Griffiti Magazine - Issue 44 - May 2011 by Griffith College Students' Union

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Contents

Cover by: Oscar Finn Issue 44 May 2011

Editor: Oscar Finn Sub-Editor: Jonathan Keane Layout & Design: Oscar Finn Contributers: Brian O’Donoghue Carina Behrens Ciara Brennan Ciara Karagianni Darren Cleary Dylan Madden Elliott Doak Graham Butler Ian Donnegan Laura Mullett Maiken Woll Eide Matthew Jaffray Ornella Pastushok Piaras O Midheach Sue Fitzpatrick Tom Morgan

4 state of the union 7 students union news 11 The Griffith iBall 14 j1 - You’re All Set 17 Traces of the real 18 End of year iBiBQ 20 Soundtrack to Summer 2011 22 Griffiti At the movies 26 the genuine article 28 twitter - I fought the law 29 su sports round-up 30 Mick Mccaffrey interview

Advertising Enquiries: (01) 4150463 Printed by: Speciality Print Griffiti Magazine Griffith College Students’ Union South Circular Road Dublin 8 Ireland Ph: (01) 4151463 Email: griffiti@gcd.ie www.gcd.ie/griffiti Griffiti Magazine is a publication of Griffith College Students’ Union established in 2004. All contents copyright of Griffiti, Reproduction of any part of the magazine without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. The views expressed in Griffiti do not necessarily reflect that of the college or the Students’ Union

StATE OF THE UNION to the SU next year. This year we were extremely fortunate to have Ulster Bank come on board and sponsor the magazine and I would like to thank all the team that worked with us throughout the year. This month the portraits of Graham, Joe, and myself were taken by the fantastic Ciara Karagianni, the images are of a series for her final project and you will be able to view her work along with the rest of this year’s final year photography students (including myself) on June 3rd at 7pm at the BA Photography Graduate Exhibition here on campus and I hope you can all attend.

ey Everybody, Can you believe it? Another year in Griffith College has come to an end. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday when I decided to return to college. I still remember going to the open day not really sure what I wanted to do and meeting Mr Hector Heathwood and asking him "What's this photography lark like?" after that chat (the first of many, and probably the only one without profanity) I decided Griffith was the place for me, and I am glad to say that I think I made the right decision.

So here we are with my final issue of Griffiti, next semester the magazine will be taken over by Ian Donegan, who if you don't know, I advise you to do so as soon as possible as he is a good guy and someone worthy of being called friend (and sometimes gobshite). He won’t be the only new face in the SU next year; Rain Aly will be taking over from Graham Butler as Students' Union President and Shane Ronan Duggan will be coming in as Sports Officer. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing what they will bring

I would like to thank Maiken Woll Eide for all her work on both Griffiti and helping the SU over the year, she is the fifth Beatle. I also wish to thank, Darren Cleary, Sue Fitzpatrick, Brian O'Donoghue, Ian Donegan, Nicola Byrne, Elliott Doak and Ian Fleming and everyone else who contributed over the year and helping me keep these pages packed with articles and photos. I of course have to say an extra special thank you to Jonathan Keane, who I would not have been able to do this job without, he has been an exceptional sub-editor and has shown great professionalism and dedication when it comes to this magazine.

Now on to business, this month we’ve tried to cram as much as possible in to the magazine. Firstly, the cover which was shot at the end of year BBQ; thanks again to Ciara and Maiken for helping to make it happen, and of course you guys for taking part. Inside the magazine we have a write up on the Griffith Ball from Laura Mullet along with a massive Party People section with some of the best images from the night. Graham Butler has written an article about going to America on a J-1, which I'm sure many of you will find helpful. Sue Fitzpatrick has written up a guide for people looking to check out all the gigs and festivals coming up over the summer months, and we have all the regulars – Genuine Article, movie reviews and sports, so check it out. I hope this year has been as great for you as it has been for me and I will finish up by saying thank you for three amazing years and I wish you all well for the future. Your Griffiti editor, Oscar Finn

Thanks also has to go to Ryan Brennan and Alan Gill who were always available with advice when needed, as well as all the other lecturers who have been a tremendous help to me over the past three years. Praise also needs to go to the IT department who are always available to help and without whom this college would not function. Lastly I want to say thanks to Graham, Joe, and Paul, this was an amazing year and it’s all because of the hard work you

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: griffiti@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0463 4

guys put in and I'm glad to have had the chance to work with you.

Oscar Finn Editor Griffiti Magazine

StATE OF THE UNION i all, We’re at the end of the year already. It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was elected President of the Students’ Union. But no, unfortunately my year in office is up and it’s time to hand over the reins.

The end of year Griffith Ball took place on April 15th and I trust that everyone had a great time. Much time was spent by everyone in the SU plotting and planning the event and it was great to see us breaking a new record attendance for the event. The desperate phone calls to DHL, last minute run-arounds to IKEA, and pickups from Cadburys and Haribo were all worth it in the end to ensure all went as smoothly as possible. On April 6th, many of the students took to the Mansion House on Dublin’s Dawson Street to attend the National Student Media Awards (Smedias) 2011 presented by Kathryn Thomas and Daithi O’Shea. Although Griffiti Magazine didn’t win in the category it was nominated in, being shortlisted is an achievement in its own right for which Oscar Finn put so much work into throughout the year. Again, I’d like to pass on my congratulations to Dylan Madden and Mathias Odden, two Griffith College students who won News Photographer of the Year and TV Production of the Year, respectively. The paintball trip went down well in Killruddery Gardens in Co. Wicklow which saw the trip selling out this time around. I anticipate an even greater turnout for the final Go-Karting event in the coming weeks. The end of year BBQ was a real success and thankfully our gamble on the weather being kind to us paid off as there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. The surprise of the night, when fire breathers showed up for a performance on the green, was not even something I knew about. Only a privileged few knew of key performers. I was delighted to see that our quiet BBQ eventually turned into a campus party before everyone went down to Arthur’s for the remainder of the night.

Ronan-Duggan on his election to Clubs and Societies Officer, Ian Donegan as Vice President and Communications Officer who’ll take charge of this publication, and Rain Aly who was narrowly elected as President. I’d like to congratulate them all. The handover process will commence shortly to ensure the guys will continue the efforts we’ve provided this year for the students of the college. In alphabetical order, the following people deserve a special thank you for assisting with everything this year: Bernard White, Brian O’Donoghue, Ciaran Verso, Darren Cleary, Dave Scahill, Emmett Daly, Eoin McKenna, Gabbi Steel, Ian Donegan, Joe Uzah, Jonathan Keane, Maiken Woll Eide, Martina Pettersen, Morana Mavricek, Oscar Finn and Paul McCormack. I’m sure I’ve forgotten more, but everyone’s assistance throughout the year has been greatly appreciated. I’ve always said I’m going to make the most of my summers when I’m in college as they’ll be the last ones we’ll ever have. After plotting it out for a few months, in June and July I’ll be in Concord, New Hampshire interning in the Office of the Governor before meeting up with a few of the lads from Greystones in San Francisco, California for a week. From there it’s onto a two week stint in China. The SU and other Griffith College students will be visiting the Hunan University of Commerce, Changsha in the Hunan Province to represent the college on a cultural exchange program. Be sure to spend your summer months wisely and most importantly, have fun! Thank you all for making this year as great as it was! Your Students’ Union President, Graham Butler

The Election of the Students’ Union Officers for the 2011/2012 academic year took place. I’d like to congratulate Shane

Graham Butler President Students’ Union

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: su.president@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0418 5

StATE OF THE UNION

i Guys, I would just like to thank everyone for making this year one of the best the Student’s Union has experienced. This year the Clubs and Societies has been a success. Some of the events this semester which have taken place include the following rugby 7s, paintball and the staff versus student match. Paintball: There was a huge turnout at the event which took place on Good Friday as the day was full of fun.

Student-Staff match: The first ever student versus staff match was a very competitive going all the way into extra time with the final scores being 4-3 to the students. Shag Week: This in particular is another event which was quite successful as it was packed with major events such as pool, Gleague and street basketball. All events during Shag Week were highly successful with record numbers at each event, it was wonderful and I would like to thank everyone for participating in each event and making it memorable. Football: The year has by far been the

best year in general for the football team. The final standing however saw Griffith College finishing second in the league due to goal difference. Basketball: Perhaps the most successful of all the sports this academic year. Basketball has been more successful than previous years with Griffith College going further in the league and making it to the final of the Division 1 Small Colleges Association of Ireland. Cricket: I would like thank each and every player and supporter for their input this year as it is valued and appreciated as this makes the team stronger. Rock & Roll Thank you to Alan from Social Dance Network for holding class every Monday night downstairs in the Students' Union. From the first week in the Second Semester to the end of term, the society proved to be very popular and had a great turnout every week. Societies 2010-2011 I like to thank everyone who attended the societies this year especially Allie (Hip Hop society) and Otto (Poker society) who have been instrumental in their society’s success. Salsa: Salsa has been one of the best societies of the year with special thanks going to Josh, the teacher. Held every Thursday at the Student’s Union, salsa has run smoothly since its introduction right up until the end and for that special thanks must also go to the society members. Yoga: Yoga as a society has also had as much success as salsa also with thanks going to the Emma, the instructor and also the members of the society. Poker: I would just like to thank the lads for showing up every Tuesday and keeping the society running. This is all possible thanks to the society leader Otto Johnson Music Society: The music society consists of a band called Ramps Ahead. Since their formation the band has done nothing but get better with the direction of the leader David Kozak and band members Flore Hutchings, Guillaume Ulmann and Mirza Mutevelic.

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: su.sports@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0460 6

Hip Pop: This society is first ever hip pop society in Griffith. However special thanks must go to its founder Allie Allebrrow who has taught and ensured this society is running smoothly. Christian Union: The Christian union society has been the most active society in college as they not only meet but they also host events to cater for every student around the college. I would like to thank them and encourage them to keep up the good work next year as well. Upcoming events Go karting: This is one of the last events to be hosted by the Students’ Union so be sure to attend as it will be fun. It is on the 27th of May at 4.00pm and cost €15. The final event of the year is the fair well blow up party in d-two. I would encourage everyone to attend as it is the final party and last chance for most people to say goodbye to their friends. It only cost €4 with a wristband which has to be bought at the Students’ Union unless it will cost €8 at the door. There is also going to be a get together of all society members on Friday the 14th May. It looks set to be fun as there will be food, drinks and performance by the college band. All are welcome so feel free to attend. As this is my last publication as your sports officer I would like to thank everyone for making this a very memorable year for me and I hope you all will show the kindness you did towards me to Shane Ronan Duggan, the new sports officer for next year. With that said I bid you all farewell and good luck with your exams. Your clubs and societies officer, Joseph Uzah

Joseph Uzah Clubs & Societies Officer Students’ Union

Students’ Union News Elections 2011

he elections of the Students’ Union sabbatical officers 2011/2012 took place on April 13th. Rain Aly was elected to the position of SU President while Ian Donegan was elected Vice President and Communications Officer which entails the role of Griffiti editor. Shane Ronan Duggan was elected to the part time position of Clubs & Societies Officer.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be coming back to Griffith next year as SUVP, Communications Officer and Griffiti editor,” said an enthusiastic Ian Donegan. “I’m going to hold true to all the promises I made during my campaign. I’m particularly looking forward to working with students to produce Griffiti and getting started on the weekly SU Podcast which is going to be a lot of fun.”

The turnout for the elections was over 400 from the student body eligible to vote for the three positions.

There was a turnout of 403 for Clubs & Societies Officer. Shane Ronan Duggan ran unopposed, receiving 310 votes. 61 votes were counted for the option to ReOpen Nomination (RON) and 32 were spoiled.

“I am very happy that I won the SU election and I can’t wait for the next year to be with my fellow students ,which is great and next year will be rocking with me, Ian and Shane,” said your new SU President, Rain Aly.

Doyle who got 133, the margin was 115 votes. 404 people voted for the position of SU President. Winner Rain Aly won 184 of the votes and secondly Brian O’Donoghue won 160, Rain winning by a margin of 24 votes. The other two candidates were Claire Aston and Zhan Sergejev who won 44 votes and 12 votes, respectively. The votes were counted and results announced in the Academic Facilities Building with anyone welcome to be present and witness to count.

For Vice President and Communications Officer the turnout was 403 also. Ian Donegan won 248 votes defeating Aimee

youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having a laugh

ow that assignments are done and exams will soon be a distant memory what are you going to do with all your free time? One option should be to check out the Laugh Out Loud comedy club on every Wednesday at Anseo on Camden Street.

The Club is hosted by the extraordinarily talented Aidan Killian who you will

remember as the MC from the Griffith Ball. The club has had some of Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest new talents on the Irish comedy scene including David O'Doherty, (Perrier Award Winner) David McSavage (The Savage Eye) and Patrick McDonnell (Fr. Ted). Every week the club also brings you the best and brightest new acts in Irish comedy like Enda Muldoon and Pauline Curtin.

There is a fantastic atmosphere in the place and Aidan tantalises the audience with a pupeteers grip. it is a great place to begin a night out. Aidan Killian and company put on a great show that is not to be missed and it is just 5 euro for students.

The Smedias 2011

t might be hard to believe but another year has indeed come to an end. For the media students here it meant that the National Student Media Awards, or Smedias to you, has come and gone and was an opportunity for the toil of students to be recognised.

Griffith students were nominated in five categories. Unfortunately, Griffiti, the gleaming, otherworldly publication you hold in your hands at this very moment in time did not come away with the Small College Publication Award. However two Griffith students did take home two accolades. Third year student Dylan Madden from part time Photographic Media, won the award for News Photographer of the Year. The award recognised three photos taken for a protest piece for Action Photography. “It’s a good accolade. It’s nice to get your work recognised and for other people to actually see

it. I was kind of surprised; it’s hard to know what you’re up against. It was nice to get shortlisted and then nominated.” Third year, Journalism & Visual Media student, Mathias Tjøtta Odden won the award for TV Production of the Year, a category that included three other Griffith nominees. His production A Couple of Scoops detailed the ailing Irish pub industry.

“I was kind of surprised; it’s hard to know what you’re up against. It was nice to get shortlisted and then nominated.”

Irish economy,” explains Mathias. “I filmed some parts in the pub Doheny & Nesbitt in Dublin, and also the pub Treacy's outside Portlaoise. There are also some general visuals of closed pubs around Dublin. I spent perhaps four days of filming, and three or four weeks editing.” “I think my research started early October, and the film was uploaded to YouTube mid-December.” Search for A Couple of Scoops on YouTube to view the clip.

“My production is about how Irish pubs in the countryside are struggling with the consequences of the drink driving ban, and also the downturn in the 9

Griffith Creative Show 2011 The Griffith College creative show is back and this year promises to be the best yet. The show will highlight the fantastic work being produced by students and this year will be the best yet. The night includes a pre-show exhibition, wine reception, farmers market and live entertainment from 4 pm - 7 pm. The highlight of the evening will be a live fashion show which will showcase the incredible designs from this years year’s final year fashion students. Doors open for the live event at 7 pm and the show commences at 8 pm sharp The show takes place on Wednesday 25th May 2011 between 8pm & 10pm Tickets cost €15.00 and are available from www.gcd.ie/creativeshow2011 A word of warning the show booked out in three days last year so please book early to avoid disappointment. The night also includes a VIP after party at D|Two, Harcourt Street – From 11pm There will also be a graduate photography exhibition taking place on the 3rd of June, for more details check out the add on the last page of this magazine. We hope to see you there.

Liibyan Food Drive

A convoy of food and medical supplies left Griffith College on April 21st bound for the war stricken Libya. The supplies were collected on the green, accepting any donations possible.

RTE, TV3, 98FM and other news agencies were there to cover the event and interview the staff and students involved

100

Seven trucks loaded with food and basic medical supplies departed from the college in the afternoon. Fourteen Irish people accompanied the convoy on its journey which entails extensive road miles and two boat journeys.

There are still on-going efforts to deliver as much relief aid to Libya as possible. In March,

Griffith College students Abdullah Neihum and Neil Darcy founded Libyan Emergency Aid in response to the crisis. The organisation has since ensured a number of containers of supplies reach the country for those most in need. Search for Libyan Emergency Aid on Twitter and Facebook for more details and to donate.

n Friday April 15th, The Griffith Imagination Ball 2011 was held in Santry. The ball was a very glamorous affair, with a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory theme and everything down to the soundtrack music was on the ball. It was without doubt a night of epic proportions - The very imaginative work of the SU really paid off when students were greeted by the comedian Aidan Killian, from the Laugh Out Loud comedy club, who did an exceptional job launching the the event playing the role of Willy Wonka with his oompa loompas! He also returned later in the evening to perform on stage with his stand-up routine.

The attention to detail was amazing. As a lucky winner of a golden ticket I was chauffeured out to the venue in a hummer limo with my fellow golden ticket winners and our dates as we drank champagne and had copious amounts of complimentary

Forrero Rocher– It was very flash – a fantastic start to the night. After several glasses of champagne we all wandered into the hall, which was intricately decorated and resembled a chocolate factory! It was difficult to wait for dinner with candy floss machines and popcorn at our disposal – there was a serious sugar rush. The ball was so exciting but the best part there was an atmosphere that made everyone feel that anything could happen, that… and all the Cadbury’s flakes in plentiful supply at every table! Then we were all served a delicious three course meal, consisting of creamy vegetable soup, a roast chicken dinner and a mini cheese cake dessert with tea or coffee. The food was delicious. Delicious enough that Sam Burgess ate a total of five dinners at my table, so you know it’s good…

The band, The Rockets, started to uproarious applause and embarrassing dance moves as the drinks were flowing at a steady pace. Due to photo uploads on Facebook some of us cannot delete the evidence of our misbehaviour … (check out the evidence on the next page –Ed.) But it has to be said - The band was a great choice really upbeat and several of us took to the stage and danced and sang along to the anthems. The DJs, Mad Shivers and Brian O’Donoghue, followed and played a variety of Rihanna songs and Kings of Leon which made us all pretty happy. Like every brilliant night, the night ended too soon. But, it was definitely the best Griffith Ball to date and will be a tough act to follow…. Laura Mullett

Students’ Union President Graham Butler reveals what a summer on a J-1 Visa in the United States is really like. ven in these times where there are less part-time jobs for students around their college hours, they are still packing their bags for the summer and hoping to make the most of it for three months and live the American Dream. This could be because there are less summer jobs suitable for 18-25 year old undergraduate students at home and the lure of guaranteed fun in the sun prevails over a summer of sitting in Stephen’s Green.

In recent years, and particularly on the

west coast of California, the Irish students have suffered a “smeared and tarnishing reputation” according to The Irish Times. Reports that the “Irish” have smashed up apartment complexes and caused other disturbances linked to socialising are some of the allegations been tied to students on J-1 visas. This is an over simplistic view of a summer lived by Irish students on the programme and not fully representative of life enjoyed by all. Last year my friends and I successfully sought work and travel visas (also known

as J-1 Visas) from the US Embassy in Ballsbridge as we opted to spend a summer in the state of Massachusetts. Over much debate, and endless online searching, a nice suburb of Boston was settled on as to where we were to live, Brookline – the birthplace of John F. Kennedy. First things come first, and that was a place for us to reside for the time we were there. This is a normal advertisement seen on Craigslist for any of the major US cities: ‘Apartment for summer sublet, 5 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 balconies, no pets’. To a J-1 student, it reads: ‘5 bedrooms (sleeps 17), 1 bathroom (complete mess), 2 balconies (kitchen table/smoking area), Irish welcome, bring over your mates, make loads of noise and pay rent late’. Needless to say, we took it after negotiating a sublease contract. The end of May, just four days after the exams concluded is when we landed in New England’s capital where we’d live in tight quarters for the next twelve weeks. For the first couple of days there were only a small handful of us in our new home while others were still waiting a few days before flying out. The apartment slowly

J-1 Essentials: -

Passport J-1 Visa Flight Irish accent Dollars Travel Insurance Over 21s ID Irish Embassy & Consulate Contact Details Swim shorts Laptop US Cell Phone Camera Résumé / CV Sun cream Water

filled up with more and more of us until it hit a peak at one stage of 17, including some friends who had planned to stay in New York but didn’t settle there and preferred our slightly cooler climate further north. It was still a sweatbox however as air conditioning was a luxury we just could not afford. For most, it was the first real experience of living away from home as back in Ireland we all live within the ‘commuter belt’ of the capital and our colleges. Cooking, cleaning and washing were all new chores which needed to be learned rapidly to be able to survive in the hot and humid temperatures.

One fellow Irish worker explained, “I came over on a J-1 for three months in 2002, and I haven’t been home since” Right after settling in and becoming familiar with the surrounding neighbourhood, the job hunt truly got under way. Only one in the group had pre-arranged employment, organised through family connections who knew some Irish who were settled in Cambridge, the neighbourhood containing the reputable colleges of Harvard and MIT for a long time. It was here he got familiar with many Irish living illegally in the United States and under the radar of the State Department. One fellow Irish worker explained, “I came over on a J-1 for three months in 2002, and I haven’t been home since”. So why have J-1s become synonymous with Irish students? It can be said that it has become part the college experience embedded in Irish student culture in recent times. For one thing, going to the US on a two or three week holiday or a five day shopping trip to New York is completely

diferent to immersing yourself in the experience of living in a foreign country for a season. Many fundamental elements of Irish life are simply very different to the States. The first is that they work much longer hours and for less money, even in the wealthy states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The second is they eat out, a lot! But the familiarity of not having to cook your own food regularly is something we were well used to, and thankfully is a lot cheaper to do. And thirdly, the reign of capitalism is far greater than is seen at home. Businesses and firms are more or less able to do whatever they like with little or no rights for the consumer or citizen. Adrian Dunne, a fellow J-1-er from Laois explained “There is a severe lack of Government regulation here across many sectors of society in the US whereas at home, I think we’ve struck the right balance between the free market and proper Government regulation”. We may be closer to Boston than Berlin, but we’re just not there just yet. Yes, many could write an article about all the discrepancies and faults with American society but when you’ve college commencing again at home in September, it can only bother you for a set period of time. The lure of the lifestyle in America portrayed in the media here at home is tempting at the very least I’m leaving again for another J-1 in a matter of weeks. When the prices of flights to the US are low as they are now, and with less summer work on our own shores, a three month adventure rambling around various states is something that I believe any student will enjoy, and provide you with endless stories to tell for rest of your life. Graham Butler

traces of the real races of the Real is the photographic exhibition of Hugh McCabe, which took place recently in the Fumbally Exchange, Dublin 8. The exhibition displays work gathered over a year in various live music venues across Dublin and more specifically, is an exploration into “song exposure” photography.

Song exposure is a long exposure shot taken of a performance where the shutter is opened at the start of a song and closed at the end – “It’s a long exposure photograph so it would normally last four or five minutes, or seven or eight minutes, depending on the length of the song being played.” The notion stems from Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto who would use the method to photograph films in large ornate, art décor film theatres, with the length of the exposure being the length of the film. “The screen itself is just completely white, it’s just light, it’s over exposed. Then the light from the film illuminates the corner of the movie theatre,” he explains. “I was really taken with his work and I have an interest in music so I thought it would be interesting to do this at a gig and see what happens.” “I was studying for a Certificate in Photography and Digital Imaging in NCAD”, says Hugh, “and needed something to do for a project and I started this and kept doing it after.” The technique which Hugh brought to venues in Dublin such as Whelan’s, The Village, The Button Factory and Vicar Street provided for some breath taking images. The end product shows the stage,

equipment and instruments as static but the performers as grey, hazy, spectral semblances, more like ghosts. Hugh photographed several bands from all backgrounds of style and genre, including Adebisi Shank, The Frames and A Silver Mt. Zion, which seems to have turned out the best.

"I have an interest in music so I thought it would be interesting to do this at a gig and see what happens". “I think the one of A Silver Mt. Zion is my favourite for a number of reasons. It was the first one that really worked in the Button Factory. I also just loved the gig, I was blown away.” With the shot being so long there must be some hurdles to cross to ensure the photo is a success. Firstly, Hugh only shoots in venues with a balcony that’s undisturbed by punters. “I need an elevated viewpoint to take the shot and it’s a big camera and tripod, I don’t need people crashing into it.” The work all came to a head at the successful opening night on April 15th. “It was good, there was a decent crowd. It’s hard to know how many people are going to turn up at something like this but [there was] lots of good feedback and interesting comments from people.” But what’s next? “I’m going to keep doing this because I have a proper sequence of images from Whelan’s but I don’t have a full set from the other places. Ideally I’d like to have a complete set from each.”

Traces of the Real only explored song exposure photography in Dublin, so are there any prospects of bringing the technique to venues across the country? “I went down to Galway to do one in the Radisson and it didn’t really work out. I would like to but it means I’d have to travel and it also means I’d have to [check on] the place to see if it would work out.” “There are a couple nice places in Cork and Ulster Hall in Belfast looks nice. It’s something I’d like to do but logistics are a difficulty” There are of course a multitude of events that could be photographed using this method other than live music, such as theatre or public speeches, but there are others… “A friend of mine suggested this, and I think it’s a brilliant idea, that I do mass. It’d be really interesting to do. I’m not a churchgoer myself and people who don’t have religion in their lives still do other things that replace it. In a way, going to gigs has a lot in common with religion; it’s a shared, communal experience.” “I don’t know what the feasibility of it is. I might do it. The more I think about it, the more I think I should do it.” The Traces of the Real Exhibition has now been moved to The Workman’s Club on Wellington Quay where it will be open until July 25th. for further information check out tracesofthereal.com Jonathan Keane

The Students’ Union held a massive barbeque on Thursday April 28th as one last hurraw for the end of another college year. However it was much more than that. The SU’s trusted marquee was erected on the island and the event, which kicked off early in the evening, was BYOB.

Your much loved editor Oscar Finn then had the unruly task of trying to gather the drunk, semi-drunk, tipsy and giddy mass into one spot on the green for one epic photograph. Of course it turned out to be a roaring success as you can see by the wonderful cover adorning this edition of Griffiti.

The incomparable Graham Butler administered the tokens necessary to actually get some food at the BBQ. The much loved Arthur’s staff was out in full swing to dole out the grub. One of the biggest crowds of the whole college year was out for this so needless to say every last burger, hotdog, potato and god knows what else was gobbled.

As darkness descended on Griffith College and the day turned to night, it didn’t seem like much else could happen before our trek down to Arthur’s for the rest of the night. Bellies were full but room was still being made for more beer. Nothing else could possibly happen. We were wrong.

The SU pulled out all the stops for this one bringing three fire breathers on the green. There were three but only one really stuck out, mostly because the scantily clad fire breathing lady had attracted a large portion of the males in attendance to watch her… skills. The two other [male] fire breathers tried desperately to sway attention their way but no amount of fire juggling on stilts was going to change people’s minds. After that, as promised, the crowd stumbled down the stairs for more depravity in Arthur’s until night’s end, and why not? Assignments are all in, for some they have no more, only those exams left but whatever, right?

f you’re anything like me, you’ll be frothing at the mouth at the mere idea of summer 2011 ‘round about now. Particularly us final-year folk.

Well, I don’t know about any of that stuff, but here are some attendance-worthy musical happenings to consider for our national summer(ish) months.

Some of you may be thinking; what now? What does life’s complex road have laid out ahead of me and the end of this chapter? How can I employ meaning and fulfilment in my life and quest for happiness?

First up and most important is the somewhat delicate choice of ‘the music festival’. Festivals are an absolute must for any music lover with a pulse and represent the peak of summer for many (including yours

OXEGEN Punchestown Racecourse, Co. Kildare July 8-10th 2011 Tickets: €99.50 for day ticket no camping, 3-day ticket no camping €199.50, 3 or 4 day with camping €224.50.

Bruno Mars and Jessie J sharing stages with more alternative acts like The National, Foo Fighters, Artic Monkeys, Coldplay, Weezer, Primal Scream, Eels, Noah and the Whale and Two Door Cinema Club. Although the mix of genres is great, it unfortunately means a similar mix in, er, ‘characters’ shall we say. Yes, having ‘the craic’ is good for the soul but some of the happenings that go down amongst the Oxegen folk I doubt would be appealing to many. Say, coming across a teenage passed out on a space in the grass, alone, eyes rolling back in her head as she gets paler and paler. Or say, lads whipping out their equipment and taking a leak in the middle of a crowd. It’s times like those you realise why MTV pulled their tent at the festival and opted for one reporter backstage. For those of a sensitive nature or who like to enjoy a great performance and

soak up more cultured affair (both of which you cannot really do at Oxegen once you get past 21 years of age) the following festival is suggested…

been. In fact, the first time I went I hadn’t even chosen to as it was for work but oh my, am I glad I discovered it.

recognized a song that I’d been trying to find out the name of for months. It’s always fun to find new love for a new act.

It’s not that the bands that play aren’t as ‘big’, but rather EP is simply more alternative. But don’t be fooled, this boutique music and arts festival annually boasts some of the biggest music icons on it’s line up, having previously had the Sex Pistols, Roxy Music, Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem and Madness grace their stages.

OK, I might not be able to sell it to you on the line-up alone. It can be a bit of an acquired taste. But half of what’s brilliant about EP is the atmosphere. There are dozens of crazy-ass sculptures and art exhibits, some of which are huge, dotted around the vast grounds of the Stradbally estate. Try a marooned pirate ship with a pirate band, guests appearances by folk like Seasick Steve, with it’s own bar hidden away in the middle of a forest on for size. Or a late night outdoor rave hosted by DJ’s contained in a giant metal rocket shooting vertical 9-foot flames surrounded by dancers on platforms beside Tim-Burton-esque trees billowing smoke. I kid you not, it all happens at EP. It’s obvious that so much care and consideration goes into the look and experience of the whole event rather than Oxegen. It’s really beautiful and has to be seen to be believed. Also, the notable difference in the buzz amongst people is that of a much mellower crowd than Oxegen. Are you sold now? You should be.

Oxegen is Ireland’s biggest annual music event, running over three days (or four if you enjoy living in squalor that much). Since its primary existence as ‘Witness’ back in the day, it has become the muddy mecca for music fans of all sorts. And I can’t emphasize ‘all’ enough. Although it now seems to attract a younger demographic of teenies (maybe I’m just getting old), it certainly offers a great variety of artists. This year sees the combination of acts such as the Black Eyed Peas, The Script, Deadmaus, Calvin Harris, Plan B, House of Pain (you know, ‘jump up, jump up and get down; JUMP! JUMP!’ and so on…), ELECTRIC PICNIC Stradbally Estate, Co. Laois September 2-4th 2011 Tickets: Weekend ticket inc. camping €240, Sunday day ticket no camping €99.50 (there are no day tickets available for Friday and Saturday) Now, I don’t want to sound unfair or biased, but Electric Picnic is far better than Oxegen and you should absolutely heed my advice and attend. You may think it’s too expensive, it’s ‘boring’ and the bands aren’t as big as at Oxegen; all arguments I put to pro-picnickers before I’d ever

This year the line up is equally impressive with Arcade Fire, Chemical Brothers, Pulp, Interpol, The Charlatans, White Lies, Willy Mason and Mogwai amongst the artists listed. There are of course a very large number of new artists who are only starting to find their footing. Possibly lesser huge (and great) acts featured this year include Lykke Li, The Cast of Cheers, O Emperor and Codes. As I said for a festival ‘do’, make sure you go to some acts that you’ve not heard of before. I did so and was greatly surprised, particularly when I

truly). In Ireland, the choice lies between Oxegen and Electric Picnic (of course, you could attend both if you’ve somehow escaped recent financial turmoil and/ or are not Irish). Sue Fitzpatrick

5 Festival Do’s & 5 Festival Do Not’s 1. DO NOT Think for a moment that a mud fight ‘would be fun’. Waking up in clothes covered in the sh** is so far from fun. 2. DO NOT Wonder what the line of men over at that fence are all looking at and certainly do not decide to investigate. 3. DO NOT drink beer that’s been exposed to sunlight. 4. DO NOT Expose yourself to too much sunlight (when the sun finally appears). 5. DO NOT Attempt to meander to the toilets (if they can even be called that) any time after midnight. If you feel the urge, you must sleep cross-legged ‘til dawn in avoidance of excrement gone askew and sex offenders. 1. DO

2. DO

3. DO 4. DO

5. DO

Spark up conversation with as many strangers as you can. People can be ‘interesting’ and you never know what kind of strange debate or beneficial agreement you could land yourself in. Use cheap plastic ponchos or even a couple of layers of bin bags as rain protection. Actual raincoats become permeable much sooner than desired. Bring enough pairs of socks that would make a centipede green with envy. Catch at least 3 acts you’ve never heard of. It’s great to come home with a download wish-list of all new tunes. Also, I guarantee you you’ll have one of those ‘oh I know this song! I love it!’ moments which are nice. Keep pints away from cameras and phones at all times while in a crowd. ‘Yellow lense’ is not a good syndrome. Trust me.

If you fancy something a bit more basic than a festival, something wholly specific to your liking i.e. not having to stand through several bands you hate to see one band you love, here is a baby’s handful of the most anticipated concerts happening here this summer for your decisive pleasure. Manic Street Preachers Olympia Theatre, Dublin May 16th, 2011 Tickets: €39.20/ €44.20 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Olympia Theatre, Dublin May 19th, 2011 Tickets: €44.20 THE SCRIPT Aviva Stadium, Dublin July 2nd, 2011 Tickets: €44.20-€59.50 TAKE THAT Croke Park, Dublin June 19th, 2011 Tickets: €70.70-€109.50 DURAN DURAN The O2, Dublin July 14th, 2011 Tickets: €44.50-€70.70 BLONDIE Olympia Theatre, Dublin July 19th, 2011 Tickets: €44.20-€54.80 …Oh, and Neil Diamond plays The O2 at some point for all you ‘mature’ students. Whatever you end up doing, Happy Summer 2011 Griff-folk! Tickets and further details for all of the above events can be found at www.ticketmaster.ie or from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.

Griffiti At the Movies

Title: Thor Cert: 12A Running Time: 114 minutes Release Date: Out Now Thor was the Nordic God of Thunder a long time ago. His other lesser known associations are with oak trees and fertility, a bit weird alright. Marvel comics snapped up the butch blondie from the gods in the 1960s and in the midst of the Vietnam War he was a pretty handy symbol of democracy’s fist, or hammer rather. Flash forward all those years and Kenneth Branagh has made a film of the big guy in full 3D glory. Ozzie Chris Hemsworth takes centre stage as Thor in this overlong but bizarrely endearing bit of fun. Thor picks a fight with his people’s biggest rivals, the Frost Giants (real title), and incurs the wrath of his father and King, Anthony Hopkins. Having two sons and seeing poor Thor as a liability, he banishes him to earth and strips him of his powers, yet strangely decides to send the mighty hammer down along with him. Meanwhile with King Hopkins down with some kind of illness that isn’t really explained, Thor’s sneaky little brother, Loki, is starting to lose the plot and begins disrupting the peace and quiet on their planet, leaving only Thor to save both worlds! Crazy stuff. This really is an odd one though. Despite Kenneth Branagh being in the director’s seat, there is nothing theatrical

about the two hour CGI feast, add in the needless use of 3D and it makes for a tiring experience. There are some seriously amateur flaws for such a big budget film though, the pacing of the script is all over the place and the sets, those that are real, are unimaginative. Much like the acting, Natalie Portman’s Black Swan hangover continues here just as it did in Your Highness, not that she has actually scaled such heights to call this a fall from grace. Thor however does possess a few positives which manage to carry the film and actually makes the long slog enjoyable at times. Hemsworth does a good job of the little individuality on offer from his character and there is a few genuine, although broad, comic moments. These all come from Thor sticking out like a Nordic god in a small beatnik town somewhere in America… Overall a decent yarn, which despite its numerous flaws, will manage to keep even the most unenthusiastic parent entertained. Also a plus that Kenneth Branagh has managed to direct the tongue of Hollywood into its cheek for this one, although I can’t see anyone remembering this next summer. Elliott Doak

Title: Fast & Furious 5 Cert: 12A Running Time: 130 mins Release Date: Out Now The Fast & Furious franchise shifts up a gear and then gets a welcome shot of nitrous in this outing. The story is a simple heist premise but anybody going to see this to be awed by labyrinthine Usual Suspectslike plot manipulation is expecting too much. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are at it again, this time in Rio, and when Walker finds out he’s going to be a daddy with Diesel’s sister, they decide to pull one last job to set them up for life. Cue an Ocean’s Eleven style team consisting of cast members that stretch across the entire series. The budget of the film has been rumoured to be in the $150 million zone, roughly twice that of the other films. It’s the first time the franchise has had enough stacks of high society behind it to play with the blockbuster big boys, and boy, it doesn’t waste a dime. There are scenes here which match Cameron’s True Lies in scope and boast more destruction than a Michael Bay movie. Justin Lin steps up the plate in a big way too, using surprisingly little obvious special effects and scoring some impressive visuals as he systematically destroys Rio in fine style. The set pieces are stunning and show a scale lacking in all previous instalments. From the get-go there’s a spectacular

train robbery followed minutes later by a heart pounding foot chase across the slums of Rio. The performances from the regular players bring nothing new. Diesel’s Toretto has lost some of his cool now as he isn’t given any reason in this movie to be pissed off all the time, but he makes the most of it and still comes off well. Walker still has some over-acting moments but nothing too terrible. Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson steals the show however. His Lukas Hobbs is 50% R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket, 50% Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive, and 100% badass. Fitted with a delta force look and a giant machine gun, The Rock is clearly having a ball given the budget and opportunity to bust heads like he has never had before. It’s a shame looking at this that he’s spent most of his career appearing in below par kid’s films and b-movie actioners. Of course, there are plot holes you could drive a 1970 dodge charger through (How did they get the huge amount of money needed to bankroll the job?) but that’s irrelevant when the overall product is this much fun. Word to the wise, go to the cinema on the bus unless you want a speeding ticket on your way home. Matthew Jaffray

Griffiti At the Movies

Title: SCRE4M Cert: 16 Running Time: 105 mins Release Date: Out Now Ten minutes into Scream 4, and the film has literally not started yet. What we have had so far is two false starts – two movies within movies. What made the first Scream so much fun was its self-referential nature, it’s satirising of the horror genre, which at the time had become a caricature of itself, filled with out dated movies that stopped being fresh in the 80s. Now, Scream has become the caricature, the out-dated un-cool movie that should have stayed in the 90s where it belongs. In short, Scream has become the very thing it’s supposed to be making fun of. After the tepid and frustrating opening, things grow steadily more boring. People die, we don’t care. The main characters start to get hunted.

Title: Your Highness Cert:16 Running Time: 102 mins Release Date: Out Now And at this point you realise you no longer want them to survive, you start rooting for the killer to finish them, if only to cut the running time down a little bit. The performances are utterly unchanged, the new faces are mostly just lambs for the early slaughter, the comedy fails to raise a chuckle, and the only horrific thing about the film are its bloated running time of 1 hour 45 minutes and the sheer lack of excitement it produces. Wes Craven and co have officially stabbed the Scream franchise to death.

Matthew Jaffray

The film was so bad it only warranted half a review so while you are forgetting this movie here is a picture of some puppies - Ed.

You see a trailer for a movie, and think it looks funny and original and oh so cool, so you go see it in the cinema and it turns out that all the funny things you saw in the trailer were actually the only funny parts of the entire film squeezed into three minutes. Your Highness is just that type of movie, but with one-liners like this: “If your vagina is anything like my hand, there will be no problems,” who am I really to judge? Danny McBride plays the lazy Thadeous, who has to accompany his heroic brother Prince Fabious (James Franco) on a quest to save his bride-tobe Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel). Belladonna has been kidnapped by the evil magician Lezaar (Justin Theroux), who wants to impregnate her with a dragon baby. On their way to save her, they meet Isabel (Natalie Portman) who is also out to destroy Lezaar, and they team up.

bunch of penis jokes, which I have to admit, considering the setting, at times are hilarious. But that’s about it. The female leads are really just there for tits and ass, because with no tits or ass the movie would lose half of its jokes. Portman and Deschanel fail to fulfil their comedic roles yet Franco is surprisingly funny. I would have been surprised that he would ever be in a movie like this, but after his appearance in the American soap opera General Hospital, no project of his can really surprise anymore, but the boy’s got talent. Danny McBride is... well, he’s Danny McBride. Your Highness in general is a shit movie, but it is a funny shit movie. Carina Behrens

What could possibly go wrong with a brilliant storyline like this, you ask? Director David Gordon Green, who also gave us Pineapple Express, has put a lot of time and effort into making the movie look good. It has plenty of cool special effects and authentic looking costumes. And to top it off you have the swearing and a whole

The college year draws to a close and with it comes summer, which means the big screen lights up more than ever. Griffiti’s Matthew Jaffray previews the biggest flicks coming our way. he summer is here and it’s time for the blockbusters to flood the cinema and generate hype followed by disappointment or indifference in many cases. It’s in this vein that I compiled a short list of films to be excited about over the next few months. You’ll notice some pretty large absentees like Pirates 4 (did anyone actually like the last two?), Conan the Barbarian (seriously, who cares?), and Thor (snore) amongst others.

Super 8 J.J. Abram’s and Steven Spielberg are the dream team behind this modestly budgeted sci-fi and you can really feel the latter’s stamp on the trailer. It feels part E.T., part Goonies, part War of the Worlds, and looks like an excellent way to spend one of the many rainy days that make up the Irish summer.

The Tree Of Life

There’s not much information at the time of writing about Terrance Malik’s latest but what I do know I like. The film is about a young boy who is torn between the world view of an idealistic loving mother (Jessica Chastain) and a slightly oppressive father (Brad Pitt) who tries to teach his son the true way of the world. The boy grows up to be a man (played by Sean Penn) lost in the modern world and trying to find his way. Malik films are always beautifully shot and epic in scale but what makes this particularly interesting is the closely guarded scifi element which supposedly sets the film against the backdrop of the creation of the universe with dome dinosaurs thrown in for good measure. Sounds like a work of insane genius.

Melancholia Danish director Lars Von Tiers has made some of the weirdest most love-them-orhate-them films during his career and this should prove no different. Starring Keifer Sutherland and Kirsten Dunst, it’s about how different characters deal with the fact that the Earth will soon be destroyed by a huge planet which has emerged behind the sun. Think 2012 if it was written by Leonard Cohen.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes A prequel to all incarnations of the Apes movies, this sees scientist James Franco inadvertently create the smart simians while testing an Alzheimer’s cure on them. Hollywood’s go to CGI actor Andy Serkis will provide a real performance for effects wiz team Weta to model their monkeys on. Franco proved he’s got mad acting skills in 127 Hours even if he doesn’t know his Oscar hosting duties from his arsehole. The cool cast also includes personal favourites John Lithgow and Brian Cox.

30 Seconds Or Less Jesse Eiesenberg plays a pizza delivery boy kidnapped and forced to rob a bank by Danny McBride in this comedy based on a true story. The set up sounds intriguing and as a fan of McBride’s Eastbound and Down, I’m looking forward to see what he can do in a starring role with a bit more to it than the recent Your Highness.

Cowboys & Aliens How can you not love that title? This is quite self-explanatory and has already been marketed to death despite a release date in late July/early August. Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford star, while Jon Favreau, fresh of Iron Man success helms.

THE GENUINE ARTICLE

STUDY GROUP INITIATIVE LAUNCHED IN SU

EXAM FEVER SPREADS THROUGH CAMPUS By Mike Rotch A sudden outbreak of Exam Fever has had a decimating effect on campus life. Scores of students have been affected, with that number set to rise in coming days. The first indications of the outbreak appeared a few weeks ago with reports of students seen in Arthur’s bar reading books. A source close to Arthur’s told us. “I don’t know what happened. Tuesday morning was fine, everything was normal, people were buying shots of Sambucca for breakfast and beer for lunch and then out of nowhere people wanted to

watch Sky News and drink tea. I don’t think we can go back to the way things were.” We tried to contact the Students’ Union but there was no response. Rumour has it President Graham Butler was last seen rocking back and forth in a corner repeating “jurisprudence…must study… jurisprudence…” Reports suggest that things will indeed get worse before they get better but there is hope in sight. Dr. Wansum Ganja, from the institut de recuperation, told the Genuine Article that the

symptoms will subside after a few days and those affected should take plenty of fluids, preferably tequila, imported beer and if necessary, Jaeger Bombs. We here at the Genuine Article hope that those affected recover soon and that life on campus returns to normal.

BUTLER RE-ELECTED FOR SECOND TERM Fashion students go out of fashion Student missing since BBQ, found in Coppers Incidences of Frape on the rise Dublin’s pigeon population in decline. In other news the campus BBQ was a huge success Griffith soccer team play three matches before realising the season is over

The recent SU elections took a dramatic twist Two drink minimum policy instituted in library when it was announced that current president Graham Butler would be returning IT department revealed as elite team sent after as Students’ Union President next year. Bin Laden When asked about the result President Butler told reporters “I don’t know how this Under the Spotlight could have happened. I wasn’t even on the ballot” A recent investigation has revealed a number of forged ballot papers indicating “Butler Forever” as the chosen candidate. President Butler has since been unavailable for comment.

MAINTENENCE CREW REVEAL GRIFFITH GARDENING SECRETS Name: Oscar Finn Occupation: Media Mogul Hobbies: Procrastinating and looking sharp Likes: Vintage dustbins and Beetle fighting Dislikes: Dublin Bus, hipsters & Justin Bieber Interesting fact: Oscar once went for a quiet pint and three years later found himself leaving GCD The contents of this section are satirical and may offend. The views expressed do not represent the views of the SU

“I fought the law....and I won” Darren Cleary takes a look at the developing battle between celebrities and social media when things don’t go as planned and secrets about their personal lives become topics on Twitter

echnology has finally done it, beaten the law. At the tender age of four years old the micro blogging site twitter has forced the British government to admit that technology is developing at such an alarming rate it is outclassing the laws.

The Prime Minister of England David Cameron was responding to the divulging of names via twitter, of top celebrities who took out super injunctions. He admitted that there is need to immediately look into how regulations could be improved. “We have such extensive social media and internet access that everything becomes more intense.” Cameron said that the British Parliament had not provided judges with sufficient guidance forcing them to rely on legislation from the European Courts. "I think judges are saying, look there is a European Convention of Human Rights which we can use.” He continued, “and because Parliament has not discussed this enough, they feel they are filling a gap." At the beginning of May, a Twitter user had tried to unmask some celebrities who have obtained super injunctions to prevent publication of details of their private lives. The account “@InjunctionSuper” amassed a following of over 100,000 within hours and tweeted six times, the messages claiming to be the list of celebs who have taken out gagging orders recently. Some celebrities rushed to deny allegations contained within the tweets, while others have opted to maintain a dignified

silence, including Irish actress Pauline Mc Lynn best known for portraying Mrs Doyle in the iconic TV show Father Ted, she is alleged to have attained a super injunction to prevent the publication of details of an affair between herself and her Shameless co-star David Threlfall, both are married. Another posting by the user names actor Hugh Bonneville and alleges he had an affair with a high profile prostitute.

"This turn of events essentially renders super injunctions useless"

journalists can resort to publishing these accusations under the guise of anonymous users. This Twitter user may very well be the one that fought the law and won, because celebs may now see the costly injunctions as pointless if the stories can still surface in the media, albeit through their denial of Twitter allegations. To date not a single woman has taken out a super injunction it is only the men that seek to hide these nasty and highly damaging allegations. Invariably they are rich men because it costs between £50,000 and £100,000 to get a super injunction. What happens next is anyone’s guess but it is a fair bet that it will be revealed on the internet first Darren Cleary

Campaigner Jemima Khan was also named by the Twitter user but she denied getting a super injunction to stop publication of "intimate" photos of herself and Jeremy Clarkson. The tweets will add to concerns over injunctions and non-mainstream media. Khan issued her response on Twitter. She tweeted: "Rumours that I have a super injunction preventing publication of "intimate" photos of me and Jeremy Clarkson. NOT TRUE!" In a later tweet, she said: "I hope the people who made this story up realise that my sons will be bullied at school because of it. Plus I'm getting vile hate tweets." This turn of events essentially renders super injunctions useless, as it means

Griffiti Sports SU Sports Round-up with Darren Cleary Paintball Trip While although questionable as a sport, the paintball trip has found its way to the sports roundup section as a new trend emerged during the second trip of the year, called shoot the Joe (Uzah that is). The SU had a full turnout for the trip and paintball in the college continues to garner interest for every trip.

Rugby 7s

Basketball In our first appearance at a major college basketball final in a number of years, the Griffith College side put up a valiant effort against NCI in the Basketball Ireland Division Two Cup. Team Griffith consisted of a 12 man squad that had serious injury worries to tend to before the crucial game, with point guard James Connolly missing out with an ankle injury. He was no doubt a big loss for the side as he was one of the side’s most consistent performers throughout Griffith’s first ever unbeaten league campaign. After the game team manager Joe Uzah spoke to Griffiti and was full of praise for his side, “I’m happy with the performance, obviously not the result. Losing James [Connolly] was a big blow; he was influential in the league campaign, to use an American Football analogy it was like missing your quarter back. He continued, “it really affected our set-up both on the court and mentally”

Staff v Students Football Match

On the Rugby front, Griffith competed in the largest inter varsity 7s tournament in Ireland last month. A squad of 10 players represented Griffith at the annual event held in DCU’s St Claire’s Sports Ground. Incoming Sports Officer Shane RonanDuggan was on hand to offer his rugby knowledge and to get a taste of the team he’ll take over from Joe Uzah next year. On the field though things didn’t quite go to plan despite the best efforts of the GCD side. “It certainly can’t be any worse.” he said, “It was great craic but obviously disappointing that we didn’t get on the score sheet after three games, but I’m looking forward to next year, I’ve got big plans.”

On Friday April 29th, the most titanic battle (excluding the Irish civil war) to ever happen on the grounds of this college took place when an all-star 11 from the rank and file of Griffith College Dublin took on the superstars of the Griffith Soccer team. The students emerged victorious in the match that ended 4-3 in their favour, however it did run into extra time, being a close affair.

When pressed by this reporter to divulge more information about his “big plan”, Ronan-Duggan kept his cards close to his chest. “Well I haven’t fully decided what the plan is for next year but we’ll definitely have proper training, once or twice a week. We’ll have regular competitions, and we’ll try get guys as much game time as possible”

“We need more structural support for all sports in Griffith, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to compete with UCD, DCU and the other big colleges. We have the talent, we have the potential. We just need a break, we’ve come close but we need silverware.”

Then & Now

Established journalist and Griffith College alumni Mick McCaffrey reveals how to survive in a competitive journalism industry. ick McCaffrey is a young and successful journalist and former Griffith College student, reveals how he had developed himself after leaving college. Mick did his degree in Griffith College and graduated in 2002 and later studied Political Communications in DCU and got his Master’s Degree.

Mick discloses, “After a break of three months, I started thinking ‘what am I going to do?’ But I was lucky that I had a lecture in Griffith College with a sports lecturer, Tim Toomey, who gave me a job producing his show on Today FM on a Saturday, and it gave me confidence.” After that Mick went to Herald AM for work experience in December 2003. Then he left for the Sunday Tribune in February 2007. “I always wanted to be an editor for the Sunday Tribune, but I never thought it will come so quickly.” According to Mick the deputy news editor from the Evening Herald took him “under his wing”, . He explains that the deputy news editor looked after him and ran a big story of his about Brian O'Driscoll

hanging around with Glenda Gilson, which turned out successful. “This big story really made my name,” says Mick. Mick was only an ordinary news reporter for a year and a half, and then was made a news editor in Sunday Tribune. Mick believes that in the future he would like to go back to a daily newspaper. “I wouldn’t like to go back to reporting again, but if I would have to, that would be no problem.”

“Generally we are doing our job well, and we are doing it responsibly. It’s an industry that is doing quite well.” Mick explain that there is a big difference between daily newspapers and Sunday newspapers in the way that if you have an idea, you can cover it straight away and get it published the next day in a daily, whereas on Sundays you have to wait three or four days and by this time some other paper might cover the subject

already. When Mick came to the Sunday Tribune, he was in a position to employ four reporters. He employed senior journalists, who had a minimum five years experience in the past. He explains that they would not

employ college leavers or give experience as they used to do before the recession. He clarifies that journalists’ sources come with the experience, and you cannot get sources overnight. He believes that you have to meet people and make them trust you. It is important to look after your sources and keep in touch with them. He always repeats himself by saying never ever reveal sources; otherwise they will never come back to you.

Mick was never concerned about authorities putting pressure on him to reveal his sources, as if he is not willing to do so, he believes that there is nothing that they can do to make him. And even the privacy laws can do nothing in this situation.

He believes if you are an editor, and have a good news idea, you should be able to write it yourself, to show to the reporters that you are still able to do it. Mick is known as a very enthusiastic person and proffers not to stop on his achievements. He has also published two books – Cocaine Wars, the most recent, details the drug trafficking world in Ireland and 2007’s The Irish Scissor Sisters, about the infamous Mulhall sisters. Mick believes Cocaine Wars is the better work compared to The Irish Scissor Sisters, probably because he had a greater interest in the subject of crime. Even in a position of an editor, Mick was still writing news stories if it was a big event. “I would probably write every two or three weeks.” He believes if you are an editor, and have a good news idea, you should be able to write it yourself, to show to the reporters that you are still able to do it.

But if he would be a reporter again and would have a choice whether to do tabloid or broadsheet newspaper, he said he would do tabloid as it is more exciting. As in the tabloid newspapers you do door steps, death knocks, write on different topics, it’s not only hard news, as in the broadsheet. However, no matter what type of newspaper it is, according to Mick’s belief, he feels they are doing their job well, more than ever. He refers to the media that during the recession, the media has been absolutely excellent. “Generally we are doing our job well, and we are doing it responsibly. It’s an industry that is doing quite well.” Sadly in February this year, The Sunday Tribune had collapsed due to lack of finances. However, enthusiastic Mick is back in the media industry without any delays by joining the Sunday World newspaper, and believes to be “one of the lucky few to have got jobs.” “It will keep me going for the short term until the industry picks up again,” he said. Ornella Pastushok