Griffiti Magazine - Issue 66

Issue

66

Featuring:

#OscarsSoWhite: The Controversy In Depth: The SUSI Grant Campaign Fresh Food From your Kitchen Garden 1 Griffiti issue 66.indd 1

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GC

#O

In

In

Re

Fl

Ge

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A Letter From The Editor

i everyone,

First of all Happy new Year!

Welcome back to all our returning students; ya’ll survived the first semester , well done! and to our new students, welcome to Griffith College, can’t wait to meet you all; you’re gonna love it here ☺ It’s been great having the students back in the college & the SU! we were a little bored without you all...

In this issue we will be looking at our women’s volleyball team for the year; we have such a fun group of girls on the team, so we figured it’s about time we introduced the girls and our coaches to you guys.

Our In Depth piece is about the SUSI grant campaign; Noor Saleh interviews Pierce Connolly who is a journalism student in Griffith and is affected by the inequality towards private college students.

Erin Kennedy writes a review on Swan Lake, while John Anderson reviews movies that are nominated for an Oscar award; could Dicaprio finally take one home?

Also, keep an eye out for all the posters around campus, as we have plenty planned for you guys over the next few months, including a massive Beer Pong tournament for R.A.G day, and our biggest event of the year:The 16th Annual Griffith Ball.

Contents

Contributors

State of the Union

4

SU News

6

GCD Basketball team #OscarsSoWhite

8

- Bronwyn Molony - Donal John - Drew Peacock - Erin Kennedy - Fabiola Joseph Melchior

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

12

In Depth: SUSI Grant Campaign 14

In Focus

16

Party People

18

Reviews

22

GCD Tech

24

Flavours

26

Genuine Article

28

Griffiti Art

30

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Walaa

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 29/02/2016 10:46 a.m.

State of the Union Claire Aston Assistant Manager & Entertainments Officer

H

i All,

the amazing things this little island has to offer. Although the weather let us down Hope you are all a bit, it didn’t dampen our enjoying this semester so spirits. This trip took us to far, it’s hard to believe it amazing sites, including is already the end of our Corcomroe Abbey, the Cliffs first month back, it really of Moher, Blarney Stone has flown by and for all and much more. It was the right reasons. a fun packed trip which continued through Fri and The Refreshers Party Sat night when everyone rd kicked it all off on the 3 of February. It was great headed out to the City to see everyone coming of Galway and town of Killarney. out and even better to see so many of the new Coming up we have a faces on campus kicking R.A.G. Beer Pong event off the semester in true on Wed 2nd of March in Griffith style. The night Lafayette with 24 teams took place in Everleigh competing; it will be our Garden with a crowd of biggest ever tournament, 350 people. and all money raised will be On the 7th of February we headed to Copper Face Jacks, where we watched the Broncos beat the Panthers. Safe to say that all though it was great to see the game, the free pizza, snacks and prizes on the night were also a big hit.

Finishing off this month, we had our Discovery Trip on the 19th-21st of February, 50 of us took off to the roads of Ireland and got to see some of

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going to Down Syndrome Ireland. Following this we will be having our Surf Trip from the 18th – 20th of March, which will be our final trip of the year.

Last but not least we have our Griffith Ball on the 22nd of April in the Double Tree Hotel. Tickets are €40 now, so make sure to get yours before the price goes up to €45.

Claire

Stephen Donnery Vice President & Clubs & Societies Officer

H

i Guys,

Wednesday last when they were beaten 3-2 away to IT Blanchardstown. It was a Welcome back to the great year for the team and second semester of this just unfortunate not to go one step further and make it term. to the finals in Baldoyle next I hope by now you have Thursday. all settled back in nicely Our Societies are also up and all got the results that and running with the Music you wanted from your Society meeting up most exams. Our Clubs and Societies are back up and weeks downstairs in the SU. We still would love to running and doing well. see new faces so if anyone Unfortunately after would like to come and join starting the year so well any societies, call into the our football team were SU and we will give you all beaten in the last 16 of the information. the cup to Carlow Institute Finally, our biggest Beer of Further Education. We were also knocked out of Pong Tournament is just the league semi-final a around the corner. It will week later away to UCC take place in Lafayette Bar ‘C’ on penalties who went on Wednesday next 2nd on to win the league last of March. It is open to 24 teams with still some spaces week. available. It promises to be a Our basketball team is great night in store with drink going strong again this promotions, live football year in their first year in and also pool tables on the Division 1. The guys hosted premises. We hope to see last year’s champions IT you there.

Carlow in Alsaa Arena in If you wish to find out any Swords on Friday, the 26th more about any clubs or of February, and made societies do hesitate to ask. their way into the final after a great 89-76 win.

Commiserations to our Badminton team who narrowly missed out on a quarter-final spot on

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SU News Welfare Day: Irish Heart Foundation visit GCD

F

or our second Welfare Day we decided to bring The Irish Heart Foundation to campus; we figured it’s about time you all got yourselves checked out, especially after those dreadful exams.

11:00am – 3:00pm and were doing heart health checks, blood pressure checks and carbon monoxide checks for smokers. The nurses were very friendly & helpful, and took the time to explain the results for each student and advised them Two lovely nurses from IHF on how to live a healthier life. set up in Café Arthur from

We have one more Welfare Day before the end of the second semester, it will be taking place on the 6th of April, so keep an eye out around campus for posters to see what we have planned for you guys!

Stay safe!

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SU News

Kicking Off Second Smester!

W

e kicked off the second semester the only way we know how to: Party, party, & Super Bowl!

turnout was fantastic with about 350 tickets sold; we got to meet all the new faces in college as well as many of the usual ones.

We figured that the best way to get to know all the new students & welcome back the returning ones was to go out, have a bit of fun, and make some memories!

On Sunday then, we got together with many of our students in Copper Face Jacks for the Super Bowl.We had limited tickets for the event as the Super Bowl is very popular in Ireland, but all the students that turned up enjoyed the night with finger food & prizes giveaway (as well as Beyonce’s halftime show).

wait to see you all again for our upcoming events (Our R.A.G & Welfare Days, and our Annual Griffith College Ball), and get to know you even more.

Our first event of the semester was our Refreshers’ Party which took place in Everleigh Garden.

We started the night with predrinks and music in the SU from 7:30pm (and of course, shots), Thanks to everyone who came then made our way down to along to both events and made Everleigh around 10:00pm. The the nights so much fun. We can’t 6 Griffiti issue 66.indd 6

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SU News

Discovery Trip 2016

Our third trip of the academic year took place from the 19th - 21st of February, and it was one of our best yet!

We kicked off the fun at 9:00am with 50 of our students as we headed down to our first stop: Galway City! We made a few stops along the way to show the new students in Ireland what this Island has to offer. Our first stop was a much needed one; a bathroom break! (it was a very long way to Galway).

After that, we got back on the road and stopped at one of Ireland’s most beautiful sites: Cong. we enjoyed a nice meal there, then headed to Galway city.

In Galway we took the students

to The King’s Head pub where we enjoyed a bit of Irish music and had a few drinks (or maybe a bit more). As the night moved some of the students moved on as well; they headed to Coyotes nightclub while some chose to head back and have some rest before getting back on the road again.

Early on the next morning, we met the students and continued the journey towards Killarney. On the way we stopped at many of Ireland’s famous sites, such as the Baby Cliffs, Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and Corcomroe Abbey. Everyone was amazed at the beauty of these sites, despite the very cold weather we encountered.

Reaching Killarney around 6:30, it was already dark so we really

had no other choice but to head down to a pub; we had a few drinks then continued the night in McSorley’s nightclub.

Having stayed up very late the night before, everyone looked very drained on the bus taking us back to Griffith. We made two stop in Cork before we headed back to Dublin though, we visited Blarney Castle which was a favourite for the majority of students, and Cork city for some lunch. At around 5:30pm, we were back in Griffith!

It was a great weekend as expected, and it was a pleasure getting to know the students and showing them around this Island, and we can’t wait to meet more people on our surf trip.

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SU Clubs

Women’s Volleyball team 2015/16

I

n this issue we’ll be introducing our women’s volleyball team for this year. They are a great group of girls; the atmosphere during training is always fun! So here’s our fun women’s volleyball team:

Coach Andrew Goti

Coach Brendan O Toole

Age: Ancient

Age: Even more ancient

Fav volleyball memory: Coaching my GCD girls & guys

Fav volleyball memory: Seeing the happiness in the girls when they’ve improved, and making fun of the team

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l Julia Sauerbrunn

Walaa Ajjawi

Age: 20

Age: 21

Fav volleyball memory: Playing as a team in a friendly against UCD

Fav volleyball memory: Representing Griffith volleyball team for 3 years

Aylin Geyik

Noor Saleh

Lara Krist

Age: 22

Age: 18

Age: 21

Fav volleyball memory: Playing in the UCD blitz tournament

Fav volleyball memory: Fav volleyball memory: First time putting on a GCD Every successful hit i made jersey and playing a match was pure happiness

Charly Burth

Franziska Rehm

Age: 19

Age: 22

Fav volleyball memory: Every moment with the team is just a pleasure

Fav volleyball memory: First time hitting the ball properly at the net

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Isabell Hammer

Nathalie Ikker

Age: 19

Age: 20

Fav volleyball memory: Playing with the team and feeling really happy

Fav volleyball memory: Chanting before every match together

Jazlyn Qualls

Ann Katrin Broszeit

Lucile Singer

Age: 19

Age: 22

Age: 22

Fav volleyball memory: Meeting everyone at the first volleyball practice in GCD

10

Fav volleyball memory: Fav volleyball memory: Working as a team with the Playing with GCD team girls and coach against Trinity

Samira Listl

Julieta GarcĂ­a

Age: 22

Age: 18

Fav volleyball memory: Feeling like i’m home every time I play volleyball

Fav volleyball memory: Playing in different cities with my team in Mexico

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Features

OscarsSoWhite: Is it Being Overplayed?

By: John Anderson Jr

F

ollowing the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominees, a hashtag “#” appeared across Twitter questioning why it is that the majority of actors nominated for an Oscar appear to be white.

The hashtag, named #OscarsSoWhite, has recently blown up in popularity, particularly on Martin Luther King Day. Claims came from across the globe stating the Academy, and in particularly, the big studios, are racist.

Movie director Spike Lee, and actresses Jada Pinkett Smith and Reese Witherherspoon used the controversy to highlight they would be boycotting the Oscars. Now, Will Smith is joining his wife, stating he

will also not be attending.

Before we go any further to view the diversity issue, here are a few statistics of black Oscar winners in the last 20 years:

Black Best Actor recipients since 1995: 2001 — Denzel Washington 2005 — Jamie Foxx 2006 — Forrest Whitaker

3 out of 20 is 15% Black Best Actress recipients since 1995:

Black Best Supporting Actor recipients since 1995: 1996 — Cuba Gooding Jr. 2004 — Morgan Freeman

2 of 20 is 10% Black Actress 1995:

Best Supporting recipients since

2006 — Jennifer Hudson 2009 — Mo’Nique 2011 — Octavia Spencer 2013 — Lupita Nyong’o

2001 — Halle Berry

4 of 20 is 20%

1 out of 20 is 5%

When we add all these stats

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up, we find that 12.5% of Oscar winners in the last 20 years are black. Black people make up 13.5% of the US population and hold 12.5% of Acting Oscars since 1995. From a statistical point of view, the black Oscar winners, average out with the population.

Since the beginning of all this hype, Spike Lee has come out on daytime television, and stated he never called for a boycott, he simply stated he is not attending.

He believes there should be change among the hierarchy in the academy, to which he stated that he talked with the President of the Academy Awards, Cheryl Boone Isaacs (who is in fact a black woman) last November, who said this is a priority on her list as president.

So the question here is, why have actors such as Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Will Smith, made a stand now, when it was already stated that change is imminent from the President herself, before this year’s nominations were even considered?

The Academy Awards diversity changes now seem forced by a movement rather than happening naturally, when in fact, the Academy Awards have recognised stand out performances by African decent actors. Therefore, the claim that the Academy Awards nominations this year are not diverse, is in my opinion false.

Let’s have a look at the some of the nominated movies this year.

The Danish Girl:

Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander have been nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively for the historic transgender drama. Eddie Redmayne has been nominated for playing the role as the first reported transgender case in history, with Alicia Vikander playing his wife and best friend.

This movie alone would have not been considered or even recognised many years ago. It covers an issue that is still very controversial to this day, and has been recognised by the Academy as ground-breaking work.

Spotlight:

Spotlight has a predominant white cast, but still covers a very controversial topic. The movie follows the Boston Globe investigative journalism team that investigated the Catholic Church on their antics against young children in the Boston area, and the globe.

The Catholic Church has always been a controversial topic to address, and again this is a movie that years ago would have been played down because of its controversial issues, mainly because the Catholic Church is a sacred institution, but yet again, the Academy recognises it as

excellent work, and an excellent told story, that has earned it a Best Picture nod.

The Revenant:

The Revenant is a film that challenges how the Native Americans were treated many years ago, and again the Academy recognises it as powerful work.

Saying that, the Director is the big diversity topic here. Alejandro G. Inarittu has been nominated for a second time in a row for best director, as well as best picture for the second year running.

Alejandro is in fact, a Mexican film maker. Last year he was the first Mexican to ever win the Best Director Oscar, why? The obvious reason is that he won because he produced excellent work.

He didn’t win because he was Hispanic and the academy have never honoured him for that, he won because he made an excellent film, and he is the favourite to win this year because he made an excellent film.

Diversity is not restricted to colour, diversity is a range of qualities and topics, and there is plenty of that in the Academy Awards this year.

Bottom Line, if you produce award worthy work, you will receive awards because you made award worthy work, not because your skin is a certain colour.

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In Depth

SUSI Grant Discrimination in Private Colleges By: Noor Saleh

I

magine getting into the college

local awarding authorities that

That does not necessarily mean

all of the events, trips and days

grant applications.

their fees and more; students have

you desire, but missing out on

off because the cost of education

is the millstone around your neck.

Students who accepted a CAO

Even worse, having to find a part-

place at private third level colleges

semester or even a full time job for

for SUSI funding for their state

of the tuition and accommodation

places a real hardship on these

quid for leisure.

apply for a bank loan or take on a

time job during the weekend,

in Ireland are unable to apply

the whole summer to cover a part

approved degree courses. This

fees and if possible, spare a few

students, many of which have to

SUSI

(Student

Universal

Support Ireland) is Ireland’s single national awarding authority for

part-time job to cover their course costs.

The Higher Education Colleges

all higher and further education

Association

in 2012, replacing the sixty-six

for entering private education.

grants. They began processing

14

had previously processed student

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(HECA)

college

students feel discriminated against

they have money that can cover their reasons, which could include

the size of the college, Alumni, courses and others.

“This money is going to improve my quality of living.�

Pierce Connolly, a 3rd year

Journalism

student

at

Griffith

College Dublin shares how he

29/02/2016 10:47 a.m.

feels about being ineligible for the

Pierce had to consider not coming

Certificate in 2013, and started

the price of tuition and college life.

grant: “I completed my Leaving

a Bachelors in Journalism at Griffith College. I chose a private

back to Griffith College because of

Students feel frustrated as some

college because of Alumni and

of them do qualify perfectly for

which is convenient and intimate.

the sole fact they attend a private

person instead of a number”.

don’t get the SUSI grant, while only

because it has a small campus,

the grant, but cannot get it just for

In Griffith, you’re considered a

college. 2,500 HECA students

The course fees are up to €5,500

annually,

and

accommodation

amounts to 5,000 a year. His parents had to take out credit

union loans up to €10,000, which

54% of students in CAO are eligible

Alisha has four brothers and four

sisters; one of them is a year older

than her and is studying Business.

She has to travel all the way back

to Co. Mayo every weekend and has taken out bank loans to pay

for accommodation. What makes things even more difficult is that she has a single mother.

Alisha

is

on

a

scholarship

for the grant. The government is

program, but living costs and

students’ lives; some cases are

burden.

unaware this is affecting so many alarming and need to be granted.

maintenance

fees

are

a

big

Like the majority of third level

From Co. Mayo, Alisha Houlihan,

education students, she has a

in the last three years with no

Media student in Griffith College

which gives her a little pocket

a private college student.

issue.

put a massive financial burden on the family. He had to pay €33,000

a first year Journalism and Visual

government funding because he’s

Dublin feels passionate about the

His father was made redundant

when Pierce was completing the second year of his course, and

had to use redundancy money to pay tuition fees. He took on a parttime job during the weekends and had to miss out on all the college

trips and events. At one point,

“In Griffith, you’re considered a person instead of a number.”

part-time job during the weekends, money at the end of the month

enough for her to enjoy her life as a college student like the rest of her colleagues. She says: “This money is going to improve my quality of living, which directly contributes to my quality of studying, it’s not going

to the college itself so there’s really

no point of us not being eligible for the grant.” Alisha says.

To get involved in helping thousands of students achieve equaliry, Change. org has a petition that anyone can sign online. Currently the students’ goal is to achieve 3,000 signatures to get further attention and recognition by the government, especially since elections are coming up soon and there is always a chance for change and more equality.

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In Focus

By: Walaa Ajjawi

By: Noor Saleh 16 Griffiti issue 66.indd 16

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By: Stephen Healy

By: Bronwyn Molony

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Party Pe ople

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0 5 L W O B R e p u S

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Adventu

res

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Reviews

The Moscow City Ballet: Swan Lake Review

By: Erin Kennedy

A

ll that could be heard above Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece was the sound of the ballet dancers’ shoes and the gasps of the mesmerised audience.

The Moscow City Ballet put on an incredible performance of Swan Lake and transported the audience into the magnificent world that is classical ballet.

The prima ballerinas and principal dancers exceeded expectations with their stunning performances and interpretations of lead roles that have been performed for over 140 years.

Accompanied by soloists and the corps de ballet, the entire performance was a display of passion, dedication and magic. Not a single detail had been overlooked as the choreography, costumes, settings and live-music from The Hungarian Sinfionetta Orchestra came together perfectly to make for an hour and a half of a unique and transfixing performance.

role of Prince Siegfried.

The audience in the Bord Gais Theatre erupted in applause after the beautiful, romantic final scene of the show. Appreciated by those from the ages of three to ninetythree, Swan Lake proved to be a performance not to be missed.

With only three days of performances from February 11th Liliya Orekhova beautifully – 13th, the Moscow City Ballet performed the roles of both Odette left their Dublin audiences with a and Odile with exceptional talent memory to last a lifetime. and artistry, as did principal dancer, Talgat Kozhabaev, in his

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Reviews

The Revenant

Creed

“Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a speechless performance in this Alejandro G. Inarritu epic.”

“While this film is basically Rocky VII, it’s also much more, and perhaps the best in the series.”

hile exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, the legendary Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is injured from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must use his survival skills to find a way back home to his family. Griefstricken and fuelled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), the former huntsman who betrayed and abandoned him.

ichael B. Jordan plays Adonis, the son of the iconic boxer Apollo Creed. He refuses to take his surname, even after being adopted by Apollo’s widow (Phylicia Rashad). He also can’t resist the temptation to box, starting out in backroom Tijuana brawls. Finally he realises that he is meant to box, so he heads to Philadelphia to explore his roots, meeting his father’s former friend and rival Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and asks him to be his mentor, but Rocky is battling his own issues, so these two mismatched men push each other forward. Adonis finds romance with the feisty Bianca (Thompson), and Rocky decides to help Adonis train to face the tough British champ (Tony Bellew).

W

Last year at the Academy awards Alejandro G. Inarritu took home the best picture award for Birdman, along with one for best director and another for best screenplay. This year he sets to successfully defend the best picture award as well as his best director Oscar for The Revenant.

With beautiful locations for shooting, excellently executed tracking shots, a stunning music composition and a stellar cast, Alejandro G. Inarritu shows why he is possibly one of the most creative, and excellent directors in the modern film industry.

DiCaprio gives an unbelievable performance as Hugh Glass. With little dialogue, he manages to deliver an uncanny performance that will grip your eyes to the screen. Leo did many unsettling things for the sake of this film, which included eating a liver (he is a vegan) and sleeping in a real, dead horse. This year looks to finally be DiCaprio’s time.

On the other hand, Tom Hardy gives a chilling, intense performance as John Fitzgerald, which has earned him a best supporting role nomination at this year’s Oscars. With an intense stare, and an eerie southern drawl, Hardy, to put it simply, creeps you out all through the film.

It’s hard to understand how one man can produce two stunning films in two years, and even at that, the two best pictures of their respective years. Alejandro G. Inarritu proves that right now, he can do no wrong.

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M

The foundation of this story is that we have to make peace with the past to move on to the future. This is the heart of the script, and is executed beautifully, as director Ryan Coogler encourages the audience to constantly see what’s happening beneath the surface. This requires the actors to deliver unusually complex performances, and Jordan is wonderfully conflicted as a man whose inner nice guy is warring against his own history. Stallone, meanwhile, delivers one of his best performances ever as the sardonic, battered champion. He’s relaxed and open, reminding us why we fell in love with Rocky to begin with.

As the movie goes on, the film delivers a powerful emotional punch of its own. Michael B. Jordan shows his range, and lets everyone know why he is one of the most sought after young actors of this generation. Sylvester Stallone gives a touching performance that is so true to the original Rocky, but shows his own age, like he has aged with him. This is why he has been giving his Oscar nod for this year.

The brutal fight scenes, which were done in one take, really has you on the edge of your seat, which adds to the film’s rawness.

By: John Anderson Jr

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GCD Tech

W

2016: the year of Virtual Reality

e have been hearing a lot about virtual reality technology for the past several years. This has largely been in the form of VR headsets such as the “Oculus Rift”. Finally the wait is over.

2016 is the year that people will be able to get their hands on their very own VR headset.

A VR headset is a piece of technology that provides the user with a level of immersion that up until recently has been ideas of science fiction. Due to this, VR headsets naturally are geared towards video games and even movies. However its capabilities don’t stop there. VR headsets can be used in a huge variety of fields such as medical, development, business, military and a wide range of everyday applications.

With all the hype over so many different headsets such as the Oculus, Morpheus and Vive, it’s hard to know which one is for you. Here we’re going to look at the major VR headsets coming out this year and which ones you should keep an eye on.

Oculus Rift

The Oculus is the device that really started it all.

Originally crowd funded on Kickstarter for $2.4 million in 2012, the oculus has been a source of huge expectation and excitement from the tech community. Since then Facebook has acquired it for $2 billion! Oculus has spent the past several years painstakingly perfecting there debut device. This has culminated in a sleek and powerful headset. Oculus’s mind-set towards VR development is that if you can’t achieve perfect emersion, there’s no point doing it at all.

Unfortunately, this is reflected in their PC requirements. To run one of these devices you’ll need an NVIDIA GTX970 GPU, Intel i5 processor, 8GB+ RAM, HDMI 1.3 video output and windows 7 or newer OS. From this we can see that Oculus has very specific requirements. For the moment, Oculus is focusing solely on the windows platform. They hint

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GCD Tech at developing for OSX and Linux, however it’s unlikely we will see the Oculus come to consoles any time soon.

Currently, only console controllers are available for user input, but that’s already breaking the immersion. Not to worry though!

Oculus is currently developing their very own motion controllers simply called “Touch”. These are simple handheld controllers with 2 buttons, trigger and joystick as well as the motion tracking features.

Unlike previous motion controllers like Wii remotes and PlayStation’s move controllers, these have an intuitive, natural feel to them. You can now pre order your Oculus Headset for €544. This will include the headset, remote, sensor, Xbox one controller and 2 games EVE: Valkyrie and Luck’s Tale.

PlayStation VR Sony’s answer to the Oculus Rift is “Playstation VR”. Previously known as “Project Morpheus”, Playstation VR has steadily become more exciting.

About 3 years ago when all the hype over VR started, not much was known about Sony’s pet project.

Since then they have pushed back release dates a number of times, but now they have caught up and are giving the VR competitors a run for their money.

PlayStation provides a crisp OLED

display, sleek and comfortable design, super low latency, and a 120hz refresh rate. This impressive hardware might even provide a match to the Oculus Rifts specs.

As the name would suggest, PlayStation VR is exclusively for PlayStation.

Although it’s cutting its market, Sony has made a point of making high quality VR games and this is where it has an edge over Oculus. Games such as “London Heist”, “RIGS Mechanized Combat League” and the “Until Dawn” sequel have already been getting amazing reactions from early testers.

Unlike other VR headsets, Sony have experience with motion controllers and already have their own motion controllers fully functional and are already available to purchase.

PlayStation VR will be available later this year, however no price has been set. The Internet has speculated that the device will be priced somewhere between €450 and €550 although Sony has made no comment on these estimations.

HTC Vive The HTC Vive is produced by Valve and, of course, HTC. It’s the newest addition to the “VR race” and is quite possibly the most impressive.

In the last year, valve has stunned us with its impressive range of hardware from the steam machine to the steam link. As with their previous products, valve has made something incredible.

Unlike the other headsets mentioned here, the HTC Vive provides “Room Scale” immersion. What this means is that the Vive tracks not just your head or hands, but your entire body throughout the room. The Vive comes with two bay stations that are placed in either ends of the room. The headset comes

with 2 hand controllers similar to the Oculus controllers. These controllers contain 24 sensors that provide HD haptic feedback for optimal precision. The headset itself contains 32 sensors as well as a front facing camera that “blends real world elements into the virtual world”.

With the combination of all of these elements, the Vive provides possibly the most powerful VR immersion experience.

Unfortunately due to the premium VR experience, the Vive is considerably more expensive at €725. Pre orders for the HTC Vive will start February 29th with hints at a release date in April.

Conclusion Over all it comes down to personal Preference. I believe the HTC Vive is the more powerful product, how ever if you want that more powerful product, your going to have to spend more money, also take into account that you have to make room for the open space that the bay stations require.

In terms of Oculus Vs. PlayStation VR, you have to ask yourself, “Am I a console or pc gamer?” Both devices are very powerful and will provide you with all the immersion that a gamer could want. However you should also think about where VR is going. Pretty soon we’re going to be using these headsets in our everyday lives in ways such as watching sports, working on virtual desktops, watching 360 movies, creating amazing works of art, designing buildings, machines and much more. In that regard I think people will want an all for one VR device.

For example you don’t buy different TV’s for different consoles, so why should we have to pick for our headsets? It will be interesting to see how this technology develops, as well as how it will integrate into our lives. I for one can’t wait to find out.

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Flavours

Fresh Food From your Own Kitchen Garden

Spring is finally here and we’re looking for some light, fresh flavours to revive our palates.

By: Kim Carroll

N

othing is better than fresh herbs to transform any dish from basic to outstanding.

There are so many different uses for herbs and in cooking; there is one to pair with almost all ingredients.

Not only are herbs a cornerstone of cookery, they are packed full of vitamins and antioxidants. One serving of parsley can provide you with 50% of the RDA of Vitamin C and thyme is packed full of magnesium.

It’s almost impossible to buy

herbs organically in a supermarket and they are among the most toxic produce in terms of pesticides. For this reason, it’s best to grow your own – plus, it couldn’t be easier!

Even the tiniest of kitchens can propagate a useful kitchen garden, there are a number of clever ways to use space even if you don’t have a balcony or garden. A windowsill that receives good sunlight will hold a number of potted plants.

If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony or garden then you’ll have lots of space to grow your herbs.

Chives Chives are the easiest of all the herbs to grow and maintain, and are ready to be planted now.

You can grow them indoors or outdoors as they can adapt to cooler temperatures. They have a light onion flavour and can be used in salads, soups, omelettes and almost anything else that needs a hint of garlic or a herbaceous punch. They work classically in potato salads and with egg mayonnaise.

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Flavours

Basil Basil is most frequently associated with Mediterranean cooking and comes in many different varieties. The most common is sweet basil, which has big green flowering leaves.

This herb is probably the most temperamental to grow and needs to be kept indoors within the reach of direct sunlight and watered less often that the other herbs.

Basil has a fresh, peppery flavour and works exceedingly well with tomatoes. For a simple Caprese salad, layer basil leaves with sliced mozzarella and tomatoes, season and drizzle with a good olive oil.

Perfect spring food!

Rosemary Rosemary is the most resilient of all the herbs and has a sweet aroma and deep woody flavour. It can adapt to cooler temperatures

so can be grown very successfully outdoors. When cooking with rosemary, remember that it has a very strong flavour so only use one to two sprigs per dish. This herb is best used when roasting foods, whether it be a chicken, potatoes or vegetables. Try adding a few teaspoons of honey and a couple of sprigs of rosemary to coat chopped butternut squash before roasting – the woody fragrance marries with the sweetness perfectly.

Dill Dill is known for its health benefits and is one of the most nutritionally beneficial herbs you can eat. It has a wiry texture so needs to be chopped finely when used in cooking. It has a distinct anise flavour, similar to fennel. Dill works best with fish. Mix with some crabmeat, crème fraiche and lime

juice for the most delicious spring crab salad.

Thyme Another woody herb, thyme is one of the most versatile and can be grown both indoors and outdoors. Most suited to cooked food, it tastes amazing with all meat. For a delicious alternative to ketchup, roast it with cherry tomatoes, garlic and olive oil until the tomatoes begin to disintegrate.

Flat-leaf Parsley A great multipurpose herb that loves sunlight and plenty of water.

Parsley can be used to enhance the flavour of the majority of foods, both cooked and raw. Use liberally with seafood, pasta, soups, stews and salads. Ground with nuts and breadcrumbs, you can make a delicious crust for roasting salmon or hake.

You can now buy pre-potted baby herbs in garden centres and even some supermarkets, so it’s easier than ever to start your own kitchen garden. And with the sun just starting to shine again, now is the time to begin.

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The Genuine Article Horrible Bosses 3: Claire and Her “Minions”

I

’m sure you’ve all heard of the SU’s “Ents (Entertainments) Crew”.

They are a group of students from Griffith College who become part of the SU staff to help out with things around campus such as putting up posters, ticket sales, promoting events and much more. However, Claire Aston sees things in a different way.

To Claire, they are her little minions, and she is their very own “Guru”.

business student at Griffith, and is one of this year’s Ents crew members. When asked about his experience so far, Joining the Ents crew is a he said: “It’s nothing like I great opportunity to all students thought it would be. Claire has who are looking to get more me fetching her coffee every involved with the SU events and morning and getting her things meet new people and socialise, from Spar every day so she can but little they know, they have to prepare her lunch; sometimes answer to Claire. she texts me in the middle of Conor O’Toole is a first year class and I have no choice but

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to go and see what she needs. it, but sometimes I want my It’s outrageous, and it has to pictures taken too”, said Pierce stop!”

Connolly, a third year journalism student and another member of “I joined the Ents crew to the Ents crew. become more known around campus and get more involved Due to all these complaints, with the SU; I wanted to be the Ents crew has decided to a part of the team, but that riot; they have been building up doesn’t seem to be the case. for a peaceful protest outside We get called after beer pong the SU to demand less work tournaments to clean up the time, and more fun. The protest mess and take pictures during will be taking place on the 2nd events, I mean I don’t mind of March, which happens to be

the day of the SU’s biggest beer pong tournament in Lafayette nightclub. It is clear that these students want to make a scene; they want to be heard!

By: Drew Peacock

Under The Spotlight

News In Brief

Colm Corkery

• SU staff found dead in office from hypothermia after heaters stopped working.

•Table-Tennis rackets broken yet again (shocker!).

•Claire organises a peaceful meeting with her minions to “smooth things over”.

•People commit suicide after finding out the SU building has no power and needs to be shut down.

• Students Union announces bankruptcy following SUSI protest celebration pints.

•On a serious note: Our men’s basketball team reach Division 1 finals for the first time EVER following a win against IT Carlow (Woohoo!).

Occupation: Selfie Queen Greatest Ambition: To be able to drop it like it’s hot Hobbies: Carrying protein shakers & whipping his hair back and fourth Likes: Watching men squatting Dislikes: When women try to squat Interesting Fact: He can’t actually squat 29

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Everyone has a passion for som drawing, writing poems or music hidden talent. Well this is your talent with us, Presenting: Gr

Griffiti Art

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

By: Fabiola Joseph Melchior

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