SIN Volume 21 Issue 12 - Shutdown Special

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL. 21 Issue 12. 31 MAR 2020

Student Independent News

WINNER: BEST NEWSPAPER AT THE NATIONAL STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS 2019

SHUTDOWN SPECIAL COVID-19 and the students of NUI Galway: SIN separates the fact from the fiction

By Paddy Henry With the COVID-19 pandemic to the fore of the global psyche and the public hanging on to every word the media utter on the crisis, social media has become a breeding ground for people spreading false information, intended to frighten the most vulnerable and to spread hysteria. WhatsApp groups have become COVID-19’s personal propaganda department over recent weeks, from voice messages about full lockdown to all sorts of bizarre tales of potential cures and cases. While the collective go-to for information during this time of crisis should be official HSE’s sources along with trusted national and local media, college students have been left in the lurch. Here to help as always, SIN digests all the common queries coming up to help keep you informed and away from the family WhatsApp group chat.

they are owed on their deposit and rent back, but this might be a lengthy process”, she said. With regard to the private rental market, each landlord may treat the situation differently and little can be done in this regard. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó ’hÓghartaigh, praised private landlords who had shown “kindness” to students during this uncertain period and urged others with student tenants to show compassion, stating; “These are challenging times for all our community. Many students have remained in Galway at this time, by necessity. Many have returned home, also by necessity. NUI Galway is mindful of the healthcare, social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on all members of our society.

We commend the many landlords who have shown remarkable kindness to our students”. He added, “We therefore request that property owners who have our students as tenants in their properties show care, compassion and some flexibility at this time of urgency and need”.

Have students been moved out Will teaching resume of student accommodation?

Yes and no. Panic spread among the student body this semester? following the forwarding of an emailing to residents of Goldcrest Village, advising them to have their premises vacated by 18th March. Public Health Officials advised that students return home immediately where possible. All students in on-campus accommodation will be refunded accordingly if they have returned home. Plans to move any remaining students in Goldcrest Village to neighbouring Corrib Village are underway. Speaking about the accommodation situation, Students’ Union President Clare Austick reaffirmed the line given by the University on the matter, urging people to return home where possible; “The University would have contacted students saying if you can go home, do. Many of them have gone home and those that have will get what

In person, no. The next time the majority of us will see the sweet sight of the Big Yellow Thing will be in early September, when, hopefully, things will be a bit more pleasant than they are at this current stage. All learning has been moved online for the remainder of the semester. For students struggling with online learning due to inadequate facilities in the homeplace, they have been advised to contact their lecturers, who will make the appropriate accommodations to help them in their situation.

Will exams be going ahead?

Traditional end of year in-house exams are off and will be replaced by alternative measures. Speaking to SIN, Students’ Union Vice President for Educa-

Read our exclusive previrus interview with NUI Galway President, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh on Page 6

tion Cameron Keighron explained the situation, “There will be no face to face exams this coming exam season. Repeat exams should be going ahead as normal and in-house exams are the preferred option but it depends on the situation. We have a commitment from the University to be flexible during this time”, they said.

Will I be able to graduate?

Any conferrings have been put on the long finger, but, nevertheless, these graduations, which are mainly in medicine and in postgraduate courses, will go ahead sometime in the future when things pick up. Final years will be expected to graduate from their respective courses in the Autumn without a hitch, depending on the situation by then.

Will I be fined for books I have taken out of the library?

If you took a book out of the library before the college closed, the library will waive the fine which will be inevitably be overrun, on account of the University’s closure. You will not accrue penalties relating to the costs of an overdue book during this difficult period. However, if you have an existing fine on a book that was due back to the library, this still stands, although any further costs accrued while the library is closed will be suspended. Any student with concerns on this matter is advised to contact the James Hardiman Library directly.

Is my work placement affected?

Placement is a big part of many courses in NUI Galway. Whether you’re studying Computer Science, Medicine or Journalism, there will be a placement element to your course. Student nurses have been working tirelessly on the front line of the Irish

healthcare system, leading the fight against COVID19. Following criticism levelled at the government due to the voluntary nature of their placements at the beginning of Ireland’s response to the crisis, Minister for Health, Simon Harris, confirmed that student nurses who opt in to help on the frontline will be paid as healthcare assistants. Both the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the USI called for nurses on second and third year placements to be paid and treated as employees during this time of crisis, similar to how nurses on final year placements are treated. With regard to other placements, nursing students not in their final year have been given the option to opt out of their placement block on account of the crisis. The University has confirmed that alternative arrangements will be made for those that choose to opt out. Most other non-nursing related placements have been pulled or are operating on a work from home basis in line with government guidelines.

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

INSIDE

Decision to pay student nurses welcomed but details still to be ironed out 4 What protections are in place for students experiencing financial strain due to Covid-19? 5 An afternoon with the President 6 Go Purple: Support epilepsy while self-isolating 7 Why we need to save the Student Connect Mentoring Programme 8 Study and Chill: A look at the studygram community 9 For an Isolated Read 10 The unstudied subject of panic buying! 11 NUI GALWAY GHOST CAMPUS 12–13 COVID-19 v Mental Health 14 The year that St Patrick’s Day didn’t exist 15 How will our lives change in the next few months? 16 Galway 2020 – Doomed from the start? 17 Werk from Home: How to Look Stylish in Loungewear 18 The Big Beauty Clear-Out: How to Declutter your Makeup Bag 19 Travel Junkie: Malta & Morocco 20 Making the Most of Our Makeup: Project Pan 21 Isolation Nation: 5 Fun and Practical Things to Do During A Pandemic 22 The importance of being idle 24 Supporting home-grown Irish music talent 25 Quarantunes: some of 2020’s best singles so far 26 What happens to the Premier League now? 28 Sports books to keep you sane during the lockdown 29 Coronavirus puts an end to NUI Galway clubs’ seasons 31

EDITOR: Mark Lynch editor.sin@gmail.com LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat?

Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir chuig editor.sin@gmail.com

Find us online:

www.sin.ie

By Mark Lynch Sitting down to write this gives me quite an odd sensation. I always knew the last issue of the year would be coming out on March 31st, but never quite would have guessed in this form. It’s astonishing to think of the impact on people’s lives that this virus will have, in the short, medium, and long terms. However, I’ll keep this focused on this wonderful paper, as I would imagine everyone has been hearing enough about COVID-19, and I won’t pretend to be any kind of expert, able to offer advice that hasn’t already been circulated, i.e. hygiene and distancing.

It has been a privilege to be this newspaper’s editor for 2019/2020.

I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly and it has changed me for the better as a person and as a journalist. Student media is tough nowadays. Coming into this job, I knew the quality was there to continue making a great newspaper. It’s always been there.

The difficulty is getting people to read the bloody thing! I sincerely hope SIN, and the quality of writing across all sections, has made its way into more people’s lives than ever before. That has been a huge part of my job, and I’m content in saying I did my best at it. I will carry some of the skills I’ve developed with this newspaper with me for the rest of my life, and the same

goes for some of the memories. It truly has been a crazy year.

On to the gratitude, and I have many people to thank for their help this year. To the sub-editors, Paddy, Shauna, Anastasia, Catherine, Sarah, and Darren, you’ve helped to make this a newspaper to be proud of, and I have been proud of every single issue, as you should all be too. To the most regular of our regular contributors, this newspaper has been significantly better for your work. This applies especially to all of our columnists, Aoife, Sadhbh, Jody, Fiona, Isabel, and for the last few issues, Valerie.

Thank you all very much for being so reliable with your excellent pieces. To our regulars, a sincere thank you too. I’m sure I’d give it a good go, but there’s no way I’d be able to fill 32 pages on my own, so it is your work that makes this paper what it is. To our online editor, Danny, you give this paper a muchneeded presence in the online world. Because of your work, our newspaper, and the top quality work that goes into it, can be accessed anywhere in the world, at any time. To the Students’ Union, particularly Chris and Joanna, you’ve been as helpful as possible in all of our dealings, and made it extremely easy to run this paper.

To our wonderful graphic designer Shannon, you’re one of the most talented people in this field, and

it’s been a pleasure seeing our work materialise into something so aesthetic and professional every 2 weeks. And to my girlfriend and my friends, you’re probably delighted I won’t be able to keep blabbering on about SIN 24/7, but you’ve all been a fantastic help in all of my SIN-related endeavours this year (special mention to my unofficial tech guru, Aodán).

In this issue, we have everything you could possibly want to know about COVID-19 from all kinds of different perspectives. We have tips on what you can do, listen to, watch, read, and cook in this, the weirdest of times. We have plenty that’s unrelated to COVID-19 as well, including my interview with the NUI Galway President, tips on unusual pets to buy, and a plea to retain student mentoring. You haven’t much else to do, so sit back, relax and keep reading.

SU announces funding for student laptops

By Anastasia Burton Students’ Union President Clare Austick has confirmed that the University has identified a need for more laptops that would be accessible to students for free. The financial strain of university, as well as the ever growing rent rates, are leaving some students unable to purchase a laptop for their work in college and it can be difficult to study or focus on writing academic essays in PC suites which are usually filled with other students.

The University has approved €51,000 worth of funding towards purchasing 24 laptops and 24 self-charging lockers, which will be freely accessible to the student population. These laptops and self-charging lockers will be made available in the library and run in the same manner as taking out

a book. This would mean that only those with a student card would be able to take out the laptops for up to four hours a day.

When asked about when the laptops would be introduced, Clare Austick mentioned that the laptops and the charging lockers would still have to be bought and set up with the help of Information Solutions and Services (ISS). She was hopeful that the laptops would be introduced by September at the latest.

The introduction of the laptops is seen as a big win for the Union, as they had been working on achieving this since last summer, when the current full-time officers took office. The collaboration between the library and the Union helped them develop the idea and present it to the University, who were open to the idea of bring-

ing in student accessible laptops.

Considering that the University usually installs DELL computers in PC suites and some classrooms, it would be likely that the laptops will also be

by DELL, with whom they also have a contract.

There were many steps taken in the pursuit of these new facilities. As well as the library, the Union also collaborated with ISS, while they also spoke to some students to fill out the application, in order to deliver a stronger case to the University to prove the need for these laptops to be brought in. This programme was approved on the second round of student projects, which meant it took a couple of months to gather a solid case to put to the University, as well as time for them to investigate the need themselves and approve the application.

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NEWS EDITORIAL

By Paddy Henry In a time where it feels like everything is coming to an end, college, sporting calendars, the world, we must also produce the last issue of SIN for this academic year.

While many of us are cracking up back in the family home, reminiscing on the good old days of mid-February, SIN is back for one last hurrah to lighten the mood, which for most is an overriding feeling of boredom and anxiety over what really is an unfortunate situation.

Nonetheless, we are still here and to the credit of our writers, they have come out with another top-quality issue, despite these testing times. Inside we have a range of stories, both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related. Mark Lynch speaks to Professor Ciaran O’hÓgartaigh about all things NUIG. Rachel Garvey reports on how the Coronavirus is affecting students from all areas of the college.

Also on the Coronavirus theme, I give you the facts of the situation, answering the most frequently asked questions about college related matters on the coronavirus with the help of two of our SU full-time officers. As the Taoiseach said recently, “We live in an age of misinformation and disinformation” and many of us have fallen foul of hoaxers on WhatsApp group chats. Our Opinion editor Anastasia Burton brings us the news that the SU has secured funding for laptops that can be rented by students.

All this and more inside including more COVID-related coverage from Ellen Kissane and Mark Lynch, as well as other unrelated stories which to give you a bit of a breather form the ongoing pandemic.

As this is my last issue as News Editor, I want to extend a sincere thank you to everybody that has written for me over the course of the year, even in this issue we had some new writers to the news section which is always welcome. It has been a great honour filling this role for the year and reading all of your articles both as an editor and as a reader, volunteers are the life and soul of college media and without you we wouldn’t be able to get a paper out every fortnight so I want to thank you for that.

It is in times like this where people must pull together for the greater good.

As hard as it will be over the coming weeks, it is vitally important that we follow all the relevant advice given and engage in the trusted national and local media. As I sign off from SIN for the year during these testing times, the words of Seamus Heaney come to mind, “If we winter this one out, we can summer anywhere”. Stay safe everyone.

FEATURES EDITORIAL

By Shauna McHugh Hello lovely readers, Welcome to issue 12, our final issue of the year! We’ve saved the best for last, as this edition really is a whopper.

While the rest of the world panics over Coronavirus, many students are instead fretting about exams coming our way.

Caoimhe Killeen has a great scoop from an Instagram influencer on all the study hacks you’ll need to get by!

Rachel Garvey this week shares what it’s like for students working in retail during this pandemic. Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich, meanwhile, has the lowdown on what financial supports can help students get through self-isolation.

For the last time, I wish to applaud my excellent columnists. Sadhbh Hendrick’s hilarious final year diary has been one of the only things that got me through my own final year (touch wood)! While she has enough skill to go pro as a writer, I also hold out hope to catch her doing professional stand-up comedy someday, as she is a true comedienne. Jody Moylan’s diary, meanwhile, has been another highlight. He has been SIN’s pop culture connoisseur, one heck of a travel writer, a fine historian and just an overall literary talent. He’s not the only one, as I’ve also been blessed with an award-winning poet, in the form of first year columnist Aoife Burke! Not even a serious arm injury stopped her from writing and meeting every deadline put to her.

Our opinions editor Anastasia Burton also has an adorable article on reptiles. I owe her thanks firstly for that piece, but I must also thank her and all the other sub-editors for their friendship, and for a fantastic year working alongside them. My last ever year in college has been made all the better by this newspaper and the beautiful people I have met through being its features editor. Much appreciation is due to our editor Mark Lynch - for giving me this godsend of an opportunity, and for constantly being there with guidance and advice for his writers and editors alike. He, and all the sub-editors, have made SIN 2019/2020 a publication that I will forever be proud to have been a part of.

Team SIN, I shall miss you all dearly.

You’re a fiercely talented bunch, and I wish each one of you the very best of luck in the future. May we meet again in another, even more prestigious newsroom someday!

OPINION EDITORIAL

By Anastasia Burton Dear readers, it is with a heavy heart I write my final editorial for this year as the opinion editor. For twelve issues, our writers and I have brought to you different opinion topics, some juicy, some worthy of a tea spill episode. I have always believed that the opinion section was one of the most important sections in a student paper, because it gives students a platform to have their voices heard. I thank you, our readers, for engaging with our paper and giving feedback when you can, and I also wish to thank my regular writers (you know who you are) for always delivering high quality content for my section. It has been a pleasure working with you over the year and I wish you all the best! Hopefully I will see some of you return as columnists next year also.

This is our final issue, which means we worked extra hard to give you enough opinions to last you a while. As always, there’s no shortage of wonderful pieces.

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St Patrick’s Day was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. How did this affect Irish society? Galway 2020 was unlucky from the beginning. Do you think this is true? Have you lost your job because of the outbreak? We have an article for you too! The lockdown has been very beneficial for clearing air pollution worldwide. Read on to see how. COVID-19 vs. Mental health. Cabin fever is getting real! 2020 was supposed to be our year, did we jinx it? Both major presidential candidates in the US are over 70. Why are two pensioners competing to be in charge of one of the most progressive countries in the world?

Thank you for flicking our pages for the last 12 issues and I hope to see you again next semester!

Lots of love, Opinion editor

LIFESTYLE AND FASHION EDITORIAL

By Catherine Taylor Hello again, everyone, and welcome to the final issue of SIN! It’s hard to believe that the academic year has once again come to an end. It seems like only yesterday that we were gearing up for our first issue in September – my, how the time has flown! As you all know, SIN has moved exclusively to an online publication for its final issue. These are unprecedented and uncertain times, but it’s great to see universities, businesses and the Irish government implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Even better than that, of course, is the community spirit on display as we battle this pandemic together.

Remember: stay safe, observe social distancing rules and keep connected with loved ones via social media. This will all be over eventually.

So, what amazing content does the fashion and lifestyle section have in store for you this week? First off, our resident Gossip Girl impressionist Valerie McHugh is back with a final edition of Styled by the Show.

This time, the focus is Gossip Girl’s resident punk-goth queen, Jenny Humphrey. In this house, we stan little J. Opinion editor Anastasia Burton has been busy of late, penning travel and beauty articles that are equal parts informative and interesting! This week, she guides us around Malta and Morocco in our Travel Junkie series, so get planning for your first post-pandemic holiday now.

It’s never to early to be optimistic. Also, check out Anastasia’s essential guide to #ProjectPan, the beauty craze sweeping Instagram.

As always, our resident chef and funny-woman Isabel Dwyer is back with her final edition of The Foodie Diaries (for now)! This week’s recipe is for some aptly-titled “Pandemic Burgers”. If you never learned to cook pre-quarantine, now is your time to learn with this delicious recipe. You’re welcome in advance.

It’s been a pleasure serving you as SIN’s fashion and lifestyle editor. I hope to be speaking with you all again very soon.

Enjoy the issue!

Catherine x

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL

By Sarah Gill All good things must come to an end and, after twelve spectacular issues, SIN must take its final bow. For now, that is. With two years as editor of the Arts and Entertainment section, I’ve grown quite attached to this little paper and all of the hugely talented writers that have been part of the journey. I have no doubts that the paper will be back with a bang next year with even more creative writers carrying it.

With the premature end of this semester, I am just one of many students that have had to say goodbye to the NUI Galway campus far too early… unless repeat exams may be on the cards, but let’s not consider that just yet! It has been an amazing four years and a part of me will always miss this place. I won’t fill your head with COVID-19 related thoughts (plenty of that lies within) but I will say that this paper is a great way to entertain yourself during these uncertain times. Playlist recommendations, pop culture moments and poetry all await...

SPORTS EDITORIAL

By Darren Casserly Hello everyone and welcome to the final issue of SIN for this year. It is a very unusual way we are parting and not how any of us thought it would go, however, you do not have to worry. As always, we have a high-quality sports section for you to look forward to, and most of it is not coronavirus related, which is a relief to a lot of you I’m sure.

Firstly, from the world of rugby, I look at whether the IRFU needs to look at revising their policy on selecting Irish players playing club rugby overseas and if a change is needed for Ireland to achieve any success.

Darragh Nolan takes a look at the importance that sport plays in our lives, and how we don’t really recognise it until it’s gone, like now, where I’d give anything to see some football on a Saturday afternoon again.

We have you all prepared for the lockdown with some great sport documentaries from myself and sports books by Ian Casserly. Including Iverson, Sunderland ‘Til I die, and Chaos is a Friend of Mine.

I talked to Clubs’ Captain Padraic Toomey about how the Coronavirus has affected the clubs around NUI Galway.

Continuing along the Coronavirus theme, I look at how this epidemic will affect sports around the world financially.

Daniel Brennan takes a look at how shows like Formula One: Drive to survive changes people’s perceptions of not just the sport itself, but also sportspeople and opens the sports up to more people.

Finally, Aaron Deering writes about what could happen with the Premier League following postponement of matches until the end of April.

As always, I want to thank the writers for their contribution as well as anyone who wrote for this section this sports section for making my job a lot easier.

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

Decision to pay student nurses welcomed but details still to be ironed out

By Mark Lynch The decision to pay student nurses for work they do during this pandemic has been welcomed all-round, although details of how exactly the paid work will interact with the learning aspect of work placement have yet to be finalised.

After much lobbying by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), as well as student nurses and students’ unions around the country, Minister for Health Simon Harris announced that student nurses would be offered contracts as healthcare assistants with the HSE and be paid for this work for the duration of the pandemic.

He said in a broadcast on his Twitter account: “Student nurses usually aren’t paid until fourth year, but because of the exceptional circumstances, for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re going to offer all of our student nurses the opportunity to take a contract as a healthcare assistant and be paid for that. We’re also going to work out a way of making sure that that clinical time counts towards their

education. We need to keep that link between the education and the work placement”.

Minister Harris’ decision was welcomed by the INMO, who stated, “This is a major victory for INMO student members, staff and activists”. They are, however, awaiting details of how exactly this will work, “We will now be seeking further details. In particular, the union will be clarifying the scope of the students’ practice in these roles and how it can best be integrated with their academic progression and placements”. The INMO have a designated webpage to update student nurses on their current situation, at www.inmo. ie/covidstudent.

SIN also spoke to one general nursing student in NUI Galway who “warmly welcomed” the decision. The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that there are still issues that need to be addressed, but that it represents a “brilliant and huge step forward”. “Students are now extended the protections that come along with being employees. The activism is

something that NUIG Student nurses & midwives were very engaged with throughout, and it’s really delightful to see a positive and just result coming out the end of it”, they added. The student also alluded to concerns that students still have, having been granted this opportunity, including clarification on sick leave, shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE - masks, gowns, googles etc), guarantees of accommodation, and educational progress. They also expressed a hope that student nurses in their first three years of placement would continue to be paid for the work they do following this pandemic.

Despite these remaining concerns, it signals a big win for student nurses all over the country, who have been thrown into particularly deep levels of uncertainty since the outbreak of COVID-19.

SIN’s anonymous source explained that their placement, due to begin on March 9th, was originally cancelled on March 6th. The students were informed that this decision would be reviewed on March 12th. On this date, they were told their placement would be further

How COVID-19 has impacted on NUI Galway students

By Rachel Garvey Following the closure of universities all over Ireland, and further afield, many students were left with a huge deal of uncertainty surrounding their forthcoming assignments, exams, and degrees in general. SIN spoke to a few NUI Galway students to hear their concerns and personal opinions of how the virus has affected them on a personal scale.

Daniel Granahan is in his Final Year of Arts with Geography and English and shared how the University closure will affect him, telling SIN: “It’s made everything very different, as I am a final year student and my last year has been cut short, so my time with my college friends has been shorted, which is upsetting.

I feel a little lost and confused, as I’m trying to hear about exams and assignments and lectures. I know people are still working on their dissertations and need to do interviews for gathering data and now that can’t be completed. Honestly, it is really confusing for me.

For the people who live in rural areas, there can be really bad internet connection, which is why I’m still living in my student accommodation in Galway city, as it has good WiFi rather than the bad internet connection in my hometown of Sligo. Safety is also another thing that concerns me. My housemates and I have been cleaning the house non-stop. We clean every table and surface that we use. We also worry about rent and what we will have to eat”.

Austin Curran of Third Year Applied Physics revealed how the last few weeks have been physically and psychologically draining, speaking of the boredom attached with having to stay

at home for prolonged periods, stating: “The past few days of being in isolation has been very draining, not only physically but psychologically.

Not being able to leave the house gets boring and makes me want to leave the house and having to stop myself from doing so is quite difficult.

When I do go out for reasons like having to pick up supplies, I harbour a bit of guilt because not only am I putting myself at risk, but others too.

It has had a huge impact on my lifestyle and I am looking forward to the day where I can resume my normal life again”.

Lidia Shafik studying Medicine told SIN about the difficulties that the spread of COVID-19 is having with regard to work placements, which Lidia claims is hindering students’ learning experience, claiming: “The most annoying thing is the unpredictability; not knowing when the exams will be or how they’ll do it! Also, being a medical student and not being allowed on any placement is definitely hindering the learning from the experience side of things. I’m hoping the exams account for this or there’s some way to make up for the lack of experience soon!”

International student Ceci Foster, who is currently stranded in the United States, told SIN of her concerns with not being able afford her tuition fees due to the knock-on affect the virus is having on internships, revealing: “I was travelling to visit my grandmother and I got stuck here in California. I’ve been unable to work or attend my internship, so I’m getting worried about making enough money to pay my tuition next year. I am totally relying on my family to support me right now and I can only imagine how hard it would be for someone without the support system that I have”.

cancelled until March 30th. This decision was allegedly to be reviewed again on March 27th. However, on St. Patrick’s Day, the same day that the HSE launched a recruitment campaign for frontline staff, students were told their placement would resume on March 23rd. This placement, for first, second, and third years, would be unpaid.

The source outlined how this twist in events forced many students to make the decision themselves to withdraw from placement, due to concerns about accommodation, safety, and the health of themselves and their families. “Concern over health and safety on placement for students was, and remains, the top concern amongst us at the moment. This concern is not only for the students ourselves, but also who we live with. Healthcare staff are the most likely staff to be exposed to and to contact COVID-19. Many students had withdrawn themselves from placement over fears of inadvertently carrying the virus home and infecting at risk loved ones”. They continued, “Many students have expressed concerns over place-

ment, as many in Ballinasloe had cancelled their accommodation and were unable to source new accommodation. To many, travelling to and from Galway city on public transport during a pandemic is unacceptable. Thus, many of these students have withdrawn from placement due to this reason”.

In a statement released exclusively to SIN on behalf of the Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway, Professor Timothy O’Brien, the University says students are encouraged to seek assistance and support in the relevant channels of the University if needs be. “We would urge any student to get in touch with the allocations team should they have any queries in relation to placements. Additional supports are available through the Student Counselling Service and special supports have been put in place by James McCormack, Head of Student Counselling, to provide counselling services specifically for Nursing and Midwifery students at this time. Students wishing to avail of these supports should email counselling@nuigalway.ie”.

NUI Galway-backed decontamination technology seeks to block spread of COVID-19

By Ellen Kissane A newly developed ‘decontamination wipe’, produced by a NUI Galway-based company, holds promise in tackling the impact of the unfolding coronavirus pandemic.

Aquila Biosicence have announced that their breakthrough technology, Anti-Bioagent Wipe (ABwipeTM), will be used to provide the Irish Defence Forces with greater protection against contracting the contagious disease and to allow them to carry out their duties safely. The wipe also serves as a valuable tool for first-responders, healthcare workers and civilians in the prevention among the general population.

ABwipeTM works to decontaminate surfaces, including human skin, from bacterial, viral and biotoxin threats. Its technology operates by binding to pathogens on the targeted surface and works on the virus’s attack mechanism (consisting of carbohydrates and proteins) to remove and capture the infectious microbes. As COVID-19 can remain on surfaces for periods ranging from a few hours up to nine days, according to the nascent scientific research, decontamination by wipe holds the potential to stunt the rapid transmission of the disease from person to person.

Mimicking the natural human defence mechanism against infection, the Anti-Bioagent wipe does not contain any harmful chemicals and can be used on skin as well as the eyes, nose and mouth – the most likely conduits for virus infection. The cellulose-based product is also touted as being biodegradable, indicating that it also poses no risk to environmental health nor human health.

Funded by the European Defence Agency, this innovative technology has been in development for over four years. Its concept originated in “an identified capability need in the Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) protection measures”, said Professor Lokesh Joshi, co-founder and director of Aquila Bioscience. ABwipeTM was created in collaboration with the Irish Defence Forces and was initially intended to protect the troops from general biological threat. However, the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 has provoked an urgency and narrowed focus of ABwipeTM and has seen the Defence Forces commit to the purchase of a consignment of the product.

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, continues to spread at a rapid pace worldwide. First identified in December 2019, the virus was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation at the beginning of March and since created an immense strain on the heath services in affected areas. The latest data sees the number of confirmed cases of infection at over 2,000 cases in Ireland and over half a million cases globally.

Healthcare workers and first responders are among the most likely to come into contact with the virus and are most at risk of infection. According to Prof. Joshi, ABwipeTM is just now available for mass manufacture, and the company is currently in discussion with manufacturing partners. Aquila Bioscience’s breakthrough carries hope in stalling the spread of COVID-19 and heralds the increased prospect of technological and scientific innovation providing effective solutions to combat this formidable virus.

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March 31 2020

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NUI Galway student campaigns for Dáil Éireann SIN chats to Louis O’Hara about juggling college life and campaigning for Dáil Éireann

By Conor Brummell Louis O’Hara is a student in NUI Galway, studying an MA in Public Activism and Advocacy. He recently ran as a Sinn Féin candidate in the General Election for Galway East, and despite getting 7,180 first preference votes, he narrowly missed out on a seat in the Dáil. Having completed an undergraduate degree in Public Health and Social Policy, it is clear he has a great interest in politics. He previously ran for local election in 2019, as a candidate for Athenry-Oranmore.

Louis received only 507 first preference votes and was eliminated after the fifth count, but despite these shortcomings, he seems undeterred in his journey in politics. SIN caught up with Louis to speak to him about his experience running for election, where his political aspirations come from and how he feels about young people getting involved in politics.

When he was asked about how he stepped into politics, Louis said that he had been a Republi-

can all his life. “I suppose that’s how I ended up getting involved with Sinn Féin. My interest in politics was always there, but when I started properly following it, I was drawn to Sinn Féin because I found their social policy also correlated with my own views. I’m quite big on fairness and equality and things like that, so Sinn Féin seemed like the party for me.”

Louis also recounted his experience running for the Local and General Elections, and how he feels there was a massive difference between both. “With the General Election, you’re focusing on national issues, obviously.

With the Local Election, you were talking a lot about things like the road, and local services. You were more focused on the big issues like tax, health and the housing crisis when you were canvassing for the General Election”.

“It’s a big commitment”, he continued, saying that election mode was getting up in the morning and campaigning until the following night. “All day, every day, you’re doing something related to the election.”

How did this affect his studying? “It was difficult to juggle both aspects of it. I didn’t go to college for about three weeks there, and I’ve a mountain of work ahead of me now. I’m going to have to face back into it”.

As a 23-year old college student, who knew he would have a lot of work ahead of him by the end, SIN asked was it difficult to stay motivated as the campaigning went on?

“Not at all. Because the canvassing was so positive this time around, it gave me a good boost.

It was more difficult for the local elections, but this time around, every couple of doors, you were getting a good reaction from the public which really helped.”

Louis also went on to say that he thinks it’s time more young people got involved in politics. “If you look at all the problems facing young people now, it’s mostly housing and health. It proportionally impacts young people and they are the ones with the experience of dealing with that.

Most young people are renting and they’re paying an arm and a leg for

that rent. They’re the ones who are going to be able to make the change on these issues, because they are the ones who know what’s wrong and how it can be better”.

What is the best way for someone to get involved in politics? “If anyone does have an interest, for example, we have a Sinn Féin society in the college that holds several events a week. If they want, they come along whenever they want and get involved, it’s always up on our Facebook and open to everyone.

If they want to make a difference and are thinking about it, it is something worth looking into”.

Finally, with the SU Elections coming up, SIN asked Louis what his advice would be for someone running? “Oh, that’s a difficult one- I suppose it would be to get talking to as many people as possible. If you chat to someone and engage with someone, they’re more likely to vote for you because you take the time to do that. They know who you are then and what you are about- you also get to know what issues people want solving and what they care about,” he concluded.

NUIG lending a hand in COVID What protections are in place for students crisis through PPE donation system experiencing financial strain due to Covid-19?

By Paddy Henry As the Coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing globally, researchers at NUI Galway and the University of Limerick have been doing their bit to combat the spread of the virus.

Researchers from the two universities have designed an innovative Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) emergency supply donation website to connect industry PPE stock to hospitals worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the resources of the world’s health systems, often leaving frontline clinical staff without the required PPE, as traditional supply logistic chains lag behind the surge.

Professor Derek O’Keeffe, Consultant Physician at University Hospital Galway and Professor of Medical Device Technology at NUI Galway, has developed this innovative solution with his engineering colleague Dr Kevin Johnson from UL to help combat this problem.

The new project, ­covidmedsupply .org, lets local organisations roam across the globe, such as laboratories and universities, who may have personal protective equipment In stock, which may be of use to local hospitals if there is a surge in cases of the virus in a particular area.

Organisations who have stock in supply list the categories of what equipment they have on inventory, such as gloves, gowns, goggles etc., with contact details. The company can then drop a map pin to show their geographic location. If a COVID-19 surge occurs in their geographic area, the local hospital or clinic can simply click on the map of their surroundings and see what emergency medical stock is in the vicinity and access it quickly.

Speaking about the development of this novel new framework, Professor Derek O’Keeffe spoke of the importance this new innovation may have in keeping both medical staff and patients safe: “Speaking with my clinical colleagues

across the world and looking at the repeating patterns of health supply logistics breakdowns that have occurred as COVID19 surges have swept across the world, it is clear that innovative alternative solutions need to be developed such as www.covidmedsupply. org to enable frontline staff get vital PPE to keep them and their patients safe”.

Co-developer of the global resource sharing scheme, Dr Kevin Johnson, spoke of the importance of the global community coming together during this time of crisis, and to use technological developments for the good of communities around the world: “Everybody has a role to play in this fight against the COVID19 pandemic – that could be simply to self-isolate, use your skillset to create a website such as www.covidmedsupply.org, or donate any surplus supplies you might have to this worthy cause.

With so much technology at our fingertips, why not use it for the good of your community”.

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich

Thanks to the current national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students have had much to be concerned about. University closures and the accompanying transition to online learning, as well as efforts to secure their own health and those of the most vulnerable to the virus in their social circle. That is all without mentioning the financial strains that many students face at the best of times.

While many students are returning to the family home, there are those for whom that is not an option and others who must continue to pay for rental accommodation for one reason or another.

Luckily, some of the government’s measures to ease the financial burdens created by the forced closures of many public institutions and private businesses also extend to students. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have confirmed that working students can avail of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

in the event that they are not being paid by their employers due to the current shutdown.

Recipients of this temporary payment receive €203 a week for up to six weeks. You can apply for the payment directly or otherwise your employer can apply on your behalf in order to continue to be able to pay you. You can apply for this payment online or by completing a one-page paper form which can be downloaded and printed. You can then post this form to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection posting it via Freepost.

Applicants for this payment do not require a Public Services Card and have been advised to avoid visiting an Intreo Centre if possible. Further information on how to apply for this emergency payment can be found at https://www.citizensinformation. ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/unemployed_people/ covid19_­pandemic_unemployment_ payment.html.

In the event that you are diagnosed with COVID-19 or are told to self-isolate by a doctor and are

thus unable to continue work, you may also apply for an enhanced rate of illness benefit. In the case of self-isolation, the payment will be made for a maximum of two weeks, while in the case of a COVID19 diagnosis, it will be paid for the totality of the period you are absent from work as a result of the illness.

Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/ df55ae-how-to-apply-for-illnessbenefit-for-covid-19-absences/.

In addition, all SUSI grants will continue to be paid as normal for the remainder of the university year, with COVID-19 not predicted to interfere with the delivery of these payments to students. Students in rental accommodation have been urged to be proactive about raising issues with landlords in regards to their tenancy such as rental payments at this time and to contact the Residential Tenancies Board in order to aid them in resolving any disputes.

Any further government action to alleviate the financial pressure on students has yet to be announced.

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

An afternoon with the President In an exclusive interview, Professor Ó hÓgartaigh discusses with SIN the rent increase in student accommodation, earning more than the Taoiseach, and real change in the University with gender equality and the University’s new five-year strategy.

By Mark Lynch

On the rent increase in student accommodation: Professor Ó hÓgartaigh has voiced his opposition to the decision made by the board of Atalia Student Residences to increase the price of rent by 4% in on-campus accommodation and has begun the process of reviewing that decision in full. The University’s five-year strategy for 2020-2025, published before Christmas, commits to “additional affordable and sustainable on-campus accommodation for our students”, which many feel has been disregarded completely by Atalia’s decision. The University owns 100% of the company Atalia Student Residences, and the Bursar and Chief Operational Officer (COO) of NUI Galway sit on the board which made this decision. Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh refuses to exercise some sort of executive authority to overrule the board’s decision himself, instead advocating for due process involving the University, Údarás na hOllscoile (the University’s governing authority), and Atalia Student Residences. “There are various processes in the University that we need to work through in order to come to a conclusion, so Atalia is not the only piece because they’re also looking to the University for some decision-making”. He continued, “There are governance processes that we need to go through. The board made the decision given the information they had at the time and in good faith, so we’re thinking now that there may be other information that either has changed since then or the University can give a different perspective”.

Explaining one of the reasons behind the decision to raise rent prices, Professor Ó hÓgartaigh stated, “(The board is) keen that we build more accommodation for students.

If we don’t have a proper financing structure for accommodation, we won’t be able to build more accommodation”. He outlines that the University must strike a balance between building and offering more luxurious accommodation, which would be more expensive, and more basic accommodation, which would be cheaper. When put to him that perhaps the difference in the cost of building shouldn’t be covered by raising the price of rent for students, but by the University itself, the President says that is one of the possibilities being looked at by the decision-makers. “That’s one of the things we’re looking at and that’s potentially why it has to go through a longer process, particularly for phase 2, because there is potential for the University to fund. But that’s obviously a much bigger decision, that’s not there for me to make, but there are various committees, finance and otherwise. The other side of that is if the university funds accommodation, since we’ve limited resources, what else can we not fund?” He continued, “But it’s a very fair question because one of the concerns for Atalia and the University is if we take out loans (to build), we need to pay those loans back.

But (we’re trying to see) if the University can in some way self-invest, or find other ways

to finance. Another option discussed briefly was if government and public policy is so concerned about student accommodation, why wouldn’t governments provide money for student accommodation? This was also mentioned by the Students’ Union, who are campaigning for that. If the government are planning to do that for public housing, why would it not put money aside for student accommodation?

Universities, I think it’s widely accepted, are underfunded, so how we fund facilities like that, while maintaining excellence in teaching and research is a balance. We don’t have infinite resources, so that’s the kind of priorities we have to make. The strategy, the idea that we’re there for students and for the public good frames those kinds of priorities”. The President also acknowledged that the decision-making process did not include enough student input, and has committed to involving students more in these decisions in the future. “One thing we’ve learned from this is that students need to be involved to a greater extent. Engagement with me is, I hope, open and across the University, we’re keen that the students’ voices are heard, which they are to a certain extent now, but formalising a lot of that is going to be important”.

On the new era of the Galway University Foundation: Just before Christmas, as reported by SIN, a report on the Galway University Foundation, submitted to the Charities Regulatory Authority by Inspector Tom Murray, found that the use of charity funds for 5-star hotels, business class flights, and lengthy taxi journeys between 2015-2017 were inconsistent with policies. It also found that the charity was, more generally, a well-run organisation. The aim of the charity is to raise funds for University and advance education. Most of the discrepancies found were down to the actions of Dr James Browne, Professor Ó hÓgartaigh’s predecessor, who was also Director of the charity at the time. Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh is an ex oficio member of the new board of the Galway University Foundation, which met for the first time in January of this year. Prof. Ó hÓgartaigh explained how the charity has moved away from old practices, and will ensure inconsistencies like the aforementioned don’t happen again. “There are a number of practices and policies that were in place that are no longer in place. We’re looking at bringing the Foundation closer to the University, certainly that any such activities would take place in the University rather than the Foundation, so the expenditures, for example, travel, they always take place in the University, not in the Foundation, and under University policy”. He added, “Also the relationship between the University and the Foundation being much, much closer.

An important point to make here is that these changes weren’t even because of the findings of the regulator’s report. This is something we’ve planned. I had said from the beginning that the Foundation is now closer to the University than it might have been in the past”.

On his salary: The NUI Galway President’s salary is set by the Department of Education and Skills, and is currently set at €197,211. This is almost €7,500 higher than it was in the last year of Dr Browne’s presidency, which was just three years ago (€189,732 in 2016/17). Leo Varadkar waived his own pay increase last September as Taoiseach, and so is still earning €185,350 yearly. This is over €11,000 less than Professor Ó hÓgartaigh’s salary. The national minimum wage in Ireland, on a yearly basis, adds up to €19,874. The salary of the NUI Galway President is almost 10 times this amount.

When asked to justify this salary, Professor Ó hÓgartaigh had this to say, “I accept (the salary) is very generous, and I’m very grateful for it, but I don’t set that salary, and I think people will know that I’m not doing the job for the money by any stretch. I’d still do it for a lower salary, but I don’t set the salary.” He added, “When I say I’m grateful for it, it doesn’t mean ‘aw, thank you very much’, it actually means that I understand the profound responsibility I therefore have, given the leadership position that I hold and others hold in the University. That the salary does carry with it a responsibility, and being grateful for it, is something I hope comes across as being humble rather than ‘thank you very much’. I’m an accountant by background. There are other careers I could have pursued, so I’m not here for the money. I’m here because I have, since I started, way back at the age of 26, I came back into academic life having been an accountant because I have a very curious mind still, but secondly that sense, which has grown over time, of commitment to students and students’ wellbeing and I hope that our students find that, that that’s a hallmark of NUI Galway”.

On gender equality in NUI Galway: NUI Galway, as of 2018, was still setting aside €240,000 for gender discrimination payments, reportedly arising from past cases of discrimination against female lecturers. Professor Ó hÓgartaigh explained that the progress they’ve made must continue. “I’ve always said two things on gender equality, one is that it’s work as yet unfinished, so I think NUI Galway, as with many other institutions, have a lot of work to do in that area. We’ve made great progress as a University community and I think the leadership of Anne Scott and also the voices of people in the organisation have really made a difference and I think we should value those voices because that’s been really important. The second thing I’ve said is that it’s the responsibility of us all.

I think very often we feel that gender equality, or equality more generally, is someone else’s problem, when in fact it’s my responsibility, but it’s also the responsibility of the University community more generally to make sure that there is more diversity and equality within the University. And a third thing on it; to me, it’s a strength. The idea that we have diverse voices, that we recognise all the talents, I think makes the University a better place. Universities, by their nature, should have different voices, and sometimes dissident voices, I think sometimes

to disagree is the nature of University. Debate is a good thing, and all of that is captured in those ideas around equality that we should effectively value all the talents that we have, and if we do, by its nature, there will be gender equality”.

This, he says, is a big part of the new five-year strategy. “In the strategy, we’ve really focused on diversity as a strength and that openness.

We used the word openness. We thought about words like inclusive and accessibility, and we thought sometimes they have narrow connotations, where openness means a lot of things, it means open to different voices, open as in transparent and honest, and open doors and gates in and out. That captures the essence, and diversity and equality and inclusivity being part of that is very important for what it is for NUI Galway”.

On not losing touch with students as President: Professor Ó hÓgartaigh is adamant that he is here for students as NUI Galway President, and is here to execute his role in line with the University’s purpose of being here for the public good. He is also keen to encourage dialogue with students. “I took this job because coming back to my Alma Mater is really important to me, to help this University and its purpose to be here for its students. I teach, not a lot, but I teach. I try and meet students when I can, and I’m quite open to having dialogue with students.

Rest assured that, even though sometimes it’s a journey and institutions have different views of the world and people in them, as President, I’m here because I’m committed to the idea of the University as being here for its students.

So, if students want to get in contact with me, there’s president@nuigalway.ie. If I walk the campus, I’ve often said, stop and say hello. I don’t want to be stuck in the Quad. We said in the strategy, we’re here for the public good, but the one I was particularly keen on is that we’re here for our students as the first one. Society and planet afterwards, but here for our students, that’s something I think which is a very personal commitment, if you like, that I think, as a university, I’d like to deepen and entrench.

It sometimes is a journey, so it doesn’t happen overnight, and I hope in the context of decisions made that people will have faith in that, because it is a journey”.

N UAC HT

March 31 2020

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GNÉ -ALTANNA

GO PURPLE: Support epilepsy while self-isolating

By Lorraine Lally I am writing to ask that we all come together to support those with epilepsy and those caring for others with epilepsy even while self-isolating at home.

Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. It is held on March 26th annually. Iconic buildings around Ireland will be lighting up purple to mark the occasion and we are inviting people to wear purple in support of epilepsy awareness on this day. For people with epilepsy, there can be stigma attached. Epilepsy is often not discussed with friends and work colleagues. I know that for those living and working with epilepsy, there is fear of discrimination. For some of us, the fear of a seizure hangs over us with the condition.

We would like people to put #PurpleDay with the photos that they put up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition in the world effecting the brain. The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells that communicate through electrical and chemical signals. Seizures cause a change in the functioning of the brain. A seizure may take many different forms, including a blank stare, muscle spasms, uncontrolled movements, altered awareness, odd sensations, or a convulsion.

Seizures can vary for each person and may occur rarely or as often as numerous times a day. If the condition is successfully controlled by medication, a person

may be seizure free. Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders. An estimated 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. Epilepsy can be present at any age, although its onset is most often in childhood or in the later years of life. Stress can be a trigger for seizures. It is important to remember to get out for a walk and exercise daily. For anyone seeking support and information, Epilepsy Ireland is unique in having community resource officers all over the country who are available on the phone and via email. For anyone seeking additional information, please do feel free to get in touch.

We would invite people to Share their story and encourage friends to follow/like Epilepsy Ireland’s Social Media channels. We are aware that people are self-isolating due to the current COVID 19 virus but join us in marking Purple Day. A big thank you as always to the families and friends who are a constant support for those living with epilepsy. To the carers/parents in particular, who care for a family member, we want everyone to know that there is always support available. Belated Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of those with epilepsy, in particular my mother Margaret and my aunt Chrissie in Sweden with her son Patrick.

We also have a Facebook Fundraiser for Purple Day at: https://www.facebook.com/ donate/193073258802730/. For more information, please see the following link: https://www.epilepsy. ie/content/purple-day-support-our-campaign.

NUI Galway app to help shine light on air pollution Paddy Henry NUI Galway’s Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies (C-CAPS) has launched a new app to provide real-time forecasting data on atmospheric composition.

StreamAIR is set to shine a light on the key drivers of climate change and air pollution, and build on its internationally-recognised Mace Head Atmospheric Research station. The centre, which is based in Connemara, is one of the most important facilities for atmospheric composition observations globally and has been operating since as far back as 1958.

Mace Head is a member of numerous regional to global networks, contributing data and analysis to a wide range of atmospheric problems. In particular, it is a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) atmospheric composition and climate research station, and a European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) supersite, with the aim of solving transboundary air pollution problems under the United Nations Convention on LongRange Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP).

The facility has generated some of the most important long-term observation datasets of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such has carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone, and ozone depleting substances such as CFCs, along with Particulate Matter (PM), such as sulphate haze producing acid rain.

Speaking on the back of the development of this new app, Executive Dean of Science and Engineering at NUI Galway, Professor Walter Gear, said that the new app will help increase

awareness of the implications of air pollution, stating: “We are very proud of the work we do here and its contribution to European health and to informing measures to protect our planet. We are now adding this new app, StreamAIR, that will help to raise further awareness about air pollution and climate issues and their implications”.

Through StreamAIR, NUI Galway and Mace Head can provide current real-time data to a range of agencies and networks, fusing together real time observations and forecast date on multiple platforms, including mobile devices.

Principal Researcher on the project, which was funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland’s MaREI Energy, Climate and Marine research centre, Dr Liz Coleman, said that the app has the potential to identify the sources of air pollution, as well as the toxicity level of air pollution episodes. This information can be combined with exposure data to better inform the public of the potential risks from a national level to a European scale, enabling users to protect their health by taking necessary precautions when a pollution event is forecasted on the app.

Director of the Mace Head Centre, Dr Colin O’Dowd, spoke of how the development of this new app helps bring the fight against climate change into everybody’s hands, commenting; “The StreamAIR app brings the polluting agents and global warming agents together into the palm of everybody’s hand, emphasising that both types of agents must be reduced through co-benefit observations, research, and policy development”.

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8 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

Mature Student Diary

By Jody Moylan

Not so long ago, I found myself hiking up the side of a mountain in Montenegro.

I’d been with a group, but the trek to the top was long, and about half an hour in, we’d drifted apart. I was suddenly alone and quite happy to be where I was, as I moved further and further away from my lodgings in the town below. It had been a warm day that was nearing its

end and the one thing that concerned me was the small amount of water I’d brought. The walk was becoming arduous as the incline steepened. I wasn’t sure of the time as my phone had gone dead, knowing only that we’d set out a little too close to dusk. All of this didn’t bother me too much, as we’d been told the trek would take less than an hour.

But something came over me, and I became apprehensive. My gut was tell-

ing me that something was going wrong.

When I looked up, I could no longer see the top of the mountain, as it seemed to slope back and away from my field of vision. The switchbacks — the zigzag trails of the steep height — were becoming frustratingly endless. Over and back, over and back, rising slowly as darkness fell.

I remember becoming disorientated, caught between thinking my destina-

tion was getting closer and yet feeling that it was not, and knowing that if I was to turn back, my group — when they reached the top — would be wondering where I was. I began to panic. I started to sweat, becoming angry with myself for getting cut off, and for the thirst I was beginning to feel. It all had a cyclical effect and my heart began to pound. It was becoming darker, almost to a pitch, when I felt a presence getting closer. I could just make out the black shape of a cow, right as it was upon me, feeling its hair on my arm as it brushed by. It was as if I was suddenly in a strange dream, that wasn’t quite a nightmare, but it was out of sync with the natural reality of my life. I knew also that it was real, and that I wouldn’t be waking up any time soon. I had to deal with it, but at the same time I felt absolutely lost. I kept walking forward, in a haze of confusion, soon hearing the low growl of a dog.

Ferociously in the dark it ran towards me, barking violently. Unthinking, feverishly and without time, I tumbled in a ball to the ground. Grabbing a loose rock underneath me, I turned to see the eyes and face of the beast in my midst, a moment before it sprang back, taken by the chain it was noosed to. I lay there paralysed, for what must have been a minute, stuck to the ground in something close to terror. I dragged my body forward, slowly, my knuckles and fingers hauling a dead weight.

I came to my feet and backed away. ‘Why did I lose contact with my group? Why is this happening to me? Will it ever end?’ I began to feel that this was it; this was the place I’d always been walking towards. Very quickly, the comfortable structure of my life had gone, or maybe I, myself, had unknowingly abandoned

it, finding a gap or a loophole, like some secret level in a video game. It was while thinking these thoughts that I spotted a light flickering from a doorway, and I walked instinctively towards it. I stood for a moment outside, but then I stepped in to see a man and a woman, like two old fashioned peasants, both sitting by the light of a fire. They muttered something to each other, and she beckoned me forward. I saw that the man did not look at me, and continued to move pieces on a flat timber board; a game I now know to be ‘Shove’. I don’t know why, but at this moment, I instantly felt at ease. The woman put a glass of water in my hand and ushered me to drink, before she put on a coat and led me back out. She walked in front of me and down the mountain, down past the dog, now sleeping, and the cow that must have been hers. And when we saw them, she pointed to the lights of the town, and that’s where she left me. When I approached my lodgings, there in front of me, on foot, was the group that I’d left with and fallen behind. Nobody mentioned anything, assuming I’d been with them all along. And though it seemed like an eternity, I realised that not much time had passed — about an hour and a half — and everything was the same as it’d been before. A bad dream that never quite became a nightmare. Like nothing had ever happened. And sometimes I still wonder if it ever had.

Why we need to save the Student Connect Mentoring Programme

By Roisin McManus The recent cutting of the Student Connect Mentoring programme has come as quite a shock, with many who believe that we shouldn’t let this happen. Student Connect mentors play a fundamental role in easing the transition from secondary school for incoming students to NUI Galway. One of the key factors that make the role of mentor so important is that mentors are students themselves, they are peers and they have already taken every step of the journey that incoming first years are going to embark on. Mentors help make the transition from school to college easier by giving students someone to talk to and ask questions to from the get-go.

According to feedback provided by this year’s mentors, the satisfaction they receive from being a mentor is two – fold. Not only do they help incoming first years who are coming to terms with the leap that is moving to college, they also get the opportunity to meet fellow mentors and make friends with students from different courses. Becoming a mentor is also a great way to encourage students to get more involved with volunteering, and many mentors have let it be known that their confidence and leadership skills developed through becoming a mentor.

The majority of this year’s mentors felt that they had a positive impact on the first years’ experience, particularly in September. In this way, mentors

help the new students and feel happy in themselves with the knowledge that they willingly passed on to those who needed it the most. Being a mentor not only helps new students, but it also satisfies current students in the knowledge that they’re helping people out of a situation that they have already been through.

There are many reasons why students choose to become a mentor. Often, as first years, they had a good mentor who they found to be very beneficial and in turn, they want to be that helping hand for the new students who need it. Many students also make friends from their mentor group, whether they are in the same course or not. That initial connection often gives students the confidence in their ability to go out and make friends. Making friends is arguably one of the most daunting things about going to college, as, often, people go to college alone and are obliged to go out of their comfort zone. Coming from an environment where you may have known your whole school since you were a child to

an environment where you might only know a handful of people, if even, is very daunting and this needs to be acknowledged as an issue.

On the other hand, sometimes the reason why a student chooses to get involved with mentoring is because they had a bad experience themselves and they don’t want other first years to have one. However, the argument remains that the students who wanted to become mentors despite having a bad experience themselves proves that having a mentor has such a lasting impact on students, who often feel lost without their guidance. Any mentor who has had a bad experience knows how tough it is to become familiar with college without the guidance of a student who is already familiar with it, so they choose to become a mentor to stop this from happening again and break the cycle.

This year’s mentors felt that they played an important role for incoming students. While they may not be needed as much later in the year,

having someone for first years to feel comfortable enough asking questions to in September has proven itself to be so important. Without this support, I believe that there will be far too many students lost and unsure of who they can contact for answers. I fear that students who feel lost in this way will lose interest in attending college and may even end up dropping out.

I believe that having mentors available is a much easier link for a new student to have.

We cannot stand by and let Student Connect mentoring be cut. Mentors have been and continue to be so important in the lives of incoming first year students to NUI Galway. We cannot let students feel as if they don’t belong in the college that they worked so hard to get into. We cannot sit by and let them feel as if they’re the only students who have felt like that. The youth of today are the future and we are in constant need of highly educated and qualified young people. We cannot let bright minds feel as if they don’t belong.

N UAC HT

March 31 2020

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Study and Chill: A look at the studygram community

By Caoimhe Killeen When someone is asked to think of online communities on Instagram, the last thing that comes to mind is one purely dedicated to studying. Yet, the Studygram community (a mixture of “studying” and “Instagram”) is made up of a network of students posting about studying across the globe, with the tag amassing 6.3 million posts to date.

Aesthetically pleasing pictures of notes in cursive handwriting, cute stationery and organised desks are commonly shared.

But for some, the community is a way to connect with other people. Diana Lajenko, a final year denominated Psychology student in NUI Galway, started her account “Kuzia Studies” with that intention in mind. “When I was in first year, I found it very difficult to connect with other people on my course. I wasn’t actually told who was on my course, we didn’t know who was in the denominated group. I didn’t really know who to talk to and I found it difficult to make friends.

So, I just made it to connect with other people as I assumed there were other people in my position”.

Diana cites some accounts, such as the New Zealand based Lily Nest, as her inspiration for starting the account. At the time of writing, “Kuzia Studies” has just hit a milestone of forty thousand followers. However, Diana is modest about her follower count. “I don’t even know how to imagine that number, it’s so big!”, she explains. “The more people that follow, the less I care about the number. In the first year of running my studygram, I wasn’t popular at all. It took me

First Year Diary

By Aoife Burke Hi everybody!

This is it, I have made it. The last hurrah! I never expected in a month of Sundays to write this but, as the university is closed prematurely due to the coronavirus, here I am. I am virus free but house bound. Thankfully, I have the use of both of my arms again, in case ye forgot, I slipped on the ice last month. There was a pinhole fracture in my arm but nothing to worry about. Today I finished yet another module (legal skills) and I have got 3 radio assessments to complete before the exams. Did I mention they are online? Well, English are allowing us to submit an essay and law, we haven’t heard back yet, likely to be on blackboard, at home. It’s a surreal situation! I had planned on dropping law after first year, as my mum insisted I do an English degree. It seems I am good at writing. Well, I was an award-winning

approximately a year to gain thousand followers, which people find really hard to believe. But I remember how much that meant to me, because I’d never thought that I’d get there.

I thought “wow, that’s almost the size of my secondary school!”

Of course, some accountability is also present when running a Studygram account. In Diana’s case, she holds herself accountable by posting to-do lists on her story every day to complete her tasks. “There’s days where I come back home from university, and I’ve only done one thing on my list”, she admits. “I think that pushes me to work harder and not spend as much time scrolling on Instagram”. However, she points out that having a balance between work and relaxation is key to increasing productivity. As she puts it: “There are times where for some extraneous reason, you cannot complete all of the things you have to do. It’s really tough, but you carry onto the next thing.

You continue and tell yourself, it’s okay, you’re only human. You just need to do your best and try and keep all that negativity at bay”.

Diana has definitely followed her own advice and taken breaks from posting on the account during the summer times or when she’s sick. To her, it is a level of self-care that helps to prevent total burnout. “When people say self-care, they always post these infographics about going to the gym and about how that’s self-care, which is good because you’re staying healthy”, she states. “But I think self-care, on a much deeper level, is about realizing that you have a certain amount of energy and you can’t possibly use it up in one go on all of these

poet at the age of 15 (it’s in the digital archives) and have lost track of the amount of celebrities I have met. I could tell some funny stories!

I am going to miss first year and being a newbie. I have made some fantastic friends and we are going to be split up further as each of us journalism students pursue our own individual arts degrees (within journalism). I have had a ball in my first year of university and if you had told me I would have achieved all I did, wouldn’t have believed you! I am absolutely exhausted from essay writing and I feel all I ever do is write, but it will one day be my job.

This summer, I plan on definitely sitting my driving test and doing, yes, you guessed it, more writing. I wouldn’t be here without having already graduated from AIT in 2014. I feel I have been incredibly lucky in the arts world and have had once in a lifetime experiences (Coronas music video, anyone?) Working in an office in a past life was fun, but living off minimum wage wasn’t so I chose to pursue college instead. At times it was incredibly tough and lonely waiting for university but I was welcomed by NUI Galway and felt support and encouragement everywhere I went.

I would like to say congratulations to the people graduating this year (especially the medical students who had their exams pushed forward).

It has been an honour and privilege to have this diary for the student year, lucky me being a local celebrity and only in the door! Maybe in my 4th year, should I get there, I will do the final year diary.

I guess it’s onwards towards Shakespeare and to all the other amazing writers I am going to discover in my English degree.

Thank you all so much for reading my diary, I will miss ye all. Best of luck with your degrees and stay healthy!

For the last time, Aoife X

things.

I t ’s a b o u t keeping yourself and your mind sane and happy”.

Yet, Diana would definitely encourage a lot more arts students to join the Studygram community in order to allow for more diversity. “It’s mainly science or law students that have studygrams, and not a lot of arts students. I think it would be amazing to see more of those accounts. I only know of a couple language studygrams, and even then, their main professions wouldn’t be languages.”

So, what would Diana’s top tips be for making an account? “First of all, posting regularly. The more that you post, the more people will see your account and follow it. It’s also nice to have a coherent feed, some kind of theme running throughout your posts because people will like it and think it’s aesthetically pleasing.”

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the final assignments and revision due for exams (that may not be traditional exams but nevertheless very stressful), perhaps the Studygram community is the key you need to give yourself a boost of motivation. Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself on the way to a more productive life!

Final Year Diary

By Sadhbh Hendrick Dear Diary, And now, the end is near. It’s the last issue of SIN. And so I face the final curtain. My friend, I’ll make it clear, I’m almost finished college forever. I’ll state my case of which I am certain.

I’ve lived a life that’s full of academic pursuits (and socializing). I travelled each and every highway/bridge.

And more, much more than just Buskers. I did it, I did it my way.

Regrets, I’ve had a few but then again, too few to mention (except spending the entirety of First Year Semester 1 in Carbon, that deserves a medal). I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course/study week/assignment deadlines, each careful step along the byway and second floor libo. And more, much, much more. I did it, I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew, SIN sub-editors can be very convincing. And through it all, whenever there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out (not really, Sinatra was going through it :/) I faced it all and I stood tall. And did it my way.

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried (FYP’s are stress-y innit). I’ve had my fill (of bialann breakfasts), my share of losing (just travel mugs really). And now, as tears subside (FYP hasn’t been graded yet), I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that, all four years, and may I say, not in a shy way.

Oh, no, oh, no, not me.

I did it my way.

Well, we made it ladies and gentlemen. The final issue of SIN (have a glass of milk for every time you read that in this issue). Final few weeks as a student. Admittedly, things have come to an abrupt and unusual end as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, but if a shortened semester in college prevents or at least eases the impact of this

pandemic, well, then we’re laughing. For my fellow Final Years, I hope your time has been as g as mine. Regardless, the next chapter awaits us all and that is oh so exciting.

For the rest of you, enjoy. Enjoy the 9ams, the bialann breakfasts, the libo dates, the reading room rush hour, the Quincentennial bridge, the unofficial RAG weeks and Christmas days. Enjoy the balls, the nights in Buskers/ Front Door/Quays/1520, the clicking submit on an assignment. Enjoy every last bit of it, I know I certainly did.

I could not submit a final diary entry without a word of thanks to Shauna, to Mark and to all the other sub-editors that I had the pleasure of writing with this year. Whoever takes over this column next year, you are in for a treat.

For one last time, thank you all for reading this diary.

Your messages or words of well wishes are more appreciated than you realise. I didn’t know what to expect when I committed to a column like this, and boy was I pleasantly surprised.

Finally, thank you NUI Galway for a fantastic four years, I know I certainly did it my way.

GRMA, Sadhbh x

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For an Isolated Read

By Jody Moylan One of the better aspects of having lots of time on our hands is being able to get a bit more reading done, and finally being able to start that book we’ve always wanted to read. So, from my own little enclave of isolation, I’ve perused my shelf to pick out a few books that might get you through the period, from dark tales of desperate times, to short stories and easy reads, all are entertaining and, better still, all can be purchased online without having to leave the house!

There are Little Kingdoms by Kevin Barry Barry has since gone on to write further books but this was his first; a brilliant short story collection that won the Rooney Prize for Literature in 2007. It’s modern Ireland with a farcical, odd and dark twist. From the comedy and tragedy of a cheating farmer in ‘Animal Needs’ to the unforgettable atmosphere of a rural teenage summer in ‘Atlantic City’, ‘Kingdoms is a classic that will leave you thinking, and wanting more.

Yugoslavia My Fatherland by Goran Vojnovic Before I’d read this novel, I was lucky enough to meet the author, and when I read it I realised that meeting was an honour indeed. It is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read, being as it is a fascinating and atmospheric insight into a family and a nation at a great turning point in their history. The opening scenes, of a mother, father and son wandering aimlessly through the streets of Belgrade, is unforgettable in its depiction of a country about to change forever.

The Best of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle If you wish to be completely distracted for an hour, the short stories of the Victorian sleuth are faultless in their scene setting, mystery, intrigue and thrill. Their popularity shouldn’t be mistaken for simplicity, for one of the great aspects of Holmes himself is the dark edge of his substance abuse, which elevates the tales to something like noir. His arch nemesis, Moriarty, rarely shows himself, making his limited appearances all the more explosive.

There’s a reason Sherlock Holmes is always in print.

In Europe by Geert Mak In 1998 the Dutch journalist Geert Mak travelled around Europe writing a diary entry every day for a year for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handlesblad. It was a report from all the nooks and crannies of major incident in the twentieth century; from Dublin to Istanbul, Ypres to Chernobyl, by way of Lourdes, Dunkirk and Bucharest. Full of insight and an easy read, it’s my favourite and most battered book!

The Collected Stories by William Trevor Trevor’s position amongst the Irish greats has never been front and centre, but just off stage. And it’s there he stands alone, his stories peopled with outsiders wandering the Ireland and England of the past two hundred years. From the butler and cook of an Irish Famine estate, to a northern Protestant family torn asunder by their wayward son’s conversion to Catholicism, Trevor’s dark tales accomplish genius more by what’s not said than what is. A peerless writer. An essential read.

Farewell to the Horse by Ulrich Raulff Far from a book about agriculture or sport, this epic history about the animal that has, in fact, been man’s best friend all along, rightly won The Sunday Times History Book of the Year in 2017. A rich tapestry that spans art and conflict, metaphors and nightmares, Raulff’s ‘Horse is an ode to the animal that was omnipresent in everyday life up until the last century. Eight million of them lay dead across Europe during the First World War, but it’s a quote from the writer Ryszard Kapuściński about their fate during the Second that left its mark on me: ‘There they lie, with stiff legs stretched up to heaven, shaking their hooves at the world’.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

Daddy’s reptiles!

By Anastasia Burton With no evidence yet that they can transmit the Coronavirus, and with many of us in need of some new company to survive quarantine, getting a new pet has never been a better idea! NUI Galway student Christopher Okeke, who studies Arts with Philosophy and Spanish, talked to SIN about some of the less conventional options.

Crested Gecko The two species of geckos which Chris tends to are the crested and morning geckos! The crested gecko is native to southern New Caledonia. The species was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994. The crested gecko is one of the most widely kept and bred gecko in the world.

Chris commented that the species require a special diet which consists of fruits and insects. They should not be overfed! The size of a crested gecko is about 8 inches in length, and they can live for up to 15-20 years, which is a huge commitment.

Mourning Gecko Female empowerment!

The mourning gecko, also known as the Lepidodactylus lugubris, is also a species that Chris tends to in his home.

These little guys are also widely kept as pets and are easy to maintain. The species measure up to 10cm, with a matching lifespan of 10 years. They feed on insects and nectar and do not require any heating lamp since, as Chris commented, the crested and mourning geckos are “comfortable in room temperature”. This species are quite interesting, since they are one of the few species that do not require a male to reproduce, meaning that most of the mourning geckos are female and when they create an egg, it is almost a perfect copy of them.

How fun is that?

Little fun facts about mourning geckos include that whenever a new egg hatches you can hear them communicate through little clicks. As well as this, geckos are very social with each other. Keep in mind that you must have enough food and hiding spaces provided for your geckos to avoid the bigger ones bullying the babies. So, follow the advice and feed your little critters and give them plenty of hiding spots! Geckos do not enjoy being handled, but do enjoy watching over the actions of their owners, which is very sweet.

Tarantula To most, keeping a giant spider as a pet would not cross their mind, but Chris finds that tarantulas are charming companions and is not afraid to handle them. When asking Chris about the personality of the tarantulas, he stated that, “if you make your presence known to them when entering the enclosure, they won’t really care, but if you suddenly barge in they might flick a few hairs and get a little bit aggressive”. Many hearing this might be frightened to purchase them as a pet, however, according to exotic vet Debbie H, a tarantula bite is no more painful than a bee sting.

A Tarantula will live up to 20 years in captivity

One Summer, America 1927 by Bill Bryson Chronicling a single season in the USA, this book is a tale of loosely connected anecdotes and milestones that captures a moment in time and will leave most readers wondering why more ‘history’ books aren’t written like this. Of course, it’s all about the teller of the tale, and Bryson is a brilliant raconteur. He leads us from the first trans-Atlantic flight of Charles Lindberg, to the escapades of crime-lord Al Capone, by way of baseball, boxing, radios, cars and film. He’s also unafraid to lead us down dark alleys, with tales of racism and murder giving the whole thing a nice edge. A rich and memorable yarn, One Summer is ultimately uplifting and optimistic. It’s the kind of book we all need right now.

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

which is also longer than most marriages. Just feed your little guy some crickets and other yummy insects and you should be in their good graces!

Ball Python Snake This species is native to West and Central Africa, and it is not endangered as it is a popular pet amongst snake lovers! The ball python is not venomous and seem to make great pets. However, a fun fact is that a ball python gets its name from its nervous habit of rolling into a ball. Isn’t that adorable? Their maximum length is about 3 to 5 feet and they have a lifespan of 30 years! Chris described his ball python pal as “chill” and he also happens to be one of the few pets that Chris handles daily. He lives on a diet of dead rats or mice. Chris warns people who are thinking about owning a ball python to not panic when they refuse to eat, since it is a normal process for the snakes to go on a hunger strike.

Centipede The creepy crawly. Centipedes do not sound like a very friendly pet to have and many would turn away from adopting something so frightening as a companion. However, animal lovers like Chris love a challenge. The weirder the pet, the better! The centipede eats once a week and their diet consists of small insects that are soft, which include spiders, worms etc. A centipede can live up to 5-6 years and they do not enjoy being handled, depending on their personality.

Something Chris strongly encourages is that you explore the bite reports, since it is very important to be aware of the risks of being bitten by some exotic insects. “As long as you feed them, you should have no issues”, says Chris.

While many assume that keeping such pets might be a difficult blow financially, they would be wrong. The enclosures would cost you anywhere between €20-50 and if you buy the food in bulk, as Chris suggests, it often comes out cheaper.

Both species of geckos mentioned are happy to live in room temperature, which means you do not need to buy a heating lamp. Although, if you want to own a ball python, they require a little extra heat in their tank. You can buy a little heater for the tank and place it on one side and make sure to keep a cool side, so that the snake can shift between temperatures depending on the season and room temperature.

Advice from the Reptile dad Further advice from our reptile loving Chris is that you should, “do your research on the specific reptiles you are interested in and make sure to read bite reports! Some bites can be dangerous if not treated. Understand the care products and temperaments of the animals. Research other species to branch out, illnesses they’re prone to, and what reptile would best suit your lifestyle. Should you get a low maintenance reptile or one who enjoys the company of its owner and enjoys being handled?”

Also, it is important to note that: “You must understand that you can’t go to regular vets because that’s not their jurisdiction. They are mainly used to cats and dogs, so you need to put effort into researching care info and health risks”.

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The unstudied subject of panic buying!

By Rachel Garvey The recent classification of pandemic for the COVID-19 virus has spread a wave of panic over Irish citizens, and indeed individuals from all over the world. It was this panic of the unknown, uncertainty as to where the virus would pin its next target or who was to contract the virus, that caused locals to pay a visit to their supermarkets; Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Aldi and SuperValu. It all started off with people clearing the shelves of any hand sanitisers that they could find, which was then followed by the purchase of packets upon packets of anti-bacterial wipes.

Later on, after the pandemic was announced officially and with false rumours of Ireland going into lockdown, which commenced between Monday March 16th and Tuesday March 17th, tinned foods and toilet paper had become non-existent in the majority of stores across Ireland. Retail workers found it rather difficult to keep the shelves stocked, as people were bulk-buying the products being packed.

Images were shared across all social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, images of empty shelves that had been completely stripped of all stock from the panic buying of customers. This, ironically, caused more panic, as people feared that they wouldn’t have access to these products that they didn’t yet have, thus creating more people to buy more products that they continued to stock up on.

Upon speaking with a student who wishes not to be named in one of the major supermarkets in Galway, SIN was offered an insight into what a student experienced while working in retail during this difficult time. “It’s near enough impossible to keep the shelves stocked, I’d have a box of tinned fish packed and five seconds later, a customer

would come along and take the whole box!�

They continued to share how “it was a little greedy of them to do so, an elderly person or someone who may not have anything at all could have wanted that same product�. A recent image of an elderly woman has been shared around on social media platforms to teach people to stop panic buying, as it is having an effect on those who are more vulnerable to the situation and for those who genuinely have nothing. The image shows the elderly woman reaching into a box on a shelf that is filled with various other empty boxes, her trolley containing only the essentials that she needs to make it through the week.

SIN asked what was it like to deal with panicked customers and how does a retail worker deal with them? The student replied, “It’s stressful to say the least, everyone panicking and all that, but I find that if you show your panic then it makes the situation worse, so I just go about helping customers as if it were a normal day�. They also went on to

share how even though they stick to their normal routine of helping customers, there are a few alterations in place; including social distancing. “We have these red tapes put all over the floor near checkouts and customers must stand behind the red line and distance themselves 1 metre apart! Sometimes we do have to politely ask people not to stand so close, it gets a little awkward at times�. The HSE’s guidelines of social distancing have been taken seriously by a lot of supermarket retailers, with the companies putting down red lines on the floor near the tills in order to distance people from one another. SIN was also given an insight into how the canteen was also rearranged due to the new social distancing guidelines, “The tables have all been separated where we go for break, the tables are spread out against all sides of the canteen with 4 chairs per table instead of 6 or 8 per table. It makes you feel sad that you and your friends can’t all sit together sometimes�.

Photo by Hello I'm Nik đ&#x;Žž on Unsplash

Go easy on your lecturers... They’re people too!

By Martina Curran Covid-19 is everywhere: the news, social media, everywhere we turn people are talking about it‌ except, now, we’re all selfisolating and being made stay at home. I know before the colleges and schools closed, students everywhere were asking: Is the college closing? When is it closing? Why isn’t the college closing? Then they were closed. Some were thrilled – no more 9am starts, no more battling with social anxiety and bumping into people we don’t want to see. Others were upset – we won’t see our friends if they go home, what happens if our roommates move out‌ Then realism kicked in. Lectures to be held online, exams cancelled and replaced with essays, graduations cancelled, final year students never being in NUI Galway again. Meanwhile, we’re all told to stay home, and not go anywhere. Stress levels hit hard! How do you mean we have online meetings with supervisors? How am I meant to write multiple 2000-word essays or more? I can’t even go to the local to unwind for an hour or two – on Paddy’s Day!

It’s easy to take it out on the lecturers, or the University management, but they’re as unhappy as you. Trust me. I’ve been fortunate enough to get a lecturing job this year, and I’m seeing it from both sides. Your lecturers are now trying to learn new technology to be able to live stream lectures. This may be okay for those in the computer science department, or those with strong technology skills, however many have never seen this software before – the software they are now being forced to use.

They have families that are also stuck at home, and we’ve all seen the video of the kid disrupting the BBC interview. Some do not have the resources at home to be able to do this, and they’re trying to find workarounds. They are being told information on the new protocols at the same time as you.

Most, if not all lecturers are now keeping a closer eye on emails in order to help in any way they can, as they understand how much harder it is for you. Believe me when I say it’s often a lot easier to explain something in person than over email – especially in technical subjects. I’ve personally had to respond to the same question more than

once in different ways, while trying not to give the answer – I’d normally draw diagrams on paper. Your lecturers are trying to find ways to ensure you meet the outcomes of the module without the exam, so trying to put exam questions in different formats.

In some ways, this might actually be easier for us students. In some cases, it may be possible to do assessments with resources rather than having to remember everything.

In other cases, it may be possible to do them at our leisure rather than trying to cram loads of information for numerous exams in a couple of days.

I realise many of us complain without really having any malice behind it, quite often it can just be a way to release our frustrations and clear our heads. This aside, we need to remember that although it’s a tough time for us, it’s also tough for them. They’re not, and never have been out to get us, even if sometimes it feels like they are – but this time, they’re in it as much as we are. We’re all up the same proverbial creek without a paddle, trying to find the best way to do what we need to. So please‌ go easy on your lecturers – they’re people too!

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NUI Galway society fighting to diversify Ireland’s sex education

By Shauna Mc Hugh NUI Galway’s Bród Soc have recently been making waves on Twitter, thanks to their strong campaign to reform the sex education system within the Republic of Ireland. It has been a busy period for the society, who also recently underwent a name change and subsequent rebranding.

Formerly known as GIG Soc (short for Gay In Galway Society), the group chose the new Irish title as they believed it was more inclusive. In their official statement, the society explained; “This year our committee decided we wanted to re-brand with a more inclusive name for our society. BrĂłd meaning Pride in Irish was the most popular option for our name change and, as NUI Galway is the only bilingual college in Ireland, we are delighted to have our name in Irish.â€?

While the rebranding was all about inclusivity, the society’s recent campaign had the same objectives, except, in this case, the focus was on heightening the inclusion of LGBTQ+ topics in Ireland’s sex education syllabus. On March 13th, the society’s campaign went live, with BrĂłd Soc launching a series of tweets damning the nation’s current “outdated and inadequateâ€? sex education system in a bid to get #IreReformSexEd trending.

In conjunction with their campaign, BrĂłd Soc also released a video outlining the shortcomings and inaccuracies of the current sex education system in Ireland. The six-and-a-halfminute long video asks queer students about their experience of sex education in Irish secondary schools, with some very illuminating answers. One of the participants in the video claims that an SPHE teacher told her class that asexuality didn’t actually exist, while many others highlighted that in the very few cases where gay sex was ever mentioned, the information given focused on the risks associated with sex between two males, while no information was provided about safe sex between two women. Of the ten students in the video that were asked if gender identity was ever discussed in their SPHE classes, only one said that it had ever been addressed, and this was only because their particular school had some transgender students. Meanwhile, every student asked agreed that the internet was their main source of sexual education – from Pornhub, to Tumblr, to Buzzfeed videos and fanfiction. As the video fades to black, it leaves viewers with the following conclusion: “Answers like this should not exist in Ireland. Curriculums should be thorough and cater to everyoneâ€?.

It was in pursuit of such a diverse curriculum that BrĂłd Soc appealed to educational leaders through social media.

Their Twitter campaign last week garnered much attention, even gaining support from prominent political figures.

Local Galway City councillor Owen Hanley joined in on the hashtag, tweeting that “We all know sex ed in this country is non-existent but there is a real problem with sex ed for LGBTQ students. Basic information is not being communicated that could keep people safe, healthy, and happy�.

Ireland’s current official SPHE syllabus for Junior Cycle aims to educate students “about the important moral, physical, social and emotional issues around relationships, sex and sexuality, including where to get reliable information from trusted sourcesâ€?. SPHE is not formally assessed in the Junior Certificate examination. The Senior Cycle syllabus, meanwhile, includes an RSE (Relationships and Sexuality Education) programme. The three themes of RSE at postprimary level are: human relationships, human growth and development, and human sexuality. However, the BrĂłd Soc members featured in the campaign video claim that such adequate topics are not adequately taught in the majority of Irish secondary schools, especially not to non-heterosexual students. Judging by the huge support for their campaign to reform the current syllabus, it seems that much of the Irish population agrees that change is needed‌.#IreReformSexEd

12 NEWS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

NUI GALWAY GHOST CAMPUS These photos weren’t taken on a weekend, nor in the middle of the night. Following the closure of NUI Galway on March 12th, the campus has a bit of an empty feeling to it. SIN stuck on the face mask and the gloves to go and take these photos of the NUI Galway campus like you’ve never seen it before...

March 31 2020

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

COVID-19 v Mental Health

by Rachel Garvey

When we turn on the news channel, what do we see? When we flick through the feeds on social media platforms, what do we read? When we turn on the radio, what do we hear? These are three different questions, but they all share the same answer. In times like these, it is not just important to look after ourselves physically, but mentally too. A pandemic such as this one not only takes a toll on how we live our lives but to how this new change in lifestyle and fear of the known and unknown will make us feel on the inside. As someone who deals with anxiety on a daily basis, I can empathise with what a lot of the world’s population is going through. Many people choose not to speak of it for fear of having it come to life, or they think that these may just be thoughts that are better kept secret.

These thoughts shouldn’t be kept on the inside, they should be let out so others can help ease the burden of them.

However, if people are too anxious to say them out loud, then allow me to help with that; it feels like life is crumbling underneath us and we feel powerless to stop this breakdown, isn’t that it? And it’s the fact that we have been reduced to lockdown with all our favourite pubs, clubs, clothes shops and cafes closed until further notice. As well as these, there’s the worry of wondering how long this lockdown will go on if the number of confirmed cases rises dramatically?

That is a worry in itself; if cases continue to rise, which they are, what is the next step the Government will take?

The new guidelines of “social distancing” are also a constant worry that plays on our minds and it has made a

massive impact on people’s mental health. I am one of the many retail workers that work in the front line

and coming into contact with a huge number of customers on the shop floor is honestly driving my anxiety through

I am one of the many retail workers that work in the front line and coming into contact with a huge number of customers on the shop floor is honestly driving my anxiety through the roof. As much as I try to keep my distance from customers, they still take one step forward while you take two steps back. the roof. As much as I try to keep my distance from customers, they still take one step forward while you take two steps back. It seems that no matter how many lines of tape we put down or how many times we tell customers to distance themselves from you, it

Photo by Amin Moshrefi on Unsplash

goes in one ear and out the other! The whole point of this new guideline was to reduce the risk of people contracting the virus, yet I’m seeing people come in with their entire families and group of friends. Are people not understanding that they are putting others at risk?

Maybe they will finally learn a lesson when it’s their family member who gets sick. Saying that does seem a little harsh, but it’s a global pandemic and we need to listen to these guidelines, because they are there to protect us and if we keep pushing against those guidelines, then we are in major trouble.

As a retail worker, I am constantly in fear of the customers I come into contact with every day. The what-ifs are constantly swimming around in my head. I’m unable to see my best friends and go for crepes or trips to the cinema like we normally do when we all have free time, I can’t enjoy the nights out after work with my work friends anymore because of closed venues and worst of all, I can’t even see my own family for fear of exposing them to the virus. The thought of my parents or younger siblings contracting the virus is guilt that would haunt me forever, especially with my younger sister dealing with asthma problems. For those of you out there with these fears, don’t be afraid to speak to someone, even if it has to be through online. We may not be able to see the people we love or do the things we normally do, but if we abide by the rules, then we will make the life we once knew one step closer to us and that’s something we won’t be distancing ourselves from.

What happened to Madeleine McCann?

By Anastasia Burton I have recently found myself fascinated and intrigue by the media coverage of the mysterious disappearance of a young girl called Madeleine McCann. This is a world-famous case that has cost both the Portuguese and British police forces millions, and has touched every corner of the world. To this day, nobody knows what had happened to this girl. Was it an abduction, murder or accident? There are millions of theories and possibilities as to what happened, and I’ve found myself roaming through piles of sources, most of which have been documentaries made by journalists from the BBC, Sky News and statements from Portuguese authorities and journalists. From my consumption of these media sources, I have drawn a few theories of my own and a reflection on how each source handled the sensitive topic and how it made yours truly see the case.

Firstly, the background of this case is well known; the McCann family and nine of their friends had planned a vacation with their children. On the night of Madeleines’ disappearance, the adults

had left their children in the apartments. The fact that the parents had left their young children alone has sparked both anger and claims of neglect from the authorities, public and journalists alike. However, this case has proven to be highly profitable for media outlets which the McCann family had contacted in hopes of reaching a wider audience to help them search for their daughter.

Journalism is an art in its own right, which usually involves removing oneself from empathy and writing factual articles on this sensitive case regardless of one’s personal view on the case and their suspicions of it.

The Portuguese media outlets and the British outlets differed greatly in their deliverance of the case to their public audience. The Portuguese were convinced that the parents were at fault and were truly the ones who murdered their daughter and covered up their tracks. The Portuguese focused heavily on evidence which had proven to be insufficient for further investigation into the McCann involvement with Madeleine’s disappearance. However, the British media were convinced

that the young girl was abducted and that her poor parents were frantically looking for their daughter. One major flaw, which is a recurring issue in the journalistic realm, is the presentation of assumptions and an almost storytelling legend like style and tone in articles dealing with cases which have very little evidence and closure of any sort. The flaw with the McCann case is that it is yet to be announced as an abduction case; it has been named an abduction case by the parents of Madeleine, but the authorities have corrected this statement by issuing it as a missing child case, because calling it an abduction would mean that there was evidence to prove that the girl had been kidnapped, and such evidence is yet to be presented.

It is obviously an interesting topic, which most journalists would find highly entertaining and mind teasing to write about, but we should always keep in mind that this is a criminal case that has been running cold for the last eleven years. Fact checking on such a case, which has yet to show a body or a real suspect of some kind, can be difficult and

often uncomfortable to write about. So far, in my research of different media outlet coverages of this case, I cannot say that I am fully satisfied with any of the reports. Many of the articles contain bias and the author’s side in the theory of what happened to Madeleine, which kills the purpose of journalism, which is to report news rather than speculations and accusations which to this day cannot be proved or disproved.

If I were to take on an article on the McCann case, I feel like a good place to start would be police reports, statements and such. Then, I would proceed with reviewing every interview in which the McCanns spoke of that night and see if any new information has been added. I would then glance at the different theories and conspiracy theories which are floating about the web and nitpick ones which I would find the most compelling given their accuracy to facts which are already known. I would then compile the information and write an article on the progression of the case and reasons behind its standstill and the absence of new evidence. I strongly believe that in criminal cases which are being reported,

the journalist should be mindful of the information they use and the sources they quote. It is important to have an outreached view on the case to avoid bias in the article, to avoid heavy criticism and unjust suspicion.

In conclusion, from my consumption of the media surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, I can say that there were many examples of poor journalism in many of the Portuguese new outlets, and the differences between how the British and Portuguese viewed the case. This had opened my mind to the possibility of hostility between the UK and Portugal, which is also a reflection from the media I have studied.

I found many of the media outlets argue their case and their believe that their article covered the basis of the case and had informed their audience of what happened on May 3rd 2007. However, there is no doubt that this case is an interesting practice for a factual/ criminal-based media opportunity which is still relevant to this day. making it a perfect example of a news story which hasn’t ceased to be considered news for over a decade.

TUAIRIM

March 31 2020

Cabin Fever: Hiring!

by Rachel Garvey Okay, let’s get one thing straight; remember the days when your alarm goes off and you’re lying there in bed thinking, “Oh great, another day another dollar, suppose I had better get up for work”? We had wished we could stay in bed all day and stay safe under the duvet from our stressed employers and the chaos of the outside world. However, there is a vast majority of people out there who have been impacted by the coronavirus; impacted in a way where they are now unemployed temporarily. But, for some, the period of unemployment will be longer for others. A staggering figure of 140,000 people have fallen victim to the COVID-19’s effect on workplaces, with many being able to now apply for job seekers’ allowance, but for some, they are able to work from home and for others, working from home isn’t possible, even when they wish it was. We have taken the whole process of going to work for granted and now we wish that we had a job to go to, even if it’s a job that we don’t particularly like, because, at the same time it pays the bills and puts some food on the table.

As a retail worker in a major supermarket, Tesco, my job has also been affected by having my hours cut. It is something I have no control over, but with a pandemic like this, everything seems to be out of our control until we pull together and gain the reigns back. The pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafés, and clothes retailers have all been closed down due to the announcement of Ireland’s lockdown to contain the virus before the situation becomes as

bad as Italy. But, for retail workers in food chains, their workload becomes even heavier than normal.

I’m grateful I still have my job, don’t get me wrong on that, but that doesn’t mean that it makes every morning getting out of bed easier.

Customers have been panic buying for the past few weeks, therefore creating these lonely looking empty shelves and it has created huge stress for workers. I was uprooted from my 3pm-10pm shift to a 10pm-7am shift where myself and three of my crew members worked around the clock to keep the shelves packed for the next load of customers to come in. I may not have lost my job, which is a massive overweight on 140,000 people’s shoulders, but for those of us who still work, we carry a burden of our own. Retail workers in the supermarkets, the army, the doctors and nurses are all sterling examples of people who are constantly working around the clock to make sure everyone is safe in the midst of this pandemic. Everyone has a specific role to play and now is not the time for anyone to forget their lines in this major scene. We must all have each other’s backs; we are merely like a body, each of us being an arm or a leg, a heart or a backbone.

There are a lot of family members and friends who have been subjected to isolation due to their job loss and that itself creates a burden on them.

I’m the type of person who cares and worries about everyone and seeing the ones close to me suffer from something that is out of their control is heartbreaking, as they have families to provide for and rent and mortgages to pay. Words can sometimes mean some-

15

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

thing and can sometimes mean nothing to people, but I’ll say it anyway; if we abide by the HSE’s rules and self-isolate during this lockdown, then we are already setting ourselves up for a win, hopefully.

That is a big hopefully, though, as we never truly know what is around the corner for us. But as much

as it is difficult, we need to be able to keep a positive mindset. Cabin fever is today’s biggest employer, but I don’t think any of us want to apply to get a job there, so, let’s put cabin fever back into the category of where it truly belongs, back into the category of it being just another horror movie.

The year that St Patrick’s Day didn’t exist

By Rachel Garvey Let’s play a game of ‘Would You Rather’. Would you rather contract COVID-19 or have St Patrick’s Day festivities cancelled? What would you answer?

I’ll start off the game by telling you my truthful answer. I’d rather the festivities be cancelled; a person’s health must always come first. I’m saying that with such a heavy heart, because, in all my 21 years of being on this earth, there hasn’t been one year where we haven’t celebrated St Patrick’s Day by dressing up in green and going to see the parade in Galway city, or, when I was a little older, we would all go for the traditional pint, or pints, because there is no such thing as just going for one drink. The vast majority out there are adjusting with great difficulty to the life of an introvert wishing they were at work or were out with friends to enjoy the celebrations, but now is the time to put our needs first, before the wants and luxuries of life.

Will you just let me say what everyone is thinking, but not saying out loud? The virus and the fear of contracting it is one thing, but for our St Patrick’s Day festivities to be cancelled, which includes pubs and clubs being shut down, as well as our annual parades not taking place, is simply unforgivable. Yet, at the same time, there is nothing we can do about it. It is honestly so frustrating to not be able to control something. Why can’t this virus just pack its bags and be gone from Ireland? Why can’t it just be gone from this world entirely? Bye Felicia! If only it was that simple.

As much as we wish the pubs were open and celebrations were kicking off, we need to remember why this significant day in our Irish calendars is cancelled. If we were all crowded into a number of venues all throughout Galway city and some rural areas, we would all be putting ourselves at risk of

contracting the virus. Any one of us can have it and I’m sorry to add to the fear, but it’s time that we faced the facts. Our bodies react differently to the virus, with some people feeling the effects of it while others are merely in the dark and don’t feel any effects at all, they are merely just carriers and that is where the danger lies. Yes, we may want to go out and have a pint and forget about this pandemic for a while, but that is where the first mistake is made. It is our ignorance that will plunge us into deeper trouble than we already are in. The people who are carrying it unknowingly are returning home to their children, parents, grandparents or housemates and the real damage then starts to unfold, as someone close to you contracts the virus and ends up in an intensive care unit or on a ventilation system because they already suffer from an underlying medical condition and their immune system isn’t strong enough to fight the stranger virus. How about we start thinking about our loved ones and how it might not just impact us, but impact them? I have spoken to people whose ignorance is something that I choose not to tolerate. I have simply walked away from them.

There are people out there who are healthy, in their 20s and so on so forth and they seem to think they have been granted immunity from the virus.

Sorry, but it doesn’t work like that. The virus cares not for what age we are, what gender we are, but it will affect anyone that comes into contact with it. Whether you are an infant, a teenager, a young adult, an elderly person or a pregnant woman, it can be contracted by anyone. The luck of the Irish is not on our side right now, we need to stop thinking that it is. It’s time people started putting their health first; the pints will still be there after the pandemic, just make sure that you and your loved ones are thereafter it too.

Thank You for your business over the last semester. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Do Chomhaltas, Do Sheirbhísí

16 OPI NIO N

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

2020: THE JINX YEAR

By Anastasia Burton

Remember all those posts about 2020 being “our” year? All those travel plans and all those different activities you wanted to do? Many were excited for the beginning of a new decade and what it had in store for us. Sadly, the year was off to a nerve wrecking start with fear of World War III outbreak, followed by Kobe’s death along with other promising athletes’ lives, as well as the Australian bush fires. Coronavirus was just some virus from far away that would never catch up to us. Right?

Sadly, we were wrong. Precautions were not taken fast enough and for some weird reason, when we are sick, we stay at home, but this virus decided that it wanted to travel and get to know the world. Never before were countries on lockdown. It’s almost as though our world turned into a movie, not one of those lovey dovey romantic comedies either, but more like an end of the world sort of drama. The comedy in this whole situation is that people are ignoring facts, COVID-19 has a 3% death rate and Wuhan have released their last patients who had Coronavirus.

It’s been reported that as of 21st of March 2020 it had been 48hours since any new cases were reported. The memes of quarantine are flowing in, and yes, it is great that people are getting to stay indoors and maybe catch up on things they had been putting off due to work/college, and whatever else was going on in their life. After one week of quarantine, things begin to get depressing. Cabin fever is a real thing and now that you have all the time in the world, you want to go out somewhere and do something.

2020 was to bring with its great memories for those planning vacations to places they have never been. It was to bring a fresh start to many who had suffered in 2019 and the years prior. It’s almost as though all our plans and desires for 2020 jinxed the year and brought misfortune. You might not believe in all this stuff but it’s possible that the damage we had done to the planet were becoming suffocating to our environment and it decided to fight back. Since the outbreak and lockdown, many countries have seen a huge improvement in their air pollution statistics. One could only hope that these

statistics will become worldwide and will be reversed enough to give us a chance to change our ways.

How are we supposed to have a good 2020 when we neglect the world around us and focus only on ourselves? It is crucial for people to work together to contain this virus by staying home and offering our help to the elderly, or people who cannot travel to the store for supplies, or maybe need a hand with something at

their home. We need to take our health seriously and we need to work on other aspects of our lives and improve our relationship with each other as well as our actions. I have a feeling that once 2020 is over, we will see an improvement to our ozone layer and hopefully, after such a serious pandemic, people and businesses will stop trying to exploit people and obsess over money, but will actually start working for the people.

Maybe this whole situation will help with the rent rates around the world. I feel like 2020 is not a failed year just yet, it has potential. The world is just trying to rebuild itself and take a breather.

And you should take one too. Enjoy this small part of 2020 where you can just do nothing and maybe explore some new hobbies. Or just take a much-needed rest and binge watch all seasons of Desperate Housewives.

What does global lockdown mean for the environment?

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich With the current global public health crisis caused by COVID-19, it is easy to see nothing around us but catastrophe.

Millions placed in a precarious financial position due to the closure of businesses and the potential for another global economic downturn. Borders closing. The suffocation and constriction of social isolation and the danger facing all of us from a virus for which it might take us months to develop a vaccine. But there has been one notable upside to all this.

The canals of Venice have emptied of pollutants, with locals claiming the waters are cleaner now than they have been for 60 years. Animals have been

reclaiming spaces where humans had driven them out, both on land and at sea.

Air pollution worldwide has decreased dramatically as manufacturing has slowed and the world’s commercial airlines have been forced to keep their planes on the ground. With humans dramatically reducing their influence on the environment to stem the spread of COVID-19, nature has been working to tip the balance back more evenly in her favour.

The positive impacts that our retreat from the world are having on our environment are the starkest warning that when this current crisis starts to pass, we cannot simply return to business as usual, because both climate change and

disease have something in common. Neither will discriminate when it comes to who they will affect. They are not things that care who they kill. There is also the possibility of a link between the two, as humans continue to interfere and damage environments, forcing species into closer contact with humans and thus creating the potential for diseases to transmit from other species to humans, as was the case with diseases such as Ebola, SARS and COVID-19.

There will of course always be jobs that require physical labour and the physical presence of workers, but long commutes for thousands of office workers and students in petrol-guzzling cars have now been proven to not only be

untenable if we are to prevent catastrophic impacts for the world around us, but unnecessary, with the swift adaptation of online learning and work from home policies by institutions and businesses pulling the wool from over our eyes when it comes to the unnecessary pollution our society is churning out daily, not to mention the untold additional hours stolen from the lives of workers and students forced to commute long distances.

When it comes to flights, for example, we must ask ourselves whether the expediency that comes with travelling by plane is worth the irreversible damage it may cause when compared to other albeit slower forms of transport, espe-

cially as communications technology and internet access globally continues to improve.

The response of governments around the world to Coronavirus shows us that in the event of an existential threat to their people that they can act, regardless of the limits and red tape that seemed to restrict them from action before. Therefore, there is even less of an excuse, if there ever was one, to not deal with the threats we have created to our planet’s ability to support life. It is the responsibility of all of us to protect each other and to hold ourselves and our public representatives to account for the other dangers that we face, just as we are doing in this current crisis.

How will our lives change in the next few months?

By Anastasia Burton This whole Lockdown business is scary, it’s frustrating and it’s annoying, however, I understand that it is necessary. If you would have asked me three months ago what I will be doing in three months’ time, I would certainly not have answered “sit in my apartment isolated because of a virus outbreak”. I would have probably answered something about working hard to gather up some funds so that I can travel more over the summer.

Maybe even mentioned studying and preparing for exams that were fast approaching. I think I would have answered literally anything other than taking my classes online and being out of work.

If you were to ask me, Anastasia, where do you see yourself in the next three months? I would investigate my crystal ball and to answer truthfully, I have no goddamn clue. But, if I were to rely on wishful thinking, this is what I would expect from the coming months.

April The lockdown had been lifted, and people are slowly returning to work, Covid-19 is still being tested for and many events are still being restricted in fear of spreading the virus again.

University is slowly opening its services, but students are no longer asked to take closed book exams and instead have been assigned essays/online MCQs. Rent rates for student accommodation

are lowered due to the mass protests and recent outbreak. Hopefully, the University invites all final years back to the college for a special final year event which will allow them all to enjoy their final year of being students before they graduate. Due to the epidemic, the University granted students with final exams more time to prepare and went easy on their marking. Shops are now no longer in deficit of toilet paper and bread. Life is slowly beginning to seem normal again.

May Things are more or less calm now.

Memes about isolation are slowly disappearing. People are preparing their summer plans again and students who stayed in Galway for April are now gone

home. Students who, like myself, have moved out of home and live independently are working hard to pay their high rent rates. SUSI gives us our final paycheck. The virus has been mostly contained. Businesses that had lost their incomes and not regained it due to Galway2020 basically being cancelled file for bankruptcy.

June

their trips to America on their J1 Visa can now leave without fearing a virus and get an experience of a lifetime. Ireland will be facing some difficulties that were brought on by the lockdown and will need to work harder on investing into medicine and the expansion of hospital beds and space in general. We can finally hug again! Landlords will most likely use this month to raise all our rents by 4%, so, prepare for that.

Galway is buzzing with tourists and sunshine. I imagine we will be blessed with a fabulous summer because of our crappy spring. Due to most countries stopping air travel and placing people on lockdown, the air pollution has decreased hugely, inspiring companies to go green and try harder to help improve our environment. Students that have planned

So, yeah, those are my predictions for the next three months. I’m really trying to be positive in a time that’s so scary and uncertain and I urge you to do the same. We lived through the swine flu, bird flu, and God knows what else, but we will definitely be okay! So, stop panic buying!

TUAIRIM

March 31 2020

17

Galway 2020 – Doomed from the start? How are the two main presidential

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich candidates in the US both men in their 70s? set the date for a general election on the very day he was to attend the opening ceremony, thus ensurIt seemed to make sense. A city renowned for its ing his own absence from proceedings, but also cultural sensibilities, rich artistic ecosystem and those who might have been inclined to attend if the music that echoed up and down its main street they had not had to remain in other parts of the every day of the week. Making a bid to become the country. It was not a promising sign of political European Capital City of Culture seemed like an faith in the project. inevitability for Galway and a welcome means of That issue became moot when weather warnings investment in the artists and arts organisations that ensured that not only was it necessary to postpone mark the city apart. But criticism began to mount the opening ceremony, but resulted in its complete from many quarters during the preparations. cancellation. From there, things continued to snowLocal organisations and politicians raised con- ball even before the current public health crisis cerns regarding fundraising, cash flow and funding created by COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation commitments and the relationship between the of ambitious projects such as Branar’s Sruth an organisers of Galway 2020, and local arts organi- Teanga, which was to make use of the vacant space sations such as Druid Theatre Company, Fibín, of Galway Airport to bring audiences on a jourGalway Film Fleadh and others became antago- ney through the history of the Irish language. The nistic when they should have been natural allies. refusal of additional funding by the City Council This is without mentioning the controversy that following the disaster of the opening ceremony was surrounded the busking bye-laws introduced by the another nail in the coffin.

City Council at the beginning of this year.

Perhaps the current circumstances were a The uncontrolled rise of insurance premiums blessing in disguise for some of the organisers. put an additional strain on a budget which was The current emergency is sure to generate some already falling short of the funding projections in sympathy and a reprieve from the controversy. the city’s bid to the judging committee, thanks in But for the artists and grassroots organisations of part to the funding the organisers had hoped to the city and county, the failures of the organising secure from private businesses failing to trickle in. structure of Galway 2020 and the current COVIDThe Minister for Culture waded in, expressing ‘deep 19 pandemic represent are two enormous blows to concern’, as the board and organisational structure their ability to continue to contribute to the cultural of Galway 2020 suffered resignation after resigna- fabric of the city. Whatever our stance on the result tion and a revolving door of leadership. of organisers’ efforts, supporting those who enterIn hindsight, the opening ceremony seems like tain and brighten our days, cause us to re-examine Law-masters-advert_2020(NUIG)_AW.qxp_Layout 26/03/2020 12:55 and Page 1 must be a priority an auspicious sign of what was to come. First, Leo 1and think, to dance create Varadkar, in all his apparent wisdom, decided to in the months ahead.

By Anastasia Burton It would seem as though the US Presidential Election this year will be between Joe Biden, who is 77, and Donald Trump, 73. I can’t wrap my head around how the US can be called one of the most progressive countries in the world and still elect ancient men over women and younger candidates. How is it that they still haven’t had a female president? I know that Hilary Clinton is not really ideal either, but how come there are no younger presidents being elected? It’s bothersome how Americans would rather vote for a human fossil over someone who is actually striving for change and will live long enough to see those changes affect Americans.

Considering how hard Americans protested Trump and his policies, one would expect him to be nowhere near the position of the winning candidate in the 2020 elections. Trump gave us many great memes but was he a good president? No. Looking at the statistics, it is unlikely that Trump will be re-elected (unless he gets some sources involved). According to the CNBC millionaire survey, most American millionaires will vote for Joe Biden if he becomes the Democratic nominee. So far, Biden has 53% of the votes, while Trump has 39%.

Honestly, I think that Americans will take years before they change their mindset and vote for younger candidates and consider having their first female president.

Why has there been no gay president? It would seem that the American presidential candidates will always be stereotypically white older men who are conservative and claim that they will make America “great again” or “better”, but has America ever really been great? Why

are they claiming it isn’t great? Most American presidents had issues with immigrants and foreigners, which is nonsense, since most Americans are mixed race. For example, the family name Trump is an English/German surname and Biden is also an English/French surname.

Looking back through the years of Trump being President, there have been a few changes. There have been one million new jobs since he took office, housing became 6.5% more expensive, hourly wage only grew by 2.5%, consumer spending had only grown by 2.8%, which is a bit below the 3% which experts claim is the necessary percentage to keep the economy afloat. The US trade deficit with China went up by 6% this year alone, however trading between US, Canada and Mexico has increased since last June. Company earnings were up by 10%. These statistics make it feel as though Trump had solely focused on industry rather than Americans themselves. Why hasn’t he worked harder on social welfare in relation to making medical care more affordable for Americans and why are prices for homes going up when wages have practically made no signs of rising?

Joe Biden seems to care for the environment and climate change, which Trump has ignored and neglected throughout his presidency. It is possible that people are choosing anybody but Trump this time around and the fact that Biden is actually concerned about the environment is bringing him the vote from those who are aware of how damaging our lifestyles are to the planet. They had a president who worked towards industry, now they need one who will care for the people. There is still time for change in the polls but so far it seems like Biden is the popular choice.

Law Masters Options in UCD Applications are open now for Law Masters programmes in UCD. Law graduates looking to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of specific areas of law can choose from the following LLM/MSc degrees: n LLM General n LLM in Intellectual Property and Information Technology n LLM in European Law and Public Affairs n LLM in Criminology and Criminal Justice n LLM in Commercial Law n LLM in International Human Rights n MSc in International Law and Business (also relevant for graduates in business, finance and economics) We also offer additional Law Masters programmes for graduates in other disciplines: n MCL/Masters in Common Law (a two-year conversion degree for graduates in non-law disciplines) n MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice Applications are open now, closing date to apply is July 31st. Early application for the Masters in Common Law is advised as places are limited. Note: to be eligible for consideration for a scholarship you must apply by May 31st.

For further information: Web: http://www.ucd.ie/law/study/graduateprogrammes/ Email: lawpostgraduate@ucd.ie Tel: Justine McCann on 01 716 4109.

Scoil Dlí Sutherland UCD UCD Sutherland School of Law

18 FA SH IO N & L I F EST Y L E

The Foodie Diaries: Pandemic Burgers

By Isabel Dwyer Burgers make things better, and ‘better’ is what we all could do with a bit of right now. Bring a bit of light into your quarantine of choice this weekend by making these simple, but every-bit-as-good-as-the-realstuff, burgers for you or for those who you find yourself holed up with.

All these ingredients should also be in stock right now. I found plenty of everything in my local Lidl.

You’ll need minced beef, brioche burger buns (or whatever you can find or prefer), tomatoes, white onion, lettuce (I like to go for iceberg, romaine or gem), mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, butter, salt, pepper, American cheese (or whatever cheddar you have) and gherkins.

I like to have everything prepared before I start cooking, as once those patties hit the frying pan, they take no time. The above are traditional toppings but feel free to leave out any that don’t bring you joy. Roll up those dressing gown sleeves (if you got dressed today, take a bow) and get slicing. For the tomatoes, cut into slices. If you only have cherry tomatoes, cut into mini little slices. This is a pandemic, people. We won’t get fussy about tomatoes. Peel and cut the onion into thin slices, then pull the rings apart from one another. If you have iceberg lettuce, shred it. For romaine or gem, rip off the individual leaves.

Pickles, for me, have to be chopped into little coin-like pieces, but you can be fancy if you want and cut on the diagonal. If you’re using real cheese instead of American, make sure to slice nice and thin from the block.

For the sauce, mix up equal parts of ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. I like to throw in a dash of the brine from the pickle jar too, because I have no self-respect. Mix until smooth. Spread some butter on the insides of your burger buns so that they’re ready for later.

Meat time. Get your minced beef out and ready. You’re meant to use a pack that has a high fat percentage so that the fat renders off. I’m in self-isolation right now, so my Mam did the shopping.

She refused to buy mincemeat that was 20% fat because, and I quote, “that’s disgusting”, so we’re working with 12% here. But like I said about the tomatoes: pandemic. Let’s not invoke any more panic than we need to. Pick off a handful of the mince and work the meat so that it stays together as a clump. No need to roll into a perfect ball, as texture is your friend here. Have your salt and pepper ready on the side.

Grab a pan and turn the heat on high. Add a drizzle of whatever oil you have. Place your little mound of mince on the hot pan and use a spatula (or similar) to flatten down it into the patty shape right then and there. Sprinkle lots of salt on top as it cooks. Add pepper here too.

If you’re cooking lots of these, you might need to do it in batches. Don’t overcrowd your pan because, by doing so, you’ll lower the overall heat. Leave your patties for about two minutes. Once that time is up, flip and leave for another minute on that side. Then, add your cheese to the patties and cover the pan with a lid or large plate, allowing the cheese to melt.

Meanwhile, grab another pan and toast your buns on medium heat, with the insides face down. No need to add oil as you’ve already spread the butter. Keep a really close eye on these as the high sugar content means they burn super easily. For a less stressful experience, you could always just toast the buns. Keep checking them until they’re golden brown, then set aside.

Once all aspects are ready, all there’s left to do is assemble. Spread your sauce on the buns and tower up all the toppings in whatever way feels right. Always go lettuce on the bottom, though. And enjoy this picture of my Mam and her burger!

Thanks for reading the last recipe of the year. Take care, eat your burger, download Tik Tok, and, most importantly, ring your granny.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

Werk from Home: How to Look Stylish in Loungewear Kinda Presentable:

Dressed to the Nines:

We can’t live in our pyjamas (sadly) and let’s be honest, sometimes we just need to put some real clothes on to help us feel less sluggish. This is where the reliable leggings and an oversized t-shirt come to the rescue.

Most of us have a stash of leggings to hand, but if you fancy splashing out on a new pair of workout leggings, small Irish brand Gym Plus Coffee have very good quality pairs available to purchase online. During

Sometimes, it has to be done. You need to look presentable for a video meeting and you’ve been living in lounge sets for weeks. Don’t panic! A shirt and a statement necklace will make you look as if you’ve got your life together, even if you’re surrounded by mess and mayhem. Remember, the saving grace of video meetings is that the person on the other end can only see your upper half.

We won’t tell anyone that you’ve you’re your trackie bottoms on under the table!

Gym Plus Coffee - €65.00

Topshop €13.00

ASOS - €35.95

H&M - €14.99

Pretty Little Thing - €25.00

workwear perfectly. Comfortable and easy to wear, these sets incorporate the essential elements we all need when we can’t leave the house. ASOS has plenty of lounge sets in multiple different colours, so you’re sure to find something to suit you. We love this light grey one for €35.95 (and don’t forget your student discount).

these uncertain times, it’s important to support home-grown brands and businesses, allowing them to stay afloat. This look also allows for versatility; you can switch up the outfit by pairing the T-shirt with baggy joggers or throwing a hoodie over the leggings. Comfy plus cute? We’re obsessed.

While worrying about outfits during these unprecedented times may seem trivial to some, it does provide an element of escape. Just taking the time to get dressed, do your hair and throw on some makeup may ease the stress we’re feeling amidst the pandemic. Look after yourselves and stay safe everyone!

By Amanda Leeson It’s safe to say that we are all still adjusting to this new way of life.

While being in quarantine may have some perks (no 9am lectures are a huge plus), you’re probably at the stage where you’ve run out of clean pyjamas and you’re fed up not knowing what to wear around the house. Fear not, because we’re here to guide you through the outfits that will keep your spirits up and keep you looking fabulous during social distancing.

Let’s face it, we all need a little bit of online retail therapy to help us feel better – not to mention there’s not much else to do when you’re trying to avoid college work. Procrastination plus clothes delivered straight to your door? Yes please.

So, let’s break it down. We’re going to give you three outfit ideas that will cover all bases – from lazy duvet days watching Netflix to “I need to look somewhat presentable” looks for video meetings or Skype calls.

Lazy Days: A little more than pyjamas but a little less than “actual clothes”, lounge sets bridge the gap between sleepwear and

FAIS EAN

March 31 2020

7

NÓ S MAIRE ACHTÁLA

19

The Big Beauty Clear-Out: How to Declutter your Makeup Bag

By Anastasia Burton Given the ongoing COVID-19 threat, all of us are doing our part to social distance and keep others safe during this uncertain time. However, social distancing is leading to serious boredom, especially for young people. If you’re stuck on how to spend your free afternoon, or just enjoy procrastinating, now is the perfect time for beauty buffs to do a much-needed beauty clear out. Try organising your makeup and get rid of all the old, dead and expired bits, Marie Kondo style. So, how do you know if you even need a big beauty clear out? Let me guess... I bet your make-up bags no longer zip up and your beauty drawer is overflowing. Are you finding random make-up items around your room, under your bed and in your house? Then this article for you.

Make-up is wonderful, fun, and makes you feel good, but let’s be honest, you have no use for 60 eyeshadow palettes and 30 highlighters. Of course, it’s nice to have options, but maybe there are just too many. If we all followed the expiry dates on our products, we would have to go through palettes in 12 months and sometimes 6 (which is impossible).

But! If you have a palette that’s over four years old... follow Elsa’s example, and LET IT GO! Marie Kondo suggests that before decluttering your make-up, you should pour it all out in front of you. After all, it’s only when you see everything you own that you can see what you don’t need. Once you pour it all out, gather the make-up items in their respectable categories: so, eyeshadow palettes with other eyeshadow palettes, single shadows with other

single shadows and so on. This helps you to have a better view of what you’re dealing with, as well as give you a hint at where you need to make serious cuts and where you might need to purchase updates.

When everything is neatly put out in categories in front of you, start with whatever you like least and get to the best last. When sorting through your make-up, make sure to consider the following:

HOW LONG HAVE YOU OWNED IT? If the item looks crusty, isn’t performing well, is mainly used up, or just doesn’t smell safe, bin it. There is some leeway with use-by dates when it comes to products like eyeshadow and highlighter, but with mascara, if it’s expired, bin it instantly! Using mascara past its use-by date can lead to nasty eye infections.

DO YOU USE IT? If the item has been in your makeup collection for over a year and you still haven’t opened it, or you’ve only used it a handful of times, are you sure you want to keep it? There’s a reason why you haven’t used it often, so unless this item is a fancy eyeshadow palette that you only reach for on special occasions, get rid of it.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY… DO YOU STILL LIKE THE PRODUCT? Sometimes, we try products and they just don’t work, which is fine, but then we forget to dispose

of them... which isn’t fine. If you don’t like or use the makeup you have, then what’s the point?

Get rid of anything that doesn’t, as Marie Kondo says, “spark joy” and bask in the joy of a cleaner beauty drawer.

Now that you’ve considered these three questions, you should have three different piles/ boxes in front of you. A box of items you will keep, a box of items you will bin, and then a box of items that you are unsure about: your ‘maybe’ box, which you will get back to in the end. At this stage, you should have a fairly good idea of what your collection theme is. Ideally, you should have a neutral palette, a colourful pallet, and maybe a palette for special/exciting looks; colours that you wouldn’t usually wear unless it is a special occasion, like a festival. You can also decide about whether something stays or goes by looking at the brand/price range. For example, you are more likely to keep a Huda beauty foundation over a Primark one. So, if you have updated your make-up collection from more cheap/affordable products to more high end/ quality products, you should probably get rid of the cheaper ones. If, somehow, you still have products that you purchased when you were a younger teen... bin them!

Realistically, you need to also decide which products you want to put into your “project pan.” To those of you who aren’t aware what project pan is, it is a project where you take a product that you want to use up and attempt to hit pan on it. This helps us make-up lovers

to use up products we have had for a long time but don’t what to bin. Anyways, here are the two beauty bags that every makeup enthusiast should own:

THE EVERYDAY BAG You will need a bag for your everyday make-up, preferably with one neutral palette and one colorful palette for a bit of a change. Then you should have one foundation that you want to use up and one concealer. Keep your everyday make-up bag minimalistic.

THE BACKUP This backup beauty bag has products you use often enough, but not every day. So basically, this is your back-up bag. If something runs out from your everyday bag, the backup bag is there to save the day.

Now, back to your ‘maybe’ box of beauty products.

To decide what to keep and what to chuck in this pile, think carefully about whether or not you’ll really use these items again. Since you have decluttered and given your makeup bags and drawers a fresh start, you should notice a theme with your collection which will help you say yes or no to products in the maybe pile.

I hope you feel inspired to declutter your beauty bag, Marie Kondo style! Now, get clearing out. There is a life-changing magic to tidying up after all…

20 FA SH IO N & L I F EST Y L E

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

Travel Junkie: Malta

By Anastasia Burton

Maltese Wine and Chocolate Pairing

Ah, Malta, the beautiful southern European island near the Mediterranean Sea, filled with sun and cacti drinks. This country may not be big, but it is rich in culture and history. With a population of about 475,000 across an area of 316 km², Malta is the perfect getaway!

Tickets to Malta from Dublin won’t cost you an arm and a leg, but come at an affordable price depending what season you fly. Personally, I would recommend visiting Malta during the Spring or Autumn season, when local temperatures are more bearable, since it gets extremely hot during the summer!

In this article, I will give you a few suggestions as to what to do during your visit to Malta, as well as a price breakdown, so that you get the best bang for your buck. Do, however, bear in mind that travel is not possible at the moment given the current COVID-19 outbreak. So please, wait to enjoy your Malta trip until after this pandemic subsides…

This is a very interesting and informative tourist attraction in which you enjoy a glass of traditional Maltese wine and pair the delicious drink with artistry chocolates (all of course produced in Malta).

You’re also given a little background on every delicacy you try. This is a fun activity if you don’t want to just sit in a pub and enjoy your basic Guinness or cider.

The price for this foodie activity isn’t bad, considering a bottle of Maltese wine and artistry chocolate would most definitely cost you more than €25.65 if you went looking for them yourself! That price is definitely a bargain for such a luxury activity in our book.

Malta National Aquarium Are you a fan of the beauties living under the sea? Do you like looking at cute rays and pretty fish like you saw on Finding Nemo? Then this is your spot! There are 41 tanks erected at the Malta National Aquarium, displaying the local sea life, as well as some beautiful sharks and other creatures that lurk in the seas. This could be a fun, family-friendly activity if you have any younger siblings or kids yourself, and they’re guaranteed to be entertained by this colourful display of sea creatures! Tickets come at affordable prices; adults get in for €13.50, while children’s tickets are only €7. And, of course, there are some student discounts available for those of looking to see Malta on a tight budget!

Comino Island: Including Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon & The Caves This tour is mind-blowingly beautiful. It’s a boat tour, taking you all around Malta and exploring its natural beauty and caves only accessible by boats: the famous Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon are a must see! The clear blue waters and the sunshine make these locations that much better, allowing you to see paradise (plus, an aesthetic background is great for those Insta posts)! This is an all-day tour; the island even has its own bars and restaurants, so you can chill by the water and enjoy the views. The sea cave entry fee is included in the price of the tour, which comes to about €20.

This is one attraction in Malta you don’t want to miss.

Mdina Old City This place is free to visit and it’s a sight to behold. The old, quiet city of Mdina is filled with beautiful architecture and cute little shops. Entering the city gives you a feeling of stepping back in time; this is also a great place for Instagram pictures! There isn’t a lot you can do at the

Popeye Village old city; however, it is still fun to explore the sights and small museums and gardens that are sprinkled about.

‘Game of Thrones’ Filming Locations Tour Are you a GOT fan? Then this place is for you! This tour is pretty costly, but if you are truly a die-hard fan, it’s worth the price. The tickets range from about €66 for adults and €46 for children. Fairly pricey... but, this includes pick up from your hotel and a tour of the different locations used for seasons 1 and 2 of your favorite TV show. Some of the places shown in this tour are not publicly accessible, and at the same time, you get a guided tour by one of the actors from the show. So, if you want some juicy insider goss on Game of Thrones, this is your tour!

Travel Junkie: Morocco

By Anastasia Burton Have you ever wanted to travel to North Africa?

Then Morocco, Marrakesh is the place to go, once the Coronavirus pandemic subsides, of course!

Flights to Morocco are affordable, although the actual journey is quite long. If you study French or can speak French, it will actually come in handy since they speak French in Morocco! However, be mindful that unlike in France, they do not use Euro in Morocco, so you’ll need to change

your money when you arrive. In terms of accommodation, Morocco is relatively cheap and most of the hotel hosts speak English. Most hotels even include breakfast, serving traditional Moroccan treats. I would recommend going there in Springtime or at the end of Summer into Autumn, due to temperatures being quite high during the height of the Summer months.

There aren’t any beaches close to Marrakesh, but there are plenty of places to explore and even camel rides to embark on!

Below, I’ve listed some of the best tourist spots you can visit while in Morocco…

Jardin Majorelle This garden is a nice place to simply stroll through, amongst beautiful plants and playful koi fish. The sun can get a little too much at times, but luckily, there is plenty of shade around! This park is free to enter so why not enjoy a little walk and take in the beauty of the Jardin Majorelle?

Horse Carriage Tours Marrakesh does not have a tour bus; however, you can hire a horse cart for about an hour to bring you around the city, for a view of the class separation of Morocco. On one end of the city is the richer touristy area, while on the other, lies the local region which suffers poverty. I personally stayed in the poorer local’s region and thought it gave me a better overall view of Moroccan culture and society. The small streets and little markets amazed me! These horse carriage tours don’t cost much and the best thing about Morocco is that you can bargain with sellers for the best prices. I paid around €10 for my trip.

Palácio da Bahia This beautiful 19-century palace is free to enter and explore for some extravagant Instagram pictures and a look at Moroccan architecture and design. It won’t be a long stroll, but it will be an interesting one, in between your walks to the local market for some Moroccan bites!

Local Markets Palacio de Bahia

Here you will find traditional Moroccan food as well as Moroccan leather handbags, souvenirs, and

Popeye Village This is a Popeye themed park, an amazing place with boat attractions, sunbathing places, other fun stuff like water trampolines. You can even meet with the famous Popeye, Olive Oyl and friends! This is a great tourist attraction in Malta, suitable for the whole family, and if you’re a fan of the old series, this will be a real blast from the past! Tickets are around €30 if you’d like the convenience of being picked up from your hotel. What a bargain!

I hope this helps you plan your trip to Malta and that you are now more informed as to what different attractions are available. You can visit TripAdvisor for tickets and check out discounts for different tours mentioned above. Hope you have a great time!

gowns. I bought a traditional Moroccan gown and slippers and they are the most comfortable clothing items in this world! The market is very interesting and filled with antiques and other cool items. However, be mindful that the market is plagued with pick-pockets. At the market, you will also find places to get henna tattoos, as well as men who can make snakes dance and even monkeys give you a hug!

A Tour Towards the Mountain Village This tour towards the mountain village is around forty minutes away from the city and offers you a chance to ride a camel and visit one of the places where women create our favourite Moroccan oil beauty products. Here you can watch women crush different seeds that are grown in Morocco to create creams, face masks and nourishing shampoos. This tour is totally worth it for beauty buffs everywhere!

As well as this, you will be brought further into the village where you can go up into the steep mountains to look over the beautiful landscape. Quite the Insta photo op. Also check out the waterfalls on the mountain, where you can go for a swim and find mineral stones that look like crystals!

Musee Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech This is the museum of Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakesh; it’s free to enter and is basically just a small gallery surrounded by a huge park, which you can easily spend hours just relaxing and sunbathing.

You could find a nice bench and sit there in the shadow of the beautiful palm trees, watching the adorable little fish blowing bubbles at you. It’s like a tiny oasis in a large city.

FAIS EAN

March 31 2020

7

NÓS MAIRE ACHTÁLA

21

Making the Most of Our Makeup:

By Anastasia Burton

PROJECT PAN

Waste is a huge issue in the beauty industry.

Every year, millions of makeup products are discarded without a moment’s thought, further contributing to environmental issues and global warming. Now, a new influencer-driven initiative is here to tackle this issue: Project Pan. To those of you unaware of what it is, Project Pan is a trend on Instagram where beauty enthusiasts take their favourite products and try to use them up within a few months or even years. This initiative helps to prevent unnecessary beauty waste and also prevents people from spending their money unnecessarily on more and more makeup bits that they just don’t need. Many #ProjectPan followers also implement a “no beauty spend” rule to help them in their quest to hit pan. After all, if you implement a ban on purchasing new beauty products, you’re more likely to use up what you already have. I’ve been dedicatedly using only a handful of products for the past year and most of them are now completely empty.

In this article, I will talk about the different products I hit pan on and whether or not I will be repurchasing them.

FOUNDATION:

CONCEALER:

MASCARA:

My #ProjectPan base was the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. It took me about seven months to get through this foundation. And I have to say

For concealer, I chose the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer, which took me about five months to get through. I did not like the finish it gave me and honestly it made me crease like crazy. Therefore, I was not a fan of this cult product, it just didn’t work for me, so no repurchasing.

Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara is often praised by beauty gurus, but it took me less than two months to use up and, honestly, wasn’t that great.

EYELINER:

it was brilliant. Not only is it hydrating and really beautiful on the skin, but it was also super easy to apply and had a divine smell. It’s super affordable too and never clung to my fine lines. I will definitely be repurchasing.

PRIMER:

EYESHADOW:

First up: primer. I had been using the Primark Liquid Illuminating primer drops (the ones that look like the fancy primer drops used in all those

For eyes, I used the Penneys Nude Addiction palette. It took nearly 18 months to hit pan on six of the nine shades with everyday use. This

Rimmel Scandale ye s w a s my eyeliner of choice for this experiment and took me about three months to finish. It has a super thin tip, which gives you more control over the wing, but it gave me difficulty with pigment. I felt like my liner was never dark enough, but to be fair, I never had a problem with it bleeding and messing up my eye looks. I feel like I have plenty of eyeliners to go through before I repurchase this one, it just wasn’t good enough for #ProjectPan.

HIGHLIGHT: For glow, I used the Catrice Baked Highlighter, one of the most affordable and high-quality highlighters on the market. I had actually been

Instagram tutorials). I used this primer for about eight months before I ran out, which is pretty good longevity for a face product that I used every day.

However, this primer just did not help my foundation to sit more smoothly on my skin. If anything, I loved how it gave me a nice dewy look and a bit of a healthy glow, but my foundation still revealed my pores. Safe to say, I won’t be purchasing again.

was a great palette for everyday eyeshadow looks. It has nice nude colors with amazing shimmers, though the white shimmer shade was a bit patchy and not easy to work with.

This palette was affordable, but I feel like I have other, more expensive but better-quality palettes that I need to use and enjoy before I repurchase this one.

chipping away at this for almost two years. This highlighter is very pigmented and utterly beautiful; and I have already repurchased it. However, the downfall was that it was super glittery and would transfer onto everything unless blended profusely. However, using proper techniques, this product is stunning, and most importantly, affordable.

It didn’t make my lashes any darker and didn’t do much in making them look longer either. Honestly, more affordable Essence mascara worked much better than its expensive counterpart and I would prefer repurchasing that instead of Roller Lash again.

To say that my Project Pan went well would be an understatement.

I used up most of the products I purchased within the allocated time, apart from Catrice’s stunning highlighter, which lasted an amazing 24 months! It was an interesting experience to limit myself to one palette, plus it saved me a lot of money because I was no longer buying make-up that I didn’t need.

Devoting myself to only the products in my Project Pan bag made me realise how important it is to use up what you already own. I would recommend that you try this project, even if it’s just for one month, to see how much product you can get through. For more, see the hashtag #ProjectPan on Instagram, and get posting to help save the planet.

22 FA SH I O N & L I F EST Y L E

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

ISOLATION NATION: 5 Fun and Practical Things to Do During A Pandemic

By Alice O’Donnell Isolation doesn’t have to equate to boredom. Even though it’s unfortunate that just as the weather is getting sunny, we have to leave our friends and Galway behind and lock ourselves up, it has to be done. So, what are some key things to get up to and keep in mind during this time?

Exercise It can be so tempting to lock in, turn on Netflix and basically not move for the next few weeks. However, no matter how many episodes of Friends we have left to get through, we should all try and get a little exercise everyday – for both our physical and mental health. There are tons of ways to get exercise in, as long as you don’t come into close contact with anyone. Runs and walks through nature

are a great way to relieve cabin fever, but they might not be possible if routes are becoming too busy with other walkers. A skipping rope and a patch a grass is also a fabulous way to get the blood flowing. Finally, there are loads of at home exercises and full body workouts on YouTube to try out.

Friendship While limiting social interaction is great in that it slows the spread of COVID-19, a rather sad side effect is that friends can no longer be met. Thankfully, with the internet, this need not mean halting contact altogether. While WhatsApp and Snapchat offer ways to chat, many friend groups are using Skype to have group conversations. There are also some games online which allows you to play with multiple friends, with some even

allowing for vocal game play. If you’re willing to spend a bit of money, Jackbox Games offer a range of online games, from free sale items to party packs for €20. Get playing!

Mindfulness Mindfulness is one of the most important things to practise during this period of isolation. Limited contact with friends, lack of social interaction and the general idea of a pandemic can leave mental health suffering, so it’s important to carve out time for yourself. There are plenty things you can do to try to see the positives of this situation – maybe every night, name one thing that you were grateful for that day. Starting a diary is another great way to gain peace of mind. Many online websites are offering free medi-

tation classes during this period of isolation – today might be the perfect day to give it a go!

Creativity We’ve all read on Twitter that Shakespeare wrote King Lear while in quarantine for the plague. While perhaps writing a play about murdering siblings and blind lords may not be everyone’s cup of tea, boredom can really get the creative juices flowing. There are plenty of ways to get creative, from painting to drawing to knitting, and the options seem limitless. One of the things I plan to do in the next few days is to make a scrap book of the best moments of the last college year – a great way to be creative while celebrating and remembering good times.

Rejuvenation Is there anything better than a spring clean? You know you’re an adult when the answer is an irrevocable “no!”

Cleaning can not only freshen up and change the look of your room, but it keeps away the boredom too. Messy rooms lead to messy minds and giving your room a quick spring clean can really benefit your mental health.

Rejuvenating yourself is also important if you’re feeling worn out by the news.

Drink lots of water and eat natural foods. Maybe give yourself a new hair style (with hairdressers closed it’ll be up to you to get those scissors out!) No matter what though, it’s important to keep in mind that this quarantine must end sometime, and that until then, we can only do the best we can.

STYLED BY THE SHOW: ‘Little J’ is a little more than a typical fashionista

By Valerie McHugh

Be a flamingo in a flock of high schoolers

Hey there Upper East SIN-ners, Gossip Girl here. Today, I’ve got a riddle for you to solve. Roses are red, violets are blue, does little J from Brooklyn dress better than you?

She may come from the depths of dreary Brooklyn, but this girl has got the dress sense of a real Manhattanite. Sorry Blair, but I think this little Brooklynite might have you beat in the originality section. I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

Here are 5 of Jenny Humphrey’s most fashionable moments, where she painted Constance Billiard High School green with envy.

These audacious rosy tights accompanied by a bedazzled beret are the perfect combination for a school uniform.

Although these fluffy UGG boots aren’t the least bit waterproof, fashion comes at a cost. At least they will keep little J on her toes. Also, this gorgeous bag is perfect for holding loads of schoolbooks….

SPOTTED: Little J on the Met Steps looking like a punk rock chick They say all one has to do to get home is click their heels together three times to

make the wish come true. Well, despite Jenny Humphrey being far from her lousy loft, somehow, the top of the Met Steps has become a second home.

With these stunning fishnet tights and a rocking leather jacket, Jenny is turning everyone’s heads.

Masquerading as a fraud While trying to achieve her dream of becoming one of queen B’s handmaidens, our Jenny crashed the masquerade ball without an invite. But hey, at least she did it in style. This yellow gown makes her the belle of the ball, one that has our beastly Nate swooning. Accompanied by a fluffy

black pullover and elegant silk gloves, Jenny is the total master of disguise.

Black swan amongst ugly ducklings This black number can only be worn by a true style queen, and Jenny Humphrey?

That’s you. Jenny strutted down the catwalk in a pair of glossy black heels, much higher than Chuck Bass’ ACT score. With some fabulous red lippie, Jenny is a total queen, one who deserves all the attention she gets.

J for Waldorf Designs And so, it goes, Jenny Humphrey blossoms into a beautiful butterfly, designing

for Eleanor Waldorf herself. Jenny saves this dazzling ensemble for her brother’s wedding, where lonely boy and princess S finally tie the knot. Her soft blonde curls are the perfect choice to finish the elegant look, and those nude shoes are ideal for a strong, sophisticated lady just like Jenny Humphrey.

I’ll be back next year to dish some more dirt on the world’s fashionistas. I can hardly wait. Stay safe Upper East SINners.

You know you love me, XOXO Gossip Girl.

Coiste Gnó

2019-2020

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Vice President / Education Officer Leas Uachtarán / Oifigeach Oideachais

Vice-President / Welfare and Equality Officer Leas-Uachtarán / Oifigeach Leasa agus Comhionannais

President / Uachtarán

Cameron Keighron

Clare Austick

su.education@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3658

su.president@nuigalway.ie 086 385 5502

Brandon Walsh

su.welfare@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3659

Oifigeach na Gaeilge Irish Language Officer

Mature Students’ Officer Oifigeach Mic Léinn Lánfhásta

Postgraduate Research Officer Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe i mbun Taighde

Postgraduate Taught Officer Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe Teagasctha

su.gaeilge@nuigalway.ie 091 493 570

su.maturestudents@nuigalway.ie 089 966 4053

su.pgresearch@nuigalway.ie 089 442 6068

su.pgtaught@nuigalway.ie 083 380 2180

Societies Chairperson Cathaoirleach na gCumann

Clubs Captain Captaen na gClubanna

SU Council Chairperson / Cathaoirleach na Comhairle do Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn

Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies / Tionólaí Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta & an Léinn Cheiltigh

su.socs@nuigalway.ie 083 141 9712

su.clubs@nuigalway.ie 087 094 5959

su.council@nuigalway.ie 085 204 8786

su.arts@nuigalway.ie 091 493 570

Convenor of the College of Science Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta

Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences / Tionólaí Choláiste an Leighis, an Altranais & na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte

Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy & Law / Tionólaí Choláiste an Ghnó, an Bhearais Phoiblí agus an Dlí

Convenor of the College of Engineering & Informatics / Tionólaí Choláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na Faisnéisíochta

su.science@nuigalway.ie 085 208 6945

su.medicine@nuigalway.ie 091 493 570

su.business@nuigalway.ie 085 205 5717

su.engineering@nuigalway.ie 091 493 570

International Students Officer Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Idirnáisiúnta

Gender and LGBT+ Rights Officer Oifigeach um Chearta Inscne agus LADT+

Disability Rights Officer Oifigeach um Chearta Míchumais

Ethnic Minorities Officer Oifigeach na Mionlach Eitneach

Avery Fenton

Morgan Queeney

Alex Coughlan

Victoria Chihumura

su.international@nuigalway.ie 091 493 570

su.lgbt@nuigalway.ie 087 670 8339

su.disability@nuigalway.ie 085 816 3837

su.ethnicminorities@nuigalway.ie 085 231 3107

Erin Mac An tSaoir

Chuka Paul Oguekwe

Pádraic Toomey

Oissíne Moore

Kenny Cooke

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24 A RT S & E N T E RTAIN M EN T

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

Creative The importance of being idle Corner

By Sarah Gill

The Valve

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich The words haven’t poured in months, Did they ever?

I think I’ve forgotten what A pen feels like in your hands, When it is all you can do To keep the ink from running off the pages, When you stop being careful Writing terrible poetry, Discordant songs, Fragile and bright in their own way Like us, lost amidst the throng

Procrastination. A word all too familiar to idle students around the globe. A word we are painfully aware of as we sit at our desks, weighed down with assignments, and studiously ignore as we do the rounds from Facebook to Twitter to Instagram to Snapchat. I thoroughly enjoy writing articles for SIN, but guess who spent the last hour organising and reorganising her wardrobe before even opening up the laptop? Yours truly. I am speaking from a lifetime of ill-considered idle behaviour and I am here to tell you that it’s okay to be a procrastinator (for the most part).

Productive procrastination is the silent killer.

This can span from the aforementioned cleaning of the bedroom to the meticulous organisation of notes to pondering the meaning of life itself. I think it’s because these tasks are not required of us. If I had

to clean my room by tomorrow morning, I would probably start by kicking off one of the many essays due next week. It’s our breed, as human beings, to put off the things we don’t want to do until we absolutely have to. A popular phrase amongst my fellow undergraduates is “if it’s not the due day, it’s not the do day”. A motto which many of us live by.

Whether it’s binging on Netflix into the early hours of the morning or finding yourself on the ‘other’ side of YouTube, reminiscing old Vine compilations (RIP) until you realise you’ve missed your deadline, we’re all guilty of aimless procrastination. We’re all so used to living with the underlying guilt of neglecting our obligations that when we actually have time to relax with zero stress, that niggling feeling still remains.

Procrastinating isn’t necessarily confined to academic work. It can span to anything from putting off going to the gym or biding your time before you actu-

ally have to get up and shower. I’ve even gone so far as taking a nap before making my dinner; my procrastination could, quite literally, be the death of me! However, sometimes there is nothing more therapeutic than taking a break (I’m just back from a fifteen-minute interval spent eating Pringles). In the words of the legendary Oasis, “the importance of being idle” is something a lot of us can relate to. Taking time out from the stress of exams or essay writing or anything really can ease your mind just enough to enable you to get through it without succumbing to a break down!

Alas, I hope that the five or so minutes it took you to read this post has revived you enough to continue with your assignments! I’ll be rooting for you. If not, I would recommend an episode of Black Mirror or a quick browse through Twitter to set you on your merry way.

In the meantime, happy scrolling!

Creating art in times of isolation

By Ellen Kissane Amid the increasing gravity of the coronavirus outbreak and the new requirements to drastically limit physical social interaction, playful efforts to comfort ourselves about the various degrees of self-isolation

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include pointing out that works of genius have emerged from similar socially-restricted environments in the past. When Isaac Newton was quarantined, he invented calculus, while ‘King Lear’ was a product of Shakespeare’s plague-induced stint in quarantine.

In the case of the creation of art, isolation is a common motif of the artist’s process, especially when self-inflicted. The hermetic vision of the artist deliberately seeking solitude and separation from other humans in order to fuel their creativity is one that shows itself repeatedly. WB Yeats and his famous longing only to hang out in a faraway cabin “of clay and wattles made”. Proust’s last years spent in relative isolation while writing his opus magnum. Lady Gaga escaping to the woods to forge what would become her iconic debut album (okay, that may have actually been the method used by Bon Iver).

These artists, writers and musicians presumably chose to practice social distancing with the intention of focusing on their art, but there is a lot to be said for mandatory self-isolation and its potential for inspiring boredom-induced creativity. With the announcement of entertainment- producing powerhouses like Netflix and Disney halting all production on their current projects, we may face a shortage of new media with which to entertain ourselves. This offers an opportunity for a shift away from solely consuming art and entertainment media, and instead towards a more proactive contribution by a greater number of people.

Of course, that is not to disregard the high level of self-reflexive and participatory creativity evident in the production of memes and internet culture. However,

this medium has seldom provided the opportunity for the creation of fully fledged pieces of original art.

Though the omnipresence of the internet hasn’t gone away even in quarantine circumstances, the FOMO caused by a continuous stream of social media updates that may inhibit deep immersion into the creative zone, has evaporated, as it dawns on us that everyone else is also boarded up in their homes just like we are.

This newfound opportunity for creating driven from boredom reminds us that some of the weirdest and most wonderful works of art have been products of the artist’s personal social seclusion, as most who have come into contact with the Leaving Cert English syllabus will know (looking at you, Emily Dickinson and Bronte). It seems that simply being left to one’s own company and own devices can enliven the imagination and enrich the potential for singular, original ideas to emerge.

However, living in the age of digital networking means that solitude isn’t the only option for creating art, even in quarantine times. As the Abbey Theatre’s attempt to retain the art of collaboration through its virtually-driven ‘Dear Ireland’ project has shown, the process of the artist(s) has only become more resourceful in the absence of traditional forms of performative art like theatre.

In all of this, the lack of external distractions that necessary solitude affords enables a renewed excuse to spend your time creating art. It doesn’t have to be accompanied by the old myth of the artist suffering in insolation, but instead can provide an outlet for creative stimulation and self-care just as much as for cultivating one’s artistic pursuit and producing ‘great’ art.

Keep the head clear while quarantining

By Sarah Gill During this period of isolation, it’s easy to let cabin fever get the best of you. While it may seem like there’s nothing to do apart from binging Netflix and drinking copious amounts of tea, there are plenty of things you can do that don’t involve being slumped in front of the television.

Get out into nature There’s nothing better than a good old walk to keep your head clear and your lungs healthy. Of course, keep out of harm’s way and don’t go getting too close to anyone, and perhaps bring along your fourlegged friend for some company.

Set yourself small and achievable goals Whether it’s a photo a day or a fitness goal you’ve been hoping to achieve, now is the time to work your way

there. Write yourself a little list of things you’d like to accomplish and gradually tick them off, one by one.

Who knows, you might end up starting your own podcast by the end of this quarantine!

Be a good Samaritan There are tonnes of folk out there isolating on their own, elderly people afraid to go out to the shops and frontline staff too busy to cook themselves a warm meal. While you’ve got some extra time, why not check in via Facetime, offer to do a restock or whip up a hearty meal for a neighbour.

Get yourself organised Exams may seem like the least of our troubles right now, but they’re looming all the same. Set yourself up a nice little desk area, organise a to-do list and lay out all the tools you’ll need to nab a 1:1, because that certainly beats last minute stress any day.

C U LT ÚR

March 31 2020

Pop culture moments that defined my undergad

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich While the university year was cut short for us all, it’s something especially sad for those who will not be returning next year. In the absence of reminiscing with our classmates over a last round of drinks in Sult before we set out into the world, we’ll take a look back at some of the pop culture landmarks that defined our time as students of NUI Galway.

Donald Trump’s election as US President in November of this year probably dominates our memories for better or for worse, along with the sadness that accompanied the passing of icons such as David Bowie, Carrie Fisher and Prince, and the tragedy of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. But it was also the year of Beyonce’s phenomenal album and accompanying visual project, Lemonade and the year we were introduced to Eleven and the gang in Netflix’s runaway hit, Stranger Things and we spent all summer outside for once trying to catch ‘em all as Pokémon Go became a global sensation.

In February of this year, we collectively cringed at Warren Beatty’s unfortunate gaffe at the Oscars, announcing that La La Land had won the year’s Best Picture only to have to admit his mistake to the bewilderment, confusion and ultimately the joy of the makers of Moonlight, the actual winner.

April saw Galway put on the global radar thanks to the success of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Galway Girl’, and we spent the summer of this year swaying to bops from albums like Paramore’s ‘After Laughter’, SZA’s ‘Ctrl’, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles’ debut albums and releases from Lana Del Rey, Foster the People, Halsey, Brockhampton and more.

Horror saw a renaissance as Get Out and a new version of Stephen King’s It came to cinemas.

This year was a study in contrasts. We weathered the Beast from the East and faced down the hosepipe ban as temperatures oscillated from glacial to scorching. Pope Francis came to visit, and we saw the Repeal the 8th campaign bear fruit as the country voted in favour of repealing the 8th amendment.

We were introduced to a new iteration of the Fab Five: Antoni, Tan, Bobby, Karamo and Jonathan, as Netflix rebooted a little show called Queer Eye and Jodie Whitaker took centre stage in Doctor Who as the 13th numbered iteration of the titular Time Lord, the first woman to land the role.

We witnessed the end of the TV show that had dominated conversation for the better part of a decade, as Game of Thrones, the TV adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire”, came to a controversial end. On the film side of things, we saw the similarly monumental release of Avengers: Endgame. Billie Eilish and Lizzo’s steady climb to the upper echelons of pop culture consciousness reached its zenith with major label releases and killer sets at Glastonbury, and Hozier released his second album, Wasteland Baby! Jennifer Aniston broke Instagram and the Star Wars saga came to an end (for the third time.)

Oh. Cats happened guys. And if we can get through Cats, we can get through this. Stay strong, and stay safe.

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SIAMSAÍO CHT

25

The new playlist for introverts

By Rachel Garvey Due to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 in Ireland, the country has been forced into a lockdown with many people urged to stay indoors in an attempt to lessen the number of people that could get infected by the virus. The majority of people out there are now adapting to their new introverted routines with many starting to feel the effects of cabin fever setting in. However, here is a playlist to help you settle into the introvert life!

Ruelle – Live Like Legends A song that is sure to give you rebellious vibes, this is a dramatic soundtrack as Ruelle sings her heart out at how to live like legends. Due to the lockdown and urge to keep people indoors, there is always a rebel amongst the crowd who wants to venture the streets. A song that is recommended to blast from your headphones when walking the empty streets, as if you were the last person on earth.

Poets of the Fall – No End No Beginning This song takes a rather sad turn, but there is hope

behind it for those finding this time to be quite difficult. The lyrics read that “if there’s no end, there can be no beginning”, a rather true statement that after the pandemic ends, we can start afresh and continue on with our normal lives.

K.J Apa, Camila Mendes & Lili Reinhart – Mad World A song that compares to the chaos of today’s world; a mad world indeed. China having the worst of the virus, Ireland and Italy on lockdown and the number of COVID-19 cases rising is plunging the world into the unforgiving depths of turmoil. The dreams in which we’re dying may not be the best dreams we have, but dreams of returning to a normal routine are dreams we are all currently having in this day and time.

Ariana Grande – Breathin’ Nothing will ever compare to Ariana’s soothing voice as she tells us to keep calm and just breathe in this time of crisis. The last thing the population needs in a time of great panic is for people to blow situations

way out of proportion and cause more panic. Take advice from Ariana, just breathe.

Adele – Hello (From the Other Side) Self-isolation is making us miss hanging out with our friends no matter how far or close they live to us. It is an iconic song that we can blast from our speakers as we look out our windows with a rather sad expression on our face; that takes being dramatic to a whole new level.

Alan Walker ft Sofia Carson – Different World The lyrics in this single hold a lot of meaning, as Carson and Walker detail how the world should be treated with more respect, highlighting the effects plastic is having on sea creatures, climate change, air pollution and many more controversial issues.

As 2020 started off on the wrong foot with the bushfires, a threat of World War III and now the Coronavirus pandemic, we need to try and set things right if we want the world that we had in mind.

Supporting home-grown Irish music talent

By Conor Brummell The outbreak of the Coronavirus has decimated Ireland’s entertainment calendar for the foreseeable future. Plays, concerts, and indoor gatherings of over 100 people have been cancelled and as a result, a lot of freelancers, artists and musicians have been left without work and money for the foreseeable future. However, just because you’re unable to attend a concert, doesn’t mean you can’t support the incredible Irish music scene that there is here in Ireland. There are a lot of musicians who are currently on Spotify and other streaming platforms that most of us have subscriptions to already, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to support some Irish artists who maybe aren’t particularly well-known or get a lot of radio play. Here’s a bunch of my favourites that might help you discover some new artists that you’ll love:

songs such as ‘Breakfast’ and ‘FOOL’. His music is comprised of eclectic beats and clever lyrics that will make you want to listen to more.

Aimeé: Another Dublin singer-songwriter, Aimeé is confident, self-assured and making a name for herself in Ireland. Her debut single, ‘Don’t Bother’, mixes sounds from modern artists like Ariana Grande and with noughties favourites

10 Study Tips

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Somebody’s Child: Hailing from Dublin, Somebody’s Child is a singersong writer that originally intended to write songs for other artists. However, within the space of a year and a half, he’s supported the likes of Kodaline, the Kaiser Chiefs and Primal Scream. He’s also played Electric Picnic and gathered over a couple of hundred streams on Spotify. Somebody’s Child’s music is not defined to one genre, as can be seen by the different vibes on tracks such as ‘Make You Alright’ and ‘Love that Sound’, his newest release.

LAOISE: Laoise is a Galway native, who was interviewed for SIN back in December. One of RTÉ 2FM’s Rising Stars last year, Laoise’s electro-pop sounds have made huge waves in the music scene. She’s feisty, unapologetic and her music packs a punch. Blare energetic tunes such as ‘Again’ or ‘Mad’ when dancing around or cleaning your room and you’ll feel ten times better in no time.

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Pillow Queens: An all-female pop band from Dublin, Pillow Queens’ sound is alternative and makes you feel good. Their songs have a core message that most people relate to, whether it be ‘Brother’ or ‘How Do I Look?’. Pillow Queens are inherently Dublin, from the tone of their accents to the messages in their songs, and you know instantly that you’re listening to some home-grown Irish music.

Alex Gough: Alex is a Waterford drummer, producer and rapper who first hit the scenes as a solo artist in 2018. He is only 21 years old and is currently turning heads nationwide, with

Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. She seems completely in control of who she is as a singer-song writer, which can be seen in her track ‘Don’t Call Me Pretty’.

These are just some of my favourite music artists to come out of Ireland who deserve a few streams online during this trying time. Music is, after all, the medicine of the soul, and hopefully, some of these might lead you to discover other musicians, such as Mango X Mathman, Jafaris, Ruth-Anne, Lilla Vargen and many, many more!

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ACCCESS TO MATERIALS Ensure you still have access to online materials. If you don’t let your lecturer know.

DEDICATED STUDY TIME & ROUTINE Create a study plan that works for you and your life. Stick to it!

PLEASE STAY IN CONTACT Stay in contact with your fellow classmates and friends you are a huge resource to each other.

PREPARATION FOR ONLINE ASSESSMENTS Familiarise yourself with what is now expected of you to complete your assessments online MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING Mind yourself. If you feel frustrated or confused, this is absolutely normal. Take a break and ask questions

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DEDICATED STUDY SPACE Create a study space which works for you and commicate this to others KEEP INFORMED & COMMUNICATE Please stay in contact with your lecturer and keep asking questions!

STAY MOTIVATED The key to success as an online learner is motivation.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP Be kind and respectful to your online class mates and lecturer.

Be patient with each other, this is a first time for everyone.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE This is an opportunity to collaborate and connect in a new and exciting way and you are in charge of that.

26 A RT S & E N T E RTAIN M EN T

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

QUAR A N TU N ES: some of 2020’s best singles so far

By Daniel Brennan I’m sure that everyone reading this right now is in pretty much the exact same situation as me – sat inside every day, begging for something new to help alleviate the ever-growing cabin fever. Here are some of 2020’s best “quarantunes” for you to enjoy as you pass the time washing your hands and avoiding everyone.

Stone Cold – Deb Never, Kenny Beats Deb Never is someone who only appeared on my radar late last year but has quickly became one of my favourite artists. Her latest single, a collab with producer Kenny Beats, has a hilarious cheesy, nineties, wrestling-themed video, as well as a catchy chorus and some lowkey indie instrumentals to vibe with.

SUGAR (Remix) BROCKHAMPTON ft. Dua Lipa

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2020

SUGAR was the first breakout mainstream single for BROCKHAMPTON, and the recently-released remix is just as catchy and early 2000s RnBinspired as the original track. Dua Lipa’s verse and contribution as a part of the chorus as well as the reworked beat and a few new verses from members of the band make this a must-listen.

Dragonball Durag – Thundercat Thundercat is one of the most talented all-round musicians out there, with his jazz and funk influenced style most notably featuring prominently on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly a few years ago, for anyone who hasn’t checked out his solo material. ‘Dragonball Durag’ is a light-hearted and

singles, with ‘BALD!’ being the highlight so far. This is the biggest flat-out banger of the year so far in my opinion, with Peggy dropping some of his trademark flows and hilarious lines over a beat that samples the Ridge Racer 4 soundtrack. After dropping two albums in the past two years, this is proof that Peggy is far from being done reinventing himself.

DIET_ – Denzel Curry, Kenny Beats The new Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats collaboration EP UNLOCKED is one of my favourite projects of the year so far, and ‘DIET_’ is my personal favourite track.

As you’d expect from a Denzel and Kenny collab, this track goes in hard from the start. As expected, Denzel drops fire in his unique, aggressive style over a bumping beat from Kenny. This’ll have you bouncing around your self-isolation room in no time.

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Ar Díol Anois ar Eventbrite jokey departure from his previous material, and a song that more represents Thundercat’s personality on social media. The hook of “babygirl, how do I look in my duuuuuuuuu-rag” will get stuck in your head dangerously quick, some of the lyrics will make you laugh out loud, and there’s the music video directed

by Zack Fox of ‘Jesus is the One (I Got Depression)’.

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Only a few months removed from the release of his critically acclaimed album All My Heroes Are Cornballs, Jpegmafia has already been dropping fresh

ringtone (Remix) - 100 gecs ft. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, Kero Kero Bonito 100 gecs are, to put it frankly, one of the strangest musical acts I have ever heard, seen or conceived of.

Their 2019 album 1000 gecs was goofy off-the-wall fun, jam-packed with some of the catchiest songs of last year – one of them being ‘ringtone’. Charlie, Rico and KKB add their own spin to this track with new verses over a reworked beat from Laura Les and Dylan Brady. The track still has a distinctly 100 gecs feel, and is definitely worth checking out.

28 SPORT How will the Coronavirus affect the sporting world financially?

By Darren Casserly We all know that sport is no where near a top priority during this crisis, yet with all this free time to think, you really have to wonder how the sporting world, like the rest of the industries, will be able to cope with these unthinkable setbacks.

UEFA has given all the European leagues until the 30th of June to complete their seasons, which will give clubs and leagues not just logistical headaches, but financial ones too, with games coming thick and fast once the seasons resume. The loss of gate receipts and TV revenue will be a hard one to take for the Premier League and the Football League, while the Airtricity League at home will take a huge hit financially. Many League of Ireland clubs have already stopped paying their players and staff and have received €25,000 from former League of Ireland players, yet, even when the league starts up again, it will be a question of how many will feel safe enough to come to the games, and unlike the Premier League, gate receipts could mean the difference between the club going broke or not. This season looks to be a make or break for the future of the league and could potentially spell disaster if it does not follow the already tight deadline the FAI has set out for them, with the completion of the league now being in December, which, from a weather point of view, is already risky.

On the GAA sides of things, this is one of their best proponents for staying as an amateur sport, as, from a monetary standpoint, the GAA is risk free in comparison to soccer. However, from a fixture point of view, this is a disaster, as the GAA runs a pretty tight schedule even in the best of times, with some level of GAA taking place all year round and a serious amount of either fixture reshuffling or cancellation is needed for not just this year’s championship, but this will have a knock on effect into next year. This could also be a great opportunity for the GAA to try and fix a broken fixture system, especially from a football point of view and make the year more manageable for even the busiest of players.

Around the world, there is confusion over how different sports will deal with this, so much so that the Olympics may have to be postponed as Euro 2020 already has been, which destroys many athletes’ preparations for the Games, which many have been planning for the last four years.

However, no matter how you think the sporting world will survive, this is clearly nowhere near the most important thing in the world now and while it may take months if not years for sports to recover from this, it will recover and we can finally watch live sport again, which is what millions like me have been waiting for.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 12

What happens to the Premier League now?

By Aaron Deering The Premier League was suspended on the 13th of March 2020, after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19 or Coronavirus. The initial suspension of the league was to last until the 4th of April, but the Premier League has recently revised this position and suspended the league until at least the 30th of April. The English FA has also taken the decision that the current season can be “extended indefinitely”. With the increase in number of cases of coronavirus across the UK and amongst players, where does the Premier League go from here?

West Ham’s vice-chairperson Karen Brady sparked controversy when she suggested that the current Premier League season should be declared “null and void” if it can’t be finished. Naturally, this evoked an angry reaction from Liverpool fans, who have waited 30 years for a Premier League title. Liverpool were only 6 points from claiming the title they’ve craved for so long when the Premier League announced the suspension. There were then calls that if the league couldn’t be finished, then the title should be handed to Liverpool because they deserved it and were the clear winners. This idea was completely fairytale stuff, as, sadly, that’s not how the real-world works.

Yes, Liverpool deserved the title on merit, but if you hand them the title

without finishing the season, it leaves the door open to an avalanche of legal problems. How do you decide who gets relegated? Who gets the Champions League and Europa League places? You would think the simple answer to these questions is whichever clubs are in these positions on the league table when the league was suspended, but it’s not. There’s only 7 points between Chelsea in 4th and Tottenham in 8th and only 8 points separating the bottom 6 teams.

decision by the English FA to extend the season indefinitely was an important step, as it allows great flexibility for the season to be completed over the summer. Euro 2020 was postponed and moved to the summer of 2021, so that has also paved the way for the Premier League to be finished during the summer. There’s suggestions that they could resume the season in May or June by playing the games behind closed doors, but I think this move would be unwise since the peak of the

around it and make it a festival of football. Doing a festival of football where the league is finished in two weeks, the Champions League gets finished in a week and the FA Cup is finished in four days could be something quite special”. As much as I respect Gary Neville, I don’t think this idea is practical. Even if the end of the season is moved to July or August, we must be careful that players don’t suffer from burnout, especially since next season will run

The recent decision by the English FA to extend the season indefinitely was an important step, as it allows great flexibility for the season to be completed over the summer. Euro 2020 was postponed and moved to the summer of 2021, so that has also paved the way for the Premier League to be finished during the summer.

There are numerous clubs that can rightly claim that they could’ve improved their league position with the remaining 9 games. There is serious money involved when it comes to both the top 4 places and the positions just above the relegation zone, so clubs will fight to the bitter end to make sure the season will continue at some point.

I think the only solution to the problem is that the season must be finished at some stage, even if this means finishing the season in July. The recent

coronavirus isn’t expected until May or June so it would put the players and staff at risk again. It’s better to wait until July or August when hopefully this pandemic will be over.

One of Gary Neville’s suggestions is that there is a festival of football to solve the Premier League crisis.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate, Neville stated, “If football players need to play every day for nine days to finish the Premier League as a worst-case scenario, they would do it because they’d get their heads

straight into Euro 2021. Next season will have to be planned very carefully and may have to start at a later date than usual, depending when this current season is finished, to avoid players burning out. We could see competitions such as the EFL cup scrapped to ease the pressure on the fixture schedule. One thing that is certain, though, is that this current Premier League season has to be finished at some stage in order to avoid a fallout amongst fans, clubs and competition rules.

Sport’s immeasurable impact has never been felt more than in its absence

By Darragh Nolan The world of sport has grinded to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A time of year usually hallmarked by a wealth of box office entertainment has been marred by postponements and outright cancellations.

Of course, sport is far from the most important thing at a time like this. But when something that is an escape from reality for countless millions is taken away so suddenly, the impact is felt across the globe. Now, more than ever, many would have fallen back on their favourite game to bring a bit of joy back into life. In this situation, that is impossible.

Fans everywhere were gearing up for a whole slew of festivities. By now,

we ought to have crowned a Six Nations champion. Perhaps the Liverpool faithful would have been celebrating their first league title in three decades. New seasons in Major League Baseball and Formula One were set to get underway.

The list of events we should be enjoying now is exhaustive.

Even the European Championships will have to wait another year to come around again. Just as we have to face the difficulties of fear, uncertainty and isolation, we have to come to terms with the fact that it’s going to be a while before we see another kick of a ball, enjoy another puck of a sliotar or hear the sublime sound of another final whistle that signals victory.

It’s that thought that will get us through. To those that don’t get it,

sport being called off en masse may seem trivial, perhaps even welcome.

For the rest of us, it is something that strikes us to the core. We love sport and we miss it dearly. In our greatest time of crisis, it isn’t there to be our crutch.

Sports fans have to remember what it is that makes these games so entertaining, so beautiful, so inexplicably intoxicating. It’s the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. It’s the staying up into the wee hours to see a kid from Crumlin put a nation on his back. It’s journeying to Croke Park and wearing your county colours with pride, or to the Aviva with your country colours.

All of these things and more ring true the old phrase – we don’t know

what we have until it’s gone. The value and importance of sport has never been more apparent than right now, when it’s taken away from us. As fans, we feel robbed of something we hold dear, but I’d encourage everyone to spare a thought for those working in the industry who are suffering financially. Many will lose their jobs, just as people in other sectors have.

Those are the harsh circumstances that we have to deal with right now. But they will not last.

Some day soon, we’ll be back again.

We’ll sit into the couch at home, pack the bars out and roar ourselves hoarse in stadiums all over the world once more. We’ll see out this crisis the same way we celebrate the wins and mourn the losses; together.

SPÓIRT

March 31 2020

Sports books to keep you sane during the lockdown

By Ian Casserly There’s a saying that I find applies to the world of sports books, specifically autobiographies and their publishers. The phrase is ‘when you throw enough s*** at the wall, eventually some of it will stick’. As seen by the plethora of grey, zoomed-in portraits of sporting figures visible in bookshop windows; clearly a lot of s*** has fallen off the wall.

There’s only so many of these “fill in the name + paste” books you can read before deciding if you’d be better off using a page of Frank Lampard’s autobiography rather than toilet paper (especially in these days). While I hyperbolise, its no stretch to say some Mr. Men books would be a better read than most sporting autobiographies.

At least there are different characters in every Mr. Men book.

Whilst I say that, when sports books get it right and avoid the potential pitfalls, there’s no genre of book comparable to them. If you’ll pardon the horrible pun, they’re in a league of their own, but I digress.

Recently, the art of writing hard-hitting sportsbooks has been bastardised. It’s evolved (or rather devolved) into a cliched copy-paste job, whereby the only thing that changes every book is the name, with books seen as a final paycheck.

From the outside, it looks like there’s more thought going into potential libel lawsuits than into how best write a memorable and unique book detailing an aspect of the sporting arena.

In the following list of books, I’ll try to recommend ones that I read that I found were a worthwhile insight into different good and bad aspects of sport.

Even if you don’t like the books, at least there won’t be any shortage of toilet paper in your house…

Rough Ride (1990) – Paul Kimmage Starting these recommendations, we begin with a book so controversial, court proceedings relating to damages stemming from Rough Ride only ended in 2016. The book itself is an “under the bonnet” look at whistleblowing about cycling’s dark underbelly and forced Kimmage to leave the sport. Paul, writing from his own personal experience as a cycling domestique (good enough to cycle professionally but not good enough to win), documented his life in a diary format, recounting every race over his professional career. What makes Rough Ride different is his airing of cycling’s dirty laundry. From doping to pay bills to fixing races to extraordinary stories, this exposé gives an allaccess look into a now notoriously dirty sport.

7 Deadly Sins (2012) – David Walsh Still in the world of cycling, an indirect result of Kimmage’s expose, David Walsh’ 7 Deadly Sins focuses on his hunt to expose Lance Armstrong. 7 Deadly Sins documents all of Walsh’ 13-year saga trying to expose and make known the truth about Lance Armstrong’s long history of performance-enhancing drug use, which ultimately led to the cyclist being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and the infamous Oprah interview. In spite of all the cover ups and hiding of information, Walsh’s pursuit knew no bounds. This book tells the compelling story of Walsh’s struggle to bring that truth to light and sent shockwaves across the world.

Full Time – The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino (2000) – Paul Kimmage Surprisingly enough, this article is not written by Paul Kimmage. I say that as, funnily enough, two out of the three books Kimmage has ever written have been included in these recommendations.

Digressing, Full Time, Tony Cascarino’s ghost-written autobiography, provides a unique look into Cascarino’s tumultuous personal life. Haunted by his own demons and troubled by his turbulent personal life, including an abusive father and his failed marriage, this sports book pushes the boundaries of sports writing. Kimmage eloquently knits Cascarino’s troubles off the field with his achievements on it, such as being a million-pound player and playing for Ireland in Italia 90 and USA 94. This book pulls at the heartstrings and provides a different look at one of the heroes in the Jack Charlton era of Irish football.

Chaos is a Friend of Mine (2019) – Ewan McKenna Finally, what would a list of sportsbooks in Ireland be without a book about its most polarising figure, Conor McGregor? Love him or hate him, he’s one of Ireland’s most infamous sportsmen. This book is not a eulogy about the man, but instead a reflection on the society which coveted him and moulded him into the man we see today. From interviewing him in a McDonalds in Dublin in 2013, MacKenna has a history with McGregor that precedes his notoriety. The case studies in this book are McGregor’s recent years and especially the bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Chaos is A Friend of Mine presents the idea that we reap what we sow and MacKenna provides substantial proof into this claim. This deep dive lets us see how we made McGregor the man he is today and holds a mirror to us, the society that got what we deserved.

Best sports documentaries to get you through the epidemic

By Darren Casserly Now that everyone is stuck inside with nothing to do and no live sports to elevate one’s mood, I thought that now would be a good time to recommend some of the best sporting documentary films and series to get your sports fill in place of the live thing. A great sports documentary also means that even if you have no interest in the sport in question, the story should keep you entertained anyway. Whether it be professional skateboarding in the 1990s or minor league baseball in the 70s, the stories and the characters draw you in no matter what.

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez This, while an obvious choice, is one that has to be made. This Netflix documentary series covers the life of New England Patriots tight end Hernandez and is a fascinating insight into the mind of not just a talented sportsperson, but also a complicated human being. This is a

series that, while not very sport-related, shows what effect sport can have on people in a negative way.

Sunderland ‘Til I Die This fly on the wall documentary series on Sunderland’s 2017/18 season will scratch the itch of any football fan which, unlike other series of its ilk, like Manchester City: All or Nothing, does not give this polished view of a perfectly run football club. It gives what feels like a real insight into how a football club in free-fall is run and what effect that has on staff and players. If you enjoy it, Season 2 is coming in April.

All This Mayhem This 2014 documentary on the lives of a pair of professional skateboarding brothers may not seem all that interesting, but it is undoubtedly one of the underrated documentaries of all time and gives us a look at the dark side of professional skateboarding in America in the 1990’s and turns into so much more than that.

The Battered Bastards of Baseball This is a true underdog story of the Portland Mavericks, which was an independent minor league baseball team in the 1970’s founded by the actor Bing Russell, father of Kurt, and is a documentary that is an inspiring and fun watch. It shows this team, like their name suggests, to be mavericks and winning while doing it. With a great cast of characters painting the picture of how this team achieved success, it is a documentary not worth missing, even for non-baseball fans.

Iverson This is a documentary which, on the surface, looks like a run of the mill documentary, covering the life and career of Allen Iverson. However, it shows how the undersized skilled basketball player changed NBA culture, and how basketball players could be seen and what they look like. This is a documentary which perfectly captures not just Iverson as a player, but how he overcame so much adversity to even make it on an NBA court.

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Coronavirus COVID-19 Most at Risk

Coronavirus COVID-19

Anyone who has been to an affected region in the last 14 days AND is experiencing symptoms Anyone who has been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the last 14 days AND is experiencing symptoms

Symptoms

Coronavirus COVID-19 Public Health Advice

• A Cough • Shortness of Breath Breathing Difficulties • Fever (High Temperature)

The Facts

If you have travelled to an affected area in the past 14 days and feel unwell, stay in your accommodation and phone the Student Health Unit on 091 494 337

Most at Risk

It-isAnyone important tohas staybeen way to from people and in call 091 494 without delay. who another affected region the last 14337 days Alternatively call your own GP, or 112 AND is experiencing symptoms

Anyone who has been in close contact with confirmed or symptoms, you can contact If-you have travelled to an affected region and doanot display any theprobable HSE advice line 1850 241(Coronavirus) 850, or 041 685 case ofon COVID-19 in0300 the last 14 days AND is experiencing symptoms

Check the list of affected regions on www.hse.ie

Prevention

Wash Wash

your handswell welland your hands and often to avoid contamination

Cover Cover

yourmouth mouth and nose your and nose with a tissue or sleeve whencoughing coughing when or or sneezing and discard sneezing and discard used tissue

Avoid Avoid

touching eyes,nose, nose, touching eyes, or mouth with with or mouth unwashed hands unwashed hands

Clean Clean

anddisinfect disinfect and frequentlytouched touched frequently objectsand andsurfaces surfaces objects

For daily updates visit: Symptoms www.su.nuigalway.ie facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.gov.ie/health-covid-19 > A Cough > Shortness of Breath > > Fever (High Temperature) www.hse.ie

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March 31 2020

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Coronavirus puts an end to NUI Galway clubs’ seasons

By Darren Casserly Like the rest of the world, the season for the NUI Galway sports clubs has come to an unceremonious end, following the closure of all colleges around Ireland. I spoke to NUI Galway’s Clubs’ Captain and Students’ Union President-elect Padraic Toomey to see exactly how the Coronavirus has affected the clubs around NUI Galway.

“Due to the coronavirus, all club activity has halted.

All intervarsities have been cancelled and after the announcement that exams will be completed online, I believe there won’t be any more club activity until next academic year”, Padraic says disappointedly.

However, it is not just on the field activities that have ended, with the Clubs’ Ball also having to be cancelled. “It was going to be the ending to the year to celebrate all the clubs. We put a lot of work into it”. Padraic says this was a much-deserved reward for the sports clubs around the college, following major success in many different areas from athletics to handball and everything in between.

One of the tournaments that was disappointingly cancelled was the international Gaelic football tournament, which is in its first year, “We had created a tournament just for international students to learn and try Gaelic Football. Then to play it versus other colleges who did the same.

They were just some of the events I was organising with the team”.

However, It’s not just the international Gaelic football tournament that’s cancelled, with widespread cancelations. There is a lot of disappointment from different clubs, especially those who look to be in contention for silverware to bring back to the college. “A lot of intervarsities have been cancelled between colleges. Every club should have had some competitions coming up all around the world and country. I’m sure all the clubs are feeling a little down”.

However, despite his disappointment at all of the cancellations, Padraic still realises that it is

not the most important thing on everyone’s mind at the minute, “I just hope they know by going by the health guidelines, that we can save lives and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on society.

I hope everyone can use the time to still better themselves and find other passions too. Training mentally for a competition can be just as important, so I hope they have ample time to prepare for their next success”.

Hopefully this setback will not deter clubs from striving for silverware and achievements come next year and will hopefully be an even better year for these clubs, who undoubtedly deserve all the achievements they will get.

Ireland need to select overseas players to achieve real success

By Darren Casserly With the announcement of Ian Madigan’s upcoming move to Ulster following four years away from Ireland, it did not take long for media outlets to question if a return to the Irish setup is out of the question. With the injury problems that the Irish team is undergoing at the minute, as well as Madigan’s ability to play multiple positions, it is very much a possibility.

This got me thinking about one of the IRFU’s current policies, and it is not a new discussion, very much to the contrary, the discussion of whether we need to start selecting overseas Irish players has been around for years. This policy has been in effect to try and keep a hold of our best players here, so

as to keep the club game strong, yet, while the club game has gone from strength to strength over the last few years, including another Leinster Heineken Cup victory, the Irish team has not gone any further in the World Cup. This policy must now come into question after so many years. Is it time to consider a change in an effort to try and achieve success at international level? There has only been one exception to the rule in recent years in the form of Johnny Sexton. This choice was made because of how key Sexton was to the Irish side. They were willing to bend the rules for him. This policy, up until the last five years, has not harmed the national team, with the majority of players leaving these shores already being overlooked at home and deciding to focus on the

club game, such as Marty Moore and Ian Madigan, who were never key players at home. However, this is beginning to change with the departure of key players such as Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan, which has damaged the national side.

This loss has been, to a point, subsidised by the use of foreign-born players playing their club rugby in Ireland by using the pretty lax, by any measure, three-year residence rule. There has been a lot of controversy with this rule, yet, it is a hell of a lot better than the granny rule in football. This has undoubtedly allowed a lot of top-quality players such as Bundee Aki and CJ Stander to put on the green jersey. It has made me think would people pre-

fer Irish players playing club rugby abroad playing for Ireland or foreign players playing club rugby in Ireland to pull on the green jersey? Or an alternative where the best players available play for Ireland?

The major concern from the IRFU is would the club game remain as strong with players having more options to play for their country? Yet, you would have to wonder, is the club game not strong enough to withstand a change like this? It would also mean more Irish players playing at the top level and giving a chance to some players who would have otherwise been overlooked to show if they can do it. And at the end of the day, how much would Irish fans do for a World Cup victory?

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I’ve been a life-long Formula One fan. If you ask my mum, she’ll tell you I was glued to the television every single Sunday from the age of two cheering on the scarlet red Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.

The first book I ever bought was one reviewing the 2005 F1 season. I haven’t missed a race in years, and I’ve been lucky enough in the past year to get paychecks live-tweeting F1 races for a gaming company. I like to fancy myself as having at least somewhat of an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of the sport, and I knew at least somewhat just how much went into every single race weekend from everyone involved... before Drive to Survive premiered last year.

F1 has traditionally been a sport that has been incredibly insular and behind the curve – for instance, they didn’t even have any social media accounts until 2014. Most of the drivers for years were the traditional, dour racing driver stereotype, thanking their team and sponsors after every race while sporting their sponsored watches in the most boring, professional way possible.

For starters, Drive to Survive was proof that these drivers were actual real people who have similar personalities and emotions to the rest of us, not robots programmed to spurt out a generic post-race interview every five minutes. Daniel Ricciardo played a pivotal part of both seasons of the show, and for good reason – he has an amazing sense of humour and a bubbly personality, mixed with a real sense of vulnerability that we get to see every time he has a run in with Max Verstappen, or when his Renault engine just decides to go ‘pop’ at random intervals.

The series also does a fantastic job of showing the impact running a F1 team that employs hun-

dreds, if not thousands of people, with a budget of well over $150 million, has on those at the very top. The insights offered by the likes of Red Bull boss Christian Horner showed how much of a pressure-cooker being the man in charge of winning World Championships for billion-dollar corporations truly is.

At the opposite end of the grid, the pressure is just as intense, and the often unintentional comic relief offered by Haas boss Gunther Steiner, as his team tries to compete with a quarter of a budget of the top teams, is one of the highlights of both series (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve used the “we look like a bunch of ‘effing w*nkers” meme on twitter), and is another moment that shows a side of the sport many fans never could have even conceived of in the past.

The title “Drive to Survive” may seem a bit melodramatic, especially to an outsider to the sport of motor racing. But fact of the matter is that driving cars at speeds often exceeding 220 MPH can never be something that’s fully safe – and that’s a topic the show covers admirably in its second season. It deals with the death of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend last year with grace and respect, showing Hubert’s close friend and F1 driver Pierre Gasly speaking about the loss of a young man who, just a few short years ago, he had been living with, studying with and racing with.

Drive to Survive is a series that shows casual fans that F1 is far more than the boring Sunday afternoon procession you might have remembered from your childhood. It’s a sport filled with unmatched drama, unique personalities and a level of danger your average Premier League footballer doesn’t have to face every week.

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By Daniel Brennan

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Drive to Survive is proof that Formula One is about more than driving in circles

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