Griffiti Magazine - Issue 65

Issue

65

Featuring:

Kids Armed with Robotics Christmas in Dublin & Paris In Depth: Interview with Amnesty International Executive Director 1

H

A Letter From The Editor

ey there,

since they have been doing great in the league so far! We get into the festive spirit and compare Christmas in Dublin & France. Also, Thanks for picking up another issue in our In Depth section, Noor Saleh of Griffiti. Hope you all enjoyed interviews Amnesty International reading the first one and hope I in Ireland’s executive director Colm didn’t do too bad!

O’Gorman about the abortion debate in Ireland, and two of our contributors write reviews on 4 very We have been very busy since anticipated films in Irish cinemas.

I last spoke to you guys; we had many events that went on which Claire will tell you more about, and This will be the last issue before our sports clubs have been making the New Year, so I would like to the college very proud, but Stephen thank everyone who contributed will update you on that. to the magazine, and wish you all a merry Christmas, and a very happy new year.

In this issue we take a look at See you all next year! ☺ our football team for this year; we thought it’s only appropriate

Contents State of the Union

4

SU News

6

GCD Football team

8

From Paris to Dublin

12

Amnesty Int. Interview

14

In Focus

16

Party People

18

Reviews

20

GCD Tech

22

Flavours

24

Genuine Article

26

Griffiti Art

28

Walaa

Contributors - Ashley Callery - Barnett Gomez - Bronwyn Molony - Donal John - Drew Peacock - Fabiola Joseph Melchior

- John Anderson - Kim Carroll - Marine Kersale - Noor Saleh - Paul Quigley - Stephen Healy

Advertising Enquiries: su.president@griffith.ie / 01 4150463 Printed by: Precision Print Griffiti Magazine Griffith College Students’ Union South Circular Road, Dublin8 Griffiti magazine is the Students’ Union publication at Griffith College. It was established in 2004.

All contents copyright of Griffiti, reproduction of any part of the magazine without permission is prohibited.

The views expressed do not neccessarily reflect that of the college or the SU. 3

State of the Union Claire Aston Assistant Manager & Entertainments Officer

H

i All,

Well there is one semester down and it surely was a busy way to kick off the college year, I hope you have all enjoyed it as much as us.

Since the last issue we have gone on our second trip of the semester which took place back on the 20th of November, we all got the cob webs blown off us on this trip as we visited the Cliffs of Moher and took a step back in time when we attended a medieval banquet in Bunratty Castle, with two of our own students Nick Fitzpatrick and Kavintha Manimaharan appointed the Lord and Lady of the castle for the night.

When all that was over we finished off the trip the best way we know how and we hit the town of Ennis to listen to some live music and do a bit of a jig.

Team King Pong, Colm Corkery and Marc Duffy.

We finished off the semester as strong as we started it with a sell out event for our Christmas event which took place on the 10th of December in Dtwo Nightclub, it was the best Christmas night we have had in years, and it definitely has all of us here in the SU looking forward to next semester.

We have loads coming up for you guys when the dreaded exams are over, so keep an eye out for details of the Refresher Party to kick off the new year, as well as our Discovery Trip in February, Surf Trip in March, many more R.A.G. days and of course the end of year Griffith Ball to finish off what I am sure will be a second semester just as good as the first.

Can’t wait to see you all in the new year, and for those of you who We have also had our were only here for one Second R.A.G. event of semester, thanks for the year in aid of Down making it a great one, Syndrome Ireland, where we had a Christmas Beer Happy Christmas & pong tournament; it was New Year ☺. great to have the teams come out and support charity, congratulations to our Beer Pong winners,

Claire

4

Stephen Donnery Vice President & Clubs & Societies Officer

H

i Guys,

As we approach the Christmas break I would like to thank everyone for given us the opportunity to represent the college.

It has been quite a successful first semester and hope it continues into the second.

Our Football Team has made it to the league semifinals for the first time in about 10 years. The team has also made it into the last 16 of the cup. The team remains unbeaten in all competitions and we hope that this continues as they go in search of silverware. At the end of January, we travel to Carlow Institute in the cup before traveling to play UCC ‘C’ in the league semis early in February.

we hope that the team can get a result their performance deserves.

Our Badminton team has played 2 games winning one and losing one. Despite this however they lie in second place in their group and have a good chance of making the semi-finals.

Our Volleyball teams are about halfway through their leagues.

Our men have played 2 out of their 3 games and sit in second place. We hope the lads are fit to win the last set of matches, which could see them reach the semi-finals. Our women sit bottom of their group.

With Trinity College in top spot in the group it will be difficult for us to go to the semis. However there still is a chance.

Our Cricket team played their first tournament of the year in IT Carlow.

Unfortunately the team was beaten in the semifinal. We host the second leg after Christmas and hope the team can go one step forward and win this tournament.

Our Basketball Team also remain unbeaten as they’ve won 3 league games in their first season in Division 1. The team has already beaten UUJ, DCU and received a walkover from DIT. With 2 games to go in the league, the guys Finally, I would like to wish are looking very good for everyone a Merry Christmas making the semi-finals. and a Happy New Year. I Unfortunately, Our also hope that your exams Rugby team hasn’t been go well in January and look as lucky, but the players forward to seeing you all for seem to be enjoying our second semester. themselves.

With one game remaining after Christmas against DBS,

Stephen

SU News

Griffith College Graduation Ceremonies 2015 G riffith College’s graduation ceremonies for 2015 took place on the 11th & 12th of November in the auditorium building and was once again a lovely ceremony to send off Griffith’s recent graduates into the big bad world.

The ceremonies began with the president’s annual speech in which he made the graduates give a standing ovation to their loved ones who supported them throughout their college years, congratulated and assured them they are always welcome back to Griffith.

Following the president’s speech, each class was presented their

parchments after a speech from their year-heads; a student from each class was also presented with an outstanding performance award.

The graduates were then escorted downstairs to the photography room where they had their pictures taken with their faculty lecturers as well as the president.

We in the SU would like to congratulate all the graduates and wish them the best of luck in the future. We hope to see you soon and hear about life post Griffith College.

The evening ended in Arthurs Café with finger food and wine\soft drinks served as recent graduates had the chance to say farewell to their favourite lecturers and introduce them to their family and friends.

5

SU News

Bunratty Trip 2015 S

ince we last spoke, we’ve been very occupied in the SU planning all the trips and parties, and we’ve gone on another one of our annual trips: the Bunratty Castle trip.

For the past few years the SU has made it a tradition to take Griffith College’s students to see the beauty of Bunratty Castle and take a step back in time to the 15th Century.

Our Bunratty trip took place on the early hours of Friday, the 20th

of November. We kicked off the trip with about 25 students. Our first stop was The Cliffs of Moher; we wanted to give all the new students in Ireland the chance to see the beauty of the Cliffs, and it’s hurricane-like weather. We stayed there for about an hour, and then continued on.

We made our way to the hotel, quickly changed into something more decent-looking than a tracksuit and headed to the Castle.

We watched a performance where two of our students, Nick Fitzpatrick

and Kavintha Manimaharan, were crowned lord and lady of the castle for the night. We then enjoyed a 3-course medieval banquet served by staff members dressed in 15th Century clothing.

We finished off the night with the usual; a night out! We headed to Cruises’ Pub and enjoyed a few drinks (or maybe a bit more).

The trip was a success once again, and we were glad to hear everyone had such a great time!

Christmas Beer Pong ...

For a Good Cause!

W e had our second R.A.G day of the year taking place on 2nd of December, and we decided to try something different for it this time.

Since our Beer Pong society is one of the biggest and most famous societies in the college, we decided to throw the Christmas Beer Pong tournament and give all the money raised to our chosen charity: Down Syndrome Ireland.

6

It was a successful tournament, in which team King Pong (Colm Corkery & Marc Duffy) won the final (for the second time this semester), so we would like to congratulate them, and ask them to maybe give other teams a chance to win next semester.

SU News

HO HO HO... It’s Party Time!

O

ur last event of the semester was our annual Christmas party which took place in D|two nightclub this year, and was once again one crazy night.

Following one or two shots (or seven), we made our way to D|two around 10:00pm; now here is where things become a little bit hazy for some people…

We started off the madness at 7:00pm with pre-drinks in the SU; we welcomed everyone who came through the door with a mix of red & green shots, just the SU’s way of saying welcome and kicking off the night!

It was a great night once again and the tickets were, as always, sold out! The students also did not disappoint; everyone came dressed in their favourite Christmas jumpers & hats, and proved Griffith students sure can party (and go to class the next day

with the worst hangover).

The Christmas party has us excited for the second semester and what we have planned for you guys, starting with our Refreshers’ Party, which is a welcome back and hello to our old and new students.

Thanks to everyone who made it to the party, and we are already looking forward to next year’s Christmas madness!

7

SU Clubs

gcd football team 2015/16

O

ur football team has had a great start to the season, making it to the league semi-finals for the first time in over 10 years. So we thought It’s only appropriate we introduce this year’s Football Team:

8

Stephen Donnery Clubs & Socs Officer

Paul Walsh Manager

Position: Right back

Position: Coach

Football in a word: Team

Football in a word: Life

Fiachra Doyle

James Collier

Noel Byrne

Position: Left Back

Position: Goalkeeper

Position: Centre Back

Football in a word: Passion

Football in a word: Discipline

Football in a word: Happiness

Pierce Connolly

James Bull

Derek Novosad

Position: Centre Back

Position: Centre Back

Position: Centre Back

Football in a word: Beautiful

Football in a word: Sex

Football in a word: Finesse

Niall Farrell

Ludo Dominguez

Chris Lehane

Position: Centre Midfield

Position: Centre Midfield

Position: Centre Midfield

Football in a word: Brotherhood

Football in a word: Love

Football in a word:

Brotherhood

9

Keith Fitzpatrick

Yannis Malaoui

Conor O’Toole

Position: Centre Midfield

Position: Winger

Position: Winger

Football in a word:

Football in a word:

Football in a word:

Tomas Ilic

Vinicius Luz

Dipo Sadiq

Position: Attacking Mid

Position: Winger

Position: Winger

Football in a word:

Football in a word:

Team

Football in a word: Dream

Jack Kinsella

Jesse Agbana

Taha Erezzaghi

Position: Striker

Position: Striker

Position: Striker

Football in a word:

Football in a word:

Football in a word:

Connecting

Life

10

Life

Passion

Everything

Fantastic

Passion

11

Features

Christmas between Dublin and Paris Like many exchange students, I’m going to spend the holidays between Dublin and my home country, France. Ireland and France both have similar cultures.

Overall, Christmas preparations in France and Ireland look very similar.

By: Marine Kersale

Christmas markets

I

n Paris we have several Christmas markets in every part of the city but the most famous are those from Trocadero, La Défense and especially the Champs Elysées one. There are many handicrafts, sweets or Christmas products like the “pain d’épices”. Inside the Champs Elysées market, visitors can also take a trip to the ice rink, which is packed during that time.

In Dublin, there are also many Christmas markets; some go on for one day but they can also last for a week or the full month of December. The most known Christmas market is the “I believe” market located at Custom House. The market will be accessible until the 23rd of December.

There was also the National Craft & Design fair, which took place between 2nd-6th of December and included goodies for Christmas stalls. It brought together 500 designers, artists, and craftspeople.

You could also find many Irish specialties for Christmas.

Christmas Eve Traditions France and Ireland each have their specialties, and although meals are different depending on the families, there are some inescapable traditions. In France, meals are divided into four parts. First, the appetisers, where you can find the famous “ foie gras “; a kind of seafood or smoked salmon, then there is the main dish which is usually stuffed quail, guinea fowl, or the wild boar with its grand veneur sauce.

What follows next is the cheese with the traditional “Mont d’Or”, and finally the famous Christmas buche, a traditional dessert, along with some clementines.

In Ireland, Christmas Dinner consists of a main

12

1

course and dessert. For the main course, turkey is considered the most famous meal, and it comes with gravy sauce, ham and brussel sprouts and mashed potato. For dessert, pudding is the traditional dish.

Christmas Essentials: Festive Lights!

Christmas lights, present in both Dublin and Paris, share the similarity of being very unique. In Dublin, you can go to Grafton Street to see them, and continue to O’Connell street to feel the Christmas spirit, while in Paris, you can go down the Champs Elysées and go the length of the Rivoli street to see some of Paris’ most outstanding lights.

Every part of Paris is illuminated for Christmas, but unlike Dublin, it is better to view the lights by car than on foot.

The stores are also decorated like the windows of Brown Thomas on Grafton Street or the clockwork figures of BHV next to the town hall of Paris.

Grafton and Henry Street are also ideal places for Christmas shopping.

There are a lot of shops and the best thing about is you can do everything by walk. There is also Dundrum Shopping Centre which is the largest one in Europe and which was redecorated for Christmas.

In Paris there are the Galeries Lafayette and the Printemps, which are both well-known stores. There is also the neighborhood of the Madeleine, the inevitable Champs Elysees and the commercial center “Les 4 temps” in La Défense, which is the business district in Paris.

Christmas is a time to have fun with family and friends, and forget about the stresses of life.

In Paris there is the skating rink under the glass roof of the Grand Palace that can be found each winter, and In Dublin there is the winterfunderland, which also has a skating rink as well as a Christmas market and many other activities. Children can also meet Santa Claus there.

Finally for students who are spending Christmas holidays away from their families, there is the Christmas Dinner Expat Orphans, which is organised by the Facebook group Expats in Dublin. You can find the event on their Facebook group. It will be held Thursday, 24th December at 6:00pm.

Finally, for everyone reading this article, whether you’re in Paris, Dublin, or at a far, far-away land, enjoy your time with your family and friends. I wish you a Merry Christmas.

12

13

In Depth

Abortion in Ireland: Amnesty International Interview Abortion in Ireland has been a very controversial case and it still is. It is illegal to go through with it and there is a single offence of the intentional destruction of “unborn human life” with a maximum sentence of 14 years. Colm O’Gorman, Executive director of Amnesty International in Ireland, shares his opinion on some of the questions addressed in relation to abortion laws and issues in Ireland.

A

poll carried out for Amnesty international shows that the majority of the people are yet unaware that abortion is a criminal offense. Asked whether the Government should decriminalise abortion, 67% agreed and 25% didn’t. However, 81% are in favor of widening the grounds for legal abortion access in Ireland. Why has it proved difficult to legislate and what are the main points of opposition against it?

That’s a big and broad question. I suppose we have to look back and understand the history of this issue since it has been addressed in Ireland. The public conversation about abortion has been very divisive and very patriotic, I mean it is a very complex, challenging and very nuanced issue. But I think the debate has often lacked willingness or the ability to address the nuance. So it certainly has been a difficult issue, in the past it was definitely dominated by religious undertones, the Catholic Church was the most vocal and powerful group ranged against progressive laws that respected women in the past and they held huge

14

political and public power at that time. Ireland is a country that its public debate very often couldn’t look beyond the dogmas of religion, and that made it a difficult issue to address. Plus, it was politically, a very challenging issue.

In your opinion, which of the three has the strongest impact on the decision to remain illegal? Religion, politics or health issues?

It’s very difficult to answer, but perhaps the lack of political leadership –particularly at the executive level –on the issue. It is precisely those kinds of issues that require a real meaningful leadership where leaders are prepared to advance, to deepen and to inform public debate and the discussion. Actually I think that in the main, political leadership has been wanting to avoid the discussion about abortion –with some exceptions, not universally true. But that is thankfully changing more and more each day.

Could more cases of abortion be prevented by an

increase of sexual and health education in schools?

you answer criticisms leveled at your organization?

I think the reasons why women and girls need abortion are varied. Access to abortion as a health intervention and as a medical procedure is a vital component of respecting and fulfilling the sexual reproductive rights of women and girls in Ireland. Access to sexual health information and education, to contraception, to family planning information and advice are equally important, they’re all parts of the ways in which the state vindicates the sexual reproductive rights of females in the state so they all have a part to play.

We expect that there would be criticisms especially around such controversial issues, but that’s fair enough, people are entitled to disagree with us, I don’t have any issue with it at all. The only time I take issue is when people either misrepresent what we’re saying or when people are dishonest when they engage in our debate. We would seek to respond to criticisms where it’s appropriate, but if it’s simply about repeating things that are simply not true then we’re not going to engage in that debate.

Could more cases of abortion be prevented by an increase of sexual and health education in schools?

Should the Government make contraception more accessible to women who need it?

I want to say that it’s not much of an access to contraception; it’s access to sexual health information that is actually the big issue here. It’s only relatively recently that sex education became compulsory in Irish schools, but there’s no consistency or objectivity around how those programs are provided. So I think it’s incredibly important to significantly improve sex education programs in schools, because people should understand all of the various elements of sexual reproduction health before understanding how to use contraception for example, so I think that’s one of the main existing gaps in the abortion topic.

ProLife campaign spokesperson Dr. Ruth Cullen said “It’s an indisputable fact that the campaign to repeal the eighth is not grassroots driven but is almost exclusively a media driven campaign”, what do you think?

I think that’s patently untrue. I mean getting the issue of abortion covered or addressed by the media in Ireland up until relatively recently is not easy. I’ve had the experience of looking to engage media on the issue and being told by mainstream media in this country that they don’t want to “kick that particular dog right now” and that was the actual phrase they used! I think that’s changing and that’s a good thing. About the poll you mentioned earlier, 81% of people want to see progressive abortion laws that would require the appeal of the eighth amendment, 81% of people are not a media driven campaign. Only 7% of people in that poll were opposed to abortion in all circumstances.

Consistently in poll after poll we see that the majority of people support access to abortion on grounds that would require the appeal of the eighth amendment.

Do you receive “hate mail”?

Certainly have received, on a whole range of issues and not just on this issue, but in this discussion I’ve been struck by the level of support that we’ve received generally. It’s been really heartening to see how supportive people are of the work we’ve been doing in this area which has been very hard.

The UN committee asked why did the Government not organise a referendum on abortion recently. When do you think they would propose another referendum on the legalisation of abortion?

I think a referendum is inevitable, and I believe we’re going to have it within the next three years. I think the announcement just in the past week by the Taoiseach that they would have a citizens’ assembly or a convention to look at this issue is a significant step forward. I don’t underestimate the challenges that would follow from that because it’s a perfectly reasonable idea to have a convention regarding an issue like abortion and there should be a very clear and strong commitment to acting upon the recommendations of that convention. Something like a convention mustn’t be used to simply “kick the can down the road” or avoid the issue, and people involved in the debate on either side must be confident that this is a process that’s really committed to having the conversation and to moving this discussion forward.

When do you believe human life begins? At what stage of development should an unborn child have rights?

In all of this I’m speaking for Amnesty International, so our work and our expertise in this area is grounded in and guided by a mandate by international human rights law, which is silent on pre-natal life. In the universal declaration of human rights, article 1: “All human beings are born equally in dignity and in rights” I’m aware Amnesty International are not pro-abortion or pro-choice, but pro-human rights. So how would

By: Noor Saleh

15

In Focus By: Stephen Healy

By: Bronwyn Molony

By: Paul Quigley 16

By: Barnett Gomez

By: Stephen Healy

By: Noor Saleh 17

18

Party Peopl

e

19

Reviews

Black Mass Some actors have the ability to lose themselves in a character. Some don’t.

Among the best is Johnny Depp, who has built career-playing characters as diverse as Gilbert Grape and Jack Sparrow. But as real-life mobster James “Whitey” Bulger, Depp may have found his greatest performance.

T

he streets of Boston are run by “Whitey” Bulger (Depp), a man so feared that to cross him it always means death or a terrible beating. With his snake-like eyes that never seem to blink, just a glance sends most people running the other way. But Whitey is also a loving father and all-around good guy to those he knows.

Fast moving and full of great performances, “Black Mass” is a welcome return to the big screen of the Johnny Depp who performs fantastic deep roles. He is joined by Edgerton, who plays FBI agent John Connolly.

Connolly has been tasked by his superiors to clean up South Boston, and he strikes a bond with Whitey.

Whitey will provide information on rival gangsters to the Feds while they will turn their backs on his activities, providing he doesn’t murder anyone, which is a pretty hard promise for Whitey to keep. Another fly in the ointment is the fact that Bulger’s brother, Billy (Benedict Chumberbatch), is a state senator, which can make for an uncomfortable dinner party.

As things get worse in South Boston, Connolly must find ways to show that Whitey is a productive informant. Of course, this leads to big arrests, which leads to raises and a bigger office. Soon Connolly is wearing fancy suits and gold watches, which draws the curiosity of his superior (Kevin Bacon, “Mystic River”).

As Connolly, Edgerton is amazing, but the top draw here is Depp, who loses himself in the character completely.

By: John Anderson 20

Steve Jobs Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) superbly directs from an ingenious script

by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network). The revealing biobic is about the flawed but brilliant genius that is Steve Jobs.

T

he movie is played in three acts, as it centers around three of Jobs’ iconic product launches, each delivered in a 40-minute segment and all the action takes place backstage as friends and foes visit the frantic Jobs. The first product launch being the failed Mac, the second being the bridge launch of NeXT computer, ending in the 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac launched at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall--with Jobs again in charge at Apple.

The movie clearly shows for Jobs, harshness hand in hand with innovation. Michael Fassbender brilliantly plays Steve Jobs as if he were a Shakespearean character. Jobs is the sometimes charming and too often unlikable, acerbic and volatile loose-cannon Apple co-founder and CEO. Jobs also created everything digital from music, animation (Pixar) and publishing to iPhones. His colleagues say that he was not an engineer or a designer, but like a good orchestra leader he could lead the orchestra to play beautiful music. The self-absorbed Jobs considered himself an artist, someone confident his computers would change the world and the way we think.

Michael Fassbender, has an excellent supporting cast that compliment his performance. Kate Winslet (Titanic, The Reader) plays Jobs’ Polish-American assistant Joanna Hoffman, she delivers a powerful performance, along with a slight Polish accent that would make you believe she has a bit of Polish in her.

Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet), gives a dramatic and well delivered performance as Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniacki. Josh Daniels gives a typical Josh Daniels performance as Apple CEO John Scully, which is perfect for the actor’s typical performance.

The film is brilliantly structured, well acted, has crackling dialogue and tells a riveting story about a great innovator who had a very unusual way of going about his social way.

Reviews

Carol Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara star in a classic melodrama about love against the odds.

A

dapted from Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 novel “The Price of Salt” and directed by Todd Haynes. The film was powered not only by a great director but a strong cast too. The story, set in the 1950s, revolves around the relationship between two women in love intertwined with the unfortunate fact that it is affecting the title character (Blanchett) to lose custody of her daughter, which she shares with her husband, Kyle Chandler.

Throughout the movie there is a strong feeling of tension, which is not surprising, as same-sex relationships were not common at all in the 1950s. You can sense it not only in the couple’s love affair but the atmosphere of the movie too. The two characters also trait complete different personalities; Carol is a brave bold and rather confident woman, whereas Therese is a very shy and rather introverted person.

Not only from the beginning of the movie but almost the majority of it that I found myself questioning if Therese has any romantic interest in Carol. Seeing as she is of such a young age you can see where she is coming from. The audience senses a presence of romance blossoming from even the short first encounter, which leads to the kind gesture Mara does.

Blanchett and Mara are lead into a Catastrophe after their night of sexual bliss when they find out the man you expect to be a rather charming character is in fact a private detective. The two lovers are forced to leave each other. This leads to the climax of the film.

Even though Carol was set 60 years ago, I feel like it was released for now; we need more movies like this.

Not only was it a brilliant performance by two great female main roles, but it was a bold and beautiful film too. Initially by watching the trailer I personally felt this should be noted for an Oscar nomination.

ROOM If you get the chance, to go to the cinema this anytime soon, I would highly recommend the film Room.

D

irected by Lenny Abrahamson, the movie revolves around Ma played by (Brie Larson) and Jack played by (Jacob Tremblay). They are both being held captive in an enclosed space in which they call ‘room’. Their performances are stunning and they have fantastic chemistry as mother and son.

Ma and Jack must stand by each other and work together to leave this horrid life behind. In addition, the writing is fantastic. Touching, moving, and powerful, it makes you sit back and think about how strong they were and how they turned that little room into their own little world. It is a rather remarkable story.

I went through a variety of emotions as I watched it. The movie will thrill you and leave you fighting back tears. There are many heart-warming moments especially between the mother and son. Rarely when I go to see a movie my heart races, but this was an exception; my heart was pounding the entire time. The movie has moments of an action / thriller genre. At the same time it was very touching. There were moments that would make you want to cry. It really showed the staggering power of desire and distress. The film is beautifully put together and will leave you in awe.

Another thing is I normally find most films that are two hours long rather lengthy and dragged out too much, but with this particular one, I didn’t want it to end; I wanted to see what was in store for the characters and I became attached to them.

By: Ashley Callery 21

GCD Tech

Kids Armed with Robotics

T

here are roughly 2 million amputees around the world.

These range from people that are victims of traumatic accidents to people that are simply born with the disability. Unfortunately, only a small amount of amputees have prosthesis; a lot of them have no prosthesis at all.

Only a very small portion of amputees have access to robotic prosthesis. This is due to the fact that to date, one of these robotic limbs cost anywhere between €30,000 to €100,000. 3D printing is a technology that has been around for decades, however, only recently has this technology

22

become affordable. Today, a 3D printer can be purchased for as little as €400!

“Shaking Daniel’s hand was incredible. it didn’t even feel like a robot hand, it felt just like Dan was shaking my hand.”

Open Bionics is a UK base robotics company that has

recently been named as one of the 25 innovations that will make the UK more accessible to the 1 in 5 people with disabilities. With the use of 3D printing, Open Bionics is able to bring custom fitted robotic hands to amputees around the world. One of their 3D printed hands takes as little as 3 days to make and will cost less than €1000; a small fraction of the previous price of a robotic arm.

These robotic prosthesis use electromyography in order to operate like a real hand. Simply put, electromyography is the recording and monitoring of the activity of skeletal muscles. Although the

GCD Tech amputee may have lost their hand, they still have the muscles in their arm. When you move your hand or a finger, the muscle in your forearm moves first. Open Bionics’ robotic arm is able to pick up on these small movements from the muscles in the arm to replicate the movement of a hand. This life changing technology returns a huge range of functionality to the amputee.

Open Bionics has been able to change people’s lives in a huge way. Daniel, 23, was born without a right hand and was lucky enough to help test one of the new robotic hands after he and his whole family backed Open Bionics crowd funding campaign. Daniel’s brother couldn’t believe that he was seeing his brother made whole right in front of him. The thrilled brother exclaimed, “Shaking Daniel’s hand was incredible. It didn’t even

feel like a robot hand, the way it gripped me, it felt just like Dan was shaking my hand.” In less than half an hour, Daniel had his arm scanned and was ready to have his custom prosthetic arm printed.

Daniel said, “I can’t believe how easy that was. Usually, I’d have to have a mould taken of my arm and then wait weeks or months to get the socket.”

kids with disabilities to be able to feel like their favourite princess or superhero. This new range of prosthetics will be available in the style of Iron Man, Frozen or Star Wars. These models will start at around €500 and will be available in 2016.

Recently, Open Bionics has collaborated with Disney to bring a brand new range of robotic arms for kids. Most medical grade prosthesis tries to match a persons skin colour in order to make them look life-like. This generally isn’t the case and ends up making the prosthesis very unattractive for the wearer. Open bionics have gone to opposite extreme by making prosthesis that stand out with bright colours and even LED lights. Open Bionics and Disney want these

By: Donal Byrne

23

Flavours

Festive Eats

Edible goodies to fill the gourmet stocking this Christmas By: Kim Carroll

D

ecember is a time for splurging; a break from the dull melancholia of the previous months to shop for gifts under pretty lights, finally some time to spend with family and friends. It’s the season where everybody becomes a food lover, enjoying luxurious fare safe in the knowledge that bikini season is at its furthest.

This

24

Christmas

let

these

homemade gourmet treats show the important people in your life that you care. Just don’t forget to make extra, after all, festive dining never begins and ends in one sitting.

Crunchy Peanut Butter and Toffee Bonbons Serve these silky peanut butter and milk chocolate sweets as a party favour, or wrap and give as a

seasonal treat.

Ingredients

•100g smooth peanut butter •50g softened butter •140g icing sugar •2 Dime bars, chopped •100g milk chocolate •100g salted toasted peanuts, chopped finely.

Put the peanut butter, butter and sugar into a food processor. Pulse

Flavours until it becomes smooth and balls together. Add the toffee pieces and pulse until the chunks are small.

Make small, evenly-sized balls with the mixture using the palms of your hands. Place on a lined tray and chill for 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over some boiling water and then, using a fork, dip each ball into the melted chocolate before rolling in the chopped nuts. Place on a greaseproof lined tray and leave in the fridge to harden for about 2 hours.

When storing, keep between greaseproof paper in the fridge.

Will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Mango Chutney

and

Black

Pepper

Use this as a twist on the traditional honey and mustard glaze for your Christmas ham, or simply spread on crackers for a savoury treat.

Ingredients

• 2 kg fresh mangoes, ripe, skinless and chopped into chunks • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil • 2 teaspoons of cracked black pepper • 250g diced red pepper • 500g diced red onion • 600ml pineapple juice • 300ml cider vinegar • 130g brown sugar • 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder • 1 teaspoon of salt • 120g golden raisins • 100g toasted, chopped

macadamia nuts In a large saucepan, sweat the onions until translucent. Add the ginger and red pepper and stir on the heat for about a minute and a half. Add the mango and cook for a final minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the nuts to the pan and stir very well. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the nuts and store while still hot in air-tight glass jars.

Leave to cool before storing in the fridge and using for up to 4 weeks.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Dough

and

These cookies are freezeable and make a great gift to give to children, teachers or grandparents.

You can even give the dough American style without cooking it - simply roll the uncooked mixture into a cylinder with clingfilm and wrap!

Heat the oven to 180 C. Mix all the ingredients except the cranberries and chocolate with an electric hand whisk until smooth.

Add the final ingredients and stir. Drop the mixture onto a greaseproof baking tray in equally sized amounts, spacing them out well as the cookies will spread.

Bake in batches for 12 minutes until pale golden. Leave to harden on the tray for 1 minute before transferring onto a wire rack.

To freeze, open-freeze the raw cookie dough scoops on baking trays; when solid, pack them into a freezer container, interleaving the layers with baking parchment. Use within 3 months. Bake from frozen for 15-20mins

Ingredients • 600g white chocolate • 200g butter • 2 eggs • 100 light muscavado sugar • 175g golden caster sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 350g plain flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 100g dried cranberries, chopped

25

The Genuine Article Sports and Societies Officer at Students’ Union Stephen Donnery gets Nose Job - The Scoop

By: Drew Peacock

H

ave you ever worked with someone and felt they have a hidden story?

Well, the Students’ Union staff had a feeling Stephen Donnery had something big to hide, and boy were we right!

See, Stephen informed us

26

that he will be taking a week off work because he had to go through “reconstrctive surgery on his nose”, but what we later found out was shocking!

Stephen had, in fact, a surgery on his nose, but it was actually for more “personal reasons”.

After finding out one of his favourite shows “Britain’s next top model” will be returning to screens, he applied to the upcoming season, but he was rejected and told he needs to “do something about that nose” and come back next year. So stephen, determined to make it

on the show, let the doctors do their magic and “fix” his nose.

We are not quite sure why Stephen is so determined to be on the show, but we think he is set on starting a modeling career following the end of his term with the SU, which is one of the prizes for the winner: “The winner normally receives a modelling contract, cosmetics campaign, and a spread within

a fashion magazine which also includes appearing on the front cover.”

he decided to get a nose job, and hopefully be on the show next season.

We think Stephen looks perfect just the way he is, but the pressure people are put through in these competitions is unbareble, and let’s just say Stephen got a little bit insecure once he heard those words; he has also been wanting to go on the show for several years, so

Even if we don’t agree with what Stephen did, we will still tune in to the next season of “Britain’s Next Top Model” airing on “Lifetime” and cheer for our beloved Stephen!

Under The Spotlight

News In Brief

Paul Walsh

• SU staff report stolen Christmas tree star to the Gardai (We want it back).

•Rugby team finally got to play their 3 matches (and lost all 3).

•Stephen Donnery continues to be the Football team’s top scorer (still inclduing own goals). = •Team King Pong (Colm Corkery & Marc Duffy) not allowed to play beer pong anymore (LET OTHER TEAMS WIN!).

• SU runs out of pool queues as they continue to get broken.

• Griffiti editor Walaa Ajjawi fired after putting her boss Paul Walsh “under the spotlight” ➜.

Occupation: Professional gogo dancer Greatest Ambition: To become a Spicegirls band memeber Hobbies: Singing loudly & publicly Likes: Dirty dancing on buses Dislikes: people who don’t dance on buses (Claire) Interesting Fact: He works part-time as a stripper 27

Everyone has a passion for so drawing, writing poems or mus hidden talent. Well this is you talent with us, Presenting:

Griffiti Art

28

r something, whether it’s music lyrics, or some other your chance to share your g: Griffiti Art Section.

By: Fabiola Joseph Melchior

29

30

The SU staff would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year :) See you All next year!

31

32