be used to automatically pay for most public transport services within Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick, as well as some inter-city train services. In Galway, users of the Leap Card can save 20% on single tickets on City Direct (Routes 411-413) and Bus Éireann (Routes 401-410) within the city.
However, frequent users can also avail of discounts on weekly and monthly tickets on both services, with those holding Student Lead Cards paying €15 and €18.20 for weekly tickets on City Direct and Bus Éireann respectively. Student Leap Card holders in Galway can also avail of discounts for return tickets to Dublin, as well as an array of discounts on Luas and Dublin bus tickets while they are there. NUI Galway students who wish to
obtain a Student Leap card can do so by going to the Students’ Union (SU) Office in Áras Na Mac Léinn, which is one of a number of designated “Express Agents” from which Student Leap Cards can be purchased. Applicants are required to bring their Student ID, and to pay €15 – which includes a €3 photo capture fee. They are also required to fill out an application form, which is available at the SU office. The SU Office in Galway is open Monday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm.
NUI Galway
VOLUNTEERING
FAIR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH Bailey Allen Hall, Aras na Mac Leinn. 11am - 4pm
8 NEWS
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
Galway's waterways to see regular patrols this year New voluntary organisation aims to prevent accidents and save lives By Jessica Thompson Galway Waterways Patrol was officially launched over the summer at the Radisson Blu Hotel, where a number of enthusiastic volunteers listened to an outline of proposals and information on the training that will be delivered before the first patrol. “We are very, very unique in Galway. We have nearly 200 miles of waterways in Galway City. That’s a huge amount of water,” said GWP founder Arthur Carr to those who attended the launch. “They have one river flowing through or they have the docks in any of the other cities where these waterway patrols are being carried out. “And, for instance, in one river in Limerick, in three years, they have saved or prevented 300 accidents. That is just one. Cork is bigger than that because they’ve been at it a little bit longer. Wexford is huge. They haven’t been at it that long. “We have huge amounts of waterways to patrol and we need your help.” Plans for GWP were set in motion after GWP Secretary Maura Fahy wrote a letter to the Keith Finnegan Show, which was received “above and beyond” what the group expected. Since then, plans for the patrols have come on in leaps and bounds, with hopes to start regular patrols with the start of the academic year. “Galway Waterways Patrol is something that should have been done years ago, and in my other life as a taxi driver, I regularly come across people who are in distress, or attempting to go in the river or in the canals,” said Galway City Mayor Cllr Frank Fahy at the launch last week. “In a lot of cases, your first responder when you see people going into the water would be the Gardaí or the Fire Brigade, and I have to say in my 25 years of experience as a taxi driver I’ve seen quite a few people going in the river.” In many cases, he said, there are young people who don’t get into the nightclubs with their friends and end up wandering around the city on their own. According to the mayor, some of these young people
accidentally end up in the water. “It isn’t deliberate. It’s not suicide. They’re either out of it on drink or drugs or a mixture of both. We have a lot of waterways in the city that are very open, and it’s very easy to get lost and we need to do something.” GWP are looking at having patrols at “prime risk times”, which are between 11 o’clock at night and four o’clock in the morning. These are the times that
groups of volunteers will be patrolling the waterways. These are also the times that many young people will be out in the city. “When you’ve a group of five or six young people and one is turned away from the night club, he’s on his own. It’s not acceptable in my book that nightclubs
should have that policy. And if they do turn somebody away, they should have a very valid reason for why they do it,” said Cllr Fahy. GWP are planning to provide complimentary training to all volunteers before they go on patrol and this training will be provided by the Red Cross and Civil Defence. The role of the volunteers will be to observe and report any incidents to the emergency services, which will be on the scene, typically, within two minutes.
A stolen ring buoy is a stolen life Council is replacing 16 ring buoys per week By Jessica Thompson On average, Galway City Council has to replace 16 ring buoys a week, according to Galway City Mayor Cllr Frank Fahy. The mayor spoke on the issue at the launch of Galway Waterways Patrol over the summer months. Galway has a serious issue with damaged or stolen ring buoys, which are essential pieces of kit when it comes to saving someone from drowning. “We have an issue with life buoys in Galway and right across the country. I think on average we replace 16 of them per week in Galway for damage. They cost €55. They’re instrumental in saving somebody’s life,” said Cllr Fahy. The €55 fee per ring buoy adds up to more than €800 per week spent on something that shouldn’t have been touched in the first place, unless in an emergency. “In 1983, I was involved in a boating accident and I lost a brother,” said the mayor, who told his own personal story to highlight the importance of ring buoys. “My life was actually saved by the inner tube of a car that was actually in the boat. Unfortunately, I lost a brother and it is something that stayed with me all my life. It happened on the 12th of July 1983 and it still haunts me to this day. It’s something I’ll never get over. “I regularly see where people are vandalising those buoys and it’s unacceptable. We need life
buoys to save lives. They’re not playthings; they’re not toys.” Image © capl@washjeff.edu Irish Water Safety website, ringbuoys.ie aims to spread the message that a stolen ring buoy means a stolen life, and encourages people to report missing ring buoys in their area. If you spot an empty ring buoy box near a waterway, or if the buoy is floating in the water, it can be reported on ringbuoys.ie in just a few easy steps. The website appeals to people not to assume someone else has reported it. Roger Sweeney, Marketing Manager and Deputy CEO of Irish Water Safety, says that missing ring buoys are a huge problem all over the country. “From Donegal to Kerry, hundreds of these ring buoys are going missing all the time. And it’s typically lads coming out after a bit of craic in the pub. It’s like a bullseye to them. And out they go and they’re throwing them in the water,” Mr Sweeney said at the Galway Waterways Patrol launch. “I get reports every week about them going missing. I get reports about the rope being used as clothes line. And that’s all over the country. These reports are coming in every day – as well as a drowning every second day.” In 2014, Galway had the third highest number of drownings in Ireland, with 12 incidents reported to Irish Water Safety over the course of the year. That was one drowning more than the previous year, which saw 11 people drown in Galway’s waterways. For more information, visit www.iws.ie. If you notice a missing ring buoy, or find one that has been missing, you can report it at www.ringbuoys.ie. To find out more about the Galway Waterways Patrol or to volunteer, email galwaywaterwayspatrol@ gmail.com.
Volunteers will be in orange, high-vis jackets while on patrol, so that the emergency services can spot them easily. The jackets are orange so that they don’t clash with the guards or the fire services. Emergency services will recognise the colour immediately and know exactly where the emergency is. So far, similar patrols have saved many lives, and prevented accidents all over the country and with the high number of drownings in Galway over the years, GWP is exactly what the city needs. “Last year the lifeguards that we trained and assessed around the country plucked 831 people from actually drowning. They plucked them out of the water, about to drown,” said Deputy CEO of Irish Water Safety Roger Sweeney at the launch. “400 lost children were found, lost and wandering by themselves, alone beside water, and reunited by lifeguards with their parents. “But the 831 that nearly drowned could have been a bigger problem. One of the issues can be double drownings and that’s where somebody actually goes in to try and rescue somebody else.” Last year, there were 114 drownings in Ireland, 12 of which were in Galway. That’s one more drowning incident than the 11 that took place in Galway the year before. On average, according to Mr Sweeney, there are 135 drownings in Ireland every year. “So it’s a particular problem. We had twice as many young children aged under 14 drown last year: six. Usually three drown every year. We had the same number of teenagers drowning. Six of them drowned last year – half of them suicides and half of them accidental. “Alcohol is a big problem and if you look at the statistics overall, in one third of all drownings in Ireland the casualty has consumed alcohol,” said Mr Sweeney. “So this is hugely commendable. But please just remember one thing: don’t get into the water unless you’ve taken training. And we will make training complimentary. We don’t want heroes. We just want practical steps to save lives.” If GWP saves even one life, then they have accomplished what they set out to do, and based on the success that similar groups have had all over the country, GWP are confident that they will achieve that goal. For more information, or to become a volunteer, email galwaywaterwayspatrol @gmail.com
NEWS 9
September 15 2015
Trinity College wins Gender Award Galway named NUI Galway misses out following last year’s controversy friendliest city in the world By Mark Laherty
Trinity College Dublin and three of its constituent schools have received bronze awards from Athena SWAN for the advancement of gender equality in science-related higher education and research. The award was given to Trinity’s Schools of Physics, Chemistry, and Natural Sciences. The awarding body, Athena SWAN, is a programme run by the UK-based Equality Challenge Unit which aims to advance the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, medicine, and mathematics. NUI Galway missed out on the award due to significant failures in gender equality amongst its academic staff. In a high-profile Equality Tribunal finding, NUI Galway botanist Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington was awarded €70,000 when it concluded that she was discriminated against on grounds of gender when turned down for a promotion in 2009. Since then, five other NUI Galway lecturers are pursuing the university on similar grounds. Speaking to The Irish Times last year, Dr Sheehy Skeffington said she was “from a family of feminists. I took this case to honour them”. She also noted that immediately following the case, most of the messages of congratulations she received were from women; “Men don’t get it. Women know exactly what this case is about.” Sheehy Skeffington joined NUI Galway in 1990 as a lecturer. Over time she applied for promotion to senior lectureship. By the time the 2008/2009 round of promotions came up, it was the fourth time since 2000 that she had applied.
In that round, there were 23 male and seven female applicants. 16 men and one woman were selected for promotion. Upon discovering this imbalance, Sheehy Skeffington felt that something was wrong and pursued the matter. It can take years for a case to come before the Equality Tribunal. In September 2014, Sheehy Skeffington took early retirement. By the time she won her case, she was no longer an employee of the university, which made it easier for her to speak out. Sheehy Skeffington has described NUI Galway as “honourable in admitting things now need to be made better”. NUI Galway was ordered by the Equality Tribunal to promote Sheehy Skeffington to senior lecturer from July 2009, to pay her in full the salary difference, and to award her a tax-free €70,000. The university was also ordered to review its “policies and procedures in relations to promotion to senior lecturer to ensure they are in compliance with these acts with particular reference to the gender ground”. In addition, NUI Galway must report back to the tribunal on its progress this November. Sheehy Skeffington has been using her €70,000 award to help the five other women who were also shortlisted for promotion with her but got no further in the process. Last year, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) revealed that women are significantly under-represented in senior academic roles in third-level institutions in Ireland. Of the percentages of these roles held by women, NUI Galway came last of the institutions examined with only 21% of women recorded as holding senior posts. Other thirdlevel institutions that the HEA examined included University College Cork, which came in next lowest, with 27% of women in senior posts, followed by Maynooth University at 28%, and University College Dublin at 29%.
USI working with Women for Election By Siobhán Mulvey The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has teamed up with the Migrant Rights Centre to encourage potential female general election candidates to partake in Women for Election’s political school campaign, Equip 2015. Women for Election’s Director of Operations and Campaigns Suzanne Collins, welcomes the positive initiative by USI to support women in politics. “We are delighted that USI and the MRCI are being so proactive in positively supporting women to enter electoral politics by supporting their attendance at EQUIP 2015,” said Miss Collins. “Preparation and planning is the key to any campaign and EQUIP 2015 will provide female candidates, potential candidates and their campaign managers with the training, skills and advice to run their best campaign. “Women for Election have brought together national and international experts to cover every facet of a campaign from building a team, campaign strategy, media training, social media strategy, advice on how to read polls, pitch stories to local and
national media, good campaign governance, fundraising and much more. “After the three days, candidates will have their campaign plan and know how to execute it effectively while maximising whatever resources they have available to them.” USI will provide a full scholarship to attend Equip 2015 to a current female student or a graduate who finished education within the last three years. Equip will inform candidates in all elements of running an electoral campaign. National and international experts will be present at Equip to help candidates build their campaign strategies and to utilise all resources available to them. Women for Election are thankful for USI’s involvement in generating the participation of college students and graduates in Equip and hope to have a diverse range of aspiring female politicians at the three-day course. The course is open to both confirmed and potential general election candidates within the guidelines. Further information on Equip is available from equip@womenforelection.ie, or by calling (01) 672 8050.
(We also take more selfies than people in Dublin!) By Kieran Kilkelly It is globally recognised that Ireland is one of the most welcoming places on the planet to visit. Whether it be in a small rural village or a busy bustling city, the reception with which we greet our overseas guests remains constant. Throughout the years Ireland as a whole and the unique locations within the country have been voted highly in surveys done by travel magazines and other various outlets such as Conde Nast Traveller, World Economic Forum (WEP) and
Lonely Planet to name just a few – the latter of which named Ireland the “Friendliest Country to Visit” in 2008. And once again Ireland have topped the polls in the well-renowned US magazine Travel + Leisure. A survey, which ran from November 2014 to March 2015, invited readers of T+L magazine to find the best city in the world by rating them in several categories such as sights/landmarks, culture/arts, restaurants/food, friendliness/people, shopping and value. While no Irish city made that list, three cities did, however, make it into the category of “World’s Friendliest Cities” which is arguably a more credible accolade considering that New York was voted America’s eight best city but ranked sixth on the list of “Most Unfriendly Cities” worldwide. Dublin and Cork placed third and fourth respectively while Galway was rated number one with only Charlestown in South Carolina, USA – the world’s second best city overall according to T+L – preventing the Irish from a clean sweep atop the poll.
Savannah, Georgia was the only other American city within the top 10 while Australia had two representatives in Sydney, eight and Melbourne, seventh. Interestingly enough, Edinburgh, a city with Celtic roots, was the only other European city featured coming in at number nine while Auckland, New Zealand and Siem Reap, Cambodia make up the list at sixth and fifth respectively. But it was Galway’s “festive nature, lively population and musicality” that was instrumental in its success, with one T+L reader suggesting that; “the hospitality and the humour of Ireland’s people makes it the perfect destination”. Following on from this, the Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons said that the “friendliness of our own people is one of our unique selling points”. Galway, which is Ireland’s selfie capital, taking six times more selfies per capita than Dublin, can now expect a boost in reputation and image after this result which is sure to help boost Galway’s bid to become European Capital of Culture 2020.
10 NEWS
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
New survey shows students are living on less than €100 per week Also, Ed Sheeran and Kylie Jenner would make the best house mates! By Claire Stone Almost two-thirds of students, in Ireland, are living on less than €100 a week, a recent study has revealed. While 44 percent surveyed support their student finances with a part-time job, 34 percent receive financial support from their parents. The findings of this survey have highlighted the direct impact of rising rent prices around the country, coupled with the loss in value of the student grant and the rise in cost of the student contribution charge. The clear financial struggle of students can be felt most when observing that
noodles, cereal and beans were listed as the worst college dinner options available to them. Each received 27 percent, 17 percent and 16 percent of the vote. Most worryingly of the surveys results is the reliance students have on the availability of part-time work. Undertaking a parttime job while undergoing a full time course in university can be particularly demanding for students. Many colleges strongly advise against working part time during the course of the academic year as time pressures can significantly damage the quality of a student’s performance and hamper their involvement
with critical independent study time. In some cases, colleges have a zero tolerance for late assignments due to interference of parttime work. These survey results signify a dark time for students, as the health risks associated with poor diet due to lack of funds along with stress relating to financial burden, places many students in a difficult situation: “It’s hard to sort out what my priorities are”, says 19-year-old Lisa Murphy. The research in question also focused on other aspects of student life. The survey, conducted by Bank of Ireland and Scooldays.ie, discovered that the thing 36 percent of students missed
most was their families. The other 35 percent of students missed having dinner made for them. Th e m o s t c o m m o n excuse students make for missing an exam is being sick at 34 percent, while sleeping it out ranked at 16 percent. The survey also highlighted the good side of college life; ‘no more uniforms’ (14 percent) and ‘moving out of home” (12%) being the most popular answers to the question of the best thing about college. Ed Sheeran featured on the survey as he topped the poll with 32 percent of students favouring him as the most ideal housemate to have. Miss Kylie Jenner also proved popular, winning 18 percent of the vote.
Galway Youth Techspace looking for adult volunteers Young people are already digital natives; they have become users and consumers of technology in their daily lives. Local Galway Foróige Youth Projects are currently recruiting adult volunteers 18+ for a new term of Techspace programmes. Foróige Techspace is a national volunteer led youth programme associated with Adobe Youth Voices at an International level. It’s about combining the trusted principles and practice of youth work with technology. It engages young people in creative learning and encourages them to use their interests in technology in an active and social environmental. Galway Techspace has been running successfully in local Foroige Projects over the last three years creating award-winning projects in app development, film-making, animation and sound technology. This programme offers young people aged 10 to 18 the opportunity to explore various multi-media and smart technologies in a fun and creative
environment while developing life skills such as communication, problem solving, teamwork skills and confidence. Local Foróige Youth Development Projects in Galway are looking for Volunteer Leaders interested in youth work and youth development; Media Mentors who are skilled and have an interest in digital media; Maker Mentors who are skilled in science, technology, engineering, art and maths; Tech Mentor who will support the project in hardware equipment support and maintenance. Volunteers will receive Induction Training, role descriptions and other professional development training, valuable facilitation/teaching /youth work experience and an opportunity to pass on skills and interests in technology to young people with similar interests. For more information, or to get a volunteer form, contact Megan Depinna on 086 856 6480, email megan.depinna@foroige.ie, or Jen Hesnan on 086 024 9429, or email jenniver.hesnan@foroige.ie.
USI calls on Oireachtas to decriminalise illegal drugs By Odhran Donovan
Pick up your copy of the Career Development Centre’s timetable of events including; Employers in Residence, Careers Fairs, Career Workshops, Employer Presentations and more! Opening Times: Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm, Fri 11am - 5pm Log onto Careers Connect www.nuigalway.ie/careers to book an appointment, see drop in sessions and view jobs!
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has submitted a report to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality following a call from the body for public recommendations to be made in regard to national drug policy. The USI, having adopted an officially pro-decriminalisation position at its July congress, calls for the decriminalisation of drugs in Ireland within their submission. The proposal additionally urges that “broken” prohibitionist strategies be formally abandoned by government and surpassed with greater investment in drug treatment, rehabilitation and education programs. The report claims that current policies largely focused on the control of the supply of illegal drugs are “exhausted”, when the prevalence of recreational usage of drugs amongst students is considered. Indeed, the USI cites information from the National
Student Drug Survey (2014) which concluded that 49 percent of third-level students had previously smoked cannabis, 32 percent had ingested ecstasy or one if its derivatives, whilst 11 percent had consumed psychedelics of any description at one point or another. The document goes on to state that current penalties relating to drug offences are excessive given the frequency of drug use by the student population. With minor convictions often not only ending a student’s aspirations to travel, study or work abroad, but also having a detrimental impact on one’s future social mobility. The submission continues by affirming; “(The) USI believes there is a need for health professionals, parents and educators to acknowledge the fact that young people often engage in drug use, and at the very least will be exposed to drug use at some point in their lives. We need wider society to foster informed and responsible conversations
about drugs and drug use, something we believe can only happen if decriminalisation of drugs is introduced.” The USI offers the Portuguese template of decriminalisation as a model which Ireland should desire to replicate. When government research indicated that a sizeable majority of Portuguese drug users were not engaged in any other form of criminal activity, the Portuguese legislature elected to enact a decriminalisation bill in 2001. Since then levels of drug addiction in Portugal have not multiplied as was initially feared, having remained relatively stagnant in the proceeding fourteen years. Portuguese policy, which involves heavy investment in proactive programs, allows citizens to legally possess up to ten days’ worth of supply of narcotics. The USI report goes on to identify this progressivism as providing the “second chance” that many Irish students may require.
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12 FEATURES
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
The struggles of being a student, still… Trinity-led study finds that first-year students still struggle with college transition five months in By Neil Slevin
of achieving first class honours are 23% lower” when he/she “takes months rather than weeks” Within their newly-published report, Dr to overcome the transition’s challenges. Denny, of T.C.D.’s Economics Department, In the National Forum for the Enhancement and her research team found that most first- of Teaching and Learning report published on year students, even after five months of college, 4 August, the forum examined whether there still find some or all aspects of the transition to are sufficient initiatives available to provide higher-level education challenging, with social the skills and insights necessary for students issues more problematic than academic ones. progressing into higher-education, finding that second-level academic performance For most, the route to a successful had little bearing on their transition, whilst noting that “students with transition lies in college-based prior academic success struggle overall just as much” as others. support services. Students should More significant, it confirmed, is whether a student attended a rural not feel embarrassed to make use or urban school, anecdotal evidence suggesting that students from rural of the services made available backgrounds experienced greater difficulties during transition. Perhaps the report’s key finding is that, for 50% Based on a survey of 1,579 student responses of students, higher education-induced challenges across focus groups from various Irish Univerdon’t diminish or disappear even after several sities, the report uncovered that a significant months. This inability to adapt, the report con- challenge faced by students was time managetinues, can be detrimental to students’ academic ment; 31% surveyed said that they find managing success; “the longer it takes… the less likely the their time “very challenging”. A further challenge student is to get a higher grade. A student’s odds is students’ increased need for critical thinking
and independent work, 50% finding third-level assessments “somewhat challenging”. However, the report reveals that “increased responsibility, social/personal issues, and non-academic issues” tax students more than adjusting to academia. Factors exacerbating these challenges were also examined: older students cope less well with transitioning due to factors including differing responsibilities from younger students, and lacking a smooth pathway into higher education as provided by the Leaving Certificate. Finally, commuting time is also problematic. Qualitative research-based results illustrate multiple difficulties for commuters, such as an inability to find time to socialise after college, or to engage effectively in extracurricular activities, made the transition to higher-level education more strenuous. So, how might you ease the process? For most, the route to a successful transition lies in college-based support services, such as NUI Galway.’s Student Connect. Students should not feel embarrassed to talk to others, make use of the services made available by our dynamic Students’ Union, and ask for help if and when they need it.
Now, as a returning Master’s student, 8 years on from my first-year ‘experience’, I am no stranger to third-level life’s challenges – and getting used to them; it took me two years to adapt the first time around! My advice to our readership’s members includes the following: 1. Keep in touch with your friends and family. It’s very easy to lose touch with those you don’t see regularly; don’t forget that home’s what you make of it, even when you aren’t there. 2. Seek out people you already know. It’s reassuring to see a familiar face, and being away from home alongside someone you don’t actually know that well might make you much closer. 3. Interact with your peers: those you share a lecture hall with also share many of your interests; don’t neglect the opportunity to meet likeminded people, or take a reluctant approach to groupwork. Groupwork can be annoying, especially if you are used to studying as an individual, but see it as another opportunity to meet others, and boost your learning. Lastly, check out the rest of our “Features” section for advice on cooking, budgeting, making friends, and so much more.
SIPTU to hold trade union event in NUI Galway Public meeting to will highlight the Union’s role in in addressing issues such as gender discrimination By Dean Buckley As part of their on-going campaign for equality at NUI Galway, SIPTU and IFUT are holding a Trade Union Day on 23 September. The Students’ Union has also been invited to participate. The events will consist of a meeting on gender and other forms of discrimination at 1pm for staff and students in the careers seminar room in the Arts/Science Building, followed by a public meeting at 7.30pm at the Town Hall Theatre on precarious employment at NUI Galway, as well as union recruitment stands throughout the campus. The current campaign began with the appointment by university management of a gender equality task force after the rulings against the University for gender discrimination, first in the matter of Ms Mary Dempsey, and later in the matter of Dr Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington. SIPTU and IFUT dispute the task force, appointed unilaterally by university management, which they say is “not independent or effective”. They have called for an independent equality review for all types of discrimination, and SIPTU has directed its members not to cooperate with the task force. Despite management’s claims of progress, NUI Galway’s application to receive the Athena SWAN, an international equality award, was rejected during the summer; a snub its detrac-
tors say constitutes mounting evidence against their task force. On 28 August, management also refused to attend a conciliation meeting at the Labour Relations Commission with union representatives. Ms Maggie Ronayne, a lecturer in NUI Galway and SIPTU shop steward, says management are “more concerned with public relations and their image” than tackling discrimination at the university, pointing out that conciliation meetings are “the normal way you would resolve a dispute” between workers and management in Ireland, and described management’s attitude as “arrogant and obstructive”. She says that “students are facing discrimination and harassment too”, highlighting recent findings by NUI Galway researchers on the frequency of sexual assault in universities, as well as the exploitation of postgraduate students, which she called “a growing trend in higher education”. “It’s a publicly-funded university, so it should be leading by example. It’s very important to hear from students, and for staff and students to come together to work on these problems,” said Ms Ronayne, who is also a co-chair of SIPTU’s equality subcommittee. Ms Ronayne said of Trade Union Day that “if anyone has suffered discrimination or unfair treatment or just feels very strongly about these issues and wants to get active, these meetings are for them”.
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14 FEATURES
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
NUI Galway to host largest technology event outside Dublin Free, fun and student-organised tech carnival event brings top tech firms to NUI Galway Computer Science Students at NUI Galway will hold the third annual ‘Synapse //a Tech Carnival’, bringing major technological companies and employers to Galway City. The one-day free event will take place on Wednesday, 23 September in the Bailey Allen Hall at NUI Galway and is for students and people interested in technology to meet with key Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) stakeholders in a fun and informative exchange of ideas. All types of ICT companies will be on show at the event, including SAP, Avaya, Google and Amazon. Local community groups are also welcomed, with groups such as 091 Labs, NUI Galway’s Computer Society, to be in attendance. The event allows students and the public to meet with ICT organisations
through interactive games, discussions and tutorials. With an estimated 3,000 people expected to attend, the event is about having fun with new and emerging technologies, as well as the opportunity to discover new areas within the sector. “We have some amazing employers such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon coming to the event as they see the energy that has built up around the idea. Galway companies such as HP, Avaya and Cisco/SAP are offering great support as they see this as an opportunity to showcase their Galway operations through stands and speakers,” said David O’Dea, event organiser and second year NUI Galway student. Speakers and panel discussions will offer key insights into the current trends that are being expe-
rienced for tech graduates in Ireland. Keynote speakers last year included: Mark Gantly, Hewlett Packard; Stephen Howell, Microsoft; and Eugene Garvin, Avaya. David Renton, event founder and NUI Galway Computer Science student, said; “Students of Computer Science and Information Technology have seen the success of tech events internationally and we want to showcase the West of Ireland as just as exciting for tech people to come together in a dynamic and fun environment. “NUI Galway has such a unique balance of energy, youth and talent which lends itself to hosting an event such as this, while Galway itself is one of the best cities in Ireland for ICT companies to attract new talent, as it is one of the most desirable places
to live and work for all ages. This will be an unmissable opportunity for those at any stage of their career, from a potential computing student to an experienced pro wanting to network. “We have employers such as Microsoft, LinkedIn and Havok coming to the event as they see the energy that has built up around the idea. Galway companies such as HP, Avaya and Cisco/SAP are offering great support as they see this as an opportunity to showcase their Galway operations. Equally, NUI Galway are spearheading the event as they offer a range of programmes that can provide training and education opportunities for all ages for a career in ICT.” The networking arena demos and main stage presentations will provide attendees with all the lat-
est information on all of the companies involved while the Workshop Heaven area will provide a more in-depth and interactive view of the technologies involved. Exhibitors and presenters include: Microsoft, Accenture, Riot Games, Cloud Consulting, Silicon Republic, ThoughtBox, EY, Avaya, First Derivatives, KBC Bank, Havok, Tribal City Interactive, 091Labs, Hewlett-Packard, RealSim, ITAG, Pocket Anatomy, Element Wave, amongst others.
NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne, said; “This is a wonderful student-led event. I commend the students involved in Synapse//a Tech Carnival for their initiative in linking students and industry in such a dynamic and innovative way. I look forward to participating in the event and to seeing at first-hand the synergy developing between NUI Galway technology students and industry leaders.” For more information on ‘Synapse//a Tech Carnival’ visit www.synapsegalway.com.
When starting college, do not end your education
By Jemima Burke ‘O youth! The strength of it, the faith of it, the imagination of it!’ ‘Oh, the glamour of youth! Oh, the fire of it… leaping audaciously to the sky!’ Joseph Conrad, remembered for classic novels like Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim, knew what it meant to be young, bold and ambitious, perhaps a little similar to you. To every first-year he would say: This is your time. Drink deeply. Wade far out. There is really only one essential word of caution to all of you about to embark on a three/four/five-year course in this university: When starting college, do not end your education. It happens, over and over again. The expansion of the mind comes, gradu-
ally, to a sad and terminal halt. Burning questions are smothered, like drizzling rain on hot coals; before too long the fire’s out. Questions never voiced are soon forgotten; consigned to the dusty corners of the mind as irrelevant, they present themselves in the later years of life as sad reminders of a fearful existence. When it comes to the meaning and purpose of life there is something worse than unanswered questions. T h a t i s t o h av e n o questions at all; blindly submitting to what is presented as apropos ; stumbling in the dark with no desire for a light; never bothering to consider why you do the things you do. Like the drunken man walking off a cliff; he takes his last step with a swagger. And then it’s too late. A truly educated person has a seeking mind. You could say an open mind; but the term has been knocked about so much; it’s lost a great deal of its true meaning.
Pilate asked: ‘What is truth?’ Search for it. Search for absolutes to anchor your life. Don’t start college with a dream and walk out a loser. People do it all the time – leaving college with less than they arrived with. Come with questions, seeking answers. Come genuine, accepting nothing less than real. Come searching – not for the search itself, but for its end. Education is more than Blackboard updates, dumbed-down theories, class assignments and latenight crams. It is having the courage to listen to another point of view; conversing with the stranger beside you; arguing intelligently; learning from life; expanding your mind; and thinking for yourself instead of allowing RTÉ six-figures, HotPress, Tweeters, bloggers, YouTubers, the SU, your lecturer or anyone else do it for you. And remember: ‘If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.’
FEATURES 15
September 15 2015
HOW TO: Library Catherine Caulfield
By Siobhán Mulvey Where is the library? The James Hardiman Library is situated between the Arts/Science Concourse and the Arts Millennium building, and directly across from the Big Yellow Thing. Simply swipe your student ID at the library gates and you’re in.
Year of graduation: 1976: BSc (Hons) Microbiology,
1977: HDip in Ed. 2008: Ph.D. Pharmacology Course at NUI Galway: Science Current Occupation: Company Director
What is your fondest memory of NUI Galway? There are so many it is very hard to choose one. But the valued lifelong friends I met at UCG (as it was then known) are very special to me and of course student dances in Seapoint on a Tuesday night, Thursday nights in O’Reilly’s Foster Street, Science Dress Dances were always very exciting. College week and in particular Tramps Ball and Ma Craven’s Coffee Shop. Many, many fond memories.
Has NUI Galway changed since you were here? Yes, it is almost unrecognisable as a campus other than the much-loved and cherished Archway and Quad. The campus has been transformed over the years with the addition of many state-of-the-art buildings for Science (a far cry from the old Terrapins housing the Microbiology Department), Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Psychology, Biomedical Sciences to name but a few and the development continues. But, it is not just the construction of new buildings that has changed; staff and student numbers have increased substantially from approximately 2,500 to now over 17,000 students attending NUIG with World University Rankings in 2014 of 261st. This is a wonderful achievement, a great success story and I am proud to be an Alumna of the University.
How did attending NUI Galway develop you as a person? I count myself privileged to have studied at NUIG and am forever grateful to my parents for the sacrifices they made to allow me get a University education. Studying at NUI Galway developed me technically, socially, gave me a great sense of independence, a positive can-do approach to life and a great appreciation of life-long learning.
How did studying your course of study prepare you for your career? My degree in Microbiology equipped me to set up a Microbiology Department with help, support and encouragement from Professor Kieran Dunican (RIP), then Professor of Microbiology at NUIG, and in co-founding and developing a Contract Services Business based in Ballina, Co. Mayo. The skills acquired at NUIG along with business and financial experience gained along the way, a positive attitude and the commitment and dedication of a wonderful team led to the development of a very successful global research business.
Did you partake in any societies, sports clubs or volunteering at NUI Galway? I was a member of the mountaineering club and the Biological Science Society with many après meetings in the Skeff.
Do you ever miss NUI Galway? Yes, I missed NUIG and my friends a lot initially and returned frequently at weekends to meet-up. In recent years I am lucky and privileged to be a frequent visitor to campus as I am a member of the Governing Body of NUIG for the past eight years and a member of the Alumni Association Board. I attend the Annual Gala Banquet most years, which is an evening not to be missed and a great opportunity to meet up with old and new friends. I had the great honour and privilege of being the recipient of The Seavite Alumni Award for Natural Science in 2008 which was presented at the Gala Banquet. This was a most memorable event shared with family and friends.
Finding a book By going to the library website at www.library.nuigalway.ie
Any juicy stories of your time here? Many, but not for airing here! I recall a particular Science Dress Dance when a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, agreed to make a skirt and blouse for me for the special event. I can remember the panic as the door-bell rang and my blouse still being stitched up on my back! A good example of just-in-time (JIT) which we learned about in later years, but a little bit too close to time! I can also remember entering a friend (current occupant of room 116 in the Quadrangle) in the Bony Baby competition during college week and pushing her in a bath with a colleague around Eyre Square!
What advice would you give to current NUI Galway students?
and signing in with your student ID number, you can find any book easily. Searching the book title and author will inform you of the shelf number of the book. Access to any online versions of the book will also appear in your search results. Borrowing a book Once you find your book, you can check it out at self-service check outs by scanning your student ID and your book spine. You should get a receipt showing the return date, which will also appear on your online account. Most books can be rented for a week, with others restricted to one or three day loans.
Returning a book Loaned books can be viewed by signing into the library website and clicking on ‘My Account.’ To avoid fines, books can be renewed online. To return books, slide them into the return slot on the ground floor of the library. What are databases? Databases are research websites which can be accessed for free by using the library website; clicking on ‘Find Databases’ will open an alphabetical list of many different databases. Certain databases will be more relevant for your course. In the database search engine, typing key words of a particular topic produces relevant academic articles and journals. Study spaces Study spaces are available on all levels of the library and are labelled by their measure of silence. PC suites and group work areas are also available. The Reading Room located in the basement of the library provides extra study space. Opening hours The James Hardiman Library normally opens 08:30 – 22:00 from Monday-Friday, 08:30 – 17:30 on Saturday and 10:00 – 17:30 on Sunday.
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I would say to students that they are privileged to be studying in such a fine University based in a wonderful city. I would advise them to enjoy every moment, have fun, adopt a positive “is feidir linn” attitude and to reach for the stars, to find a balance between study and social life and if you find at any stage you are not coping, speak with your supervisor or a colleague at an early stage. Deal with problems as and when they arise. Your education at NUIG will teach you skills to equip you for life.
u o y k n tha
If you could go back and do it all again, what would you do differently?
With the Alumni Association and support NUI Galway’s vision for the future
I do not think I would change anything. I really loved my time at NUI Galway, have very fond memories, great friends and have no regrets.
eir ide for th ing w d rl o w fund lumni alway in G To our a I U N ts n for r projec ambitio se majo e th f o many pus on cam
stay
connected For more information on priority projects, events & activities contact Galway University Foundation. Visit us @ www.guf.ie l www.nuigalway.ie/alumni l T: 091 493536 Find us on Facebook and join National University of Ireland Galway on LinkedIn
THE SU PAGES Welcome to NUI Galway From SU President Phelim Kelly Hi Everyone, My name is Phelim Kelly and I am your Students’ Union President for the next year. I am here for you, I work for you and I am here to be an advocate for you in NUI Galway, an activist and a representative for you. To all first years reading this; I want to congratulate you on getting in to NUI Galway. After orientation I can already see you are all a great bunch and I can’t wait to meet you over the year. The best advice I can give you is to get involved. There is so much you can do during your time at NUI Galway. Join a club and a society. Write for Sin. Become a class rep. Join the SU volunteer crew. Do a radio show for Flirt FM. Volunteer around Galway or even abroad. The sky is the limit. It’s never too late to get involved and it’s great for your CV as well. To all other students; welcome back. I hope you all had a great summer. Like I said before; it’s never too late to get involved. The time for CV-building is now.
The Students’ Union is your representative body whose mission is “to represent, defend and vindicate the rights of its members at all levels in society”. NUI Galway Students’ Union has taken a proactive stance on various issues such as LGBT* rights, women’s reproductive rights, a boycott of Israeli products in our outlets and many more. You are the Students’ Union; your executive committee is merely there to drive your ideas and we are answerable to you. If you think the Students’ Union should be doing something in particular just call up and see me (I’m located in the Students’ union office upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn) and we can figure out a way to run your idea. I have spent the last two months planning and co-ordinating your team for the year. We have many exciting campaigns coming up and some events you won’t want to miss. We have comedians, hypnotists, and more exciting acts coming up. However, we have many issues facing us this year and we will need you to join us in our campaign showcasing how importing #EducationIs to society. Last year, students played a key role in securing the Yes Vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum.
#EducationIs More than 4,000 NUI Galway Students got on the register to vote for something they truly believed was just in their society and we need to continue that this year. So far it has been an incredible experience working for you in the SU. I hope you all have an amazing year and don’t hesitate to give us a shout. Add us on twitter and Snapchat @NUIGSU and like us on www.facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion for daily updates on what is happening around campus and in Galway. If you have any questions about NUI Galway, be that academic or social, call up to the Students’ Union. If we don’t have the answer we will ensure you get to someone who does. No issue is too big or too small. Remember it’s always best to ask for help as soon as possible, it’s always easier to sort something while it’s small. We are always here to help you in any way we can so give us a shout, we’d love to see you. Best of luck in the year ahead, Phelim
This is a campaign run by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and aims to showcase Education as a public good. This year the main focus of the campaign is to get as many students as possible on the register of electors in time for the next General Election. The Students’ Union will host public hustings of all candidates running in the Galway constituencies. We will produce a student friendly manifesto that we will ask all who run to bring to the Dáil and make our issues of primary concern.
What can you do? 1. Visit www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/ and find your local politician. 2. Share your story with your local representative and tell them you and your family can’t take any more of this. 3. REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE STUDENTS’ UNION OFFICE IN ÁRAS NA MAC LÉINN OR AT THE ENGINEERING DESK! 4. Join the SU Crew and rock the register. 5. Use #EducationIs on all of your social media let’s get this trending. 6. Ask your friends, parents and family to get on board and support the campaign. 7. If you have questions regarding voter registration, contact Phelim your SU President at su.president@ nuigalway.ie.
First Year Orientation Week Follow us on SnapChat: @NUIGSU
18 FEATURES
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
New education,
How to meet people in a community of thousands Believe it or not, you aren’t the only one who came to NUI Galway without any close friends. If you aren’t the most outgoing of people, and even if you are someone who wouldn’t be seen dead in Electric or Carbon, there isn’t any need to worry.
I myself was about as socially awkward as they come, and going into second year, I have now formed a large network of friends I’ve made over the last year, to whom I owe so much, intellectually and personally. If I could manage to do it, so can you.
So, without further ado, I’ll share a few tips with you that I have picked up from personal experience last year. 1. REMEMBER, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE: The biggest obstacle
to making friends is lack of con-
fidence. Many people, myself included, find it daunting to initiate conversation with someone we haven’t met before. The best way I’ve found of overcoming that fear is to remember that you don’t stand to lose anything by trying. It’s not like Secondary School:
there are 4,000 other first year students alone. Everyone simply can’t know everyone else. Unless they’re your housemates, it doesn’t matter if you don’t get on with people. You can just move on from them whenever you wish, and try your luck with other people.
New to Galway? Where to go and what to see: top hot spots in Galway By Emer Flaherty So you’ve already packed up all your belongings, slammed the car door, and manoeuvred yourself to the fine city of Galway. It may be daunting at first. You're in a new city, with a new set of people and nothing looks familiar to you. You probably often find yourself clamouring toward the chain stores you know best. But have no fear, here’s a guide that’ll soften your transition to our almighty city of Galway and will have you being a pro tour guide by the end of it.
1. BOOJUM: SPANISH ARCH Look no further, you’ve found yourself a top notch eatery already. This place has yet to see its seats empty since its arrival in 2013. With burritos, fajitas and tortilla chips at low prices, what more could you ask for?
DUBH: 2. ROISÍN DOMINICK STREET. The Roisín Dubh is the ultimate student hangout. You are guaranteed an incredible night when you shuffle in through its dark-paned doors. They host comedy gigs, music gigs, and even play the odd film. They have also provided a stage for former up-and-coming artists like Ed Sheeran and Biffy Clyro. You certainly see ‘The Roisín’ at its finest when she breaks out the Silent disco on Tuesday and Wednesday nights: an event not to be missed!
SPANISH ARCH: 3. THE THE CLADDAGH There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting by the Spanish arch, cross legged on the grass with a good
novel, while looking out at Claddagh swans. Known as the ‘Sparch’ by locals, the medieval arch also serves as great meeting spot on gloriously sunny day and will always be one of Galway’s’ most-loved landmarks.
JUNGLE CAFÉ: 4. THE FORSTER STREET The jungle café immediately transports you to the majestic rainforest while also providing the coffee to satisfy your caffeine craving. The jungle café is such a unique place to meet your friends, with reggae being their music of choice. It’s hard not to be drawn in by all the greenery scattered about the cafe and the calming music booming through the air.
5.
The Chearleading Society recruiting new members at Socs Day last week. Photo by Jessica Thompson.
Start the ‘new year’ the right way How to make good on the promises you made yourself last year By Claire Stone
ARÁS NA NGAEL: DOMINICK STREET
Whether you’re a passionate Gaeilgeoir or one of those people who only know the basics like ‘bainne’ and ‘cáca milis’, you are more than welcome through Arás na nGael’s doors. Traditional music is one of Arás na nGaels specialties but they also pay tribute to TG Lurgan who are known for translating well-known pop songs into Irish. This club caters for everyone, so make sure you check it out.
THE PLANET: 6. GALWAY SHOPPING CENTRE, HEADFORD ROAD On one of those typical, dreary, rain-filled days in Galway, The Planet is the place to go and let your inner child out with some bowling, arcade games, and laser quest. The real cherries on top of the cake are the special student deals on Monday and Tuesdays, where you get a free round of bowling when you buy any drink. Sweet, right?
Whether the thought occurs to you while you are picking out your new stationary set, while you are decorating your new home, or whether you have been reminded of the thought you had last semester – during those pre-exam break-downs – it’s hard to ignore the lure of September and its hope for a better semester. The hope of a better semester means something different for everybody. Some people want better grades, others just want to take classes a little more seriously, while another crowd might want to experience a new side to their college experience than they have celebrated thus far. Whatever you are hoping for as you enter this semester in college, let this be the year that you achieve it. Here are some tips to help get you where you want to be: 1. Take the time to think about what you want to achieve this semester. Vague notions of “a new you” or “this semester will be different” aren’t going to work. Take the
time to mull over your thoughts and your hopes. Without a clear idea pinned down, you’ll only be fooling yourself into thinking you tried. Work on this as early on as possible, before your old easy habits make you forget you ever wanted to better yourself. 2. With that in mind, make sure you take yourself seriously. It’s easy to throw away the feelings of wanting to change in favour of the thoughts that you are overthinking. If this is something you’ve always wanted to do, why wait any longer? 3. Realise that reaching your goal is not going to be easy. Beating temptation is not quite as glamorous as denying yourself a cheeky takeaway and opting for a salad. Instead it’s forcing yourself to keep going when you feel like you are making no progress. Maybe it’s fighting the voice in your head that sounds perfectly reasonable telling you that you are “tired” or “would go if only…”. Sometimes it’s going to feel terrible, pointless, embarrassing,
and countless other emotions. Accept this now so when you do experience these feeling you will recognise what is happening and recognise this is part of your plan. You will have a better chance at passing the struggle phase. 4. Break your goals down into systems. If your goal is to get better grades then your system may be to go to the library four days a week for one hour before lectures. Make sure you ease yourself into the system. Whatever your system, start off with a small change but one that still challenges you. When you find yourself naturally comfortable with that challenge, up it a little more. Be patient with both your progress and your success. 5. Get help. Enlist the help of your mobile phone. Use a simple google search to find what kind of apps are available to help you. Don’t underestimate the power of the gadget that you look at hourly. 6. Above all, congratulate yourself as you progress. You are the only one who knows every single triumph you make.
September 15 2015
new friends 2. START A CONVERSATION: It’s
a long shot, but try talking to some people sitting next to you in your lectures – if you’re lucky, you might get to know a couple of dependable people to borrow or share notes from. If you are stuck for something to say, things such as asking people where they’re from, what they are doing, and why they are doing it are as good a place to start as any.
Don’t be too formulistic about it – whatever information you can gleam from some simple questions should be sufficient to keep a conversation chugging along for a bit. 3. TRY OUT AS MANY SOCIETIES OR CLUBS AS YOU CAN: It wouldn’t be
far from the truth to say that around 80-90% of the people I know in Galway, I’ve met through societies. Even
if you missed out on Socs Day, you can try out any society at any time you want – although ideally, you should do that in the first couple of months, leaving to May is kind of too late. Try out any society you think you would be remotely interested in – prioritise societies that have regular meetings, as these tend to be societies with highlydedicated members, which increases your opportunities to try and get to
Staying safe on campus Garda Nora Brady is the Campus Garda Liaison Officer at NUI Galway. She can be contacted at 091-538079 for nonemergency inquiries. She’s provided us with a few pointers on how to keep your valuables safe while settling into Galway. Phones: More and more, our phones are the centre of our social world. They also make lovely, easy-to-steal little packages. Like your bike, there are a few things you can do to keep your phone safe. Register the phone with your service
provider, take note of the IMEI – the phones individual ID. You can get this by dialling *#06# or looking inside the battery compartment. There are a few GPS and email-based phone finding apps which you can use to track the phone: no harm in installing one! Don’t create invitations, leaving your phone out on display in public, leaving it on the car seat while you go to the shop and, like your bike, consider marking the phone personally so you can tell it apart if it gets recovered.
Let’s Talk about Sex By Heather Robinson How do you know if you’re ready to go all the way? If you can answer yes to everything on this list, you’re on solid ground. • You are both consenting adults. The legal age of consent in Ireland is 17. • There has been no pressure from a partner or peer group. It is a decision you are making on your own. • You have been formally educated from a sexual education co-ordinator about sexually transmitted diseases and the different methods of contraception. • You carry proper contraception with you at all times. • You can discuss sex and your sexual health openly with people you trust. • You don’t need alcohol or drugs before having sex. Looking out for STIs (sexually transmitted infections) How do we protect ourselves from STIs and how will we know if we have one? AIDS West have an entire site devoted to your sexual education. They clearly define the meaning of STIs, the symptoms and provide free condoms to walk-ins at their office on St. Augustine Street. An STI can be defined in two categories – bacterial and viral.
Antibiotics will treat a bacterial STI effectively. Anti-viral medication can be used to treat a viral STI but it may never leave your body. Some of the symptoms for an STI listed on AIDS West include; • Itching and/or discharge from the vagina for women • Pain during sex or when urinating • Sore throats in people who have oral sex • Surprise; anal sex will prevent pregnancy but it isn’t a safeguard against STIs. Always use a condom! • Pain in or near the anus for people who have anal sex • Dark urine; or • Soft, flesh-coloured warts around the genital area. And that’s only to name a few! It’s so important to be on the look-out for these symptoms before any infection you could have manifests into something worse. If you suspect you’ve contracted an STI, visit your GP promptly and get a test done. A condom won’t always protect you from getting an STI but it will lower any risk. Contraception A big part of your sexual health is being responsible enough to take the proper measures needed to have safe, protected sex. Contraception is a big deal.
Galway is a friendly city, but unfortunately the constant traffic of people also brings a tiny population of travelling thieves. If you are out and about making calls, keep your back to the wall so you can see around you and don’t keep it in a visible place if you are out in a crowded bar or club. Bikes: Around 2,000 bikes are stolen a year in Ireland. While it may seem obvious, it's worth taking a few precautions to make it difficult for someone to steal or sell your bike.
With new experiences ahead of you, it’s important to be educated in sexual health For many students, a condom is all you use but sex educators always advise a ‘double barrier’. This doesn’t mean using two condoms at once (never do this as the friction will cause both condoms to break). It means that you have looked into other contraceptive methods such as The Pill, The Vaginal Ring, The Cap, The Coil, etc. For more information on contraception please go to thinkcontraception.ie. The truth about pre-ejaculation People theorise that if a man ‘pulls out’ before ejaculation, insemination can be avoided. But there is one slight problem with this theory. It’s commonly known as ‘pre-cum’ or pre-ejaculation. The pre-cum that most men produce have semen and sperm content. Pregnancy can happen if there is sperm in the vagina or even the vaginal opening. Not every man will have sperm in his pre-cum but he won’t know this unless he gets tested first. That’s why it’s not worth the risk to use the ‘pullingout’ method as contraception. NUI Galway Students’ Union provides free condoms to students, so don’t be afraid to go up and ask for them – you won’t be judged. More information can be found under the ‘Welfare’ section of the SU website at www.su.nuigalway.ie.
FEATURES 19
know them. If you don’t like the one you have tried, try another one. There are over a 100 societies here, so there is no lack of choice. Similar rules apply to Clubs. Even consider volunteering to contribute to Sin or Flirt FM (the student radio) - many people working for both have also experienced social anxiety in their past, and know how to help ease you in.
By Tomás M. Creamer
Meet the campus Garda Liaison Officer Take at least one distinguishing colour photo of your bike, along with a written record of the make, model and frame number and any unique features that will make it easy to identify. Update the picture as the bike gets older. Security mark it in at least two places – it should be visible and not easy to remove or cover over. If you have a light-framed or alloy bicycle it's best to get a specialist to do this. Consider insuring the bike, or even have an electronic tracking device put
into the frame. Always lock your bike, even if you’ve just stopped for a few minutes – it might be possible to lift the bike and lock over a lamp post or signpost so be aware that this can happen. Don’t lock it in the same place every day and make sure that place isn’t dimly lit or isolated. If you can keep it in a garage or shed, make sure to lock it to an immovable object in the garage for extra safety. And once you’ve locked the bike, take any easy-to-remove accessories with you!
Budgeting 101
so maybe you thought the days of lunchboxes and soggy sandwiches were a thing of the past but sometimes the money you spend in the Bialann amounts to a lot more than is desirable and a homemade lunch is key to helping you save the cents. 5. Everyone likes a treat now and again but try and keep the takeaways and fast food to a minimum. Choosing a day a week or even a fortnight for takeaway night will also help you stick to your budget. 6. If you’re living with housemates it could be an idea to share the weekly shop. Overall it will mean spending less each and still having plenty of food to keep you going for the week. 7. NUIG offers loads of good deals in the Bialann such as five euro dinners. If you need a good feed, it’s a fiver well spent. 8. Nights out are at the centre of the college experience but sometimes the price of it all can be hefty and can do a lot of damage to your wallet. However, Galway offers lots of student deals such as stamps on the street for cheaper entry to clubs. The cinema also does a student night on a Tuesday when you want a chill evening instead. 9. Chickpeas with everything. Throwing in chickpeas (or any extra vegetables) when making anything from Bolognese to curry can stretch the meal and make it more filling as well as lasting longer. With chickpeas for as little as 49c, where would you be going without them! 10. Never underestimate a humble tin of beans and some toast. It has a lot more goodness in it than you’d think and serves as breakfast, lunch or dinner. Would you really even be a student if you didn’t know that?
By Sorcha O'Connor Now that you’ve a) started college here in NUI Galway or b) returned to the West for another collegiate year, the plight of all students nationwide could very well soon be a problem of your own – and I’m not talking about Freshers’ flu. I’m talking money problems. This type of money shortage is a special brand for students: the type that sees you unable to afford any other toilet paper but the stuff you ‘borrow’ from Supermac’s after a night out. However, this does not have to be your destiny. There are ways to avoid the grim reality of student poverty and the key is to become a little savvier and a little less flashy. Welcome to the world of budgeting. Here’s a list of budgeting tips to get you on your way: 1. Purchase own-brand foods. This is a nobrainer. We’ve all seen the Aldi challenge ads on television and when it comes down to it, they’ve got the right idea. If you buy supermarket own brands it can be easier on your pocket and taste just as good. 2. Pick an amount of money per week that you plan on spending and stick to it. This way you will know exactly what you can and can’t afford at the beginning of your week and choose your expenses wisely. 3. Download an online banking app so you can keep a close eye on your account at all times. 4. Make a packed lunch for college. Yes,
20 FEATURES
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
A Fresher’s guide to Student Services By Jenna Hodgins First it was your school years, now it’s your college years that are the best years of your life – but that’s all relative. One thing is for sure: your college years are full to the brim with opportunities and services that aren’t readily or normally available for others so take advantage! However, most students aren’t aware of the services at the step of their lecture halls because let’s face it, not everyone reads the orientation booklets properly. But here at Sin we pride ourselves on making things as easy to read and understand as possible. So here is your straight forward guide to the student services here at NUI Galway.
WELFARE
first-serve basis. My best advice is to come early in the morning when the unit opens at 9.15am and again after lunch at 2.30pm. The Health Unit is located upstairs in Arás na Mac Léinn (the building beside the College Bar). There is an out-of-hours (Monday to Friday after 6pm) emergency contact number 087 262 3997. Otherwise you can contact Citydoc, Bon Secour Hospital on 091 758008 (Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays during the day time) or Galway City GP Rota 0877744430 during the evening (after 6 pm). Other treatments are available at the Health Unit but include a fee which is payable by cash or cheque only. These treatments include physiotherapy, emergency contraception and vaccinations. A list of these treatments in detail, along with fees can be found here under ‘Student Services’ on www.nuigalway.ie. 2. E-PUB CHALLENGE
Obviously education is central to your time at university, although what good is an education when you, yourself aren’t in great shape?
Take the E-pub quiz online to gain an insight into your drinking habits and how it is affecting your health and finances.
1. STUDENT HEALTH UNIT
3. ACCOMMODATION OFFICE
Here at NUI Galway we’re lucky enough to be able to visit a GP for free. This is a walk-in clinic which means it is run on a first-come-
If you’re having an issues in finding accommodation or having trouble with your current living arrangement, don’t be afraid
to speak with the college’s accommodation office who can offer you advice on how to handle various accommodation issues. Their offices are located upstairs in Áras Uí Chathail (that big green place where you got your student card). 4. COUNSELLING AND CHAPLAINCY SERVICES
If there is one major piece of advice I can give you all is if you’re feeling stressed or down then please, please talk to someone. There is a counselling service available a 5 Distillery Road (across from AIB bank) which is free through the university. They also run various workshops on social anxiety and various other issues throughout the year, keep an eye out on the Student Services section of nuigalway.ie. You can contact the Counselling Service via phone (091 492484 or 087-6644299) or email counselling@ nuigalway.ie. If you’d prefer to speak to a Chaplain or wish to seek religious or spiritual advice, you can get in touch with the Chaplains. You can find the Chaplains at either the Chaplaincy Office (on Distillery Road) or the Chapel of St Columbanus. The Chaplains offer a number of services including meditation from 5.30 to 6pm in the Chapel Common Room on Mondays, and a prayer meeting every Wednesday from 8pm. It’s also worth noting that Mass takes place Monday to Friday at 1.10pm and on Sundays at 1pm and 9pm every week. 5. THE WELLNESS CENTRE
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A place where you can chill out, read books, drink herbal tea for free, listen to some relaxing music and take turns in the massage chair. It’s situated in Arás na Mac Léinn in the Hub Café. They also give out other freebies such as condoms and reflective arm bands. If you need a nap, you can book the relaxation room for half an hour, which is especially good if you’re a commuting student. They also run an exam de-stress programme during exam time, so keep an eye out. 6. SAFE SEX
Free condoms are available from the Students’ Union Welfare team, you’ll see them around the college giving away free condoms – use them! Also, SHAG week will take place next semester which is a week-long campaign promoting safe and consensual sex, translation: more free condoms. You can also pay a visit to the Students’ Union Office in Áras na Mac Léinn to get free condoms – don’t be afraid to ask! As mentioned beforehand, emergency contraception is available at the Health Unit for €30 or a prescription for €15. 7. FINANCE
8000 SQ FT EXTENSION NOW OPEN
If you’re really stuck, you can apply to the Financial Aid Fund, a student assistance fund which can provide students with the extra bit of money to help them get through rough times. More information about the application and deadlines will become available later in the semester.
If you need personal advice on how to manage your funds, or just want to learn how to budget, you can contact Cindy Dring at cindy.dring@nuigalway.ie or 091 492048.
CAREERS Need help applying for jobs, postgraduate courses, or an internship? Maybe you’ve hit a quarter-life crisis or a “what the hell am I doing” moment? Talk to the Career Development Centre. They also run workshops throughout the year on how to write a cover letter, CV; LinkedIn workshops and various recruitment presentations from outside companies. Psst, they do free printing. But shhh.
THE STUDENTS’ UNION The SU provide a lot of services to students from welfare, education and life skills. Here are just some: 1. SECOND-HAND BOOKSHOP
Don’t need that textbook anymore but need a few bob? Bring it up to the SU offices and ask can you sell it in the second hand bookshop. Or vice versa; do you need a textbook but it costs a fortune? Buy it second-hand! A list of the books to buy are available in the ‘services’ section of su.nuigalway.ie. 2. SU CLOAK ROOM
Going home for the weekend with a suitcase full of washing but don’t want to lug it around college for the day? Bring it to the free student cloak room beside the Students’ Union shop opposite the Bialann. 3. TRAVEL
Bus Éireann tickets are available to buy at the SU, as well as ISIC (International Student Identity Cards) for €15 and the Student Travelcard – again for €15, and they take your picture there and then for both. 4. GRINDS REGISTER AND CÉIM
Grinds from fellow students; nothing wrong with a bit of help every now and then. Meanwhile CÉIM is a peer-led support scheme for first years in Engineering and Legal Studies. You can get support from trained Student Leaders during your first year, and then maybe become a Student Leader for next year’s bunch! 5. LIFE SKILLS COURSES
The Student’s Union runs life skill courses every semester from Sign Language, Yoga, First Aid, Cardiac First Responder Courses and sometimes Barista training courses. To check out what’s on this year’s agenda visit www.su.nuigalway.ie/su-life-skills or pop into the SU.
FEATURES 21
September 15 2015
The Fresher’s Bucket List USI: The Power How to make the most of your first year By Heather Robinson The beginning of your first college year is an exciting and oftentimes daunting experience. You’re surrounded by thousands of new faces, freedom and the opportunity to choose how you want to live your life. The nine to four rigmarole of your school timetable is behind you for good. The question that many of you may be asking now is how to fill up all this free time that has been bestowed upon you? How can you get the most from your first year at NUI Galway? Let’s see if you can tick off everything from this bucket list throughout the year. Learn to cook a minimum of five new healthy dishes. Beans on toast or anything resembling grated cheese on pasta does not count. Actually watch the film The Bucket List.
Ask yourself a million times how you lived without 10 cups of coffee a day before starting at NUI Galway.
Strike up conversations with the people sitting next to you in the lecture halls. Make good on your promises. Learn to budget your money carefully. Do not spend every penny on alcohol. Have a talk with one of your professors by the end of the first semester. Volunteer for something that means a lot to you. Fundraise or volunteer for events like the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Take a wander around Galway City by yourself every now and again and see what you find.
Experience Galway’s pub culture once in a while rather than hitting up Electric.
Learn a skill you’ve always been fascinated by.
After a night out, go to a friend’s gaff and drink tea/eat sandwiches instead of going to Shmac’s for the gossip.
Learn how to eat a meal alone in public without freaking out.
Read as many books as you can get your hands on. You may think you’ll definitely read more this year but you won’t unless you make the time. Attend some of the ‘meet and greets’ to the hundreds of societies you signed up for on Soc’s Day. Commit to a society for the year. Don’t be shy about trying out a new sports club on campus.
Meet the union that will work for you
Don’t leave studying until the day before you sit the exam. Two days is good enough.
Check out the college library before the second semester at the very least.
Buy a ticket to the big DramSoc performance in the Black Box Theatre. Who knows? You might have a few friends in it.
of the Student Vote
Save up your money and go to a restaurant for dinner with your friends. Maybe something a little nicer than McDonald’s, but still reasonably priced. Spend a Tuesday evening at the cinema. Great news: Bowling is kind of cool again. Go to a couple of the gigs in the Róisín Dubh and Monroe’s Live. Get a pizza from the College Bar – they’re delicious! Do not count on Blackboard to save you at the end of each semester just because you were too lazy to go to lectures. Go to your lectures. Even the 9am ones.
GiGSoc signing up new members on Societies Day on 9 September last.
By Feidhlim Seoighe On 23 May 2015, the people of Ireland celebrated the amazing feat that was achieved the day before. The proposed 34th amendment to the Constitution had passed, ensuring that “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex”. In the months before polling day, Students’ Unions across the country added thousands of young voices to the Register of Electors, not only ensuring that their views would be heard in the upcoming Marriage Equality referendum, but also in the forthcoming election. Over that period, over 28,000 students had been placed on the Register. The numbers of young voters at polling stations on 22 May surprised polling clerks and exceeded all projections and expectations. There is now, like never before, momentum behind the student, and youth, voting bloc. Politicians, and the candidates in the next General Election, are beginning to take notice of this awakened voice, and the renewed political engagement of young people. We have proven that young people can vote, and now we need to prove that young people do vote. The issues of the youth are never near the top of any party, or politician’s manifesto. They know that, in traditional Irish politics, young people don't vote.
This has changed, and it's scaring the political establishment. Young people will now be a credible demographic when the canvassing starts. Issues that matter to students; the student grant; fees for higher education; housing and accommodation; the prospect of a decent job after college – all will be General Election issues. The under 25, and student vote, ensured that equality in Ireland was breaking news around the globe. After the final tally was announced in Dublin Castle, a new, more tolerant and equal Ireland was born. The National Day of Voter Registration is taking place in NUI Galway on 6 October. Feidhlim Seoighe is the Vice President of the Border Midlands and Western Area of the Union of Students in Ireland. You can register to vote at the Students' Union.
22 LIFESTYLE
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS What kind of person do you want to be? By John Mulry When sitting down with Jess to discuss my column for Sin this year, I must admit I was a bit perplexed as I wasn’t sure what I would write about. Jess, being Jess, she came up with a brilliant idea of writing about the people who have inspired me to do what I do.
That day (and for some time afterwards) I thought long and hard about what he said and I decided there and then that I want to be the kind of person who works hard and gets results in life.
One of the foundations of my first book Your Elephant’s Under Threat is the concept of ‘standing on the shoulder’s of giants’ meaning when you’re looking to get something done, achieve a goal, learn something new or accomplish anything in life – there’s someone you can learn from, someone who has already accomplished what you want to accomplish and they can help you achieve what you want to achieve. I’ve had and have many ‘giants’ in my life and I strive to be a giant to others so my column this year will be showcasing the many people who have inspired me, in the hopes that they will inspire you to be the best you can be too. I’m going to begin with a giant that, being honest, I didn’t really see as a giant at the time but the lessons he passed on to me have stayed with me and served me well. One of my first giants wasn’t some celebrity, wasn’t anyone famous – he was a simple man with strong beliefs. His name was Niall McInerney and he was my Maths teacher in secondary school. I always really liked maths. I have a degree in Mathematics and Economics and a Masters in Finance, Business and Capital Markets and I know for a fact that Niall’s influence on me played a big part in where I am today.
Mr McInerney, as we used to call him was a strong, strict teacher who had absolutely no time for time-wasters in his class. One thing I liked about him was his no-nonsense approach, he was fair but wouldn’t hesitate to call you out if you were messing. He always promoted the creed of ‘if you want anything in life you’ve got to work for it’. This has stood well to me – the simple disciplines he taught me in class are something I’ve transferred to other areas of my life. He was big into GAA; he managed the school hurling team and was heavily involved in Liam Mellows and Galway’s hurling success when I was in school. I was never any good at hurling (football was my sport), but he was always willing to give you a chance to prove yourself. I remember one day we were at hurling match and we were beating the other team quite well. I was sitting on the sidelines, hurl in hand staring into space and he shouted to me, “John, on ya go, have some fun”. I ran on the pitch and was running around after the ball, not really knowing what I was doing but hey, I had fun. One of strongest memories I have of him is a statement he said one afternoon. There were a few guys in the class who were shouting and roaring and, well, honestly,
they were just being idiots. Mr McInerney kind of lost the plot a bit and went into a bit of tirade. I’m paraphrasing but it went something like this: there are two types of people in this world, the first type is the waster who gets opportunities but does nothing about them, and they rather mess around than get things done. They’ll go nowhere in life and forty years down the road; they’ll wish they listened to me. The second type of person is the person who works hard, achieves what they want in life and gets results. Which type of person do you want to be? Pretty profound for a mathematics teacher, right? That day (and for some time afterwards) I thought long and hard about what he said and I decided there and then that I want to be the kind of person who works hard and gets results in life. A few years after I left secondary school, I got word that Niall McInerney had sadly passed away. I remember his funeral; it was one of the biggest I have ever seen, where hundreds upon hundreds of people came to pay their respects. I guess it wasn’t only me who he inspired throughout his life. In closing this first piece I want to ask you the same question Niall posed to me: which type of person do you want to be?
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LIFESTYLE 23
September 15 2015
Easy recipes for students Jamie Oliver, eat your heart out!
By Sorcha O’Connor Not having Mammy’s dinner to feast on after a long day on campus can take some getting used to. However it’s easier to prepare a healthy, tasty and filling meal than you might think. The key is to always have a few essentials in your press, making it easier to rustle up a good feed at any time. My personal favourites are a really quick and easy stir fry recipe, homemade Boojum-esque burritos and a super tasty pasta bake.
BOOJUM-ESQUE BURRITOS This is a meal that could feed a full house of ravenous students and still have leftovers for the next day. Obviously additional things like sour cream and canned pinto beans can be an extra expense but if the house plans a Mexican night, they can be easily fit into your weekly budget! INGREDIENTS: • Mince (400g could serve 4 people) • Tin of kidney beans • Tin of chickpeas
• Canned pinto beans (optional) • Tin of tomatoes • Chili powder • Cumin (optional)
• A splash of orange juice • Tortilla wraps • Rice • Sour cream and cheese
1. Cook the mince through. 2. Add a generous helping of chili powder. 3. Add the tomatoes, kidney beans and chickpeas. 4. Let simmer for ten minutes then add in a splash of orange juice and a tablespoon of cumin. 5. Meanwhile, boil the rice. 6. When everything is cooked, heat up the wraps. 7. Fill the wraps with the rice and mince adding a heaped spoonful of the canned pinto beans, a dollop of sour cream and some cheese. Voilá!
BEEF SATAY STIR-FRY INGREDIENTS: • 2 tablespoons peanut butter • 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon curry • A generous splash powder of soy sauce • 2 tablespoons • Beef pieces for tomato purée/ stir-fry ketchup • 1 onion
1. Mix together the peanut butter, honey, curry powder, tomato purée or ketchup (I feel like ketchup works better even if that sounds a bit gross), soy sauce and stir into the beef. 2. Chop up the onion and fry in a dash of oil of choice (I’m a big fan of coconut oil but olive oil will do the job too). 3. Add in the beef. 4. Allow to cook through. Meanwhile, chop up any vegetables you would like to throw in. I usually add in carrots, peppers, baby sweet corn, broccoli and peas. 5. Add the vegetables and mix thoroughly into the beef so they get a good coating of the satay sauce. 6. Serve on a bed of rice or noodles. Noodles can be added into the pan and mixed with stirfry.
HOW TO FEED YOURSELF Keeping your diet in check while keeping up with college can be tricky. So here are some tips and pointers on how to get the most out of your budget. A golden rule for shopping is to make a beeline for the fruit and veg in any shop. Fill as much of your basket as you can from these aisles and you’ll be on the right track. While processed foods deliver the same calories and nutrients, they release them in a different way. Megalomaniacal food consortiums spend billions every year trying to work out ways to sell us the same few raw materials – adverts, whisper campaigns, research, packaging and labeling all designed to convince us their version of corn or dairy is a little better than the other. Bypass the slogans, text and advertising and look for the little diagram that says what each pack contains. European food labeling standards introduced a labeling style in 2014 that uses a traffic light inspired red (high), amber (medium) and green (Low) system to spell out the basic nutritional qualities of a product. Greens and Ambers are the better options of these three.
EVERYTHING IN PROPORTION
These labels are laid out to tell you what 100g of the product contains; look a little closer and very often a recommended serving amount is listed in grams. I recently got a little OCD about this and bought myself a digital scale. Whatever about my diet, my ability to serve myself a decent-sized portion of any food is seriously lacking and was surprised by how far off I was in estimating how much was going on my plate. Eating out can sometimes be the only option as the academic year gets closer to its climax. Be aware that most places you eat out are going to serve portions that are larger than you need, simply because they can’t have customers leaving the building hungry – so just remember, you haven’t signed a contract to eat everything they serve you! Generally, fresh whole foods are the basis of a good diet. Meat the size of the palm of your hand along with enough green and red vegetables to fill the plate, snacking on nuts and seeds, fruit for sugar and fibre, carbs like bread (not the white stuff!), pasta and oats and drinking lots of water – a grown man needs about 3 litres of this precious commodity a day.
ENERGY
PASTA BAKE INGREDIENTS: • 400g pasta
• 4 rashers • Tin of tomatoes • Sweet corn
• 1 onion and peppers • Mixed herbs
1. Cook the pasta until al dente (to a firm consistency).
2. Fry the rashers, onions and peppers all together in a pan. 3. Pour the pasta, rashers, onions and peppers into a big ovenproof dish. 4. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl; add in some mixed herbs such as basil and oregano. 5. Add the tomato mix into the pasta dish. 6. Sprinkle a generous helping of cheese on top of the dish and put in the oven at 180 degrees for twenty minutes. 7. Serve with garlic bread.
Depending on your body size, a person requires between 1000 and 2000 calories to function for a day. If you are going to the gym, walking a lot or dancing this is going to increase. Nutritional sources put the average around 1300 calories, but then everybody and nobody is average. At NUI Galway, the hope would be that you would use your brain on a daily basis. Whatever your body size, your brain is going to use around a quarter of this, and a small amount more when you are taking on tasks that involve a lot of thinking. Also, being stressed, which unfortunately can happen over the academic year burns more calories than being relaxed! As a rule of thumb, don’t go more than five hours without eating, and don’t skip meals – depending on your timetable you can design your meals to suit and keep a good level of energy all day. It’s worth having a look at this early in the year when you have a little more free time.
24 ENTERTAINMENT
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
Galway hosts its first Burlesque Festival Talent from all over Europe and beyond to grace the city’s stages this weekend By Jessica Thompson Galway’s Burlesque scene has been growing rapidly over the last number of years, thanks to ‘The Dirty Circus’ Burlesque and Cabaret show, and it’s only set to get bigger and better as talent from all over Europe and beyond prepares to travel to take part in first ever Galway Burlesque Festival from 18 to 20 September. The Dirty Circus has been in existence for over four years now and is receiving rave reviews and a strong following for each of its shows, while also attracting international and alternative groups to produce within the city. “The people of Galway are also the biggest contributors to the scene; with the high level of performer talent and people’s welcoming, supportive outlook, the burlesque scene can only grow from strength to strength,” said Tommy Walsh who, along with Ms Shir Madness, is one of the festival producers.
“Now the introduction of the threeday Galway Burlesque Festival, gives the city a unique opportunity to present such a vibrant and captivating art form.” Burlesque has often been compared to stripping, though those involved are quick to point out the many differences, showing that burlesque truly is an art. “The burlesque we have today emanates from the strip tease acts of the 1920s and 1930s, but after that the two forms separated into ‘Stripping’ and ‘Burlesque’,” Mr Walsh explained. “Burlesque today is about telling a story through dance, whilst also incorporating the most
fabulous glitter costumes imaginable. Not all Burlesque performers take their clothes off and that is an individual decision for each performer and their acts.” In the 1920s, Burlesque was mostly performed to a male-dominated audience, according to the festival producers, but in modern times, this has changed completely. In fact, women make up the majority of the audience now and it’s about confidence, empowerment, and a celebration of all the different body shapes, rather than the socially-constructed idea of how women are supposed to look. And while Burlesque isn’t new to Galway, this will be Galway’s first festival dedicated to the art, with workshops and shows aiming to bring burlesque to a wider audience. “The best thing about being involved in the Galway Burlesque Festival
Ms Ruby Schatzi (France)
Ms Vanity Haze(Dublin)
Ms Knock Out Noire (Norway)
is being part of a very close and special community. It’s such a tremendous privilege to bring some of the best Burlesque performers in the world to showcase to the people of Galway,” said Mr Walsh. “I still love to meet people who have attended a show for the first time and how inspired and joyed they are from the experience. “The hardest part, of course, is all the organising as we have so many international acts coming in for the festival, so logistically it is very time-consuming. And of course the financial aspect of accommodation, food etc. is very, very difficult. So if any business wants to help us out we are more than happy to talk.” The first Galway Burlesque Festival will see a number of workshops throughout the weekend, ranging from Hula-hooping, Belly-dancing, Stage Make-up, Nipple Tassle-making, Veildancing and plenty more; “But my own personal favourite has to be the Twerkshop by Ms Roxie Royale,” said Mr Walsh. The festival will also feature a number of burlesque shows over the course of the weekend. ‘The Rising Star of the West’, according to the producers, will be celebrated as “the best newcomers to the scene”. ‘The Twisted Star of the West’, will be “more for the weird and wild side of the scene”. “Dr Sketchy’s Life-drawing takes place in Electric Garden and this surely will be a treat for all interested in lifedrawing. But for me, ‘The Star of the West’ in The Loft@Seven is what I’m looking forward to most, as some of the best international performers will take to the stage in a sea of glitter,” Mr Walsh concluded. The festival will kick off on Friday 18 September with ‘The Rising Star of the West’ in the Roisin Dubh. The rest of the programme can be found at www.galwayburlesquefestival.com.
ENTERTAINMENT 25
September 15 2015
FlirtFM turns 20
The Galway Music Residency
Campus radio station to hold a series of events to celebrate Monday 28 September 2015 is officially Flirt FM's birthday, so we want to throw her a big party the preceding weekend. Celebrations will include a Silent Disco, a three-course dinner and a live radio show. The party will kick off on 25 September with a meeting up in the NUI Galway College Bar at 7pm. Celebrations will continue in the Roisín Dubh with a silent disco like no other. The event will see former station managers, Fiona McNulty and Keith Wallace, in a DJ battle with current staff, Paula Healy and Alan Meaney. Each team will be bringing you hits from different decades throughout FlirtFM’s lifespan. Expect some forgotten gems and classics; get your headphones and start dancing.
On Saturday 26 September, proceedings will get underway with registration in Áras na Mac Léinn in NUI Galway at 12 midday. A free lunch will be served from 12:30 onwards. From 1pm onwards there will Current Station Manager Paula Healy, President be a live radio show on Flirt FM of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and former 101.3 where presenter Paddy Production Manager Louise Clarke at the Duffy will chat to current and Launch of the new FlirtFM Studio in 2009 ex volunteers and staff about their time at the station. Each person will share their memories, pick a song tributions from past staff and volunteers. Wine that represents their time on air and there will and nibbles will be served. be a couple of live bands in studio. Clips of old And that’s not all folks! From 7.30pm, a threeshows through the years will also be included. course dinner at The Salthill Hotel will give At the same time, attendees during Saturday attendees a chance to chat to that person you did afternoon will be able to avail of workshops a breakfast show with back in 2004; have some where former Flirt FM presenters will be talking lovely food and later dance the night away. This about what the station meant to them in their is a ticketed event and tickets can be purchased career paths when moving onto other media from Eventbrite. outlets. It’s not all about adults though! If you are Flirt FM 101.3 is Galway City's award winning Stubringing the little ones along, they can enjoy dent, Community & Alternative Station, based in NUI face-painting, games and some craft activities Galway since September 1995. With two paid staff, at the Hub from 1:30pm onwards. the station is home to up to 150 volunteers annually. A documentary on the history of the station We're on FM 24hrs weekdays during term-time, and will be aired at 5pm on Saturday, including con- from afternoon to late night during college holidays.
What’s coming up this week in Galway By Paul Corcoran The Galway Music Residency’s ‘3 Saturdays: 3 Kinds of Music’, concludes this Saturday, 19 September 2015 in The Galway City Museum. The final concert, in the series, sees clarinettist Pablo Manjón-Cabezas Guzman perform a programme of contemporary works. Following this performance, Galway’s Liz Coleman, leader of the Clare Memory Orchestra fiddle section will perform alongside her husband, uilleann piper Páidín Breathnach. The duo will play a set of jigs and reels in The Galway City Museum. The concert will take place from 11am until 1pm. The Galway Music Residency’s Ensemble in Residence, ‘ConTempo Quartet’, will also perform on the day. The quartet, who are celebrating 20 years together, have been involved with The Galway Music Residency since 2003. They have performed around the world and now serve as RTÉ’s Quartet in Residence. The Galway Music Residency was established in 2002 to introduce a comprehensive music development programme for Galway.
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26 ENTERTAINMENT
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
RocktoberFest to return to Monro’s Live 20 acts announced for the four-day event The first line-up of acts has been announced for Galway’s newest indoor music festival, Rocktoberfest, which returns to Monroe’s Live for a four-day festival from Thursday 1 October to Sunday 4 October. Rocktoberfest returns with a slew of the finest bands from Ireland, including new, up-and-coming Irish groups which have burst onto the music scene in the last few years. Over four nights, acts will rock out the venue over two stages in Galway’s award-winning live music venue. Expect to hear everything from rock, electronica, pop, indie and folk from some of the country's most talented emerging artists. The line-up will include over 20 acts including The Hot Sprockets, Plutonic Dust, Wood Burning Savages, Tobi Kaye, Vann Music, My Violet, D-Day, Liam Geddes, Orchid Collectives, The Klares and Youth Mass. More acts will be announced over the coming weeks. The Hot Sprockets are a phenomenal live band. The bluesrockers have played over 200 gigs and support slots with The Zutons, The View, Divine Comedy and festivals including Indiependence, Castlepalooza and Electric Picnic, along with a sold out show at The Roundhouse, London.
Alternative rock group, The Woodburning Savages burst onto the music scene in 2012 and have since performed at the Glastonbury BBC Introducing Stage in 2014 and have completed a UK wide tour promoting their current EP ‘Boom’. Their live sets are ablaze with fuzz guitar and infectious, pop/rock melodies: a must see. Orchid Collective brings a cool, alternative indie/folk vibe to the festival. The Dublin-based group launched their debut single ‘Figure it out’ this Summer, which defines their unique pop, indie/folk, sound. D-day is Galway’s own hot, upand-coming rock band. Having opened for Thin Lizzy at the Volvo Ocean Race festival in 2012, they have continued to grow their fan base owing to their kick-ass rock and roll. This year alone has seen them feature in new rock documentary, Musical Exchange. Plutonic Dust is Ireland’s coolest live electronic act. Their original upbeat disco sound has a punk/ funk style, laced with sensual vocals from Veronica Moran. Alternative Indie Rock group Youth Mass formed in 2010 and the same year released their debut EP ‘Misanthropy’ to critical acclaim. Their sonic guitar riffs are not to be missed.
Grounds for Invasion are one of Ireland’s most exciting electro pop groups to come on the scene in the last three years. The Galway duo have already been tipped as the band to watch for 2015 by both HotPress magazine and The Irish Times. They released their debut album, Dying Stars earlier this year, bringing their dark, disco pop sound to the masses. Electric pop quartet, Vann Music reached number seven in the Irish Airplay charts with their synth-based hit ‘Tina’. They have just released their brand new EP ‘Running’ in March 2015, which was produced by Stephen Hague (New Order, The Pet Shop Boys). You may have been lucky to have caught them performing at Electric Picnic, 2014. Young, emerging band The Klares, continue to develop their infectious, indie, punk sound. In May 2015, they released their second EP ‘Cookoo’ to critical acclaim, causing U&I Magazine to comment that they “could very well be the first Irish band in a generation to actually get excited about”: ones to watch! New Irish Indie band My Violet is an electric pop group from Dublin. The trio’s current release ‘Disintegrate’ was produced by Philip
Magee (Kodaline/Miles Kane) and was voted New Song of the Day with joe.ie. If you didn't catch them at Indiependance, come see why they are billed to become a massive pop hit in Ireland. Dublin-based pop/rock group The Geddes has been causing quite a stir on the Irish music scene since they released their debut single ‘Frontline’ in November of 2014, which was a massive success. Their debut EP, ‘Human’ – released in May 2015 – reached number one on the iTunes pop album chart and number two on the overall iTunes album chart. RnB and soul comes to the festival in the guise of Tobi Kaye. Since playing bass for Tolu King at Volvo
Ocean Race 2012, the up-andcoming artist has grown a steady following for his soft rock tones and soulful voice. “We are extremely excited to be hosting Rocktoberfest again this year. I’m delighted to provide a festival and a stage for emerging Irish talent,” said Gary Monroe of the festival. The festival is in association with Bulmers and Becks and Galway Bay FM are media sponsors. Weekend wristbands will be available for €15 or €12 online which will allow you unlimited entry to the festival over the 4 days. Day tickets can be purchased for €10 or €8 online. Weekend Early Bird tickets for €10 are on sale now for a limited time only at www.monroes.ie.
Galway International Arts Festival lives up to its international reputation By Jessica Doyle Galway City came alive this summer with the Galway International Arts Festival which ran from 11 to 24 July. The festival welcomed extraordinary works across the arts spectrum from the world of visual arts, theatre, music and street performances. For two glorious weeks the cultural landscape of the City of Tribes equalled that of Europe’s most metropolitan cities. Our very own campus was the fertile ground upon which the spectacular Big Top was erected. Many repeat and Masters students may have been alerted to the close proximity of the festival’s most impressive music venue as the books were vibrating off the library shelves during pre-show sound checks. What is now once more an empty patch of grass over the bridge once played host to St. Vincent and Little Green Cars, Kodaline and The Academic, Damien Rice and the Coronas. The festival was dealt a major blow when Sinead O’Connor had to cancel her headline gig just days
beforehand, due to illness. However, the epic John Grant, who was already booked to support Sinead, filled the main slot of the night supported by the amazing Galway native Sharon Shannon. There were no disappointed festival-goers that night in the big-top as John Grant delivered an incredible performance. With such a vibrant festival where the program is so packed with events, the visual arts can often take a back seat in proceedings, but this was not the case in Galway this year. All of the exhibitions were free and enticed members of the public to dip their toe in the pool of the art world. The NUI Galway campus gallery (yes we have a gallery!) was home to an incredible collection of threedimensional paper works by Siobhan Piercy which sought to push the notion of the book to its limit. The Bank of Ireland Theatre was transformed into a petite cinema for the revealing and thought-provoking films of French conceptual artist Sophie Calle. Out at the docks an unused warehouse was transformed into “The Shed” Gallery which was
home to Vravara Shavrova’s artistic journey along the border of China and her native Russia. The exhibition that had the most chins wagging this summer was Australian artist Patricia Piccinini’s incredible collection of “familiar yet fantastical” sculptures. Her art had the capacity to capture the imagination of everyone who saw it from young children to art critics to people just popping in for a look on their lunch-break. In an interview with GIAF, Piccinini said; “Ultimately it’s really about our definition of what we consider natural and what we consider artificial”. Her sensational concept also took to the skies with the incredible “Skywhale” hot air balloon piece that could be spotted floating overhead in Galway during the festival. There were also plenty of shows for theatre-lovers to get their teeth into. Amy Conroy’s play Luck Just Kissed You Hello received a very warm reception and is set to run at the Dublin Theatre festival this September.
Olwen Fourré gave voice to Beckett’s evocative prose in Lessness. One audience member praised the actress for “maintaining the intensity and the delivery of the experience of Lessness.” Cathy Belton kept audiences hooked with her multi-dimensional performance in The Matchbox where she illustrated the characters and events of her past through her haunting memories. Enda Walsh’s installation piece, A Girl’s Bedroom, widened the boundaries of visual art, prose and theatre to create a new cathartic experience. Upon entering the piece you find yourself in front of a bedroom door, similar to one you would find in any Irish home. Once you step inside it you are in the bedroom of a young girl, the smell of crayons and clean clothes, dolls strewn under the bed, Roald Dahl book on the bed-side locker and pyjamas haphazardly abandoned on the floor. As you sit on the child’s beanbag chair, her bench adorned with pink cushions or her dishevelled bed, the narrative of her run-away story permeates through the walls
creating an eeriness as she longs to return to the safe surroundings the audience occupy. The festival really lived up to its international title this year not just with the vast array of talent on the programme but also with the visitors it attracted to the city from all over the world. Some people even came from abroad to volunteer at the festival. Verena Kandler from Augsburg in Germany showcased her own artwork at The Galway Fringe Festival while also volunteering at the International Arts Festival. Commenting on her experience she said; “I really enjoyed volunteering. I had a different experience of the festival in every venue. You develop an intense relationship with the art pieces in the venue where you volunteer”. GIAF is highlighting Galway as a cultural hotspot in the eyes of the world. The arts festival this year brought us a little taste of what it would be like for Galway to be the European Capital of Culture in 2020. For more information on Galway’s bid and to find out ways you can help see www.galway2020.ie.
ENTERTAINMENT 27
September 15 2015
NUI Galway graduates making progress in mobile gaming industry Galway-based game development studio, 9th Impact, have released their second mobile game By Jessica Thompson In 2009, Angry Birds started to take over the world. In 2013, Flappy Bird became an international obsession. So it comes as no surprise that mobile gaming has become a huge deal around the globe over the past few years. These days, you can’t get on a bus without spotting at least one person wholly focussed on the small device held in the palm of their hand; one finger pulling a very angry bird back across the screen with a concentration that would serve them well in university if they would only put it to good use. Games can be bought on a smartphone for less than a bag of chips these days. In fact, some of them are completely free if you can handle the ads that will pop up from time to time. Because of the cheap prices, these games are more likely to hook players than the latest Xbox or PS3 game that retails at about €60. And now, thanks to the growing nature of this gaming subculture, Galway has produced its own awardwinning game development studio, 9th Impact, which has already created two exciting games available on iOS and Android devices. “9th Impact was set up in 2014 by the coming together of a Galway coder, designer and entrepreneur
with a vision to create a games studio that would develop fun mobile games that people pick up and play when they’ve a few minutes to kill – but will real attention to small details and innovative, interesting or quirky differences, unique to each game,” said Jonathan Kelly, who holds the title of ‘The Outlaw’ at 9th Impact. “The company operated from the living rooms of the founders' houses until May this year when, with the support of the Galway Local Enterprise Office, the company moved into full-time offices at the Galway Technology Centre and expanded employee numbers to six.” The team comprises mostly NUI Galway alumni and students, all with a background in gaming and game development, and all with a passion for creating exciting games for our favourite handheld devices. “Our Head of Development, Finn Krewer, has been developing video games since he was in Gort Community School and worked in PopCap Games before returning to NUI Galway to undertake a PhD in Electronics & Computers,” Mr Kelly explained. “Fabio Stara has designed everything from Ferrari advertisements to software interfaces and worked in Galway company SourceDogg, for some years with Mark Quick. Mark is also an NUI Galway Engineering graduate, undertaking a Masters in Software Design & Development in NUIG, and
we have two other junior developers currently completing Electronic & Computer Engineering in NUIG.” 9th Impact has already created two mobile games, since its establishment in 2014. NinjaGo Endless Runner was launched earlier this year and has already been played more than three million times; and the company’s latest production, Robotory. “NinjaGo Endless Runner came about by combining our love of Manga-style art, Ninja folklore and endless runner games,” said Mr Kelly. “Endless runner is a popular type of mobile game where the character is running in-screen, avoiding obstacles. But our version improved the game controls by making them more like a familiar Nintendo DS, where you hit buttons with your thumbs rather than most games on mobile phones, where they player swipes to move. “We also payed huge attention to all the little details to make sure we had an authentic ninja storyline, place names and weapons.” The latest release, Robotory, was inspired by the team’s love of classic games, which they grew up playing on ZX Spectrum and Comodore 64s.
The team’s dedication to their work paid off last year when they became the proud winners of the People’s Choice Award at the2014 Game Jam, which was held in NUI Galway. “The Game Jam is a one-day event where teams compete by designing and building a game in one day. It’s a lot of fun, but also it’s a great teambuilding exercise for us,” said Mr Kelly. “Because the timeframe is so short, one of the important elements is that everyone on the team – planners, storywriters, graphic artists, coders – has to work together and communicate well. “We created a game based on a fictional character, called Mr Adams, escaping from prison. And the player had to fly the escape balloon to safety. At the end of the day, each game is played by each other team who vote for their favourite and we were delighted to be voted by most teams as best game.” There are many pros and cons to setting up a business in Galway, whether it be a game development company or otherwise, and a high
level of support is essential to the success of any start-up. Fortunately, the 9th Impacters have made the most of their experience. “Galway has been a great place to set up from a talent point of view. We have a world-class team here, designing and coding games which are already ranking in the top 10% of all games in the App Store by download,” said Mr Kelly. “Galway Local Enterprise Office was incredibly supportive and crucial in getting the company established. The Galway Technology Centre is a vibrant space with loads of other tech start-ups who we interact with, so these elements combine to make Galway an almost-perfect eco-system.” But Galway is only a small city in the grand scheme of things, so setting up 9th Impact was a process that was not without difficulties. “The major difficulty with Galway is that there isn’t an established network of angel investors with experience in investing in game studios like you would have in London, Helsinki, New York or California. “If someone is a traditional investor in property or businessto-business software, it can be a difficult transition for them to understand the economics of games which have a higher risk and reward profile.” Despite those difficulties, 9th Impact are doing very well for themselves. With one award and two games under their belt already, this company can only get better as the mobile gaming culture continues to grow. NinjaGo and Robotory are available on iOS and Andriod devices.
League Starts Monday September 28th, 8 – 10pm in the sports hall. Closing date for entries is Thursday September 24th. Teams/Squads consist of minimum 5 players and maximum 10. Cost ¤50/squad. 5 players on court at any one time. Only teams who are registered and paid in full by the 24th are allowed enter the draw for the league. Entry forms available in the sports office located behind reception in Kingfisher (sports hall). League limited to first 24 teams. Enquiries please contact Kevin Cassidy, 0861772589. All information can be found on the Off the Couch website on the University’s site. Free Futsal blitz nights on the 14th and 21st September as tasters for the game. 8 – 10pm both nights.
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To avail of the discount, passengers just need to log onto www.gobus.ie and book their tickets in the normal way. Once they have selected their travel dates & time, they just need to input the voucher code in the voucher code box, and click “update cart” to apply the discount.
30  SPORT
Sin Vol. 17 Issue 01
HURLING HEARTBREAK FOR GALWAY as Kilkenny take the Liam McCarthy Cup Liam goes to Kilkenny for the 36th time By Padraic Ward The day had promised so much for the hurlers of Galway but, come full-time, a sense of callous inevitability filled the air as the men from Kilkenny, donned in their famous black and amber garb strode up the steps of the Hogan Stand to receive the Liam McCarthy Cup for the 36th time. A second-half masterclass saw them defend their All-Ireland title and defeat the Tribesmen on a score-line of 1-22 to 1-18. For Galway, the famine continues into a 28th year. But the day had promised so much. The aperitif served up by the minors went down a treat among their supporters, whetting the appetite for the main course to come. The people of Galway were hungry we were told; ravenous almost. After all it had been 27 long years since they dined at the top table.
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It started well too. The Tribesmen raced out of the blocks. Joe Canning was on form and the vast majority of the capacity crowd at Croke Park, hoping for a Galway win dared to dream. Galway matched and even bettered anything Kilkenny threw at them in the opening 35 Âm inutes. A high-tempo first half, filled with hard work and no little skill, epitomised best by Jason Flynn’s sublime point from under the Hogan Stand side of the field, saw Galway retreat to the sanctuary of the dressing rooms with a 3-point lead. They scored a very respectable 14 points in the first half – half of which came from the mercurial Canning. It was a decent return for a solid firsthalf display. The only black mark on the Galway copybook came in the form of a yellow card for corner back Johnny Coen
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The crowd inside Croke Park knew the onslaught was coming. An audience of millions watching on television knew it. gaa.ie who could count himself very fortunate to stay on the pitch following a high tackle on Colin Fennelly. One sensed that referee James Owens perhaps took circumstances and the enormity of the occasion into account when granting Coen a reprieve. Only the metronomic stick of TJ Reid offered any resistance to Galway’s play. It helped to craft a total of one goal and three points in the opening half. The lead could have been, and possibly should have been, more. But it wasn’t enough. In truth it was never going to be enough. This Kilkenny team are famed for their second-half displays, particularly in the 10-15 minute period after half-time. The crowd inside Croke Park knew the onslaught was coming. An audience of millions watching on television knew it. The Galway players knew it. But they couldn’t stop it. Nobody could. There was no recourse for Galway to the sheer brutality of wave upon wave of Kilkenny attacks. Too often the men in maroon were left floundering in a black-and-amber vapour trail. Kilkenny took the lead in the 48th minute of the match and it was a lead they would never relinquish. In the second 35 minutes Kilkenny outscored Galway by fourteen points to four. That in a nutshell proved to be the difference between the two sides. Joe Canning did manage a late goal for Galway in injury time but at that stage it was too little too late. The space afforded Galway in the firsthalf seemed to evaporate. It was Kilkenny who now owned that space. They upped their work rate with relentless chasing of maroon jerseys. The Galway men were simply pressurised to the point of asphyxiation. Time on the ball was at a premium and Galway were prevented from playing their game. By contrast, Kilkenny began to show their class. They showed more composure at vital times during the game and took the game away from Galway with clinical efficiency. Crucially, they scored the first three points of the second-half to draw level. Momentum had now shifted in their favour. The men from the west never got going in the second-half. Or, perhaps more tellingly, they weren’t allowed to. Their style
The Galway players
knew it. But they couldn’t stop it. Nobody could. There was no recourse for Galway to the sheer brutality of wave upon wave of Kilkenny attacks. Too often the men in maroon were left floundering in a black-and-amber vapour trail. of play became chaotic and error-strewn. It became an exercise in damage limitation as they struggled to cope with wave upon wave of Kilkenny attacks. Clearances were easily mopped up by the Kilkenny half-back line only for the sliotar to boomerang its way back into the Galway half. At vital times too, the radar that yielded those 14 points in the first-half deserted them. Conor Whelan, Greg Lally, Conor Cooney and most surprisingly Canning missed the target in the second-half. Canning’s was a relatively straight forward free in the 62nd minute of the game and it somewhat aptly summed up his and Galway’s performance in the second-half. Only substitute David Collins offered any resistance. But resistance by that point was futile. Kilkenny finished strongly building up a seven point lead. Canning’s consolation goal right at the death glossed over a poor second-half display by Galway. As for Kilkenny, they now have won their 11th All-Ireland hurling title in 16 years. This generation of Kilkenny players are the greatest ever. The 2015 vintage may not have reached the dizzy heights of the four-in-arow brigade of the mid to late 2000’s; but yet they are self-evidently superior to anyone else in the game right now. This team, under the watchful rose blush gaze of the indomitable Brian Cody is magnificent; peerless in this epoch of hurling. They are the All-Ireland hurling champions for 2015 and rightly so. For Galway, 2015 represents another year ultimately soured by another final and another defeat. But the day had promised so much.
SPORT 31
September 15 2015
Still no All-Ireland title for Mayo Mayo fans devastated at loss to Dublin By Padraic Ward The long wait for that elusive All-Ireland title still goes on for Mayo after suffering defeat to Dublin in the All-Ireland semifinal played in front of a sun-drenched capacity crowd at Croke Park. While Dublin march onto their third final in five years, it’s back to the drawing board for the men from the west. A final score-line of 3-15 to 1-14 somewhat masks the real story behind a pulsating game of football. Indeed Mayo seemed in control with 15 minutes remaining and four points to the good. Then it all changed for Mayo; changed utterly. Two goals and two points in a frantic four-minute period saw Dublin ruthlessly snatch the initiative away from Mayo. It was a devastating tour de force by Dublin from which Mayo would never recover. The substitutions made by the Dublin management midway through the second half proved to be the catalyst for their fight-back. Alan Brogan, Michael Darragh Macauley and Kevin McManamon were all introduced into the fray and made a lasting contribution. Individually and collectively they gave real impetus to the Dublin cause. Macauley got his hands on vital ball around the middle of the park and this,
along with his sheer athletic prowess made life difficult for Mayo. One wonders whether events may have conspired differently had Seamus O’ Shea not received a black card in the 39th minute of the game. His influence was a massive loss to the Mayo cause. It certainly made life a lot easier for Dublin in the middle sector of the field and from there they managed to swing the momentum of the match in their favour. Alan Brogan’s vision and ability to pick a pass caused problems while McManamon’s directness and strength on the ball sparked pandemonium in the Mayo rearguard. His goal near the end capped off a fine individual display from the bench for the St. Jude’s clubman. While all the talk in the build-up to this eagerly-awaited replay focused on the Diarmuid Connolly will-he-won’t-he play saga, it was soon forgotten once the ball was thrown in. In contrast to the previous weeks affair – a game characterised with tough tackling and a pinch of niggle and nastiness – the football played in this second instalment was free-flowing from the outset. The quality of football being played was of the highest level. Some of the score-taking was beautiful to watch. The game was being played at break neck speed and the helter-skelter nature of the contest led to five scores from five attempts. Dublin led by 0-3 to 0-2 after just eight minutes. Paddy Andrews, playing at full-forward,
was having the game of his life, hitting four glorious points from play inside 28 minutes. Mayo’s problems at the back were exasperated by a shoulder injury to Donie Vaughan at full-back. Despite being given the all-clear to play he certainly did not look at his best. He was eventually replaced shortly before half-time. Mayo kept themselves in the game however and responded in kind through points from the O’ Connor brothers and Barry Moran. It was gripping stuff and the teams went in level at the break at 0-10 points apiece. It could have been a lot worse for Dublin had Aidan O’ Shea been on top form. The tactic of raining long, aimless 60-yard balls on top of him to feed off starved him out of the game. He was left isolated and the Dublin defence coped easily with what Mayo threw at them. The strange thing from a Mayo perspective was that they continued to play route one football despite its apparent ineffectiveness. One wonders what might have happened if Barry Moran had played alongside O’ Shea in the full-forward line. Even when O’ Shea did get his hands on the ball he was often left with no outlet for the pass. Despite losing Seamus O’ Shea to the aforementioned black card, Mayo opened the second half brightly. Andy Moran was introduced and he set up Cillian O’ Connor for the opening goal of the game. That score left Mayo four points in front and their tails were up. A number of chances went a-beg-
ging shortly after that as the men from the west failed to push on. The Dublin management summoned the cavalry from the bench and the game was turned on its head. Dublin’s first goal converted by Bernard Brogan following a Brian Fenton cross broke the Mayo spirit.
The game was played at breakneck speed and the helter-skelter nature of the contest led to five scores from five attempts. Dublin led by 0-3 to 0-2 after just eight minutes. Suddenly the teams were level again and Dublin sensed blood. They went for the jugular once again. Bernard Brogan (possibly playing his best ever game for Dublin) made his way to the end line before hand-passing the ball across for Philly McMahon to finish to the net, despite the best efforts of Rob Hennelly in the Mayo goal. The life had been sucked out of the Mayo effort. They were dead and buried. In the blink of an eye Dublin had moved clear and stayed clear to set up a tantalising All-Ireland Final with their old nemesis Kerry on the third Sunday of September.
Exercise4Health – A new programme to get people moving NUI Galway joins forces with Croí and the Kingfisher Fitness Club to launch new exercise programme tailored to those reluctant to engage in exercise due to health-related issues By Neil Slevin In partnership with Croí and the Kingfisher Fitness Club, NUI Galway has launched a new exercise programme, Exercise4Health, designed specifically for those who, due to various health issues, are reluctant to engage
in exercise; a programme aiming to provide an opportunity for those otherwise reluctant to exercise or to try getting fit. Recognising that physical activity prevents and/or helps to control a multitude of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, Exercise4Health provides
a locally accessible opportunity for those with these conditions, those recovering from stroke or cancer, or those with breathing difficulties or other long-term health conditions, to commence a safe and beneficial exercise programme. The programme is suited to anyone trying to reduce weight or improve their general health and overall well-being. This six-week rolling exercise programme is specially designed to suit all levels of current fitness and prior to enrolling for the classes, participants will undertake a medical assessment provided by the centre to ascertain their fitness level. The new programme, led by expert cardiac physiotherapists/exercise specialists from Croí and delivered in conjunction with the fitness team at Kingfisher Club will provide participants with: • An assessment of their existing fitness level and a personalised plan for improvement; • Fitness classes delivered at a level to suit everyone; • Weekly heart-rate monitoring and personal progress tracking; • A motivating, enjoyable fitness programme which can be continued at home and
which, if followed, will ensure a measurable improvement in fitness levels. Having attended the programme’s announcement, Professor of Biomedical Engineering Science at NUI Galway Terry Smith said, “This exciting new partnership between NUIG, Croí and the Kingfisher Fitness Club aims to provide a community-based exercise initiative which will significantly help to improve the health and well-being of people suffering from a range of chronic illnesses. “Participants will only undertake exercise activities that suit their individual abilities and needs. The benefits are not just improved physical health; meeting other participants and the fitness team at the Kingfisher Club also provides a great social outlet.” Exercise4Health will take place in the Kingfisher Fitness Club at NUI Galway from 12pm to 1pm every Thursday, commencing on Thursday, 24 September. Individual assessments for participants will take place from 9am to 12pm on Thursday, 10 and 17 September. For further information, or to book a place on this exciting new programme, call Croí now on 091- 544310.
Coiste Gnó
Executive Committee
Vice President/Education Officer Leas Uachtarán/Oifigeach Oideachais
President : Uachtarán
su.education@nuigalway.ie
su.president@nuigalway.ie
2015 - 2016
Vice President/Welfare Officer Leas Uachtarán/Oifigeach Leasa
Rebecca Melvin Phelim Kelly Jimmy McGovern 086 3853658
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
086 3855502
Equality Officer Oifigeach Comhionnais
Oifigeach na Gaeilge
Laoighseach NI Choistealbha su.gaeilge@nuigalway.ie
Catherine Ryan
su.equality@nuigalway.ie
086 8631986
087 2644522
CMY
su.welfare@nuigalway.ie
086 3853659
Mature Students’ Officer Oifigeach Mic Léinn Lánfhásta
Postgraduate Officer An tOifigeach Iarchéime
su.Mature@nuigalway.ie
su.postgrad@nuigalway.ie
Robert Forde Cian Moran 087 2922599
085 1622560
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Societies Chairperson Cathaoirleach na gCumann
Patrick O' Flaherty su.socs@nuigalway.ie
086 8523417
Convenor of the College of Science Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta
Tara Ward
su.science@nuigalway.ie
087 9612286
Clubs’ Captain Captaen na gClubanna
Students’ Union Council Chairperson Cathaoirleach na Comhairle do Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn
Eoin Mangan
Cathal Sherlock
086 2101293
087 0665807
su.clubs@nuigalway.ie
Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences Tionólaí Choláiste an Leighis, an Altranais & na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte
Aoife Bell
su.medicine@nuigalway.ie
087 2980917
www.su.nuigalway.ie
su.council@nuigalway.ie
Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy & Law Tionólaí Choláiste an Ghnó, an Bhearais Phoiblí agus an Dlí
Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies Tionólaí Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta & an Léinn Cheiltigh
Jasmine Shaw su.arts@nuigalway.ie
089 4892969
Convenor of the College of Engineering & Informatics Tionólaí Choláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na Faisnéisíochta
Niall Gaffney David Newell su.business@nuigalway.ie
085 2078685
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su.engineering@nuigalway.ie
087 6130009
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