Volume 12 Issue 2

F R E E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R , V o l . 1 2 I S S U E 2 , 5 . 1 0 . 2 0 1 0

Corrib Village refuses to back down from new payment regime Government considers increasing registration fee to €3,000

By Richard Manton

Corrib Village. Pic by Leah Mollica

By Méabh McDonnell Corrib Village management is refusing to back down from the new payment regime introduced for the academic year 2010/11. Payment has change from semesterised, two-moiety payments to one lump sum to be paid in August.

Students will now be required to pay up to €5,000 (excluding €800 deposit) upfront before they begin their college stay. This change comes at a time when many students are feeling the costs of college living more than ever.

Corrib Village management maintains

that the new system will remain in place at least for the next two years. Corrib Village General Manager Máire Bríd Ní Ghionnáin told Sin: “We have reviewed the rates and method of payment for the 2011/2012 academic year and there will be no change from the current year.” She highlighted that the reason for the change was the high demand for Corrib Village places and to provide the highest number of places to students who wouldn’t drop out in second semester, “We were unable to facilitate genuine students wishing to reside with us for the academic year due to high demand. After the Christmas break, 26

students dropped out which we felt was unfair to those genuine students. We implemented this policy to avoid a recurrence of that happening this year.”

According to Ms Ní Ghionnáin, this has not made a difference to the number of students applying to live in Corrib Village, “We are 100% occupied this year. 100 residents who had initially booked under the 2 moiety system were contacted and advised of the new method of payment. Of these 92 opted to go with the full payment method.”

Sources in the Department of Education and Skills have indicated that the government is considering increasing the registration fee to the order of €3,000 in the budget in December.

The registration fee, formally known as the Student Services Charge, currently stands at €1,500 and is paid by all undergraduate students who do not receive financial assistance from local authorities.

The fee was introduced at €190 following the abolition of third level fees in 1996 to cover the costs of exams, student services and registration.

Since then the fee has risen by 780% to €1500.

continued on page 2

continued on page 2

How to get from the shift to the ride

Like It or Hate It?

Page 7

Pages 16-17

Construction Work at NUIG:

NEWS

page 2

Corrib Village refuses to back down from new payment regime continued from page 1 Corrib Village is considered by many to be substandard accommodation where the resident receives poor value for what has been sold to them as, “The ideal choice for all students coming to the vibrant ‘City of Tribes’!”, according to the website. It is €4460.00 annually per single room sharing with en suite in Corrib Village, €117.37 per week.

That is before electricity, television, waste and phones costs are added in.

Student Union President Peter Mannion commented on the situation, ”Recent reports on accommodation costs in Galway show that cost of accommodation in Corrib Village is far more expensive than private

Government considers increasing registration fee to €3,000 continued from page 1 A spokesperson from the Department of Education and Skills told Sin: “Any change in the level of this charge would only be considered where the increase is intended to bring the amount contributed by students into line with the costs of the range of students services provided.”

The bone of contention rests with the definition of ‘student services’ for which the charge can be used to fund.

Last year, a Sin investigation revealed that only 34% of the fee was being used for genuine student services in NUIG and that the remainder is being to used to subsidise core university funding.

accommodation. Added to this problem, students were required to pay the full annual charge in one installment just three days after the first round CAO offers. All if this expense is in return for living in sub standard accommodation”.

In response to a question on value for money, Ms Ní Ghionnáin, stated, “Our rates are very competitive with other student accommodation providers. We have not increased our rates for the past 2 years and intend to hold them the same for the 2011/2012 academic year.” She further highlighted that, “We are very aware that in the current economic climate some people may be experiencing financial difficulties. We look at each individual case on its merits and will consider all options to enable students to stay with us.”

However Peter Mannion remained adamant that the system still requires change, “Now that Corrib Village will fall under the ownership of the University, there is increased responsibility on University management to ensure these issues are addressed immediately.”

Library, computer services and CELT have been reclassified in NUIG as ‘student services’ rather than academic services. The resulting figures were then used to justify the increase in the registration fee from €900 to €1500 in 2009.

Sources have indicated that the charge could also be renamed to facilitate the further increase. USI President Gary Redmond said: “USI are extremely concerned that the proposed name change to ‘student charge’ would open the flood gates and allow the government to double the charge to €3,000.”

SU President Peter Mannion said: “We need to ensure that all students are united and vocal in our opposition to these threats to third level education.

On November 3rd there will be a national demonstration in Dublin.

This will be followed up by region demonstrations across the country including one in Eyre Square, Galway on November 18th.

We need your support to show the government that students will not tolerate this attack on our education.”

Registration Queues at incredible length

By Méabh McDonnell Online registration opened on the 24th of August and was due to close last week on the 30th September.

There are an inordinate amount of problems with the system, mainly stemming from students lack of knowledge about the system. The queues to register manually at the registration office in Áras Uí Chathail traileddown the stairs on the 29th September as students rushed to confirm their chosen subjects.

Many students had problems with option courses not being available to register for online. In this case, the

Registration System Problems

By Grainne Coyne Second and third year Arts students’ encountered problems with registering online and accessing blackboard at the beginning of this semester. According to Tara Leydon from registration services, it was stated that online registration did encounter “some system and process problems which were not anticipated” and these “problems had existed before but had remained hidden in the manual process.”

Tara explained that this was due to “a number of disciplines within the College of Arts that have a restricted intake of students onto their modules and therefore departments did not want these modules made available to students to select on line.” According to Tara, online registration has “taken place for the last four years” and it was being “extended on college by college basis”, that the Arts college was a part of the final stage.

Second and third year Arts students “traditionally brought their letters from the various Disciplines/Schools to assisted registration in the library reading room and were individually

lecturer was usually required to register the students themselves.

Another problem which seemed to be of concern was that students had to choose 60 credits to complete registration and those who were taking option courses feared they wouldn’t be able to change their minds come January. The Registration Helpline has assured that they can change.

There have been instances this first month where whole classes were unable to access their subjects on Blackboard, as they were not fully registered. This proved to be a big problem as many of the lecturers use Blackboard, not only as a resource for notes and links to students, but also for submitting essays.

These problems seem to stem from a lack of knowledge on both students and lecturers part, leading to incredibly long queues at the Registration Desk before it shuts.

registered for these modules in the third week of term”, however this manual process was slow and “students spent unnecessary time queuing in the corridor adjacent to the Library reading room.”

Tara explained that this year the registration services “worked with the ISS department to automate the loading of student selections directly onto the student record system itself” to prevent students from queuing and Disciplines/Schools presenting letters.

The queues for first year registration were large due to manual process being necessary for first year students as there “is a legal requirement on us to check each individual’s birth cert or passport and student ID cards cannot be given out until this check takes place.”

However, some students were queuing on the wrong day assigned for their college and “some did not have either birth cert or passports with them and some did not have photos loaded onto the student record system.”

Friday 17th of September was left for first year students who needed to return with registration details. It was stated by Tara that registration planning begins in January and during the busy periods of August and September registration employs “ten additional staff (all of whom are NUIG graduates) to deal with this workload.”

NEWS Overcrowding in lecture theatres

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Packed lecture theatre. Pic by Emmet Connolly

By Richard Manton A very serious overcrowding problem has developed in several lecture theatres around campus over the past two weeks. Although the problems mainly affect students of Arts and Science, thousands of students have been affected by the problem, which is resulting in students sitting on both sides of the steps in theatres as well as on the ground at the podium level beside the lecturer.

Aside from this negatively affecting

Disabled access compromised by construction

By Robin Allen, SU Equality Officer In the midst if the University’s ‘Campus of the Future’ project, movement for disabled students has been severely restricted. This has affected access to the main part of the university - the library, concourse and Arts Millenium buildings.

Travel from the concourse to the Arts Millenium building has become a severe problem for students in wheelchairs. The ramp on the West side of the library has been closed meaning that disabled students must now journey to the end of

students' engagement with lectures, it is also a serious fire hazard as there are students being forced to block the fire

exits while trying to listen in to lectures. This situation is of course not acceptable to the Students' Union and

the Concourse, through the back to the I.T Building, down the lift and all the way around the building towards the Kingfisher Club, taking roughly twenty minutes, in order to complete a journey that previously took only three to four minutes.

This is not an isolated case of restriction of disabled access. There are many other issues on campus that might not be as prominent as this particular one, but still cause enumerable students to suffer needlessly. This is a severe inequality that is not being adequately addressed.

This is not a few people complaining about having to do a little work, this is a large, unheard group demanding access to education that they were promised and that they are not getting, and I, as the Equality Officer, urge people to stand up and take notice.

46% students skip lectures to watch Home and Away

By Daniel Doyle In an online survey carried out by UPC, it has been revealed that 46% watch the daytime TV programme ‘Home and Away’ rather than attending lectures.

75% of students have admitted to skipping lectures weekly to head home to watch a variety of shows such as Friends, Oprah, Jeremy Kyle and mainly, Home and Away.

Not only do students hide away from college behind TVs, Facebook has also become a popular alternative to attending class. 95% of all students are active

Peter Mannion, SU President, will be meeting the Executive Director of Operations of the university this week to see what solutions, both short-term and long-term, can be found to remedy this issue.

Some classes have been divided into two, with the second-last digit on the NUI Galway ID cards being used to divide students into roughly the same number of students in 'odd and even' classes. The SU has asked that students stick to their respective odd or even classes under this plan so as to try and keep classes as small as possible. “This is a very big issue for me and the SU and we are going to keep up the pressure on the university to solve this problem as a matter of priority” said Mannion.

members on Facebook. Other social networking sites such as Bebo fall down in comparison. According to the survey, Bebo gets 3% of college users and Myspace is at 2%. Youtube comes in a close second when dealing with college internet addictions, with 61% of students watching random videos of funny animals or unfortunate skateboarding accidents on a daily basis. As far as tweeting goes, a big 37% of students use Twitter regularly. As a whole, the average student spends roughly between 10 and 15 hours a week on social networking sites.

In terms of raising money for rent, 34% of students ask their parents, 21% would give up on going out with their friends on a night out, 16% of students would go on a beans-only diet, whereas only 7% would give up their precious broadband and only 2% of students would give up their TV privileges.

Youth Work Ireland, Galway Jump for Joy Dare Devil jumpers plunged 10,000 feet from a plane in aid of local charity Youth Work Ireland, Galway (YWI,G). Raising a massive €17,000 for the charity. The fundraising events took place at a skydiving facility in Co Offaly on the 17th of July and then on 25th of September.

The Charity currently supports 4,000 young people in Galway City and County. The money raised helps the charity continue its services in the community. Some services include: Youth Cafes, Drop in Centres, Youth Information Centres, Peer Education and Youth Clubs.

Arts Office to launch drawing and photography exhibition

Competition Winners

By Deirdre Lydon

Congratulations!

The winner of the Lenovo laptop competition was Laura Crean. The winner of the Hard Times Cookbook competition was Enda Clyne.

In association with the Health Promotion Service, Student Services as part of Mental Health Week (10th to 17th October) the Arts Office will present an ex-

hibit of Bobby Baker’s Diary Drawings – ‘Mental Illness and Me, 1997 – 2008’.

The exhibition will be launched by 2010 Rose of Tralee, Clare Kambamettu, on Wednesday, October 6th at 5.00pm in Áras na Mac Léinn and runs from 6th to 30th October in Áras na Mac Léinn & Arts Millennium Building Foyer.

The next day, 7th October, Cllr. Billy Cameron will launch ‘In Situ / Ex Situ’, a photography exhibition by Shane Burke and Fred Robeson. The launch will take place at 6pm in Áras na Mac Léinn and the exhibition will reside in The View and the Art Gallery in the Quad until 23rd December.

NEWS

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Galway protests health cuts

By Adrian O’Boyle A public demonstration took place in Galway city on Saturday September 25th in the wake of cutbacks to heath care services in the West of Ireland following a recent meeting between local politicians and HSE West.

The protestors called on the HSE not to carry out such radical cuts that would affect patients and health services across the West.

During last Thursday’s meeting, Dr. David O’Keeffe, the HSE West Clinical Director, told the politicians that he disregarded the HSE chiefs’ stance on pilling on additional cuts as it threatened patient safety.

HSE West are facing a budget deficit of €65m at the end of 2010 and are stating wide-scale cuts need to be applied.

The protest began at the Cathedral

where hundreds were in attendance as they processed to the Galway City Hospital. At the end of the march a rally was held outside the hospital where many speakers including patients and hospital workers addressed the public.

In attendance was Independent Councillor Catherine Connolly who said the HSE are “systematically undermining the public health system. That’s quite clear from the figures we have. In Galway City alone there are 24,000 people on a waiting list for outpatient clinics.”

Among the many groups and organisations that had members in attendance were SIPTU, IMPACT, a number of Fine Gael, Labour and Independent

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Unexpectedly, Green Party Senator Niall O Bhrolcáin featured in the march. Calls were made on O Bhrolcáin and all Galway based politicians to sign a pledge against any further cutbacks.

The protest was organised by a group called “Galway Says No to Health Cuts” led by Dette Mc Loughlin who intends to set up a broad campaign encompassing healthcare workers, patients, trade unions, etc.

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WiFi Probelms in Smokey’s

By Méabh McDonnell The ISS (Information Support and Services) has informed Sin that the WiFi problem in Smokey’s café, stemmed from a cable being cut, preventing students from accessing the internet. A strong signal showed up on computers, however students were unable to access the internet when they tried to log on. Conor McMahon, Head of ISS, stated that, “The recent issue with WiFi coverage in the area next to Smokey’s was determined to be caused by malicious removal of the cable connecting that specific wireless Access Point back to the wired campus network. This meant that laptop users in that area were getting a strong connection to the wireless access point but the access point itself could not connect back to the full network to reach services and websites.”

editorial/LETTERS SIN TEAM: Editor Richard Manton editor@sin.ie

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Registration fee increase

attend the national demonstration on 3rd November and the

My views on fees are hopefully apparent, so I’ll be brief. The

regional demo on 18th November. In the meantime, push your SU

reintroduction of tuition fees for third level would be disastrous.

reps to act on this issue. The future of the Irish education system

Thousands would be excluded due to inability to pay and

hangs in the balance.

thousands more would be placed in massive debt. The important Contributors Méabh McDonnell Gráinne Coyne Robin Allen Daniel Doyle Adrian O’Boyle Deirdre Lydon Erin Grant

thing to realise is that our registration fee is equivalent to tuition

Corrib Village payments

fees in everything but name.

The Corrib Village management is doing a HEA on it by fleecing

The possible, or probable, renaming and increase of the

vulnerable students. The reason that the semesterised payments

registration fee to something of the order of €3,000 has been in

were cancelled was due to the fact that dozens of students were

the pipeline for some time. Universities, in collaboration with the

leaving half way through the year for the simple reason that the

HEA, are cooking the books to reclassify academic services as

place is crap and not worth the small fortune charged.

‘student services’ to justify previous and future increases in the

Corrib Village is due to come under full university ownership and

Student Services Charge (a.k.a. registration fee).

management in the next few years. By then, the regime of

All the facts are there, the research is done. The only question that

substandard accommodation, excessive and non-transparent

remains is what we’re going to do about it. I urge all students to

charging and prison-like security will have to end.

Dear Sir, I write this in response to the article that was publish the latest edition of Sin entitled, Football's coming home...No it's not!, or something similar in that vein. My reason for this that, whilst I am all in favour of a spot of "let's make fun of the English", it should and least be relevant and/or topical. This was neither.

I recognise that it was all slightly tongue in cheek, but the article was clearly written pre-world cup, thus making it at least 3 months out of date. Perhaps, you need to fill up the inches, but a more relevant article would have been to poke fun at England's dire world cup performance, although this is old news by now. Another topic would have been to mention the betting scandal that has just rocked that quintessentially English game, cricket.

For the most part I enjoy the excellent work that the Sin Newspaper does, but if we have to poke fun at our neighbours, could we make it topical and amusing otherwise it can border on pathetic and seem like we are making fun of the English for the sake of it.

working class areas so as to reduce the birth rate there. So much for choice. According to Gerald Warner of the Telegraph (August 28th, 2008), she was a keen supporter of child labour and sent Hitler a collection of love poems. It is a shame that our Students’ Union would associate with an organisation proudly using the name of someone who fought against the ideals for which this university and this country stands.

James Mahon Johanna Stock Fiona Ní Mháille Aisling Scally Owen Sheppard Valerie Hartnett Caitlin Hacker Peter Horgan Miceala O’Donovan Kate Smyth Rory Bowens Aibhlín O’Leary Fionnuala Colleran Peter Mannion Conor Lane Colm McElligott Lisa Jackson Darragh O’Connor

Yours Sincerely, Lorcan Murray

Áine McWilliams Mark Kelly Chris Cosgrove Paddy McMenamin Ciarán Kelly Sinéad Farrell Ryan Kelly Damien McEvoy Rory Hogan Cienna Smyth Anna Siegert Dami Adebari

Photography Leah Mollica

Layout Tom Parandyk

Dear Sir, It was brought to my attention this week that the recent World Contraception Day was sponsored on campus by an organisation called Marie Stopes, Reproductive Choices. Marie Stopes International is a leading abortion provider all over the world. It seems strange that our Students’ Union, who supported and publicised this event, would choose to associate with this disreputable organisation for any event.

Marie Stopes, the organisation’s namesake, was a controversial figure in the early stages of the ”pro-choice” movement. She was a staunch supporter of eugenics and contributed a chapter to The Control of Parenthood advocating a utopia to be achieved through “racial purification”. Her son suffered from her radical views when he was disinherited for marrying a myopic woman.

She called for mandatory sterilisation for parents who were diseased, prone to drunkenness, or of bad character. In her book Radiant Motherhood (1920 ‘The creation of a new and irradiated race’ p. 211), she declared that no society “should allow the diseased, the racially-negligent, the careless, the feeble-minded, and the very lowest and worst members of the community to produce innumerable tens of thousands of warped and inferior infants”.

Many of her family planning clinics were strategically placed in

Katie O Driscoll Research Officer NUIG Life Society

Dear Sir, To commemorate World Contraceptive Day, Marie Stopes International was on campus for a few hours, distributing small packs from a stand. Inside these packs, there was information on sexual health, breast screening and testicular health checks. I realise that Marie Stopes International does provide family planning services and in some countries this includes abortion. However abortion is illegal under Irish law so Marie Stopes does not provide that medical procedure here.

I can understand that people may not like or approve of Marie Stopes International and the health services they provide globally. I can also understand that people do not like family planning or contraceptive use. That is a matter of personal belief and opinion, but to state that as a students’ union, your union, we are one sided in regards to reproductive health is very blind-sighted. We do nothing but promote all options. We do not force one option over the other nor would we.

As I am aware, Marie Stopes, the person with whom this organisation is named after, died in 1958. The organisation as it stands now was founded in 1975. Marie Stopes was a controversial figure on so many different issues, yet the modern organisation does not attest to them.

Everyone is entitled to their own personal beliefs. We as a union understand, respect and support that. That is why we choose to represent the views of all our members by providing them with non judgemental support and information.

Emma Conway Vice President / Welfare Officer NUI Galway Students’ Union * To write a letter to the editor, email editor@sin.ie

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Losing your virginity What is all the hype about? Is it really that great? And who cares who it’s with the first time around? We have so many other chances to perfect it. Is it that important? Is it really losing your innocence or when it’s over, will you just sit back and think: “That was it?!” Everyone has their own experiences and some people can’t remember them.

fields is your own business, sweetie.

Everyone believes that they will have the perfect first time and it will be beautiful and romantic. Sadly, it

Personally, I think the romance and love aspect is the thing to strive for. I’m not saying ‘hand me flowers and chocolates’ and ‘cute little sentiments’. My reaction to that would be projectile vomiting all over your face, but I don’t exactly want half a naggin of vodka and some latex either.

The casual age of sex is around us, in front of us, but certainly not behind us (well, in some cases). Casual sex is the new hello for many people. Hey, who needs months of conversation, when a couple of hours in bed can solve all the questions you’re really dying to know (without having to talk about the weather first!).

I’m noticing that it’s becoming really ‘cool’ to just tell the world about how much sex you’re having. Writing things in your to do list such as, ‘go on the pill’. Darling, the whole world doesn’t want to know, but you feel the need to express it. In reality, the funny thing is that most of these younger people are barely kissing let alone having sex. What you do behind closed doors, or in

average, have pretty useless first times. So, if you’re one of those, don’t fret, you’re simply part of some calculated majority.

You don’t want to be just another teenager, with just another regret. But if you do, you can spread it all over your facebook or twitter, just to boost your pathetic ego.

doesn’t always go this way, and you could end up in the front seat of a parked car or a drunken night out, ending in some randomer’s apartment... classy.

However, research shows that people actually, on

Then again, maybe sex is just another level? Maybe it’s not actually as sacred as we all make it out to be. It’s really up to the individual, I suppose. Some of us go out and happily screw as many as possible in one night, and others, well others have dignity. I guess that’s it.

By Erin Grant

Galway Sex Locations Guide Emergency frolicking locations in NUIG 1. Library, ground floor toilets, basement/archives 2. Siobhán McKenna theatre after 6pm 3. IT building by the river, hiding behind the trees 4. Concourse toilets, except the one with the peep hole 5. The elevators in Áras Uí Chathail, v slow!

Emergency emergency locations!

1. Changing rooms in the Kingfisher 2. Around corner of smoking area of the College Bar 3. The Cube (Áras na Mac Léinn) on weekends 4. Car park in Corrib Village.

5. Some people (and ye know who ye are!) would chance lecture halls after hours. Just be wary of society or club meetings.

Emergency frolicking locations in Galway City 1. Public toilets in Eyre Square 2. Behind TK Maxx 3. High-rise car park on Merchants’ Road (ROCK THE DOCKS) 4. Canal behind the Róisín Dubh 5. Wood Quay park - very nice benches

By Dr. Sam Joe Hamens

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, IT SEEMED THAT LIFE WAS SO WONDERFUL, A MIRACLE, OH IT WAS BEAUTIFUAL, MAGICAL, AND ALL THE BIRDS IN THE TREES, THEY COULD SING SO HAPPILY, SO JOYFULLY, OH PLAYFULLY, WATCHING ME - HP BAXXTER SCOOTER 2001

The man was right, when you are young, why settle for second best, for just the shift. If you do, then you’ll end up in TV3 instead of RTE. Push the boundaries of Captain Morgan and coke, keep confident and aim for the ultimate - THE RIDE. Easier said than done, just ask Michael Jackson. So you wanna know how you go from being in her mouth to in her pants? The secret is as follows: SHIFT HIGH, FUCK LOW

page 7

How to get… FROM THE SHIFT TO THE RIDE

A LEAP OF FAITH history, just remember to multi task.

Keep the front dancing, your tongue tangling, and your hands rambling.

3rd Rule: If in doubt, pop it out If you’ve descended the anatomy on a dance-floor with your hands, then

Make her happy, even if her laugh is like a hyena overdosed on Calpol.

Remember to keep holding her hand. If you hold her hand, you hold the key of possibility. When you reach the house, keep kissing her and aim her for the couch or your room slowly, but nice

By James Mahon

Score the hotties (if you can) and ride the averages (if you can’t ride the hotties). Boost the confidence and technique by trial and error with the mid-table beauers, try West Ham and Blackburn before aiming for the Chelsea and Man United standard of talent.

Things not to do or say “I just graduated from Trinity dentistry dental college, can I examine your mouth,” as was heard by med student, Tara Burke, before she threw up in her handbag in disgust. TOTAL FAIL. Don’t look at your phone while shifting a girl, and don’t answer your phone in middle of the ride, only to have one of the lads roar down the line: “break her in like a pony, leave her like a pane of glass, smashed!” while you’re in mid-drift, taking a tight corner with your lady. EPIC FAIL. Top three songs for walking back after getting the ride - Stride of Pride (not the gay one). As the sun rises in the Galway skyline, as Bucky bottles litter Eyre Square, while pigeons choke on Supermacs wrappers, put the iPod to:

1st rule: Lob The Gob Don’t just kiss her, make her think that this is the last kiss she will ever get.

Make her want more and more inside her hair-straightened head, like a homeless person with a Gala Chicken Roll. Pretend your mouth is a machinegun in Call of Duty and she is the last enemy in your sights, take her down SOLDIER! SHOW NO MERCY! TAKE NO PRISONERS! 2nd rule: Drop The Paw This is as risky as Cathal Ó Searchaigh in a Christian Brothers boarding school. When it goes well, it’s Champions League good, when it doesn’t you’re looking at Intertoto Cup disaster. The key rule is not to drop too early. If you do your plummeting into NO MANS LAND, start while touching her hair when wearing her face off, then move slowly to her waist. How long you remain there depends on how catholic she is.

Try 1 to 2 minutes, the same amount of time for a Pot Noodle to come to the boil, and from there (if you’re a shy one, turn away now) onto her ass teen disco style - MILLLLLENIUM MADNESS! If you've gotten this far, you’re onto something, and hopefully not a penis!

Work the front with your dancing, your hands at the back. The rest can be

suitcase while he was driving them from customs.

Buzz Mc Donnell in Hardybucks tells our male readers: if she “breaks your heart, break her jaw” and “if she goes like the clappers, beware she might give you the clap”. An to our lady readers: don’t try to compete with the women “who would hop in boiling water for a bit of cock”. I agree, women of NUIG, you are better than that. Leave it to Mary I in Limerick, they've decades of experience.

Walking in Memphis - Lonestar Maniac 2000 remix - Mark McCabe Who let the dogs out - Baha Men

you’re on the Ride-Road to success.

When the music stops, your mind has to start thinking: “Have I money for a taxi? Have I money for Supermacs first? Are her friends near by?”

If her friends are nearby, use the IEE formula: Isolate-Eradicate and Exit.

Take her to the corner, away from her mates, and eradicate any doubts she has about you with lies and bullshit, before aiming for the door. Like any rally driver, you must not lose sight of the finish line, even if vodka is blurring your windscreen. Keep her occupied, talk to her, even if it’s painful to hear.

and steady. Careful now, slow and easy wins the race. Final point on this rule: if you don’t have a condom or if you find her too easy or if she’s too drunk, then you are doubting, so start popping out! It’s not worth it young bucks, she will probably ride you in the morn instead!

Tips Funny tale from our good mates at sextoysbuzz.com: Be careful when bringing vibrators through airports. An airport taxi driver once asked them to turn off their alarm clock in their

Next time, I will be looking at fulfilling the ride experience to its maximum potential, unlike Pat Kenny’s career, as well as chatting to Eddie Durkan and the Boo about Castletown riding, and a few tips from Irish porn star, Keira Kensley.

We are now on Facebook - if you want anything in the next installment of ‘How to get the…”, just search for: “Getting The Shift group”.

Also, Check out Dr Sam Joe Hamens Galway sex Locations Guide on Page 6.

Don’t ever change tigers and tigresssssssssssssessss, rawwwwwwrrr

SIN Style

page 8

How to Dress For Your Figure Tired of pulling together an outfit and thinking there’s something just not right about it? That it’s too blah? Stop. The best place to go shopping is in your own wardrobe. With a few essential accessories, we’ll tell you how to transform your wardrobe, and go from blah to ah.

ble certainly turned Kate Kavanagh’s ensem that you don’t have to our heads and shows k fab. Her top hails spend a fortune to loo re €17, and paired from Penneys for a me uctive scarf it with skinnies and a sed look. me creates a great dayti

The general rule of thumb is to balance your outfits - if you’re showing your legs, wear a modest top; if you’re in a bosom buddies mood, tone down the legs. When Coco Chanel said “less is more”, she didn’t mean less clothes. Bust or legs. Both together may guarantee you the shift, but tend to look trashy. If a guy asks you “how much” outside CPs, he’s not talking about the dress!

ura Buchanan are Sarah Doherty and La ic altogether. These ch s pictured looking tre layering to create a girls make great use of stylish, and very look that’s casual yet matic changes of practical given the dra day in Galway. Top ry climate we have eve footwear. marks on the fantastic

Petite frames should steer clear of maxi dresses, long cardis and flared jeans. These will shorten your figure and make you appear chunky. Make the best of your man-magnet figure with highwaisted shorts and pencil skirts. Cheryl Cole (5’ 3”) knows to elongate her legs by wearing the must-haves of 2010: nude heels. But if Christian Louboutins are above your budget, Dunnes Stores and Barrotts also have great nude shoes.

Curvy girls should incorporate empire-lined tops into their wardrobes. This means the tops pulled in directly below the bust line - the narrowest part of a woman’s frame. Team everything with a waist belt for a stunning hourglass-figure, but make sure these belts aren’t too tight. Aim for va-va voom, not va-va balloon.

et n O’Brien, a feisty cad First up we have Rona his ed pir ins at wh ed ask from Kilkenny. When k a shower this too “I d lie rep he t tfi ou ter’s green tshirt from set nd tre morning”. This d colour to his outfit an Esprit adds a splash of p Tip of s sse ma the m is a welcome break fro esel d. His jeans are by Di un aro g kin lur s sey jer erested. for anyone who’s int

Tall, slender figures should make the most of their height with maxis, long cardigans and layering. Layering with Indian scarves and knitted waistcoats á la Sienna Miller is chic, and so practical for this schizophrenic weather. Kelly Brook’s secret weapon is knowing her own body, and dressing to suit it. There is no point in blindly following extreme fashion trends, if you look like you’re dressing for someone else. If you think you’ll regret it in 10 years, don’t do it.

By Fíona Ní Mháille

l Codyre and gible engineers, Catha Next we have two eli choice for of r is the clearly colou Seamus Carey. Green y lecture an up ten certainly brigh these guys, who will ms from the tfits are made up of ite hall. They say their ou n asked he elusive toilet store. W €2 shop and the ever Seamus is ge lle co d s fashion aroun about his views on lad ed what ask en wh d an ’, t the jaysus quoted as saying ‘wha e’. aring both replied ‘m they like to see girls we

page 9

e d i u G l a v i v r u S y t Universi

By Valerie Hartnett

Part two :

e c n Fina

Dear Student, Ah, money! A necessary evil which we in University never seem to have enough of, unfortunately! Everyone’s financial situation is different, but the expenses of third level education are many-varied and ever-changing. Who knew books could be so expensive?!

Whether you’ve got a grant, a loan, a job, or a very generous family (or a combination of these), you don’t have a bottomless pit of gold at your disposal, and until you win the Euromillions jackpot, you’ve got to learn how to manage what you’ve got.

This is where the age-old art of budgeting comes into play. Sadly, some money will have to be redirected from the beer fund towards rent, bills, college materials, groceries, travel and so on. The list can seem endless! It is wise to get into the habit of budgeting your money early on. Otherwise you may find your resources have entirely depleted by Christmas! Before planning any wardrobe overhauls, or winter skiing breaks, here are a few essentials that need to be thought about

Rent This is usually fixed at a set amount per week/month. Some landlords include the price of bills in their rent price, but not all of them do, so find out if these bills are included in the price you pay. Depending on where you live, and what kind of room you’ve got the price can vary from between €250-€350 per month, with some being cheaper and others more expensive.

The date for paying this is also is also usually fixed, e.g. every Monday, or the first of the month, so once you know how much is due and when you have to pay it, you can be prepared for it. If, for whatever reason, you can’t pay your rent on time or in full, contact your landlord as soon as possible to explain. Don’t rely on this though, and don’t take advantage of your landlord’s generous nature. S/he may not mind changing your rent date to accommodate when you get paid, but if you find yourself dipping into the rent money to finance your nights out, you need to seriously sort out your money matters.

Light and Heat These are due every two months, and

the amount varies depending on how much you’ve used. While these generally arrive at around the same time each billing period, there is no set date for a light or heat bill to arrive.

There is however, a deadline for when it must be paid, so pay attention to it.

Setting aside a certain amount, say €10 per week or so should help to cover most of your share. That way there will be no nasty surprises when the bill comes through the door!

College Expenses These can be quite daunting. Make sure to buy the materials you need for your course as soon as possible. You are also usually expected to buy your core texts for your classes. Shop around for these books. See what you can pick up second hand. As long as the book is in decent condition, it doesn’t matter whether you’re the first owner or the fourth. Check the college notice boards or the Students’ Union second hand bookshop to see what’s on offer. Remember secondary book lists are for texts your lecturers want you to read, not necessarily buy. They will all be available in the library. Also budget for any trips your class will be

taking throughout the year. Include printing and photocopying expenses in your college expenses budget. You’d be amazed at how much this can end up costing.

Food, travel and entertainment expenses can vary from person to person. Make sure to include these in your budget, and be reasonable when allocating your cash for them. Is €50 honestly enough for food for the month? Be honest here… it isn’t.

The last piece of advice I’ll give you is to ask for help, if you need it. Your parents or guardians have had years of experience in budgeting their money (even if it is considerably more than what you’ve got), so they’ll be able to pass on a few handy hints and tips. The SU Welfare officer can also help, and give you information on assistance funds that may be available to you.

Remember, managing your money is supposed to make your life easier, not add to your worries!

Sincerely, An older and (allegedly) wiser student J

page 10

Facebook: Friend or Foe? After reading yet another pointless status update (‘just made a cup of tea smiley face’) last month, I finally left the world of Facebook. Facebook however does not give up without a fight.

In order to deactivate your account you must give a reason why, perhaps ensuring that you are still in possession of your mental faculties. Then a series of photos are displayed of you with friends, and a caption “Stephen will miss you . . . Anna will miss you”. If you manage to remember that Stephen is unlikely to miss you, as you haven’t spoken since primary school, and that your friendship with Anna will probably remain intact without facebook at you live together, then you are in the clear. Well, almost. Facebook double checks one more time that you want to leave, and just when you think you are free Facebook kindly reminds you that you can reactivate your account at any time, simply by re-entering your old details. There is no escape!

Facebook is not necessarily a bad thing, but the expressions of disbelief and incomprehension that greeted me when people discovered my heinous act of abandonment made me think about its role in our lives. Facebook has become a global phenomenon, reaching 500 million members in 2010 according to TechCrunch. I spoke with ten students while researching this article - only two were not on facebook. The other eight spent a minimum of one hour a day on the social networking site, and very often longer. Many, like Rita Grant, 2nd year, “checks in during any spare time.” When asked what they spent that time doing people’s routines were similar - check updates, add photos now and then, and post a message or two. The rest of the time is dedicated to “Facebook stalking”, as one girl put it.

One of the biggest arguments in favour of Facebook is that it allows you to keep in touch with friends, particularly if they are abroad. Mike Kraiver, a visiting student from Connecticut said

“Facebook is a great idea-it’s a good way to stay connected with people you would otherwise lose touch with.” Of Mike’s total friend count he considered around half of them friends.

However Mike is exceptional in this respect. The other seven users all said that of their 300, 400 even 500 Facebook friends, they would call only 25 to 30 of them real friends. Lee Ashwood, one of the non-Facebook users said that he thought Facebook was pointless for this very reason-many of the people you would be “friends” with on Facebook wouldn’t say hi to you if they saw you on the street. This was certainly my experience of it-hours wasted looking at people’s pages that I didn’t particularly care about, when I could have been spending time with the people who really matter. Facebook may be useful for keeping in contact with people across the globe, but surely a phone call, a letter, even a text message would keep people more truly connected than a thumbs up on someone’s status.

This is not a call to boycott Facebook; rather it’s a challenge to people’s perception of it. Facebook is conveyed as a way to keep in touch with people, but it seems largely to be used as a way of distracting ourselves from our own reality, by examining the reality that other people portray of themselves. Dara O’Briain, source of comic wisdom on modern society, compared Facebook to a butler - instead of people emailing him, now they email facebook, and facebook emails him. But is Facebook our servant, or are we its slaves? Spending an hour everyday on Facebook while its owner Mark Zuckerberg sits on $6.9 billion, to me at least suggests the latter. *Due to limited space, this article was edited. An unedited version can be found on www.sin.ie

By Aibhlín O’Leary

Corrib Village – The Inside View “That’s the deposit gone so” As fresher’s fortnight draws to a close, the battle scars are evident. The occupants of Corrib Village, once idealistic, enthusiastic, fresh-faced first years are coming down. After livers were pushed to their limits with cheap 6% flagons of cider, digestive systems tested with nutritious diets of baked beans on toast, virginities lost, S.T.Ds contracted (often at the same time) and legs broken, NUIG freshers’ informal induction is over.

It really is a bizarre place, almost like an independent state, it’s got border controls for those who don’t live there. Often the handiest way to get in is in the back of a van, unless you use the old, “I swear I left my ID in the G.P.O toilets. I’m Eimear from Offaly don’t let the South Dublin accent fool you!” But unlike the Vatican City it’s a lawless and vice-filled place, sort of like the Sodom and Gomorrah of Galway.

Male students roam from apartment to apartment, scuttered drunk, brandishing home-made beer bongs made from club orange bottles, singing Saw Doctors songs and trying to seduce girls with boasts of en-suite double rooms. But the debauchery is, at times, strangely organised. The best example being the

alphabetised block parties of the first week. The most effective and comprehensive way to ensure nobody in the complex gets their deposit back.

By block D it was raining and everyone was too hungover to be arsed. It’d make you wonder why there’s such a lack of medical students. They might yet be needed. However, two weeks straight sustaining this sort of behaviour does take its toll. As you embark on yet another session and the prospect of making that 9 o’clock lecture dwindles, feeling your health and sanity decline, you begin to question this lifestyle. Shouldn’t I be going to college to learn? Does a can of cider count as one of your 5-aday? Where are my shoes?

To put your mind off such panicked life re-assessments you can utilise some of Corrib’s state of the art facilities. Sure who needs functioning wi-fi or bedroom ceiling lights when you have a playground! That’s worth €4,800 up-front alone! And when the facebook won’t connect and you can’t afford another 6 pack of Bav, you can always watch another episode of Home & Away.

Corrib Village, sure tis some shpot! By Rory Bowens

page 11

Dear Agony Aunt, I am a postgraduate student in a taught Master’s programme. I’ve only just started, and already I have so much work to do! We have essays, and projects and assignments and so much to read! The lecturers are already talking about the thesis. I’m freaking out.

Panic-stricken Postgrad, 29

by Grainne Coyne

Overheard in NUIG Peter Gavin: Random Old guy in Hall:

Girl 1: What is that smell?

“They got some mighty fine muffins in the

Girl 2: Yah I know, I don’t know

new cafeteria.”

Girl 1: I mean it really smells.

Everyone in lecture hall turns around and

Sinead Carroll: Guy outside College Bar:

stares as they enter the room, girls quickly

"Fight Like Apes in the College Bar tonight,

leave, with burst of laughter.

is that like a big fight involving apes and

Dear panic-stricken Postgrad,

stuff?"

Simon Lowe: Marilyn Moylan, Sociology lecturer: "Society is a lot like a breast!"

Relax, breathe. Not all of this work is due for submission in the next five minutes! Most lecturers find it better to provide students with a full course outline at the beginning of the year. That way, there are no nasty surprises! Make note of when your submission deadlines are and make sure your assignments are submitted on or before this date to avoid late submission penalties. The best way to do this is to make out a study schedule and allocate time for reading, developing ideas, working on essays, etc. Doing a little bit of work or study each day will break a seeming mountain of work into manageable chunks. Form a study group with your classmates to motivate one another and share ideas. Make note of any ideas you come across which you may be interested in developing into an essay or thesis, and discuss these with your lecturers, who will be happy to advise you.

Once you begin to manage your time, you’ll find that you can get through the workload with less stress, and more success!

Christopher Cosgrove: Overheard today: “Right go back to yours and get your pants

Meabh McDonnell: In the Soc's Box:

and then we can go to the gym then.”

Guy one: Satanism is a palindrome of Science

Michael Burke: Person no.1: "I heard this

Guy two: Really? *thinks for a second* Oh

one in karma.... there was an ice sculpture

yeah...

made of ice, that people licked shots off"

Guy one: NO it isn't!

Person no.2: "Are u sure they weren’t just licking the water?"

lad "I gave birth to a lamb"... “no honestly I Aaron Hastings: Lecturer: "Using these

did I swear!"

methods you can differentiate anything!" – Guy: "Could you differentiate me? I have

Ciara Byrne Two guys outside the college

nipples."

bar: Guy 1: What constitutes a fresher?

Overheard: Two girls outside IT 250 while

Agony Aunt.

Clodagh Mc Loughlin: One unnameable

Guy 2:......Someone who's very refreshed

lecture was taking place.

When Graffiti Becomes Art Typically, the dictionary defines graffiti as unauthorised writing or drawing on a surface in a public place. But is it merely that? Is it just aimless scribbling on public property? Is it the inscriptions on the walls of the O’Flaherty Theatre? You know the ones; the wisdom for today is; the lewd comment for today is. Is it a tag which explains what we are about or where we belong?

Graffiti is an expression and a free one at that. Art and graffiti have the same origins. Cavemen painted pictures, like that of buffalo, on cave walls. It alllows us to depict and set down something that can be viewed by others over time. Art, in this sense, is a way of breaking free and revealing what you see and think. Like many forms of art, it can take a lot of skill and time to perfect. What begins as mere scrawlings can develop into large, elaborate works, which can be insightful and nice to look at.

Graffiti can be satircal and an outlet to describe a persons ideas and feelings on society. Anomimity is a bonus when parttaking in graffiti, but some artists can no longer avail of this as their style and their works have become too well known.

Take Banksy, for instance: one of his famous peices depicts a fleet of police officers gaurding a van with a giant doughnut on top! This questions both authority and

consumerist values. It is also ironic - what are the cops in this piece protecting?

Their own interest.

There are different takes on graffiti.

Walking through Eyre Square recently, I found the most fantastic piece of graffiti. Glued to a concrete seat of a semi-circular seating area in the square was something rather beautiful. I don’t know whether the graffitist (artist) meant it, but it made me stare.

There was money, matchsticks and a unused condom all artistically dusted with a snowy effect. Was this mindless activity? Good if it was! The artist’s intention can be difficult to speculate on, perhaps it was intentional, but these are very useful items. Enough money for the bus ride home or perhaps a coffee, matchsticks to light a cigarette, and a condom no prizes for guessing what that is for. Okay, first you could have sex, then a coffee and a smoke afterwards! Seriously, these might come in useful for a homeless person or even a drunken student! This may not have been high art, but it produced in me a feeling of peace and harmony with the world.

By Owen Sheppard

Seanad Reform

page 12

Time to end the TCD3 The era of privilege in this country should be over, but relics from a different generation remain alive in our state. None of these relics is more evident than the privilege enjoyed by Trinity graduates who elect three senators to Seanad Éireann.

University graduates elect six of the sixty senators in the Seanad - three elected by TCD graduates and three by NUI graduates. The NUI is composed of NUIG, NUIM, UCC and UCD. The graduates of UL and DCU don’t enjoy any ‘privilege’ when it comes to electing senators into the Irish Upper House of parliament.

What’s worse is the entire Institute of Technology sector, graduates from fourteen institutes, are not given the opportunity to vote in the Seanad election despite a referendum which took place over thirty years ago to allow this to happen.

To put this into perspective the graduation numbers of undergraduates in Trinity last year was 2261, while the combined NUI undergraduate graduate numbers was 10459. Adding the graduates (Honour Degrees only) from the fourteen IoT’s (6670) and the graduating numbers of UL and DCU (2892) gives a total of 9562 graduates. Doesn’t seem fair does it?

This privilege of a single university whose graduates

can elect three senators into the Seanad is outdated and grossly unfair to all graduates. The day of Trinity graduates occupying a special place in our society is long gone.

There has been much conversation about the role of the senate in Irish life, the need to reform it or indeed, as Enda Kenny proposes, the abolishment of the senate. I believe that the senate can and should be made work, it should be more relevant to our lives and the work carried out by the Seanad needs to be communicated to the people.

Today there are sixty senators, but most Irish people would be hard pressed to name a handful of the senators. With the exception of the graduate elected members the remaining senators are either elected by other politicians or nominated by the Taoiseach.

Graduates generally elect independent senators, free from a political party, which creates some free thought in an institution which is getting a reputation for a lack of diversity of opinion or intellect.

With notable past senators such as Nobel Laureate, W.B. Yeats, the great days of the Seanad may be over.

The current crop of senators are relatively unknown to the general population with many members having lost out at a general election who, despite the electorate’s refusal to elect them, are snuck into a

political position usually to the bemusement of the electorate, who naturally think it’s a case of ‘jobs for the boys’.

In fairness to the TCD graduates, their current senators are household names – David Norris, Ivana Bacik and Shane Ross. This is positive for the institution as they are probably some of the best known members of the senate other than those involved in scandal, namely Ivor Callely, and those with a penchant for twittering like Dan Boyle. But there is nothing to indicate that graduates from Institutes of Technology couldn’t elect people who are equally as renowned.

It is past time for the six senate seats to be elected from all graduates as a single constituency. The Minister in charge, John Gormley, needs to press on with electoral reform and give all graduates their voice in the Seanad. Whether you are a graduate from NUIG or GMIT shouldn’t give you any less rights than a Trinity graduate. It is indeed time to end the TCD3.

Peter Mannion is a former president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and vice-president / education officer of the NUIG Students’ Union. He is not to be confused with the current NUIG Students’ Union president of the same name.

By Peter Mannion

page 13

The Pope’s apology: is it too late?

To err is human, to forgive divine, except that forgiveness is something the Catholic Church is having a hard time getting in this century. With Pope Benedict XVI returning to the Vatican after his long overdue visit to Scotland and England, I started thinking about the effects that his visit had on the two countries. What could happen if the Pope were to visit Ireland; would he get the same or similar reception he received in Britain?

One of the main talking points was the Pope’s address over the child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the church to its core in recent years. He stated that the scandal “seriously undermines the credibility of the church” and he expressed his “deep sorrow and shame” upon meeting five clerical sex abuse victims in Wimbledon, London, one of whom was from Ireland.

The church has clearly tried to apologise for its wrongdoings and is now in the process of damage limitation, but is it too late? Ten thousand protesters announced their grievances in Hyde Park, displaying strongly worded banners over their disgust with the church’s lack of recognition for gay rights and the child abuse scandals, to name but a few.

During September 2009, Archbishop Silva Maria Tomasia stated that between 1.5 and 5 per cent of the Catholic clergy had been accused of child sex abuse, most of which occurred in the United States and Ireland. Clearly, it is not only priests who have been committing such heinous crimes, but the difference between sexual abuse in families and sexual abuse by clergymen is that the Catholic Church is an institution, representing the belief in God, and as an institution, it is liable to claims and

prosecution.

The Boston Globe reported that civil lawsuits could cost the church up to €75,000,000, with up to €6,000,000 already paid out to the 86 families who were affected by just one priest.

Officials of the church have confirmed that the church is borrowing money to keep up with its day-to-day expenses.

The last time a Pope visited Ireland was back in 1979, Pope John Paul II, who was famous for kissing the soil of all the countries he came to see. He was very popular and many Irish people realised how historic his visit was. Thirty years on and things have changed. After Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain, in a desperate attempt to prevent the expansion of secularism and restore the faith many people used to have in the church, would he have to do that here? I think so, except that Ireland isn’t in any great shape to host the Pope.

A reported cost of £12 million of the British taxpayers’ money would be a lot for Ireland to come up with in a financial crisis.

The unemployment rate of 12.5%, the fact that the Irish were one of the worst affected by the sex abuse scandals and with a government that could be forced out of power at any time, it’s up in the air on whether or not the Pope would come here, even though it would at least show he is thinking about helping this country in any way possible during one of its most arduous decades. *Due to limited space, this article was edited. An unedited version can be found on www.sin.ie

By Conor Lane

NUIG Graduate sets up ‘Oddball’ Business Jennifer Condon, a commerce graduate from NUIG, has set up a quirky new business called ‘Oddball Tours’. The ‘niche reality tourism initiative’ concentrates on the weird and wonderful sights and attractions that Ireland has to offer. The tours certainly seem to run off the beaten track and highlight the unusual, odd and sometimes mundane aspects of rural Ireland.

The tours are geared towards both tourists and locals alike and taking the current economic climate into account the prices are quite reasonable making the tours ‘affordable and accessible to all’. Some of the ‘Oddball tours’ on offer include: visits to the Culchie Festival, a blindfolded walking adventure, the Ruinair Tour of the Limerick and Shannon Region, a Graffiti Tour in Dublin, Neighbourhood Urban Safaris, a murder mystery day out, etc. Some of the tours could possibly be the makings of ‘great mystery adventures’ for university students in my opinion.

Condon, a native of Galway was inspired by ‘Tedfest’, possibly one of the most popular ‘oddball’ events in Ireland today. She also found inspiration for her venture through ‘some truly bizarre tour experiences’ of her own. Her travels have led her ‘climbing slagheaps in post-industrial Belgian towns’, ‘attending a story-telling session in a Beijing Shanty town’, ‘camping out in a Hogan on an isolated Indian Reservation in Mormon-country Utah’, ‘wandering through cobblestoned streets in Dracula’s Transylvania’, ‘exploring former Communist-era bunkers in Czech Republic’, ‘spending time with members of the Amish community in America’s mid-west’ and the list goes on.

Setting up a tourism business at such a young age, 25, during a time of great economic depression surely must be difficult if not near impossible one might think. This does not faze Condon however. She acknowledges indeed that times are hard especially for young entrepreneurs like her but then, ‘when is it ever easy to set up a business’. She certainly has the travel experience under her belt and also all the college courses one might expect for a budding entrepreneur.

She studied Commerce in NUIG before pursuing further studies in Smurfit Business School, UCD, Dublin. There she studied an MBS in International Business, after which she travelled some more. She then obtained a post with Enterprise Ireland. She relocated to its Brussels office and worked there for two years, promoting Irish trade abroad. During this time she spent her weekends touring and travelling all around Europe. After her stint in Brussels, she spent some more time travelling again.

Condon then relocated to Galway with the intent of setting up the business. She undertook a ‘Business Appraisal & Start-up’ course with FÁS, as well as becoming the PR Officer for the Junior Chamber of Business, Galway. In addition to this she has been honing her business plan which she has now brought into effect. No rest for the wicked as they say!

‘Oddball Tours’ certainly seems to be different, an innovative business venture and Jennifer Condon proves herself to be a hardworking and creative individual. We wish her and Oddball Tours great success in the future. By Fionnuala Colleran

Message from the SU President Hi Guys, The whole team in the Students' Union is looking forward to working for you over the next year.

Our job is to make your year as good as it possibly can be. We will do all we can to bring you some valuable services as well as represent and entertain you.

The team at the Students' Union are here to represent you in whatever way we can.

Over the last few years the Students' Union has campaigned on all sorts of issues from building steps at the Quincentennial Bridge to extending the reading room opening hours to helping fight the reintroduction of third level fees. There really is no problem too big or small. So no matter what's bothering you let us know and we'll try to help!

Around Galway Mill Street Garda Station 091 538000 Hospital Citizens 091 524222 Information 091 563344 Emergency Services 112/999 On Campus Student Health Unit 091 492604 Security (emergency) 091 493333 Health & Safety Office 091 492678 Student Counselling 091 492484

The SU Pages are designed to give you an idea what we in the Students’ Union are doing for you. They will also keep you up to date on some of the activities that are planned for the months ahead. Please keep an eye on what’s happening and be sure to let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions.

Finally, college life can get really busy. In the midst of the madness try to look out for your friends and classmates. Everyone's time in college is different and some people can find it tough. Whether you're in your first or twenty first year at NUI Galway (we won't judge) I hope you have an absolutely fantastic year!

Enjoy!

Peter, President, NUI, Galway Students' Union STUDENTS’ UNION NUI GALWAY

NUI GALWAY STUDENTS’ UNION

First Year Soccer Tournament

Personal Safety We ask and implore every student to take care walking home at night. It doesn’t matter if you know kung fu or are nearly seven foot tall; you still need to look after yourself.

Avoid isolated and darkened areas, both day and night. Take the busy route (especially if you are alone) Carry a panic alarm or whistle. You can purchase a small and effective alarm to put on your key chain for just €4 from the Students' Union Shop.

If you think you are being followed, go to the nearest place there are people, even a private house, and ring the Gardaí at 091 538000 Don't walk home alone at night even if you think you are Chuck Norris Know the timetable of your bus route to avoid standing at the bus stop on your own. Most timetables are available in your Students' Union diary Its common sense really, so please take care and look after yourself.

Here are some important emergency numbers, just in case you might need them.

The rescheduled First Year Indoor Soccer Tournament is taking place on Tuesday 12th of October from 10am to 5pm in the Student Sports Centre. You can sign up your team of 5 in the SU now for €15. Further information is available from Dami on jdami77@gmail.com.

The Dead Flags This week sees the Sligo-based poppunk masters The Dead Flags play the SU Sessions. They released their debut album, the blistering, energetic ‘Gentlemen's Club', in April. The band have gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months, picking up rave reviews, national airplay and a growing legion of fans with their constant touring and the release of the singles O My Love! O My God!! and Anymore and EP We've Got The Ways And The Means.

Featuring 12 tracks that range from manic rockers (Cheating On You, I Can't Be Held Responsible) to hooky pop-songs (Girls, O My Love! O My God!!) to reflective bawlers (How Long?, I Know You Do) and full-on rockabilly work-outs (Woman!), Gentlemen's Club captures the taut energy of The Dead Flags live show while highlighting the witty lyrics and vocal harmonies that are a hallmark of the band's sound. The band cites Violent Femmes, Supergrass and Eels as key influences.

The SU Sessions are a free weekly event open to the public and hosted by NUI, Galway Students' Union in An Bialann (The Canteen NUIG) every Tuesday at 6pm. www.myspace.com/thesusessions

Coming Soon – Neil Delamere!

Comedian Neil Delamere will be playing the O’Flaherty Theatre on Monday 11th of October at 8pm to kick off Mental Health Week in style. Tickets are only €8 with your SU Card and will be on sale from the SU office early next week.

SU Crew The first SU Crew meeting will take place in the Darcy Thompson Theatre [on the Concourse] on Tuesday 5th October at 7pm. The SU Crew is a new idea we’ve come up with and is aimed at getting people who usually wouldn’t be involved in the Students’ Union to sign up, get some goodies in return for their help promoting the Students’ Union on campus and advising us about what students want from us. That might involve organising gigs or helping with our various campaigns during the year such as SHAG Week (Sexual Health and Guidance) and College Week. The whole point of the SU Crew is that it’s purposefully flexible and it’s role can change from month to month– if you want to go around with a charity bucket for us, that’s fine; if you’d rather try and get us to fund some new idea you how to make campus better, we’re all ears so drop by on Tuesday at 7pm to learn more about it.

Class Reps Here is the timetable for the next couple of weeks. If your class hasn’t got a Class Rep or you’re interested in becoming a rep, then email Emmet at su.education@nuigalway.iev

Refreshers Week 6th – 9th October: Welcoming Postgrads to Campus

Equality Week 4th – 7th October Monday 4th October 7pm - Movie: Milk - The Harvey Milk Story The Space, upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn Tuesday 5th October 6pm - The SU Sessions present The Dead Flags. Free gig in An Bialann (The Canteen) 7pm - Movie: Rent, The Space, upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn Wednesday 6th October 11 – 3pm - Cadbury spots vs stripes on College Green including 3,000 free chocolate bars!

Rose of Tralee 2010, Clare Kambamettu in Áras na Mac Léinn. Reception & all welcome.

7pm - Movie: Terry (The 'Terry Fox Run' Story) Meeting Room 2, upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn 7pm - DramSoc Transgender Acting Workshop Thursday 7th October 7pm - Movie: A Time To Kill. The Space, upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn 12pm - GigSoc Gay Marriage

http://www.spotsvstripes.com/homepage.aspx

1pm - Live band Cleere play a free gig in the Hub, downstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn 5pm - Mental Illness & Me an Exhibition of diary drawings by Bobby Baker launch by

More information on these events is available from your Equality Officer Robin on su.equality@nuigalway.ie

Wednesday 6th October 11am - Coffee morning in the College Bar 11 – 4pm - Cadbury spots vs stripes on College Green including 3,000 free chocolate bars!

1 – 2pm - Live Band Cleere in the Hub, Áras na Mac Léinn 4 – 6pm - 1st year Research Postgrad Orientation in Bailey Allen Hall 6pm - Finger Food in the Hub, Áras na Mac Léinn 8pm - Table Quiz in the College Bar Thursday 7th October 12pm - Tour of campus for 1st years Postgrad students. Meet at the Quad Archway.

2 – 4pm - Moving Mindfully Beginners Taster Sessions in The Cube downstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn 2 - 4pm - Societies & Clubs Sign Up in Áras na Mac Léinn 12– 1pm - Student Sports Centre facilities tour 2 – 4pm - Alive volunteering sign up in Áras na Mac Léinn

7pm - Trip to Galway Greyhound Stadium only €5 Friday 8th October 2 – 4pm - Moving Mindfully Beginners Taster Sessions in The Space, upstairs in Áras na Mac Léinn 5pm - €10 Pizza & Pitchers in The College Bar with live music from The Rye and the Ireland v Russia match on at 8pm All Day: Postgrad Photo Exhibition in the foyer of Áras na Mac Léinn Saturday 9th October 12 – 2pm - Students’ Union Open for travel cards and second hand books 1– 3pm - Societies & Clubs Sign Up in Áras na Mac Léinn 1– 2pm - Student Sports Centre facilities tour 1– 3pm - Alive volunteering sign up in Áras na Mac Léinn More information on these events is available from your Postgrad Officer Ciara on su.postgrad@nuigalway.ie

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Construction Work at NUIG:

? t I e t a H r o t Like I Ongoing construction work is common at NUIG. However, the more central construction sites have provoked strong reactions around campus. Some students are glad that facilities are being updated; others find the work inconvenient and annoying. A BA student commented “it’s annoying because you have to cycle the long way around [to get to the Arts Millennium Building]. I don’t mind it really, but I don’t think it’s necessary”. A wheelchair user commented that “there is only one ramp to bring you up from the level An Bialann is on to the main access to the library and concourse and now that’s been closed off. I had just figured out all these routes last year in first year and had to start again this year”. A student of Philosophy proposed that the building work “takes away from the overall atmosphere” of the college. These observations refer to the construction work that is central taking place around the Yellow Thing and beside the library (the site of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Building). Students are not as disrupted by the construction of the new Engineering Building, opposite Aras Moyola, or the Biosciences Research Building, in Dangan. A PhD student commented that construction of the Kingfisher gym and the Nursing and Midwifery Library were “all annoying at the time but benefit us in the long run”.

That said, many final year and postgraduate students know that a lot of the construction – especially referring the geographically central Arts Building, expected to be finished in October 2011 will not be completed by the time they graduate, and they must suffer the noise pollution and disruption of routes without any expectance of reaping the future rewards. On the other hand, I spoke to two American MA students who were of the opinion that the construction is not bothersome, and though one admitted “it’s kind of difficult to get around”, she was enthusiastic about the new Arts building. An older student also expressed two views on the matter. “It very badly affects my thinking when outdoors,” she said, in reference to the noise, “however it truly comes as good news that there is visible employment in construction and therefore I applaud the work and its result”. However, when discussing the lack of green space now in the central campus, the same student referred to a Yeats quote, stating “what’s left of the trees are in their autumn beauty”.

Many students are annoyed at the destruction of greenery to make way for the construction. One student announced that he is “not a big fan” of the loss of green space over by the Arts Millennium Building (AMB). A PhD student agreed that there is “not enough green space around... You miss it but it wasn’t really used”. A Medicine student told me how annoyed she was by it; “every year you come back and you think [the building] is going to be finished”. She lamented the loss of the green space where the Nursing Library now stands, and the fact that now the space

across from AMB is gone too. “They should be trying to save the green space,” she stated. “It’s important to have it... I’d much prefer for them to leave the green space and find other ways of solving the problem”. She expressed annoyance that it will soon be “like walking around a city in the campus”.

Many also resent the loss of the ‘Fishbowl’ smoking area. One student described it as “quirky” and commented that it was “a nice addition to the campus”. Many students also do not approve of the new glass cubes. A particularly annoyed engineering student stated, “I’ve been five years in this college and I’ve never seen anything as ridiculous as those cubes!” The transformed Bialann has received a mixed reaction. For many, the increased cleanliness and the reduction in noise levels come as a welcome improvement. Others condemn it as “artificial”. One student complained that “the walls block things off - you can’t see people you want to meet”.

To get some responses to these issues, I contacted Keith Warnock, Vice President of Capital Projects. Firstly, Mr Warnock made clear that the university considers the preservation of trees and green space an issue of high importance. A campus survey was completed detailing over 600 trees, each tree being given a number and description. “Nothing is done,” he said, “without consideration of every single tree”. He also emphasised that for every tree that is cut down, another two or three are planted, and discussed plans for a new green area in between the Quincentennial Bridge and the new engineering building, and the development of the riverside walkway.

In reference to the removal of the ‘Fishbowl’, he clarified that it was never intended to be a smoking area, and that the space was needed to improve the capacity of An Bialann. When I mentioned the area around the Yellow Thing and the lack of space to sit outside, Mr Warnock stated that this work was delayed in order to finish work on An Bialann on time, and that the area would be completed next month, providing more seating areas. In addition, Mr Warnock emphasised the long-term benefits of the new research buildings – providing 13,000 square metres of new research space. In relation to wheelchair users and better access, Mr Warnock stated that he will follow up on improvements in sign-posting, and mentioned plans for “a specific facility for wheelchair users” to access An Bialann.

Although the construction can be annoying, perhaps students are only thinking of it in the short term - it seems there are long-term plans to continue to improve the campus. In the meantime, the college should consider providing more information for students about future development.

By Kate Smyth

page 17 Christina Shelley - Arts Jenny Brennan - Arts Keith Whiriskey - Earth and Ocean Science Graduate Will Greene - Engineering Graduate

"We love the food and we think the prices are good. The seating areas' colour scheme is great because people are easier to find now.

You can tell your friends "I'm in the green part". If we could add anything, a pick n' mix stand would be cool."

"Generally, we think it’s an improvement.

The furniture is comfortable and it’s all easy on the eye. We smoke, but the courtyard isn't a major loss. It wasn't rainproof anyway. However they have gone very corporate, first with Subway and now Starbucks. Could they not have used small, independent businesses instead? Also, we do miss the couches.

That area was a good place to meet up in the evenings. But over-all, we're not displeased!”

Paul Conway - Science Evan Preston Kelly - Corporate Law Conor McCombe - Civil Engineering

Martina Raftery Masters in Health Psychology "I like the separate areas because it's less noisy now and more like a restaurant. The old place had a school canteen vibe, so as a mature student I think this is a definite improvement. I do miss the old counters with the high stools though because you could sit alone and you wouldn't be taking up a whole table to yourself.

Sharing them can be a little awkward."

Liam Cowley Chef in An Bhialann "We hate the new seats, they're uncomfortable. And we also hate the colours, all the white makes it look like a canteen you would find in a mental institution. And what's with all the separate areas? The partitions block us from seeing who is coming in the main door. The staff has always been unfriendly but we think the food is fine."

"I think what they have done with it is lovely. It’s brighter, more colourful and the atmosphere has improved. I do think there should be more advertising about the deals and the new choices that are available.

I think that there should be offers such as getting a free bottle of Coke or a bag of crisps with every meal. That would really attract students. Also, the new tray rack hasn't been working very well so far, but it will really help the staff if customers use it. In general though, it's a better place to work now."

An Bhialann Makeover:

? k n i h T u o Y o D What For those of you who are new to NUIG, you might have heard that An Bhialann didn't always look so shiny. Major changes have been made since last year. The outdoor courtyard is gone, Starbucks has arrived and the seating areas have been transformed. But what do you think of the new changes? Sin visited the new Bialann to find out if you love it or hate it. By Miceala O’Donovan and Leah Mollica

The Societies Page

page 18

TUESDAY, 5TH OCTOBER

FRIDAY 8TH OF OCTOBER

FLAC Society Weekly Free Legal Advice Clinic Time: 18:00 – 19:30 Venue: Meeting Room 1 & 2, Áras na Mac Léinn

Maths Soc Mathsoc Seminar Time: 18:00 – 20:00 Venue: C219, Aras de Brun TUESDAY 12TH OF OCTOBER

Law Soc William Fry- Graduate Programme Presentation. A presentation on the firm and opportunities available to graduates.

Time: 18:00 – 19:00 Venue: IT125G Choral Soc Weekly Choral Soc Practice Time: 18:00 – 20:00 Venue: College Chapel in AMB car park Poker Weekly Poker Tournament Time: 18:00 – 23:59 Venue: The View, Áras na Mac Léinn Ógra Shinn Féin Soc Time: 19:00 – 20:00 Venue: TBC WEDNESDAY 6TH OF OCTOBER Camara Society Camara computer drop-off Time: 10:00 – 18:00 Venue: 18 Distillery Rd. Muslim Youth Soc Major Signs of the Last Day Time: 18:00 – 21:00 Venue: Large lecture theatre, Clinical Science Institute (CSI), NUIG

Classics Soc Glen Dudbridge: Comparisons between Rome and Jin Dynasty China(265 A.D - 420 A.D) Time: 18:30 – 20:30 Venue: Siobhán McKenna Theatre, Arts Millenium FLAC Society Weekly Free Legal Advice Clinic Time: 18:00 – 19:30 Venue: Aras na Mac Leinn, Meeting Room 1 & 2

Voluntary Services Abroad Soc VSA Quiz Time: 20:30 – 23:59 Venue: The Quays Bar, Quay St THURSDAY 7TH OF OCTOBER Muslim Youth Soc The Return of Christ Time: 18:00 – 21:00 Venue: Small lecture theatre, Clinical Science Institute (CSI), NUIG

Describe your society: We are a society that enjoys the game of Poker. We want to try and encourage our members to learn and master the game, by hosting various different prized tournaments and getting in guest speakers.

One interesting fact that people may not know about your society: We will be hosting different events this year, other then our weekly Poker Game What are looking forward to most this year? Getting guest speakers and holding various different poker tournaments.

The Poker Society meets every Tuesday at 6pm in The View, Áras na Mac Léinn. This is our weekly poker game in which we get 60+ people a week.

For more information email poker@socs.nuigalway.ie Name of Society: Irish Studies Society Describe your society: The Irish Studies Society explores what it is to be Irish through culture, history, traditions, music and dance. Founded in late 2009 and started up in 2010 it has grown in numbers and is popular with not only visiting students but Irish students.

Choral Soc Weekly Choral Soc Practice Time: 18:00 – 20:00 Venue: College Chapel in AMB car park

We hold cultural events and fun evenings which show what it truly means to be Irish in

Poker Weekly Poker Tournament Time: 18:00 – 23:59 Venue: The View, Áras na Mac Léinn

What are looking forward to most this year? Our Ceilí night was great fun last year. So,

Ógra Shinn Féin Soc Time: 19:00 – 20:00 Venue: TBC Law Soc Arthur Cox - Trainee Programme Presentation Time: 19:00 – 20:00 Venue: The G Hotel WEDNESDAY THE 13TH OF OCTOBER

FanSci Weekly gaming Time: 18:00 – 22:00 Venue: Large Acoustic Room, Aras na Mac Léinn

Name of Society: Poker Society

modern times.

One interesting fact that people may not know about your society: Our rendition of Riverdance is Flawless!

Ceilí 2011 should be as much fun. Our trip to Dublin should be great too, our first anniversary as a society will have to be marked! We have a leprechaun hunt planned so that will no doubt be some laugh!

The Irish Studies Society meets every second week on Wednesdays at 7.30pm usually in the seminar Room in Martha Fox House, Distillery Road.

Email irishstudies@socs.nuigalway.ie Name of Society: Comedy Soc Describe your society: NUIG Comedy Soc is a society dedicated to the promotion and practice of comedy both on and off campus, including stand up, improv, film and song!

We were awarded both the Phoenix Award and Best Original Múscailt Event last year.

FanSci Weekly gaming Time: 18:00 – 22:00 Venue: Large Acoustic Room, Áras na Mac Léinn THURSDAY THE 14TH OF OCTOBER

Membership to the society guarantees discounted entry to the local comedy in town as well as priority access to certain campus events.

One interesting fact that people may not know about your society: You don’t have to be funny to join.

What are looking forward to most this year? At the moment we’re really looking forward to the Galway Comedy Festival near the end of October, before that we have our Mad

Young Fine Gael Soc YFG Hosts: Jim Higgins MEP Time: 19:00 – 23:00 Venue: TBC

Hatter’s Tea Party (Oct. 12t) and we have Tiernan Douieb coming over from the UK in

FRIDAY THE 15TH OF OCTOBER

The Comedy Soc meets irregularly so your best bet is to just read the emails from comedysoc@socs.nuigalway.ie, Facebook – NUIG Comedy Society, Twitter - @nuigcomedy. We usually meet on a Wednesday and head down to comedy after.

Dramsoc Aran Islands Trip Time: 13:00 – 20:00 When: 15th-17th of October Venue: Inis Mor

November too. There’ll be various workshops and ‘-athons’ to attend throughout the year too. It’s going to be a good one!

Sinderella’

getting over break-ups When you live in a small city like Galway, it is highly possible, even probable, that you will bump into that one person who broke your heart. The chances are even higher when you truly look like shit.

After break-ups, certain streets, spots and times are out bounds. The city becomes your own prison reminding you of every happy moment you shared with him. The spot where you shared your first kiss, a place where you finely gave in and handed your fragile, beating heart to him. Now the city is your deserted mine field, loaded with emotional explosions. You have to be very careful where you step or you could be blown to pieces.

When dealing with break ups you make up silly rules - lie that you are happy, destroy all the pictures you have of him in which he looks sexy and you look happy. What I say is: “Fuck all of this bullshit and have a life!” You may be hurt, you may not want to live anymore, you can’t imagine your future without him. ALL YOU WANT IS HIM! But trust me ladies, my heart was broken. I was in the same place, but now I can honestly say that I have never been happier in my life.

The best advice I got was from a male friend, who was at that time also dealing with break up. He told me that if something really bad happens in your life, your karma is bound to change for good, that if you look at life more positively you will be happier. I know this sounds like bullshit, but trust me it works. It changed who I am.

I look at life more positively, I believe

that good things will happen and even if something bad does happen, you’ll still get something positive out of it. It really works. I got back into college, got this amazing opportunity to write in Sin, got a new job, and am moving forward in my life.

Of course, with break ups comes the fun. You are single again, in college, surrounded by sexy guys. Just open your eyes and have a look, but whatever you do, don’t compare your new fella with the previous chapter in the story of your life.

Was my friend right? I keep wondering. Do we, as females, have to get over someone in a slow and painfull way, or can we ignore our bad feelings and throw ourselves back into the game? I say go for it! I went on a blind date. It was a failure. My other friend got very messed up and went through a phase of being a whore. If your not ready to recover properly, just get wasted and dance your nights away. You will feel alive soon, all you have to do is forget and look at life in positive way.

In a world where someone’s heart is broken every second, tears shed every minute, I keep wondering what are the break up rules? Personally, I have none, I believe everything happens for a reason. It’s your destiny to be alone for a while. A place where you discover who you are again, realise that life doesn’t revolve around him and his constant needs.

By Sinderella feelings, go with the flow and stop over-thinking it. I have to say it’s nice to just have a blank mind from time to time, and forget all the ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’ questions.

A few days ago, I took a chance. I went with my feelings rather than with brain power - more like the power of vodka.

I was kind of attracted to him, but not that much. We chatted, flirted, kissed a little and then it just happened.

Break ups are tough to get through, but people go through it every day you are not alone. It’s just part of life that still surprises you, scares the shit out of you, makes you do crazy things, but without any heart aches or crazy memories, our lives would be too boring.

Was it awkward that I slept with my co-worker, who I spent nine hours working side-by-side with, every day? I say no. We’re not in love, but I still managed to drive him crazy. I have to say perhaps it was a mistake, but I’m sick of wondering. Just follow your

If there’s nothing in your life to live for, get the fuck off your ass and do something. There’s plenty to do in this life, it’s definitely not worth it to pine over some asshole who still doesn’t know what he wants and is. Take a chance in this life, live ...

page 20

What we did then:

Year 2000/2001 As I’m sure all of the avid readers of Sin are aware, this year Sin is ten years old.

Reaching that milestone, we thought it would be a good idea to remind ourselves of those shiny silver Millennium years both within the pages of Sin and in the world around us. Remind ourselves of simpler times, without iPods and recessions, where the only thing we were frightened of was a giant computer virus taking over the world.

moves which were popular at the time, it was the era of S-Club Seven and the music taste of the entire country could’ve been a ten year old’s for the amount of times they appeared in the single charts that year. The age of pop music and boy bands dominated, Westlife were firm contenders in the singles charts also. So the whole country was reaching for the stars where they could then fly without cumbersome wings being

Of course one of the biggest topics of global interest itself was the Millennium, everything was silver for a time - silver cars, silver electric equipment and I distinctly remember some silver clothes, the jumpsuits of Mork and Mindy were not that far away. People were excited about a new century, the world becoming more developed, more computerized, which led to fears about the Y2K virus. However this was all placed upon the year 2000, which, according to the experts, was not actually the Millennium year - 2001 was. This is based on the assumption that you don’t start counting a new century/millennium until the first year, which makes sense, but who listens to experts?

The years brought some interesting political upheaval, it was the year of George Bush’s election as President, defeating Al Gore in one of the most widely publicised elections that the world has ever seen.

However, personally, my memory doesn’t recall much more about the actual elections. I do remember the wait, the time it took to announce the victor and merely that because of this the schoolyards lost interest. However the consequences of the election were to be far reaching and in the years that followed, our interest extended far beyond the schoolyard.

The schoolyards that I remember often included strange re-enactments of dance

attached to their body (at least this is what the music industry would have us believe).

The Den was in full swing on RTÉ 2 with new-guy Damien McCaul at the helm (its recent ending has caused much mourning on my part). The television sets were dominated with Pokémon and Digimon and

the schoolyards were dominated with debates over which was better (Digimon, definitely!). However, the slightly older generation were interested in programmes of higher calibre. In a 2001 issue of Sin an RTÉ conference was reported on where, the question of most contention was “Why did ye have to cancel Glenroe?” Hugely popular at the time, the article detailed the support of the lone, brave man’s question.

Other articles of interest that year included the arrest of seven NUIG students at a protest in Glasgow over disturbing the peace at an Anti Nuclear protest, which over 1,500 attended. Environmentalism was highly important that year and there were a number of recycling protests within the college. And there were new things in focus that people were just getting used to, for instance there was an article that detailed one girl’s first experiences with a mobile phone. It was a charming not-so-little 3310 that had Snake on it - all together now “Awwww”. However there were articles in which the problems are still echoed today, one entitled ‘Corrib Village Lockdown’ where the writer in question was criticising the number of restrictions in the Corrib Village living arrangements, it’s nice to know that some things never change.

Things that have changed; the word ‘Bootylicious’ is now in the dictionary, we can watch movies online and steal the internet for it from our neighbours and this newspaper has kept going. Sin has changed, for the better I hope, in the ten years that I lived, half my life, it has lived its. Happy Birthday Sin, here’s to reading another article much like this one in ten years time.* *By which time it will be just downloaded into my brain while I take my hover car for a drive.

By Méabh McDonnell

page 21

A typical day It was a simple, ordinary day for Gemma O’Connor; getting up, going to feed her horse, then off to university in the little blue Nissan Micra belonging to her brother. Later in the day she would finish lectures, maybe attend a society’s meeting and then head back home on the bus as her sibling continued to squander his hours away frivolously. At home she would once again visit her horse and eventually do some assigned class work or watch another episode of Greek. Everything had its order and place in Gemma’s life. There weren’t many irregularities throughout her week; even thinking of deviating from the program seemed foreign to her.

And so, Wednesday morning started off as normal - porridge for breakfast, a lift into town and several interesting lectures. As Gemma squatted outside a crowded lecture theatre, waiting half an hour early for her next lecture, a curly-haired boy simply walked up to the theatre doors and plopped himself down opposite her. He looked at her with big, hazel-brown eyes and a friendly smile and uttered one single word: “Hi”. Gemma was baffled. Never before had a complete stranger tried to strike up a conversation with her.

Gemma was the reserved type. Usually people avoided talking to her as she seemed different to the gaggle. If the gang were hitting the town for a night out, Gemma would be at home reading a novel. If a new guy talked to her she would blush, stumble over words and embarrass herself.

Several minutes passed between them without conversation until Gemma plucked up the courage to respond to his gesture. “Hey. Are you waiting for Classics too? At 2pm?”. “I sure am,” the stranger answered with an obliging smile. “What’s your name?” There didn’t seem to be any nervous tension in the air, as was obligatory when two people met each other for the first time. But Gemma did feel slightly uncomfortable being in the proximity of this guy whom she had just met. It was close to the first time that she had had such an encounter with a random stranger and she wasn’t entirely sure if

she liked deviating from her comfort zone.

Gemma felt slightly relieved as they parted ways in the forthcoming lecture theatre, as she had felt captured and now she was able to breathe freely again. She turned all of her attention to the lecturer at the front of the theatre, but still a queasy feeling remained in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn’t identify what it was but somehow her gut told her that there was something off about today.

The lecturer didn’t particularly hold a riveting session and so Gemma was glad when she could escape to Áras na Mac Léinn. There, she had a meeting planned with one of the many societies she had joined in Freshers Fornight. Excitement was building up in her as this would be the first of many gatherings she wanted to attend and she hoped that, as a first year, she would be accepted into the circle graciously.

A most pleasant surprise awaited her as she pushed open the glass door of the students building. The Auditor of the society was waiting in the foyer pinning up flyers indicating the way to the society meeting. He turned around just as she entered the building and greeted her warmly. All Gemma’s worries dispersed rapidly as she was introduced to more and more lovely people of the society. Last night she had asked herself harshly if going to college was really what wanted and if the course was right for her. Now, she couldn’t think of a nicer place to be than in NUIG, in the middle of all the turmoil of societies.

The meeting was a round of laughs and personal

experiences and she felt warm and most definitely comfortable engaging with this society. As the next meeting time and place was arranged, she felt like the next Thursday couldn’t come fast enough. Just as Gemma believed she was perfectly happy, the curlyhaired individual from outside her classics theatre showed up, out of the blue. He sat down opposite her again, this time on a chair and not the ground, and smiled openly at her.

Gemma avoided looking at the stranger throughout the meeting as the uneasy feeling she kept getting concerning today wouldn’t stop nagging at her. She was thrilled when the meeting was adjourned soon after and she was free to go home, back to her comfort zone.

A dusky mist had set in this late at night and her brother’s provisional license experiences didn’t fully relax Gemma. She twitched every time a hard shoulder appeared in the road or as a larger vehicle approached out of the shimmering mist. The loud metal music of her sibling echoed through the tiny car and it was no wonder that neither of them heard or saw the oncoming truck until it was too late. The lights

were blinding, the road was slippy, and the music was blaring.

Both car drivers swerved, the truck to the left, the miniature car to the left. As Gemma’s brother turned his steering wheel sharply left, he seemed to have forgotten that they were on a bridge and the Micra toppled off and into the water. Gemma was still half blinded by the angry bright lights of the truck and before she had a chance to regain her sight, a further white light glared at her intensely.

All worries, thoughts, ideas, future plans and prospects, relationships, fears, feelings and emotions were drowned slowly in the murky waters of the gentle river. The world had lost a special individual who would never again have a chance to speak or embrace someone. That day had been her last and if she did have regrets it was too late to right them. She went under with everything and no-one would ever know what she had felt or thought in her last minutes.

By Johanna Stock

Reviews

page 22

Glee Glee is finally back, with the arrival of season two; fellow gleeks will finally be able to know what happened to “New Directions” over the summer.

It’s clear a lot has happened over the summer from Finn and Rachel’s blossoming romance to Puck’s vasectomy, but the future for “New Directions” is once again under threat, this time from the new football coach, Shannon Beiste. Coach Sue and Mr. Schuester are outraged at Beiste’s budget cuts on both the cherrios and Glee, and vow together to get rid of her but most of their

on youtube. Rachel fears Sunshine would take away the

shows, to real life documentaries on competing musical

attempts fail and Mr. Schuester feels guilty for being

spotlight from her. Finn attempts to try and get Sam

groups in America. With the constant appearance of

harsh towards Beiste. Mr. Schuester is also

Evans to join Glee as well, after he overheard him

international stars on the programme, such as Britney

disappointed from the lack of interest to sign up for

singing in the shower but fails to join the group when

Spears, and the rumoured appearance of Gwyneth

Glee.

he sees how all the glee members are made fun of.

Paltrow it is evident that this new season of Glee will

Rachel feels threatened by the new talent, Sunshine,

It is evident that Glee has become a phenomenal

be bigger and better.

played by Charice who actually achieved huge success

worldwide success, from the spin off musical audition

By Grainne Coyne

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Based on the six-volume comic book Scott Pilgrim by

terrible adaptations need not fear, Scott Pilgrim is as

feel at odds with the

Bryan lee O’ Malley, and inspired by the arcade video

faithful as they come, with excellent performances from

kung-fu battles.

games of the eighties such as Street Fighter and Mario,

the cast including a scene stealing Brandon Routh. The

The phrase, “a film for

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a cross between the indie

film works as a metaphor for facing one’s own

our generation” is

comedy and over the top kung-fu action movies.

shortcomings, as well as proving that love isn’t easy but

often applied with

The plot initially goes the indie comedy route; base

must be fought for. If that sounds a bit mawkish the

hyperbolic enthusiasm

player Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is living the slacker

film is anything but. Rapid-fire dialogue and editing

by a reviewer

dream of an indie band, an adoring girlfriend and a

ensures the film races along in flashing lights and

desperately trying to

seemingly easy existence. Into Scott’s precious little life

exploding colours. Owing to its videogame origins, the

gain coveted space on

steps Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the

film is a visual treat; Scott Pilgrim’s finest hour being a

the DVD box set. In Scott Pilgrim, Edgar Wright has

girl of his dreams whom Scott falls for immediately. But

CGI fuelled battle of the bands.

given us a film that can indeed be aptly described as “a

it turns out it’s Scott versus the universe, for in order for

If it has one fault, the film never truly feels like a

film for our generation”. Melding comic books and indie

them to date, Scott needs to defeat Ramona’s seven

cohesive hybrid of its many influences; its first half drags

comedy, the film is a perfect summation of current

evil-exes in a series of increasingly bizarre video game

due to the films determined laidback narrative clashing

Hollywood. While at times a little scattershot, Scott

style fights, as well as deal with his own immaturities

with the attention-deficit direction. You'll have to wait

Pilgrim vs. the World is nonetheless the most

and faults.

an hour before Scott Pilgrim gets it together, and even

entertaining film this year.

Fans worried about the infinite sadness that comes from

then the pop culture hipness and indie comedy often

By Colm McElligott

The Other Guys The Other Guys sees director and writer Adam McKay

Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). Gamble and Hoitz are pretty

team up once again with Will Ferrell. Together they’ve

much the odd couple. One is a seemingly dull desk-

tackled male dominated industries like the world of

jockey interested in filing and white collar crime and

NASCAR (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky

the other suffers from rage issues and a happy trigger-

Bobby) and 1970’s news casting (Anchorman: The

finger. Their bungled attempts to become the new

Legend of Ron Burgundy) and now turn their comedic

kids in town land them in serious trouble with their

make a really good combo and the plot is pretty solid.

attention to the tough cop movie genre - with

captain Gene Mauch, played by Michael Keaton. They

It has to be said though that there were a couple of

hilarious consequences! Don’t let the gags fool you

eventually stumble their way onto a massive market

really cringe moments too. One of the standout ones

though, the movie also features a serious side with the

swindle perpetrated by corporate giant David Ershon

is where Gamble and Hoitz visit the home of Gamble’s

focus turning to corporate crime and the lack of

(Steve Coogan).

ex-girlfriend. It was so unnecessary and pushed the

culpability for its perpetrators. When celebrity police

Through their investigation of the crime, Gamble and

movie from fantastic to farce.

officers P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and

Hoitz become more involved in each other’s lives.

Thankfully, other parts of the film are really worth

Christopher Danson (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

Hoitz sees a side to Gamble that he wasn’t expecting

seeing and even the end credits are worth staying in

are killed ridiculously in the line of duty, someone

– and I’m not just talking about his ‘incredibly plain’

your seat for. They’re followed by a short outtake

needs to step up to fill the void. Those someones are

wife Dr. Sheila Gamble, played by Eva Mendes.

with Ferrell and Wahlberg that had me smiling on my

the other guys, Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry

Overall the film was brilliant. Wahlberg and Ferrell

way out of the cinema. By Lisa Jackson

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music reviews

page 24

Interview: A BAND CALLED WANDA Having supported major bands such as ‘Alabama 3’, ‘The

specific genre in mind. We just go with it.

Saw Doctors’ and ‘The Hothouse Flowers’, things are going well for ‘A Band Called Wanda’. Their superb way

How did you come up with your name?

of fusing folk with rock has captivated anyone who has

It seemed like a good idea after a few!

It can also be bought online at the following link:

heard them play and sing. They launched their debut 6-

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bandcalledwanda

Áine Mc Williams spoke to band member Darren about

What has been your biggest challenge so far as a band?

their journey so far and their plans for the future.

It was a struggle getting out there and getting known.

Have you anything big coming up?

track EP, ‘Roses Are Still Red’ in April 2010.

Getting across to an audience that isn’t already

We recently played for Arthur’s Day in Tigh Coili and

How long is the band together?

oversaturated was tough. Gigging definitely helped.

The Roisin Dubh. David Gray was also in The Roisin

We took to the stage for our first gig in 2004 which

Getting onto mainstream radio is a huge challenge.

Dubh and Johnny Flynn in Tigh Coili so this was pretty

was in An Taibhdearc, Galway. We sold out the venue!

cool. We will be in The Crane Bar on the 6th of

We were playing together for a while before that.

What advice would you give to bands who want to get out there?

October at 8pm. We will be playing with two singers

Who are your influences?

Buy a van and do lots of gigs!

exciting as they are a popular band since the 1970’s. We

Bob Dylan, The Band, The Beatles, Beach Boys,

from the folk rock band Pentangle which is really are taking time off at the end of October to record an

Radiohead, The Smiths, Ger Wolfe but to name a few.

You launched a 6 track EP this year called “Roses Are Still Red” where can we buy it?

album in Scotland.

How would you describe your style?

In Galway a shop called Bell, Book and Candle have it in

We call it Folk n’ Roll. We tend to write songs with no

stock. It is located beside the Crane Bar.

The Bands Official Webpage: www.abandcalledwanda.com

Arthur’s Day Music To mark the 250th anniversary of the creation of

main attraction to me and he amazed the crowd with

this gig just as

Guinness, Galway along with much of the world,

his unique renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody and

much as his

celebrated with outdoor music and parties on the

Teardrop, along with some of his most popular tracks.

performance

streets. Galway was privileged to get a fantastic show

As special guests and winners of the Guinness ‘Our

last year at the

out on Folan Quay, with some acts that would usually

Thursdays’ competition, we saw the band Empire State

big top and I

sell concerts out on their own.

playing in the mist of some extremely well known acts.

know people

The concert kicked off at 6pm, just after the toast to

Despite being the first time that many people would

who weren’t familiar with his music still enjoyed it very

Arthur at precisely 17:59, where everyone joined in by

have heard Empire State, they quickly won the crowd

much.

raising their plastic cups full of Guinness to air in

over. As a treat to the Irish music fans, Sharon Shannon

To sum it up, this year’s Arthur’s Day was a smashing

commemoration to the great man himself. Imelda May

followed playing the accordion with a fantastic band,

success. For €10 a ticket for such an amazing line up and

was first up and put on a fantastic show with her

finishing off her set with the ever-popular Galway Girl.

evening, I am surprised the entire Galway city wasn’t

rockabilly style, creating an energetic atmosphere early

The Magic Numbers were the penultimate act and got a

there. Let’s just say, when the 300th anniversary comes

on. Right on after her came my personal favourite act,

great reception but as the headline act, David Gray

around, don’t miss it, even if you are a pensioner!

Newton Faulkner. As a big fan, Mr. Faulkner was the

definitely sold the show. Fans of Gray will have enjoyed

By Daniel Doyle

The Sawdoctors live in the Black Box Whilst it is in no way uncommon to see the boys from

possessing either a knowledge or desire to take in part

Tuam play in their home county, it certainly was a

in the “sing-a-long” nature of the classic hits was

treat to have them exclusively to students in the

quickly blown away as the lads tore into “Tommy K”

second week of Fresher’s Fortnight in the Black Box

early on in the set. And from there things kept getting

Theatre. Having seen The Sawdoctors many times

better. As more crowd pleasers were belted out the

minute encore that climaxed with “Hay Wrap” and

over the years (this was my third such occasion of

band got increasingly confident and daring in

reinstated the fact that The Sawdoctors still are and

2010) I wasn’t quite sure how the new batch of first

themselves and quickly developed a banterous rapport

will forever remain a student-friendly band. Before

years, of the Gaga and Twitter generation, would

with those in attendance that is rarely seen at gigs in

leaving, guitarist Leo Moran proudly claimed that it

relate and respond to this now (slightly) aging band of

this day and age.

was “one of the best student gigs we’ve ever done,

céilís, mischief and craic. Needless to say, they weren’t

After a triumphant “N17”, their “last song” wink wink,

and if all goes well we’d love to see all ye again before

disappointed…

the band came back on stage to roars of the coveted

Easter”. We’d love it too Leo.

Any doubt in my mind of the student audience

“one more tune” chant, and rewarded fans with a 15

By Darragh O’Connor

tech reviews

page 25

By Christopher Cosgrove

From iPad to Office Apps:

All you need to know iPad: oversized iPod or Gadget God? Unless you have been living under a rock since the summer then you have at one stage heard mention of the wonderful new gadget from Apple: the iPad. To some the iPad means nothing more than just another gadget in the endless amount of techno-accessories that are available out there. However, the iPad is meant to represent a new gadget like you have never seen before. With its iPod-like design and easy touch functionality the iPad represents the perfect accessory for users familiar with the iPhone/iPod touch and is said to be the perfect blend of these two different products.

The iPad offers users a way to surf the internet on the go and can also be used to take simple notes and documents as well as great quality video playback too! The ultimate question remains that is the iPad worth the not so cheap price tag it comes with …. In my opinion, I am afraid I would have to agree with those who describe the iPad as nothing more than just an oversized iPod. Of course the iPad has its good points like great web surfing capabilities with a built in micro-SIM and it also serves as a very good ereader and with endless amount of apps available it can be quite a handy device. The iPad’s major downfall is that it remains quite pricey (around €600) and I can think of much better things to spend that amount of money on rather than purchasing this not so necessary accessory.

To buy Office or not to buy Office, that is the question…

Microsoft has a great range of free products available and one of their newest free software lines is the almighty Office 2010 Web Apps. The Office Web Apps is set to be the ultimate competition to Google Docs and offers users all the basic essential functions of Office without costing you a penny! I know most of you are thinking that there has to be some sort of catch but there I can assure that

there are no catches except for the fact that you must sign in and use your software over the internet. Although you don’t get every option available to Office software owners, you do get the vital parts of Office which you use from day to day. Office 2010 Web Apps includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint & even OneNote, the new online suite offered by Microsoft has now raised the bar in terms of free software available to computer users.

However; will Office Web Apps replace the need to buy an Office suite, not too likely as there are a good few services missing from the online suite version which can hinder your Office experience but, there remains a great advantage to the use of the online suite as you can access your documents at any time with the included bonus of the SkyDrive which saves your documents on the internet so they are there for you every time you sign in. So will Office Web Apps replace Office suites as we know it?

Probably not, but it can be used as a cheap alternative to the higher priced suites out there and if you were truly stuck it can get the job done and of course most importantly it’s free!

Office Web Apps is available on the Microsoft Office website: office.microsoft.com Also, just a little note, I have gotten quite a few tech queries after my first article so if you have any particular tech questions or issues you can email the paper at editor@sin.ie and I will be able to address any of your problems and questions in the next issue of SIN!

Halo Reach “Halo Reach” is the prequel to the popular Halo series, and is also Bungie’s last Halo game before Microsoft take over creative control of the franchise. And even though it is, as the ad says, where it all began, there is a definite sense of finality from Bungie in this game. In this game, unlike in “ODST”, you once again assume the role of a Spartan, an almost superhuman born, bred and used for war alone.

You take up the role of Noble 62, a rookie to the Noble squad in the Spartan-II unit, who is stationed on the Spartan’s home planet of Reach.

You must defend reach from the large army of covenant, alien soldiers hellbent on destroying the human race.

From the start, you can see how much work has gone into making this game.

The graphics are very pretty, a lot better than any of its predecessors, but yet, still convey the sense of a fight for Reach’s very survival.

The new special techniques, such as become invincible for a short while at the expense of no mobility, add a new

By Mark Kelly tactical sense of war to the usual shoot-‘em up style Halo is known for.

The storyline is incredible, and the ending to is one to remember, one of the best ever in any game.

The campaign should take 8-10 hours to complete, depending on your skill level. Incredibly, Bungie has managed to build on the campaign without hurting the multi-player side, Halo’s forte in the FPS genre. Actually, it’s better, as with forgeworld, you can create your own maps, but them online and allow other people to download them, and give feedback.

Firefight is also quite incredible, building off the criticism it received in “ODST”.

The game is not without its flaws. The graphics aren’t as nice as other games, still lagging behind slightly, and the abilities can make multi-player a bit unfair at times. All in all, this is a truly great game, and Bungie can be proud, of not only a lasting legacy in terms of the now legendary franchise, but in the fact it’s last Halo game is its best, A must have for any gamer out there.

page 26

American Life in Galway NUI, Galway is known for having a vibrant campus with a large population of international students from all over the world. Students come to Ireland to immerse themselves in the culture and history of Galway and to take themselves out of their comfort zone in order to experience something new and exciting.

Alyssa Bader, 20, an American student studying abroad for a semester, said she chose Ireland because of its different culture from the rest of Europe. “I came to Ireland because I wanted to go somewhere where the people spoke English, but also had rich culture and history. Ireland has a very good national identity that is different from mainland Europe, but I am still able to have that English security blanket,” said Bader. The style of education is also a different experience for Bader, who says NUI, Galway “puts more responsibility on the student and requires you to be more active in your education.”

Aside from the semester abroad students, there

are also those getting their Master’s Degree at NUI, Galway. These students commit to Ireland for at least one year and start a new life in Galway. Meghan Duley, 23, an American student doing her Master’s in social work, chose Ireland for school because of how much it would benefit her career. “In social work, the idea of cultural competency is constantly stressed so I felt that by going abroad, it would not only increase this but would also open doors and opportunities for me at an international level to practice social work,” said Duley. The intimacy and attention Duley receives in her program are things she values in her education at NUI, Galway. “I love the small course size, the competitiveness of it, and the personal attention that I receive from all my lecturers. The community feeling around campus is what really brings it all together.”

Another American student studying for her Master’s Degree and NUI, Galway, Katie Chase, 25, said she came to Ireland because schools in

America didn’t offer her what she was looking for. “Nowhere in the states offered the specific program that I wanted. I am studying culture and colonialism and I know that by doing this in Ireland, it will give me a unique perspective in to that field,” said Chase. The vibrant social life around campus is something Chase also thought she wouldn’t be able to find at a graduate school in America. As an international student that came back to Ireland not knowing very many people, Chase said NUI, Galway “really does make a conscious effort to get people involved and not make you feel isolated or left out. There are so many activities and clubs they offer.”

Students decide to study abroad in order to make new friends, experience a new culture and step out of their comfort zone. At NUI, Galway, there is a wide variety of clubs and activities that allow international students to feel right at home but at the same time give them the perfect taste of an entirely different culture.

By Caitlin Hacker

Watching GAA with Americans Sunday, 19th September marked an important day in the life of any Cork person. It didn’t matter that I have never played football for the county of my birth, the point is that as a now casual Gaelic footballer, I got to witness the county’s elite win back Sam Maguire after twenty years on the run. It was a Cork day, a Cork win and a Cork trophy presented by a Cork Uachtarán Cumann Luthchleas Gael.

However, there was one slight problem. I was not in Croke Park to see the end of two decades of hurt. I wasn’t even in Cork to share in the delight of my fellow Corkonians and football enthusiasts in my local pub. I wasn’t even able to watch it at home with my family who are all heavily involved in club football in Cork. I was in Galway, in an apartment outside the city centre, with three Americans who had never seen the game of Gaelic Football before.

Before you throw your eyes to heaven and sympathise with my bad luck, let me state one important factor. I love Americans. I have lived in

America twice and I would happily return in the morning if offered a job and a plane ticket.

However, there was something slightly eerie watching an All-Ireland Final between Cork and Down (first time ever by the way), in Galway, surrounded by Americans.

A key factor in watching it was that I had to explain the rules as the match went by. Perfectly fine by me, I happily did so. Nevertheless it did slightly distract me from certain elements of the game. In what was perhaps once of the first Cork matches I have watched, I found it difficult to get angry when a wayward tackle or score went against Cork – because immediately after the incident a question darted into my left ear, forcing me to turn from the television and respond. As a result, I became more analytical as the game went on, rather than my tribal, chest pumping self that emerges when the Rebel County take to the field.

Whether this is good or bad is moot at this juncture, but it was different. And different

within the GAA is not something that I am accustomed to. But I ended up enjoying the game in a completely new light. The experience got me thinking about how we behave at matches either in a stadium or at the pub. Whilst I believe the GAA has the best supporters in the world and the friendliest, it is important to notice that there is a certain issue of standards emerging. There seems to more and more vitriol coming from the stands, directed towards the players, coaches, opposite counties, opposite parishes and in certain cases opposite fans. You may argue that its part of the spectacle, but why? It is true that it is becoming a spectacle but for all the wrong reasons.

I have been converted to the calmer approach and now I see the folly of my youth. Perhaps every supporter should take an American to a game once in a while. If nothing else, it will make you appreciate more the skills and beauty of our national games. That is, if you’re able to stand the comparisons to lacrosse.

By Peter Horgan

page 27

Newcastle United:

a stable club? Surely not!

“Stability was always going to be vital and now we feel we have that.” Those were the words of current Newcastle boss Chris Hughton before this season began. This statement and Hughton’s stoic personality may have finally pulled Newcastle out of the soap opera of manager upheaval, foreign flops and fans’ calls for ‘the Messiah’.

Since Sir Bobby Robson’s exit in 2004, and even before it, Newcastle United has been a graveyard for managers where their careers have abruptly ended once they have left Tyneside. An obvious exception is Sam Allardyce but even he was ousted by a trigger-happy owner; influenced by an incredibly expectant fanbase. The roll of honour of managers in the latter part of owner Freddy Shepherd’s reign reads Graeme Souness (fell-out with volatile characters like Craig Bellamy), Glenn Roeder (poor league form) and Sam Allardyce (not new owner’s Mike Ashley’s choice of manager). The trend continued with the bizarre 2008/2009 season.

There are two Messiahs for Newcastle United fans: Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. Keegan returned to a rapturous welcome but the divisive set up of egos involving Derek Llambias as chairman, Dennis Wise as director of football

and Mike Ashley as the interfering owner led to Keegan’s resignation. Up stepped Joe Kinnear who came out of the management wilderness but after suffering heart complaints, had to leave the club with it in a precarious position in the league table. Newcastle needed galvanising, and turned to Messiah number two, Shearer, for inspiration. He felt it would be his duty as a fan and a Geordie to take over and save them.

Shearer had to keep them in the league despite having no managerial experience. With only six games left, the Messiah could not save them and Newcastle were relegated. However, relegation acted as the first step in their rehabilitation.

Hughton, taking on the job nobody really wanted, began to change the philosophy of Newcastle United. Obviously, relegation meant the costly days of Albert Luque, Michael Owen and Jean Alain-Boumsong were over, so Hughton began building a very English and local-based team. The team is built around Geordie heroes like Steve Harper, Shola Ameobi, Steven Taylor and Andy Carroll as well as reinvigorated Englishmen like Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith. He abandoned the ‘eleven best players into eleven positions’ approach of previous regimes which saw Keegan’s 4-3-3

fielding Mark Viduka, Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins all in the same frontline.

Instead, Hughton sensibly adapted to modern football with his own 4-3-3 with the necessary target man in the potent Carroll who is flanked by the reformed Wayne Routledge and the impressive Hatem Ben Arfa. His signings may look safe with Cheick Tioté and James Perch who both arrived on relatively small fees.

However, evidence of the new regime is obvious as Newcastle have snapped up a proven hot prospect in Dan Gosling, a hungry veteran in Sol Campbell and rather than shelling out £10 million plus on a permanent deal for Hatem Ben Arfa, they have secured him on loan first.

Hughton’s pragmatic approach could well end English football’s most long running soap opera.

By Ciaran Kelly

The Celtic Celtic is a football club that is like no other. It has an appeal especially for Irish people which needs no explanation, which transcends the modern mega-bucks English premier league. No matter the playing fortunes of this team, their appeal in these islands and worldwide shows no sign of diminishing - even 122 years after a Marist Brother from Co. Sligo put forward an idea at a committee meeting to form a football club to raise funds to help feed the poor postFamine Irish in the East end of Glasgow.

of Russian billionaires, tend to view their football dreams through the fortunes of the big four: Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelski, and probably joined now by the obscenely rich Arab magnates at Man City.

Glasgow Celtic, known worldwide as just ‘the Celtic’, were founded in 1888 and are the proud wearers of one of the most famous and instantly recognisable jerseys in world football - the green and white Hoops, described by the great Jock Stein as a jersey that, ‘doesn’t shrink to fit an inferior player’!

The power of satellite television and the saturation coverage received here on RTÉ and the tabloid press has created a generation of kids who only see their football as expressed by the English giants. Despite the influence of serious finance to the EPL, which would give a NAMA accountant palpitations, and the jazzy, sexy and slick presentation of the beautiful game on SKY, there remains a football club in Britain which, despite the desperately unequal playing field they find themselves domiciled in, can challenge and indeed surpass, any of the giants of English football.

Young undergraduates, who have grown up in the era of the Sky driven EPL and the influence

In terms of support, stadium, and its place in the history of the game, there is a team who will

always be remembered as the first British and non Latin team to win the European Cup, a team who won the famous cup with 11 players from within 30 miles of Parkhead, a team who can be viewed as the Irish club in Britain and who carry the fortunes of millions worldwide, and at 4.45pm on a Saturday their only question is: “How did the Celtic do?”

Over the next few months I’ll try and unravel the mystery of this famous and iconic club, what it means to me and the Irish Diaspora, the great players and magical nights at the most atmospheric stadium in football. Join me in a footballing journey which will take us through the social history of both Ireland and Scotland during the 20th century. Similar to the Catalan giants of Barcelona, this is ‘more than just a football club’ - this is ‘the Celtic’!

By Paddy McMenamin

page 28

Tough Test for Trap’s Troops Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni is adamant that concentration will be the key to success in Ireland’s upcoming European Championship Qualifying matches against Russia and Slovakia. The games, which will be played on the 8th and 12th of October, could prove to be the most decisive encounters of the group, given the strength of the opposition, but Trapattoni is confident that his team can rise to the occasion.

“We go into these qualifiers with six points from six in the opening games of the campaign in September. We performed well against Armenia and Andorra and we will build on these good results in our next games against Russia and Slovakia.” said Trapattoni. “We will look to win these games. That’s important.

But we have to remember that while it is important to win, it’s more important not to lose.”

Ireland will play Russia in Dublin on the 8th of October and then make the trip to Žilina to face Slovakia on the 12th. While both teams are indeed top seeds and cannot be underestimated, it is interesting to note that Russia appear to be a side on the decline, missing out on World Cup qualification and sliding unceremoniously from 16th to 25th in the FIFA rankings. In contrast, Slovakia is a side very much growing in stature, having qualified for their first World Cup by finishing top of their qualifying group and they have impressively climbed to 16th in

the FIFA rankings – their highest ranking since their inception.

Regardless, Trapattoni knows that neither team should be taken for granted.

Trapattoni announced a 26-man preliminary squad for the games on 20th September and included a number of players whose fitness remains a concern. Fulham defender Stephen Kelly, for example, is currently injured, while Ireland’s defensive lynchpin, Richard Dunne and midfielder Keith Andrews have been struggling to overcome injuries. Damien Duff makes a return from injury, as do defenders Paul McShane and Darren O’Dea. However, once more, there was no room for Premiership regulars such as Marc Wilson, James McCarthy or Stephen Ward. Indeed, Trapattoni’s squad selection has often elicited criticism from impatient supporters, with many suggesting that he is jeopardizing Ireland’s chances of qualification by not selecting the best available players, but it is clear that the vastly experienced Italian simply wishes to stick with the players who know and understand his system of playing; a system which saw Ireland go unbeaten in their previous qualification group.

However, the results of the forthcoming games will show whether this criticism is warranted or not and fans will be hopeful that the team gives them no cause for complaint.

By Ryan Kelly

Champions League Round-up Week two proves to be prosperous for the English Week two of the Champions League commenced with the three main English teams playing sides who, on paper at least, were considerably weaker in comparison to their opponents.

Starting with Chelsea, who on a bad day are still a formidable side at home, played Didier Drogba’s former side Marseille.

Chelsea were without Lampard and Drogba; two important players hardly missed considering the strength of the opposition. With Chelsea having lost their last two games, they needed a lift and that lift came only seven minutes into the match when John Terry beat his marker at the near post to open the scoring. Marseille had to then start taking chances at the backs if they were going to get anything out of the match but it was all but over when Anelka tucked home a spot kick in the 28th minute thanks to a handball by a Marseille player.

Comfortable for Chelsea, but every season there seems to be some force of fate that prevents them from winning this tournament; Terry’s missed penalty, a referee who gave Barcelona the game or the return of Mourinho, it will be interesting to see what happens to them this season.

Arsenal’s away game against Partizan Belgrade was under threat as the stadiums flood-lights were causing complications but the match went ahead and it proved to be a tricky night for the Gunners. Arsenal showed real grit against a team determined to get something out of the game. They looked more like an

Chelsea 2 - 0 Marseille Partizan Belgrade 1 - 3 Arsenal Valencia 0 - 1 Manchester United

academy side at times simply due to how young their players are. Thanks to crafty play from Arshavin who played well even though his missed penalty turned out to be irrelevant; got on the score sheet. Marouane Chamakhs’ aerial ability showed just what the team has been missing in recent seasons scoring with a header and Jack Wilshere was a prominent figure in the game.

Squillaci scored from a corner to seal the victory but you worry that once Arsenal come up against the big boys; they won’t have enough steel in their team to progress far in this competition.

Manchester United were up against in form Spanish side Valencia and the omens were not good considering the red devils had won just one of their previous 18 games on Spanish soil. The game was a lack luster affair with Valencia creating most of the chances. Soldado brought in as a replacement for David Villa had several opportunities to give Valencia the lead but Man United held on. A good decision by Ferguson to take off a tired Berbatov and replace him with Macheda proved influential. Macheda squared the ball to Chicharito who took one touch to beat two players and slotted the ball nicely in the right hand corner of the goal. The goal came late in the game and United closed it out with good possession. A good result for Man United but the performance will not have excited the fans.

By Conor Lane

page 29

Bring in a Premiership Wage Cap The classic hard-men of footall, like Roy Keane, Patrick Viera, Denis Wise, Johnny Giles and Graham Souness, are gradually being replaced with what can only be described as diving, cheating, pampered, overpaid footballers. Young players are earning too much and are slowly changing the game of football, and not for the better.

Players like Manchester United’s Nani, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres of Liverpool, although talented footballers are letting themselves and the whole world of soccer down by their antics on the pitch. These antics are slowly ruining the game. The referee’s job is getting harder and harder. Players are getting labelled as divers and when they are genuinely fouled, they don’t always get the decision in their favour due to their reputation. Joey Barton was last weekend accused by Stoke manager Tony Pulis of feigning injury to gain a free kick - when Barton’s free kick request was denied, the injury miraculously disappeared. A regular sight on a football pitch these days.

Stephen Ireland’s recent interview about young premiership players who have barely kicked a ball for their clubs, walking around with £10,000 watches and driving flash cars, is an indication of where football is going. Young players are given too much too young and are not ready for the responsibility or the intense media pressure which they immediately get thrown into once they make their debuts for their clubs. Their whole life comes under the spotlight on and off the pitch, as both John Terry and Wayne Rooney have found out to their own cost that

Sportsfile

Brian Kelly Sinéad Farrell spoke to Brian Kelly, captain of the NUIG Lacrosse club about the sport and his involvement.

Lacrosse is similar to hurling in that the ball is controlled by a stick with a net pouch at the summit which nestles the ball safely while the player is in possession. The ultimate objective is to launch the ball into the opposing goal from outside a specific boundary surrounding the goalie. Each team are restricted to four players in each half at any one point in a contest and it’s forbidden to handle the ball with anything other than specially crafted Lacrosse stick.

“My friend introduced me to the sport last year and me and my friends decided to set up a club here in the college the same year.” The panel contingency is continuously growing. Although still in its infancy, Brian has already seen expansion in the Lacrosse camp “when we started we had eleven players but that number has jumped to twenty since we restarted training and I still see new faces at training”.

Like all traditional sports, Brian and his teammates compete in organised tournaments, but due to a limited number of entrants, there is only one division in which teams can participate.

Assorting the competitors according to age limitations is unsuitable according to Brian: “Because of the small number of players, you’ll see lads of about eighteen tackling men in their thirties. It’s quite intense and although players are only allowed strike an opponent with the stick on the hand, you often see that rule being broken. Wearing a special face guarding helmet and gloves is compulsory to protect the players.”

Discipline is not a rigid element in Lacrosse but oddly Brian can

nothing can go unnoticed under the constant glare of the media.

Indeed, Graham Souness has stated he will never manage a club again due the way the majority of today’s footballers conduct themselves. Perhaps more managers will follow suit.

Changes need to be made and quick. It’s high time that a wage cap is brought in and players are rewarded through loyalty and the number of appearances they make. This would stop the bumper contracts young footballers are offered once they make the first team as they would have to earn their money. This would also get rid of players who are happy to sit on the bench and pick up their wages without kicking a ball in competitive football, the likes of Winston Bogarde, formally of Chelsea, comes to mind. It would also stop the Footballer Manager style of spending that clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City have been involved in, in recent years, as they would no longer be able to offer ludicrous wages to entice players to join their clubs.

Other players should look at the way Lionel Messi, arguably the world’s greatest player today, addresses himself, on and off the pitch and take a leaf out of his book if they dare to be regarded as one of the world’s greatest players. Until they do players like Ronaldo and Torres, although hugely talented, are not fit to lace his boots.

By Damien McEvoy

Sport: Lacrosse Age: 19 Course: 3rd Science only recall one incident where a Lacrosse related injury ended with detrimental results. “I was playing on the Irish development squad in Manchester last year and one of our own players broke his hip during a game. If a player gets sent off it may only last for a few minutes, only extreme violence would see them being suspended from the game for a few matches.”

Understandably, the club is not awash with financial comfort and they are reliant on public offerings. “Our equipment is compiled of donations and we’re hoping to organise a bagpacking scheme to raise funds and maybe buy a new set of jerseys. At the moment we’re kitted in vests and the sticks are quite old. The Lacrosse club has a great sense of co-operation and we work in conjunction with the ladies team who train at the same time as us, it’s a great organisation to be a part of.”

Brian insists that the commitment requirements are far from the demanding spectrum and that heavy emphasis is reserved for enjoyment. They train twice weekly and welcome new players wishing to sample Lacrosse.

“My ambition is to hopefully develop Lacrosse at a local level because I will be leaving after next year but I want to keep playing the sport”. If the new arrivals can extract Brian’s enthusiasm before he departs the club next year, there can be no doubting that the sport’s future in this University is sure to thrive.

The next outing is Saturday 9th October in Dangan against UCD and it promises to be an enjoyable encounter that the NUIG student body should make an effort to attend.

clubs page

page 30

Golfing Lessons Would you like to be the next Tiger Woods (without all the blondes!!!)

Coming soon …….. Golfing Lessons in Glenlo Abbey

What’s the matter with Wayne Rooney?

Dangan

of the outdoor clubs. A full size astro-turf

Mens & Ladies Rugby Clubs, come sun (or

pitch allows NUIG hockey players practice on

more than likely rain) they will be there. But

Comparing Dangan to the new University

Mondays & Wednesdays.

don’t worry there are changing rooms in the

Sports Complex is a bit like comparing your

Take a stroll through Dangan any night of the

Regional Sports Centre. Flood-lit pitches make

favourite old uncle to your young hip cousin.

week and you are sure to find some sort of

training on Tuesdays and Thursdays even more

Generations of hurlers, rugby player and

Gaelic Games training. It’s not just the

enjoyable for the Soccer Club.

hockey players have spent many an evening on

traditional games that are played up there,

So if you want some fresh air this evening why

the playing fields in Dangan. A stone’s throw

Lacrosse Club also train in Dangan every week.

not head up to Dangan. There really is

from Corrib Village, Dangan is home to most

The muddy fields are a battle ground for the

something for everyone!

NUIG/GMIT Sub-Aqua Club Intervarsities 2010 This year our Intervarsities took place on the lovely island of Inishbofin, Co. Galway. We got the ferry over there on Friday 24th of September from Cleggan. There were ten of us from the Sub Aqua club going, along

NUIG World Cup of Culture against Racism

with the students from UCD who were organising it. It was my first time on Inishbofin, which I was told

Poor performance, private turmoil, not getting enough head space.

Sound familiar?

As part of Mental Health week from 11th – 18th October, the five aside Soccer cages in Corrib village will be free to rent!

Book your slot 10am - 6pm, Monday - Friday.

Ring Kingfisher Club direct line 091-540300 or drop in to the Kingfisher. All players must be members of NUI Galway. Name and NUIG Id required.

had the best diving around and that the water is very clear. It took us a while to get all our gear on board,

On Friday October 15th, NUI

with at least ten tanks, boxes of BCDs and regs, fuel cans and our very big and heavy compressor for filling

Galway in association with

the tanks, we travel light! Along with these we also had our personal gear, which we loaded on to the

the FAI will host the first ever

already packed ferry. The weather was looking good for

World Cup of Culture. This

Saturday, perfect diving conditions with only a force

event will run during the

two wind.

FAI’S FARE (Football against

You might be thinking - what is a diving

Racism Ireland) fortnight

Intervarsity and how can we compete in

which will highlight how

diving; it’s not a competitive sport. Well,

football can break down

the answer is we don’t, not in diving any

cultural barriers and

way, the competition takes place where it

encourage social integration

counts, on the dance floor. In a dance off

amongst all communities.

between the two Universities!

Our dive brief was at eleven Saturday

The event will take place in

morning. The water was flat calm perfect for

Corrib Village’s football cages

diving. To my disappointment I wasn’t diving today, but

with kick off at 6pm. It is

coxswain the boat along with the captain of UCD. We brought

hoped that all of the various

the divers out to spotted rock on the rib where the water wasn’t so calm; there was a swell, which we

cultures in NUI will be

avoided. We did see seals playing in the swell and waves hitting the rocks, which was a nice sight. Below the

represented at the World

water there were lots of caverns and walls to dive along. The divers saw lots of sea urchins and sea

Cup. Everybody is welcome

cucumbers. They dived down to 30m where the visibility was still good. We brought two boats of divers out

to take part, men and women

before calling it a day. Although that night a group of divers came back for a night dive, which turned out to

of all standards. The

be the best dive of the day. They saw Trigger fish, squat lobster, Pollack, lobster shrimp and lots of other

emphasis will not be on

types of fish. Night dives can be very good as you can see bioluminescence in the water when you turn off

competition but on

your torches and move around. For anyone who hasn’t dived before it’s like a whole new world as the little

everybody having fun and

mermaid put it. It’s a great experience like no other and once you start you will be hooked! Contact

meeting new people from

committee@galwaydiving.com to get involved. By Christina Quinn

different backgrounds. All participants will receive special ‘show racism the red card’ wrist bands. Teams will consist of five people and you must choose a country to represent. If you don’t have a team of five don’t worry, just drop an email and we will find you a team to play for on the night.

So come along, have fun, meet new friends and support this excellent cause. For more information or if you would like to register yourself or your team email david.hand@fai.ie. See you there!

sports news NUIG take home gold at Small Boats National Championships

By Anna Siegert Senior rower and former Olympian Cormac Follan won the senior pairs representing NUIG in a compos-

ite boat with UCD (picture to be forwarded) Niall Kenny, who came in silver in the World Rowing Under 23 Championships, won the in the senior doubles in a composite with Skibbereen RC. In close second was the women’s senior pair rowed by Lorna Dilleen in a composite with her sister Lisa Dilleen who rowed for Tribesmen BC.

page 31

Hockey girls launch season in style

By Cienna Smyth NUI Galway’s Hockey girls began their season with a convincing draw against Greenfield’s 1sts. A first half goal by newly acquired Cork girl, Louise Riordan, put the college side in front early in the match. The skilful College team, despite only recently becoming acquainted, showed determination throughout the match slashing the belief that college teams begin seasons slowly.

Despite constant pressure from Greenfields, NUI Galway’s defence, led by Captain Aoife Dervan, remained strong and consistent in the second half.

In the final ten minutes a great strike

by Mary Healy equalised for the girls in green, to make for a very exciting finish. However, neither team succeeded in securing a winner, so both teams turn to next week’s second leg, eager to prove their superiority.

The NUIG 2nds ladies team also began their 2010/2011 season with a bang last Sunday, after a convincing 5-0 victory over Renmore 2nds. The victory was owed in part to the hat trick secured by Aoife Róisín Burke, one of many newly acquired talents to NUIG’s ranks. However, these goals were the product of a well-rounded team performance which also saw captain, Jen Oakland, and Storm Desmond finish impressively.

Win a Ski Holiday GAA offer Higher worth €850 Education Bursary for Connacht Players Snow Sports Club are giving away a The GAA has unveiled details of their Connacht Bursaries scheme for students attending Higher Education colleges as part of its ongoing commitment to Player Welfare.

The scheme, launched in 2007, will be open to members of the Association who are attending a full-time Higher Education course (except those who hold another GAA-related or college scholarship/bursary) and who are active participants in their Higher Education club.

Application forms are available from Michael O’Connor at gaelicgames@nuigalway.ie or on 0879840184.

Closing date for application is 15th October.

Mens Rugby win first game

free all-inclusive ski holiday to Alp D’Heuz from 8-15th January 2011. The prize includes all the normal stuff (flights/accommodation/taxes etc.) and GOLD Ski Rental/Mountain Meal/Trip T-shirt/Full Social Calendar/Drink Discounts in all pubs and clubs in the resort. The competition will be composed of three events over three weeks with three prizes, with the holiday as 1st prize. The events won’t be revealed until the actual event kick off time. The first two events will be team-based to gather some points before the final event where it’s every man for himself!

Limited places so its first come, first served. Entry fee is €5. NUIG students only. For more information contact Kevin Fitzgerald on 087 6954150 or email snowsports@clubs.nuigalway.ie

By Rory Hogan NUIG Rugby travelled to Cliften Rugby Club for the opening match of the Junior1B season against Connemara RFC. NUIG were playing with a strong wind in the first half and outhalf Pauric Cuddy took advantage of this, kicking to the corners well.

Despite some good play by NUIG, a small lapse in concentration allowed Connemara to break away and after a good tackle by full back Gary Collins, Connemara forced a penalty in front of the posts, but their outhalf failed to convert. After some good play, NUIG received a penalty and decided to kick for the posts but a difficult angle and swirling wind drove the ball wide.

After another break away from Connemara and good tackling by captain Antoine Mobian and Robert Ahern, NUIG gave away a penalty which was successfully converted by the home team, bringing the score to 6-0. An injury in this play to prop Dara Nagle saw Andrew Kelly’s introduction.

NUIG responded well running the ball a lot against the wind.

After some great breaks by Kevin Shannon, Barry Mahon and Andrew Feeny, NUIG forced two penalties

Mens Soccer ‘B’ team win first match of season

By Dami Adebari NUI Galway Soccer ‘B’ Team faced a tough match last weekend. Their first match of the season saw them face the Ramblers on the ramblers own turf.

Ramblers have a good history over the NUIG B team but that wasn’t the case in this match.

NUIG dominated the whole match, blessed with possession, corner kicks and free kicks but no score but that changed in the 70th minute thanks to a great individual display by Sean White. The young lad showed tremen-

which Cuddy kicked to touch. After a lot of hard work by the forwards in particular, flanker Ross Barret forced his way over the line underneath the posts on the 70th minute.

After more fantastic running and passing from NUIG, their good spirit was rewarded and in the last play of the game, number 8, Ronan Fahne, scored a great try in the corner.

The squad is hoping to keep the momentum going with next weeks match away to Athlone Buccaneers 2nds.

Training continues on Tuesday at 19.00 at Dangan sports ground, all welcome.

NUIG Rugby- 12 Connemara -9

GAA Contacts Camogie Management: Richard McNicholas (085) 8210292, Gearoid O Doherty (087) 9984801, Fresher camogie management: Michael O Connor (087) 9840184, Michaela Morkan (087) 2554925. Fresher football A and B Management: Brian Grant (087) 7684533, Corey Murphy (085) 1308461, Eamonn Drumgoole English (085) 1452187.

Fresher hurling A and B Management: Michael O Connor (087) 9840184, Pat Kelly (087) 9778996, Finian Coone (085) 7202083 Rory Dunne (087) 4173700.

Junior football Management: Michael O Connor (087) 9840184, Declan Kinnahan (085) 1215139. dous skill by rounding the opposition keeper and calmly tapping home. This left the NUIG Students 1-0 ahead.

The Ramblers tried to respond but the NUIG defence, in particular Adam Beattie, stayed solid. Captain Jamie Goggins led by example giving orders and working midfield. Final whistle blew leaving the NUIG students with their first win of the season. NUIG B team were quick to attribute their win to the hard work of manager Steve Nash, let’s hope Nash and the boys continue their winning streak.

Soccer Mens Results: NUIG B Team 1-0 Ramblers Sunday, 26th September Dangan NUIG Colts 2-5 Salthill Devon Saturday, 25th September Dangan

For all your student banking needs Dr Drop op into the Kevin and Kevin Advice Centr Centre e in our NUIG branch Email: Kevin_A.Burke@boimail.com Kevin.Br Kevin.Broderick@boimail.com oderick@boimail.com Call:

(091) 524555