NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL. 20 Issue 07. 15 JAN 2019
Student Independent News
Women to take the lead
in USI seminar this month By Martha Brennan The USI are encouraging women to take the lead this month, by organising a national seminar aimed at empowering females to take on student leadership roles. The USI, or the Union of Students in Ireland, is the national representative body for the country’s Students’ Unions, representing over 370,000 students nationwide. The ‘Women in Leadership’ seminar is a two-day event aimed at any female-identifying students who are aspiring to run for leadership positions in their college’s Students’ Unions, or committee roles in their clubs and societies. Participants will have the opportunity to partake in helpful classes, hear from established women leaders and take part in discussions regarding female empowerment. The first evening of the seminar will feature a film screening, and an open discussion will be held afterwards. Saturday will host a series of helpful modules such as public speaking, campaigning basics, managing a campaign, and leadership classes. There will also be a host of guest speakers and panel discussions throughout the weekend. The seminar is taking place on the 25 and 26 of January in Dublin, and is open to all students and Students’ Union officers whose college is part of the USI – such as NUI Galway. The USI’s Equality Officer, Aisling Cusack, spoke to SIN this week about what people can expect from the event. “The event will look at diversity in leadership, campaigning 101, role of the campaign manager, leadership styles, panel discussions with elected representatives and discussions relating to women’s issues,” Aisling explains. “This event also gives potential student leaders the opportunity to discuss barriers and how to overcome and smash through those barriers with other already-elected female student leaders.” “It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to be in a room surrounded by women who are both ambitious and inspirational, that in itself is empower-
Over €650,000 worth of drugs seized by Galway Gardaí last year By Martha Brennan
ing and everyone who attends Women Lead 2019 will learn something.” The event is being held as part of the USI’s ‘Women Lead Project’ which was launched last year to try to empower women in the student movement to take on leadership roles. “Women are under-represented both in our educational institutions and students’ unions,” Aisling tells SIN. “This female representation in colleges and students’ unions is vital to women’s equality, and to overcoming the everyday discrimination that women face in our society.” “Recognising this lack of female representation, it is important that we equip women with the tools and confidence to run for election and support other women who want to be student representatives.” The USI states: “this is a really important event in the USI Calendar, as it is one of our priorities to support self-defining women in the student movement to progress and succeed to leadership positions.” “However, at no point during the event will you be asked to disclose your gender identity other than your pronouns, if you wish. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please just ask.” The USI are covering the event costs, but participants will have to pay for travel and accommodation. NUI Galway’s Students’ Union will be organising transport and registration for any students wishing to attend. Once you have registered please contact the Students’ Union President, Megan Reilly, by emailing su.president@nuigalway.ie.
Megan is urging any student who is interested to contact either the NUI Galway Students’ Union or the USI about registering for a place. “We would encourage anyone who is interested to go, not just SU members. The event is for any self-identifying women who are interested in running for an election,” Megan says. The seminar will be particularly helpful for anyone interested in running for a position in the upcoming NUI Galway Students’ Union elections, or for those who are considering becoming a campaign manager for a candidate. The three full-time officers (the President, Education Officer and the Welfare and Equality Officer) will all be elected on Thursday 7 March. Nominations for these positions will open at 10am on Thursday 14 February. Nominations will close at 5pm on Wednesday 20 February. The part-time officer positions (Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Societies’ Chairperson, Postgraduate Taught Officer, Postgraduate Research Officer, Clubs’ Captain, five College Convenors, Mature Students’ Officer, International Students Officer, Gender and LGBT+ Rights Officer, Disability Rights Officer, Ethnic Minorities Officer) will all be elected on Thursday 13 March. Nominations for these positions will open at 10am on Thursday 21 February. Nominations will close at 5pm on Wednesday 27 February. Anyone with a question relating to the event is welcome to contact Aisling by emailing equality@usi.ie with #WomenLead19 in the subject line. To register for a place, go to the USI’s website http://usi.ie/events/women-lead-18/.
2018 saw another steady year of recreational drug use in Galway city – with a worrying total of €650,000 worth of drugs seized by Gardaí last year. As students may be aware, the drug culture in NUI Galway is continually on the rise, and the first semester of the college year saw multiple drug seizures occur in Galway city. During exam time last month, Gardaí intercepted an extremely large quantity of ketamine in the city centre - they believe the drugs were destined for use in bars and nightclubs. Ketamine is an anesthetic that is normally used as a horse tranquiliser or prescribed for humans as a painkiller, but the drug is also frequently used recreationally among students. The sedative drug creates a dreamlike state, creating a difficultly for users to move – this makes it a popular date rape drug for predators, unfortunately. At a meeting of the Galway City Joint Policing Committee in December, the Superintendent of Salthill Garda Station, Pat McHugh, told the public that €225,270 of drugs were seized in the interception. Ketamine made up a large proportion of the figure along with seizure of some prescription drugs, such as Valium, which can cause a paranoid state and impair memory, judgment, and coordination. The seizure significantly raised the total value of drugs seized in Galway for the year, with around €650,000 worth of drugs intercepted in total. An estimated €131,625 worth of cocaine was seized in the first 10 months of last year. Adding to this was €47,056 worth of ecstasy, €226,425 worth of cannabis, and €18,575 worth of heroin. Gardaí in Galway City and Salthill performed around 79 seizures of drugs for sale or supply in the first 10 months of last year. There were 184 incidents of simple possession in the same period – where Gardaí confiscated small quantities of drugs off people.
Though the figure is down by 14 percent compared to 2017, it is still a worrying amount for a city mostly made up of students. Last February, a Judge in Galway District Court was told that college students were becoming drugs dealers to fund their education. After three different students pleaded guilty to drug dealing offences, the Judge said that the cases reminded her of the show ‘Breaking Bad’. The students being tried included a third-year NUI Galway mechanical engineering student who pleaded guilty to having €4,080 worth of cannabis for sale or supply to others – he was sentenced to six months in prison. The student’s lawyer told the judge that students selling drugs had become a “growing trend”, to which the judge replied “well, if it’s a growing trend, they will have to expand Castlerea Prison”, as reported by the Connacht Tribune. NUI Galway students in older years may also remember the two students who were hospitalised after taking dodgy drugs on campus last March – one of the few stories about the dangers of recreational drug use that went around the university since this time last year. NUI Galway’s Students’ Union Welfare Officer, Clare Austick, spoke to SIN this week after the release of the findings. “It’s always safest not to use drugs,” she said. “However, we recognise students do take them, and we want them to be sensible and informed, to reduce harm.” “If you do choose to take drugs, it’s important to be aware of the effects and dangers associated with them to keep yourself safe and well.” “If you choose to experiment at least be informed of what may go wrong and what to do in case of emergencies. There are supports available on campus for anyone who needs them, including counselling and the Student Health Unit.” Anyone who feels they need to seek support for any reason can contact the Students’ Union, NUI Galway’s Counselling Service or the Student Health Unit anonymously and free of charge.