Motley Magazine, November 2015

MAEVE HIGGINS

MARK HUBERMAN

AMITY STYLE EDIT

STUDENTS’ AMBER FLAG AWARD

GARY NUMAN Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld

Talks RuPaul’s Drag Race and her new show Rolodex of Hate I S S U E N O3

NOVEMBER 2015

20% OFF

ORDER YOUR TAXI THROUGH OUR AMAZING FREE APP! AND GET 20% OFF EVERYTIME! YOU MIGHT EVEN GET OUR FREE TAXI

‘Cork’s Low Fares Taxi Company’

ISSUE No3 - November 2015 CULTURE | NEWS | OPINIONS | FEATURES| FASHION MOTLEY.IE

BIANCA DEL RIO

FIRED UP

STYLE

GUN LAWS

Riley chats drag, marriage equality and RuPaul with Bianca del Rio

Eoghan Scott meets with Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld who have recently hit the music scene as a duo

Amity Winter Fashion Edit

Eoin McSweeney investigates American gun crime with Jonathan Goldstein, an expert on US firearms law

P. 24

P. 27

PLUS 10 14 30 42

50

P. 32

STYLISTICALLY INSPIRED 41 Max Farrell’s fashion edit sees this season’s designs taking inspiration from some surprising sources

I N T E R V I E W

C’est le Vegan - Sorcha Lanigan Tries see Hannah November’s Kingston highlighting the escalating issue of homelessness in Cork Robbie Byrne speaks with Gary Numan, as he receives his Q Award Dion Davis gives an account of the efforts UCC political societies have been undertaking to reduce suicide stigma on campus Afterword with Mark Huberman

THIS YEAR’S CORK JAZZ FESTIVAL HEADLINER GARY NUMAN TALKS TO ROBBIE BYRNE ABOUT PIONEERING ELECTRONIC MUSIC, RETIRING AT TWENTY-THREE, AND RESURRECTING A FLAT LINED CAREER. all it good fortune, but it seems the timing is nigh on perfect as we hit a candid Gary Numan up on the eve of receiving Q magazine’s prestigious Innovation In Sound Award.

“This is the cool one to get,” enthuses the mascara-clad Numan. “Turning noises into music has always been the thing that gives me the most excitement, so getting an award for doing exactly that is a great feeling.”

Numan’s career thus far reads a little like those Bond films of late: electric opening/ forgettable midsection/ thrilling finale.

Appealing to punk kids and pop aficionados in equal measure, Numan hijacked the imagination of late-seventies Britain with his breakout single Are ‘Friends’ Electric – an oscillating aural odyssey that appeared, to British press at least, to come from another realm.

Sure, Numan’s android aping image helped, but as he explains today, creating a blueprint for the electronic music we know today was never all that intentional.

“I had no real ambitions to revolutionize music,” says Numan.

“I was just trying to find something new and exciting - something that would allow me to make sounds that intrigued me.

“With electronic music, you not only create the melody and structure, but you also create the very sound itself. Nothing else does that. So I really don’t care whether the noise of the future comes from a synth, a cardboard box or my dog farting. It’s the sound that matters, not what makes it.”

Within months, a musician who briefly flirted with London’s underground punk scene was thrust into popular culture’s unforgiving spotlight. His third LP, The Pleasure Principle, shot straight to number one, a feat aided by the new wave juggernaut, Cars. But then, like specter that dropped him here, Numan disappeared.

“I needed to get out of it,” he explains. My life had changed beyond recognition. I needed time to digest that and think about what was next for me.”

Bizarrely for one so eager to escape the spotlight, Numan opted to go out with a bang – plumping for London’s Wembley Stadium as the venue for his farewell extravaganza. It’s a decision that he rues to this day.

“Wembley was a huge error of judgment. Pulling back from the public gaze was a sensible thing to do, but making a big song and dance about ‘retiring’ was stupid.

“One performance killed my career, something I’ve been trying to make up for ever since.”

30

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

P. 46

Struggling to earn a living, a desperate Numan returned to music two years later – dabbling in whatever was fashionable to grasp a foothold in the charts.

“I regard it as a shit period, not a dark one. My songwriting deteriorated rapidly; I could blame the press, management, whoever - but honestly, it was nobody’s fault but mine.”

Though it would be easier to lay blame on hollow claims of homosexuality and political conservatism by the British press, Numan’s frankness on a period that almost saw him file for bankruptcy is refreshing – avoiding the all too common artistic pitfall of blaming someone or something out of their control.

Still, much of this retrospective frankness has only been made possible by the recent rejuvenation of his career. A rebirth that can trace it’s way back to one good deed.

“My wife Gemma arranged a guest spot with Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor for his performance at London’s 02 Arena in the summer of 2009,” he explains. “I’d been depressed for quite some time, so I guess this was her way of saving me.

“I remember standing backstage at London’s 02 waiting to come on and overhearing Trent say these beautiful things about my music. There I stood listening to this genius talk about how important I’d been in shaping his musical destiny. It was the moment that brought me back into the fight from nowhere.”

Granted, Reznor wasn’t the only one that got Gary Numan back on track – remember the Sugababes’ Numan-inspired rework of “Freak Like Me”? But Numan, unlike any other artist I’ve encountered, needs confidence to thrive.

His most recent offering, Splinter, sees the London native darker, bolder and more brilliant than ever before. Lauded as Numan’s best LP to date, the singles it spawned graced the US airwaves more than any release since his seminal work The Pleasure Principle. “After my depression came a surge of optimism,” he says. “A drive I had that had been absent for long time.

“That’s no discredit to my previous work either - I really loved the three or four albums that lead up to Splinter, but with seemed to jump up two levels. My love for writing had returned.”

The shots released alongside Splinter subtly suggest a wraithlike Numan, one that has witnessed death only to walk with the living once again. Lazarus he might be, but it’s an unholy resurrection that Numan is bullishly proud of: “I don’t think about airplay, PR, or all the bullshit politics of being with a label anymore. Ask me what I’m most proud of a decade from now and I know it won’t be the number one albums or Wembley performances — it’ll be survival against all the odds.”

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

welcomes letters from readers, emailed to editor@motley.ie. is published by Motley Magazine, G.06 Áras Windle, University College Cork, Cork. Printed by Walsh Colour Print, Tralee Road, Co. Kerry. Copyright 2015 Motley Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All efforts have been made to ensure that details and pricing are correct at time of print.

Motley magazine does not take responsibility for any errors incurrred. This magazine can be recyled either in your green bin kerbside collection or at a local recycling point.

31

ON THE COVER 24 “I think [RuPaul’s Drag Race] has changed the world. It opens the minds of straight people”

MAEVE HIGGINS

MARK HUBERMAN

WINTER LOOKS

STUDENTS’ AMBER FLAG AWARD

GARY NUMAN Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld

TALKS RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE AND HER NEW SHOW ROLODEX OF HATE I S S U E N O3

NOVEMBER 2015

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

03

J12016 USA

Book online

www.j1.ie SAYIT Travel Celebrating 20 years providing the best J1 Programme

6

FOREWORD

EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLEN DESMOND DEPUTY EDITOR HANNAH KINGSTON

ART DIRECTOR CATHAL O’GARA

CURRENT AFFAIRS FEATURES & OPINION ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE FASHION & BEAUTY

EDITOR-AT-LARGE CLAIRE FOX

ELLEN DESMOND EDITOR

Dion Davis Rachel O’Shea Adam O’Reilly Rachel Muckley

HEAD STAFF WRITER Eoghan Scott STAFF WRITERS Hassan Baker Robert Byrne Leah Driscoll Sorcha Lanigan Adrian McCarthy Anna McCarthy Eoin McSweeney

MARKETING Alex Cregan

CONTRIBUTORS Amity | Killian Down Hayley Dunne | Kyle Malone Tara O’ Malley-Brown Eleanor Reid | Max Farrell ONLINE TEAM Laura Farrell | Glenn McCarthy Colm Cahalane Lockdown Models Maria Hennigan Laurence Keating MUA

aving Bianca del Rio from RuPaul’s Drag Race on the cover of our magazine is far from the controversial decision it once would have been. This is because there’s currently a certain something happening to the art of drag.

It was incredibly easy to fit other relevant drag references in our Arts & Entertainment section. For example, RuPaul has just released a Christmas album called Slay Belles which is getting unrelenting U. S. press coverage. The surprising part, however, is just how much of a momentum there is this month surrounding drag in our own country.

Panti Bliss, the unlikely heroine of the Irish Marriage Equality Referendum, has just been dubbed in a documentary as nothing less than the “Queen of Ireland.”

Not since Queen Maebh has Ireland been so accepting of a queen.

Even recently when Keith Mills started off a hateful #sickofpanti hashtag on Twitter, within minutes the tag had been reappropriated and trending in a positive light, thanks to the many fans of the drag queen, who outnumbered her critics.

Has drag entered mainstream culture?

Even more interestingly, has it possibly entered Irish mainstream culture?

And I’m not just talking about pop culture. It appears that by entering popular consciousness, drag has been led directly to the effect one can almost always expect from entering the public mind. It verges on political.

YOU’RE BORN NAKED AND THE REST IS

DRAG

I can’t claim to be an expert in the art of drag, though I’ve always appreciated the way it pushes society’s norms. But the great lesson I’m seeing from researching current drag trends is that drag is not superficial and it’s having, intentionally or otherwise, a ripple effect on how we all accept that which is perceived to be “different.”

Though, of course, this is being idealist. The walls of acceptance are not so much broken as cracked and chipped in small places. Yet, it does seem as though many of us are beginning to give a little bit more respect to those who begin on the fringes of society and make an art out of being themselves, regardless of the adversity they have had to overcome.

RuPaul famously claims “you’re born naked and the rest is drag.” Rory O’Neill (aka Panti Bliss) on the Late Late Show last month claimed just about the same. “Aren’t we all just in drag?” he posed to Ryan Tubridy.

It’s true. Do we not all wake up in the morning and choose to present ourselves in the way we want the outside world to see us? Then we all retire to our houses in the evening and take off a mask, of sorts.

“People who have lived on the outside understand that what’s inside the box is a hoax, actually a big illusion,” RuPaul told the Guardian. Those on the sidelines practising the art of drag know better than anyone how much of a performance is being put up by those caught in the rat race and stuck thinking inside the box.

It’s something well worth noting: we’re all just unwittingly in our own kind of drag.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

05

fiction O P - E D O CTO B E R 28 T H 2 015

HI MAX,

BIANCA’S GOING TO DO THE INTERVIEW. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DOING DRAG FOR YOUR

MONTHLY COLUMN? -MOTLEY EDITOR, ELLEN DESMOND

rag queens are not known for their subtlety. But tucked away underneath the sequins, hair and painted faces lies a brutal attack on the gender categories we take to be ‘norm’. You think a woman should have piercing cheekbones? Just contour to the skies. You think a lady should have booty? Then I’ll wrap some foam around my waist. A girl should always wear jewellery? Then I’m going to cover my entire face in swarovski diamonds. The drag queen figure deconstructs what society teaches us to be ‘feminine’, exaggerating the ridiculous standards that television and film industries would have us believe are unaffectedly belonging to and naturally characteristic of women. It is by way of this over-the-top catastrophizing of the perception of how women should ‘be’ that drag queens themselves become visual representations of how these characteristics are constructed. Drag then makes us think about the way we attach and fixate meaning to our bodies. The theatre of drag is the theatre of politics.

06

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

-ELLEN

Ooh, well you should have clarified before I bought this fabulous hat. xo Max

“Different though the sexes are, they intermix. In every human being a vacillation from one sex to the other takes place, and often it is the clothes that keep the male and female likeness, while underneath the sex is the very opposite of what it is above. Of the complications and confusions which thus result every one has had experience; but here we leave the general question and note only the odd effect it had in the particular case of Orlando herself.”

Orlando: A teeny-tiny close reading

In Orlando Virgina Woolf suggests that her protagonist’s sex and gender, along with the sex and gender of all individuals, does not exist in a fixed state. Orlando’s gender identity and outwardly appearance is one that is ever-fluctuating and malleable -so that it can alter during life, detached from the constraints of Orlando, €11.9 biological makeup. Throughout 9 in Easons the novel we encounter moments of cross-dressing and identity confusion, and are invited by Woolf to ponder the idea that society is too strict on the roles it imposes on men and women. Unfortunately, this statement still holds true, nearly a century after the novel’s publication.

N O V E M B E R

|

F E E L I N G

O P T I M I S T I C

MOODBOARD

EVERYMAN PALACE PERFORMANCE HUNG JUROR A new comedy play grown in Cork by Liam Heylin, is sowing in the Everyman Palace from the 2nd - 7th of November. Directed by Donal Gallagher, this Cork based comedic endeavor is described as the story of a “dopegrowing juror wrestling with her verdict on a crazed stalker (alleged).” What’s not to love about that, we say. Student tickets are only €9 from Monday to Friday of the run.

ACCESSORIES Bubble Umbrella

UCC MOVEMBER EVENTS MOVEMBER EVENTS November sees the Movember campaign take over, and while much of this often seems like pointless moustache mayhem, raising health awareness is always a good thing. Collecting charitable funds is another part of the movement. UCC’s Comedy and Cancer Society’s have teamed up to bring comedy favourites Foil, Arms & Hog back to UCC on the 11th of November. Tickets are only €5 for this unmissable, funniest event of the college year and it’s all in aid of men’s cancer charities. Movember tries to change the face of men’s health: both physical and mental. You can find out more information, worth being aware, of over at movember.com.

We’re sick of the bad attitude to Irish weather.

Head to Tiger on Patrick’s Street for pretty and colourful €5 umbrellas. Jump in puddles. Let the rain fill half your glass.

MUSIC Adele Adele’s on our November moodboard because this month, Adele rules our feelings. There’s no argument about that matter.

The situation is set to only escalate further once new album 25 hits the shelves on the 20th.

Be gentle with us Adele, we can only take so much.

MAKE-UP MAC Blonde’s Gold Pigment As the season becomes increasingly festive, it’s easy to panic and overdo it on the gold and sequins. Keep it to the eyes or accessories, we urge you. “Blonde’s Gold” eye pigment from MAC will brighten up an all-black outfit, and more importantly, you won’t look like you’re wearing attire constructed of tinsel.

Reel it in: it’s only November.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

07

C U R R E N T

A F F A I R S

What we’ll be talking about in

NOvember Current Affairs editor Dion Davis has some suggestions for when you need to sound knowledgeable

MARRIAG E EQUALITY

Christmas Weddings The Marriage Referendum Bill passes in the Seanad with Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald calling it “a proud day. ”Christmas weddings are hopefully set to be on the cards with the President signing it into law.

Mental Health Week Mental Health Week kicks off on campus on the 9th of November with a multitude of societies hosting events to raise awareness. Attend, donate and spread the word that “it’s okay not to be okay.” Last year 500 people died by suicide in Ireland. It is surpassing the figures of deaths released from drunk drivers in the past year – this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Pro Refugee Candidate Stabbed – battles on to win the election.

German Politician, Henriette Reker was running for Mayor of Cologne when she was stabbed in the neck a day before voters went to the polls.

The man held accountable was said to have disapproved of her liberal stance on refugees. The Independent candidate went on to win the election with more than 52% of the vote 08

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

How Facebook reacts to Facebook reactions Mark Zuckerberg gave Facebook users an alternative to the “dislike” button that so many users had requested: “reactions.” These are a set of six emojis placed alongside the “like” button. This could lead to more people interacting with the website. However, does anyone actually care?

Will you go out of your way to express laughter or anger to a post?

N O V E M B E R

Ireland loses Billy Walsh

STUDENT COMMON ROOM

The sporting world was sent into complete shock when Billy Walsh resigned as head coach of the Irish High Performance Unit. Tensions were building with the IABA and unfortunately they could not meet with a compromise for the coach that only just recently brought back another gold medal to Ireland for boxing. The Irish Sporting council proposed a contract, which Walsh agreed with, but the IABA did not. The Olympic Games in Rio 2016 are looming as a full time successor is being handpicked to take over.

Gender Neutral Bathrooms UCCSU recently secured gender neutral bathrooms in the Student Common Room. The response to this seem to have been surprisingly mixed, with claims of everything from great appreciation of “a small gesture to try and help trans* people in UCC” to “political correctness in universities has gone mad.”

What do you think?

Boole World Domination for Minecraft UCC is building a virtual Boole World based on the infamous Quad for the video game Minecraft. All three wings will be readily available to explore; a project that is being supported by Microsoft Ireland.

This is an innovative and educational way to mark the bicentenary of the birth of George Boole – the first Professor of Mathematics at UCC. SPORT

Student Nurses Last week, over 100 students stood in solidarity highlighting their support for the ongoing talks between the INMO and HSE in relation to working conditions for undergraduate nurses and midwives; the low pay while undertaking rostered placements as part of their programmes of study is an ongoing issue for these students who are eagerly calling for a positive outcome from these talks.

Investigation into YouTube video showing antisocial student behaviour A video, posted on Youtube, showing a large group of students, at a party that spilled onto the streets, screaming, chanting and displacing bags of rubbish, has highlighted the serious level of disturbances that local residents often face from the UCC student community. The video was posted by the Magazine Road Residents’ Association.

UCC and local councillors have released public statements in relation to the outrage provoked by the video.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

09

F O O D

&

D I E T

C’est la Vegan Sorcha Lanigan dispels the myth of the lute-playing vegan or some, veganism is a decision made to benefit personal and ethical beliefs, but for others it’s more of a self-congratulatory label that people are quick to roll their eyes at.

The old joke: “how do you know if someone is a vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll f**king tell you,” is something a friend says she always feels horribly self-conscious about and hears in her head whenever mentioning her diet to people.

For those who are unclear - ignorant cavemen I can only imagine rotting in caves gnawing on chicken bones and pig carcasses over a roaring fire - veganism is vegetarianism except that in addition to not eating meat, other products such as eggs, dairy, honey, leather, silk, fur, wool, and certain cosmetics and soaps deriving from animal products are also off the metaphorical dinner table. Veganism is often adapted for health, environmental, and ethical reasons.

When I first proffered the idea of turning vegan to my mother, as I had it in my head as something I’ve always wanted to try, she smiled uncomfortably and delicately dismissed the idea as “nice, but ineffectual.” In other words, extreme and impractical. My father, perhaps more astutely, put down his paper and grumbled that veganism was for people who “do be having notions about themselves.” Admittedly, I understood where he was coming from, as a lot of the time this perception comes with the territory.

Yet, I can safely say that after a few weeks of telling people about my diet, my hair hasn’t grown and curled into crusty, waistlength dreadlocks, and henna tattoos appropriating various cultures have not bloomed along my arms. My skin has yet to feel the delicate embrace of handmade hemp kaftan, and my fingers do not ache to play the lute. These are such stereotypes that I, as newly practising vegan, struggle to break down almost everyday in my, as of yet thoroughly short-lived, crusade on the path of righteousness. (Too much? It’s never too much).

All jokes aside, the main reason as to why I’m trying veganism is 10

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

‘I’m a postmodern vegan.

I eat meat ironically’.

- B i l l Ba i l e y

less so that I can smugly glance at you over my plate of mouthwatering meat-free lasagna with a distinct air of superiority and disgust at your thoughtless lifestyle choices, and more for the health benefits that come with the diet.

After a few weeks of cutting out dairy and meat products, the dry rashy patches of eczema I’ve always had on my elbows, wrists and toes (yes, I tend to overshare; what of it) have remarkably calmed down and become more smooth and less blotchy.

That isn’t to say veganism is some sort of cure-all dermatology spell but it definitely helped.

Another reason I decided to give it a go (other than the fact that dark chocolate almond milk is basically the elixir of the gods and now I get to drink a lot of it) was because of some facts about the animal industry and the ways certain products are made, which I had previously been unaware of.

For example, because male baby chicks cannot lay eggs, they are often ground up alive or suffocated in plastic bags by egg production manufacturers.* Dairy cows are often kept pregnant for most of their lives so that they can produce more milk, and when born, their calves are taken away from them.* Now, one could argue that everything comes with a price and facts like these are easy to dismiss. Particularly so on a night out when you’re plastered and your heels are hurting and the lure of the golden arches is calling. Probably not a great sign either that a pool of saliva just gathered in the hollow of my tongue thinking about sinking my teeth into a juicy Big Mac….but I digress. I wonder how long it will last. *These facts are taken from animal ethics.com, along with other sources such as The Guardian newspaper and animalaid.org

F E A T U R E S

MILD CONCERNS FOR

J.K. ROWLING Words:

ELLEN DESMOND

t first, it was appreciated. The books had all been published, the films had their final moment, but no one was quite ready to say goodbye to Hogwarts. J. K. Rowling began to tweet tidbits and trivia about the world of Potter. We liked it. Or, at least, our broken hearts had us believe we did, as we held on for dear life while watching our childhoods pass away before our eyes.

“Dumbledore is gay,” was among the first of many random, if not entirely irrelevant claims, which Rowling added in following the end of the Battle of Hogwarts.

Not that any of us would have minded a gay Dumbledore.

In fact, a gay Dumbledore would have been just great in my opinion. Had she only, you know, in some way worked it into the plot before she had seemingly put the official lid on the entire project.

The nature of her additional information fluctuated a bit after that. While it was sad to learn that Neville’s parents never recovered, we really couldn’t have cared less that Harry, Ron and Hermione were eventually commemorated on Chocolate Frog Cards.

Soon, it all started to get a little bit excessive. Last year, she wrote a new Harry Potter story every day for each of the 12 days of Christmas. It got even worse with the announcement of upcoming theatre escapades: “Due to the epic nature of the story we’ve been working on, Harry Potter & the #CursedChild will be in two parts!” That single informative Tweet brought the upcoming Potter-themed film and/or theatre projects count to five, including soon to be released movie trilogy Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Five more Harry Potter projects? It’s worse than the Saw series.

I had originally planned to make this a humour article but to be honest, the more I read her tweets, the more I’ve become increasingly concerned for Rowling’s personal well-being. In September, the internet world witnessed her stating: “Happy Birthday Hermione Jean Granger. I miss writing you!” That’s quite frankly an extraordinarily worrying thing for her to say to someone she made up as part of a fictional children’s novel.

All of a sudden though, the whole thing moved from worrying to pretty much just pathetic: “Draco turns 35 today. I’m not invited to the party, mainly because I keep telling girls they’re misguided to fancy him.” This conjures up images of Rowling sitting at home with her cats, feeling left out of a fictional 35th birthday party; scrolling through Facebook and Snapchat, riddled with imaginative FOMO.

Even worse, recently came what must be my personal favourite online moment of 2015. When Tweeting about one of Scotland’s wins in the Rugby World Cup, Rowling wrote: “WE WON!!!!!! And Sirius Black was born on the 3rd of November x.”

I’m sorry, what sort of tweet is that? That is two entirely unrelated statements, in one Tweet composed by this allegedly world renowned wordsmith. In fact, one could go so far as to argue that that is surely the prime opportunity for not one, but two tweets?

She’s killing it. She’s forthrightly slaughtering what should have been the perfect childhood story for us all to leave behind and later nostalgically revisit with newly found perspectives.

She’s like an embarrassing mother ruining Harry’s reputation in front of all his friends.

Though I laugh at these tweets from Rowling, and the fact that she shows up online every day with something else plucked from her gameshow wheel of needless facts, it also makes me that little bit sad inside. Unlike most young children who read Harry Potter and pick a favourite character, for seven year old me, Rowling was the heroine. I didn’t want to go to Hogwarts. I have always been inspired by the award winning, creative genius of a woman who wrote Hogwarts. But I definitely don’t want to be like a sad, delusional lady, flogging a dead horse in front of millions of online followers - many of whom now retweet her only ironically. Someone I know posted online recently describing the way they imagine Rowling waking up every morning and spinning a giant bingo cage of possible outcomes for Harry Potter characters: “Hagrid is…[spins wheel]...pansexual. And eventually…[spins wheel]...goes on to join ISIS,” the joke read.

I think Rowling has more to offer than she currently is, and someone needs to tell her that sometimes the best artists know when it’s time to stop. The Lord of the Rings series, for example, still hasn’t been anywhere near as worn out as Harry Potter has been, because Tolkien gave up the ghost eventually.

The epilogue of Deathly Hallows (where everyone falls in love in an impossibly happy and disgusting ending) put the nail in the coffin of the series crudely enough for even the most dedicated among us, before having to subsequently watch an ongoing, slow death of our favourite fantasy world. It’s time to let it go, Rowling. Harry’s dead: “it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

11

T R A V E L

A POOR GIRL’S GUIDE TO

copenhagen

Leah Driscoll’s best tips for a weekend away on a shoestring budget he meagre holiday budget of a student and a trip to what is known as one of Europe’s most expensive cities probably isn’t the most logical of combinations. In fact, I probably should have checked that out before I spontaneously booked a flight to Copenhagen Denmark’s capital and my home for the long weekend.

Having only shelled out €40 each way for flights with Ryanair, it was the cheapest way to get to continental Europe on short notice, and so my friend and I weren’t too bitter when TripAdvisor subtly hinted that we would be too poor to survive a night in the city. Instead, we took it as a challenge, and decided to travel cheaply or for free, if at all possible.

This challenge was surprisingly easy. Our hostel and most landmarks in Copenhagen were within walking distance, meaning there were no pesky transport costs. Everything from Christiansbourg Palace to the Little Mermaid statue was but a hop, skip and a cycle away. I mention cycling because much like the Netherlands, the bike is the Dane’s main mode of transport. Unlike the often hostile Irish attitude to cyclists, you will see everyone from teenagers to elderly ladies pounding the pedals, with anything from grocery shopping to toddlers bouncing contentedly in the trailer behind them. Bike tours are widely available, and are the perfect way to immerse in the Danish way of life while getting quickly from place to place.

However, on our first full day in Copenhagen we chose to travel by foot. Copenhagen Free Walking Tours will take you on a three-hour long stroll from the main square to most major landmarks of the city and in return, you pay them however much you think the tour deserved. I was not excited by the thought of walking for three hours, but the time flew thanks to a friendly tour guide and some beautiful sights. My favourite part of the tour was Nyhavn (pronounced new-hown), which is the most photogenic harbour you’ll ever see. This row of pastel buildings containing cafés and bars, perched alongside beautiful old style boats is understandably a huge tourist hotspot. From Nyhavn, you can jump on a relatively inexpensive boat tour, which is exactly what we did a few days later.

We couldn’t make the trip to Copenhagen without paying a visit to the Dane’s friendly rivals, Sweden. Copenhagen is conveniently linked to the Swedish town Malmö via the Øresund bridge. The bridge alone is worth the visit, as it moves from 12

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

NYHAVN IN COPENHAGEN PROVIDES DENMARK’S FINEST INSTAGRAM MATERIAL

above sea to underwater in a way that looks like a catastrophic fault in construction from an aerial view. We took the train, but it is often recommended to take the bus in order to catch a better glimpse of the bridge as you travel across it.

Malmö is a gorgeous area, but a day really is enough there; especially in our case, as it was raining. The people of the town were quite friendly; perhaps a little too friendly in hindsight: when we asked around for suggestions of what to do, one woman very seriously suggested that we go skinny dipping at the nearby pier. We didn’t take up that option, and if it doesn’t tempt you either, then the ‘Turning Torso’, Kungsparken and the cobbled streets of Malmö’s old town are worth seeing.

Without a doubt, the accommodation I would recommend is Copenhagen Downtown Hostel. First and foremost, it’s clean, the staff are friendly and like everyone in Denmark, they speak English flawlessly. The reception is designed well, with plenty of lounging areas and countless trendy Instagram opportunities.

Even more importantly, the hostel offered a free dinner and a lively bar with discounted prices, which was ideal considering our rapidly emptying purses. It is also located right in the centre of the city, and just a five-minute walk from Left: one of Europe’s oldest amusement parks, TivoDownTOwn li Gardens. While rides are available, Tivoli hostel is worth visiting just to see it lit up at night. comes highly recommended With a vibrant atmosphere, stunning Oriental Below: tivoli design and concerts and firework shows held, gardens at the park was the ideal place to spend our last nightfall evening in Copenhagen.

We may have budgeted well during our visit, but we didn’t miss out. Another place worth seeing is Christiana- the city’s famous hippie commune, which contains street murals on every corner, renowned cafés and restaurants, and real glimpse into their alternative way of life.

All in all, from food, to culture to a good night out, Copenhagen has everything you could ask for in a short break. With Ryanair’s daily connection from Dublin to Copenhagen, something tells me its appeal to Irish tourists is only set to grow.

H U M O U R

UCC Hits

Hibernation Status Report:

Kyle Malone

s October draws to a close, students across campus are seeing the signs of the annual “cold can now confirm has snap,” which we at genuinely begun.

In order to dispel the conflicting accounts from UCC students everywhere, this reporter went down to campus to see first-hand the evidence.

The “cold snap” (not to be confused with the much more serious “cold crackle and pop”), is a weather phenomenon known across the island of Ireland, where temperatures plummet roughly 15 degrees Celsius over the course of the Six One News.

This first crucial indicator was noticed by Geography student Kevin O’Sullivan, who had this to say: “It’s often you’d have a mild day here and there in September.

Sure this year we had five days in a row. That was a real cold-en week for us weather heads. But there comes a time in October when you’ll step out of the main rest and feel the chicken turn to stone in your stomach: cold snap.”

It’s not just the experts who are weighing in on this, however.

UCC first year Aisling Murphy quickly spotted some trends: “I noticed the eejits who sit in the President’s garden and get on the prospectus cover had gone south for the winter.

And they’re not the only species. The flocks of people who sit outside the student centre and gawk at ya are also missing.”

Indeed the statistics show numbers of migratory birds are down across all four colleges.

“Still enough birds to go around I’d say”, said student Alex O’Connor, clapping his hands together. You keep doing you, Alex.

In order to fight the strain on attendances, the university has promised to turn on the central heating for one extra day in the year, bringing the total to a staggering four days. As well as this, literature is being distributed like wildfire warning

“The university now waits tentatively to see if girls start showing up “with that god-awful tartan Penney’s scarf” before they issue a notice to cancel all lectures like last year.” against the hypothermic effects of “Netflix and chill”.

In terms of transport, the university has seen major delays, with the waters surrounding the Coffee Dock all but frozen and emergency measures being put in place to keep traffic outside the Boole moving.

The Boole Basement has perhaps been hit hardest. Medicine student Eileen McCarthy gave us the prognosis: “It’s like Castle Black down there; real Day after Tomorrow stuff. Boole 4 is going to have to be amputated because the frostbite has gotten so bad. I might be able to stabilise the Mini Rest but I’m losing it fast.”

Critical parameters such as “lads with neckwarmers” have spiked while “people playing with their breath in the cold like it’s smoke” has reached a record high. The university now waits tentatively to see if girls start showing up “with that god-awful tartan Penney’s scarf ” before they issue a notice to cancel all lectures like last year. Indeed, it would seem Winter is Coming.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

13

C A M P U S

LOOKING OUT FOR THE LITTLE SPARKS

I n response to recent comments by U C C P R E S I D E N T M ichael M urphy, C olm C ahalane argues that U C C should do more to facilitate a creative environment, before encouraging students to drop out and start up new pro j ects . ecently, UCC sent out an email that does seem ever so slightly out of place. It doesn’t take a genius to find out how, considering the subject line reads: “Drop Out & Start Up.” It takes a little while to understand why the university would seemingly drive its students away.

As someone who has been floating alongside the startup community for a long time, I’m not entirely sure if it’s great advice. Not everyone is going to be the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. Not everyone has great ideas the first time around.

For every college dropout story of success there are a million examples of reasons not to take the same road.

Sending the universal message to “drop out & start up” at once implies a lack of courage in the university system, and it’s not exactly thrilling to see that the university itself is the one making this grand gesture. It’s worse to see it come from the very top.

Reading a little further, we see the origin of the message comes from an interview by Silicon Republic with the college president, Dr. Michael Murphy, on the creation of the new Blackstone Launchpad, a new space on campus for entrepreneurs.

He explains: “It is designed to provide walk-in support to any student or graduate who has an idea and to mentor them and encourage some of them to drop out,” and develops the concept further to explain that people who leave college to explore these ideas should “be encouraged to do that at an 14

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

early stage — because they can always return to education.”

Launching a startup and pursuing it full-time is a risky and expensive process. By no means is your return to education always guaranteed; in fact, no safety net exists at all. Brian Caulfield, head of the Irish Venture Capital Association, stated in light of the new Budget that: “Ireland [is] a good place to be a large, mature, high tech business, and a truly dreadful place to be an entrepreneur… and in this budget very little has changed.”

UCC’s message to students to “drop out and start up” encourages students to go without a degree just as it becomes most necessary to have one in the workplace, and to thrust themselves head-first into almost-certain failure. Indeed, according to a Startup Genome report, 92% of startups fail, and many fail because they attempt to grow BELOW: “try again. their scale beyond their means. fail again. fail better.”

-SAMUEl BECKETT

Fail Better Samuel Beckett once said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again.

Fail better.” Fail again, fail better is the goal. Learn from failures, and adapt from them, and learn how to potentially find some greater success the next time around.

If UCC wants to grow the next generation of innovators, it needs to encourage that sort of persistence and iterative thinking.

After all, isn’t that what university is for?

Going to university is not about sitting in rooms being lectured at. That simply isn’t worth the monetary value, especially when

O P I N I O N

so many of the facilities and resources that form significant parts of the university experience feel like monolithic slow-moving bureaucracies.

We connect to a global database of the world’s knowledge on a daily basis.

And more and more of us each day are taking Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs for short) in our own time as a form of learning. Open Source Society have prepared a list of courses promising a “path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science”. Online, one blog details one man’s process to completing MIT’s four year CS course in one year. And it’s easy to see this sort of movement progressing far beyond computer science.

Good ideas don’t don’thave haveto change the to change the world world The purpose of university has often been stated as teaching how to learn, how to best develop and adapt to the information that surrounds us. However, the reasons not to drop out expand far beyond the academic. University gives us a platform to engage and develop our skills while offering us a safety net at the same time. It gives us free time to learn and explore within the context of societies and student organisations, or use our spare time to follow creative pursuits while this youth we hear so much about still lives within us.

My personal experience in college has given me access to platforms that would have been completely out of my reach had I dropped out when I first thought about forming a startup. In the time since, I’ve entered Startup Weekend twice helping others bring their ideas to life, and had working prototypes developed at the end of each weekend. I’ve started getting involved with the Enactus Society, where each week people bring forward and work on their ideas for positive social change. I’ve gotten , and through creating the new involved with website helped to spread fantastic stories and articles written by students. I’ve brought more students in to get involved with my radio show on UCC 98.3FM and encouraged more people to get what they can out of broadcasting. I’ve taken on a role in UCC Netsoc trying to change the shape of the society and celebrate the creative aspects of technology; encouraging students to learn and to build and to hack away out of joy for creating and for exploration.

The best student organisations target that same joy. The new Music Society gathered in the Fresco Bistro under the Glucksman for their first edition of Coffee & Jam; an informal jam session designed to bring musicians of all sorts together and encourage a little bit of serendipity. I lack all semblance of musical talent, but it was a joy to watch,

and to observe that particular spark that happens when good ideas are given a space to develop and grow.

Events like this are a unique opportunity to watch creativity in motion.

Good ideas don’t have to change the world; they can exist on the smallest of scales and do their tiny little bit to improve the world around us without us having to live up to the Steve Jobs personality cult. Good ideas can also definitely be worth following up on without them being worth any money or being scalable to the whole world beyond.

Let’s see what you can do It’s why I’m a little worried about how our university treats creative spaces. While the development “It’s time we phased of the Blackstone Launchpad and out ‘drop out and the continued efforts to encourstart up’ for a age students to embrace startup better message. something a bit culture and follow their ideas are more encouraging, definitely good things, it’s worth a bit more embracing creative spaces that eninclusive. rich the university experience in other ways — especially as we look to the construction of the new Student Hub. Ideally, the message coming from the university shouldn’t be “drop out and start up,” but “let’s see what you can do.”

To encourage the best possible efforts from students to further their ideas within the university environment. To give them the opportunity to try, and maybe fail, but overall to learn, to try harder, to fail better.

The “drop out and start up” message comes almost as an insult when some of the best and brightest ideas in the university seem to be ignored by the people on top. When the college magazine’s office has to worry about mice running around and ceiling tiles falling down, the campus radio station is tucked neatly out of sight, and some societies often struggle to get promotion and notice, while others thrive. When it seems that the best ideas that are struggling to come to light aren’t given the space they need while work continues at pace in other spots.

It’s time we phased out “drop out and start up” for a better message.

Something a bit more encouraging, a bit more inclusive.

It’s time we strived to make sure more people feel welcomed and accepted and involved in campus creative spaces. It’s time that we encouraged the little sparks, and see what shines.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

15

M O T L E Y

T R I E S

investigates HOMELESSNESS By

Hannah Kingston

ce-cold he lay there with no one to care. In December 2014, Mr. John Cotter, 43 was found in a doorway on Molesworth Street. Enda Kenny said €55m had been set aside to deal with the homeless and a huge social housing programme initiated. “Homelessness is a complicated matter,” said Mr. Kenny, so we all moved on.

Human nature dictates that we’re narcissistic despite how much we’d like to say we think of others before ourselves. Everyday we walk past people, all kinds of people. We’re busy; we’re more than likely texting or listening to music or chatting to a friend. We see homeless people everyday. We momentarily feel a bit guilty and then we keep walking and forget all about it.

We’re pondering over first world problems that are quite frankly meaningless. I’m not trying to make you feel bad about yourself; no one is exempt, I’m also describing myself.

During a five week work placement, I moved up to the city on my own. When you spend time alone, your awareness increases. That’s how I noticed John. The only thing we shared in common was the fact that we both smoked amber leaf. He sat on the same bridge every morning as I walked to work. He made me feel lucky. I would say Good Morning everyday and so would he. It was a strange little acquaintanceship that always made me feel ashamed that I was very limited in what I could do for my, I guess, friend? But we could never really be friends because although we’re living in the same city; we’re living in different worlds. I live in safety and comfort. John lives his life literally and metaphorically in the cold. This month, I wanted to see what it would be like to be homeless.

P hase O ne : R esearch

Focus Ireland is one of the many organizations that help those in need. I had the opportunity to talk to Rebecca Reynolds, national fundraising initiative manager. Numbers? 5,000 people are homeless today. One quarter of those using homeless services are children. In 2014, Focus Ireland helped support over 11, 000 people. The numbers are only going one way, there are 80 families becoming homeless every month. Why? “It’s been a perfect storm of contributing factors,” according to focus Ireland.

The recession, a shortage of social housing, a shortage of private renting accommodation, rent has increased in urban centres and there’s a lack of stability in tenancy laws, an increase in relationship break downs and mental health issues.

P hase T wo : I nvestigate I met Nicole, a girl who was one year older than me. Nicole had been homeless for three months but finds 16

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

herself on the street all day as her friend no longer lets her sleep on the couch. She had apparently stolen from her.

“How does it feel to sit here?”

“Your invisible most of the time, people just walk by and pretend they don’t see you.

“What do you think can be done to help?”

“Well, try and help before it gets this bad and even like you know, say hello to someone, it makes a difference to the day.

Pretending you can’t see someone is horrible.”

“How do you currently feel about your situation?”

“Yera, it’s horrible like, I’m a person too like but you know, it don’t mean much to anyone.”

I still can’t understand what it’s like to be homeless.

P hase T hree : B e homeless

When I first talked about doing this, my friend was shocked.

“What if you see someone you know? Would you not be embarrassed?” Of course I would but that’s the reality for so many people. I went and sat where John usually sat. I haven’t seen him in awhile. I hope he’s okay.

I felt like a fish out of water. I usually walk over this bridge drinking an overpriced juice from the English Market, or with bags of shopping or after a night out. Today though, I was sitting there with a cardboard cup. What Nicole was saying immediately started to resonate with me. I left the comfort of my house and took on a new persona. People’s attitudes immediately changed.

I was literally nothingness on the ground, invisible, an annoyance. I don’t realize how much we, the lucky ones try to avoid eye contact, strolling quickly by or on the other scale, stare down at the person sitting there, vulnerable. I sat there for three hours, it was freezing, I was given one euro homelessness is a and twenty cent and I felt deeply problem we often saddened by the experience. turn a blind eye To be honest though, who do to, but it’s time to start caring I think I am? I was safe in the knowledge that I could go home, fill up a hot water bottle and get into bed again. No matter what I do, I cannot understand what it’s like to be homeless because I’m just not in that position.

The people we’re too busy to look at or notice about are just like us; without all the fluff. They’re part of the society in which we live; they’re the part of society that we frankly don’t care about.

Having completed my threepronged approach to Tries, all I can say is: it’s time to start caring.

BEFORE WE BEGIn Autumn sees the release of THE Queen of Ireland, a documentary directed by Conor Horgan. Horgan filmed the journey of Rory O’Neill (aka Panti Bliss) for over five years to make this film.

Can’t make it to the film? After the monumental success of the first print-run of Panti’s memoir Woman in the Making, a paperback edition of the story of a misfit who turned his difference into a triumphant art form has been released at a more ‘student-friendly’ cost.

The Queen of Ireland National treasure Panti Bliss stole Ireland’s heart this year, when she inadvertently became one of the leading icons of the Marriage Equality Referendum. This story is about life as a drag artist and the life of a gay man growing up in a once very conservative Ireland, but through some poetic twist, it has managed to become a tale about not one person, but the growth of an entire country. Queen of Ireland is as much about Ireland as it is about Panti Bliss.

IN CINEMAS NOW

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

17

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

&

C U LT U R E

N OV E M B E R

EDITED BY RILEY @Riley_Reilly

Macbeth

The season to be jolly has arrived early this year with RuPaul’s announcement of his Christmas album, Slay Belles, and we just couldn’t be any merrier about that. It’s been 18 years since RuPaul’s famous Ho Ho Ho seasonal release.

Slay Belles is available already, with just one more month before we can all officially shantay into the holidays.

Farrah Abraham The ‘Teen Mom’ star is amongst many of the celebrities who received the boot from ‘Celebrity Big Brother UK’ before the finale. The businness mogul-cum-porn star is living breathing reality TV gold, yet at the end of every eviction week the star was met with boos from the audience and without a fail the usual “get Farrah out” chant.

What is wrong with people these days?

Why would you want the fiery, loud-mouth diva off television? It is bombshell starlets like Abraham who define trainwreck viewing and make us come back for more.

Would you continue to tune into the Kardashians antics if in every episode the went to Bible group study? Exactly, so have a seat. The star is rumoured to be a candidate for I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and I’m all for it.

Justin Bieber Love him, hate him or, even, really hate him, the baby King of pop music is back and he’s probably here to stay.

So let’s try and make the best of it shall we?

Bieber recruited seventy-seven celebrities to help him in counting down his comeback track What Do U Mean featuring everyone from Mariah Carey to Ariana Grande and even Ellen Degeneres, not to mention most recent single Sorry, which has been stuck in our heads all week.

Is Justin’s music being overshadowed by something bigger?

Well, it’s definitely bigger than average anyway. Yes, I’m referring to the nude pics and I know we need to respect the young star’s privacy but we’ve all Googled it so don’t you judge me.

I M A G E C O U R T E S Y O F R U PA U L

RuPaul Slay Belles

So, I went to see the new Macbeth film. Well, when I say new I mean the already beaten to death Shakespearean tragedy. And let me tell you, it was just that.

The film actually had a decent cast including Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Paddy Considine to name a few. From the outset it wasn’t my kind of movie and I should’ve known because I’ve studied the text but I was just feeling really cultural that day.

Truth be told I had a lot of wine the night before and I thought what better to help me bring a bit more class into my life than some old fogey play about murder and such.

The 2015 adaptation is almost an identical copy of anything you’ve seen in theatres, with people staring off into the distance for hour-long soliloquies.

My advice: stay away from the film, instead get the book...and use it as a coaster so your wine glass doesn’t leave rings on the table.

I M A G E C O U R T E S Y O F R U PA U L

O F F

T H E

R E C O R D

5 Seconds of Summer Sounds Good Feels Good

Empress Of Me

Gwen Stefani Used To Love You

Review: Laura Farrell

Review: Colm Cahalane

Review: Glenn McCarthy

The 23rd of October saw 5 Seconds of Summer drop their much anticipated Sounds Good Feels Good. This is the follow up to their overwhelmingly well received first studio album, which gave 1D a run for their money.

“We put all our heart and soul into Sounds Good Feels Good, I’ve never been more proud of anything in my life,” commented 5SOS’s Ashton on Twitter.

The new production includes summer release She’s Kinda Hot, which is likely to remain the standout track of this LP. Track Hey Everybody! has also just been released, and though a catchy tune it’s nothing surprising from 5SOS, nor do I feel it’ll be looked back on as a memorable single from 2015.

Ironically, Sounds Good Feels Good is being widely interpreted as a much less upbeat album than their self titled debut. Overall, the album is a bit of a rollercoaster. A handful of potential singles stand out a mile but aside from that, the rest is absolutely forgettable.

For me, 5SOS seem to be a collection of singles with no substance. One day they’ll release a greatest hits collection and it’ll be their best compilation, but their albums seem as far away from rounded works of art as possible.

Lately, led by artists like FKA twigs and clipping, there’s been a rush to experiment in pop music; to constrain wild ideas within the format of a pop song.

Empress Of’s album Me comes from that environment; owing equally to experimental electronic music and pop music to dizzying, but with fascinating results. There’s a sense of something weird going on within the album’s allencompassing synths, but tracks like single How Do You Do It could hold their own on a dance floor.

As implied by the album’s name, crisis of identity and belonging is framed within this abstract pop: “You are everything / everything is you” giving way to “I don’t need this now / not from you” as the album progresses. When the album turns to aggressive and deeply confident takes on feminism (standout track Kitty Kat frames the album’s darkest, heaviest synth against an impassioned: “If I was a man would you do the same? / I’m fending for myself when you still call me pretty / Let me walk away.”) this sense of ownership makes it possibly the year’s strongest debut album.

You’ll like this if you’re a fan of Grimes, CHVRCHES, FKA twigs, Holly Herndon or Purity Ring.

Just when we thought Gwen Stefani was dead, it looks like she’s been dug up from the grave for November. After dropping new track Used To Love You, the Harajuku Queen has stepped firmly back into the pop music scene, but, strangely, I’m not impressed.

Listening to the new release, Stefani’s first in seven years, I can at least confirm Stefani is definitely alive. I can’t confirm much else about this return though, as this track leaves much to be desired. While it’s classic bubblegum-esque squeaky Stefani, it lacks all of the hypnotic vibes associated with Stefani’s previous solo works. In essence, Used To Love You is quite difficult to listen to and not a good indicator of things to come in her planned third studio album. I used to love you too Gwen Stefani, where did it all go wrong?

Adele Hello

A teaser of 25 soon followed in the form of song Hello and and an accompanying video.

Hello is typical of Adele; strong voice, catchy lines (that we can’t quite hit the high notes to), and naturally, it tugs at every emotion.

In sum, it’s perfect, and is being forecasted as “the single of the year.” Adele’s announcements have been tastefully in tune with her aesthetic and each action has been a cleverly executed PR move. The strikingly simple Hello video is the cherry on top... of the cake I’m going to be eating while listening to 25 and sobbing. Move over Taylor Swift, Adele’s back, and she couldn’t have better timing.

Review: Eleanor Reid

Recently, to much media attention, Adele posted an emotive personal letter across her social media accounts. Along with it came the announcement that her new album titled 25 would soon be released on the 20th of November (we can’t wait by the way). “My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make-up record.

I’m making up with myself,” Adele writes ahead of the upcoming release.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

19

A R T

R E V I E W

The Language of Dreams:

Symbolism and Surrealism in 20th Century Art Review:

Tara O’Malley-Brown

he Language of Dreams opened in Cork’s Crawford Art Gallery on the 2nd of October 2015. It explores Surrealism, an artistic movement started in the 1920s, which investigated the subconscious of the mind and the dream world.

It’s well known that the famous movement was mainly based in France, but did this movement affect Ireland? Were Irish artists influenced by the Surrealists? The Language of Dreams answers these questions.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a renewed interest in mysticism and storytelling in Ireland. In the 1930s, a great amount of Irish painters and sculptors travelled to France to see Surrealist work.

The exhibition showcases the influence of Symbolism, Surrealism and Photo-Realism on Irish artists. It examines how Irish artists dealt with “new ideas regarding creativity, the nature of reality and the hidden depths of the human mind.”

As you enter the exhibition, you are confronted with a wide open space. Paintings flank either side of the room. The paintings are grouped into similar subject matter. There is a large space in the centre to walk around. It is well lit with artificial lights and large windows at the back of the room.

The collection introduces several forgotten artists. A number

of the artists in the exhibition were part of the White Stag Group, which was a group of British artists who were based in Ireland in the late 1930s and early 1940s. They were interested in “Subjective Art.” One such artist is Basil Ivan Rákoczí, who led the White Stag Group in the 1940s. He explored the subconscious in art. Basil Ivan Rákoczí’s painting Resting by the Shore (1975) is one of the first paintings you encounter when you walk into the exhibition space. Resting by the Shore depicts a woman lying on the shore in the foreground with a boat in the background. It is blurred and has a dreamlike quality. The influence of Surrealism on this painting is clearly evident. However, Rákoczí has given his own style to it.

A painting of a similar theme has been placed beside it. Hilda Roberts’ Kneeling Nude with Fish (1927) relates to the sea. It portrays a nude on white steps, around the nude is a swirl of blue waves and hidden in the waves are fish. It is as if the nude depicted is caught up in a dream.

Works by Salvador Dali: Four Dreams of Paradise: Romantic (1972) and by Giorgio de Chirico: Il Trovatore (1960), are interspersed within the exhibition. As two artists closely associated with the Surrealist movement, they serve as key comparisons to their Irish counterparts. At the top of the room, there is a selection of paintings by Gerard Dillon. Gerard Dillon

C R AW F O R D

was a figurative Irish artist. In his paintings you can see a European influence but he combines it with the Irish landscape.

A good example of this is The Black Lake (1940) which depicts a rural landscape. A very two-dimensional piece which uses blocks of colour.

There is also one sculpture in the exhibition: Woman in a bomb (1974) by F.E. McWilliam It is an impressive but small sculpture in bronze, at about waist level and you can walk around it. It depicts a thin woman who is falling and her dress has blown up on her face. It is fanciful and imaginative.

Another notable painting is Bon Voyage (1976) by Colin Middleton. Bon Voyage is very similar to Giorgio de Chirico’s work. Its subject matter is strange and fantastical. It is extremely Surrealist in comparison to the other paintings in the exhibition.

It depicts a woman being carried by a cube. She attached by a string and wears a check dress. It is surreal and dreamlike.

In the lower gallery, there is a film called the The Door Ajar (2011) by Patrick Jolley being shown from the 19th of October 2015. This film relates to the exhibition. It shows the journey of Antonin Artaud to Ireland to find the lost staff of St. Patrick. It depicts his journey in a surreal and hypnotic way.

The Language of Dreams shows the progress of Irish Surrealist art alongside European artists. It also focuses on the individual

E X H I B I T I O N

The Language of Dreams shows the progress of Irish Surrealist art alongside European artists. stories of these artists. However, its main focus is on the relationships between these artists and how they shared new ideas. It highlights that Irish artists of the 20th century were aware what was going on around them and what was happening in Europe. It has a good selection of artists and different mediums.

There is not a huge amount of text in the exhibition but this good because it allows the visitor to make their own observations and judgements. The visitor can appreciate the paintings on their own or can read the catalogue and explore the stories.

The Language of Dreams is open to visitors of the Crawford Art Gallery until the 6th of February 2016.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

21

M A E V E

22

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

H I G G I N S

I N T E R V I E W

I r el a n d ’ s f i r s t l a d y o f c o med y M a e v e H i g g i n s s at d o w n w i t h R i l e y t o c h a t a b o u t a d v e n t u r es i n T h e B i g A p p le a n d h e r s p e c ta c u l a r n ew l a u g h - o u t - l o u d b o o k O f f Y o u G o : A w ay F r o m H o m e a n d L o v i n g I t. S o r t o f .

he comedy industry is no joke, pun very much intended, and no one knows this better than Maeve Higgins.

It is undoubtedly one of the most difficult careers for anyone to try to make a name for themselves in. Cork’s own Higgins defied the odds and is on her to becoming a household name, not only in Ireland but across the world.

“I started to do open mic nights from 2005, I think? I started to do more comedy and did Naked Camera for three seasons and then I did a television show with my sister Lily so I guess I’ve been at it for around 10 years now.”

With her own television show behind her, Maeve Higgins was on her way to becoming Ireland’s answer to Kim Kardashian.

Well, not really but they both make us laugh for different reasons. While Maeve acted on Naked Camera her counterpart Kim just got naked on camera.

A big part of Off You Go is about travel and taking yourself out of your comfort zone. And that’s just what Higgins has done.

Packing her things and leaving the humble island of Cobh behind her, she set out to take over the world, or at least Dublin for the time being. It was here she spent years honing her comedic ability, by performing at open-mic nights and comedy clubs until she made the move to London. Although, in the new book Higgins claims that she just couldn’t embrace London.

“I just didn’t like it, it’s lonely and spread out and the people just weren’t very friendly. It wasn’t my kind of city.”

However lonely London was, Higgins stands by her belief that travel is a huge benefit to any budding comedian. The book documents the fact that travel has a way of waking you up a bit.

“It’s good when you’re a writer, travelling makes you hone in on your observational skills and when you arrive in a new place you have to learn everything from how the bus works to how the people interact”.

Unlike mean old London, the Big Apple embraced the Cork comedian with open arms and she finally found her home away from home. The American Dream is sought by many but obtained by few, but Higgins was one of those few lucky enough to make it in New York with the big leagues.

“I think it’s really fun doing stand-up over there because the people are very open minded and curious and they’re just very supportive of anybody who is creative.”

But the good times didn’t stop rolling for Higgins there. The chance soon arose for her to work with the hottest comedian in the world, the one and only Amy Schumer. Higgins worked with Schumer on her hit Comedy Central skit show Inside Amy Schumer in the sketch Doggy Daycare. The two and a half minute clip was also posted online, gaining over one million views.

“I’m a fan of hers and have been for years, I think she’s brilliant and she’s doing so well right now with a feminist slant. Her stand-up is pretty cutting and edgy. She’s definitely a cool person.”

The scene included three women standing behind a viewing glass as they sent their dogs off to doggy daycare.

“There were real dogs on set, there were anorexic dogs and dogs in wheelchairs, so yeah it was a really fun and easy job, it was great craic”.

Like any tortured artist Maeve Higgins HILARIOUS AND loves to be alone. Maybe that was a ENDEARING NEW PUBLICATION BY bit dramatic but she really does love MAEVE HIGGINS to be alone. In one of the many witty SECURES HER PLACE misadventures discussed in her new AT THE FOREFRONT book, she tells the readers about the OF IRISH COMEDY time she decided to move to an island in WRITING the middle of nowhere when the move to London turned out to be a disappointment. In the particularly hilarious account, Higgins recounts her trip to Bere Island.

“Bere Island is gorgeous, it’s in West Cork. I went there because I wasn’t having a good time in London and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I thought I’d write there. I had this idea of a lone woman on an Island writing…but sure that didn’t happen at all like I was just trying to light a fire for the whole time!”

While, from the outside, comedy is often seemingly an industry of fun and games, our conversation soon turned to the darker areas of making people laugh; namely the apparent prevalence of mental illness amongst comedians. Higgins recalls how she looked at a study last year which claimed that comedians are prone to psychosis and that “some people who are artistic, part of their process is looking inwards and thinking about things and it can get pretty dark so maybe that’s why writers have a side to them that can be prone to melancholy.

I don’t think it’s essential like you don’t necessarily have to be a crying clown and I don’t think you have to feel sad to make good art…but it helps [laughs]”.

Off You Go shows Irish humour making it across the globe and comes highly recommended. It’s is a tale of an ordinary girl trying to achieve something extraordinary, and Maeve Higgins does just that.

Maeve Higgins’ Off You Go is probably the funniest book on the market right now and can be found in all good bookshops.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

23

24

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

I N T E R V I E W

RuPaul’s Drag Race is undoubtedly one of the biggest TV shows in the world right now. Knocking boundaries for those on the fringes of society, it has brought the art of drag to the forefront of mainstream consciousness, along with a much needed spoonful or two of sass. Riley met with 2014 Drag Race winner, Bianca del Rio, about the changing face of the modern world, her upcoming 2016 film and this year’s Rolodex of Hate solo tour. hantay, you stay Bianca Del Rio! Yes, that’s right. I got the opportunity to sit down and chat with the queen. No, not the corgi obsessed old lady residing in Buckingham Palace but the Drag Queen Mother of Shade. Everybody knows the biggest thing to come from RuPaul’s Drag Race was of course Michelle Visage’s cleavage but, more importantly, it gave the world the hurricane of sass that is Bianca Del Rio. But before the showbiz success, young Bianca was just like you or me: chasing after a dream with her weave blowing in the wind and there even came a time when she was ready to throw in the tiara and call it a day on her drag dreams for ever.

“I’m doing drag nineteen years and it will be twenty in January, and Drag Race really happened at a good time for me because I was tired and ready to give up drag and then this amazing opportunity happened.”

Before her move to TV screens, Bianca had nearly taken her fake eyelashes off for good when suddenly came the big break she was waiting for in the form of a “she-mail” from RuPaul, inviting Bianca to take part in one of the hottest shows on television, RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“I was living in New Orleans and I was working in the theatre doing costumes, wigs and makeup, which lead to me doing a part in a play where I was in drag and from that it just snowballed. I was working five days a week in the bars at the age of twenty, I moved to New York when I was thirty, and now here in Los Angeles when I was forty. Everything happens every ten years for me.”

Del Rio took home the Drag Race crown in in 2014, a year which saw fourteen hopefuls competing for the title of America’s next drag superstar. It eventually climaxed at suspenseful finale with three finalists; Adore Delano, Courtney Act and Bianca Del Rio. Apart from the title, RuPaul’s Drag Race offered the victor a prize package including a lifetime supply of

Colorevolution Cosmetics and $100,000. Bianca is the only queen in the history of the show to make it through an entire season without ending up in the bottom two or receiving a low score in any of the main challenges and the second to win the overall season without being in the bottom two.

She admits that it wasn’t all about winning for her, she was in great company with Adore and Courtney and is blown away by the fact that even people across the water in Ireland and Europe know her now. She gushed: “I’ve been able to travel the word [on Rolodex of Hate tour] because of this television show and it’s honestly kind of surreal.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race is, of course, ultimately for entertainment purposes, and as with all performance based arts, one question we all find ourselves asking when watching it all staged on a reality based show is just how authentic a person truly, is compared to the way they are portrayed on screen.

“In the beginning not many people liked me because they thought I was just bitch but as the show went on and as I gained people’s trust, things started to change.”

It’s true, as was seen when things got very serious very quickly on the show. Between meltdowns and a fellow contestant sharing their story of HIV, Bianca eventually showed a much softer side of her that previously only her friends had witnessed.

“It’s funny, I spent years working in the bars and people only ever knew me as a nasty bitch and the show let people see another side of me ,which most of my friends know is the real me.”

In terms of the performance at the heart of our discussion, I was curious to find out where Bianca drew the line, if any, between being in drag and out of drag and whether or not they were two different people. Rest assured though, as the Drag Race champion admits: “It’s kind of like the same thing, I’m pretty much the same person, but with a wig of course you get away with murder.”

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

25

I N T E R V I E W

I think it has changed the world. It opens the minds of straight people” RuPaul’s Drag Race has definitely played its part in creating a more inclusive world, especially for the LGBT communities but arguably it extends out to all groups of people.

“Of course it has done well for these communities but I think it has changed the world. It opens the minds of straight people and even the majority of people who follow me on social media are straight!”

Drag really is an act of liberation and an art form and Bianca has met many straight men who love to perform in drag and then go home to their wives. There is no one “type” of person who does drag, she claims.

Since being crowned the season six Queen Mother, the fiery diva decided to take control of her now successful drag career and to date has even done shows with the late Joan Rivers. Working with sharp-tongued comedian sensation Rivers would be a dream come true for any young star and many would kill to get such an opportunity. Bianca featured on Joan’s online series In Bed With Joan in August of 2014 about : “[In Bed with Joan] was an unreal which she told and insane opportunity for me and I am eternally grateful for it. Joan was one of the funniest, smartest and most generous people I have ever met.”

As if that wasn’t enough, we can confirm that Bianca has finally finished filming her debut film Hurricane Bianca, which she was inspired to make because “in the U.S it’s legal in several states to be fired for being gay, so the movie is about this school teacher who gets outed by someone and he decides to seek revenge on the town by returning as Bianca Del Rio. It’s a comedy but it deals with some serious subjects.” While nothing is set in stone in regards to the release date it is hoped that the movie will be released by next summer.

On the other side of the screen, Del Rio’s fans can catch their favourite Queen currently touring the world with her new comedy show Rolodex of Hate, which is getting rave reviews and guaranteed to hurt your feelings. Sold out showings of the tour hit Dublin last month to roaring success. For those of you who missed being personally victimised by it, she says of the performance: “I’ve been travelling with this comedy act which is basically a collection of my hateful thoughts. It’s a good time and expect the unexpected.”

As we began to say our goodbyes, Bianca paused to congratulate Ireland as a nation for fighting for marriage equality and insisted on leaving this message for her irish fans: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so supportive and coming out to see me [on tour]. I grew up in Louisiana and we love to drink too and now I’m ready to carry on a drink and a laugh in Ireland.” *Bianca del Rio will star in upcoming 2016 feature film Hurricane Bianca, which is currently in post-production. The film is a comedy that strikes a serious chord, as it tells the story of a teacher, fired for being gay, who returns disguised as a “mean lady” to get revenge on the nasty town. It is still possible to be fired for being LGBT* in 27 American states.

26

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

I N T E R V I E W

fired

up

Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld on their l atest of many musical ventures WORDS: EOGHAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY: ENVISION

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

27

Eoghan Scott discusses large scale stadium tours, Tom Waits collaborations and intimate Cork gigs with duo act Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld (of Arcade Fire fame). olin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld kicked off Triskel Arts Centre’s Cork Guinness Jazz Festival lineup, bringing with them an intimate live performance featuring cuts from their critically acclaimed duet album collaboration Never Were The Way She Was. Born in Ann Arbor, Colin Stetson spent a decade in San Francisco and Brooklyn honing his skills as a horn player and has worked extensively over the years with the likes of Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, the late Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.

Having developed his own utterly individual sound as a soloist, Colin has become one of the most in demand horn-players working today.

Completing the pair is Montreal-based violinist and composer Sarah Neufeld, best known as a member of Arcade Fire, as well as being a founding member of the acclaimed contemporary instrumental ensemble Bell Orchestre, along with fellow Arcade Fire musician Richard Reed Parry.

Counting their mutual influences as amongst the likes of “Bach, Jimi Hendrix, Arvo Part, Steve Reich and Aphex Twin, to name but a few,” the duo’s collaborative project is drawn from a diverse range of influence 28 ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

and association, creating something truly unique and yet completely entrenched in the work that has borne such a strong impact on them.

Despite both being heavily associated with their work in Arcade Fire, this side collaboration as a duo has been coming long before their time working with the world renowned Canadian alt-rock band, as Sarah is quick to point out.

“We actually knew each other long BELOW: COLIN STETSON, before Colin came on tour with ArSAXOPHONIST AND MULTIREEDIST OF ARCADE cade Fire. We’ve worked together FIRE AND BON IVER FAME in a lot of different contexts, with bands, and more recently on a few soundtracks. We’ve always wanted to create a body of work as a duo, and the time was right.”

Never Were the Way She Was was released earlier this year to glowing reviews; of the little criticism to be found, some reviewers felt that the album was too short. “We’re really happy with the reception it’s gotten!” remarked Sarah, adding “it’s been lovely performing it live as well.” Colin also noted that the album managed to “[take] on a life of it’s own in the live arena.”

The pair were clearly anxious

I N T E R V I E W

to bring said live show to Cork, praising the burgeoning Cork music scene, which has somewhat exploded of late, last month attracting the likes of Bryce Dessner of The National, not to mention Sarah Neufeld’s frequent Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre collaborator Richard Reed Parry, as part of this year’s inaugural Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival. “We’ve heard so many things about Cork and it’s music scene from friends of ours, like Bryce and Richard. We’ve never been before and are excited to be a part of it!” They also note what they feel makes Irish audiences special: “Warm, expressive and loud – the best!”

Colin and Sarah’s live performances together are known for their deeply intimate and personal atmospheres. Such a contrast, one would imagine, from the more over-the-top and visual outings Sarah must be used to alongside Arcade Fire. However, she asserts that “every different performance context has it’s own charm. We love an over-the-top arena show just as much as an intimate hall, the connection is different and the energy is different. We’re both grateful to have such varied experiences.”

Colin too has worked with an astonishing array of acclaimed musicians over the years, each seemingly more impressive than the last.

“I’ve enjoyed all of my collaborations, particularly the likes of Lou Reed, Bon Iver and TV on the Radio! I think, however, the most influential and memorable is still the time I had with Tom Waits. At that point in 2001, I was living in San Francisco and had always dreamed of making music with him someday (which was in fact largely why I chose to move to San Francisco a few years before), so when I got the call and was invited to come and record for him on Blood Money and Alice it was pretty much a dream come true scenario.”

When working on his albums, everything Colin does is recorded in one take, no overdubs and not manipulated in any way. Rather than limiting his work, he finds that this opens up many more possibilities for the record.

“I’ve always found that instituting these basic limitations and parameters opens up an enormous amount of freedom, musically. The challenge of it, physically, is a motivator and a process that has reward and satisfaction built into its structure.”

One only has to glance at his discography to understand how in-demand Colin Stetson is as a collaborator.

“When I guest on other people’s records, it’s them coming to me…and yes, unfortunately, there are many requests that I can’t take on, because of scheduling, preference, etc…many different reasons.”

Teasing an upcoming project of his own, he admits one of the reasons he can’t find the time to collaborate more.

“In projects of my own that involve others,

of which I have a BIG one coming out next year, I reach out to those musicians who are close to me and who I feel would be right for the music.”

Both Colin and Sarah acknowledge that there is no end to the number of artists with whom they would like to collaborate.

“I just had the chance to perform with Evan Parker [renowned British free-improvising saxophone player], which was such a beautiful NUEFELD WITH moment” remarks Colin; “and HER MAIN Sarah just collaborated with the PROJECT, BAND wonderful Canadian choreographer/ ARCADE FIRE dancer Peggy Baker. Collaborating with artists who have had such rich, long careers is incredibly inspiring. There’s a ton of people we would still like to work with.”

Aside from the many projects, a constant in Sarah’s life has been having worked with Arcade Fire for over a decade now.

However, she is quick to play down any individual role, describing it as a wholly collaborative process.

“It’s not really about “putting my own stamp on it,” it’s a collective thing. It’s been an incredible 11 years working with them, completely outside anything I’d really imagined!”

Though, as a result of the distinct contrast between the kinds of music she and Colin have put out alongside bands and artists such as Arcade Fire or Bon Iver and their mutual solo efforts, she appears to have noticed a notable amount of crossing-over of more casual, indie-rock fans from their more well-known work.

“We do find that some listeners come across our experimental work via these bigger rock channels, and in some cases, our music serves as an introduction to the more experimental side of the spectrum.”

On working as a solo musician as opposed to within a group, Sarah notes “when you work alone, it’s much more of a direct line from your vision to the outcome. It’s a really interesting process and I think one that’s important to craft. It allows you to deepen your relationship to your own process, to learn when to trust your instincts and when to discard something you were previously attached to. I believe it makes for stronger collaborations with others as well.”

Her debut solo record Hero Brother was released back in 2013 to a positive reception, but not wanting to rest on her laurels, Sarah has already made plans to release it’s followup. “ I finished another solo record earlier this year, which is coming out in early 2016. I’m very excited to get that out there and do a bit of touring on it as well!”

Never Were The Way She Was by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld is available now.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

29

I N T E R V I E W

This year’s Cork Jazz Festival headliner Gary Numan talks to Robbie Byrne about pioneering electronic music, retiring at twenty-three, and resurrecting a flat lined career. all it good fortune, but it seems the timing is nigh on perfect as we hit a candid Gary Numan up on the eve of receiving Q magazine’s prestigious Innovation In Sound Award.

“This is the cool one to get,” enthuses the mascara-clad Numan. “Turning noises into music has always been the thing that gives me the most excitement, so getting an award for doing exactly that is a great feeling.”

Numan’s career thus far reads a little like those Bond films of late: electric opening/ forgettable midsection/ thrilling finale.

Appealing to punk kids and pop aficionados in equal measure, Numan hijacked the imagination of late-seventies Britain with his breakout single Are ‘Friends’ Electric – an oscillating aural odyssey that appeared, to British press at least, to come from another realm.

Sure, Numan’s android aping image helped, but as he explains today, creating a blueprint for the electronic music we know today was never all that intentional.

“I had no real ambitions to revolutionize music,” says Numan.

“I was just trying to find something new and exciting - something that would allow me to make sounds that intrigued me.

“With electronic music, you not only create the melody and structure, but you also create the very sound itself. Nothing else does that. So I really don’t care whether the noise of the future comes from a synth, a cardboard box or my dog farting. It’s the sound that matters, not what makes it.”

Within months, a musician who briefly flirted with London’s underground punk scene was thrust into popular culture’s unforgiving spotlight. His third LP, The Pleasure Principle, shot straight to number one, a feat aided by the new wave juggernaut, Cars. But then, like specter that dropped him here, Numan disappeared.

“I needed to get out of it,” he explains. My life had changed beyond recognition. I needed time to digest that and think about what was next for me.”

Bizarrely for one so eager to escape the spotlight, Numan opted to go out with a bang – plumping for London’s Wembley Stadium as the venue for his farewell extravaganza. It’s a decision that he rues to this day.

“Wembley was a huge error of judgment. Pulling back from the public gaze was a sensible thing to do, but making a big song and dance about ‘retiring’ was stupid.

“One performance killed my career, something I’ve been trying to make up for ever since.”

30

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

Struggling to earn a living, a desperate Numan returned to music two years later – dabbling in whatever was fashionable to grasp a foothold in the charts.

“I regard it as a shit period, not a dark one. My songwriting deteriorated rapidly; I could blame the press, management, whoever - but honestly, it was nobody’s fault but mine.”

Though it would be easier to lay blame on hollow claims of homosexuality and political conservatism by the British press, Numan’s frankness on a period that almost saw him file for bankruptcy is refreshing – avoiding the all too common artistic pitfall of blaming someone or something out of their control.

Still, much of this retrospective frankness has only been made possible by the recent rejuvenation of his career. A rebirth that can trace it’s way back to one good deed.

“My wife Gemma arranged a guest spot with Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor for his performance at London’s 02 Arena in the summer of 2009,” he explains. “I’d been depressed for quite some time, so I guess this was her way of saving me.

“I remember standing backstage at London’s 02 waiting to come on and overhearing Trent say these beautiful things about my music. There I stood listening to this genius talk about how important I’d been in shaping his musical destiny. It was the moment that brought me back into the fight from nowhere.”

Granted, Reznor wasn’t the only one that got Gary Numan back on track – remember the Sugababes’ Numan-inspired rework of “Freak Like Me”? But Numan, unlike any other artist I’ve encountered, needs confidence to thrive.

His most recent offering, Splinter, sees the London native darker, bolder and more brilliant than ever before. Lauded as Numan’s best LP to date, the singles it spawned graced the US airwaves more than any release since his seminal work The Pleasure Principle. “After my depression came a surge of optimism,” he says. “A drive I had that had been absent for long time.

“That’s no discredit to my previous work either - I really loved the three or four albums that lead up to Splinter, but with seemed to jump up two levels. My love for writing had returned.”

The shots released alongside Splinter subtly suggest a wraithlike Numan, one that has witnessed death only to walk with the living once again. Lazarus he might be, but it’s an unholy resurrection that Numan is bullishly proud of: “I don’t think about airplay, PR, or all the bullshit politics of being with a label anymore. Ask me what I’m most proud of a decade from now and I know it won’t be the number one albums or Wembley performances — it’ll be survival against all the odds.”

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

31

N O V E M B E R

32

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

ST Y L E

E D I T

Photography: Anna McCarthy Model: hayley dunne MUA: Laurence Keating Creative Director: Rachel Muckley On location at Hayfield Manor Clothing from Amity, French Church Street, Cork

ISSUE No3 NOEVMBER 2015

33

Fur throw-over €36 Teal cross over dress €72

34

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

Black dress with cut out sides €42

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

35

White wool jacket €98

36

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

Green print dress €44

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

37

Black print dress (lace effect) €98 38

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

39

F A S H I O N

Marled Cardigan, H&M, €39.99 River Island, €18

RIVER ISLAND

Opera Lane

Winter Style Preview Claire Fox fills us in on her view from a coveted front row seat at Cork Fashion Week’s closing event Shine Bright: Opera Lane’s Winter Preview.

H&M

H&M Jumper €24.89

Skechers Slip-on London commuter look 40

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

The elite of Cork’s fashion community including, bloggers, writers and photographers gathered in the unique location of Perry Street Café to preview the extensive winter collections, soon to be available in Opera Lane stores. With DJ Stevie G on hand to provide a backdrop of beats, a host of models showcased the latest trends of the upcoming season to Cork’s “fashion influencers. ” Gothic vibes reminiscent of Stevie Nicks was the principle theme of the first collection with sheer skirts, staple leather jackets and ankle boots the most popular of items on show.

The next compilation consisted of modern street style pieces and functional clothing for your winter wardrobe. Classic seasonal looks included tartan jackets, fur collared coats and practical yet stylish riding boots while androgynous two-piece suits were combined with smooth slip-on Sketchers to create an edgy “London commuter” look.

The final collection of clothing from Opera Lane was the much anticipated evening wear range. Like always sequined and metallic materials were the main items on display with a velvet emerald flared jumpsuit from Topshop the most memorable outfit of the night.

Men’s fashion was also catered for reflecting the stylish credentials of Cork’s ever growing bearded hipster population.

Tailored jackets, trench coats and varsity-style scarves are set to keep the men of Cork warm for the winter months ahead and are key pieces for nights out as well as mid-morning lectures or days in the office.

Grey Coat, H&M, €99

Black studded fringe leather cape, River Island, €95

Men’s Ankle Boot, River Island, €80

M E N S W E A R

CLASSICS

FRESH

AIR

REINVENTED

The new Acne Studios collection for men has arrived just in time to stock up for the Winter months.

Inspired by Swedish playwright, director and narcissist extrordinaire August Strindberg, the collection boasts a vast amount of aviator jackets, moody blues and armystyle boots that keep you not only fashionable but functional for the cold season.

Compiled

BY

MAX FARRELL

Portuguese newcomers Manuel Dupont achieve their goal of allying three concepts that are usually not syntonized in a shoe: fashion, classic and comfort.

Colour patchwork calfskin clutch.

The motif is inspired by the paintings of artist Esther Stewart.

BIG

SPENDER

The best rain jackets smartly blend function with fine design. Acne’s Blue Marble Parka does just this, and when teamed with light knitwear (right) you won’t even notice the season’s change.

Valentino Garavani Bag: (€2,380) Shoes: (€590) ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

41

A MP BO E L RI TF I L CA S G

UCC FLIES A DIFFERENT

KIND OF FLAG

W ith U C C M ental H ealth week fast approaching , D i o n D av i s tells us how U C C students are being recognised for fighting the stigma surrounding suicide .

It’s a bit like walking down a long, dark corridor, never knowing when the light will go on,” was Neil Lennon’s response when asked about depression.

This past year has been a breakthrough on the topic of mental health; numerous charities and celebrities are thriving in their efforts to detach the stigma from depression, anxiety and other forms.

Michelle Obama shone a light on the topic recently by saying: “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.”

America is dealing with this issue, but what about Ireland?

Surely most of you have heard snippets from the most recent Budget that the Government released; the media christened it a “giveaway” budget. The only problem was that they did not seem to give much away to Mental Health or the various charities and organisations that are trying to make a difference.

The National Office for Suicide Prevention released figures this month stating that Munster has some of the highest rates of suicide – Limerick City, Cork City and Wexford recorded at the top of the list. Limerick City had 42 ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

the highest rate with 21.1 deaths per 100,000 of the population, which is twice the national average.

As a native of Limerick and a student in Cork, mental health is a topic I frequently think about. The echoing sound of the search and rescue helicopter sends shivers down my spine; who is in the river now? You always think it won’t affect you; praying it’s not a friend or relative, hoping it’s not even someone you know. Then the phone rings, the helicopter is no longer humming – but you are to keep the tears from flooding.

Suicide affects everyone.

The Government seem to be brushing the crisis under the rug, hoping that BELOW: PATRICIA BEHAN, it will survive the next few months of DIRECTOR OF electioneering before anything will be SUICIDE AWARE done to assess the problem. Three people on a waiting list for counsellors died after committing suicide in October. They made the first major leap when suffering from depression by actively looking for help. Their search for hope and alleviation left them broken. Funding for counsellors is at an all time low. However, various voluntary organisations provide a beacon of hope for sufferers, one that springs to mind is Suicide Aware.

Suicide Aware helps with the issues of depression and suicide; promoting

M E N T A L

W E L L B E I N G

The voluntary organisation has set up an Amber Flag initiative to encourage other organisations or groups of people to promote positive mental health” positive mental health. The voluntary organisation has set up an Amber Flag initiative to encourage other organisations or groups of people to promote positive mental health. Over the past few weeks, some of UCC’s political societies have become the first of their kind to receive the flag in Ireland. Ógra Fianna Fáil were presented the flag by Patricia Behan on the 28th of September in the Council Chambers. I was lucky enough to attend the presentation and hear Behan’s emotive speech as there were few dry eyes left in the room by the end of it. She also gave valid and crucial information, providing us with facts and figures; but more importantly real life cases. Behan told us about her brother’s suicide and how it affected every member of her family. She encouraged us to speak out and to help those in need. A strong and resilient woman, the room was silent until the astounding applause boomed through the room as she ended her speech. Ógra Fianna Fáil were the first political organisation in the country to be awarded the Amber Flag. Each year they hold a barbeque in aid of Suicide Aware, raising and donating funds for an extremely worthy cause.

In addition, Young Fine Gael held a “Think-In” at the Clarion Hotel in Cork, with mental health as one of the main topics of the day. Patricia Behan brought the Amber Flag to the talk and focused on how they could work to promote mental health and become the next recipient of the flag. The room was split up into groups and mind maps were made on how to tackle the stigma surrounding depression. YFG are also on their way to receiving a flag and becoming the second political organisation in the country to

be awarded for promoting positive mental health.

Students are putting in huge efforts to break down the barriers surrounding suicide and depression.

Along with the fantastic work of the political societies on campus here in UCC, the student led mental health awareness Sámh Society needs to be commended for the work they do. With weekly events to eradicate the stigma and monthly fundraisers, the society has gone from strength to strength since its recent foundation.

UCC Mental Health Week starts on the 9th of November this year and I would encourage anyone around campus at this time to get involved in the events hosted by a multitude of societies – but more importantly to donate when and where you can to the charities involved. This is a problem that is not going away.

BELOW: vincenT van gogh’s 1890 If you see someone in need of help, ‘at eternity’s gate assist him or her, if not point them oil painting. towards someone who can help them.

Depression is a dark and lonely road, do not ignore the problem or hope that it will go away. Talk to someone. Then talk again, and again, keep talking until you feel better. Counselling, support groups and medication are all treatments for depression, find the solution that works best for you.

A B OVE : Ó g r a F i a n n a Fá i l A r e p r e s e n t e d WITH t h e AM B ER f l ag FOR S U ICI D E AWARENESS a n d p r o m ot i n g p o s i t i v e m e n ta l h e a lt h o n c a m pu s

If you have been affected by any of the content in this article please phone Suicide Aware on 087 945 4202. For more updates on the Amber Flag you can check their website www. suicideaware.ie or take a look at the hashtag #FlyTheFlag on twitter.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

43

PB OO LX I I TN I GC S

THE GLOVOKIN TAKEOVER K i ll i a n D o w n predicts G ennady G olovkin to be the prophet of a new era of bo x ing t is not often that professional boxing breaches the back page of the newspaper, nor indeed graces the leaves of As a sport firmly in the ‘minority sport’ category, it takes a fight or fighter of momentous importance to break into the mainstream media consciousness; at least in any meaningful way. Cue Mayweather v Pacquiao.

Dubbed by the fight-spinners on high as the “Fight of the Century”, rumours of a fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao teased and toyed with sports fans for five years before the scrap finally came to fruition on May 2nd of this year. The foreplay had us panting, the act left us underwhelmed. Following a trademark Mayweather shut-out, the casual fan returned to their normal sporting interests while the ‘hardcore’ boxing fans bemoaned a wasted opportunity to reel in potential boxing pledges.

Normality had resumed.

In the aftermath of the “Shite of the Century”, the boxing community couldn’t help but collectively chuckle at ourselves. Like a divorcé revisiting his wedding vows, we laughed a deep, resounding laugh as if to say, “how could we have been so naïve?” We knew Santa Claus didn’t exist but we still wrote the letter, just hoping that somehow Manny Pacquiao really did have the secret formula to penetrate 44

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

Floyd’s defence and that he really could win, that we weren’t just buying into the hype like schmucks.

Of course, schmucks we were and Mr. Mayweather has since gone on to seal his 49th win as a professional, retire, and now spends his time cleaning oil from baby seals and reading poetry to the elderly. Thus boxing has begun its search for the heir to the Mayweather throne, and with it a fighter explosive and exciting enough to command the attention of the casual fan.

Enter stage right, Gennady Golovkin. By the time this goes to press, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin edition of will have knocked out the Canadian BELOW: 33 year powerhouse David Lemieux in front of old kazak a crammed Madison Square Garden on boxer, gennady Saturday, October 18th. It will have been golovkin his 31st knockout in 34 fights, giving him an unprecedented 91.18% knockout ratio as a prizefighter. And with that scalp, he will confirm his candidacy as the new global face of the sport. Alternatively, he will have embarrassed me in front of our entire readership and I will be demoted to deputy pencil sharpener.

GGG is primarily known for his devilish power, an attribute that lies in hiding beneath a frame often noticeably less intimidating than that of his counterparts, as will be the case with David Lemieux.

G E N N A D Y

It is not just the air of inevitability that informs the Kazakh fighter’s performances that makes watching him so exciting though, it’s the fact that there appears to be (admittedly small) chinks in his armour.”

This devastating power inevitably spawns thrilling knockouts and stoppages, precisely what boxing fans, and crucially casual fans, want to see. Indeed this was the case in Golovkin’s last outing back in May against Willie Monroe Jr., who got an upclose inspection of the fight sponsors’ canvas advertisements twice in the second round, before bowing out in the sixth having faced overwhelming pressure and a consistent flow of power punches from GGG.

Golovkin is more than just your run-of the-mill power-puncher, however. We need only look to his display against Monroe once more for confirmation of his class. Despite facing a resurgence and increased punch output from the southpaw in the third and fourth round, it remained obvious that the serene Golovkin would eventually stalk his opponent down and, with his superb selection, finish the bout whether it be through suffocatingly powerful body shots as witnessed in his February clash with Britain’s Martin Murray, or shots to the head which led to Monroe’s eventual downfall.

It is not just the air of inevitability that informs the Kazakh fighter’s performances that makes watching him so exciting though, it’s the fact that there appears to be (admittedly small) chinks in his armour. If a fighter seems to be invincible, like Floyd Mayweather, their fights naturally develop a tediousness.

While no fighter has come anywhere near defeating Golovkin in his current 20 knockout run, he did take a lot of

G L O V O K I N

punches from Monroe at times.

Despite the result of the fight, one could not help but wonder would a more powerful counterpart such as junior-middleweight “Canelo” Alvarez or fellow middleweight Lemieux be able to punish Golovkin for his tendency to take more shots than he perhaps should.

This is precisely why I predict the Lemieux bout will have made for top matchmaking: either, as I suggest, Golovkin will have shored up his defences and obliterated Lemieux, or GGG’s blithe attitude to incoming bombs will have proved to be his fatal flaw. (I have neglected to underline just how powerful Lemieux is, he himself having won 31 of his 36 bouts by way of knockout.)

GLOVOKIN focused It is this potential for disaster, in his round in part, which makes GGG such against Marco a draw and the ideal candidate Antonio Rubio during the WBC for the vacant mantle of boxing’s middleweight title biggest draw. You see, the hardboxing bout hitting Kazakh appears keen to buck the worrying trend in modern boxing of hand-picking opponents and the tactical avoidances of threats. This is a habit which Mayweather himself has been accused of on many occasions, his final outing against the relatively unknown Andre Berto being the perfect example. In contrast, Golovkin seems to have a voracious appetite at the prospect of fighting the sport’s best. Should he have emerged victorious against Lemieux, we are told he will lie in wait for the winner of the gargantuan November contest between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and the lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.

This is a potentiality that will please GLOVOKIN Golovkin no end, who called out both CELEBRATES FOLLOWING fighters with a perturbingly enthusiastic TWENTY STRAIGHT smile in his post-fight interview with KNOCKOUT HBO’s Max Kellerman back in May. VICTORIES If GGG-Lemieux has failed to grab the sporting media by the collar and demand attention, then a winner-takesall world championship bout against either the fiery Canelo Alvarez or Puerto Rican folk hero Miguel Cotto would surely command the world’s gaze.

Whatever his audience, one thing is clear: there will be no ducking of fights

by Gennady Golovkin, for it seems the only movement he knows is bulldozing.

Whether his movements will extend to transcending the sport remains to be seen.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

45

A M E R I C A N

G U N

L A W S

An Investigation into Gun Regulation in America E o i n M c S wee n e y speaks with Jonathan G oldstein , an e x pert on U S firearms law , about the recent mass shootings occurring across the country and how gun regulation can be improved .

The first of our kind has struck fear into the hearts of America. His cries have been heard, even by the President. This is only the beginning. The Beta Rebellion has begun. Soon, more of our brothers will take up arms to become martyrs to this revolution.”

This was the warning that appeared on 4chan, a simple online messaging board where anyone can post anonymously, the day after a mass shooting in Oregon left ten people dead. Chillingly, another post had been on 4chan the night before; warning students not to attend college.

It is just the latest in a string of American shooting tragedies.

‘The Beta Rebellion’ is a phrase used on 4chan and Reddit to refer to suggestions of violence or support of violence by ‘socially awkward’ males against ‘alpha males’ and women. Many of the high profile mass murders in the last number of years have included perpetrators who would fall into this profile, even if they weren’t part of the 4chan message board /r9k/, which is populated by users who describe themselves as ‘outcasts.’

At the time of writing, there have been 300 mass shootings in the US in 2015; more than one a day.

That should not have happened in a developed country, and it doesn’t happen in any other developed countries.

With 5% of the world’s population, US residents own roughly 50% of the world’s civilian-owned firearms. Barack Obama gave a passionate twelve minute speech after the Oregon shooting in which he said: “It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.”

46

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

Because we have grown up with a no-gun culture in Europe, it is very easy for us to judge the problems Americans have with guns. It becomes very easy for us to think of American gun laws as arcane and barbaric, but are they really? Will stricter gun regulation and less guns in the hands of civilians really make America - a country embedded with a longstanding gun culture - a safer place?

A Different Perspective “If I offered you a sign, to put in your front yard that said, ‘nobody in this house believes in gun rights, we’re not armed, nobody in this house has a gun and we want you to know it.’

Do you think that would increase or decrease the likelihood that you would be burgled relative to me? Where you have a diffusion of lawfully carried firearms in a population, criminals come to know that.”

Jonathan Goldstein is an attorney practising in Pennsylvania and is considered a national expert in firearms law. He actively lectures on firearms law and firearms safety across Pennsylvania, and has published a number of articles for national firearm law and firearm safety publications.

Speaking with him this month in order to learn more about guns in the US, the above statement was one that immediately encourages a rethinking of how we view the use of firearms. Our perspective is moulded by our development in Europe, but when stepping into a completely different culture, problems are created that we had never thought of before.

“It’s just too big, it’s too diverse. There’s

C A T C H

a routine that Robin Williams did about the British police where they try and stop a criminal by shouting ‘Stop! Or I’ll shout stop again!’ But in this country that’s not feasible for a variety of reasons.”

America is already deeply embedded with a gun culture. It is unlike many countries in the EU in that it expressly allows for its citizens to bear arms in its Constitution.

The infamous Second Amendment states that: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” When something has been enshrined in your Constitution for 225 years, it is hard to argue that it is not a certain and unalienable right.

In addition to federal gun laws, all US states have imposed their own gun restrictions. Fortyfour of these states protect the right to bear arms in their constitutions. Many Americans believe that self-defence is actually also a natural right, one that transcends even the Constitution.

As Mr Goldstein puts it: “Citizens are invested with rights by their creator. My right to be armed is God given, it isn’t government given. To say that the second amendment is outdated is to put the focus in the wrong place. My creator gave me the right to defend my life. The founders of our government recognised that, took notice of it and enshrined it in our founding document. But the right is permanent and binding. It’s a natural right.”

There is also a solid argument that guns prevent more crime than they cause. Gary Kleck, a criminologist at Florida State University, estimated that approximately 2.5 million people used their gun in self-defense or to prevent crime each year, often by merely displaying a weapon. The reasoning behind this goes on the basis that criminals are deterred when they know the person that they are planning to burgle, assault, rape etc., has a weapon to protect themselves with.

Mr Goldstein gave an example: “In his journals, the guy who shot up the Colorado movie theatre, [this was a shooting in a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado where James Holmes killed 12 people during a screening of The Dark Knight] talked about where he was going to go to do this. And he said ‘I’m not going somewhere where there is armed guards. I’m not going to a bank, I’m not going to a military installation, I’m not going to a police station, I’m going to go to a movie theatre, that has signs up that prevent people from carrying.’

So we know this is the way that those people think.”

However, some of these reports are skewed. A National Research Council Report suggested that Kleck’s estimates were exaggerated and involved people classifying self-defence subjectively. The argument that guns actually stop crime from happening is however more solid than it would appear to a

2 2

European, especially when you consider how many guns are in circulation there.

Even if we were to presume that guns are bad, will more control help? Without even going into the topic of mental health, which is a whole other kettle of fish and one which will leave me taking up the entire magazine, there are a number of reasons why many think not. Barack Obama suggested following the Australian example.

After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, where 35 people died, strict gun control laws were introduced and they have been a resounding success. But Mr Goldstein explains why that would simply not work in a country like the US. “We’re not an island nation, it’s a little harder to police who and ABOVE: HOUSTON GUN what are coming in and out of SHOW AT GEORGE R. here. We cannot keep drugs out BROWN CENTRE of prison. Prison. A locked down BOTTOM LEFT: complex with bars on the doors and JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN, FOUNDING PARTNER OF windows and where everybody’s MCNELLY & GOLDSTEIN, movement is controlled. To assume IS A NATIONAL EXPERT that we can keep guns out of the IN FIREARMS LAW. HE ACTIVELY LECTURES hands of criminals is a highly ON FIREARMS LAW suspicious assertion. That won’t AND SAFETY ACROSS work for America.”

PENNSYLVANIA This statement is founded on sound logic. The US has had a terrible history of black markets when bans have been imposed, probation and the war on drugs being perfect examples. And if it’s only criminals with guns rather than law abiding citizens, then you have a real problem on your hands. The US is also a melting pot of different cultures, each one vying to have their voices heard.

“Ireland is racially homogenous, it’s culturally homogenous, and it’s largely speaking economically homogenous. You have a shared heritage that everybody buys into. Here you have a greater deal of diversity and heterogeneity. It yields some interesting results. We have faster economic growth than anywhere in the world, we have more cultural diversity, and we have more variety in much of our civil culture and civil society.

However, you probably also have more conflict, because not everybody is on the same page with every issue the way it might sometimes be in Ireland. One of the consequences of that greater freedom and greater diversity is greater volatility and with greater volatility you get greater conflict and you just have to manage.”

The Predicament of Media Attention One of the major issues facing any sort of gun law reform is the glamorisation the media spotlight brings to these shootings. It encourages members of ‘The Beta Rebellion’ and ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

47

A M E R I C A N

other lone gunmen to seek a place in history, even if they only gain notoriety. For example, later in the 4chan post above, the same writer says “Don’t let our one chance at writing history slip away.” The way the media constantly releases images and names (much like James Holmes, whose shock of red hair is now known all over the world) after shootings encourage these people to seek their place in history. At the end of the day they will get their own Wikipedia page and the names of places such as Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech and Charleston become known globally.

“The guy who recently shot up the school in Oregon, he talked extensively online that this was a great way to obtain notoriety. But I think we can ask our media outlets here, ‘can you help us, can you help us deglamourize this?’ I’m not asking you not to report on it, I’m just asking you to not aggrandize and glorify these people and help them achieve notoriety that they can’t otherwise achieve.”

When a citizen tries to obtain a firearm, they already go through an extensive background check, that when you look at, can’t really be made much more extensive. Form 4473, which you have to fill out to get a firearm, is incredibly long and confusing, and the background checks, which can and do include mental health, that go on behind the scene are thorough and painstaking. It becomes almost impossible for criminals to obtain guns in this fashion and those with mental health issues are likewise checked.

“We make the process relatively simple, but what goes on behind the process doesn’t mean it’s easy. The mainstream media in the US would make you believe that we hand these things out like coasters in a bar. Under federal law, if you purchase a firearm, any firearm, from a Federal Firearms Licensee, someone who’s engaged in the business of selling guns, you undergo an extensive background check. That background check includes records from every state in the union, it can include and usually does include mental health records, and it includes, in all shapes and forms, any manner of bad act that someone may commit, from domestic violence to murder and everything in between.”

What might be more prudent than creating more gun laws would be to begin enforcing the existing ones properly. For example straw purchasing, where a person buys a gun legally for someone who legally can’t is how many criminals get their guns. A November 2001 Bureau of Justice Statistics study tells us that in 1997 78.8% of incarcerated criminals surveyed told researchers that they obtained their guns from “a friend or family or street/illegal source.” This is a third degree felony, but it is rarely enforced, and when it is, it is sometimes innocent parties who incorrectly filled out their form by accident that are prosecuted. The law is also harsh on dealers, who only have a one strike policy when it comes to making mistakes in record keeping.

48

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

G U N

L A W S

aboVE: A GUN STORE IN OREGON; A TEENAGER PRAYS AT A MASS VIGIL FOLLOWING THE AFTERMATH OF THE OREGON SHOOTING WHERE SURVIVORS DECLARED THAT ‘OUR LIVES ARE SHATTERED BEYOND REPAIR’. fOLLOWING THE SHOOTING GOP CANDIDATES’ POSITION ON GUN LAW REMAINS UNCHANGED. below: PRESEDENTIAL CANDIDATE HILlary clinton, whose gun control policy pRopositions has alarmed the NRA

In an Ideal World In an ideal world, the US would be able to completely outlaw guns, or at least impose tighter restrictions, but in reality this isn’t feasible. However much you regulate firearms, criminals or those with nefarious intentions will still find a way to obtain them. Gun control is wanted, but smart gun control is needed.

Following blindly behind Obama’s passionate words or Hillary Clinton’s promises will not make America safer.

Many claim that the US Congress is in the deathly grip of the National Rifle Association due to the high number of senators who are receiving donations from them, but in a pro-gun culture it’s just not feasible to enact the type of laws that exist in Europe. A serious discussion needs to take place on the issue where both parties sit down and find a middle ground. American citizens cannot continue to go to a place of learning, work or pleasure without being in fear of their lives and something needs to change.

E A S T E R N

P O L I T I C S

a cold proxy

A fter R ussia’ s recent air strikes on S yria , H a ss a n B a k e r discusses the implications this will have for civilians and terrorist groups in what is known as “A C old P ro x y ” early 100 years since the Sykes-Picot Treaty and the Middle East is still getting more media coverage than the Kardashians.

Russia has now decided to lend some input to the chaos, which is not surprising seeing as they backed The Al-Assad regime since the uprising started, as Russia and Syria have been allies since 1956.

Since 2012, Russia has been criticized for aiding the Al-Assad regime as it is suspected that Putin has been sending technical advisors to help with the manning of Russian made weapons which the Syrian army is using. Recently Russia has started a series of airstrikes, which could lead to ground forces in certain regions in Syria.

Russia has had many problems with Islamic terrorism, long before the United States did. A great number of the Al-Qaeda and ISIS recruits are Russian, many of which have gone to Syria to fight. Syria is the perfect place for Putin to prove his stance on treason, and on such beliefs. In addition, Russia uses land as a means of defence. Losing Syria as an ally, due to reform will create a military weakness for Russia. It is currently trying to shroud itself with allies. Putin fears that like the Ukraine, Syria will eventually side with the United States and Europe.

The Russian airstrikes are reminiscent of the Crimean Annexation. The airstrikes are mostly targeted at the Tartus and Latakia regions, both of which contain strategically important ports. Crimea contains Sebastapol, a historically important Russian port, as is the port in Tartus. Understanding this gives more insight on Russia’s current military position. Putin will not let these assets go easily. This along with Russia’s alliance with the Al-Assad regime has given Putin the incentive to fight the opposition forces and ISIS. Syria currently has three big players. The Al-Assad regime, the Opposition militias, and ISIS. ISIS is the only one not directly backed by the country. It is uncertain as to what these airstrikes could lead to, as some of the opposition forces are backed by the United States. However, the United States has trained and somewhat armed some military groups, such as Al-Nusra, which have reportedly switched sides and handed over their weapons to Al-Qaeda. The United States, like Russia, will not give in so easily. They have recently dropped a cargo package with 50 tonnes of ammunition to rebel fighters in Syria.

It has been reported that Iran, and Hezbollah, are taking advantage of the Russian airstrikes by targeting the Syrian Opposition forces there. With countless militias, the Syrian Army, Iran, the United States, and Russia being involved, Syria has proven to be a mixed-bag of chaos. Senator John McCain,

along with others have called it a ‘proxy war’, reminiscent of the Spanish Civil War prior to World War II. This is not just evident in the forces that are fighting, but also by the weapons. In light of the Russian airstrikes, the United States has reportedly given some of the insurgent forces ant-aircraft weaponry. They have given them TOW anti-tank missiles in the past to fight of the Syrian Army. This all seems to be testing and marketing for weaponry. Each side is flexing its muscles. This became evident when A DEMONSTRATOR HOLDS Russia carried out a missile strike A PICTURE DEPICTING on Syria, nearly 1,000 miles away RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADMIR PUTIN DURING A from the target. The missiles used PROTEST AGAINST RUSSIAN were cruise missiles. They mostly fly MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SYRIA, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, horizontally (not in an arc), and at LAST MONTH. THE PICTURE great speeds. They are much harder READS BOTH IN TURKISH AND IN RUSSIAN: ‘MURDERER to detect and intercept than ballistic PUTIN’. IN RAMPING UP TO ITS missiles, as well as more accurate.

MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN SYRIA’S CIVIL WAR, RUSSIA Some reports claim that some of the APPEARS TO BE COUNTING missiles missed Syria and crashed in ON THE WEST’S, HORRIFIED BY ISLAMIC STATE’S ATROCITIES, Iran. Nonetheless, this does seem TOLERANCE OF SYRIAN like a weapons test. All weapons sell PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD. far better when they are tested in combat. This is why Israeli weapons are amongst the best sellers.

They are tested in Gaza.

Historically, Russia has had more of an influence on the Middle East than the United States. This shift of influence came about during the Sykes-Picot agreement, otherwise known as the Asia Minor Agreement, when the UK and France, with some Russian aid, divided the middle east into spheres of influence, where each country will be either allied and influenced by the UK or France. This treaty, along with many others were later exposed by the Bolsheviks when they took control. The tide then shifted, and the United States started to take over and influence the Middle East, rather than the UK and France. Russia and the United States have had a heated relationship prior to the United States’ involvement in the Middle East. We have already seen what happens when these countries get close to each other during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and during the start of the troubles in Afghanistan.

No one knows for sure how long this hostility between the nations at play will go on. The fact that we are wishing that this is just another cold war shows how dire the situation is. Of course nothing is certain. However, as the American Presidential elections will be held next year, it looks as though some sort of change will follow the Obama administration, for better, or for worse.

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

49

I N T E R V I E W

AFTERWORD

MARK HUBERMAN (ACTOR) Interview: Claire Fox

One of your most renowned roles was as Private Lester Hashey in the cult miniseries Band of Brothers in 2001, how did this role come about?

Somebody saw me in a play in Trinity, an agent came and signed me up. It was a crazy process, I’d auditions 8 times in London. It was one of the best jobs I’ll ever do. It was a complete one off - the veteran I was playing was still alive; I got to speak with him. They were trying to capture the actual sense of what the soldiers must have felt, that awe.

We were all completely overwhelmed by it.

The generation who watched it in 2000/01 are now passing it on to their kids which means the audience is still huge.

You recently played the role of Creon in Wayne Jordan’s Abbey Theatre production of Sophocles’ Oedipus, do you enjoy theatre acting as much as TV or film?

I’ve only done about four plays professionally, so I don’t do it that often but I do love it. I didn’t go to drama school, my introduction into acting was Players [Society] in Trinity College. So, in a way my education was theatre but I ended up doing more camera work afterwards. It’s very different, there’s something unbelievably exposing about theatre. It can be just you, wearing clothes that you’d wear on the street, speaking to the room. It’s mad in that way, the simplicity of it all. Then the Abbey, is our National theatre. It’s like a footballer going to play Lansdowne road. It’s the spiritual home of what you do.

So did you just fall into acting in university or was it something that you had always pursued?

Myself and my sister (Amy Huberman) went to acting classes together as kids but my folks were quick to say that secondary school was important and didn’t involve acting. Even at college, it’s funny, you know, to create a career out of it but that’s what people do. I was doing Science in Trinity but I absolutely fell in love with acting. I was studying Science but all the people in Players were studying Drama. I was like Jekyll and Hyde. A scientist by day and putting on plays at night! I was hooked, I really was. It was impossible not to get hooked, there were great people in Trinity at the time. The modern theatre puts on what they think people will go and see, there’s that compromise between putting on plays that you’ve to get money from, whereas students can do anything they want.

50

ISSUE No3 NOVEMBER 2015

You’re a very diverse actor and regularly work in comedy as well as drama, do you feel Ireland is a hub for comedy actors?

We’ve such an appetite for comedy. It’s huge but more money seems to be put into drama, which is great too. We are perceived as being funny people but I still think we are conditioned for writing incredible drama.

I used to find after a serious play, I’d love to do comedy like The Mario Rosenstock Show because the heavy stuff takes its toll.

It would be great to marry the two together because sometimes you’re just so calm and relaxed doing the comedy stuff. In this country there’s only so much of any work you can do. If you said all you want to do is comedy acting, you’d struggle.

ABOVE: IRISH ACTOR MARK HUBERMAN RECENTLY TREAD THE BOARDS AS OEDIPUS’ HONOURABLE BUT INDECISIVE BROTHERIN-LAW CREON IN WAYNE JORDAN’S TRANSPARENT TAKE ON THE GREEK TRAGEDY AT THE ABBEY.

Your sister is actress and author Amy Huberman, would you ever like to co-star alongside her in the future?

I would, actually. There was a few scenes in The Clinic where we’d just walk past each other but that was it. I’d love to. It’s easy to say it would be great but it’s not that easy to make it happen. I’d love if we could play brother and sister; it would be brilliant.

Hopefully someday.

PLAY DRESS UP have fun with your winter wardrobe

Opera Lane logo purple.pdf

FREE PERSONAL STYLING [appointments available on operalane.com]

1

14/07/2015

10:12

C

M

Y

CM

MY

Late Night Shopping Fridays Open 12 - 6pm Sundays

CY

CMY

K

Ref 004 - Opera Lane Dress Up A4.indd 1

25/09/2015 12:51