NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.19 Issue 6. 21 NOV 2017
Student Independent News NUI Galway breast cancer research may save lives
Right on track
By Martha Brennan
Competitors at the 5k Charity Run Day hosted by NUI Galway Students’ Union make their way through campus.
Charity boxing organisers in bid to raise €30,000 By Connell McHugh
When you think of boxing or any form of martial arts, people such as Katie Taylor, Mohammad Ali and, of late, Conor McGregor come to mind. What you may not think of is thirty amateur college students stepping into the ring to bring glory to their university while raising money for charity. That is exactly what is happening tomorrow 22 November. Fifteen students from NUI Galway will take on fifteen students from GMIT in the Radisson Blu Hotel. Training has been taking place twice a week, each Tuesday in either the Bailey Allen Hall or in GMIT, and each Thursday in Oughterard Boxing Club. 1,200 tickets are to be sold for the event. Projected figures bring the money that will be raised to €30,000. All money raised will be split between the chosen charities of NUI Galway, GMIT and NUI Galway’s Cancer Society. The Cancer Society have chosen to raise money for Hand in Hand, a
non-profit organisation which provides the families of children with cancer with much-needed practical support, Milford Care Centre in Limerick, which provides Hospice care and support to families of patients, and the Galway Hospice, based in Renmore. GMIT will be supporting the Special Olympics Ireland, which promotes fun, friendship, sporting opportunities to those with intellectual disabilities, while NUI Galway Students’ Union has chosen to donate to AMACH!, which advocates on behalf of the LGBT community in Galway city and county, and Domestic Violence Response which aims to develop long-term responses that work towards the elimination of domestic violence in Galway. The participants have a €200 fundraising target each, with many of them setting up iDonate pages online and even hosting tea parties in their home towns. They have each been paired with a member of the Cancer Society to help them with their efforts.
Arguably the most anticipated fight of the night will take place between Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh, NUI Galway’s Students’ Union President and his GMIT counterpart, Mark O’Brien. Speaking to SIN about the event, Lorcán explained how the event came together. “At the start we had to narrow down 117 applications to 15 participants. We chose people on the basis of having a wide variety of representation from clubs, societies, different courses, be it a mature students, postgrad, undergrad, first or fourth year. We’ve a very good spread,” he said. “It was interesting, on the first day of training absolutely nobody knew each other. So that was good, we weren’t picking from the same friend group. The intention was that nobody would have any boxing experience so everybody was starting off from the same platform.” Lorcán also explained how the charities for the Students’ Union this year were chosen.
“Back over the summer we put out a press release asking different organisations to apply to be our chosen charities. We had 90 applications in total. All 15 of us [Students’ Union representatives] sat around the table and we discussed the different criteria we wanted and how to narrow it down to only two. We narrowed in down to 15, then down to five and finally down to two,” he said. The charities were chosen on the basis that every euro raised should have a big impact on the charities and that the impact itself should be a local one. Auditor of the Cancer Society, Marwa El-Gamati, explained that the first iteration of the event, which took place in March, was a “surprising success”. About 500 people attended and €10,000 was raised. “We hope the event will be even better than last year with the inclusion of the unions,” she said. Tickets are on sale from at the NUI Galway SU, and are €25 for non-students and €15 for students. It is a night not to be missed.
Breakthrough research from the Lambe Institute for Translational Research here at NUI Galway has identified a key cause for the spreading of the most aggressive type of breast cancer. The breakthrough comes from a team led by Dr Sharon Glynn from the Discipline of Pathology in the institute. The researchers have discovered that a certain protein in the body, called Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase or iNOS, is a key cause for the aggressive spread of triple-negative breast cancer. Breast cancer is deemed triple negative when the cancer cells test negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and a gene called HER2. Because of the negative result of these hormones, triple-negative breast cancer does not respond to hormonal therapy. This can result in an increased risk of premature death from the disease. Patients who are diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer are limited to chemotherapy and surgery as treatment options. More than one out of every 10 breast cancers are found to be triple-negative and it is the most aggressive form of breast cancer. It is frequently diagnosed in young women, ranging from age thirty and upwards, and there is intense interest in finding new information about this type of breast cancer and for medications that can treat it. Dr Glynn explained that the results from the studies will be used to develop new screening methods to identify patients that are at increased risk of developing the disease.
“The team are focused on developing new therapeutic drugs that will shut down these proteins and reduce the spread of the cancer. Both proteins have been identified as key drivers in the spreading of triple negative breast cancer, and targeting them may save lives,” she said. Dr Glynn’s laboratory has published two landmark papers in international journals, Oncotarget and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The first study by Dr Glynn and her NUI Galway colleagues Dr Pablo Garrido, Dr Aideen Ryan and Professor Grace Callagy found iNOS to be a factor in poor survival rates of Irish breast cancer patients. Between 2000 and 2016, they conducted a study of 206 women diagnosed with breast cancer at Galway University Hospital. They found that patients with increased iNOS expression were at greater risk for the cancer spreading to other parts of the body because their cells were more resistant to chemotherapy. In her second study, Dr Glynn worked with two doctors from the National Cancer Institute in the US. This study, which was edited by world expert and Nobel Laureate, Dr. Louis Ignarro, investigated the role of iNOS and a protein called COX2 in triple-negative breast cancer. The research shows that when they are expressed together in this type of breast cancer, faster tumor growth occurs. This study was carried out with American patients and found that less than 40% of the women with high levels of iNOS and COX2 survived after five years, compared to the survival rate of 95% for women who had low levels of both proteins.
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SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
The Frames bassist joins staff at NUI Galway By Teodora Bandut John Carney, one of Ireland’s most accomplished contemporary directors, has been appointed as Adjunct Professor at the Huston School of Film and Digital Media. Throughout the next three years, the acclaimed musician and director will give talks and workshops in the university, as well as playing an important role in the BA in Film and Digital Media course starting in the next academic year. The Huston School is a recent addition to NUI Galway, in honour of American filmmaker John Huston, and its mission statement is combining theory with the hands-on auto-visual industry experience. “John will make an important contribution to the Huston School programmes in the coming years, and allow us to further develop our connections with the film and audio-visual industry in Ireland and interna-
tionally,” said Dr Sean Crosson, Acting Director of the school. Carney met some prospective students at his first formal address to the Huston School on Thursday 9 Novemeber, where he talked candidly about his filmographic journey, as well as his inspirations and musings on a very impressive career to a room filled with photographers, academics and enthralled enthusiasts. The filmmaker was a bassist for the very popular Irish band The Frames in the 90s and has directed music videos as well co-writing and directing Cillian Murphy’s first cinematographic appearance in On the Edge, as well as comedy Bachelor’s Walk, the most successful Irish TV series (which Carney confessed to the Huston School was modelled after Friends). Another well-known project of his, the musical Once won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and has since been
adapted as one of the most notable theatrical musicals of recent years, with award winning runs on Broadway and the West End. Despite his incontestable success, John Carney was humble and grateful during his visit to Galway, which he considers his “second home”. His ties to the city are linked with the Film Fleadh and youthful memories, and his impression of NUI Galway is that of an overall “movie-set campus filled to the brim with keen, passionate people”. Though not a college graduate himself, Carney has a clear vision for imparting his knowledge of the industry. “I will be focusing on the practicalities of film-making and help as much as I can to guide students into the battlefield,” he said. The discussion, moderated by Huston member of staff Dr Tony Tracy on Thursday evening, touched on some of the
John Carney
universal questions about the creative fields which Humanities Departments must tackle. Carney was asked whether creativity can be taught and upon viewing some clips from his earlier directing projects,
reflected on how much the industry has evolved. “With iPhones in our back-pockets, people’s lives will segue into a visual art form, this is the next window into the generation of film-makers,” he said,
after discussing the limitations of earlier film equipment. The Huston School of Film and Digital Media eagerly awaits this valuable addition to its staff in advance of an exciting new term next year.
HIV & Ageing Conference – World AIDS Day, Friday 1st December 2017 To mark 30 years of supporting people living with HIV in Galway and the West of Ireland, AIDS West are to host an international conference focusing on ‘HIV & Ageing’ on World AIDS Day, Friday 1st December 2017 at The Ardilaun Hotel, Galway. This conference is free to all. The Conference will discuss many aspects of HIV including HIV & Ageing – A Medical Perspective, Sex and relationships - Maintaining an active sex life as we age, HIV & Ageing - A personal experience, HIV – an historical worldwide perspective, and HIV & the Continuum of Care in Ireland. The event is appropriate for people living with HIV and their families & friends, GPs, Nurses and all frontline healthcare staff and sexual health staff who work with and support people living with HIV. In addition: researchers, community organisations, drug services, counselling services, policy makers and commissioners, community leaders, community advocates and others with strong professional interest in HIV & Ageing are welcome to attend. Manager of AIDS West, Joe McDonagh, describes HIV as a relatively new disease as the first known diagnoses of HIV occurred in Ireland in the mid 1980’s, “These were the bad days and a time when people
weren’t able to deal with it and the trauma around most aspects of it: medication was toxic (especially AZT) and stigma and discrimination was rife, with misinformation and ignorance leading to many people keeping their diagnosis quiet. But we got through these days and now we are in a situation where, with good medication, most Positive people are living long and healthy lives and can expect to live as long, if not longer, than people who are not infected. Current figures suggest a life expectancy up to 75 years. Looking back again, things were so very different from now. We were a small voluntary organisation and a lot of work was being done with people who were finding it very difficult in the outside world, particularly in relation to discrimination and stigma. While we still fight issues around these, we persevered over the years and now have an organisation which provides support and information to all and an excellent sexual health education team that are providing talks and seminars to all sectors of the community, with emphasis on schools and colleges all over the West”. Today’s picture is still of great concern to AIDS West, as in 2016 there were 512 notifications of HIV – this is a 6 per cent
increase compared to 2015 and additionally there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Joe further outlines that there is a common misconception that HIV is disappearing in Ireland and it is no longer a health issue, “the number of people diagnosed with HIV in Ireland is rising amid concerns that ambivalence about the disease is putting increasing numbers of people at risk. The statistics are very alarming and of great concern to us - the work of the AIDS West HIV support team and also the sexual health education team is paramount in attempting to address this issue. HIV Testing is essential - people need to be aware of their HIV status and the sooner a person knows their status, the sooner they can start treatment – this then leads to much better long term health outcomes. Early diagnosis is also key, as HIV is often transmitted by people who are unaware that they are HIV Positive.” AIDS West have been supporting people living with HIV in the West of Ireland since it was set up by a group of committed volunteers in 1987. Attendance at the conference is free - to book a place please visit www.eventbrite.ie. Call 091 566266 or e: info@aidswest.ie for more information.
FEATURES EDITORIAL: CONNELL McHUGH Hello everyone and welcome to the final edition of SIN for Semester One! The festive spirit can definitely be felt around campus now, with College Christmas Day having been and gone, and lectures and tutorials finishing up this week. Unfortunately, there are a few pesky exams to sit first that might be hampering the Christmas merriment for you. However, we here at SIN are on hand to provide some distractions from the study, as well as plenty of advice for you to follow if you feel like you’re drowning in notes and past papers! We have all the latest campus news covered, with a special sneak preview of the charity boxing event taking place tomorrow evening. Our Features Editor Connell headed to training last week to meet some of the fighters taking part in the NUI Galway v GMIT showdown at the Radisson Blu Hotel, and let me tell you, they are more than up for the challenge! Martha Brennan takes a look at the groundbreaking breast cancer research happening right here on campus, and I spoke with Galway band The Clockworks’ frontman James McGregor to hear all about their adventures in Canada at Indie Week. As the semester finishes there is sure to be plenty of parties, and we have the girls covered with another fantastic tutorial from Kake Me Up and some top beauty tips from Áine Kenny for the festive season. We’ve got film reviews, our SIN book club, and some great ideas for something fun to do over the Christmas holidays, be that heading to the market (although maybe avoiding the Ferris wheel) or hiking up Diamond Hill to wipe the cobwebs off after too much turkey! I wish everyone the best of luck in exams, and I hope everyone enjoys their break. This issue we have had a few new faces writing for us and I would love to see this continue into the New Year. Drop me a line or come along to one of our meetings in 2018 (scary thought!) in the Journalism Suite in the Arts Millennium Building on Mondays at 6pm if you would like to get involved. Merry Christmas,
Sorcha.
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NUACHT
November 21 2017
Hello everyone and welcome to the last issue of SIN for this semester. Features is jampacked with articles for you to enjoy. We take a look at the new Hub in Áras na Mac Léinn which has been revamped and had its very own kitchen installed for students’ use. We have our usual updates from Bríd on Erasmus in Spain and Irish columnist Rebecca, who takes a look back on how Semester One has gone for her. We look at the expenses of being a learner driver, as well as casting an eye over the progress that has been made in NUI Galway regarding gender equality. I hope everyone has a brilliant Christmas, and all the study pays off in the exams. We’ll be back in 2018 with more great content, but until then have a Happy Christmas and New Year.
OPINION EDITORIAL: TEODORA BANDUT Merry Christmas everyone! We have quite the festive theme going on here in the Opinion section this edition with a look at materialism in our Head to Head – has it ruined Christmas or is it all just part and parcel of the season now? We also take a look at Christmas exams, are they are a necessary evil or too much pressure on students? We have our say on the latte levy, as well as another take on the Katie Ascough impeachment. I hope you all have a fantastic break, thanks for reading, and see you in the New Year!
FASHION & LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL: AMY McMAHON Hello everybody! We wish you a Merry Christmas as you read through our festive final issue of SIN for this semester. As cliché as it may be, time flies when you’re having fun and it really has been a great time for both the writers and those on the SIN Editorial Team.
Pictured at the launch of NUI Galway’s Sustainability Strategy are l-r: Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Registrar and Deputy President, NUI Galway, Dr Frances Fahy, School of Geography and Archaeology, NUI Galway, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, Seanad Éireann and Professor Colin Brown, Ryan Institute, NUI Galway. Photo: Paul Fennell
As we draw closer and closer to those dreaded exams, we have filled the Lifestyle section with helpful tips and tricks covering all angles. Ornagh O’Reilly tells us how to throw kindness around like confetti and make your friends and housemates smile during this stressful time. On a lighter note Cuffing Season is among us and Saoirse Rafferty fills us in on all the best date spots in Galway. For those wanting to avoid any mention of exams whatsoever, turn to our Fashion section for fun, glamour and party, party, party! Áine Kenny fills us in on the must have beauty products for Christmas, while Kake Me Up is back with a festive makeup tutorial perfect for any Christmas party. Finally, this issue features Kris Kindle presents for €15 pulled together by Shauna McHugh. So much to do, so much to read! Best of luck in the exams, everyone, and of course Merry Christmas!
INSIDE
Galway’s housing crisis: still no let up 4 Rumble in the Radisson! 5 Things I wish I knew before my Erasmus 6 Society Spotlight: The Baking Society 8 L for Learner, N for Novice, R for Rip-Off?
9
Katie Ascough was a victim
12
Head to Head: The true meaning of Christmas has been lost to materialism 13 KakeMeUp for SIN: the perfect party eye-look this Christmas
14
Becoming an EIL Explore Volunteer 15 Kris Kindle on a budget
17
Meeting singer-song writer Paddy Finnegan
18
Things to do in Galway over Christmas 19
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL: MICHAEL GLYNN Here we go faithful SIN readers, another great Arts and Entertainment section for ye to devour. We’ve got a brilliant review of Turtles all the Way Down, another heart wrenching John Green book, discover if this is one you need to take off the shelf. Christmas time is finally here so we’ve got a list of the perfect Christmas songs and films for you to really get your elf on to, not discounting any that aren’t on the list of course, we do have space issues after all. Coming at you fast is a review of the latest Marvel flick, Thor: Ragnarok. Is it lame and banal like the previous Thor films or fun and actiony like the latest Marvel releases, guess you’ll have to read and see! And finally we’ve compiled for you a list of the most fun things happening over the course of the season in and outside of college, enjoy!
SPORTS EDITORIAL: GRAHAM GILLESPIE Happy Christmas and welcome to issue six! We have loads for our sporting fans to sink their teeth into this issue. We take a look at the possibility of a McGregor hometown fight, and why it hasn’t happened yet. We also analyse Italian soccer and how it is finally returning to its former glory. While we have the charity boxing tomorrow between GMIT and NUI Galway, we take a look at possibly the fight of the year from Lomachenko. There is also a club round-up for any football fans. I hope everyone enjoys their holidays and we will be back in January with more sport and analysis. If you’re interested in joining, e-mail sports. sined@gmail.com. Merry Christmas!
Rigondeaux Lomachenko: a late contender for fight of the year? 20 Some giants fall as championship heats up: club football round-up 21
EDITOR: Sorcha O’Connor editor.sin@gmail.com LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves
Find us online: www.sin.ie
An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat? Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir chuig editor@sin.ie.
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SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
Galway’s housing crisis: still no let up By Áine Kenny
Students are among those being badly affected by rent hikes despite the implementation of a rent-pressure zone in Galway, according to national housing charity Threshold. The charity marks its 40 th anniversary next year and aims to help secure a right to housing, particularly for households experiencing the problems of poverty and exclusion. According to Threshold’s Communications Executive Cathy Flanagan, students are among the 70,000 calls this year that Threshold have dealt with in relation to housing issues, such as renting and sub-standard accommodation. The housing crisis in the private rental sector is widespread across the entire country, with Galway city being badly affected.
This is despite the fact that at the start of 2017, Galway city was made a rent pressure zone: areas of the country where landlords can’t raise the rent by more than 4% annually. Diarmaid O’Sullivan is Threshold’s Western Regional Services Manager. He explained to SIN that rent pressure zones don’t always work because landlords flout these restrictions, and the onus is on the tenants to take their landlord to the Residential Tenancies Board. “If a group of four students are renting a house for €1,000 per month, and the landlord increases it to €1,100 then that would be a 10% increase in rent which is not supposed to happen in Galway city as it is a rent pressure zone,” he said. “We have seen cases where tenants have taken their landlord to the Residential Tenancies
Board, and then a few weeks later were served with an eviction notice,” he said. “Students have nowhere else to go, bar maybe sleeping on floors or on friends’ couches, so they put up with these rent increases,” said. “Now that rent is so dear, some students have even asked us if they would qualify for social housing or rent supplement. “We see a lot of students coming to us at the start of the academic year … the main problem is lack of affordable housing, which affects everyone from families to students,” explained. “The shortage of private rented accommodation means it is a landlord’s market. Tenants are in an unenviable position.” Threshold are now finding that the lack of affordable accommodation is affecting young people’s CAO choices. Mr O’ Sul-
Caife
Wall THE
CAFE
Every cent spent in SU outlets stays on campus No other outlet on campus can say that!
Fanann gach uile cent a chaitear in asraonta CML ar an gcampas - Ní féidir le haon asraon eile atá ar an gcampas an méid sin a rá!
Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí
livan explained that if teenagers think they won’t be able to afford rent in Dublin, Cork or Galway, then they will simply not go to university there. “It is especially difficult for first-year students to find housing,” Mr O’Sullivan pointed out. “Second and third years usually know houses which people are moving out of, and they can try to get in there.” First-years, he said, are new to the city and don’t have any contacts for landlords. “We have seen cases where parents of would-be first-year students are going around cities with a blank cheque in June and July, and even they cannot find suitable accommodation.” In Galway city, the housing crisis has affected students quite badly. Many students are left to stay in hostels in September until a spare bed in a house becomes available. Most students in private rented accommodation saw an increase in their monthly rent this year. Aisling McCauley lives in the Bohermore area and saw her rent go up by €15 per month. “It was fair enough as we got a TV and the TV license as well,” Aisling explained. Eilish Conroy lives in the Newcastle area and her rent went up by €10 per month. “Our landlord said that he had to keep up with the rising rent prices in the area,” Eilish explained. While the current government have promised to ease the housing crisis and solve the growing problem of homelessness, not much improvement has been made for those on the ground. “The government need to take more measures to dampen the rent increases,” Mr O’Sullivan said. “The rent pressure zone rules must be enforced, either by a local authority or another body, as the current system is not working.” According to Mr O’ Sullivan, the problem is renters are not willing to jeopardise their tenancy, so they pay the higher rent, even if it is a 10% or 20% increase, simply because they are afraid to lose their homes. This in turn only perpetuates the unfair system, but students and other renters alike are at a loss as to how to fight back.
The Students Union ready for Christmas Day which had raised over €9000 at time of print
Galway band The Clockworks take Toronto by storm By Sorcha O’Connor Loughrea lads The Clockworks headed to Canada this month to take part in Indie Week, making it to the semi-finals of the competition. Renowned around the county for their intelligent, sociallyaware lyrics and catchy tunes, the four talented musicians did Galway proud across the pond. Now that they are back on Irish soil, SIN caught up with frontman and past NUI Galway student James McGregor to hear all about their time on stage in Toronto and what was next in store for the up and coming stars. “Our week playing Indie Week Canada in Toronto was incredible, we played four gigs to some of the most attentive and appreciative audiences we’ve ever played to,” he said. “We weren’t sure how our music would translate over there where the general music taste is quite different to here, but a lot of people came over to us after each gig asking us for band info, when we’re next playing or just to let us know they enjoyed it. There was a competitive element to the festival as well and we got through to the semi-finals of the competition,
just missing out on the finals.” With James, Damien, Sean and Tom well on their way to becoming the Irish version of the Arctic Monkeys, deemed “Ireland’s next big thing” by Outcast Magazine earlier this year, James told SIN they managed to impress plenty more people during their time at Indie Week. “We spoke to a few bookers and industry heads about other festivals in Toronto or other parts of Canada so hopefully we’ll be back there soon,” he said. For the meantime, the Clockworks are focusing on some hometown gigs over Christmas, as well as hitting the studio to record some new tracks. James told SIN fans can expect to see a lot more of the band in the New Year. “In December we’re heading into the studio to do some recording for next year, and we’ll be raising our heads to play with Otherkin in the Roisin Dubh on December 16th,” said James. “We’ll have our heads down writing and recording then until the new year, when we promise a lot will be happening.” As Hot Press Magazine put it, we’ll be hearing a lot more about The Clockworks.
NUACHT
November 21 2017
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Rumble in the Radisson!
SIN meets some of the fighters and coaches for NUI Galway v GMIT charity boxing By Connell McHugh On 22 November, fifteen students in NUI Galway will step into the ring with fifteen students from GMIT for a longanticipated charity boxing showdown. As the big night draws closer, SIN went along to a training session to meet those taking part. For the majority of the students in both colleges, it is their first time taking part in any form of martial arts. Sporting backgrounds range from rugby, to GAA, to no sporting history at all. Stephen Molloy, secretary and coach at the Oughterard boxing club, is the man who has taken it upon himself to coach the students, and he has nothing but praise for them. “Training has been absolutely fantastic,” he said. “This is a group of students who have never boxed before. We started training six weeks ago. We usually take about ten weeks of training to get them ready for fight night, but this group have come together so quickly, it’s unbelievable. Their attitude is fantastic.” Students won’t find out who they are competing against until the final training session. Stephen and his assistant coach, Jack Crane, have done provisional lists already, but they could change. “There’s not much differences between four and six boxers in the same weight category, so that could change overnight,” he explained. When questioned about which college will win more
Photo: Connell McHugh. fights on the night, he chose to remain neutral. “It’s 50/50, it really is. There are students at the present time from both colleges that are not as good as their opponent, but I know in the next two weeks before fight night they will be up there with them,” he said. “The matches I foresee to be 50/50, and it’s that close. Whoever wants it most of the pairings will win the fight. They will be so closely matched. It will be very hard to call which college will win more fights.” Boxer Denis Mortell is a first year BA student from NUI Galway. He told SIN training has him ready to take on any GMIT opponent he meets, although he admitted training has gotten tougher as the weeks go by.
“It’s going really well, we’re training twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It started off easy enough, it has gotten really hard,” he explained. “They’re pushing fitness on us, pushing technique, everything really. I can feel it all adding up now. I’ve played rugby down in Munster for quite a while. I played senior cup schools, but I’ve been playing rugby since I was about seven years old. This is my first step into martial arts in general, I never did anything when I was younger,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge, but I’m enjoying it.” And it’s not just the boys’ names on the ticket, with plenty of potential Katie Taylors putting themselves through their paces before the November bout.
Girls from both colleges are training for the big night, and are taking no prisoners when they come up against the lads. Third Year Commerce student Mairéad Eviston and Third Year Biomedical student Lauren Kennedy are two of the girls taking part in the charity fight, both girls swapping football boots for boxing gloves. “It’s not as easy going as we would have thought, but that’s a good thing”, said Lauren. While she admitted training in Oughterard was a bit of a trek, she said “it’s worth it to actually be in the ring”. Mairéad agreed with her, remarking coach Stephen was setting the bar high for them at training; “Stephen is putting us through our paces anyway. It’s his club so we head out there. It has a very good setup.”
Fourth Year Quantity Surveying student in GMIT Robert Comer told SIN the girls were more than up for the challenge. “The girls were throwing more punches than the lads, probably getting me with more shots and exposing my weaknesses a bit more,” he admitted. Robert had no experience in any sort of fighting sport previous to six weeks ago. The GMIT student said that when he has told people that he’s taking part, they’ve been surprised and told him “your footwork is terrible, what are you doing?” During a water break, Third Year Medicine student Seán O’Dea joked that because he is from Limerick, he already has a fighting spirit and is not phased at all by the physicality of the training. According to Third Year Corporate Law student Fiachra Mac Suibhne, “it takes a bit of humility to walk in thinking you’re the big man and take a few hits. The ego takes a fair bit of a step down, which is a good thing.”
All the fighters admitted training was no easy task with Stephen. First year student Shane O’Connell said that “he fairly puts us through our paces. The cardio aspects to the training are extremely hard. You do a warm-up, you get into the pads, work the bags. You’d be dripping sweat by the end of it. It’s tough but it’s really good. You feel good afterwards.” Third Agricultural Business student in GMIT Maeve Keane said that the effort was “definitely worth it”. “Everybody puts their all into it. I think it’s going to be a really good night,” she said. The fight night will take place on 22 November at 8pm in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway. Tickets are €15 for students and €25 for non-students and are available at the NUI Galway Students’ Union Office. All proceeds will go towards AMACH!, Domestic Violence Response, Galway Hospice, Hand in Hand, Milford Care Centre and Special Olympics Ireland.
Oi, Fisticuffs: boxers Mairead and Lauren ready for the big night. Photo: Connell McHugh.
‘OUR HOUSE’ SELL OUT BANK OF IRELAND THEATRE
Put ‘em up: boxer Shane is up for the challenge. Photo: Connell McHugh.
The cast of the award-winning Madness musical ‘Our House’ in their final rehearsal before taking the stage at the Bank of Ireland Theatre for a sold-out run last week
6 F E AT UR E S
Tosaíochtaí: ag féachaint siar ar seimeastar a haon Le Rebecca Fisher Shíl mé i gcónaí go mbeadh mo bhliain dheireanach san ollscoil ina thaithí uafásach; bheidh strus orm, bheidh mé tuirseach agus ró-oibrithe i gcónaí agus ní bheidh aon am agam riamh dom fein. Cé go bhfuil a lán de na rudaí seo fíor maidir le mo chéad seimeastar, d’fhoghlaim mé go leor ceachtanna ar an mbealach, an ceann is mó a iarrann tú? Chun tús áite a thabhairt dom fein. Is féidir leis a bheith éasca tú féin a chailleadh sa staidéar nó sna scrúduithe agus aistí go léir, tá a fhios agam go dtarlaíonn sé liomsa an t-am ar fad, ach caithfidh tú a thuiscint nach bhfuil do ghnóthachtálacha acadúla an rud is tábhachtaí ar an domhan. Bhí laethanta ann nuair a bhí mé thar a bheith tinn, ach chuirfeadh brú orm féin dul isteach sa leabharlann ag a naoi ar maidin chun staidéar a dhéanamh, bhí olc orm agus níor fhoghlaim mé rud ar bith. Ba iad seo na laethanta inar ndearna mé machnamh ar cén fáth a chuirim féin trí seo sa chead ait. Is pribhléid é an t-ardoideachas, agus uaireanta braitheann sé go gcaithfimid féin a oibriú go dtí an bhás chun an chuid is mó a bhaint as. Cé go bhfuil meas agam ar mo chuid oideachais agus na deiseanna a thairgeann sé dom, uaireanta braitheann mé cosúil nach bhfuil mé in ann aige. Chuaigh na mothúchán seo ar aghaidh ar feadh seachtainí go dtí nach raibh mé in ann aige níos mó. Bhí mé ag maireachtáil i mboilgeog staidéir agus thosaigh mé ag tabhairt suas na rudaí a raibh grá agam dhó, chun níos mó ama a chaitheamh sa leabharlann. In ionad léitheoireachta a dhéanamh le haghaidh beagán spraoi, léifear le haghaidh aiste Gaeilge. In ionad oíche scannáin a bheith agam le mo chuid cairde, chaitheamh muid am le chéile sa leabharlann, bhí muid dírithe agus spreagtha ach míshásta, ní mór duinn athruithe a dhéanamh. De réir mar a thagann deireadh leis an seimeastar, chinn mé díriú orm féin agus mo chuid sonas agus sláinte níos mó. Beidh mé ag obair go crua fós, ach ní ró-chrua, déanfaidh mé mo iarracht is fearr, agus ní dhéanfaidh mé mothú orm féin nuair a théann rudaí go dona. Déanfaidh mé níos mó rudaí is breá liom agus taitneamh a bhaint as mo shaol, toisc go bhfuil sé thar a bheith gear nuair a cheapann tú faoi. Táim buíoch as mo chuid oideachais agus na rudaí a thabharfaidh sé dom sa todhchaí ach táim ag foghlaim nach ndéanann céim a shainiú cé tú féin mar dhuine, nó do chuid rath. Caithfidh mé socrú sios, aire a thabhairt dom féin agus tuiscint a bheith agam go ndéanfaidh mé botúin cosúil le gach duine eile. Is féidir leis an bhliain dheireanach a bheith scanrúil, ach tuig go bhfuil acmhainneacht agat taobh amuigh den acadamh agus go bhfuil tú cliste beag beann ar na gráid a gheobhaidh tú. Tá an saol ró-ghearr agus ró-luachmhar chun do laethanta a chaitheamh ag caoineadh faoi aiste, agus is é sin an rud a bheith mé ag rá liom féin is muid I mbun ar t-seachtain staidéir.
SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
Kitchen installed for students in revamped Hub By Justine D’Oven Those of you who are familiar with The Hub know that it is a space for people to meet, charge your phone, to chill out, and basically escape from college work, even if it is only for an hour or two a day. This year, the Hub has undergone a major revamped, with the installation of a kitchen for students’ use. The new kitchen has only been open for a couple of weeks and already much of the feedback is that it is fulfilling a need on campus. The Kitchen is open for public hours Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 10am, and in the afternoon Monday to Thursday 12pm- 6pm. On Fridays the Kitchen is open in the afternoon from 12pm-5pm. On Friday evenings from 5pm to 8pm the Hub hosts TGI Fridays with the Community Connector Niall. The Hub and the Kitchen are also open weekends. You can join Niall from 12pm to 3pm for the Global Lounge; with open kitchen hours until 6pm. Public hours on Sunday are from 3pm to 6pm, and can also be booked in advance. On the new Hub website you will find information on how to book the kitchen, as well as manuals for the kitchen equipment . In the Kitchen you will find two stoves and two ovens as well as one microwave and an almost endless supply of hot water for a much needed cup of tea. In the Kitchen you will also find a fridge for general use; just pop your food in the fridge in the morning and grab it at a later time - no more warm yogurt!
The revamped Hub. There are labels for you to use to put your name on your food and a fridge log to help keep track of space. There is also a freezer, so why not put your pizza or chips in the freezer and give yourself an inexpensive treat on those long lecture days? The Kitchen and the Hub are student centred spaces: they are here for you. There are loads of sockets on the walls, couches to hang out on, tables and chairs if you want to play games or hold a
group meeting. There are also two pool tables and two fooseball tables for fans of classic entertainment. Call into the Hub and take a look at the new kitchen, grab a free cup of tea and some biccies, possibly a board game, and make some new friends! For all up to date information on events, bookings, activities, the Kitchen and more, check out the new Hub website at hub.nuigstudents.ie or email thehubnuig@gmail.com.
Things I wish I knew before my Erasmus By Brigid Fox As my time in Oviedo comes to an end, I’m grateful for the things I’ve learned and experienced on my Erasmus. If you’ve been following the adventure in Spain so far it’s obvious that this story hasn’t always been so straightforward. From starting fresh in a new country to living in an alternative culture, I’ve come so far as to joyfully call Oviedo my home. With this, through all of these miscellaneous situations I’ve grown more that I ever thought I could and so I wish to bestow upon you some pearls of wisdom I’ve learned through my time on an Erasmus. Dramatic highs and lows are for Hollywood movies: Before venturing into the unfamiliar world of an Erasmus, like most students I researched as much as possible, making every attempt to find something that would give me a glimpse into what I was about to face. Examining other people’s Erasmus experiences, they always seem to consist of the same formula: an unknown place, dizzying highs in a beautiful location, followed by harrowing lows that threatened their entire existence there. I hate to burst the bubble on this dramatic performance but this isn’t a Hollywood movie and life isn’t like that. Yes, even if you’re on an Erasmus.
There will be moments of intense emotions and stressful low points but generally, it is still just you. As time passes and the place becomes more familiar to you, most days are just like any other. Attending college, cooking food, watching TV, normal and simple things done everyday. This isn’t changed by going abroad. It’ll all work out … eventually: Planning an Erasmus can get messy, participating on one can be even messier. There never seems to be a moment where a form doesn’t have to be sent out, a signature isn’t needed, or your passport isn’t required to be scanned. Even now, this is still a big part of my Erasmus life. In the beginning, paperwork was one of the biggest issues and in some ways, it still is. What is most important to remember here is that it will all work out… eventually. It may take weeks, it may take months but all forms and college paperwork will be sorted. Both the sending university and host university will be more that willing to aid you in any way they can. Take care of yourself, seriously: An Erasmus can throw many unexpected curveballs to all who participate. With this in mind it is so important to take care of yourself. Frequently before departure and in the first couple of weeks at your new university you will hear the phrase “make the most of it while you’re there!” an unholy amount. While there is some truth to that statement no one should feel guilty by taking a few days to themselves which can often get overlooked on an Erasmus. Everyone needs days to stay in bed, watch movies and have time to themselves. Commonly, being
on an Erasmus makes people believe that unless excitement plays a role in every moment of your day somehow that means you’re doing it wrong. This is completely untrue. Being in a different location and country doesn’t change the person you are or your need for your own space. Expect the unexpected: Erasmus travellers beware! The idea conjured up in your mind about how your adventures are going to be will never happen that way. To continue the bubble bursting, life will never work out the way you think, so embrace what becomes of it. In my experience, many things happened which I could never have planned for, so I was forced to deal with it in the moment. Living alone was an ordeal I never expected to take head on. And don’t get me started on the ridiculous way of teaching over here without any power points or books, something I did not adhere to either! Nothing planned out the way I daydreamed it would and being honest I’m so much happier that it didn’t. I’ve grown so much from all of these unexpected scenarios that I would not change them now, no matter how difficult they were at the time. With the Spanish semester ending and my return home fast approaching, my Erasmus journey segment here in SIN also comes to a close. As a final word of thanks I wish to express my appreciation for anyone who has enjoyed this column and followed my adventure over the last few months. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have and received a more honest and realistic insight into an Erasmus experience!
NUIG GMIT VS
T H FIG t h g i N
8pm Wednesday 22nd November 2017 8i.n. Dé Céadaoin, an 22 Samhain 2017 The Radisson Blu Hotel Galway Tickets €15 Students/€25 Non Students Spot Prizes on the Night Tickets on sale from NUI Galway Students’ Union Office
All Proceeds To Charity
8 FE AT UR E S
SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
The Dos and Don’ts of exam preparation By Tarryn McGuire Have you happily procrastinated your way through the semester and now with December exams fast approaching are starting to have a few regrets? This guide is here to help you study a semester’s worth of information with only half the amount of mental and emotional breakdowns!
DO
CREATE A STUDY PLAN. Separate your course material into clear visible sections and make a schedule of what parts you want to study each day. This will turn a massive, terrifying amount of material into smaller, more manageable pieces.
DON’T
PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER.
Although it may feel like there just aren’t enough hours in a day, staying up and cramming in the material is the last thing you should be doing. Sleep is far more important as it transforms short term memories into long term ones. Without sleep, all those agonising hours of studying will have all been for nothing.
DO
HIGHLIGHT KEY WORDS. While some people can’t study without their trusty highlighter, others really don’t see the point in using one. Whether you’re a highlighter freak or a pencil person it can help
tremendously to highlight, underline or circle key words to help you to understand, remember, and make connections between the material you’re studying.
DON’T
STUDY IN BED. Although it may seem easier to just grab your textbook and have a flick through while leaning against your soft fluffy pillow in the morning, this is the absolute worst way to study! The brain is hardwired for sleep in the bedroom, meaning you are more likely to nod off than you are to actually absorb study materials.
DO
CHOOSE YOUR STUDY ENVIRONMENT CAREFULLY. Look for a
well-lit, open area, with an upright chair. You want your study space to be as similar to the exam environment as possible. This will improve your context-dependent memory. This is the finding that information is easier to remember when you’re in the same environment where you first learned it. On campus there are several study-friendly locations: The James Hardiman library is in the heart of campus, open from 8:30am till 10pm Monday to Friday, PC suites, reading rooms and even group study rooms if you prefer studying with others! In the lead up to exams, the university will also offer certain lecture halls to students as a convenient place to study, so remember to check your emails for more information about this.
DON’T
MULTITASK. Some people enjoy watching TV or listening to music while studying, while some people avoid any type of noise. It is best to avoid doing other stuff while studying because you’re only exposing yourself to distractions. This all comes back to the context dependant memory finding too, so unless you somehow plan on bringing your iPod into the exam hall, it’s probably best to let your brain associate study with silence.
DO
ASK FOR HELP. If you seriously can’t understand what you’re studying, go seek out some help. It never hurts to ask someone, especially if you really need it. You can also ask other people even if you already know the lesson to check if you understood it correctly, or for more examples. You could e-mail a tutor, head to the Academic Writing Centre, or ask a classmate.
DON’T
EAT JUNK FOOD. While
it is important to reward yourself, surviving on a diet of Haribos and Galaxy bars while studying in the library is going to cause brain fog. Junk food makes you sluggish and
bloated, until you just want to go home and go to sleep. Also, try to avoid fizzy or other energy drinks. Too much sugar in your system won’t help. Instead, head down to the shop and grab a banana, a bottle of water and a Nutrigrain bar!
DO
USE MNEMONICS. Mnemonics are another must for studying because they make memorizing, especially for enumerations, easier. Basically, just pick all the first letters and memorize the initials. For example: My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles. Can you guess it? Here we have an easy way to remember the order of the planets from the sun outwards; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Although this particular one will not help many of you come Christmas, the technique can be a real lifesaver.
AND
MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON’T GIVE UP. Don’t ever, ever leave
your study table while saying “screw this”, and give up. Giving up is not an option. Take a deep breath, rest, reward yourself, and go back where you left off.
Society Spotlight: The Baking Society
Satisfying your sweet tooth and raising money for charity By Áine Kenny NUI Galway has so many clubs and societies, it’s hard to find the time to attend all the events that are on offer. SIN was lucky enough to be in the Hub when the Baking Society were decorating cookies for Dia De Los Muertos. This is a Mexican holiday and when translated into English it means the Day of the Dead. Dia De Los Muertos takes place on 1 November every year, and is a day for remembering loved ones who have died. At the event, the cookies were spooky-shaped, and a rainbow of buttercream icing and sprinkles were laid out to decorate the cookies with. The Book of Life was also screened, and people happily munched on their still-warm cookies and settled in for the evening. Auditor Megan Brogan explained to SIN that the aim of the society is to promote and spark interest in baking in NUI Galway.
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Members of Baking Soc decorate their 'Day of the Dead' cookies
A colourful creation by Baking Soc “We want to make people realise that baking can be easy and anyone can do it!” she said. “This year’s committee is completely new, and our members are as varied as the goodies we bake,” she laughed. “I attended the majority of events last year and was then elected as secretary at the AGM. Then this year at our EGM, I got elected as auditor and the rest of the committee positions were filled with a fabulous team.” Every year, Baking Society run a charity event. This year they are having a “build a home for the homeless” gingerbread house making competition on Thursday 23 November. All money raised goes to Cope. The event will take place in the Bialann from 5-7pm, and tickets go on sale soon. So, if you feel like helping a good cause while also honing your baking and decorating skills, don’t miss this gingerbread house building event. Denise Martinez, the Baking Society’s secretary, said that herself and her committee are delighted now that the Hub has a kitchen. “We are trying to see if we can get a cupboard just for our society, to store ingredients. It’s really exciting because now we can bake cookies and cakes fresh, rather than bake them at home and sell them on Concourse,” she explained. If you would like to get involved with Baking Society and keep up to date with their events, like their Facebook page or email them at baking@socs.nuigalway.ie.
GNÉ -ALTANNA
November 21 2017
Gender equality targets met by NUI Galway By Aoife O Donoghue In light of the case brought against NUI Galway by Micheline Sheehy Skeffington who was wrongfully denied promotion to senior lectureship, the realisation of gender equality within the University has become a priority. Since the appointment of a Vice President for Equality and Diversity, frameworks have been established for the progressive realisation of this goal. Among these aims is the Gender Equality Action Plan, formulated and published in November 2016, following the decision of the Equality Tribunal in the Sheehy Skeffington case. This plan oversees the implementation of various essential actions working towards gender equality. On 31 October, a report was published by NUI Galway outlining the progress that has been made flowing the implementation of these activities, including information regarding the promotion process to senior lectureship. According to the report, 33 lecturers advanced through the most recent round of promotions. Of the 33, there were 19 women and 14 men, representing 58% and 42% respectively. This has brought the overall representation of women in senior lecture positions in the University to 40%, an improvement on last year’s figure of 33%. Furthermore, it exceeds the national average of 36% according to the most recent data published by the Higher Education Authority. The University had set itself the target of reaching the figure of 40% female senior lec-
turers by the year 2020. Having succeeded in this goal prematurely, there is hope that the level of equality will steadily continue to improve. Moreover, the University is also striving to increase the level of female representation at professorial positions to 30% by 2020, a goal which is still a rather long way from actualisation, as the current figures only stand at about 16%. However, prospects do continue to look more hopeful, as due to the increase in women in senior lecturer positions, this consequently expands the number of women qualified to apply for professorships in the coming years. The University has attributed this welcome progress to a number of ‘positive action’ factors employed during the round of promotions; including an equally representative assessment panel, training on gender equality and the problem of unconscious bias for this panel, a mechanism for omitting caring and sick leave periods in the overall evaluation, and the appointment of external advisors. Commenting on the publication of the report, Head of Equal Opportunities at NUI Galway Aoife Cooke said: “There has been a campus wide focus on gender equality and I’m pleased that following this range of initiatives, we have seen greater numbers of women achieve promotion to senior lecturer posts. We have an ambitious programme of activities planned for this year and I look forward to working with colleagues to support our staff to achieve their potential in an environment where the value of diversity is recognised.” Promotion to more senior positions is not
the only bar to equality faced by women, and in recognition of this, the University has established several support services and initiatives to improve the overall scope of gender equality across the University. One such example is the recent announcement by Professor Anne Scott, Vice President for Equality & Diversity, that 13 Research Capacity Building Grants will be awarded to female academics from across the five colleges who have had an extended period of leave due to caring responsibilities. The grants were established as a support in fostering independent research careers and to provide assistance to help alleviate the effects of an extended leave period on research activities. Expanding on the current progress being made on gender equality, the University is also looking to broader issues of equality and diversity as a whole. It has announced the establishment of a staff LGBT+ network and is currently developing a new gender identity/gender expression policy. Furthermore, the VP for Equality and Diversity has established an annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Project Fund of €10,000 which will be awarded as numerous small grants of €300 to €1000 for projects or initiatives envisioned by staff or students that will facilitate equality and inclusion and celebrate diversity on campus. It calls on those who are “interested in working creatively to further the ideals of equality and inclusion at NUI Galway.” This year’s EDI Project Fund Call is now open and accepting applications, with a deadline of Friday, 24 November at 5pm.
999, that’s not an emergency By Surnaí Ó Maoildhia When this life of ours is so precious, yet so fickle, it becomes very easy to overreact. It’s alright, we all do it from time to time. It’s as natural as cringing when somebody hugs a handshake; we can’t help it. In general, it’s harmless and often, it’s funny. However, in a world where safety is a service delivered to our door, it might not always be innocuous. Recently, the Irish Times published an article listing various supposed emergencies that ambulances were phoned for. It’s a list worth reading; many a short story could be inspired by the different reports. A personal favourite was the woman who phoned an ambulance because she couldn’t get her wellies off. The paramedics were not pleased. In fairness, that situation is alarming. The suction on a welly is really unbelievable, and after a long trial of pulling and tugging and shaking and sweating, amputation genuinely seems like the only option. We’re living in an age of dependency. With answers to every question imaginable in our pockets, complete with video tutorials and wiki-how explanations, we no longer have to think for ourselves.
With buses every five minutes, and electric engines attached to bicycles, and the panache that comes with owning a car, we no longer have to walk for ourselves. With predictive text and dictation, we don’t even have to type for ourselves. Fast food is a phenomenon that has filled the heart of every student, parent, working adult and retiree with gratitude at some point or another. Independence is a thing of the past; where would we be without these services? Our lives have come to circulate around bus times, fast food menus and the amount of battery life left in our phones. We press a button on a website, and pizza arrives. We dial 999, and help arrives. Unfortunately though, there is a problem with this comparison. While many may dispute this, pizza has never, ever been recorded saving lives – if anything, it’s ended a few (see Coronary Heart Disease, obesity, high cholesterol, malnutrition, etc). Emergency services, on the other hand, save lives daily. And while the individuals running it are very competent, they never covered welly-removal in their paramedic training. Broken nails are sharp, and upsetting. The whistling of the wind and the creak-
ing of floorboards when you’re home alone at night are ghastly. Sunburn is heinous, especially for us Irish. Our fair, freckled skin does not enjoy exposure to the sun and symptoms of sunburn in an Irish person can include, among other things, molting, temporary paralysis, and loss of a desire to live. As a rule though - a rule that evidently needs to be pasted on posters everywhere - one must always ask themselves in an emergency two things. One: ”What in an ambulance can help me?”. And two: “What would Bruce Wayne do?” In regards to rule one, yes, sunburn may at times require a gurney, and yes, irremovable wellies could lead to the need for one as well, but really, a few mates would substitute easily enough. In regards to rule two, the mind-set of Bruce Wayne is never a bad mind-set to adopt in any scenario, but particularly in emergencies. The take-home point is that we very rarely actually need a trained professional to arrive at our door with a defibrillator and oxygen mask at the ready. It may be – apparently - an easy thing to forget, but it’s an important thing to remember, when they have actual emergencies to attend to.
9
L for Learner, N for Novice, R for Rip-Off? By Nicole Mullan The picturesque landscape and bounty of wildlife make for a blissful upbringing in rural Ireland. The pastoral haven would fill your imagination with wonderful ideas and you’d set off across the fields and narrow lanes on wild adventures. Those explorations came free of charge, but as the destination grows further away, the expense also expands. Ten years on and I haven’t lost my adventurous nature. Now, the mission of my adventure to Galway is to achieve a university education. My mum has to drive me to the bus station. The bus driver becomes the villain in my mind, the embodiment of a thief, as I hand over that thirty-five euro for a return ticket. “Robbery,” some passengers mumble to themselves as they each pay the fee. For a bus filled largely by students, no student discount is offered. We all pay the fee regardless, because no other bus company runs a direct route from Monaghan to Galway. The rural town seems somewhat neglected in terms of public transport to Galway City. Trains are non-existent in these parts. Tired of having to get lifts from my parents, an aim to learn to drive this year begins to take shape and build inside me. But how expensive is it to learn to drive? Firstly, you need the book to study for the theory test. Borrowing it from the library would save money, but with the high demand for such books, many opt to purchase their own copy. The Driver Theory Test Book, 8th edition, Cars Motorcycles & Work Vehicles is priced at €17.99 in Easons. According to the RSA, a driver theory test for category A (motorcycles and mopeds) and category BW (cars, work vehicles and land tractors) costs €45.00. This year, a new policy was introduced whereby each person sitting a Driver Theory Test must have a valid Public Services Card. Every new leaner permit holder must have taken a minimum of 12 car driving lessons before taking the driving test. The Irish School of Motoring offer these 12 lessons at a discounted rate of €399.00 in conjunction with AXA insurance. The cost of the lessons will vary based on the company you take lessons with, but €400 appears to be the average, having compared the cost of local options. The driving test itself will cost €85.00. It is also required that you have an eye-test. Specsavers quote an eye-test at €30.00, but they often have special deals whereby you can obtain the eye-test at a cheaper price. The cost of insurance is where the ambiguity lies. Depending on the company and your individual circumstances the cost can diversify immensely. A
report by the Irish Times from April 2017 included a quote from AXA Insurance claiming that ‘insurance for an 18-year-old driver with a learner permit in Galway would cost €3,231.’ So that’s €3807.99 before the learner driver even gets a chance to drive the car independently. Think of all the pizzas you could buy with that money. Roughly 346 medium sized Domino’s pizzas. What about the car itself? That will be a large expense for a student. Fuel and maintenance of the car will become an ongoing expense – and the fee for a full NCT test is currently €55. Due to the increasing price of rent in university cities many students and their families cannot afford to splash out on a car and complete the necessary steps required to drive legally in Ireland. The high cost of insurance is also a deterrent for many. For others it is worth the expense, when compared to the costs they would otherwise be paying on public transport. Do NUI Galway students believe learning to drive is a rip-off or do they find it worthwhile? Ruth Elwood, a Second Year BA with Creative Writing student, said that she “doesn’t see the need for a car”. Living in Galway City, she generally cycles or gets the bus. Having a car to commute prevents Roisin Buckley, a second year Science student, from having to pay for accommodation and therefore she believes the cost of learning to drive is worth it. When asked how they feel about learning to drive with a relative, Second Year Maths student, Sophia Cogan, acknowledged that “driving with my mum would definitely lead to arguments … I wouldn’t last five minutes in the car with her” whereas, Second Year BA student Michaela Matthews found it “quite helpful” for practice leading up to the exam. Whether learning to drive is worth it or not seems to depend on personal preference, your locality and how much you value your independence. It is an expensive endeavour, but for those of us who don’t live in the town, it may be essential in the hunt for employment. When travelling home from university, a carpool would be the most cost-effective method of transport. A money saving method would be to not travel home at all and stay in your student accommodation until university closes for annual holidays – but as students we seem unable to resist going home. Whether it’s to work, see family or simply get a home-cooked dinner, there’s something in our tradition that keeps calling the “culchies” back to their rural roots, to that pastoral haven where their ambitions were moulded. Car, train, bus or feet, they’ll find their way home somehow.
Christmas NUI Galway Students’ Union with City Direct Bus Company
Busanna Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn do Scrúduithe na Nollag i gcomhar le City Direct
Exam Buses
Non-Stop Direct Service to Salthill Exam Venues (Leisureland/Galway Bay Hotel)
Seirbhís dhíreach gan stad chuig na hionaid scrúduithe i mBóthar na Trá (Leisureland/Óstán Chuan na Gaillimhe)
Monday 4th December - Thursday 14th December 2017 Dé Luain an 4 Nollaig - Deardaoin an 14 Nollaig 2017
€2
PER JOURNEY
LEAVING UNIVERSITY ROAD
08:40 15:40
LEAVING SALTHILL (LEISURELAND)
11:40 18:40
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Are You Well?
Keeping well around exam time Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? Treoir le tú féin a choinneáil ar bhóthar do leasa ag aimsir na scrúduithe
Exams can be the most stressful time of the year; and a lot of peoples’ routines tend to change dramatically. Here’s some tips to help you keep yourself well during exam season. • Don’t isolate yourself / Ná bí leat féin i gcónaí
Exam time can be very lonely as people go off studying on their own. Try to make a conscious effort to meet up with friends, or plan something nice at the end of a day of study with others. Socialising with others is crucial around this time. Cutting yourself off from the world is not a good idea.
• Don’t be a hero / Ná déan iarracht bheith i do laoch
Surviving on 2 hours sleep and 7 cans of red bull is not the way the human body was meant to function. Schedule in some sanity breaks and exercise during your day – a 30 minute walk can work wonders.
• Eat regularly / Ith go rialta
You don’t have to eat like a nutritionist, but eating three meals a day and getting in some healthy snacks will keep you on track. Food fuels your body, so if you’re constantly eating junk you won’t feel great.
• Ask for help if you need it / Iarr cabhair má tá cabhair ag teastáil uait • NUIG Health Unit: Walk in service • NUIG Counselling Service: • Chaplains: • SU Education Officer Andrew Forde: • SU Welfare Officer Megan Reilly:
Mon-Fri 9.15am-12.30am & 2.30pm- 4.30pm Drop in Mon-Fri 2pm-4pm • counselling@nuigalway.ie chaplains@nuigalway.ie • 091 495 055 su.education@nuigalway.ie • 086 385 3658 su.welfare@nuigalway.ie • 086 385 3659 www.su.nuigalway.ie
facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion
twitter.com/NUIGSU
www.su.nuigalway.ie
facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion
twitter.com/NUIGSU
12 OPI NI O N
SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
I’ve got a latte problems — and the price of coffee cups is now one By Amy McMahon It has been announced that a ‘latte levy’ is to be introduced in Ireland, increasing the price of coffee by 10-15c per cup. The decision has been made following the discovery that a staggering two million coffee cups are sent to landfills every day. It is hoped that this will encourage people to buy reusable coffee cups in an effort to protect the environment. The ‘latte levy’ is supposed to mimic the plastic bag fifteen cent charge. In theory, it’s a great idea. However, plastic bags are a lot different to coffee cups.
When you do your weekly ‘big shop’ in Aldi and need to buy a plastic bag, you don’t really think of that extra few cent on the bill. It’s not necessarily a big deal. However, that extra few cent make the difference to the already expensive cup of coffee we have now come to need to get through the day. Going for coffee is an experience. Warming your hands like a hug, every mouthful more delicious than the one before, giving you that little boost of energy that tells you “you can do it”! Why ruin it all by raising prices?
So far, there have been talks with Insomnia and Supermac’s to introduce this ‘latte levy’. Imagine if they convinced Starbucks to join in too. A medium (or grande, if you’re a posho) latte in Starbucks currently costs €3.45 without any bells or whistles. Nearly a fiver for a latte. Let’s say you want an extra shot and a splash of hazelnut syrup with your already overpriced cup of coffee. You’re up to €4.65 – add whipped cream for another 60c and now your coffee costs €5.25. We are already being robbed. Another 15c is just a step too far. Pat Kenny discussed the issue
on Newstalk with Oisín Coughlan, the director of Friends of the Earth. Coughlan was all for the ‘latte levy’, even admitting he thinks that “probably a ban would be better, but apparently that’s more legally complicated”. A ban on coffee cups? Believe me, I do understand the seriousness of the situation, but the cost for the regular Joe Soaps that forget their reusable cups would have to pay would be outrageous. As someone that has a drawer full of Dunnes shopping bags and still manages to forget to bring one every time, it would be far more expensive to
repurchase half a dozen reusable cups. Penneys stock reusable cups for €4, never mind the astronomical prices Starbucks would charge for a branded cup. With the 2018 Budget already introducing a sugar tax of up to 30c, ‘treat’ beverages will be too costly to indulge in. Yes, the ‘latte levy’ is aiming to help the environment but surely there is another way to go about it rather than skyrocketing coffee prices. Traditionally a nation of tea drinkers, we are finally broadening our horizons and introducing baristas into our lives. Why jeopardise it all now?
Katie Ascough was a victim Christmas exams are a necessary evil By Mary Haskett
In Issue Five of SIN, an article titled “Katie Ascough is not a victim” appeared, claiming the impeached UCD Students’ Union President Katie Ascough was not a victim during the campaign to impeach her from her position. The article stated that “the petition calling for Ascough’s impeachment was initially started because Ascough made an executive decision against the wishes of her fellow sabbatical officers to remove abortion information from the ‘Winging It’ handbook”. However, this is not the case. Katie was elected President of UCDSU on 9 March 2017. On the same day as her election, Amy Crean, who became spokesperson for the Impeachment Campaign, posted on her Facebook page: “I don’t want a homophobic anti choicer as the President of my SU.” She remarked that Katie being the SU President would be a “regression” and went on to say: “As per Article 6 of the SU Constitution, to call for an impeachment vote you need to collect the signatures of 3.5% of union members (a little over 1000 votes).” She then encouraged her Facebook friends to petition against Katie and finally, and most importantly, she concluded: “I am not engaging with comments that state ‘but democracy’.” There are a number of things that are particularly interesting here. Firstly, the original article
does not suggest that terms such as “homophobic” or Katie’s success labelled as a “regression” could be considered as bullying. Secondly, it is difficult to believe that Katie was not impeached because of her personal views when students were literally calling for her impeachment the day of her election, without even letting her step a foot into her office first. Also, by Amy saying she would not engage in discussions about democracy, she recognised that calling for Katie’s impeachment was undemocratic. Katie knew the “Winging It” handbook contained abortion information. Keeping one of her many promises during her election campaign, she delegated the signoff of the handbook to another officer, so as to respect the prochoice mandate of the Union. This was agreed upon and the printing of the handbooks went ahead. It was only when the handbooks were printed that it was brought to her attention that some of the abortion information might be illegal under the Abortion Information Act 1995. This time, as the President, she could not delegate a legality issue. She sought legal advice from the Union’s long-standing lawyers, who told her they had “serious concerns” about the abortion information. Katie promised to respect the pro-choice mandate of the Union. She did not promise to break the law. She did not promise to run the risk of up to €4000
in fines for herself and the staff, officers and volunteers of UCDSU as well as permanent, personal criminal convictions for the rest of their lives. Upon the release of this information on the #Fight4Katie – No to Impeachment of UCDSU President Facebook page, major debate began to take place. The truth was out, Katie’s actions were legally justified and the Impeachment campaigners were not happy. On 12 October, Irish Times journalist Jack Power was “passed on” photos of nuns taken on Snapchat eating in what appears to be the UCD college bar. He tweeted: “I had these photos from the UCD bar today passed on to me ... on the day SU Pres Katie Ascough launched her campaign against impeachment.” This appears to be an attempt to make Katie’s campaign look like some Catholicism-influenced drivel, when in fact, Katie was not in attendance and was not involved in any way with the event. Katie was bullied heavily during her campaign. In a recent Irish Times opinion piece she wrote how she was approached by a lecturer who told her: “I want you gone”. She was insulted online: “nothing was held back”, according to Katie. If this is not bullying, then please tell me what is. Regardless of the result of the Impeachment referendum, Katie maintained her grace, strength and dignity throughout and can hold her head high as a true winner.
By Roisin McManus Having only exams at summertime puts an unnecessary amount of pressure on students. Naturally, it is difficult to concentrate then what with the good weather always springing up when it’s needed less. Only having summer exams means that you must learn two semesters worth of information in a matter of weeks. For me, the way exams are held currently are perfect and need no changing. Having both Christmas and summer exams keeps us students on our toes and it makes sure we don’t slack off
don’t want to be sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by your family thinking about that 3000 word essay due at the end of December. Routine is important in academic life because without it we tend to feel lost and as if we are forgetting to do something important. Trinity college broke their 400-year tradition of only having summer exams in 2016. Their Students’ Union ran a survey in 2010 which found that 90% of students felt that having exams at Christmas and summer eases the burden of one week of exams that count for an entire year. The changes brought the
90% of Trinity College students felt that having exams at Christmas and summer eases the burden of one week of exams that count for an entire year. in semester one and panic like madmen come semester two, which is what humans would do in that case. When we have exams, we can’t ignore them and must study to pass. Take languages for example, French students have tests every two or three weeks. While these constant assessments may be a burden at the time, in the long run they make sure we sit down and look over what we have been taught in class and help us to do our best in both semesters. Having exams only in summer would also take us out of a routine that we have had since First Year. Depending on how you were assessed during the year, if you did only receive summer exams and had just assignments due over Christmas, they would take away from your Christmas break. You
college in line with most European and US third-level institutions. This proves that the general acceptance of exams is that they are divided to ease the burden on students and make exams fairer. Exams serve as a way of reassuring students that what they’re learning is either going in or not. It would be very stressful to sit into a summer exam worth 100% and not have any indication of how you’ve done in the subject for a year. The beauty of having Christmas exams is that if you don’t do as well as you hoped, there’s plenty of time to work on it and make sure you’ll do better in all your summer exams. Knowing the structure of exams helps calm your nerves too and is a great help to First Years making the transition from secondary to university.
TUAIRIM
November 21 2017
HEAD to head
13
The true meaning of Christmas has been lost to materialism.
We need to spend We have not lost less money and more the true meaning of time this Christmas Christmas By Saoirse Rafferty Christmas has always been known as a time of giving and receiving. As the world has modernised with technology, media, and online deliveries; we are now more obsessed with treating ourselves than ever before. But what makes Christmas different to any other time of the year? Many parents think the meaning of Christmas is now to increase the quantity, cost, and size of gifts, feeling this will symbolise their love. It’s no wonder many of us have developed this mind set when we are constantly bombarded with advertisements on television telling us what gifts will make our loved ones happy. How about the scene of walking through a department store with soothing Christmas music playing as you look at large colourful displays of gifts? This unnecessary pressure of Christmas has made the season more stressful and traumatising for people than loving and enjoyable. So, here’s why we need to embrace old Christmas traditions, rather than the materialistic side of the season. Christmas has traditionally been about spending time with our families, where homes put effort into decorating the tree and show love through something small like letting a child put the star on the top of the tree. Having Christmas dinner around the table together is an old tradition that is still celebrated today, a meal where families appreciate their time together as they eat the food on their table. Spending time with our loved ones should always be the main part of the holidays, not going into debt on a credit card and stressfully worrying about the January blues on your time off. The love of small kind acts are much more treasured and remembered than big gifts. When we associate Christmas
with sharing love and spending time with others, we will enjoy and appreciate the kindness of others more. A Christmas tradition of hanging Christmas stockings above the fireplace for Santa made the small gifts received inside more valuable. Nowadays, the stockings are used for extra gifts, as the main ones are too big to fit into them. The true meaning of religious holidays has slowly faded away. Valentines’ day is about expressing your love through jewellery, flowers, and Instagram posts. Easter revolves around chocolate eggs, while St Patricks Day is all about drinking alcohol. If you are Christian you probably still believe in going to Christmas mass and celebrating the birth of Jesus. This is a lovely way to spend time with your local community and spread some Christmas joy with one another. But religion doesn’t have to be about partaking in rituals like mass or believing. It could revolve around spending time with your loved ones, selflessly giving your time rather than gifts, whether this means volunteer work such as shoebox appeals, joining Christmas carollers, sharing some food with your neighbours, or helping your family with the washing up after dinner. Kindness is truly infectious and will help others enjoy the holidays. Christmas time can be lonely for many people, especially those who have lost a loved one or are going through a tough time. The tradition of writing Christmas cards is all but lost in a world in which many people feel a like on a Facebook picture, or a text will suffice for spreading Christmas wishes. Even though these are more
modern mediums that are used regularly, there is nothing more thoughtful than sharing a Christmas card with someone. The time taken to write a nice message and post a card is valued a lot and might make someone’s Christmas more bearable. As time goes on, there will always be new trends online and on television as old ones fade. How can Christmas be a time of joy and happiness if people are always wanting more than what they have? Something meaningful like memories will - excuse the cliché - last forever. So, think twice before you break your bank trying to please everyone and consider spending some time with your loved ones instead.
By Tarryn McGuire What is the true meaning of Christmas? A question that has been asked many a-time and still remains to be answered. Many people believe the true meaning has somewhat changed. Afterall, it is a holiday that millions celebrate each year even though they don’t all practice Christianity. So, while Christmas is celebrated for the birth of Jesus Christ, the majority of the world has viewed Christmas as a time that’s been about giving, spreading kindness and loving those who matter to you. Every year you hear the claims that Christmas has lost its true meaning and that it has been commercialised. People are
quick to point out what is wrong with Christmas in modern day society. I mean it’s not hard to do when every year people are injured and even killed trying to snatch a last-minute bargain to surprise a loved one on Christmas day. Seriously. Since 2006, 10 people have been killed and a further 105 injured. From reading these statistics it’s clear why many people believe commercialism and materialism have ruined Christmas. But can we really say this has changed Christmas that much today? Of course not. Commercialism is often people’s reasoning for believing that Christmas has lost its meaning as they think all companies want to do is make money. However, could we not consider that it was prevalent even 2000 years ago? There was no room in the inn for Mary and Joseph. Why? Because everyone else had already paid for a room for the night, leaving none spare. In the 1800s, Christians developed the Advent Calendar to help make each day of the Christmas season have a spiritual focus, a form of corrective measure to remind people that Christ is part of Christmas. We still have this tradition today, opening a new window on our calendar every day of December. Come 1 December you’ll be quickly reminded what this month represents. Walking down the street, your eyes will be drawn to the bright Christmas lights on display, the soothing sound of Christmas music coming from the multi-
tude of buskers down on shop street and general atmosphere of the city is so warming. I find it difficult to understand how anyone could think Christmas is any different to how it used to be, that this is all too much. Decorations and lights have always been a part of this celebration. The actual issue is remembering the meaning of Christmas when you’re in a packed shop looking for a specific present. Be kind to those around you and most importantly, be patient. If everyone can remember that I guarantee Christmas shopping wouldn’t be as frenzied and we won’t lose any of the goodness that comes with buying a gift for another. When I was 12, all I wanted for Christmas was a scooter. I’m sure the fact that all my friends had one and the fact that I saw that amazing ad on television advertising the new razor scooter had a massive influence on my choice but even still, getting it was one of my most valued and most unforgettable Christmas experiences I’ve had so far. Even though it’s easy to scoff when the 12-year olds of today will be opening tablets and the latest mobile phones, it’s important not to shun this. It’s remarkable that parents these days can afford such luxuries for their kids and we should all embrace it instead of labelling these kids as spoilt and almost undeserving of whatever their gift or gifts are this Christmas. It’s more mean-hearted to belittle these gifts than to give into a bit of materialism! In conclusion, Christmas is as much a wonderful time as a stressful time. In saying this, I encourage you to remember what Christmas means to you. Whether it’s the materialistic Christmas that people claim is taking over, or the traditional Christmas, make this Christmas the Christmas you always wanted.
14 FA SH I ON & L I F E ST Y L E
SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
KakeMeUp for SIN: GET PERFECT CHRISTMAS PARTY EYES By Kate O’Neill
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or this warm “spotlight” eye I used my new obsession, the Jaclyn Hill palette by Morphe! This palette has every colour you could ever need and the pigment is insane. You can get it on Beauty Bay. This look is perfect for the upcoming Christmas season, with its warm, shimmery tones.
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As you all know at this stage, you want to start with a clean, primed base. To do this I used concealer and set it in place with translucent powder to ensure my shadows blend seamlessly.
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For my transition shade I dipped into ‘Creamsicle’ and blended this throughout my crease and lower lash line using my Inglot 6ss brush. To create the spotlight effect, I also blended it on the inner and outer lid, leaving the centre blank.
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To warm up the look I went into ‘Hunts’ and repeated the previous step, keeping it slightly lower than our transition shade. Once again, try to keep the centre of the lid as blank as possible!
Now for the fun part, the spotlight! I took a mix of ‘Firework’ and ‘Queen’ and applied these using a flat brush to the centre of my lid where there was no shadow. I also added this directly below on my lower lash line. I then popped ‘Beam’ on my inner corner and brow bone for a highlight!
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To add some depth and to emphasise the ‘spotlight’, I added some of ‘Jacz’ mainly to the inner and outer lid, avoiding the crease this time. I also swept this under the lower lash line.
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. To darken the look even more, I took ‘Central Park’ on a small blending brush and added it again to the inner and outer lids. You could use black instead of this for a night time look!
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To tie the look together, I added my current favourite lashes, SO SU in New York - these aren’t for the faint hearted, so you can wear whatever ones you prefer!
I hope you enjoyed my last little tutorial of the semester. I had so much fun creating different looks for you and I really hope you learned something over the last few weeks! As always make sure to follow me on Instagram (kakemeup) and snapchat (kakemeup8). Happy Christmas everyone, and good luck in your exams!
Xoxo Kake
Mexico–Cities, Cuisine & Ruins - 15 days From the hustle of modern Mexico City, which preserves its magic from centuries gone by, to the ruins at Chichén Itzá, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, this adventure takes in all the cultural and historical highlights. It’s perfect for travellers on a tight budget looking to see as much as possible of this diverse region. Start/Finish:
Mexico City to Playa del Carmen
What’s Included: • G Adventures for Good: El Hongo Mexican Community Restaurant & Youth Art Program, Playa del Carmen • Orientation walks in Puebla, Oaxaca, San Crístóbal de las Casas, and Mérida • Guided tour of Chichén Itzá • Beach time in Playa del Carmen • Free time in Mexico City, Oaxaca, San Crístóbal de las Casas, Palenque, and Mérida • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities Meals Included: Transport: Accommodation:
1 dinner. Allow USD365-475 for meals not included Public air-conditioned bus, taxi, private vehicle Simple hotels/hostels (13 nights, some multi-share), overnight bus (1 night).
Prices from:
€979 per person (plus flights) @
with
Fahy Travel Worldchoice 2 Bridge Street, Galway Email: michelle.lyons@fahytravel.ie Adventure Line: 091-594745 www.fahytravel.ie
FAIS EAN
November 21 2017
7
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Becoming an EIL Explore Volunteer By Orla Tubridy
Operating for 24 years, 2018 will be EIL Explore’s biggest year yet with a fund of over €120,000 set aside to sponsor 38 Explorers. EIL have a special partnership with NUIG ALIVE and this year will offer two fully funded scholarships for international volunteering exclusively to NUIG students. Applications are open now and can be accessed through the NUIG ALIVE site or through EIL Explore.
EIL Explore is a programme that supports participants with an interest in global issues to travel abroad for the purpose of volunteering, cultural immersion, or language education through a variety of awards. Last summer I was lucky to be selected as an Explore winner and travelled to Quito, Ecuador to live with a local family and work with refugees in the community. I wrote a number of blogs during my time abroad, documenting and sharing new experiences and sharing them with friends and family at home. Below is one of several that can be found on the EIL Explore website.
Lessons on the morning commute 7am. Yawning, I make my way onto a busy bus to go to my Spanish class. It’s my first week in Quito, it’s early and I’m not sure yet that I’m quite awake and/ or over the jet lag. Next thing, a
young man, who can’t be much older than me hops onto the bus. Karaoke machine in hand, he places it down in the middle of the aisle, turns it on and starts singing his heart out to what sounds like a classic Latin American pop hit. I’m taken aback (it’s not something we see on Bus Éireann too often) and utterly confused. I look around. I’m the only person reacting. When the final chorus ends, the man walks through the aisle looking for change before hopping off the bus and disappearing into the day. Did that really just happen? I soon came to find that performances of this nature are not uncommon on public transport in Quito. With every bus jour-
ney comes something different; singers, poets, preachers, health talks, jugglers and of course vendors of everything under the sun. After a number of interesting trips, I became curious as to who these people are and why there are so many of them. I decided to ask around and learned that most of these people are Venezuelan refugees. A few locals informed me that in recent years Ecuador has become a favourite destination for Venezuelans escaping the social and political crisis in their home country. At present, a debt-ridden Venezuela is suffering food shortages, medicine shortages, blackouts, high crime rates, water short-
ages, high infant mortality rates and the highest inflation rate in the world (over 700% in 2016). This seems impossible due to Venezuela’s rich oil reserves, but unsustainable spending by Venezuela’s socialist government and a drop in oil prices (which make up 95% of Venezuela’s exports) has led to the country’s worst crisis in history. Since 2012 over 450,000 Venezuelans have fled to Ecuador. But they can’t all be performers and street vendors, can they? They’re not, or at least weren’t. Many Venezuelans with advanced education have had to abandon their professions and turn to selling and performing on buses or in the streets. So many
sellers and performers were once doctors, lawyers, and teachers. It may seem a considerable demotion that these professionals have to resort to singing on a bus at 7am, and in many respects, it is, but any work in Ecuador is an improvement on the situation at home. With the situation in Venezuela unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, it seems there will be many more people coming to Ecuador in the coming months and years to try to forge a brighter and safer future for their families. Hopefully in the future they will be able to obtain more secure jobs and integrate fully into their new communities. It’s crazy how much the morning commute can teach you, huh?
CUFFING SEASON: date ideas in Galway
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better than trying something new with people you like. It will definitely leave you and your date with plenty to talk about afterwards on a windy walk on the promenade by the sea. What better way to stay in the Christmas spirit than going to a pantomime? Galway Town Hall will be hosting Renmore’s 39th annual pantomime this year. Beauty and The Beast will be running from December 30 to January 14. This is a classic tale that would be enjoyable for anyone of any age. If all else fails, there’s always a typical cinema date to see a new movie; ones to watch out for are Daddy’s Home, Jumanji, or Star
Wars. If that doesn’t suit then there is always the option of a night in with Christmas movies such as Miracle on 34th Street, or Elf if you aren’t prepared for a tear jerker.
No matter where you go, Galway will not disappoint for a perfect date over the winter. And if you’re happy enough without a significant other, walking down
Shop Street alone and embracing the Christmas lights and street singers is more than enough to make anyone fall in love with this great place that is Galway.
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season is all about excess- and nothing says excess more than false eyelashes. While they are tricky to get used to, they can really complete a look, especially when lined with black liquid eyeliner. So Sue Me’s €6 line in Penney’s is amazing there is a wide variety of styles from extravagant to subtle. I like Belle, they aren’t too extreme but really make your eyes stand out. As for the glue, a tube of Duo Eyelash Adhesive is the best out there and your eyelashes will not budge, promise. Duo is available in Penney’s for €6. 5. BLUSH: rosy cheeks are in, so get yourself a good blush for this season. Blush can add a healthy glow to your face, and there is a shade out there for everyone, whether you prefer red, pink or peach toned. Cream blush can look really subtle when applied properly, and stays on better than powder blush.
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for a Christmas or New Year’s Eve party. I suggest something that is durable and very pigmented to really make your eyes pop. Inglot have AMC Pure Pigment Eyeshadow which comes in a wide variety of glittery colours, and when paired with their Duraline liquid, it can really strengthen the look. This will set you back €27 however. If you’re looking for something a tad more affordable, try Essence’s Glitter in the Air Shimmer Drops. This multipurpose product can be used as a
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highlighter, eyeshadow and much more, all for just under €3. 2. RED LIPSTICK: nothing says Christmas more than the colour red. There are many fabulous red lipsticks out there, my personal favourite is Mac’s Retro Matte Ruby Woo. This formula can be a bit drying, so I suggest applying a base of Vaseline first, then sealing the look with Lipcote (€5, currently on offer in Boots). At €20, Ruby Woo doesn’t come cheap - perhaps you can start hinting about it as a possible present when you’re around your significant other? 3. HAND CREAM: nothing is worse than dry, chapped hands because of the bitter cold walks into college. Soap and Glory have a wonderful hand cream, it is non-greasy and smells divine. Containing shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow, this will hydrate your hands in minutes. A 50ml Hand Food is €3 and is the perfect size to put into your handbag.
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This time of year is one of the most popular times for people to meet their significant other and has become known across the pond as “cuff season”. If you’re still looking for someone to share a hot chocolate with on the cold, winter evenings fear no more, you have come to the right place as Galway is transforming into a winter wonderland for the Christmas season, and is the perfect location for a romantic date. The Christmas market is probably the most ideal place for a perfect date. It’s only here until December 22 so make sure to take full advan-
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tage of the festive month and plan a romantic evening. The market’s newest iconic addition is the Ferris wheel where you can sneak a quick kiss as you overlook the city at night. If that sounds daunting, there’s always the choice of going for some hot chocolate, or to the beer tent for a fun time. Plenty of options here so no excuses! If you’re feeling brave, ice skating could help you fall in love (or fall flat on your face, but we won’t dwell on that). What better place than the beautiful scenic Salthill? Leisureland will be on ice until January 7 where many first-time skaters will share hilarious experiences together. There’s nothing
NUI Galway Students’ Union Presents The Ultimate Study Break: Cuireann Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, OÉ Gaillimh, An Briseadh Staidéar Iontach i Láthair:
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An Díolachán Cácaí Mór Millteach ar son Carhanachtaí agus Cuairt Fheirm Pheataí Wooly Ward 11am - 4pm Wednesday 29th November 2017 in Áras na Mac Léinn 11r.n. - 4i.n., Dé Céadaoin, an 29 Samhain 2017 Áras na Mac Léinn
There will be rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, chicks, hens, turkeys, geese, ducks, sheep, goats, pigs, a llama, cake, tea, a raffle and tunes from Flirt FM. All funds raised go to Domestic Violence Response and AMACH! Tabharfar an t-airgead ar fad do Domestic Violence Response agus AMACH! www.su.nuigalway.ie
facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion
twitter.com/NUIGSU
www.su.nuigalway.ie
facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion
twitter.com/NUIGSU
FAIS EAN
November 21 2017
7
NÓS MAIRE ACHTÁLA
17
KILL ’EM WITH KINDNESS By Ornagh O’Reilly
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T’S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE”, or so goes the old saying, and this rings very true when it comes to what truly makes people happy. In the run-up to the Christmas holidays, us students can’t help but feel the stress levels rising with assignments accumulating, deadlines looming, and the numbers of distressed students hogging the library seats each day rising dramatically. With exams just around the corner, it’s quite common for us all to feel a little bogged down in our seemingly neverending “to-do” list as students here at NUI Galway. That’s why it’s vitally important that we acknowledge the things that make it all worth it. Here’s a few simple things you can do to put a smile on anyone’s face.
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Giving gifts can be just as fun as receiving them, if you give someone you care about something they truly love. However, it’s hard to keep up the Christmas spirit when you realise all you can offer your loved ones is something l e soCcheap á r t it won’t blow your measly student budget. But n t aThere are plenty of adorable stocking fillers or s c i fear not! Kris KindleCpressies that you can surprise your nearestr i and dearest with and they are all under €15. • Sleek Matte Me Lip Collection €8 This kit, available in Boots, includes 4 mini lip glosses, perfect for any girl in your life! • Gillette Fusion Men Razor Gift Set €13 What man doesn’t enjoy grooming themselves these days? This is a gift that the men of your life, and your wallet, will appreciate. • Essie nail polish mini Christmas cracker €8.99 ri This cuteCgift box contains 3 mini nail varnishes all in gorawinter shades, and can be hung from your tree!s c i n t geous t r á Flu Kit €11 l e • CMan This novelty gift, available in Boots, will keep the sniffles at bay during the tough winter weather. It C á r t badge, quarantine includes a handkerchief, i n t l esurvivor c a C and ear plugs. s stickers, sweets, nose plug, whistle, i r • Nivea Shimmering Skin Gift Set €15 This set contains lip butter, shower cream, moisturising cream, and shower puff all in a cute rose gold bag. • Jack Wills Body Care Duo €15 This set, available in Boots, has full sized hair and body wash, as well as body spray. • Soap & Glory Beauty-Full House €13 Another fantastic gift set from Boots, this includes mascara, eyeliner, and a fabulous plum lipstick. r i Collage • Framed Picture C a Why not dipsyour crafts, and make c i ntoe into artsá and t r frame, which you l eit inCa nice a photo collage andt put could get in Dealz or Tiger. Not only is this option inexpensive, it’s also a cute and thoughtful gesture! • Harry Potter Tote Bags €4 Penneys have a great range of Harry Potter merchandise available, including bags for you to gift to the Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor in your life! At just €4, you could buy one of each! • Disney DVDs Golden Discs are running an offer for Christmas, selling a wide selection of Disney classics at two for €15! The DVDs included in the offer include Lady and the Tramp, Hercules and Inside Out.
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on our success. Always remind your friends of their achievements, and encourage them to keep striving for gold. A simple acknowledgment might just give them the boost they need. HOLD THE DOOR: there are two kinds of people in the world, holders and non-holders. It’s simple acts like holding the door for the person behind you that really make a difference. It won’t kill you. MAKE YOUR FRIEND A CUP OF TEA: simple but effective, a hot cuppa is every Irish person’s rescue remedy. What better way to warm the soul on a bitter November day than with a steaming cupán tae? I can’t think of any. Always remember, kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.
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COMPLIMENTS: everyone knows that compliments aren’t always easy to give or take, but there is no better feeling than being on the receiving end of them. Yesterday a stranger told me I had a lovely smile, and sure enough I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face for hours. If you have something nice to say to somebody, don’t hold back. It might just make their day. KEEP SMILING: a smile is the most powerful thing a person can wear, and it’s contagious too. Don’t be afraid to smile at people, even those you don’t know. It can go a very long way, even if you might not think it. ACTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT: this time of year, with exams just around the corner, we students tend to lose sight of ourselves and fail to credit ourselves
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18 A RT S & E NT E RTAIN M EN T
SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
Meeting singer-songwriter PADDY FINNEGAN
a happy coincidence signalled by a grateful, contented smile curling up on his lips as he sings on. The audience dances and joins in for the choruses of favourites by Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, Fleetwood Mac and many others from Paddy’s diverse repertoire. It doesn’t always come this easy, however. Busking, perceptibly, is a challenging undertaking even when you don’t take the necessity to make a living out of it into account. Compared to indoor gigs, which Paddy has recently transitioned to almost exclusively. “People feel like they’ve got more leeway to critique when you’re on the street. You’re like a jester or a clown, although four walls and a roof are such a minuscule thing to separate such a huge difference in perception,” he explains. In this way, Paddy feels like a judgement call is made not on who you are as a musician but where you are, which “undermines the value of people’s opinions on the music”. These very opinions are a funny thing as it is, with the audience falling into extreme categories of boundless compliments or malicious criticism, making it hard to find a reliable personal compass.
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f you’re in any way attuned to Galway’s much-celebrated street entertainment, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with one of its more prominent voices Paddy Finnegan, singer-song writer from Rush, Co Dublin. With eyes closed, Paddy regularly carries Shop Street to an almost cinematographic realm where he himself is out of focus. The 23-year old guitar-player blends so naturally into the crowd, softening the street’s clamour with impassioned covers from his humble fold-out stool. Paddy ventured out of the Pale four years ago when Galway’s music scene welcomed him with open arms. Initially only here with a group of friends from Dublin who had come down for a party, he decided this “fairytale town” was fitting for the new chapter in his life. Bemoaning the formal and fickle nature of the people in Dublin, Paddy admits to SIN that “there’s less of a filter to people that actually want to hear music in Galway, it’s easier to know where you stand”. The musician does not claim atypical beginnings. The truth is far from it, with the early stages rooted in the tin whistle until he picked up the guitar at 14 in the hopes of impressing a girl he fancied. With the subsequent success in tow, Paddy’s career began. His family - his father a mandolin player, his mother influenced heavily by the greats of the 70s and 80s and his two younger sisters whose singing abilities Paddy eulogises every chance he gets - have always been supportive of his choices. But the Rush musician has come a long way from his family trips to Cork and singing along to Disney songs in the car. Even after his five years of busking experience peppered with gigs here and there, Paddy’s ability to capture the crowd feels almost unintended,
ven so, Paddy’s strong sense of self and candid individuality radiate through from his turn of phrase to his performances. It is impossible not to be touched by the fervour and evident sincerity he invests in his music, though this self-admitted high standard has proved to be an obstacle to his song-writing. “I fear people misunderstanding the way I want to come across, I want to be honest but at the same time I don’t want to let myself and other people down by writing wishywashy stuff that panders to the crowd.” The struggle to win over crowds seems to be almost non-existent however. Recalling one of his favourite memories, the musician tells with extreme fondness of the time that he was very unexpectedly given a unanimous standing ovation by an older group in the Ardilaun Hotel. Being one of the few solo buskers in Galway, Paddy recognises that he never sought a band of his own just for the sake of it. “I’ve always been dead set against forcing anything just to be with X amount of people or because your friends are also into music.” Though open to collaborations, to “wait for people to pick you up along the way” is his current philosophy. Paddy Finnegan rejects the separation between artists and their fans and wants his message to be one of encouragement. “I’ve never been a good swimmer but I will always swim to the deep end of the pool,” he said, self-effacingly reflecting on his abilities and journey so far. However, as he emphasises Dublin’s “anonymous nature”, the question of having left it for a chance at the “big fish-small pond” dynamic arise. “I try to run on my own beaten track so I don’t really know the size of the pond or how many fish are in it,” he responds. Though fame is nowhere near his agenda, it may perhaps be an inevitability. You can check out Paddy’s Facebook page “Pádraig Ó Fionnagáin” for videos and stay tuned for his upcoming Youtube channel and semi-regular gigs in Áras na nGael and Massimo.
C U LT Ú R
November 21 2017
Things to do in Galway over Christmas By Owen Kennedy and Michael Glynn
CHRISTMAS MARKET: The Galway Continental Christmas Market is back again for its eighth year beginning on Friday 17 November and running until Friday 22 December. Main attractions are the Beer Tent, which will be playing host to various events throughout the festive season, the arts and food stalls housed in over 50 wooden chalets in Eyre Square - the perfect place to pick up a gift for that special someone – and of course, the majestic Ferris wheel. Wrap up warm and enjoy a breath-taking view of Galway from above. NUI GALWAY WINTER CONCERT: The NUI Galway Concert Orchestra will come together with the NUI Galway Choral Scholars to bring you an amazing Winter concert in collaboration with Draiocht NUI Galway to raise funds for children’s homes in Nepal and Tanzania. Set to be a wonderful evening you can catch it all from 7pm in the Bailey Allen Hall on Monday 27 November.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE SCREENING: If films are more your thing then on 23 November you need to head down to the Galway City Gallery at 8pm and strap yourself in for a damn good film starring Malcolm McDowell, hosted by Galway Fringe Festival, tickets are available on Eventbrite, get yourself one.
CONMAN, THE CLOCKWORKS & DEAD HORSE JIVE: NUI Galway band Conman and Former NUI Galway band The Clockworks will be joined by local Galway band Dead Horse Jive for a fun night of brilliant music in the Roisin Dubh pub, the gig
The first thing that can be said about the third instalment in the Thor franchise is that it’s fun, it’s a genuinely fun film from start to finish. Third time’s the charm it seems for the solo Marvel Chris Hemsworth films. Quite frankly, this one makes up for the first two missteps. This could easily be the funniest Marvel film to date and while at times it felt a bit too funny, it’s to be expected when a purely comedic director is in charge. Taika Waititi lends his humour to the flick in more ways than one, he also voices the soft spoken Korg the Kronan, a rock-alien that Thor encounters roughly half-way through the film. The film begins with Thor looking for a way to stop Ragnarok, the foretold destruction of his homeland Asgard. Seemingly successful, Thor is sent on a journey of self-discovery where he is stripped bare, and must fight for his homeland.
SIAMSAÍOCHT
CITÓG: BOB SKELETON: Another local NUI Galway band, Bob Skeleton can be found on Wednesday 6 December playing a free gig for Citóg alongside Zeros & Ones and Kieran O’Brien. Doors at 9pm. RYAN SHERIDAN: Kicking off at 8pm on Friday 15 December, Donegal musician Ryan Sheridan makes his return to the Roisin Dubh after a twoyear absence. It’s a gig not to be missed, tickets are €20 at the door or €18 online. HUDSON TAYLOR: Another wildly popular Roisin Dubh frequenter, Hudson Taylor are back for their third gig in Galway this year due to consistently sold out shows. Catch them on Wednesday 27 December at 8pm. Tickets are €24 on the door and €22 online. The band are trying out some new live music so it’s somewhere you need to be. EXPLORE CONNEMARA: While we all love a party, Christmas time can leave you feeling more stuffed than the turkey itself. If you start getting cabin fever, want to wipe off the cobwebs, or simply feel like you’ve overindulged in too many selection boxes, why not make a trip out to the wilderness of Connemara for a day? The drive is beautiful, and a hike up Diamond Hill will leave you feeling accomplished - and ravenous for another plate of Christmas Day leftovers.
The main flaw in the film is the same as every other Marvel fil: there’s a serious lack of a convincing villain. Now, while Cate Blanchett does a fantastic job as Hela, the Goddess of Death, she can’t make up for the lack of a coherent villain’s plan or pretty much anything to give the character any depth. Fortunately, the acting makes up for it, Chris Hemsworth has finally found the perfect balance of cockiness and humbleness, even if that sounds a strange concept. Mark Ruffallo makes a return as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk and plays the stressed out scientist to perfection. A love interest is introduced for Thor through the relatively unknown Tessa Thompson who plays a PTSD stricken Valkyrie to perfection. Jeff Goldbloom makes his Marvel appearance as the eccentric Grandmaster and positively owns every scene he is in, his own brand of humour and charm sparkles through the on-screen character.
And of course, you can’t talk about brilliant characters or actors in a Marvel film without mentioning the lovable but mistrusted character Loki. Back to cause more trouble for Thor, the two end up forming an uneasy alliance. Aside from the overall tone of the film, even visually it separates itself from its predecessors, going for vibrant colours and a futuristic backdrop instead of the barren wastelands of the previous films (one of which was set in New Mexico) Score wise it’s nothing to write home about apart from two noticeable inclusions of Pure Imagination from Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song. All in all, the entire point of this film was to settle where Thor and Hulk would be for Marvel’s long awaited Avengers: Infinity War and boy, does it do so in a fantastically enjoyable way. If you haven’t had the chance yet, go catch it in cinemas while you can. 4/5 stars
19
Chirstmas songs and films to shake off the exam blues By Michael Glynn
Band Aid - do They Know It’s Christmas? Who could
starts at 8pm 27 November and tickets are just €5.
REVIEW: The latest Thor instalment is surprisingly well-worth the watch By Michael Glynn
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Alright guys, the time is finally here, it is now officially ok the be excited about Christmas. College Christmas day has come and gone, Halloween is but a distant memory, now all that’s left is to close the curtains, light the fire, and stick on one or all, of these top Christmas songs and films.
Songs Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody: The seminal song of Christmas songs. Since 1985 this track curiously never really made an impact in the United States, really just making it our own classic little track we can all enjoy.
Wham! - Last Christmas: I will gladly fight anybody who claims they can sit through this track without singing along. I’m fairly certain such an act is illegal in England, such is the reverence for the pop duo. You know the words, now stick this song on.
ever forget this heart-warming track? Written in reaction to the 1983-85 famine in Ethiopia, this is really a song to make you think.
Films Love Actually: I’ve said this about the songs as well but, Love Actually is the Christmas film. With a star-studded cast and some of the best acting from any romcom ever made, this is the flick you need to sit yourself down and watch five to seven times this holiday season.
The Muppets Christmas Carol: The Muppets have their take on the classic Christmas tale featuring Michael Caine for Pete’s sake, this is not optional, the Muppets will bring you Christmas joy whether you like it or not.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Alright. This would be one you’d be forgiven for watching sooner than now, The Nightmare Before Christmas can be enjoyed as a Halloween or Christmas film depending on your own particular leanings. Either way it’s a glorious musical from Tim Burton with Danny Elfman himself as the voice of the lead Jack Skellington. Home Alone: Macaulay Culkin’s true breakout film,
The Pogues - Fairytale of New York: This is the big one, the mamajama, the absolute king of Christmas tunes, as soon as the first few notes are played you can immediately hear Shane McGowan’s Dublin accent ringing through your head. It’s been scientifically proven that belting out the chorus to this song brings family a lot closer together.
the only people who haven’t seen it are truly evil beings or those who have been in prison since before the film was released. Quotable, heartbreaking, it’s truly a tale of redemption and familial love. This wonderful yuletide flick has it all.
Elf: Oh you didn’t think I was going to leave out John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War is Over): Another great song to sing round the fireplace, you can almost immediately feel yourself swaying as soon as the guitar starts strumming,. This song will literally make you a better person.
everybody’s favourite helper of Santa did you? Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel play off each other brilliantly in this tale of an Elf searching for his true father and his identity. Really just wonderful stuff altogether.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green By Stevie Buckley Turtles All the Way Down is John Green’s sixth, and most recently published book. John Green usually writes young adult contemporary books and this one is no different. The title is based on an exchange that is quoted in the book. If the title seems strange at first, the exchange that the title is based on will cement that opinion. However, the exchange is quite humorous, so you can look forward to reading about that. This book follows the story of sixteen-year-old Aza Holmes. Aza suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD, a condition that is under-represented in the world of literature. This affects her profoundly as she has a fear of germs. She and her friend Daisy decide to follow up the disappearance of the missing billionaire Russell Pickett. This leads to many adventures throughout the book.
This book has many of the usual John Green features. It covers love and loss in an emotional manner. This book is very emotional, although not as emotional as The Fault in Our Stars (could anything ever be?). This book has numerous moments of emotion, both happy and sad. It covers topics such as humorous Star Wars fanfiction, which will make you smile even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan. It also covers heavier topics such as how mental illness can affect your life and those around you. This can be upsetting at times. This book also covers love, like every John Green book does. It covers both romantic love and love between family members. The only criticism I have here is that not all the romantic love was realistic but maybe that is just something that can be expected from novels. There is a character that every-
one can relate to in this book. If you are a person with OCD, are an amateur artist, work in a restaurant, are a fanfiction writer or have even gone through the school system, you will relate at least in part to someone. This book shows that even when you think things are breaking down, good things will always happen. Things might get worse before they get better (as they did in Aza’s case), but they will always get better. The writing style in this book was very good. The author got his ideas across without being wordy or using hard-to-understand vocabulary. One of the few small problems I have with this book is that it fulfils a lot of the typical young adult tropes. A teenager loving and losing is the plot of so many young adult contemporary books. Overall, I really liked this book. 4/5 stars
20 SP O RT
SIN Vol. 19 Issue 6
Irish fans need to see a hometown McGregor fight By Gary Elbert When Conor McGregor entered the cage to celebrate his longtime friend Charlie Wards recent victory in the Bellator promotion the Crumlin native shot across the canvas like a skier cascading down endless slopes of snow, such was the speed of his movement. Ward seemed temporarily confused as McGregor jumped on him. The combined force sent the pair crashing to the ground. What followed was a standard McGregor move with the referee Marc Goddard receiving the finger pointing and harmless roaring and shouting as cameras flashed and the crowd cheered. It appears that these intermittent performances are the only way an Irish audience will get to see the martial arts icon anywhere near an Octagon on home
territory. For years now, the Irish have spent thousands supporting their hero yet any momentum for a homecoming seems to have practically ground to a halt. The recent premiere of the hagiographic but entertaining “Notorious” coincided with McGregor reengaging with some Irish media outlets and the question of a Croke Park mega event was broached. The answers seemed perfunctory from McGregor’s management and the fighter himself, both expressing a desire for such an event but being unsure of the logistical probabilities. The last time McGregor fought on Irish soil was the famous night in the then O2 Arena in Dublin. We are not here to take part, we are here to take over. At that time a huge stadium event appeared to be only a matter of time. The
Irish had a significant fighting presence in the UFC after that night. Hope of further breakthrough competitors was strong yet four years later the only Irish man in the UFC apart from McGregor is Joe Duffy. The takeover was over before it ever begun. The idea that McGregor’s success would drag the next generation through seems to be untrue. And to signify how quickly the fighting landscape changes, Duffy has gone from a possible lucrative rematch with McGregor to losing by knockout to the talented but unranked James Vick recently. Of course, a McGregor headlined event in any stadium in Dublin would sell out, regardless of the quality of the undercard. McGregor could announce a match up with Krusty the Clown and still entice 40,000 punters to part with with their cash.
CONNECTING IRELAND'S STUDENT CITIES
So, the question becomes why now, at the height of his success, has the possibility of a memorable homecoming show suddenly dwindled? The answers are complex. Is it that there is a natural resistance from the more conservative of the Irish public to holding such an event? Let’s not forget for many people on this island McGregor is nothing more than a scumbag, a thug, a symbol of excess. It could also be a simple tenet of business. Fights such as the Mayweather sting operation or big PPV fights live on American television are extremely lucrative financially. Of course, there is no doubt that a UFC event in Dublin would rake it in also, but American audiences would suffer due to the time clash and ultimately that’s how the UFC maintain their profit margins by adhering to simple business model: events
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the sparring sessions. It would be entertaining to some but to the committed MMA community in Ireland it would be a slap in the face. Conor McGregor is an MMA fighter not a boxer. The fans who supported him and followed him from the early days to the thrilling assault on the UFC featherweight division want to see him in a cage in Ireland fighting a world-class opponent. McGregor’s bargaining power and leverage has increased. Superstardom has been achieved. The power imbalance that characterised his previous interactions with the UFC seem to have smoothed out and now its McGregor holding most of, if not all, the bargaining chips. Surely it is not beyond his control to plant his feet down, bite down on the gumshield and demand a homecoming event?
RIGONDEAUX LOMACHENKO:
a late contender for fight of the year? By Garbhan Moriarty
Clifden
in America for American audiences on primetime television. It seems the only feasible way of McGregor headlining a homecoming would be to break free from the UFC and stage an independent promotion. The Mayweather experiment would surely have been beneficial from a business standpoint and since that fight McGregor has spoken about being a co-promoter or partner in any future MMA bouts with the UFC. Talk of further boxing bouts seem delusional if not myopic, yet only McGregor could sell a boxing fight against a retired Paulie Malignaggi and attach meaningful status to it. Perhaps that’s the clearest method of staging a home event: a boxing match against a Malignaggi past his time and pushing 40 with a promotional build up centring on what did or didn’t happen in
2017 has been a great year for boxing. Whether or not you view the super-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor as a positive event for the sport, it is still undeniable that we’ve seen some amazing match-ups. David Haye showed amazing heart in his loss to Tony Bellew, Joshua proved the doubters wrong against Klitschko, and Wilder made an example of Stiverne at the start of November. The year certainly isn’t set to fizzle out either, with ESPN’s second best pound-for-pound fighter Vaysl Lomachenko taking on the undefeated Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux in Madison Square Garden. Vaysl Lomachenko is one of the most exciting boxers in the business right now, as he prepares for his third fight of the year. His speed, precision and footwork combine in the ring to create The Matrix, his alias, and when his opponents step into the Matrix they generally don’t fare well. Out of ten fights he’s
won seven by KO, winning two by decision and lost one by decision. He lands an incredible amount of punches, and his last three opponents were retired by their corner before actual knockouts occurred. Eager to make history early on in his professional career, his only loss came when he attempted to beat Orlando Salido for the vacant WBO World Featherweight title in only his second professional bout. In relation to his amateur career, his record is one of the best ever. 396 wins and one loss, and he avenged his loss twice if there was any doubt as to the commitment of the 29 year old Ukrainian. Rigondeaux, a foil in many ways to his opponent, also boasts a very impressive CV. Beating Nonito Donaire in 2013 might’ve been enough to propel him to international fame, but his boxing style isn’t very marketable. He tends to invite pressure from his opponent and is patient with his calculated counters, a technique that doesn’t sell as well as Lomachenko’s.
Outside of their methods, their records are remarkably similar. This will be the first time a pair of double gold Olympic medalholders will fight each other as professionals, and Rigo shares his opponent’s legendary amateur status, with a record of 463-12. Rigondeaux’s clean professional record of 17-0 makes this Loma’s most competitive fight since his early defeat to Salido and at 37 the Cuban will be looking to make himself a household name before his retirement. Loma’s style should bring out the best in Rigondeaux, as he will be forced into activity, and with both southpaw’s having never been knocked out it would be expected that the fight will go the distance. In terms of knockout power, Rigondeaux has the ability to knock out his opponent with a well-timed and powerful strike, but only if he can keep up with his ‘Hi-Tech’ movement. The perfect fight to end one of the best years of boxing in recent history.
SPÓ IRT
November 21 2017
21
Some giants fall as championship heats up: CLUB FOOTBALL ROUND-UP By Paul Shaughnessy
Connacht SFC Corofin 2-15 — 1-14 St Brigid’s (AET) Another classic was produced between two of the biggest club rivals in Connacht. The Roscommon county champions began to hit their stride early on, leading 0 - 5 – 0 - 2 with Senan Kilbride, Padraig Kelly and Cathal McHugh on target, but the reigning Connacht champions struck for a goal when Ian Burke slotted the ball low past Shane Mannion. Sharp shooter Jason Leonard added two further points to have the 2015 All Ireland champions leading 1 - 05 – 0 - 6 at the interval. Kevin O Brien’s team looked in control leading 1- 11 – 0 - 9 but a goal courtesy of Cathal McHugh and two late placed balls from Senan Kilbride forced extra time. It was still an absorbing tie in extra time but Ronan Steede notched over a terrific point to leave the minimum between the sides at the break. All-star hurler Daithi Burke back playing football drove the ball to the roof of the net to set up a mouth-watering tie with Castlebar Mitchells on the 26th November.
take control on the 52nd minute when Danny Kirby bagged a goal. David Stenson impressed kicking six points and Neil Douglas was the star at the edge of the square while Tourlestrane were reduced to 14 men late on with Liam Gaughan receiving his marching orders.
Munster SFC Dr Crokes 2-19 — 0-10 Kilmurry Ibrickane All Ireland champions Crokes slotted goals home from Johnny Buckley and Kieran O’Leary, and Colm Cooper landed nine points, helping the team to cruise to a comprehensive victory. The All Ireland favourites look odds on to return to the GAA headquarters, but first the Kerry champions look forward to a Munster final with Nemo Rangers.
Nemo Rangers 2-17 — 0-4 Adare In Mallow, Paul Kerrigan was the main man notching six points and Barry O’Driscoll and Luke Connolly netted goals to have the Cork champions leading 2 - 06 – 0 - 2 at the break. Nemo kept the scoreboard ticking in the second half.
Leinster SFC
Castlebar Mitchells 1-13 — 0-7 Tourlestrane
Rathnew 1-13 — 1-09 St Vincent’s
The sides were deadlocked 0 - 7 apiece at the interval. Mitchells began to
Rathnew pulled off one of the greatest shocks in Leinster club championship
history dumping out the Dublin county champions. Vincent’s hit the ground running in the opening period with Gavin Burke, Shane Carthy, Diarmuid Connolly and Enda Varley off the mark to have Brian Mullins charges leading 0 - 4 – 0 - 1. The Wicklow side battled back tremendously with Eddie Doyle and Leighton Glynn on target scoring the best of the points to have 2001 provincial champions leading 0 - 7 – 0 - 6 at the interval. Harry Murphy’s side hit two quick-fire points on the resumption with Mark Doyle and ex Wicklow star Glynn pointing. The Dubliners roared back into the contest after a quick point by super sub Ruairi Trainor and a quick 1 - 1 scoring spree from Mossy Quinn to have reigning Leinster champions 1- 09 – 0 - 10 up. However, James Stafford was pulling the strings for Rathnew and he sealed the win with a splendid goal.
Moorefield 1-09 — 0-11 Portlaoise Portlaoise led 0 - 9 – 0 - 7 at the break. Craig Rogers sending off was the turning point for Portlaoise and Kildare’s Eanna O’Connor scored a goal. Niall HurleyLynch drove over the last gasp winner for Moorefield to edge out for a slender onepoint lead. Former Kerry manager Jack O’Connor sons impressed for the victors.
St Loman’s 1-12 — 1-11 St Columbas Mullinaghta The Westmeath side performed at their best when it mattered trailing 1 10 – 0 - 7 with 20 minutes remaining. John Heslin drilled the ball into the net from the penalty spot and Paddy Dowdall landed the winning point to set up an intriguing clash with Simonstown. The Longford side impressed in the opening period with David McGivney goaling four minutes’ in but it wasn’t enough in the end, his side losing out by the minimum.
dominated the remainder of the half and Cavan Gaels were lucky to hang on in the end. Martin Dunne, Levi Murphy and Paul O’Connor pointing for the Gaels in the second half but the Harps made their dominance count with Declan Cassidy, Garvan Jones, Gary McKenna and Conall Jones forcing extra time. McKenna and Martin Dunne traded scores but Derrygonelly looked to be home and dry with Paul Faloon’s spectacular point, but the sides will have to do battle again courtesy of Darragh Sexton point.
Simonstown 1-12 — 0-8 Starlights Colm O’Rourke’s side cruised past the Wexford champions with Seanie Tobin scoring and Padraig McKeever also prominent for Simonstown. Starlights were left to rue their missed goal chances and Simonstown are bidding to become the first Meath club team to reach a provincial final for the first time since 2004.
Ulster SFC Derrygonnelly Harps 0-12 — 0-12 Cavan Gaels (AET) Cavan Gaels looked to be control leading 0 - 10 – 0 - 6 in the second half but the Fermanagh champions
Slaughtneil 2-17 — 0-17 Kilcar The reigning Ulster champions trailed 0 - 8 – 0 - 7 at the interval with Kilcar gradually beginning to get a hold on the game with Patrick McBrearty, Andrew McLean, Stephen McBrearty and Mark McHugh on target to give the Donegal champions a slender one-point advantage at the interval. The big turning point was in the second half when Shane McGuigan blasted the ball into the Kilcar net on 42 minutes. Kilcar kept within touching distance, but Christopher Bradley sealed the win palming a second goal into the net.
A beast re-enters the arena of European club football from south of the Alps By Mark Lynch Since 2006, when Fabio Cannavaro lifted the World Cup over his shoulders on a warm July night in Berlin, Italian teams have won just two Champions Leagues out of the most recent 11 seasons. One might have suspected that a World Cup triumph would spur the nation on to succeed at club level. However, a widespread scandal which involved Milan, Reggina, Fiorentina, Lazio and champions Juventus meant that the first two were handed points deductions and the latter three were relegated to Serie B. It was in fact Milan who enjoyed immediate prosperity, sealing sweet revenge over Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League Final to keep Italian soccer firmly at the forefront of Europe’s elite. Unfortunately, age caught up with both the Italian national team and that great Milan side, and they were forced to come to terms with a new style of playing, emanating from the depths of Catalonia, via Barcelona and the thusinspired tiki-taka Spanish national side. On the domestic front, Inter took prime advantage of the relegation of
Juventus, winning four league titles in a row (five if you count the one they were awarded with an asterisk in 2006). Inter were building a team to compete with the continent’s best and when they hired Jose Mourinho they had the man to lead them to glory. Italy’s other Champions League title of the last 11 years came at the culmination of this period of dominance for Inter, securing a historic treble in 2010. Since then Milan captured the 2010/11 title and Juventus completed an astonishing six league titles in a row back in May of this year. In the same period of time, only Juventus have competed in two Champions League finals, in 2015 and earlier this year. Given that frankly abysmal return for a country with such proud club and national traditions and history in the sport, it’s been quite surprising that this year has seen such a turnaround. With 12 games played, just five points separate first place Napoli and fifth place Roma, sandwiching Juventus, Inter and Lazio respectively. On the European front, Roma top their Champions League group, which contains Chelsea and Atletico Madrid,
while Juventus are looking like they’ll qualify as runners up to Barcelona in their group. Napoli seem to be headed for the Europa League, as they lie third in that group, but they’ve put it up to the all-conquering Manchester City in both games. In the Europa League, all three Italian sides in it, Milan, Atalanta and Lazio, sit in first place with two games left. Where has the transformation come from? As we’ve seen in the last couple of years, especially in the case of Leicester for example, shrewd business in the transfer market is a huge factor in success for teams who don’t have the general exposure of a club like Real Madrid or Barcelona. Milan were the prime contenders before the season started to capitalise from new investment in their squad, but their signings haven’t led to the immediate success they would have hoped, Leonardo Bonucci being particularly uninfluential in stemming the tide of goals conceded by the Rossoneri. Roma have turned Edin Dzeko from a half-decent Premier League player into a goalscorer worthy of any team in Europe, as evident from his world-
class volley against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier last month. When it comes to transfers, it’s always the sign of a successful and thriving domestic league when the best players from that country want to stay there, and when the best from other nations want to go there. Think of Spain of the last five/six years, where they’ve not only retained (or regained) the best Spanish players but added also superstars from around the continent such as Bale and the world, like Suarez and Neymar. If Fernando Torres, born and bred Atletico Madrid, had come to prominence in 2012, would he have ever left for Liverpool, or England at all? It’d be difficult to imagine he would. Last year, the mind-blowing fee paid by Manchester United for Juventus’ Paul Pogba showed a statement of intent with United and, as a result, the English league as a whole showing that this is a club and a country for the best in the world, although it was on Juve’s terms as they forked out almost £90m. In the most recent window, Inter were able to fend off the Red Devils for talismanic midfielder Ivan Perisic,
while the player himself seemed content to stay in Italy. Meanwhile, Roma squeezed Liverpool and Chelsea for £77m between them for two players, Mo Salah and Antonio Rudiger respectively, once again showing that Italian clubs are the ones with the power. They’re demanding the fees, they’re getting them, while also keeping hold of the players when clubs don’t meet those demands. Without the billions of oil money from places like Russia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Italian clubs will struggle to pay €223 million for a player like Neymar, but they can make shrewd investments and hold onto their own. When they make enough progress to be making marquee signings on par with the Spanish and English clubs, major success will follow, but for now, they’re making enough waves to create a hugely competitive and entertaining domestic league. PSG might not be quaking in their boots to face this crop of Serie A sides as things stand, but there’s no Italian club competing in Europe at the moment that would fear them. Italian football is getting its swagger back and we’re all the better for it.
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Clash of the Colleges:
The President’s Cup By Kathy Hynes Sports Officer Clubs Participation, www.otc.nuigalway.ie
College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies College of Business, Public Policy and Law College of Engineering and Informatics College of Science College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Participate in a grand-prix style of recreational activity based on campus, and experience an intramural sense of belonging and community. It’ll be college versus college, where competitors can participate in one event or in the seven scheduled events. The more events you participate in and the more teams your college enters, the more points your college will be awarded. And remember, more points means more prizes - bragging rights a must! This “everyday athlete” programme is open to all students and staff of the respective campus colleges, from seasoned athletes to novice enthusiasts. The events are designed to encourage participation regardless of skill level or previous athletic experience. NUI Galway’s programme aims to contribute to the complete realization of the student as an intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual being in a friendly, collaborative environment, promoting activity, health and wellness while improving overall fitness and encouraging a sense of community. Should you choose to participate, it promises to be a lot of craic. The intramural programme is sponsored by NUIG Sport and the Bank of Ireland and is free to all participants.
When, where & how? It all kicks off on the first week of Semester Two. Open the diary, and set the date, send the reminders, gather your teams! Our first activity is scheduled for Wednesday 12-2pm. 10 staff/students can register per team. Event
Date
Venue
Indoor Cricket
Wednesday, January 17
Tag Rugby
Wednesday, January 24 12-2pm Get to know the rules — open college training
University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club Have a try, if you’re a novice! Enthusiasts please attend.
COLLEGE V COLLEGE MATCHES Wednesday, January 31st 12-2pm
NUIG College Green – outside the Quad (Weather permitting) or University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club
Rowing Machines ERGs
Wednesday, February 14th 12-2pm
University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club Valentine surprises
Glow in the Dark Dodgeball
Wednesday, February 21st 12-2pm
University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club “College” paint included
Frisbee
Wednesday, February 28th 12-2pm
University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club
Surf/SUPs (Stand up paddle boards)
Wednesday, March 7 12-2pm
On the water space outside SULT Training will be scheduled in Semester Two when the weather improves
8K Walk/Run
Saturday, March 10th 10am
Final event Either participate as an individual for your college or walk/run as a team
th
12-2pm
th
th
University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club
How it all works: The Sports Unit has identified seven events for staff and students from the five colleges to participate in. The events are selected to offer a cross section of skills and an opportunity to try something different. The events are led by NUIG Sport Clubs as reps for their individual colleges. Please note that Student and Staff IDs will be checked. • Each college can enter as many teams or individual participants as they want. The more people and more teams there is, the more opportunity to gain points. Points mean prizes and the possibility of winning the coveted President’s Cup. • Scoring: every individual who participates in any event will receive one point, regardless of where they finish. • Each of the events will carry points for placing 1st-4th • An additional point will be awarded to colleges who have a staff member in their team. NB: If any team does not participate in an event they registered for, they will be considered a no-show and five points will be deducted from their points total. Each event will have a social element for those who participate. Winning teams of the individual event will receive branded hoodies. College coloured water bottles will be provided to students and staff members who participate in four of the events. The scoring system will be attached to each event, and the rules for each event will be on our website: www.otc.nuigalway.ie active 1 December, advertised in your college and in SIN. Entry forms are available from the Sports Unit or you can register online. For the overall college who scores the most points there is prize money up for grabs, as well as the additional health and well-being benefits. So get your team together! We also welcome any student or member of staff who would like to work with the Sports Unit as a volunteer – all support is greatly appreciated. The registration form is on the next page:
The First Event The President’s Cup will be kicked off by our Intervarsity Champion 2017 Cricket Team on 17 January 2018 at the University Sports Centre, Kingfisher club. The cricket team will be recruiting from their individual colleges for anyone who wants to participate college versus college.
Rules of our first event: Aim: Score more than the opposition. Players: Each team will consist of 10 players. Whilst each player may have a specialist role, they can take up any role should they wish. Game Structure: • A 12 overs game with six overs per innings. • The two captains will toss a coin for the right to choose whether to bat or bowl. • Ways to score runs: • Run to each other’s end of the pitch (from one end to the other). • By hitting boundaries (4 or 6 runs). • Extras runs will be awarded to the batting team for ‘No Ball’, ‘Wide Ball’, ‘Bye’ and ‘Leg Bye’. • An overthrow will also be considered.
• Ways Batsmen can be given out: • Bowled • Caught • Stumped • Run Out • Hit Wicket • Obstructing the field
• Umpires: Two umpires will officiate the game on the field of play. One umpire will stand behind the stumps at the bowler’s end, while the other umpire will stand at square leg. • Playing Arena: The length of an indoor cricket pitch will remain the same as a conventional cricket pitch, 22 yards.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all there.
Clash of the Colleges:
The President’s Cup Registration form
Team Name: College of: Team captain:
Student/Staff ID:
Email:
Vice-captain:
Student/Staff ID:
Email:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID:
Name:
Student/Staff ID: Which events will your team sign up for?
Cricket
Tag rugby
Rowing machines
Glow in the dark dodgeball
Frisbee
8K
Completed registration forms can be handed into the Sports Unit before 1 December 2017. They will be available online after that date.
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