SIN Vol. 18 Issue 03

Making a millennial marvel

The Rise of Athleisure

Hidden Gem

Interview with Making a Murderer lawyers

A survey of the hot new fashion trend

Review of the acclaimed New Zealand film Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Page 9

Page 24

Page 29

The Students’ Union year of fundraising: the beginning of it all

By Georgia Feeney

FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 18, ISSUE 03 | 11 OCT 2016

FEE

FIGHT USI to march for publicly funded thirdlevel education

By Aoife O’Donoghue The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) announced their plans for their national demonstration on Monday 26 September in St Stephen's Green. The demonstration is set to take place on 19 October at the Garden of Remembrance and they are hopeful that it will draw up to 5000 students from across the country to take part.

The demonstration centres on the Cassells report, or the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, which was established to examine future funding requirements for higher education and to present options for developing a sustainable long term funding strategy for the sector. The expert group, chaired by Mr Peter Cassells, was set up in 2014 and in July of this year the report was forwarded to the Oireachtas for consideration.

The report outlines three possible avenues the government can take with regards to funding higher education; the first is a student loan system, the second an increase in the state’s funding of the sector from 64% to 80% to make higher education free at the point of access, and the third is to make higher education free and entirely funded by the state.

The USI are calling on the Irish government and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills to make a historic decision to follow the third option and invest in the publicly-funded third level education model as outlined in the report.

The USI believe that the student loan option, which would be carried out on an income contingent basis, is inviable as the people of Ireland cannot afford to be saddled with student debts of figures around €20,000.

Furthermore, the fear of such a burden upon graduation could act as a deterrent, rather than an incentive for many young people to pursue higher education.

The USI is keen to emphasise that it is not just students that are affected by the financial strains of third level education, with parents, children, staff and teachers all feeling the pressure of an unstable and pressurizing financial situation.

President of the USI Annie Hoey said; “We are calling on parents, teachers, family members, education staff and students to join in our march on the 19 October, and to echo the concerns we have on the future of third level education. The status quo isn’t working. Third level education is unaffordable and our universities are slipping down

on the QS World University Rankings. The loan scheme option put forward in the Cassells report is unsustainable. It will increase emigration, saddle young people with a mortgage-modelled debt and widen the gap between the rich and the poor.”

Evidence has also been put forward by the USI that publicly-funded higher education can have benefits for the performance of universities and students; Germany, which has no tuition fees, has 41 universities considered amongst the best in the world by the Times Higher Education and France, whose fees are only €200 have 27 in these rankings.

The USI are urging students from across the country to contact their local students’ unions if they want to join the demonstration, which is supported by members of the Coalition for Publicly Funded Higher Education including SIPTU, IMPACT, TUI, IFUT and the National Youth Council of Ireland.

The Students’ Union is selling tickets for the march from the Students’ Union Office for €2 and participants will also receive a t-shirt on the day. Buses will be departing from the Cathedral and Gort na Corribe at 9am, returning at approximately 7pm.

With returning students settled back into college life and first years getting used to college life, it is finally time to announce who this year’s Students’ Union (SU) chosen charities are. Every academic year the SU council antagonise over months as to which charities are in most need of NUI Galway’s support.

Despite having their own worries and struggle, students come out in their droves each year to volunteer their time for these organisations and we’ve seen the great success of this in the past.

The announcement for this year's chosen charities came on Wednesday 21 September and they are the local Threshold Agency and the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Threshold is an agency becoming more known to students as they run a voluntary support centre for those having housing issues. Their aim is to secure a right to housing for households, particularly who are experiencing issues of poverty and exclusion.

Speaking in response to the news, Diarmaid O’Sullivan of Threshold said, “Threshold is delighted to have been selected as one of the charities to benefit from NUI Galway Students’ Union fundraising activities for the 2016/7 academic year. The funds raised will help Threshold keep families in their homes and prevent homelessness.”

The RNLI is also another well known group who save lives at sea. Mike Swan, Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) at Galway Lifeboat Station said they are “so thankful” to the NUI Galway Students’ Union for choosing them as one of their two charities this year.

Both Threshold and the RNLI are two very important charities to the local Galway community. Planning is starting off on a high this year, with all involved eager to put together a wide variety of events of interest to all students and most importantly to raise big bucks for the Threshold agency and RNLI. With so many organisations locally and nationally it was difficult for the SU council to choose, but The Threshold agency and RNLI were the lucky ones to be chosen. Now all that’s left is some serious creative planning.

To get involved with the volunteer group head into the SU office or email su.welfare@ nuigalway.ie Last years’ chosen charities were the local Rape Crisis Centre and the Irish Cancer Society. Throughout the year many events were held to raise awareness as well as funds for these groups.

It isn’t all work and no play for students, however, with many of the events planned to raise much needed funds being student friendly.

Continued on page 3

2 NEWS

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

New Degrees in Arts and Commerce to be showcased at Open Day

By Jessica Hannon NUI Galway opened its doors once more this year for the annual Open Day held in the Bailey Allen Hall, on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 October 2016. Up to 4,000 prospective students, teachers and parents learned first-hand what NUI Galway has to offer over the course of this two day event, which ran from 9am-3pm each day.

In a follow up to NUI Galway’s rise in International rankings, placing in the Top 250 of both the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2016/2017 and the QS World University Rankings 2016/17, the university had new courses to offer. Among these were a Bachelor of Commerce - Global Experience; BSc. in Applied Social Sciences; and the BA (Children’s Studies), giving prospective students more of a

choice when it comes to choosing NUI Galway than ever before.

Home to over 18,000 students and 2,600 staff, NUI Galway provides the very best in innovative, research- led education. With an extensive network of industry, community and academic collaborators around the world, NUI Galway researchers are tackling some of the most pressing issues of our times. Internationally renowned research centres based here include CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices, Insight Centre for Data Analytics, The Moore Institute, Institute for Life course and Society and The Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy.

“We are now in the Top 250 in the world and this is attracting more interest than ever in what we have to offer,” explained Niamh Connolly, Marketing Officer at NUI Galway.

In addition to this, students could expect a packed programme of events to run over the two days, consisting of 50 sample subject talks designed to give students a real feel of what their options look like.

Current students along with lecturers were available in the Bailey Allen Hall at over 80 subject-specific stands in the main exhibition area, providing new students with information on courses, CAO points, career progression, employability and any questions students had, including information on accommodation and fees.

Throughout the day members of NUI Galway ran science workshops, interactive Engineering and IT systems and robotics, along with tours of the vast campus. Talk highlights over the two days included “Sport at NUI Galway – meet the team and coaches to learn more about sport

at the University” and career talks including “Where are the jobs? What are my employment prospects after University?”, “SUSI” and “Creative Arts Performance Points – bonus CAO performance points available to students”.

On Friday 7 October, there was a special guidance counsellor information session, and in addition to this, a specific parents’ programme on Saturday 8 October. Niamh Connolly, Marketing Officer added; “Guidance Counsellors and Parents play a key role in supporting students as they take this important next step, so our Open Days are designed to ensure they can access all of the information they need to support the CAO decision making process.”

Parents and students gained important information ranging from fees and funding to careers, accommodation and support services.

USI praise Irish universities for continuation of consent education

By Sorcha O’Connor The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) last week praised third level institutes across Ireland for introducing consent classes for students, with which the main aim is to normalise speech around consent and encourage people to know their rights around bodily autonomy.

As USI launches their 2016 Sexual Health and

Guidance (SHAG) week, they are encouraging more colleges across Ireland to consider introducing consent classes.

The USI outlined that at consent classes, students are made consider how assault occurs on campus, in public and in relationships, and it also gives students the opportunity to reflect on what consent means and when someone is in a position to give, or not give, consent.

Tuesday 8th November 12-4pm www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day/

“Consent classes are the fastest and most efficient way to educate people on what is and is not acceptable when it comes to sexual activity and relationships,” said Annie Hoey, President of USI. “We need to teach young people to talk about consent, to report violence and rape, and ensure that consent is asked at all times before sex. Sex without consent is rape. These classes will encourage participants to explore sexual wellbeing and their own personal boundaries, remove any stigmas associated with consent and reporting incidents, and reduce the attitude of victim blaming," she continued.

These “classes” or workshops were introduced in NUI Galway in 2014 with funding secured from Explore.

SIN spoke with Elaine Byrnes, Doctoral Researcher at the School of Psychology in NUI Galway, who emphasised that Smart Consent Workshops set up in the University were to encourage a positive attitude to sexuality and were a “supportive, safe environment” for students to explore and discuss the “grey areas” of consent.

Smart Consent Workshops were held during last SHAG week. They were not mandatory or lecture-like in nature. Ms Byrnes expressed how she believes it is very important that people feel they can participate in Workshops to their own level of comfort.She explained how this was a vital part of the workshops so people felt they could opt out of any activity they did not feel willing to participate or share in and indicated to SIN how the necessity for this was highlighted

by University of Warwick student, George Lawlor.

Lawlor objected to the fact he was “invited” to attend “consent lessons” at his institution. He was angered by what he felt was a “loathsome” invitation and saying he did not “look like a rapist”, refused to attend; he felt he didn’t need to be told the difference between yes and no.

The Smart Consent Workshops run in NUI Galway were not mandatory and focused on being peer-supported and interactive.

In the workshops, MsByrnes said attendees were asked to define consent and she said it was obvious people do have a level of understanding of what it means – from a definitional perspective. However, the very nuanced nature of consent is what is then teased out and discussec by participants, with the importance of consent being on-going emphasised throughout, and

this is one thing that many took away from the workshops.

She said knowing what you want for yourself and communicating that with your partner is a key part of consent. Ensuring that both parties are feeling safe and okay is paramount.

“To me, immersed as I am in all things “consent” I would argue that it is not solely a gender issue,” she said.

“It transcends gender and sexual orientation.

Reducing it to a gender issue is very facile – it is a bi-directional process of communication and mutuality in the decision is vital.”

Ms Byrnes explained how a large online survey conducted on 1,500 Undergraduate students last year in research for her PhD also gave great indications of the sexual experiences and behaviours of students. While the survey questioned students on comfort with and frequency of behaviours, and also alcohol related sexual experiences, it also drew data on students’ understanding of the communication of consent and the perceptions of what non-consenting sexual activity was.

The findings of the survey were consistent with international research. Initial data analysis showed 25% of females reported having experienced sexual contact or attempted sexual contact in their lifetime by someone using or threatening to use physical force. 8% of males reported this.

11% of females further indicated they were certain or uncertain (but suspected) someone had sexual contact with them in the past 12 months when they were incapacitated by drugs, alcohol, when passed out or asleep.

Ms Byrnes indicated how the role of alcohol contributes to the grey area, in which communication signals may be misinterpreted, or people may behave in a way they wouldn’t do sober as they are less inhibited by alcohol. When it comes to sexual activity then it is so important for people to understand that they cannot give consent when incapacitated – by drugs or alcohol,” she said.

Ms Byrnes explained how the bottom line is encouraging consent to become part of the encounter – not a a “buzzkill”.

The USI also emphasised that the main objective ofsuch classes is to teach young people about sexual empowerment, and to streamline discussions around consent – what it means to give consent and what it means if sexual activity continues without consent.

NEWS 3

October 11 2016

INSIDE

March for Choice draws massive turnout 5 Budget 2017: No aid, but maybe a loan? 6 Welcome to Issue 3! The SIN team have another jampacked issue for you to enjoy this fortnight; it has been a busy two weeks – we even have an interview with stars of Making a Murderer, lawyers Dean Strang and Jerry Buting!

Last week was Mental Health Week and you’re all very much aware there was plenty going on around campus. Seeing as we didn’t have a publication last week I’ve decided to use this week’s editorial as a chance to share some things I’ve learned since coming to university about looking after your mental well-being.

Mental Health is, first and foremost, something we all have – and it is the #littlethings we do to help look after it that can really make

a difference to how we feel.

Being in college, it isn’t unusual to feel overwhelmed by studying, socialising and everything in between. And never mind what college throws at us, life is known to send a curveball our way every once in a while too.

Anxious, stressful thoughts can easily spiral out of control and ‘snowball’ and therefore we need to equip ourselves with ways to tackle this head on.

For a really simple example, imagine you fail a test.

Instead of thinking, “Oops, that wasn’t the best but I’ll do better next time,” you think solely about this bad result and not on how you could improve or even consider that it may, in fact, have just been a really hard exam and it simply got the better of you on

that day. You think that you are stupid, worthless and not smart enough to have even bothered sitting the paper in the first place. These are called Negative Automatic Thoughts and the arch nemesis of your logical brain.

Then you might start on the trail of What-Ifs and start to think, “What if I fail my degree?” “What if I am worthless?” “What if I am never going to be able to do this?”

So how to deal with this?

The Golden Rule I’ve learned is to simply say to yourself if that thing happens, then you deal with it. Don’t let your mind have so much power that you can’t enjoy the day to day. Keeping busy and giving yourself an outlet such as running, writing or drawing can be another #littlething that

Students’ Union year of fundraising Continued from front page There was everything from Christmas day at the College bar, now known as Sult, shave or dye events during Rag week, Croagh Patrick climbs and comedy gig events, as well as many afternoons in the rain on Shop Street asking the good people of Galway for donations.

The SU raised an impres-

Editor: Sorcha O’Connor

editor@sin.ie Layout: Shannon Reeves

Find us online:

www.sin.ie Have something to say? Send your ­Letter to the Editor to editor@sin.ie.

sive €22,500 for the chosen organisations. This year, however, the new SU council aim to excel further, according to SU President, Jimmy McGovern, who “hopes to improve on last year’s total”.

This initiative which began in 1999 was initiated by the old university tradition of holding a RAG week.

This was known as a week dedicated to promoting charities and raising much needed funds for such from hosting a variety of events around the college, the aim being to ‘raise a grand’.

While there is no longer an official Rag week organised by the college, the SU wanted to keep charitable work a regular part of

student life. Since then, each year the council have accepted many applications and had long deliberations over which groups to work with during the academic year.

When the recession hit the country, charitable donations were lesser than earlier years, but out on the other side, the SU remained as determined as ever, planning to be bigger and better each year.

McGovern is certainly not worried about fundraisers this year, confident in the strong volunteer community in the college explaining “students in NUI Galway have a very proud tradition of fundraising for charity”.

helps keep you in a positive place. Talking to someone you trust is always a good move too – getting something off your chest can be a great relief.

This issue we have loads more on the topic of Mental Health, with plenty on where to turn to if things aren’t going so great, as well as a wide variety of news stories, fitness tips and an interview with funny man, Neil Delamere, all thanks to our wonderful SIN contributors.

And if you fancy seeing your own by-line in print don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself or any the editorial team. We also meet every Monday at 6pm in AC213.

Without further ado, happy reading and enjoy your fortnight!

Sorcha.

Diary of a final year

8

Making a millennial marvel: Interview with Making a Murderer lawyers

9

Need-to-know student services

11

Why all the Hillary hate?

14

Gender inequality strikes again as lecturers on maternity leave asked to work

15

Eoin Drones: Trump and the media – a love story

16

It’s tough at the top for both the left and right in British politics 18 The rise of athleisure

24

Travel spotlight: Iceland

25

How to manage stress in college

26

Sweet & savoury winter warmers from the Happy Pear

27

Gogglebox Ireland makes its debut

28

From page to stage: the ups and downs of writing a play 29 SIN Book Club

30

The Galway way: What’s going on this fortnight?

32

Giro d’Galway helping Jigsaw Galway

34

Student Sport Competitions

35

MEAL DEAL €7.90 & STUDENT DEAL €6.50

Grab your loyalty card to earn your free burrito !

www.tolteca. ie Visit Unit 3, Grinn na Gael, Newcastle Road, Galway Unit 3 Bridge Street, Galway

4 NEWS

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Galway Branch of Sinn Féin Republican Youth hosts suicide prevention workshop

By Saoirse Rafferty The Galway County branch of Sinn Féin Republican Youth (Sinn Féin Óige Phoblachtach) held a four hour suicide prevention workshop, in co-operation with the National Office of Suicide Prevention, on Saturday 24 September in Westside Community Centre. The workshop was the first event organised by the newly established Galway branch, and aimed to educate young people from Galway on how to identify and console a person who may be suicidal.

The safeTALK was attended by members of the local community and of the local youth branch. The workshop focused on heightening attendees’ alertness to suicidal behaviour and on the necessary steps that should be followed to ensure immediate safety of the distressed individual. The workshop was held at the beginning of the university year, two weeks ahead of National Mental Health Week, which began on Monday 3 October. Leaving Certificate student Jason Sherlock, involved in the organisation of the event, spoke of the importance of this timing; “Coming up to University exam period, especially in the second semester, it gets worse. It was important for us to do this early on in the academic year, so that we can be better prepared. This is also two weeks before National

Mental Health Week, so it just seems the most appropriate time,” he said.

Alongside the beginning of a new university year, with the influx of young people from all around the country, Sinn Féin Republican Youth aimed to make this informative night in memory of the young men and women who have lost their lives to suicide in Galway City over the past few years.

“Annually in Galway there seems to be a continuous stream of young lives lost to suicide,” explained member Domhnall Ó Dubhlainn.

“The death notices in my college email inbox and the rescue helicopter frequently hovering over the Corrib really make you think about the problem and how severe it is. We hope that all of us who came today can take what we learned into the world and maybe save someone’s life.”

The severity of suicide and mental health issues amongst young adults in Galway was captured at this safeTALK, alongside the willingness for help and change. Sinn Féin Republican Youth Gaillimh will have their next meeting at 2.00 p.m. on Saturday 15 October, in the Sinn Féin Galway Office, third floor, Ross House, Merchants Rd. Galway City. The meeting is open to everyone and more information can be found on their public Facebook page, www.facebook. com/SFRYGaillimh.

CLICK. FIND. VOLUNTEER. studentvolunteer.ie is a new easy-to-use, one-stop-shop portal connecting higher education students with civil society organisation volunteering opportunities.

er Registy toda !

Making rain

By Shannon O’Malley On Thursday 22 September, research was published in scientific journal Nature regarding the formation of tiny particles in marine air which ultimately have an impact on cloud formation, weather patterns and global climate.

The international team included the NUI Galway Professor Colin O’Dowd and Dr Darius Ceburnis, as well as other researchers from: The University of Helsinki, Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Germany; University of Eastern Finland, Aerodyne Research Inc., USA; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Professor O’Dowd is the Director of the Centre for Climate & Air Pollution Studies in the School of Physics and Ryan Institute at NUI Galway, where Dr Darius Ceburnis is also a researcher.

Both are highly respected in their fields.

Professor O’Dowd was recently awarded the Mason Gold medal by the Royal Meteorological Society, the Royal Irish Academy and the Appleton Medal by the Institute of Physics for his research into climate change and atmospheric composition.

He is also ranked among the ‘World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds’ by Thomson Reuters. Dr Darius Ceburnis is ranked among the top 1% of cited authors in the geosciences discipline, and recently received an award for ‘World Class Research Excellence and Collaborative Efforts with Lithuania’.

“Atmospheric aerosols are tiny airborne liquid or solid droplets or particles, ranging from nanometres to tens or even hundreds of microns in size”, explains Professor O’Dowd.

“They essentially act as condensation sites for water vapour leading to the formation of haze and cloud layers which ultimately help to keep the earth

Two NUI Galway professors part of team who publish new work offering insights into formation of tiny particles in marine air impacting cloud, weather and climate system from overheating. They do this by reducing the amount of solar energy passing through the atmosphere and absorbed by the Earth.

An increase in the abundance of these tiny particles leads to more reflective haze and cloud layers. The end result of more reflecting haze and cloud layers is to partially offset the degree of global warming by greenhouse gases.”

Professor O’Dowd continued: “For the first time, we have measured, at a molecular level the nucleation, or formation mechanism and the nucleating molecules forming these tiny particles, less than a nanometre (a thousand of a millionth of a meter in size), in marine air.

Our experiments reveal that the formation and initial growth process is almost exclusively driven by iodine oxoacids and iodine oxide vapours and that cluster formation primarily proceeds by sequential addition of HIO3, followed by intracluster restructuring to I2O5.

These observations will help us understand the feedbacks between the marine biosphere and global climate change. The Mace Head atmospheric research station was the key experimental or ‘atmospheric laboratory’ facility leading to the new discovery.”

Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station is located in Carna, Co. Galway and is one of the top atmospheric research infrastructures in the world.

Supporting data was also collected from northern Greenland and Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.

The full paper ‘Molecular-scale evidence of aerosol particle formation via sequential addition of HIO3’ is published in Thursday the 22 September’s edition of Nature.

NUI Galway senior lecturer speaks at UN headquarters about violence against women

By Aisling Bonner On Wednesday 21 September, Dr Nata Duvvury of NUI Galway acted as expert advisor at the discussion on Economic Costs of Violence against Women (VAW) at the UN Headquarters in New York. The discussion was attended by current and former female Heads of State and Government and International Organisations.

Dr Duvvury, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Centre for Global Women’s Studies at NUI Galway, has been conducting gender-focussed research for over 20 years and her works have been cited by Hilary Clinton, Mary Robinson, UN Women and several international agencies.

Ahead of the event, Dr Duvvury said; “Violence against women is a fundamental human rights violation, a priority public health issue and a development issue with significant implications for economic growth”.

VAW is currently a global epidemic, affecting one in three women worldwide. According to Dr Duvvury, studies in Peru estimated that approximately 70 million workdays were lost annually as a result of violence.

Similarly in Vietnam, where female participation in the workforce is high, the productivity loss as a result of violence equated to 1.79% of GDP. In advance of the UN discussion, Dr Duvvury

called on policymakers to “recognise the ripple effects of violence against women across various sections of society and businesses to understand that the effects of VAW do not stop at the factory door but seep into every nook and cranny of the production system”.

According to the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, UN Women, some national studies have shown as many as 70 per cent of women have experienced sexual or physical violence from an intimate partner.

UN Women also concludes that approximately 120 million girls globally have suffered forced intercourse or other sexual acts in their lives.

The issue of female genital mutilation is also prevalent in the discourse about violence against women with UN Women claiming more than 200 million women and girls alive today having experienced it in 30 countries worldwide.

The panel of experts at last months discussion was called on by President of the Republic of Lithuania, and chair of the Council of Women World Leaders, H.E Dalia Grybauskaité, Also in attendance were Heads of State of the Republic of Chile, Malta, Croatia and Nambia; along with Director-General of the World Health Organization, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Gender Expert at the European Institute for Gender Equality among others.

NEWS 5

October 11 2016

Threshold Galway’s new tenancy protection service and advice centre launched

By Georgia Feeney With news that the NUI Galway SU council have chosen Threshold as one of their chosen charities, it seems the organisation has an announcement of its own. On Wednesday 21 September, it was announced that Threshold were establishing a tenancy protection service. This will cover Mayo, Galway and Roscommon.

Threshold, which was set up in 1978, is a non-profit organisation, aiming to secure a right to housing for households, particularly who are experiencing issues of poverty and exclusion. Simon Coveney TD and Minister for Housing, planning and local government, launched the new scheme on Friday 23 September.

This took place at the agency’s new location at 5 Prospect Hill,

Galway. Threshold is a free independent advice clinic for tenants experiencing housing problems, including those at risk of homelessness. The group also provide advocacy for those facing conflict with their landlord(s).

The new tenancy protection service is aimed at individuals, couples and families living in private rental accommodation.

According to the organisation’s website, their aim is to “keep clients in their home and prevent them from having to access homeless services”.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Services Manager for Threshold in Galway, Diarmaid O’Sullivan said the new service is focused on preventing homelessness; “The lack of affordable accommodation in the private rented sector and rising rents is putting low-income fam-

ilies at risk of losing their homes.

We are also seeing an increase in the number of households living in sub-standard accommodation.”

The significance of the Threshold agency to the local rental community in Galway doesn’t go unrecognised. Last month Threshold was under great pressure as it saw a surge in the amount of Tenants in the West of Ireland in need of their support.

Since January this year, the amount of people in contact with the Western centre is 248, almost double what it was the previous year. With rents in Galway now 10% higher than they were since the peak in 2008, it’s hoped by many this new scheme may improve this situation.

The growing rental crisis shows that the issue of homelessness is not just a threat the capital is expe-

riencing. The Threshold agency, run by a voluntary board of directors, are determined to prevent as many tenants as they can from having to vacate their homes with this new scheme.

Diarmuid O’Sullivan, services manager of the Galway agency, explains what types of situations they are seeing every day. “The lack of affordable accommodation in the private rented sector and rising rents is putting low-income families at risk of losing their homes. We are also seeing an increase in the number of households living in sub-standard accommodation.”

Many efforts are made by the volunteers of the charity to give aid to those in desperate need.

According to the Threshold website, they campaign for suitable housing, evaluate situations reg-

ularly and establish what needs to be done, and resolving this with creative new plans. The agency saw success in June of this year when they announced that the government was making efforts to increase the rent supplement and housing assistance payments.

The increase for those concerned in Galway is now 21% higher.

The work of the agency continues to positively affect many across the town of Galway and with this new scheme the support can continue to spread to more.

For anyone facing conflict with a landlord or at risk of losing their accommodation contact the Threshold agency. It’s a drop in centre located at 5 Prospect Road or to make an appointment via phone at (091) 563080. They are open Monday to Friday 9:30am 5pm.

March for Choice draws massive turnout

By Mark Laherty Thousands of citizens braved the weather to participate in the March for Choice through Dublin on 24 September. The march was designed to place pressure upon the government to hold a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

The march was the fifth consecutive annual protest of its kind.

To reflect the centenary of the 1916 Rising, the theme of the march was ‘Rise and Repeal.’ The argument made was that the Rising aimed to create an equal Ireland for all.

Accordingly, the march of approximately 20,000 people began at the Garden of Remembrance at 2PM, then moved through the city and across the Liffey until reaching the main stage set up at the Government Buildings in Merrion Square, close to Leinster House.

At the end of the march, several speakers explained the importance of the issue to them. The first speaker was Linda Kavanagh, an activist from Galway. “We simply cannot wait for another tragedy,” she said to the amassed marchers.

“Enough women have died. No more shame. No more silence. No more stigma.”

In the evening, an arts event called Revel for Repeal was held in Filmbase. This saw several performers including Sara Deveraux, who proposed a satirical Taoiseach Surveillance System, and Clara Rose Thornton, who recounted her experiences with abuse and earned a standing ovation for her poem Bleed, he said.

Megan Reilly, the Equality Officer for NUI Galway’s Students’ Union, spoke to SIN about the Union’s pro-choice mandate.

“Ireland’s laws actually violate international human rights laws.

This isn’t just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights one.”

She also praised the strong student presence at the march. “We are constantly driving forward social change, this is no different.”

Louise O’Neill, bestselling author of Only Ever Yours and Asking For It, attended the march and expressed her support on social media. “I can’t tell you how important today is,” she wrote on Facebook.

“Today is about having our voices be heard. It’s about standing in solidarity with our sisters who have had to travel abroad to get the help they were denied on these shores… It’s about fairness and respect and equality.”

On Twitter, she posted a photo of the amassed crowd with the comment “This enough for you to call a referendum, Enda?”

Other stars participating in the march included blockbuster musician Hozier, Snapchat darling James Kavanagh, and Today FM presenter Ed Smith with a placard reading ‘womb for improvement’.

Earlier in the day, pro-life groups held a counter-demonstration in Dublin city centre. It claimed that according to an actuarial study, approximately 100,000 lives had been saved by the Eighth Amendment.

Counselling talk at Time Lord Soc

By Mark Laherty Time Lord Soc hosted a mental health talk by Éamonn Ó Dochartaigh from the University’s Counselling Service. The talk, which was given to the D’Arcy Thompson Theatre on 4 October, aimed at giving a clearer understanding of the facilities and why they might be useful to students.

Dochartaigh, a counsellor with NUI Galway, explained why students might find use for the Counselling Service. Students having difficulty with academic stress,

he said, may dismiss their difficulties as normal. But “when it’s so bad that you have panic attacks, that’s probably something that action should be taken about.”

Similarly, he encouraged students to not dismiss their procrastination or loneliness as normal. Although first years will have some difficulty settling in, he made clear that “if you’re feeling very lonely for two weeks or longer, then it’s a problem.”

Addictions, he said, are not limited to substances. They also have a sexual aspect; one could be addicted to sex, or pornography.

Dochartaigh earmarked social anxiety as one of the most common issues he’s seen amongst students. For a student dealing with a more severe form of anxiety, simply walking down the Arts Concourse can be difficult. Other signifiers would be disproportionate stress over entering a lecture two minutes late, or having to answer questions during a tutorial.

“Some people think they’re just shy, but if it’s interfering with your life, then it’s social anxiety.”

One lesser-known condition he described was trichotillomania: the habit of pulling at one’s hair.

This is often connected to stress, and the person will find it difficult to stop even if they are doing damage or causing pain. This is something that can be treated at the Counselling Service.

Signs of trouble described at the talk include social isolation, changes in patterns of sleeping and eating, body image issues, and nauseous “white-knuckle” anxiety and discomfort.

Statistically, mental health issues are remarkably common.

Stigma encourages, to a degree, the idea that mental illness is unusual. But it’s more likely than not,

according to Dochartaigh, that any given student knows someone with one or more of these issues.

He also stated that many students struggling with classes or money can be helped with information that they were simply unaware of.

Time Lord Soc, which focuses on Doctor Who, hosted their event as part of Mental Health Week. The talk was followed by their usual screening of two episodes, this time with a ‘feel good’ theme.

This event week saw several similar events by societies across campus.

6 NEWS

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

BUDGET 2017: No aid, but maybe a loan?

By Briain Kelly With the Budget for 2017 due to be presented this week, many are looking to see how the proposals will affect those attending college in Ireland.

Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan has indicated that the budget will contain approximately €1 billion in increased spend-

Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan. Source: @ MichaelNoonanTD on Twitter

ing and taxation cuts, most of which are aimed at further reducing some of the tax burden that was built up over the course of the Recession.

A proposed reduction in the Universal Social Charge would see the higher and lower rates of the USC drop by half a percent to 0.5% and 2.5% respectively. He also plans to raise the base threshold at which people are subject to the USC, which currently stands at €13,000.

Further proposals to stimulate the economy include a tax credit worth €550 for the self-employed and the possibility of financial incentives to assist first time home-owners, according to reporting by the Irish Times on a Cabinet meeting on the 27th September.

There is no clear word as yet what will be the shape of funding for Higher

Level Education, but with a well-educated workforce being an integral part of the economic draw of Ireland it will be impossible to ignore the Universities for too long.

State funding for colleges and universities has decreased year on year, drastically affecting the financial aid available to students, while university fees have risen in the same period.

Overall spending has fallen by €500m since 2008, down to a low of €900m last year, putting serious strain on the services colleges can offer.

Colleges have suffered as the number of students attending Irish Universities has risen by 16% since 2010, while the number of staff has fallen by 6% from 2008 to 2015 according to RTÉ. The government has pledged to see this ratio

inequality reduced in all levels of education.

Some good news was announced for all those who are already dreading the prospect of house hunting next year. One of the tax proposals would increase the amount of mortgage interest that landlords could claim back by 5%. This will hopefully incentivise more homeowners to rent out.

It has been speculated for several years that a student loan scheme might be introduced, that would certainly be something to look for in October. Any such plan would need to be carefully vetted to make sure it was not unduly predatory on students in poor financial standing.

There has been some speculation over the summer that the budget could have

been a hard fought fight in the Dáil, with minority government Fine Gael struggling to pass a budget that failed to satisfy demands for post-recession expenditure.

However Opposition party Fianna Fáil have committed themselves to passing budgets for three fiscal years, giving some measure of stability to this unsteady government.

The Government’s new obesity policy and action plan: what changes will it bring?

By Zoe Ellis THAI STYLE CHICKEN CURRY WITH RICE • ORIENTAL TERIAYKI BEEF WITH EGG NOODLES • VEG LASAGNA WITH MASH AND VEG • ITALIAN STYLE CHICKEN WITH CHORIZO SAUSAGE AND ROASTED VEG SERVED WITH SPAGHETTI • GARLIC AND CHIVE SAUSAGES WITH MASH AND VEG • POTATO, LENTIL AND CHICKPEA CURRY WITH RICE • SULT BAR BATTERED COD WITH MUSHY PEAS AND HAND CUT CHIPS • BEEF CURRY WITH NOODLES • BAKED POTATO WITH 5 BEAN CHILLI • SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE • SWEET AND SOUR PORK WITH SCALLION RICE • POTATO AND CHICKPEA CURRY • BEEF CHILLI WITH MEXICAN RICE • CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI WITH PENNE PASTA • MEXICAN VEGETARIAN ENCHILADA WITH FRIES • PAD THAI CHICKEN WITH RICE NOODLES • BEEF STROGANOFF WITH HERBED RICE • ORIENTAL VEGETARIAN STIRFRY WITH NOODLES • CREAMY CHICKEN CARBONARA WITH BACON LARDONS AND MUSHROOMS WITH PENNE PASTA • INDIAN STYLE BEEF TAGINE WITH COUSCOUS • LENTIL AND POTATO STEW • SWEET CHILLI CHICKEN WITH RICE • HAWAIIAN STYLE CALZONE (STUFFED PIZZA) WITH MASH AND VEG • 5 BEAN CHILLI WITH RICE • CHICKEN TANDOORI WITH SPICED RICE • ITALIAN STYLE MEATBALLS WITH SPAGHETTI AND ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SAUCE • POTATO AND CHICKPEA CURRY WITH RICE • MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH KUSHARI RICE • ORIENTAL BEEF WITH BOKCHOY, SNOW PEAS AND EGG NOODLES • POTATO AND CHICKPEA CURRY • CREAMY BEEF WITH TOMATO AND MUSHROOM SERVED WITH TAGATELLE • FAJITA STYLE CHICKEN WITH STIRFRY VEG AND TANDOORI SCENTED RICE • SULT BAR MAC AND CHEESE WITH MASH AND VEG

Sult NUI Galway

On average €1.13 billion is spent by the state per year to tackle the obesity epidemic in Ireland. If the obesity rate drops by 5% it would see a €495 million decrease in healthcare costs related to the condition.

Irish studies show that 1 in every 4 children and 60% of adults are either overweight or obese. The department of health recognises the urgency for change on this distressing issue; a new obesity policy and action plan is being initiated in hopes of preventing and reducing the rate of obesity in Ireland.

The government employed a special action group in 2011 to devise an obesity policy. The policy focuses on the media in an effort to stop the promotion and sponsorship of unhealthy food and drink.

It also tries to replace this with information on practical solutions for parents on helping their children overcome obesity.

One of the main goals of the policy is for more restaurants to adopt a calorie post-

ing scheme to help people make more informed decisions as to what they consume.

The healthy eating guidelines are to be revised, in particular for children aged between 1-5, so a more accurate account of what adolescents should be eating can be made available. The policy also aims to formulate new treatment guidelines for people with obesity.

Will this have an effect on how and what we consume? The aim of the plan is to make more informed and vigilante citizens. It should constantly remind shoppers of the health risks attached to eating certain foods; this should lead to a healthier population.

Obesity can lead to many further health problems such as, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and also cause pregnancy related complications.

These profound risks demonstrate the need for the action plan. The Department of Health hopes to see the benefits of this plan in the next few years.

NEWS 7

October 11 2016

“Tackle your feelings” with IRUPA mental wellbeing campaign

By Aoife O’Donoghue Currently in its first year of operation across the country, the ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ campaign is a mental wellbeing initiative established by the Irish Rugby Union Players’ Association with support from Zurich. The campaign aims to break down the stigma that surrounds mental health and illness and hopes to inspire people to become more open and proactive in looking after their mental wellbeing.

The campaign features many of Ireland’s most notable rugby players who use their unique position in the public eye to act as ambassadors and role-models by sharing their personal stories of challenges they have faced and hardships they have overcome, as well as the strategies they put in place to overcome difficulties. By showing that rugby players, who are traditionally seen as masculine and strong, can be affected by vulnerability, the campaign hopes to break down the idea that having difficulties with mental wellbeing is a weakness.

As part of the campaign, a talk was held with IRUPA and members of the Connacht and Munster teams in the G Hotel on Tuesday 27 September. Introducing the event, Player Development Manager with IRUPA, Créde Kelly, emphasised the goal of the campaign was to raise public awareness and change people behaviours towards mental wellbeing so as to create a more open and supportive environment.

She invited those in attendance to share in the tools and insights for looking after your mental health that the event would introduce.

The event was chaired by former Connacht player Michael Swift and speakers at the event included Pat Lambe, head coach of the Connacht Rugby team, Connacht Rugby player Jake Heenan, Munster Rugby player Cathal Sheridan, and clinical psychologist Eddie Murphy.

Pat Lambe gave an inspiring talk in which he spoke about how the wellbeing of his players has always been of huge importance to him. He gave those in attendance the honour of outlining his coaching philosophy which embodied the values of team

spirit, family, honour, pride and commitment. He spoke about how each players’ hope and dreams rest within the team itself and how important it is to build strong relationships, a healthy atmosphere and an inspiring leadership, saying; “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

He stressed the importance of developing the whole athlete, the physical, mental and inner self and how he wishes for each player to become empowered to lead themselves and others. For Pat Lambe, success is not wins or defeats, it is “the peace of mind that comes from doing your best”.

Connacht player Jake Heenan gave a bravely honest talk about his experience of losing his way in life as a young man. Before the age of 18, he had found himself homeless and arrested three times before his passion for rugby and the help of an understanding coach helped him

find his way again. He recalled his feelings of anger as a young man, but realises now that his anger came from fear and that playing rugby gave him a positive conduit for his pent up energy. Now a successful player with Connacht, Jake works with Dochas Don Oige and stresses the importance of reaching out to others people to talk about your problems.

Cathal Sheridan spoke about how his difficulties with mental wellbeing arose from his experience with an injury. After breaking his arm, there was uncertainty about if and when he would be returning to play. He recalled a feeling of frustration and isolation from his team and dissatisfaction about where he was in his life. The turning point for him was a visit from an old college friend, who made a throwaway comment about how his fridge didn’t look like that of a professional rugby player. It was at this point that Cathal realised he had been going through a bad patch, eat-

ing poorly and avoiding socialising.

He spoke about the importance of getting up and doing something even if that is the exact opposite of what you want to do, whether it’s walking your dog or meeting someone for coffee, because it gets you out of your own head.

Eddie Murphy reflected on the insights given by the two young men, advising of various ways to deal with such situations and praising them for their honesty in talking about their experiences. He has been involved in creating and curating the tools and strategies for looking after mental wellbeing that the campaign provides and encouraged everyone to make use of them by visiting the campaign’s website at www.tackleyourfeelings.com. The campaign event came at a very relevant time for students of NUI Galway who saw many events around the campus as part of Mental Health Week from October 5-9.

8 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Diary of a final year Week Four.

Year Four.

By Caoimhe Tully

And, at least my tactic for searching for a boyfriend has changed a little too. Actually, it used to be similar to the way I would find lectures.

I’d basically just stand very close to a boy, or walk beside him until he said something to his friend and I could fake laugh, and flick my hair over my shoulders. I don’t bother with that craic anymore. I’m moving up in the world – I’ve joined Tinder!

Although, you probably already knew that. If you haven’t matched with me, (come on, we all know how small Galway is. One time I accidentally matched with my cousin…), my Mammy has probably told you. She was absolutely over the moon to hear that I was “on the Tinder”. In fact, last Saturday night we spent an hour swiping through my phone and giggling at messages from strangers. It was great! Great, until I was at Sunday mass the next morning, and I found myself virtually swiping through the congregation of men.

“Come on Tull-Meister,” I told myself. “Don’t be so superficial.”

When I got home, I was ready to delete the evil app. But then I had a message from a nice young fellow offering to bring me out for dinner this week (“My treat,” he says) and that quickly changed my tune. God knows I could do with the free meal.

College can be so expensive. Isn’t it mad, the way we are conditioned to believe that college will be the

Last night I decided that was it.

I stubbed out my fine Columbian cigar, put down my glass of scotch, and rose from my leather throne. “That’s it, Tull-Meister,” I proclaimed. “No more beating yourself up. Year four, week four … four pounds worth of beans on toast… it doesn’t matter anymore, you’ve come further than you realise. Time to start concentrating on that.”

Okay so it was a chocolate digestive, a cup of tea and the ripped leather couch in my student accommodation, but whatever, one thing was true - I have come a long way since first year. So what if I’m a final year philosophy student who still hasn’t figured out the meaning of life? So what if I’ve studied creative writing and English and still haven’t attempted to read Ulysses? So what if I still don’t have a boyfriend, or an answer for that aunt at family occasions who always asks what I’m going to be when I grow up?

So what?

College is about learning and growing, and I’ve done just that.

Okay, so I’m still not sure where some of my English seminars are, but at least I’ve learned to deal with that kind If you haven’t matched with of thing a little better.

In the past, my tac- me, my Mammy has probably tic for finding a room was...original, at best. told you. She was absolutely I would stand like an animal in search of over the moon to hear that prey, until I could spot somebody strolling I was “on the Tinder”. along the concourse who looked like they were going to light years of our lives? How come a lecture on Renaissance English nobody ever warns you that by and casually stroll behind/beside year four, if somebody even utters them with my fingers crossed. the word “pasta”, you will feel nauPray tell, what does somebody seous? going to an English lecture look like?

There’s another thing I have I hear you ask. improved on. God, I’m really startWell. I don’t know. It never really ing to feel like I have my life in worked for me. But that’s mostly order. I only eat pasta twice a week because I would get too distracted now. Back in the day, the bane of admiring people’s quirky outfits, my existence was coming up with and either end up in a complete inventive ways to serve pasta. Pasta state of panic, or (only occasionally) with pesto, pasta with Dolmio end up congratulating myself for sauce, pasta with that gone off dip finding the room by not bothering for the Pringles in the back of the to go into the lecture at all. fridge, pasta with butter and then, Okay, so I still (occasionally) by Friday: pasta with pasta. Somedo that. But at least it’s more of a times I would even come home dull panic now, and not “Ahh! All from a night of frolicking around the I wanted was a bit of garlic bread, town and gobble down more pasta. and now here I am on the phone Anyway, I must go before my to the Galway fire brigade!” level of pasta boils over. panic – a story for another day.

Will write soon.

The jesspress: the absolute grubbiness of student life

By Jess Hannon Sitting on the bus home from Galway this evening, what ensued was two and a half hours of torture. Being unlucky enough not to get two seats together, my friend and myself went our separate ways on the aisle of the bus. I quickly chose the first seat I could upon reaching the back of the bus and noticing the queue forming behind me. All was okay until about 10 minutes into my journey when the guy sitting next to me plugged in his earphones (to my absolute detriment). What ensued was two hours of incessant noise on the other end of his earphones, where all I could hear was the beat of his music. Ideal.

Brushing it off, I continued to read until I suddenly became all too aware of the emphysema epidemic that seemed to surround me.

“No quick fix hand sanitiser is going to fix this,” I thought to myself.

Holding my breath while the person on the other side of the

aisle coughed and spluttered, and as every few minutes someone on the bus had a coughing fit, I thought of the relief of stepping off this cocoon of germs into the fresh Sligo seaside air. Only a journey to be taken twice a week, every week I consoled myself.

Now don’t get me wrong, I too have a cold. I however have the decency to cover my mouth if I find the need to cough, and carry tissues and hand sanitiser if a sneeze envelopes me (which it did not).

However, the bus journey led me to thinking about the grubbiness of students and student life in general.

I reflect not so fondly on my English lecture during the week in which another student coughed so much in the row in front of me that the lecturer nervously pointed out the death cough in the lecture hall. I felt the need to shower and bathe myself in Echinaforce cold and flu.

Is it just me or does every relatively hygienic student experience

the plethora of germs surrounding student life in general? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person feeling the germy-ness of student life, no matter how many showers you take. It seems like everything you touch leads to an insatiable need to cleanse yourself, like a cat really.

Between doors, bus rails and handles to lecture hall desks and pens.

Everything is germy. It even seems impossible to create a home away from home in college. The food even tastes different! So far the only meal that resembles itself is toast.

Nothing else tastes the same as it does in my home house. Is this the new normality or am I just being dramatic?

Confessions of a provisional driver

By Aisling Bonner It’s 7am, it’s dark and I’m stifling a yawn in the front seat.

“We’re hittin’ the bright lights of Dublin this mornin’, Ais,” my instructor chimes. This wasn’t an unusual start to the lesson: every time we reach anywhere that’s populated by more humans than cattle he exclaims “Ah the bright lights of *insert said tiny village*.”

One time he actually called a village by the name of its only pub: “the bright lights of Farrington’s,” he said with gusto. This time the lights were going to be as bright as they’d ever be and I couldn’t have felt less alert.

Having been in work until 1am the night before and stayed up slapping on some Cocoa Brown for a 21st the next night (priorities) I was running on about four hours sleep.

Exiting my driveway I cut out. HA HA HA great start, laugh it off, the car must be broken HA HA HA. Shite.

It wasn’t a great start both literally and figuratively. Surprisingly, the drive to Dublin which saw us pass through the bright lights of every godforsaken town in Kildare went relatively smoothly. My instructor pointed out landmarks en route which passed the time: the best chipper in Kildare, the best chipper in Ireland, the Gaeity where they do the plays, and Christchurch Cathedral which is “fairly shite really”.

Aside from jamming on at a couple of badly-timed traffic lights and almost hitting the odd streetcleaner, things were going well. I mean no one died.

“I’m well impressed missus, you’re doing fair good,” my instructor said just before taking control of the pedals and the wheel as I almost turned onto a wide path, thinking it was a right turn. Thank God for dual control, ay?

I drove down the Naas Road back to Kildare at a leisurely pace, waving at cars sailing past me as I took the so-called ‘slow lane’ a little bit too seriously. We drove around to the driving test centre in Naas to practice driving in and out. A simple task, I thought, but as usual I was wrong.

Now, I have yet to see a more awkward entrance to a building. It takes the form

of a sort of roundabout and a half scenario with about three yields, a sharp right, sharp left, a hump back bridge, a lollypop lady, a U-turn, ramps, a few pot holes and a parallel parking system. Okay like, maybe not all that but you see my point. It is simply willing you to fail.

My instructor pointed out the poles in front of the parking spaces outside the centre from which you start the test. Battered they were.

Each pole was scratched, dented and doubled over like a rugby player who’d gotten an unfortunately aimed tackle. The mystery behind why Naas is the third hardest place in the country to pass was henceforth revealed – the place is more booby-trapped than Farmaphobia.

To finish the two hours of learning/freaking out I was taken to a small old estate and Aisling did as Aisling does. Fell. Apart. In the space of five minutes I had supposedly failed my test three times. I drive out onto a major road without looking and hear – “Congratulations, Aisling has just failed her test”. Reversed back and went onto a kerb – “there ye go Aisling, you’ve failed your test again”. Stopped to talk about the reasons behind me having just double-failed my hypothetical test, pulled out without looking or indicating – “well done Ais you have just failed your test for a third time”.

Now I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty damn impressive.

FEATURES 9

October 11 2016

MAKING A MILLENNIAL MARVEL How two Wisconsin based attorneys gripped a generation with their painstaking pursuit of justice

By Rebecca Fisher It’s a familiarly damp and dismal Sunday evening in Galway city, as a steady stream of vehicles piles its way into the car park of the Black Box Theatre.

Spectators young and old, all exuding a

the murder of Theresa Halbach, both of which Steven was convicted and condemned for, while still pleading innocent. Steven, along with the rest of the Avery family, grew ever popular in the months that followed the release, but they were not the only ones who

Rebecca caught up with Strang and Buting at the Black Box Theatre. similar sense of anticipation, flood the seats of the Galway playhouse as they await the evening’s entertainment.

While the Black Box is known for its participation in the performing arts, it is not a play that these people came to see, but rather an evening of conversation with two criminal defence lawyers, all the way from the state of Wisconsin. As the audience chatters on with talk of perfectly placed keys, improbable blood splatter and Wrestlemania 2005, the men of the hour, Dean Strang & Jerome Buting, prepare themselves in a lavishly lit dressing room, far from the Manitowoc County court rooms they speak of.

Following a sold out stint of shows across the country, I caught up with everyone’s favourite internet idols to discuss the overwhelming success of the Netflix series, recent developments in both the Steven Avery & Brendan Dassey trials as well as what it’s really like to become the subject of teenage ‘fandemonium’ overnight.

December 18th 2015 marked a pivotal day in the lives of the Avery family, particularly that of now 54 year old, Steven Avery. It marks the day that he and his ongoing battle with the US legal system was thrust into the limelight

by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, directors of the award winning Netflix series ‘Making a Murderer’.

The 10 part docu-series explores the sexual assault of Penny Beerntsen and

gained traction from the show’s continual popularity. Dean Strang & Jerome Buting, Steven’s defence lawyers, garnered an immense worldwide fan base after their participation in the show, due to their undeniable thirst for justice and desire to see the truth unveiled.

“Life is different this year than it was a year ago, I think for both of us, just in terms of our recognisability and our visibility,” states Strang as I ask about not only the professional, but personal implications of appearing on an internationally acclaimed documentary.

As one of the head attorneys at

It seems Strang has succeeded in his plight to engage audiences in the subject of wrongful convictions. In August of this year, Brendan Dassey, Steven’s then sixteen year old nephew and suspected accomplice in the murder of Theresa Halbach, had his conviction overturned after an extensive appeal process and public outcry at his imprisonment.

While the state is trying to counteract Mr Dassey’s release, Buting believes that he could be free sooner than the documentary’s main subject, Mr Avery; “It’s always hard to try and guess what’s going to happen when it comes to the law, but I think Brendan has a very good chance of having the federal judge’s decision upheld on appeal.”

“Steven’s case is going to be harder because his appeals were done and they had to bring it back as either newly discovered evidence or something of that nature, and you know he’s got a lawyer who’s got a good track record for him now. She’s got 16 or 17 exonerations, so you know I’m optimistic for him too but it’s a harder job for him.”

One of the ongoing aspects of the series that garnered praise for both Strang and Buting was both attorneys willingness to work extremely closely with Steven and his family to ensure his conviction was over turned, and the truth was brought to light.

When asked if they had continuous contact with Steven and the family with whom they were once quiet close, following the show’s release, Dr Buting had this to say; “We met with Steven the day before it came out and prepared him for it (…) another attorney can’t contact a person who’s represented by some other lawyer, so we cannot have contact with him directly (…) we still have some contact with his family because they’re not our clients.”

In August of this year, Brendan Dassey, Steven’s nephew and suspected accomplice, had his conviction overturned after an extensive appeal process and public outcry at his imprisonment. Buting believes that he could be free sooner than the documentary’s main subject, Mr Avery: "I think Brendan has a very good chance of having the federal judge’s decision upheld on appeal.”

Strang Bradley LL he confides that delegating more of his professional work load has been an issue in recent months, but that he wouldn’t have traded the past year for anything; “It’s been a fun year, it’s been a good year. I really do think this has been worth doing. Just trying to engage people in some of the broader issues this film frames and other true crime depictions frame.”

While the immense praise Strang and Buting often times received was due to their outstanding dedication to their work, there is no denying the harem of online “fangirls” they accumulated following their appearance on the show. Stars such as Kristen Bell make up their online female fan base, having tweeted a meme back in 2015 declaring her love for the Wisconsin flames.

“It’s been fun, it’s been funny, but we don’t put too much weight into that you know? (…) The idea that two middle aged be-speckled lawyers from Wisconsin are somehow internet heartthrobs is so beyond my imagination,” states Buting when asked how he feels about their newfound sex appeal.

“It makes me feel old, because it’s so obviously a dad crush,” Strang laughs off, as if the sheer thought of Kristen Bell hanging a poster of them in her bedroom is inconceivable to him. Hate to break it to you boys but the Strang & Buting fan club is alive and well in NUI Galway!

Following the release of the show, many viewers worldwide took it upon themselves to gather information and evidence to support any and all theories exonerating Mr Avery and Mr Dassey from the crime. Some assumptions were merely conjecture, but as stated by But-

When asked what drew not only the ever prevalent audience but the creators of the show to the Steven Avery case, Buting said; “They knew that after his wrongful conviction was brought to light that there were reforms in the system, eye witness identification, different things were changed, and they were interested in seeing how it applied to him now that he’s back in the system (…) As far as why people have found this particularly interesting, there’s a million different reasons probably, I think the biggest is that the documentary is extremely well done. It deserved the four Emmy’s that it got.”

“The other key to its popularity is that to the changing demographic, a younger demographic to which it appeals, this is a film without a resolution,” states Strang.

“You’re not told what to think in the end, you’re not told ‘this guy’s innocent’

The popular who-dunnit series gripped a global audience. ing, some of the facts gathered up by fans of the popular series online may actually aid Steven in his hunt for freedom; “A lot of people spent a lot of time, there are some very interesting theories out there (…) some of them are very similar to ones we wanted to present, some of them are different, but people really do care about what happened in this case and I hope they broaden it really into what happens in all cases like this (…) it’s interesting to see how thousands of minds look at some of the same stuff only the two of us had a chance to look at.”

“I’m not on social media,” clarifies Strang.

“But I’ve gotten hundreds of emails from people who have suggestions, some of those have really been useful, we passed those along to the current lawyer, Kathleen Zellner (…) it has been useful as Jerry said, to sort of crowd source a defence and draw on hundreds and thousands of minds rather than one or two.”

There’s no denying the impact ‘Making a Murderer’ has had on popular culture and the worldwide audience it has gathered in the past year, so much so that Strang & Buting have the opportunity to travel the world, discussing Steven’s case and criminal justice as a whole.

or ‘this guy’s guilty’, there’s just no clean resolution. I think that people of your generation and around you are much more willing to sort of live with uncertainty and a sense of unease about what happened and then to channel that into social media or into social action (...) there’s a greater appetite now for messy endings.”

From the diligence both attorneys showcased throughout the series to the immense dedication to the cause they’ve exhibited since its release, it is clear that Strang and Buting were born for a career in the legal system. When asked what advice they would give to anyone looking to pursue a similar path, Strang came forth with a quote which I believe sums up the immense impact they’ve had not only on the success of ‘Making a Murderer’, but also on an international audience who seek to weed out corruption in all its forms; “Don’t do it unless it’s a vocation or a calling for you and try to lend dignity not borrow it.”

For more compelling quotes from our favourite legal tag team, edge of your seat entertainment and in-depth information on the Steven Avery case, make sure to check out the ten part docuseries ‘Making a Murderer’ on Netflix.

10 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Survival guide: the mid semester slump

By Jessica Hannon These next few weeks are the hardest part for students. Everyone has settled in and you’ve just established a routine, when you find yourself struggling with upcoming assignments and money struggles - a sometimes-stressful time for even the most organised of students. However here’s some handy tips for getting through the next few weeks - ‘the mid semester slump’ - unscathed.

DON’T SPREAD YOURSELF TOO THIN: If you

find yourself highly stressed when it comes to remaining on top of assignments, social life and work, maybe it’s time to take a step back. If you’re working your weekends and coming back to college to fill a jam-packed week with school work while maintaining your nights out, you’re stretching yourself too thin. Something’s got to give. My advice is either limit your social life while you get through assignments or else cut down on work at the weekends. Remember why you’re in college. While work is important, it’ll all be in vain if you don’t get your degree in the end.

MONEY STRUGGLES: Again, if money is

tight now that you’ve gotten this far, it’s

normal. You’ve probably spent a lot of the money you saved over summer and are now realising you’ve the rest of the year to go!

A major money splurge I found was when the bad weather came towards the end of September. I always needed either a new coat, new boots and at least twice a year always needed a new pair of good jeans.

This really ate into my savings and before long I was stressing. My advice here is to just take it slow. If you’re working a day/night or two at the weekends then you’re doing all you can. You shouldn’t be working any more than that if you’re studying away from home. The commute takes it out of you. The last thing you want is to overdo yourself and get into bad health. If you’re feeling like you need to work more than you’re able to, it’s a sign you need to cut down.

DEADLINES: Everyone has them. It’s a major

part of college. Don’t stress the mess here though, a little bit of stress is normal and necessary to get you through the assignments. Too much stress is not healthy. Strike the balance between work and play. Most of us will have good experience from Leaving Cert (if only I could be as motivated and organised as I was each evening writing my English essays during Leaving Cert I’d be

doing well!) Invest in a diary and write down all your deadlines. The start is the hardest part but once you’ve made that start you’ll be flying.

WORK ON YOURSELF: The more time you spend at college the more organised you’ll become. As each month passes I find I eat healthier. The junk food at the beginning of the semester has taken its toll on my skin and now I find I need to spend more time planning my meals and consuming healthy, wholesome food. The Bialann on the concourse is great for providing healthy, good food at great prices. You really can’t go wrong here.

TIME MANAGEMENT: Finally time manage-

ment is a big one. You’ll find that the work you do before 12pm in the day is generally the best work. Speaking as an Arts student, unless it’s a Wednesday morning with my nine o’clock start, I generally don’t get any work done before noon. However if you give yourself a timeframe in which to get the bulk of your day’s work done, you’ll be doing well. In addition, with looming deadlines, it’s easy to say; “I’ve so much work to do; and it’s all due in two weeks!” Instead of stressing yourself out even more with this statement, how about making daily targets of the work you want to get done. As each day passes your workload will decrease until you find your deadline has come and gone.

Being vegan without spending a cow

By Zoe Ellis We hear a lot about veganism every day, but what does it mean to be a vegan? Well quite simply a vegan will not consume or wear any animal products. Over the past few years we’ve consistently seen the vegan lifestyle grow in popularity. There are many reasons to adopt a vegan way of life, the most common being: for animal rights issues; for environmental reform and for the health benefits.

Many celebrities have turned to veganism for their latest diet trend such as Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, Jared Leto and even Beyoncé. If they can do it anyone can!

Of course as students we don’t always have the same expansive funds as celebrities to experiment with our eating habits. However, being vegan on a budget is the same as any diet, you just need to ensure you follow the golden rules of food shopping. Check quantity prices, buy generic brands, buy in bulk where possible and buy frozen alternatives, in particular with fruit.

If you want to begin your day with a healthy fruit filled vegan smoothie, perhaps frozen berries would be a suitable alternative to fresh, more expensive, fruit. Vegan alternatives to meat and cheese can be expensive, however more and more supermarkets are bringing out their own vegan range of foods like Aldi and Lidl, which both offer vegan chocolate. Lidl also sell a variety of vegan baked goods. Tesco has their own range of vegan foods with many frozen options available with long shelf lives. All major supermarkets will stock dairy free milk and some meat free products suitable for vegans as well.

On campus there are also many affordable vegan alternatives available like falafel, hummus, salads, wraps and flatbreads. These can be purchased alongside the array of sandwiches sold in the various food outlets.

Around Galway there is no shortage of vegan cuisine. For example, Fat Freddie’s on Quay Street offer some delicious vegan pizza.

Food For Thought on Lower Abbeygate Street has an exciting array of vegan dishes ranging from vegan Shepherd’s pie to avocado brownies. Boojum on Spanish Parade House have loads of great vegan Mexican meals. Kai Café and Restaurant on Sea Road also offer organic European vegan lunches and dinners in a colourful rustic setting.

One of the main areas of growth in veganism is amongst college students. A reason for this growth is because of the internet.

The massive influx of food-themed sites on social media have made the concept of being vegan more mainstream. With graphic images of the harsh realities of the farming industry and beautiful images of animal-free dishes, it is easy to see why so many young people are enticed by the vegan lifestyle. It is quite common to see posts on social media humorously mocking the concept of being vegan, yet veganism continues to get more and more popular.

These jokes are slowly being replaced by a more positive message showing the benefits and justification for not consuming animal products.

There are many health myths that revolve around veganism; this stems from contradicting and inaccurate research. We find that there are two schools of thought when it comes to vegans. Many scientists believe that the vegan diet helps in the prevention of developing chronic illnesses. Studies also show that when animal fat is removed from your diet the chances of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and a number of other conditions are vastly reduced.

There are some negative health implications that can come from veganism. Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is involved in cell functions but it is not found in many plants. Studies show that over 90% of vegans are deficient in this vital nutrient. There are several more nutrients that vegans can be deficient in because of a lack of animal meat consumed, but with the help of a regimented diet and health supplements, vegans can have a healthy lifestyle.

If you are considering becoming vegan and are apprehensive about making the leap why not adopt a vegetarian lifestyle and slowly begin to cut out the animal products. Many long-term vegans have taken this approach as it offers a far less serious commitment. Or perhaps take the plunge into a fully vegan lifestyle.

If you want to learn more about being a vegan or you want to find some like-minded vegans to socialize with visit the Galway Vegan Foodies website to get information about their upcoming meetups.

FEATURES 11

October 11 2016

Need-to-know student services

By Kieran Kilkelly For most of us, we spend three or four years wandering around the corridors day in and day out, yet we still won’t know where the Larmor Theatre is when our most important lecture of the year is on there.

And just as we are oblivious to some of the lecture halls and classroom locations, there are certain student services that many people do not know about, be they a first year, final year or a PhD student who has spent all their university life here at NUI Galway.

University Health Unit We all feel a little unwell from time to time and not having Mammy there to nurse us back to full health means we have to reach out for something else. But paying €40 plus for just a consultation can’t be justified on a student budget.

This is where the Health Unit comes to the rescue. Located in the Bailey Allen Hall (which is beside the College Bar, or beside Sult if you’re a newcomer to Galway) it

provides a free consultation service should you need it.

Like most services here at the university it operates on a walk-in, first-come-first-seen basis. Open nine fifteen to half twelve and half two to half four Monday to Friday, it’s as flexible and accessible as it can be.

So, if you are feeling under the weather and it’s affecting your college productivity it may be no harm to pop in. There are, however, some charges for things like blood tests and prescriptions, which you can find a list of on the NUI Galway Health Unit page.

Counselling Services Whether it be the stress of exams, financial worries or just general personal mental health problems, the Student Counselling Service is there to help ease your worries. Just like the Health Unit it is free and the drop in service operates from two to four on weekdays.

From there you will be seen by someone to discuss whatever problems you may have and then you

can be referred to further counselling within the college or they may seek more professional medical help for you, depending on the severity.

With mental health worries among young people constantly on the rise it is no harm to keep this one in mind for future reference. Having an outside source to talk to about what is on your mind could save you stressing out over something that is much more manageable than you first think.

Student Assistance Fund While talking about money problems helps ease the concern it, unfortunately, does not make them go away. This is where the Student Assistance Fund can come in very handy.

For those who don’t qualify for the grant or whose parents are struggling to support them, the only way to stay afloat is to get a part-time job, which isn’t the most convenient course of action when trying to study full-time. And with rising house prices expenses just

seem to pile up.

This fund, however, should be treated as a last resort due to the demand outweighing the money available. People applying for this fund who are not in need could greatly affect those that are struggling week to week.

Application forms and deadlines can be found in Áras Uí Chathail with the process usually beginning in the second month of the semester. For any other enquires the Student Vice - President/Welfare Officer can be contacted.

SUMS & Academic Writing Centre Not of all us can grasp Newton’s binomial theory first time around nor can we write as poetically as Heaney or Yeats while still maintaining structure within our academic essays. This is where you can take full advantage of NUI Galway’s educational services.

SUMS, as the names suggests, is the mathematical support centre that opens from two to five, four days a week – Monday to Thurs-

day. A colour coded timetable on the website shows what specialist areas are covered at what times and what tutors are available with all tutors available to help with first year problems.

The Academic Writing Centre The Academic Writing Centre, on the other hand, has both morning and evening slots to accommodate those with busier schedules. One to - one tutorials are offered from eleven to one Monday through Friday and six to eight, from Monday to Thursday.

It is best to bring whatever work you have completed or are in the process of completing to get the full benefit of the centre. It must be noted that these tutors will not do the work for you but rather be a guide in essay structure, grammar and any other areas they consider need attention.

Both services are free and the Academic Writing Centre can be found on the second floor of the James Hardiman Library while SUMS is located in Áras De Brun (between the Quad and library), ground floor, room ADB - G023.

Equality Matters: a chat with international students on campus This is a new feature that aims to bring you stories from all over campus the likes of which you might not hear all that frequently. The idea is that these pieces will deal with how people may experience college differently, possible challenges and discrimination they may face and how we can all help make this campus a more accepting place! Contact su.equality@nuigalway.ie for more information.

Hi folks, Megan here, back with the second feature of this new Equality Column. This week I sat down with two international students to talk to them about their experience thus far in the Emerald Isle, and we talked everything, from Irish people, to, er, Trump (it seems unavoidable these days).

The international perspective was one I have particular interest in because I studied abroad in America last semester, and while living and studying in another country is amazing in itself, it doesn’t come without its hardships. Another aspect of the international student experience I wanted to take a look at was the automatic stereotyping of nations we all have a tendency to do (if I had a nickel for every time someone wanted to talk to me about their very, very distant

relatives in some isolated part of Ireland and did I know them!). Anyway, if we can get past the surface level assumptions we have about people, you’ll find that real friend-

DANIEL: Computer science the dropout rate is very high and in my class we didn’t want that to be us so we created a Facebook chat to talk to each other. I think I takes

All the other international students ask me ‘Dani, how did you make so many Irish friends?’

I tell them, I joined societies, I talk to people. ship and human connection will nearly always surmount religious, cultural and social backgrounds. I do believe I’m waffling (American friends used to get a great laugh out of me for using that phrase) so let’s get on with the thoughts and opinions of these two lovely gentlemen, Dani Garcia from Malága, Spain, and Daniel McFadden from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in America.

On getting to know Irish people: DANI: All the other international

students ask me ‘Dani, how did you make so many Irish friends?’

I tell them, I joined societies, I talk to people. If you don’t go to these things it’s hard to meet people. If you’re here to learn English as well it’s so important. I have met so many friends through getting involved.

time; you’re in a new country, a new place, but you’ll find things in common with people.

What if people are scared to go to societies/ campus events?

DANI: Go with a friend. Attend the

meetings two by two and then when you go to the event you separate, I did this with my housemate, we both went to the juggling society together and we ended up talking to different people.

DANIEL: The hardest thing

was when I first got here; I was expecting my roommates to say goodbye to his parents, gave them space, and I thought it might be emotional like in America. But it was just like goodbye and then he went out with his friends and I was left alone. I get it because we do it too; friends who go to the same universities stick together. But I was just like, I’ve moved thousands of miles away from home. I have nothing to fall back on. For the first few days I didn’t even have a phone so I couldn’t contact friends at home. It’s just thinking about what it’s like to not know anybody for the first bit.

On stereotyping: Does it get on your nerves?

DANIEL: It’s the conversation

On the negatives: if there are any

people see as small talk and it’s just, Trump. I mean I’m an actual human being, I’m tired of talking about Trump.

DANI: The most negative thing is

DANI: People always ask me, “So

going to class and trying to talk to people and they don’t want to talk to you. In societies everyone wants to get to know you but in classes I’m in people don’t.

how poor is Spain?” or “Spanish people are so lazy, you have a siesta” - not everyone has a siesta. Party and siesta, that’s what people think.

On overcoming stereotypes: DANI: We have many, many other

things to our culture. The more you talk to someone the easier it is to see everything about their culture.

DANIEL: I want to ask about things

here as well but it’s how you say it and what you say. Not everybody in America has a gun. Sometimes the stereotype is there for a reason because it highlights the crazy stuff. Like, yes, talk to me about it but don’t have a tone and talk like you’re assuming it’s true. Sometimes it comes across as an attack question, though I know it isn’t meant that way.

So there you go, we live up to our friendly name, except when we’re groggy and cranky in lectures.

Societies are a great way to meet people, and maybe don’t stereotype everyone you meet by their nationality. But all in all, we can learn a lot about the world right here in our own university, from those who bring their diversity and their culture to us, and if we all took the opportunity to do that, maybe there’d be a little bit less talk of Spanish siestas and Trump in the world; God knows we’ve enough of that already.

NUI Galway Students’ Union

Cúrsaí Scileanna Saoil

Enrol now for the following reduced price courses in the Students’ Union Office:

Cláraigh anois do na cúrsaí seo a leanas ar phraghas laghdaithe in Oifig an Chomhaltais:

Sign Language

An Teanga Chomharthaíochta

Occupational First Aid

An Gharchabhair Oibre

Life Skills 2016/17

Céad Fhreagróir Cairdiach

Cardiac First Responder

Oiliúint sa Chosaint Leanaí

Child Protection Training

C

M

Y

CM

Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn, 2016/17

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

Oiliúint i Scileanna Feidhmeacha Idirghabhála i dtaca le Féinmharú

Mixed Martial Arts for Self Defence

Ealaíona Comhraic Measctha i gcomhair Féinchosanta

Anti-Racism

Frithchiníochas

Irish

An Ghaeilge

Yoga

An tIóga

More information at www.su.nuigalway.ie or email studentsunion@nuigalway.ie

Tuilleadh eolais le fáil ag www.su.nuigalway.ie nó seol ríomhphost chuig studentsunion@nuigalway.ie

MY

CY

CMY

K

www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

FEATURES 13

October 11 2016

Finding a job 101

By Mark Laherty Finding work seems like a hopeless task.

Sending out resumes can feel like throwing paper into a strong wind. But don’t give up yet. There are ways.

First and foremost: hype up the CV. This is an endorsement of self-advertising rather than lying. Call it honest exaggeration; call it anything at all. Just understand that if Person A is presenting their CV in an impressive way and Person B isn’t, the interviewer is going to be more impressed with Person A. The anxiety here is that Person A is being somehow deceptive. Really, they’re just putting their best foot forward.

One of the most important ways of doing this is assigning “important sounding” (but accurate) job titles to previous positions. For example, anyone who has handled finances for a business factually was a treasurer and can call themselves a treasurer.

This is not what people mean when they warn against lying in your CV. Those warnings refer to actual blatant falsehoods, such as false claims of having a particular qualification.

Apart from ethical objections, that kind of lying just doesn’t work. Graham Norton once remarked that if someone claimed

to have an impressive degree, like physics from Oxford, the interviewer would check. But if they claimed to have a degree in geography from an IT, the interviewer would probably just roll with it.

This is a fairly popular idea, and it’s funny.

But it won’t work in the real world. There is no need for those kind of falsehoods to self-advertise. All that’s needed is to tell the truth in a concise, important sounding way.

For anyone out there that’s truly stressing and wants further resources, know that John Mulry had a whole series of interview advice articles back in the 2014 - 2015 run of SIN, which can be accessed through the online archive at sin.ie.

One of his first pieces of advice is also one of his best. Most interviewers will ask the candidate towards the end if they have any questions. The candidate, John says, ought to ask; “Is there anything else I need to be able to do for this position?”

Often, the answer will be no, but in asking this question, the candidate will show that they can view themselves in a self-aware, critical way, and are open to feedback.

This is based on an important idea: the interview is a two-way conversation.

Yes, the interviewer is there to grill the candidate, but the candidate can grill right back at them. There are plenty of

THROWBACK TIME 1968 questions you can ask them: “Do you have any hesitations about my qualifications?”; “Do you believe I’m suitable for the job?”; “Any feedback on my CV?”; “How long have you been working at this company?”; “Do you like it here?”; “What’s the work environment like?”.

The worry, of course, is that these questions can be cheeky. But very few candidates are active enough to ask them. Anyone who asks these questions will stand out as one of the strongest.

Beyond that, the candidate should emphasise that their aim is progression. They want more responsibilities than their previous job. When it comes to salary negotiation, it’s all about that kind of continuity; take the previous salary and try to work upwards from there. It doesn’t matter how much upwards, as the most important thing here is the whole idea of progression. If it seems the candidate thinks in that way, that makes them seem very motivated and impressive.

Of course, this might not apply to everyone; a lot of us are struggling to get a foothold on that first rung of the ladder, and there’s no shame in that in this day and age. Nobody should bash themselves for struggling in such a difficult climate.

With determination and some research, work can be found.

By Saoirse Rafferty

Blockbuster movie of the year: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Still known as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made

Galway 1968 Remember this?

‘The year that rocked history’

12th of October 1968 Toy: ‘Hot Wheels’ comes into stores for the first time

The Positive Economist: why you need to create a LinkedIn profile today

By Susan HayesCulleton I had the pleasure of presenting on the subject of “Irish Economy in a Global Picture” for Finance Soc last month when I visited NUI Galway. At the end of the session, there was an announcement that they and Entrepreneurship Soc were going to hold a LinkedIn Corporate Headshot Day during the Career Development Centre - NUI Galway Grad Jobs Fair. I wholeheartedly encouraged everybody to go along and participate in this opportunity, but also to set up a LinkedIn profile right away. At the time of writing, I have 6549 connections on LinkedIn and it’s steadily rising! You might think that it’s just for people who are in the workforce already, but at third level, it’s never too early to start thinking about building your network. It’s rare to see somebody at this age with a very strong presence on LinkedIn, so you can really set yourself apart when it comes to applying for awards, internships, summer jobs and graduate programs.

Personally, I’ve generated several benefits from LinkedIn. It’s enabled me to meet new connections, prospects and clients. It’s given me a way to keep a light connection with (literally) thousands of people as each time I post an update, they can see what I’m currently working on which might serendipitously dovetail in on a project they’re working on at the time. It’s a fantastic tool to help me prepare for meetings with people that I don’t know as a LinkedIn profile is a super store of their professional infor-

mation. (You might bear that in mind when you go for interviews yourself in the future). It’s an ideal place to post the link to articles from my blog www.thepositiveeconomist.com as they frequently pertain to a business audience. Also, I’ve often contacted people through LinkedIn when I didn’t have their direct e-mail.

Overall, it’s a superb use of 30 minutes of time and energy.

Enough about me, let’s focus on you.

The first thing you need to do is go on to the site www.linkedin.com and set up a profile. You will be asked for your “position” and when I was in college mine would have simply been “Financial Maths & Economics Student at NUI Galway”. In essence, the remainder of the form is like a dynamic C.V. questionnaire.

You can fill in your education, hobbies, honours and awards. In addition, you can list any volunteering experience that you’ve had so far. If you want to bring your profile from good to great, check out some YouTube videos on the subject of “optimizing my LinkedIn profile”.

Next, let’s consider who you might invite to connect with you. First, you could send me an invite and mention that you read this article, so I will know where you came from. Second, reach out to members of your family; your parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins etc. Third, search and see if your lecturers are on the site.

Fourth, follow up with any guest speakers that you come across in your societies.

Fifth, ask your classmates if they’re on it yet. The LinkedIn algorithms will soon start working out who you should connect

with and will make suggestions to you, so you will soon be on your way!

If you set a goal of spending 30 minutes a week on your LinkedIn profile, there are a plethora of things that you can do. You can join “Groups’ that are of interest to you e.g. your subject (e.g. science), your interests (e.g. music), and diaspora groups (e.g. Irish International Business Network). These discussion forums will give you fantastic insights for current University projects, conversation material for interviews and is another way to connect with new people. You can take some of their courses in “Learning” (as they acquired Lynda. com for $1.5 billion two years ago). I’ve been a member of Lynda.com for several years now and it has some amazing, instantly accessible training. Finally, like Facebook or any other social media network, you can read down through your newsfeed and comment on what other people are saying. It’s good to interact with others and get your voice heard.

Over the year ahead, I will write about many practical skills that will empower you to have the most enjoyable and productive experience at NUI Galway, but also how to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. Setting up a LinkedIn profile is certainly one of them and I look forward to receiving your invite to connect in the coming days.

Susan HayesCulleton, CFA, graduated from NUI Galway and is now Managing Director of international training company HayesCulleton. Register for her free newsletter at www.thepositiveeconomist.com

NO.1 Single: ‘Hey Jude’-The Beatles (over 7 minutes in length). Spent nine weeks at number 1, also the longest song ever to reach the top of the charts at the time

Birthday: Hugh Jackman, 48 today — “To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions.”

John Connolly, Irish novelist, 49 today — “For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.”

Sources: places.galwaylibrary.ie; garaiste.yuku.com; rock.com; inhabitat.com; irishtimes.com; thepeoplehistory.com; brandnewretro.ie

Fashion/trends in ’68: “Do your own thing” the year of individualism in fashion. Ireland had our first fashion show in 1964. Poster promoting menswear shop in Dublin 1968 and a photoshoot from Miss Magazine taken in Parnell Square Dublin 1966.

14 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Why all the Hillary hate? Hollywood and women — how

By Georgia Ryan America’s 2016 presidential election is unlike one ever seen before. However, this might not be for the reason you think. No, it’s not because the Republican Party’s candidate is a billionaire business mogul and ‘D-list’ celebrity. Nor is it because the Democratic Party’s candidate is a woman.

No, this year’s election is something never before seen because of one reason – they are the two most unpopular, most disliked candidates ever to be running for president in U.S history.

Following the first debate, both candidates have claimed victory. Despite an overbearing media consensus that it was indeed Clinton who won, Trump, ever arrogant, still claims victory stating that; “Hillary Clinton failed because she can’t bring it home, I mean, she just can’t bring it home and she’ll fail with jobs and she’ll fail all the way along the line and I think we’ve proved that tonight.”

After watching the debate, I found myself in shock. It finally hit home for me that these two people were the best that America could muster up to lead the most powerful country in the world at a time of great uncertainty and turbulence. At the beginning of the primaries, Trump was seen by many as no more than a great big joke. His campaign was being printed in the celebrity and gossip sections of magazines and newspapers. However, as the campaign has unfolded, we have been left with no choice but to accept this toupeed mogul as a genuine, serious political candidate, nipping at the heels of the most qualified politician to run for office ever, ever.

Trump, despite his blatant racism and arrogance, has managed to earn 40% of the American vote due to his (what he claims to be) “tell it like it is” attitude. In addition to this, due to much of the sexism that surrounds Hillary in the press, the media’s coverage of him is arguably more favourable than that of hers. Although Hillary still has a decent chance of winning, there are some die-hard Hillary haters out there.

My question is: why? How can someone who has been in the public eye for this long, with so much experience be that hated by the American public that they are willing to vote for Trump? Simply because “he’s not Hillary.” A recent article in The Guardian stated “people don’t know why they hate Hillary...it’s part of the culture.”

Most of us here are too young to remember the early 90’s, so we have no idea or memory of the scandals that took place during the Clinton’s reign as the political world’s golden couple.

When Hillary Clinton first emerged onto the political stage as First Lady she was ridiculed, by the press and public alike, for not changing her name and keeping her maiden name, Hillary Rodham.

Going on from this, throughout her husband’s presidency she was more

involved in political talks than any other First Lady before her. In the White House, Bill and Hillary were a team. Hillary would not sit idly by and “bake cookies”, but rather she took it upon herself to help and advise her husband in his presidential proceedings. However, instead of showing this display of female empowerment, the press chose to show her in a completely different light. Deemed as “cold” and “untrustworthy”, Hillary soon became a target for hate by both the elite and the poor. It’s as if hating Hillary is an accessory to American political conversation that has never quite gone out of fashion.

It seems that despite her political experience, Hillary Clinton is hated for one underlying reason: she’s “unfeminine” in her conduct. She, like many others, is a tough and highly educated woman who wishes to break the gender barriers that surround politics and the American presidency. This show of toughness has lead her to become one of the most unpopular women in America, even if she is running for president. Her lack of emotion on stage lead to her being deemed “unemotional”, despite claims that in her personal life, she is a caring and warm person (and sorry, who isn’t different at home and at work?).

In the real world, much of what Trump has said over the course of his campaign would in my mind disqualify someone who was running for president. However, despite Clinton’s liberalism in terms of issues like marriage equality and immigration, an astonishing 40% of the American vote is still going to side with Trump – just to avoid voting for Hillary.

Even many of those who are voting for her are reluctantly doing so in an effort to avoid the turmoil that could be unleashed if Trump were to have his thumbs anywhere near the nuclear codes.

The “untrustworthy” traits that are apparently so obvious in Clinton are so strong that a staggering number of voters are willing to side with someone that wants to build a giant wall across America’s border with Mexico. However, if a man were as straight shooting and as serious in his political conduct as Hillary is, would he be met with the same hostility as Clinton? Would he be deemed as cold and untrustworthy for taking his job seriously?

Much of the media coverage of Hillary Clinton over the past few years has been astonishingly sexist. She has been accused of “playing the vagina card” in order to gain her current position and one journalist even stated that the problem with having a woman in the oval office would be the “PMS and mood swings.”

In a country that thrives on diversity and freedom of opportunity, the American press has treated Clinton with a great disrespect that would be reminiscent of a pre-feminist time. Astonishingly, this hate and straight out sexism might cost Clinton the presidency – and lead to what could be, without a doubt, the most disastrous political outcome in history.

do they keep getting it so wrong?

By Aisling Bonner Last month the earth stopped spinning on its axis, the sun forgot to rise and the seas dried up – Hollywood’s Adam and Eve were no more, Brangelina was a wrap. The media blew up with speculation and scoop-searching that gained more momentum than a myriad of other arguably more notable events. Frustration over unequal media coverage is an age-old issue and a tough one to crack, however, the split of the power couple revealed more truths about the media than its obsession with celebrity culture. For not unlike the Heard-Depp fiasco, last month’s episode of Hollywood’s Divorce Diaries shed light on how the media and society blame successful women for their marital breakdown.

In Angelina’s case, the story fed right into the hands of this recurring narrative for it was she who filed for divorce, thus ending the Golden Age of Brangelinadom. Instantaneously, poor, miserable, heartbroken Brad was suddenly the victim of the cold-hearted, merciless Angie who obviously felt zero emotion when she initiated divorce proceedings. How dare she do that to Brad? To her children? To the world?

In fact, what many people seem to have forgotten is that Angelina is a woman living in the 21st century and not the Middle Ages, meaning she has the actual right to dissolve her marriage for whatever reason she may choose.

Okay, okay we get it now. Women have the right to divorce their husbands. You win. But now she’s asking for full physical custody of her children? Ripping their family apart and taking them away from their kind and caring father whom we are certain is always kind and caring based on paparazzi photos? What a psychotic woman. Inhale. Exhale.

When reports come out that the FBI are investigating an incident of child abuse, the anti-Angie wave gathered steam. This is the irony of the media. Brad Pitt is being inves-

tigated for how he treats his children and his wife is the manipulative villain, knee-deep in a plot to snatch the six kids for herself. Now call me crazy, but a master plan involving willfully becoming a single mother of six, no matter what your worth, does not seem the most obvious conclusion to me in this kind of scenario.

And no matter if Brad is innocent and Angelina is a child-snatcher, the point is that the media have his back, but they don’t have hers.

A couple of months ago another Hollywood megastar was divorced by his actress wife for allegations of domestic violence. The woman who initiated the divorce faced huge media backlash. Backlash for divorcing her husband who abused and beat her. Backlash. It doesn’t matter that his name was Johnny Depp and it doesn’t matter that her career was on the rise.

Amber Heard was forced to release photographic evidence of his crimes, and pressured into donating her seven million dollar settlement to charity all because the media got it wrong. Usually when a newspaper prints something that untrue a formal apology follows, but this kind of speculative reportage that incriminates implicitly, not explicitly, is a handy tool and causes far greater damage. She paid for it.

The trend can be looked at in two ways: 1) the media believe that women (no matter how successful) who marry powerful men do so to exploit them and attack their assets, and 2) the media believe that men are extremely susceptible to manipulation and can be easily extorted through a façade of love. The beauty of this trend is that it favours no one. Of course women are particularly slated, but it doesn’t spell out wonders for male intelligence either.

The media, with its excessive coverage of celebrity news, keeps shooting itself in the foot with its reporting. In a roundabout way, it makes these stories socially significant, but not in the way that it hopes. The less coverage we give it, the better.

Bloggers lament closure of Mode Media

By Joe McBrien Once branded as the Internet’s best known content network, Mode Media connected with a vast amount of lifestyle sites and was designed to bridge the gap between big brands and smaller website owners and bloggers. However, on Thursday 15 September the company abruptly closed its doors, leaving some of the industry’s most well-known bloggers unpaid. One blogger complained, “How are we supposed to value our own efforts and creativity when they can so easily be taken from us?”

So, how does a company once valued at $1Billion dollars, ranked as the 7th largest U.S media company shut down without any prior warning to staff or to their estimated 10,000 content partners across the globe? Hubert Burda Media, the German firm that poured $45 million into Mode as recently as last year, said in a statement that Mode was shut down “due to its lack of economic prospects” and

“drastic changes” in the US advertising market that made it “impossible” to find new investors.

Bloggers who relied on Mode’s ad network quickly complained on Twitter that they were unable to access their dashboards and that they were still owed significant fees for past work.

“The shadiest thing about the #ModeMedia collapse is that they’ve taken down their portal so that none of us can see what we were owed. Sketch.” (@jellymalin) In a time when potential revenue in print journalism is rapidly declining, bloggers rely on “middle-men” sites such as Mode Media to distribute their work online and ensure that they are remunerated for their work. However, the abrupt collapse of Mode Media has left many bloggers fearful over job security. In this new digital age, it is much easier for print journalists to gain more readership of their articles and recognition for their work, but it is not so easy to get paid for it; as shown by the rapid decline of content networks such as Mode Media.

FEATURES 15

October 11 2016

Gender inequality strikes again as lecturers on maternity leave asked to work

By Aoife O’Donoghue As was brought to light by the campaigning efforts of Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, NUI Galway has not had the best track record when it comes to gender equality amongst its staff. The creation of a task force for gender equality in 2014 and the appointment of a Vice President for Equality and Diversity in February 2016 are steps that have been taken to attempt to improve the inequality situation within the university. However, as is often the case in highly controversial cases such as this, many more negative revelations may be brought to the surface in the process of improvement.

The latest evidence of gender inequality within the university is the emergence of news in September that some female lecturers at

NUI Galway have been asked to work by their managers, despite being on maternity leave. All women in employment are entitled to a minimum amount of twentysix weeks’ maternity leave through the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004.

However, according to a member of NUI Galway’s governing body; “It is still the case that female academics while on maternity leave are occasionally asked to ‘look after’ postgraduate students.” This issue was brought to attention at the meeting of the Údáras na hOllscoile in May when the task force on gender inequality was up for discussion. This practice is a violation of women’s entitlement to maternity leave. President of NUI Galway Jim Browne, who condemned the practice as “unacceptable”, echoed this sentiment.

While of course this news comes as new evidence of sexism in NUI Galway, the up side is that the issue has actually been brought to light by members of the governing body, rather than being buried by officials. Furthermore, the governing body has emphasised the importance of staff, both female and male, being aware that “that they could complain about such matters in the expectation that swift action would be taken against managers applying such pressure.”

It is disheartening for the university that gender inequality and instances of sexism appear to pervade its academic community.

This issue was initially brought to public attention through Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington’s victory in an Equality Tribunal case against the university for its

unfair denial to her of a promotion in 2009. It was then furthered when four other female academics brought a similiar case to the High Court. This case is on-going.

Professor Jane Grimson is the chairperson of NUI Galway’s taskforce on gender equality. During her brief at the meeting in May on the progress and recommendation of the gender inequality task force she said that NUI Galway “could become a leader on gender equality within the higher education system if it paid diligent and systematic attention to the delivery of the actions required by the recommendations” of the taskforce.

President Browne said the taskforce report was “rigorous and insightful” and would be of “enormous assistance” to the university, “in tackling the many

issues impacting adversely on the achievement of gender equality in the university”. He furthermore promised to put in place the full recommendations of the report “as early and as comprehensively as possible” confirming that €300,000 had been set aside by the university to see the recommendations through.

Inequality is alive and kicking across the world and unfortunately for the students and staff of NUI Galway, that includes right here on our own beautiful campus. What is important to take away from this however, is that change is being made, people are coming forward and the status quo is shifting. Maybe the next time we write about gender inequality here at SIN, it will be to tell you all about how NUI Galway has overcome it.

16 OPINION

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Eoin Drones: Trump and the media – a love story

By Eoin Molloy Concerned citizens: If, like me, you’ve found yourselves scratching your head in bemusement when presented with evidence of the fact that Donald Trump, of The Apprentice fame, is in contention for the highest office in the land, then read on. I will attempt to explain why and how the media has played a role in fuelling the Donald’s rise to the top.

We all know it to be true – the Kennedy-esque Bernie Sanders was America’s last great hope. By contrast, Trump is without substance, a vitriolic showman far better suited to the smoky carpeted casinos of Atlantic City than the high walls of the Oval Office.

Trump’s social views are archaic, abhorrent and well, just plain wrong by most objective standards. He rattles off venomous soundbites on a consistent basis, offending the sensibilities of all right minded citizens at once with comparative ease.

That being said, his deplorable opinions alone do not disqualify him from

holding office. Many American presidents have had contestable private views that would not be considered very PC in today’s world. Those who say he should be ineligible based on the things he says mid-rant have not considered the moral implications of getting entangled in limiting the constitutionally-protected right to freedom of expression.

Prejudiced as he may be, Trump’s penchant for walls, misogyny and racism shouldn’t scare us nearly half as much as his sheer ineptitude and abject lack of experience. He cannot control his impulses in the slightest, as evident by his routine impromptu outbursts. Do we really want a man who blows as hot and cold as this to have 24 hour access to the world’s largest nuclear arsenal?

So how did we arrive at this impasse?

The answer lies in media coverage.

Trump’s voice comes to you when you least expect it - sandwiched between the celeb goss and the five-word weather on a Spin South West news segment during your Monday commute. He has become inescapable. Understandably, news organisations love him. A con-

tentious Trump headline on Facebook inspires debate, resulting in more clicks, comments and shares, thereby driving ad revenue up.

Spin South West, iRadio et al can distribute his ideology freely without consequence. We, after all, are not eligible to vote in US presidential elections.

Things start to become problematic when it comes to news coverage stateside, where having an accurately-informed electorate actually matters in this race.

Anyone who has gone on a J-1 may be aware that American citizens are bombarded with news and heated opinion shows at all hours of the day. This would be a good thing, if each station were not highly partisan. 96% of American newspapers, radio and TV stations and magazines are owned by just six corporations. America’s public broadcaster, despite being consistently voted the most trust-worthy of all news stations, takes only a minute share of the market.

And so we return to the issue of unbridled free speech. Since the Supreme Court of the United States offers such staunch protection to free-

dom of speech, there is no requirement on these stations to show even the slightest semblance of impartiality. In fact, newspapers often go as far as outrightly endorsing candidates in op-eds much like this one!

There is also no requirement on media outlets to devote equal time to each candidate. Therefore, they simply devote the most coverage to the candidates who are likely to drive up their viewership and ad revenue. During the Republican debates, Trump drew in millions of gobsmacked viewers, all curious to see how his nonsensical spewing of inflammatory comments would go down in front of a live audience.

According to an Al Jazeera documentary, Donald Trump received 100x the airtime of Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders during the opening months of the campaign. Therefore, it is plain to see how he has managed to consolidate such a following. It’s a classic cyclical chicken and egg situation: does Trump receive the most airtime because he is the most popular or is he the most popular because he receives the most airtime?

Unfortunately, the American press care not about its responsibility to inform the electorate in an unbiased manner. They care not about the dangers of pushing this straw-haired demagogue steadily towards the most powerful office on the planet. FOX, CNN and the rest of the news megaconglomerates care only about profit and the bottom line.

There is only one way to rectify the quandary the US finds itself in at present: statutory intervention. This may be wishful thinking, but Congress needs to drastically increase the funding offered to the national broadcaster as well as placing a moderate requirement of impartiality on news reporting. A DCbased initiative called Media Matters for America has been set up with the aim of taking the bias out of reporting.

But don’t take my head for it, I’m just as biased as the rest of them.

Have your say, email or tweet us your responses: @Mollybeure / @SIN_news / ­opinion.sined@gmail.com

“Get those girls off the good pitch!”

By Sorcha O’Connor You’ve probably seen the ad on TV at this stage for Lidl’s campaign to back Ladies’ Gaelic football. Its message is clear and one that echoes the sentiments of many a teenage girl across the country; “It’s the same rain that soaks and wind that bites. A win is a win and a loss is like nothing else.”

Yes, for the girls that train and sacrifice the same hours as the boys, they endure the same miserable weather conditions, experience the same exhilaration that comes with success and indeed share the understanding that a loss is like nothing else. Especially when, for them, it may not even have been a loss.

You may or may not be aware of a recent sporting scandal that once again called the use (or disuse) of Hawk-Eye into question. In the LGFA All-Ireland

Final, a point was not counted in the first half which transpired to be over the bar in replays. Dublin lost the final to Cork by a point in the end – and that one point margin was a matter for debate in post-match analysis.

The Ladies’ game was being held in Croke Park, where Hawk-Eye is installed, and is used for GAA matches.

LGFA is a separate organisation to the GAA however, who have opted not to use Hawk-Eye. The excuse? The system would have to be reconfigured to detect the smaller size of the ball used in Ladies’ games and the cost was too great.

While the association may have made the decision for themselves not to use the technology, there is no shying away from the fact that it should be in use for the games. I believe choosing not to use it increasingly undermines the game and gives everyone all the more

reason to believe a Ladies’ Football final is a less important than the men’s. While the men’s game is certainly more popular and draws in the crowds (and the big bucks), is there really an excuse in this day and age to treat a woman footballer as any less of a footballer than a man?

Oh, whisht Sorcha, don’t you know they’re completely different games with different rules? That a woman footballer plays a different game to a man? Well, as a matter of fact I do know that - but that doesn’t change my belief that, if a ball is going over the bar in Croke Park that could be up for potential dispute, all means available should be used.

Dublin manager Gregory McGonigle criticised the LGFA for their decision.

This is completely understandable – when something could have changed an outcome of such an important event in these players’ lives, is there really an excuse good enough?

The Dubs didn’t appeal the decision and congratulated Cork on their sixth-title. However, I believe HawkEye should have been installed with all sports played in Croke Park in mind. It is certainly symbolic of how GAA can appear inherently sexist and having the women do it for themselves has probably left decades worth of players feeling second-class; for one, my own sister has many a time come home from training and been disgusted that she was shunned to the back pitch because boys were training. There’s not actually much wrong with the back pitch – but there’s still a bit of a stigma and with good reason: the boys are in full view of anyone who is around the clubhouse and the girls are slogging it out, hidden away.

Ladies’ match fixtures are also routinely rescheduled in favour of the lads, be they county or club matches.

The current GAA male-dominated set-up will always take priority unless something changes. Reforming the organisations to umbrella Gaelic, hurling, handball, camogie and Ladies’ football would be a step in the right direction. Funding would be better for the girls for a start and perhaps actually give the games a bigger profile. As they stand, the Ladies’ games are small fry compared to GAA games, and never mind the unnecessary administrative overhead in running two extra organisations.

Regardless, I’m all for a bit of girl power and the Lidl ad would inspire anyone to tog out and participate in the sport. It is a promising sign that such a campaign is underway. This is 2016 – high time sexism was given the boot, and women were given the same support and respect the men are given.

OPINION 17

October 11 2016

HEAD to head

Is there any point in an Arts Degree?

All degrees are useless… to a degree! Why Arts degrees cannot be ignored

By Cathy Lee Anybody like me who studies an arts degree is supposed to go above and beyond to defend themselves, prove meaning to their lives and the path they are pursuing. But surprisingly, not many do that. I’ve heard an arts degree is something to do to “pass the time”, for those who don’t know what they want to do. An arts degree is a “base to go on and do something further”, ie: the degree itself is nothing of much worth. Many a joke and pun about the arts degree being compared to a piece of toilet paper, a football pitch with no goals etc. Very entertaining, humorous enough.

To be honest with you, to say an arts degree is worthless is similar in my opinion to saying any degree is worthless. Now I’m not saying that a lawyer shouldn’t know their rules or that a medical professional shouldn’t know their medications, of course that’s a given, but the point I put across to you is that not every ounce of the information we study and explore in our degrees is going to be absolutely 100% transferable. Careers take different paths as we move forward. According to the statistics, an average person changes their job between 5-7 times in their life. So maybe you have an arts degree under your belt and it’s not relevant to your first or second job, it might be for your 7th – right?

Wishful thinking of course.

There was an opinion article on the Irish Times site written by a recent graduate of science explaining that really, it wasn’t his degree that got him his post university job – it was his drive and the fact he pursued a part time job throughout doing his degree. I would agree with this to a certain extent. It isn’t the title or the grade level of your degree that’s going to get you that must-have job, really it’s you the person at the interview, your background and skills – what you achieved while in college, not the one module you did really well in. Remember, whether you’re in arts, science or commerce – there’s still hun-

xkcd.com

dreds or even more others filling those chairs around you. There’s no magical place waiting at the end of the degree paper that guarantees that if you have a science degree you get your dream job and if you have a humanities one, you’re doomed to struggle on in a search for some sort of job to pass the time.

I’ve a relative who studied a bio-medical science degree. She always says that in her job she isn’t using the majority of theory she studied at university. As those who study humanities will know, the degree is mostly theory based. A lot of heavy work is put into the degree, despite the fewer hours spent in a classroom setting. I don’t think less class hours mean a less work load, but maybe I’m wrong? Level eight degrees are hard work, it’s a huge jump from the level 5 Leaving certificate so really, don’t expect humanities to be easy. Just because you liked English in secondary school doesn’t mean you’re going to fall in love with Oedipus and really dig medieval dream poetry (trust me).

To be honest, even if you have an English or a humanities degree – the expectation out there is that you fit the office setting no matter what.

You can use Microsoft office, communicate well on the phone and understand the workings of the online world because you did an arts degree yeah? At the moment I’m doing a placement in a local newspaper, putting my yet to be completed journalism arts degree to the test. This week we worked on the papers website and I had to look at SEO traffic and how that’s managed. Did this come up in the arts degree? Of course not, but such is life. Really what gets you the job you want is your drive and willingness to learn and challenge yourself... which is really what the college experience is all about.

At the end of the day though, learning and educating yourself is supposed to be an enjoyable process. If a humanities degree makes you happy, then why not pursue it? What do you think? Tweet your thoughts to @SIN_News.

By Tomás M. Creamer One of the primary reasons why it cannot be said that there is never a point in pursuing Art degrees is because, for many people, it can legitimately be the best option – different people have different specialisms, and for a lot of people (including me) who never got the knack for maths or the sciences, it would be a massive waste of both the student’s and the lecturer’s time if such people decided to attempt to take on a course that is so ill-suited to them.

Even if they do persevere through the course out of sheer stubbornness, no reputable tech-orientated employer is going to look to employ someone who struggled to obtain a 2:2 in engineering or whatever subject just because they heard it was a good degree course.

For many people, a 2:1 or a first in an Arts course they actually like would actually be a lot more beneficial, both for employment and for the sake of one’s mental health.

Even in sectors where the benefits of a STEM degree seems the most obvious – the high-tech Multinational sector – employers recognise the benefit of students who have not only the critical thinking skills that (from what I can see) pretty much all degree courses promise to teach, but also have had their creative faculties intact and have taken time to study the wider socio-cultural elements that are important to areas such as creating a user-friendly interface and been able to market their services effectively.

Take Slack for example – a successful “unicorn” tech start-up that has taken a large share of the cloud-based team-based collaboration market with a creative and simple interface, including “Slackbot”, an automated avatar that regularly delivers tips in a surprisingly human manner.

Engineers have tried to create team-based collaboration software for at least 15 years, but the execution of such attempts were often so

complicated and difficult to use that users often found it too frustrating to continue using it.

However, due to smart recruitment from the humanities sectors to help liven up the design and interface, Slack was able to create a team collaboration management service that people could actually use.

Now that I’ve sorted the financial/economic side of things, let’s delve into the usual first line of defence in favour of Art degrees – culture.

For a start, culture itself can and does, contrary to expectations, have a substantial economic effect.

For example, no-one in their right mind would decide to brave rainfall that is bad even

by Irish standards, and pick Galway over Limerick or Waterford as a holiday destination if it weren’t for the fact that Galway has done an amazing job capitalising on the benefits of a) its location near to Irish-speaking Connemara and b) its bank of creative university graduates to become “the Cultural Heart of Ireland” – little of which, I suspect, have much to do with the science graduates from the college.

It must also be said that academic expertise in the Arts are vital for ensuring that we can track the development of the narratives and expressions that individuals and groups use to understand the world, and their place within it – in terms of religion, class and cultural narratives, societal perceptions, philosophy, and history – that would, at best, be substantially less well examined by those in other academic disciplines who do not specialise in the study of those areas.

However, at worse, substantially disinvesting in Arts would reduce those fields of history, religion, literature, politics and science from well-established social phenomena that merit public study and discussion of their characteristics and development, to fields that exist only on societal realms outside of public institutions and the corporate economic world, and reduces the ability of society collectively engage in critical thought about those areas that define how we conceive of our society, our communities or even our national identity.

Reducing the ability of general society to be able to learn and engage with their history, for instance, leaves the history of various communities, and possibly the country as a whole, to the interpretation of those who have a particular vested interest in history being written and remembered in the way they wanted it to be.

Similarly, political and sociological studies are important for assessing the political and social structure and processes of society that cannot be adequately be explained by pure economics.

Leaving humanities for vested interested to game and shape to their advantage would have a severely negative impact in terms of how we as a society see ourselves and the problems we face – many of which cannot be solved by all the STEM graduates in the world.

18 OPINION

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

It’s tough at the top for both the left and right in British politics

By Cathal Kelly It’s been a tumultuous and eventful past few weeks in British politics to say the least. After the historic decision by the British voters to leave the European Union in June, events seemed to move fast in the political arena across the Irish Sea. David Cameron promptly resigned and was replaced by the then home secretary Theresa May, and a new cabinet was formed.

It seemed May was keen to throw caution to the wind, as she chose Boris Johnson, a man who had a string of chauvinistic and colourful language when it comes to foreign nations, to be Britain’s representative abroad as foreign secretary.

Boris Johnson has been quite coarse and unrefined with his choice of words over the years. He likened the potential first female president of the USA, Hillary Clinton, to Lady Macbeth. He falsely accused Barack Obama of having a part Kenyan ancestral hatred of the British Empire for removing a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office,

and among other things, wrote a limerick about the Turkish president “sowed his wild oats with a goat”.

It is ironic in that case now, as Johnson said he would do everything to help Turkey join the EU, which was exactly one of the reasons that Brexiteers chose to leave, over its potential expansion and supposed threat of rising immigrants.

Since becoming British prime minister, Theresa May has done her best to distance herself form Cameron’s administration, and put her own take on the job. She has completely torn up David Cameron’s agenda, gotten rid of prison reform, a department of climate change, and an anti-obesity strategy, and all without a single vote from the British voters being cast in her leadership’s name.

She has also been criticised by her predecessor, who, according to a spokesperson, felt disappointed by May for not being vocal enough to support the Remain side of the Brexit campaign.

Downing Street and Cameron were especially annoyed that she only made

notably one speech for Remain, and even that was Eurosceptic in tone, describing the EU as anything but perfect.

She refused to join the Remain side 13 times, and apparently was dubbed as “submarine May” or “an enemy agent” for her lack of appearances, and apparent fear of Turkey’s entry into the EU, which led some to suspect she might have been pro-Brexit after all. This is according to a book to be serialised in the Mail on Sunday; “Unleashing Demons: The inside Story of Brexit”.

The book also claims that Johnson believed the Leave camp would be “crushed”. The Tory chairperson has rubbished these claims, saying they were “certain spicy things to sell it”.

Many in the labour camp have used these assertions to say that both May and Johnson put their political futures before the country’s.

On the other side of the British political divide, Labour re-elected Jeremy Corbyn as its leader, after a bitter and divisive leadership campaign between himself and Owen Smith, which had the potential to split the party. Corbyn

increased his mandate from Labour party members from 59% to 62%, which is a disaster for his opponents who wished to undermine Corbyn within the party. More than half a million party members, trade unionists and registered supporters voted in the contest.

This brings to end an unpleasant and sometimes nasty battle within the party, as many of his shadow cabinet, or main opposition in Britain, had resigned, and were keen for a replacement to be found in Owen Smith. They felt that Corbyn was unelectable, and were angry as they felt he had not done enough to prevent Brexit.

Some have criticised Corbyn as they felt he didn’t have plans to reduce immigration, but as he made his second speech as leader of the party at the party conference in Liverpool, he urged people not to demonise migrants. In an interview with the BBC at the Party’s conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn said the debate about who led the Party was “now over” and Labour needed to take its message on the economy, education and the NHS to the country.

In his victory speech, Mr Corbyn said he was “honoured” to have been elected in a contest that followed months of tension with many Labour MPs, urging people to “respect the democratic choice that has been made”.

Addressing supporters, Mr Corbyn said he and his opponents within the Party were part of the “same Labour family” and everyone needed to focus their energy “on exposing and defeating the Tories. We have much more in common than divides us,” he said. “Let us wipe that slate clean from today and get on with the work that we have to do as a Party”.

Despite the goodwill expressed by Corbyn to his critics within the Party, there are those who would do everything to see him undermined, and ultimately powerless within the party.

He faces a huge challenge however, if he is to convince the British public that Labour are worthy of government, as there are huge doubts if Labour can be a real threat to the Tories under his leadership, time will only tell if he can indeed take on the Tories.

Men aren’t the real oppressed ones, grow up

By Mark Laherty About a year ago, I was sitting in the James Hardiman Library, procrastinating on Tumblr, when I was suddenly struck by a totally original thought: what about the men?

I’m being facetious. The chip I had on my shoulder was a peculiar, very specific thing to do with bisexual communities online and how we talk about our own issues. To summarise my clumsy pseudo-essay, I was frustrated with how bi men were only ever discussed as pantomime villains, even

in this supposed space for bi people. By all means, expecting people to be polite on the internet is naïve. But it seems reasonable to at least point out when someone is being accidentally unkind.

Or perhaps not. By the next day, the post had not exactly gone viral, but it had done the rounds amongst a chain of blogs who seem to think that activism mostly involves having arguments on social media. Since my hope with the original post was to try to make the community a bit more accepting, this was a nasty surprise to me. So I stormed off in a bit of a sulk.

Now, all of that seems a bit at odds with the assertive title of this piece. If I’ve been on the pointy end of the pitchforks, why am I speaking in defence of the outraged mob?

First of all, not all feminists are keyboard warriors eager to jump down your throat at every slight so that they can earn imagined discourse points.

These people do exist, but, without wanting to go no-true-Scotsman on you, it can reasonably be held that they are few enough in number to be deemed insignificant outside of their own forums.

I just happened to run into this lot because I abseiled down into that part of the internet because I thought it looked nice. Then I said the wrong thing. It’s nasty, but it’s not some wider sociological problem. It’s just some weirdos in a corner.

The problem is that entirely reasonable feminists, people who get angry about things worth getting angry about, are dismissed as those same keyboard warriors. If a woman says that the film industry overall needs to offer better female roles, that’s a reasonable assertion that can be backed up by data. If

someone tries to say otherwise and she gets annoyed at them, that’s not a sign of irrationally or a short temper; it’s a normal response to living in a world that keeps pushing you down in that way.

The other important thing that has to be understood is that sexism benefits all men. This is what the feminist internet means when it throws around the #NotAllMen meme. You could be a totally unproblematic male feminist and still benefit from male privilege whether you want to or not.

This is a fairly alarming idea, one that we tend to get defensive about.

But it helps to consider it as something that we have to be aware of rather than feel guilty about. A man feeling guilty about his privilege is at least a sign that he’s self-aware, but it’s not actually very much use. Nobody wants you to just stand around and feel bad all day.

They just want you to know, and act accordingly.

The day the internet lost its temper at me, I went home in a foul mood. My housemate told me that I’d messed up some trivial housekeeping chore. I don’t even remember what it was, something to do with towels. I snapped at them and stormed off.

A few minutes later, they knocked on my door. When I eventually answered, it was obvious that they were actually upset by my outburst. And in that moment, things snapped into perspective, and I understood that I had just done some small thing wrong and I had to take the feedback without being childish about.

That’s the basic principle. Stop complaining about feminists and put away your damn towels.

Coiste Gnó

Executive Committee

2016 - 2017

Vice President/Education Officer Leas Uachtarán/Oifigeach Oideachais

Cathal Sherlock

Clíodhna Nic Giolla Chomháill

Vice President/Welfare Officer Leas Uachtarán/Oifigeach Leasa

Jimmy McGovern

Daniel Khan

su.president@nuigalway.ie 086 385 5502

su.education@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3658

Oifigeach na Gaeilge

President Uachtarán

su.welfare@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3659

Equality Officer Oifigeach Comhionnais

Mature Students’ Officer Oifigeach Mic Léinn Lánfhásta

Megan Reilly

Damian Duddy

su.gaeilge@nuigalway.ie 0044 7763 5726 93

su.equality@nuigalway.ie 086 228 3856

su.maturestudents@nuigalway.ie 091 524 810

Societies Chairperson Cathaoirleach na gCumann

Clubs Captain Captaen na gClubanna

SU Council Chairperson | Cathaoirleach na Comhairle do Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn

Patrick O’Flaherty su.socs@nuigalway.ie 086 852 3417

Convenor of the College of Science Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta

Christopher Mc Brearty su.science@nuigalway.ie 087 656 5387

660 Officer Poster.indd 1

Caitlin Jansen

Aaron Reeves

Postgraduate Officer An tOifigeach Iarchéime

Cillian Moran su.postgrad@nuigalway.ie 087 769 0784

Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies | Tionólaí Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta & an Léinn Cheiltigh

Ciarán MacChoncarraige

su.clubs@nuigalway.ie 089 975 4741

su.council@nuigalway.ie 087 269 7232

Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences | Tionólaí Choláiste an Leighis, an Altranais & na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte

Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy & Law | Tionólaí Choláiste an Ghnó, an Bhearais Phoiblí agus an Dlí

Convenor of the College of Engineering & Informatics | Tionólaí Choláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na Faisnéisíochta

Diarmuid Ó Curraoin

Tim Murphy

su.business@nuigalway.ie 087 065 5357

su.engineering@nuigalway.ie 086 026 0500

Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh su.medicine@nuigalway.ie 087 768 7892

su.arts@nuigalway.ie 087 054 4499

02/06/2016 11:59

NUI Galway Students’ Union Presents / Cuireann Comhaltas na Mac Léinn

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Joanne McNally & Eric Lalor

th 7 MONDAY

N OV E M B E R

8pm Monday 7th November at the O’Flaherty Theatre 8 i.n., Dé Luain, An 7 Samhain 2016 i dtéatar Uí Fhlaithearta Tickets €5 from the SU Office and the SU Engineering Desk €5 An ticéad, le fail ó Oifig an Chomhaltais agus ó dheasc Innealtóireachta an Chomhaltas

www.su.nuigalway.ie

A3 Poster.indd 1

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

03/10/2016 12:16

NÍL ACH AN CHUID IS LÚ DEN SCÉAL AR EOLAS AGAT

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

FAIGH AN SCÉAL IOMLÁN, FAIGH AN TÁSTÁIL Beidh Clinic STI faoi rún á reáchtáil SAOR IN AISCE san Aonad Sláinte Mic Léinn, Áras na Mac Léinn

An Mháirt, 5 - 7 i.n.

An Chéadaoin, 5 - 7 i.n.

Déan teagmháil leis an Aonad Sláinte Mic Léinn le coinne a dhéanamh.

Arna chistiú ag Ciste na dTionscadal Mic Léinn www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

WHAT YOU SEE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

CHECK WHAT’S GOING ON BELOW, GET TESTED FREE Confidential STI Clinic at the Student Health Unit, Áras na Mac Léinn

Tuesday 5 - 7pm Wednesday 5 - 7pm

(Commencing 13th of September) Contact the Student Health Unit to make your appointment Funded by the Student Projects Fund www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

FASHION 23

October 11 2016

STEAL HER STYLE

By Amy McMahon Of course the first Steal Her Style had to be inspired by blogger and fashion icon Louise Roe (blog: Front Roe). Roe’s cute and casual day-to-day style is perfect for pottering about college, making for the best #ootd to start with.

• Bodysuit: €8, River Island • Skirt: €23.99, New Look (on ASOS) • Jacket: €129.99, New Looks – Mens • Heels: €42, Missguided • Bag: €14.99, New Look • Sunglasses: €16, ASOS

Seeing as there always seems to be a constant drizzle in Galway, I’d probably swap the sunnies for an umbrella and add a pair of tights, but aside from that I think this is the ideal outfit for autumn. They say ‘steal from the best and make it your own’ and I certainly will be copying this outfit for my everyday wardrobe!

Shop the Look

By Amy McMahon How many times have you walked through the concourse wondering where did that girl get those cute boots? Have you ever spent a whole bus journey thinking is her leather jacket from River Island or New Look?

Or bonded with a random girl on a night out asking where did she get her “fab dress”? Well thanks to our fellow shopaholics at Google there will be a much easier way to find the key pieces your wardrobe has been craving coming to Ireland soon.

Google are launching a new feature on their site called Shop the Look. By simply searching for items, such as cocktail attire or off the shoulder tops, multiple options will appear on screen at the ready for you to pick and purchase your favourite pieces. It’s official, our prayers have been answered.

As if online shopping wasn’t tempting enough, this brand new feature will even suggest accessories to match your chosen items to make the perfect outfit that even the likes of the Kardashians would approve of.

This is great news for anyone going to any events during the year.

When the same old style of dresses keeps cropping up and you’re looking for something a little different for a wedding or one of the many NUI Galway Balls throughout the year, this Google feature will definitely be useful time after time.

The feature will also include a list of bloggers and fashionistas that have worn what you’re looking for as well. So if you’re like me and absolutely love every single thing worn and styled by fashion blogger Sarah Ashcroft (That Pommie Girl), then you will fall head over heels for this feature. So there will be no more excuses for attending lectures in a tracksuit anymore!

It will be interesting to see if sites such as Polyvore and Asos will last with the upcoming competition from Google. Let’s face it, it has a track record of being on top. Google has even become a verb! Nobody really uses any of Google’s rival sites, such as Yahoo, so this feature might cause some problems for online shopping sites.

One of the most famous and fabulous online shopping sites, Missguided, is switching it up and, to everyone’s delight, is opening its first Missguided shop in London this November - I think we’re all secretly hoping that they will relocate to Galway while we’re still studying here.

So, this begs the question will Google open its own boutique in the future? I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest seeing as how brilliant this new Shop the Look seems to be.

Only time will tell, I guess, but at the moment I think a new Google feature is more than enough for us!

24 FASHION Saving on pennies, not on style

By Amanda Leeson As the autumn and winter seasons approach, you may think your wardrobe needs an update.

Let’s face it, as students we just can’t afford to be splashing out. So, taking inspiration from what the big name designers are showing, we have found a piece that you won’t need a new student loan for.

Any fashionista knows that a staple for your winter wardrobe is a good jacket. A black leather jacket is something that seems to be timeless, with many designers showing them this season.

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

THE RISE OF ATHLEISURE

By Victoria Chihumura

This Victoria

by Victoria Beckham jacket is right on trend but will set you back a cool ¤1,200. As many of us can’t afford that we have trawled the internet to find a much more affordable alternative.

Athleisure went from just wearing tracksuits to actually making comfortable look stylish. For example Kim Kardashian wore her lingerie with a pair of Yeezy X Adidas track pants. We’re now seeing a big rise in the athleisure trend.

It is becoming the most popular trend that you can wear all year round, with big sports clothing brands doing collaboration with celebrities to design sportswear that’s not only for the gym but can be worn anywhere. Rihanna’s Fenty collection, along with Beyoncé’s Ivy Park are my personal favourites right now.

The trend has moved away from the sports brands such as Adidas, Nike and Puma designing sportswear clothing to bigger designer brands like Balmain and Moschino jumping to have sporty vibes in some of their collections.

Alexander Wang has recently announced his collaboration with Adidas. Only a few years ago Moschino’s

Jeremy Scott’s had his own collaboration with Adidas. However, you will realise the sporty look is so easily achievable now; you don’t have to wear big sports brands to get the sporty look!

High street shops like Penneys, Topshop and New look have everything you need to look chic and sporty and on trend without leaving a hole in your purse. I think this trend is all about being effortless.

Feeling comfortable is also key when it comes to this trend. It’s so easy to pull off. There would be no need to spend loads of time just to look for something to wear, it’s that simple to put an outfit together. It is honestly as simple as putting on your favourite gym leggings with a crop top and a bomber jacket and you are literally ready to go.

With this trend I find that you can look so sporty, chic and even professional by teaming up a pair of heels with a nice pair of slim joggers. You can also dress it down by wearing your favourite

pair of trainers.

You can even team your favourite jumper with a midi skirt and a nice pair of Stan smiths or Vans. My favourite look for this trend is sliders. Who knew they could look so cool?

We’ve seen celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne in sport inspired looks when they’re off duty and honestly they make the trend look look so cool. With this trend you should really aim for a less is more idea.

There would be no need to cake yourself with makeup. BB cream and lip-gloss or balm will do just find. If you are doing makeup you should go for a barely there look; a light contour and a subtle glow.

Hairstyles to suit the look should be simple. A pony-tail will do just fine or you could even wear a baseball cap.

Remember with this trend you don’t really need to put in effort. It’s all about being stylish, sporty and comfortable at the same time.

ONE PIECE, THREE LOOKS

By Amanda Leeson

This similar one from New Look is just as fashionable but won’t leave you going hungry. It’s a steal at the student friendly price of ¤39.99, and if you’re clever you can even avail of student discount.

Hopefully this alternative will help you stay on trend and feeling like VB without the crazy price tag.

Being students we need clothes that work hard for our wardrobe. Early morning lectures, nights out with friends or even just a casual day shopping means we need pieces that are pretty versatile. Something I think never goes out of fashion, suits a lot of people and you can get nearly everywhere are black skinny jeans. They can be styled so many different ways which means less washing, and people probably no one will even notice if you’ve been wearing the same jeans for the last three days.

COLLEGE STYLE: In college you want to be comfy and of

course stylish. “Jeggings” give you the comfort of leggings and the sophisticated look of jeans. Throw on your favourite tee-shirt and a pair of converse for a more relaxed style. As it can get pretty cold add a bomber or a denim jacket to keep you warm and pull the whole look together.

CASUAL SHOPPING DAY: Going shopping you

might want to look a little more stylish. Pair you jeans with a simple white top (knit, shirt or vest) and a pair of ankle booties. To finish off your look add a leather jacket to dress it up.

NIGHT OUT: If you’re not keen on wearing a dress or it’s total last minute and you have nothing to wear, dress up your jeans by wearing a pair of heels and a flowing cami top. Pretty simple but you will still look like you put an effort into your outfit.

Hopefully this gave you some ideas of how to style the same item in a few different ways. Remember with simple looks accessories are your best friend, they really spice up a plain outfit. Accessories can also make you look unique, and embrace your own style.

LIFESTYLE 25

October 11 2016

Hairdressing 5 ★ Salon

Heavenly hair at down to earth prices

Be inspired by changing seasons colour From BLONDES to beautiful BALAYAGE and every delicious colour in between

Ammonia free colour

€45

Full head of highlights

€72

from

from

* 20%off Monday to Thursday for students * T’s & C’s. Subject to availability, longer hair by quotation. * All new Zenith colour clients are required to patch test. * Please remember additional services eg. Cut and blow dry are extra

CALL US ON - 091 533 680

33 Eyre Street, Galway / www.zenithhairdressing.ie / Find us on

Travel spotlight: ICELAND

By Saoirse Rafferty This summer, I had the best holiday ever in the most random, unexpected place - Iceland. Many of you probably re-read the last line and are thinking: Iceland, in the summer, really? But those of you who know me are probably thinking, “Here we go again.”

After spending five days in Reykjavik, I fell in love with the place and still find myself bringing the holiday up in conversations all of the time. Firstly, let me make it clear to all of you, Iceland isn’t freezing in the summer. As a matter of fact, I didn’t see any ice or snow at all. If it’s a skiing holiday you are after, I’m sure the wintertime will suit you perfectly. But whether it’s spring, summer, autumn or winter, I’m going to tell you why I believe Iceland is a trip of a lifetime.

THE BLUE LAGOON: This is the most amazing place I’ve ever been. It’s one of the 25 natural wonders of the world and it’s still a wonder to me how I managed to get my hair out of an afro which the water left it in. The outdoor lagoon is filled with naturally heated geothermal water with minerals, silica and algae (really good for our skin and felt like a stress reliever). The place was like a paradise with beautiful scenery, really hot blue water with an in-water bar and in-water massages. There were facemasks, smoothies and lovely healthy food options. The staff were friendly and the place is a paradise for any season. You have to visit here if you go to Iceland!

THE LOVELY COLOURFUL CITY OF REYKJAVIK: Just like any other trip, it’s a necessity to visit the tourist shops and buy a fridge magnet. Lucky for us, Iceland had a tourist shop full of puffin teddies, snow globes, woolly jumpers and fridge magnets on every corner I turned. All of the Icelandic people we met spoke English and were very helpful, making getting

around Reykjavik very easy. The city has a range of brightly coloured buildings with a beautiful shore to walk along by the water with breath-taking views. I’d highly recommend walking by the prom, looking at the city from the top of the famous church ‘Hallgrímskirka’, and visiting the cute hidden cafés in the city.

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE: This trip along the south of Iceland is a paradise. All of these tourist trips can be booked from the main bus terminal in Reykjavik for a reasonable price. Whether you go by bus or car, the golden circle is a journey like no other. It includes stopping at a tomato farm, which is generated by geothermal water, visiting the boiling hot geysers, and walking along the large beautiful waterfall ‘Gulfoss’, then lastly stopping at a magnificent fault line. Despite the amazing tomato soup, the bus journey was breath taking; with a glimpse of the countryside of Iceland including beautiful green lands, lakes and mountains.

WHALE WATCHING: After watching the brilliant and sad documentary ‘Black Fish’ it became clear to me the best place to watch whales is in their natural habitat at sea. In Iceland, whale watching is a big tourist attraction and definitely a brilliant experience. I enjoyed learning about whales on board, as well as getting to see them at sea. This is a great thing to do if you have time!

I had no regrets after my holiday away to Iceland; despite not seeing the northern lights, as it’s nearly 24 hours of sunlight in the summer. The holiday was so cheap (flights and accommodation) but the living expenses were overpriced. Food and taxis are extremely dear. I advise eating in for breakfast and lunch if you are on a low budget. I’d also highly recommend Air B&B, it’s cheaper and way more homely than a hotel. I’ll sign this article off with a quote I found in a cute tourist café in Reykjavik: “We do not travel to seek new shores, but to see the same shores with new eyes”.

/ @HairByZenith

GYM FEAR: a guide to cheap & cheerful ways to keep fit this October

By Deirdre Leonard Let’s face it, the gym can be scary. It’s full of people who look like they know what they’re doing (even if they really don’t) and who usually look unreal doing it. It can definitely be an intimidating place and an expensive one at that, so if the gym isn’t your cup of tea, check out the list below for ways to keep fit on the cheap during the winter months.

1. YOUTUBE IS YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND: When it comes to fitness on a budget, you won’t find a better resource than Youtube. No matter what your fitness level or interests, you can find anything to suit your needs, from yoga videos to dance tutorials to high intensity interval training videos and everything in between. It’s the perfect place to start when you want to exercise at home.

With a lot of fitness videos being made by personal trainers, you have access to free classes in your own home at just the push of a button. If you’re not into individual training videos and you’re looking to achieve a long term fitness goal, look for playlists.

Find a channel that you’re a fan of and check to see if they have playlists that you can follow along at your own pace. There’ll be a wide variety of channels available for different fitness levels and you won’t need equipment or experience for a lot of them. And if all else fails, just throw on your favourite music videos and have a semi shameful solo dance party in your room, hairbrush lip syncing and dad moves included.

2. JOIN A CLUB: NUI Galway has no shortage of fun sports clubs you can join. If you’re not into the more traditional sports like soccer or hockey, try

something a bit different like kayaking or frisbee.

A lot of the sports clubs are free and they’re a great way to meet people. It’s never too late to join either, a lot of clubs have training nights and then more relaxed activity nights where you can do something fun and meet people while playing an interesting sport. With water sports, field based sports, indoor and outdoor clubs and plenty more to choose from there’s something for all fitness levels and interests, so don’t hesitate to have a look and see if anything catches your eye, it’s the perfect way to spend an evening and get to meet new people.

3. GET OUTSIDE: Sounds suspiciously simple but it’s definitely the easiest tip of all. We can get so tempted to stay in our homes this time of year with the darker evenings and colder days closing in around us but even doing small things like going for a walk around your estate, or jogging to the shops instead of walking can bring some much needed exercise into your day. Things like walking and cycling to college are brilliant but try and find ways to fit them into other parts of your day as well.

If you’re someone who loves to run or walk or jog but you’re reluctant to do it yourself, grab a high vis jacket and force a friend along and it’ll be easier than you think to squeeze a half hour of exercise in on a dark evening. If your mates absolutely refuse to leave their houses, look into local running clubs online. Galway has some great fitness clubs that cater to every level. For a small fee, you can walk or run with a group once or twice a week around a set route for a few months. It’s a great way to stay safe, get out and see parts of Galway you wouldn’t normally see and get fit while doing it; what more could you want?

26 LIFESTYLE

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

How to manage stress in college

By Aoife Hehir

C

ollege is stressful. There’s just no two ways about it. Balancing coursework, friends, societies, relaxation, nights out and exercise on top of cooking and cleaning and just generally functioning as a human being is stressful. Even looking at that list is making me feel stressed. But there are many ways to deal with stress, and they are all easily incorporated into your busy life.

WHAT IS STRESS? Simply put, it’s how your body responds to what it perceives as a threat. A small amount can be beneficial; it sharpens your mind and helps you focus.

But too much can impact negatively on your health. Excessive sweating, shallow breathing, panic attacks, and trouble sleeping are all signs that your body is strung out.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? Let’s start by relaxing. Some people (your mum perhaps) may argue that the last thing students need to be encouraged to do is relax. But it’s an important part of being healthy. Exercise is a great place to start. One of my favourite ways to relax is to go for a walk, and the Prom in Salthill is the perfect place. Stroll down, kick the wall at the end, and kick away your stress at the same time. The fresh

air is guaranteed to clear your head, even more so if it’s a windy winter’s evening. (Just make sure to wear a hat).

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS. Tea and a chat (preferably whilst squeezed into a booth with complete strangers in Smokie’s) can work wonders if you’re feeling frazzled. If you can squeeze out a few belly laughs too, so much the better. Laughter has been proven to help relieve stress. Rehashing last night’s antics is a good place to start.

SWITCH OFF FOR A WHILE. We student love our phones. But being constantly plugged in and ‘on call’ can be stressful. Every day take a Techno Time Out. Leave the phone in the sitting room for a while you study or eat. An hour or two away from the screen will give you a chance to appreciate the moment and take a technological breather. Plus think of how popular you’ll feel when you see all the snaps that are waiting for you!

PRACTISE DEEP BREATHING. This is one of the things I find works best for me. The key is to breathe out for longer than in. So when that horrible panic washes over you and you break out in a cold sweat, you’ll know what to do. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds (one-a-thousand, two-a-thousand…),

hold for three seconds, and then breathe out through your mouth for five. Repeat this at least four times. You’ll feel your heart rate slow down, and the panic subside.

O

f course, let’s not forget the whole reason you’re in college is to get an education. (Sorry to destroy the illusion). One of the biggest sources of stress for students is assignments and exams. But a few simple steps can help relive much of this anxiety.

FIRSTLY, GET ORGANISED. Pick up a free journal from the SU, and write down your schedule for the week. Fill in any activities and the dates of tests. Each evening, write down what needs to be done and check what is due the next day. Simply seeing what needs to be done can relieve some of the stress from your mind. Buy folders for your hand outs and notes (and use them!). Future you will thank you when they have actual pages to study from and not crumpled up confetti from the bottom of your bag.

SECONDLY, GO TO LECTURES! Even if you’re half asleep for most of it, some of the information will seep in to your brain.

Plus the lecturer will be more likely to help you with a query if you can say you actually attended their lecture. And do ask for help, preferably as soon as possible after the lecture. This will help reduce exam stress.

In addition, a classmate will be more likely to explain something if they know you were sitting in solidarity with them in the lecture at 9am, and not hung over in bed from the house party you were at the night before.

FINALLY, STOP PROCRASTINATING. We’ve all done it: settled down at the computer, fully intent on getting that essay finished and feeling smug as can be at the thought of how organised you are. Five hours later, its 10pm, you’ve learned how to teach a cat to play the piano, but the essay is undone and so it rolls over to the next day. Write out an achievable goal for the evening, for example, “I want to get the outline of this assignment done”. Then put your phone away (see the Techno Time Out!) and begin. Give yourself little rewards, like a cup of tea if you finish a paragraph.

Be realistic! Future you will thank you for it.

Stress is a part of life, a little bit is unavoidable. But by practising these tips, hopefully you’ll be able to cruise (or possibly stagger) through your college life that bit healthier and happier!

Less stress, more success

Seeking help for mental health?

By Shauna Mc Hugh College life can be the most fun you’ll ever have, but it can also be incredibly stressful. If you fear that you or someone you know can no longer cope with the stress, the following services are here to offer support.

CHAPLAINCY: The Chaplains are available to

discuss issues with students throughout the year. They also hold group meditation each Monday from 5.30-6.15pm. These meditations offer a peaceful environment for students to connect with their religion and themselves.

No previous experience is necessary.

STUDENT HEALTH UNIT: The health unit at

NUI Galway operates a GP service for all students. Students can visit this GP service for both physical health issues as well as concerns with their mental health. The GP offers a psychiatric referral service for students in need of further help.

FIRST YEAR MENTORS: Student Connect is

a programme which aims to help first years with the overwhelming transition into university life. The Student Connect Mentors are trained volunteers but they’re also fellow students who can offer a great perspective on how to cope with the stress of college.

All mentors are trained to discuss issues in a respectful and confidential manner.

PARTICIPATE: This is a free online pro-

gramme for all NUI Galway students. The service provides helpful advice on combating shyness and social anxiety. Any student who wishes to take part in Participate is assigned a personal tutor who contacts them each week to ensure that they are progressing with the programme.

SILVERCLOUD: This is an online resource

which offers programmes on anxiety, depression, stress and positive body image.

SilverCloud’s greatest appeal is that it is flexible and slots easily into hectic student life.

Students can complete the modules at their own pace on computer, tablet or mobile phone.

COUNSELLING: Located on 5 Distillery Road,

this service is free of charge to all NUI Galway students. It offers judgement free counselling sessions with experienced and qualified professionals. The service is entirely confidential. The drop in service is open on weekdays from 2-4pm and operates on a ‘first come first served system’. Each counselling session is fifty minutes long.

There’s no shame in asking for help. Students should keep in mind that their mental health is more important than any assignment or grade. One discussion might be all you need to ease your worries and all of these services are free and confidential.

LIFESTYLE 27

October 11 2016

Sweet & savoury winter warmers from the Happy Pear BAKE WITH JUSTINE D’OVEN: “Betta-Carrotene” Carrot Muffins

By Stephen James Here are a couple of recipes that Giant Peanut It’s that time of year again when college is in full swing and the winter months are starting to creep back with a vengeance. Between the heavy workloads, nights out and a drop in mercury levels, it’s easy to get rundown. So it’s always a good idea to have a couple of hearty comfort meals in your repertoire that can pep you up in a flash.

Over the summer I managed to get my hands on a new cookbook called the World of the Happy Pear by twin brothers Stephen & David Flynn. I first heard about these guys when I stumbled upon a YouTube video of them being interviewed and leading a cooking demonstration on the Late Late Show. They came across as really great guys and their passion for what they do was so evident.

They run the Happy Pear health food restaurant in Greystones in Wicklow, where they swear by plant based recipes to make you healthier and happier while not sacrificing taste. I was initially sceptical about a cookbook of just veggie based dishes, but, I thought if the food tastes as good as it looks in some of the pictures, I won’t complain about the lack of meat.

I tried (and devoured). The first is a delicious and healthy soup, while the other is a cheeky take on the Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups that tastes just as good if not better than the original. Here’s what you need and how to do them.

Beetroot, Coconut & Ginger Soup: INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Onions • 600g uncooked beetroot • 200g celeriac • 5 cloves of garlic • Thumb sized piece of ginger • 2 stalks of lemongrass • 400ml of coconut milk • 2 litres of vegetable stock • Juice of one lime METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

Peel and finely chop the onions and the celeriac. Scrub the beetroot clean and chop up also, leaving the skins on. Place all of this along with the cloves of garlic onto a baking tray and coat everything with a good dollop of oil. Sprinkle over some salt and black pepper and place it in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the vegetables are nice and tender.

While you’re waiting, peel the ginger and grate it. Use the back of a knife to run along your lemongrass stalks to help release their flavour. Place both in a large pot with your coconut milk, vegetable stock, and some more black pepper. Bring it to the boil and then let it simmer, all the while stirring well.

By now, the veg should be just about ready to come out of the oven. Add them to the pot, cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove your pot from the heat and remove the lemongrass stalks, before blending to the consistency you prefer.

Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk and lime juice over the top and some bread of your choice. Delicious!

Butter Cup: INGREDIENTS:

• 650g of dark chocolate • 275g of ground almonds • 400g of peanut butter • 125ml of maple syrup • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil DIRECTIONS:

Line a 23cm springform tin with parchment paper. Melt 350g of your chocolate and spread it evenly on the base of the dish and all up the sides and then leave it to set for half an hour in the fridge. While you’re waiting, put the peanut butter, ground almonds and maple syrup into a bowl and mix them together until you have a nice smooth peanut butter dough ball. It’s easier to do this with your hands as you can really work all the ingredients together. You’ll know it’s done when you can touch it and your hands come away clean.

Take your chocolate base out of the fridge and remove it from the tin (leave the parchment paper still attached) and leave aside. Use the base of your springform tin as a template to shape your dough ball so that it will fit nicely in the chocolate base. Now put the base back in the tin and place the dough ball in it, gently working it if you need to make any adjustments (leave a little gap between the base and the dough so that the chocolate topping can join with the sides of the base).

Melt the remaining chocolate with the coconut oil. Pour the melted chocolate over the filling, and spread evenly across it, taking care to give it a smooth finish. Place the finished cup back in the fridge and leave it to set for at least half an hour. Then use a hot knife to cut it into slices and enjoy!

The World of the Happy Pear is available in bookshops nationwide.

If you’d like more thoughts on food amongst other things, visit Stephen’s blog at escapetherealworld.com

Nutrition on a student budget

By Aisling Forde It is crucial to have a healthy balanced diet, but that doesn’t mean we have to spend a fortune to do so. Us students know the struggle of scraping through each week on penny change, trying to make every cent go that extra mile. I’m here to tell you that, with a little bit of organisation and planning, it really isn’t difficult to eat well and save money.

Here are some tips for eating well on a budget.

First of all, it can’t be stressed enough how important it is to make a list before doing your weekly shop and sticking to it.

We’ve all found ourselves wandering through the aisles of Lidl or Tesco on a Monday evening, picking up unnecessary, unhealthy rubbish that we know we’ll feel guilty about later. The more prepared you are the less likely you are to make those impulse buys.

One-pot dishes, like a chicken stir-fry, are so quick and cheap to make and you are left with a satisfying and healthy meal, which you could separate into lunch boxes and freeze for later in the week. Like I said planning and organising is key to your success!

Stock your cupboards with herbs and spices that will make cooking at home a little more exciting and will leave you less likely to ring the local Chinese.

Those takeaways might sound

This fortnight SIN’s resident baking extraordinaire Justine D’Oven gives her recipe for a healthier batch of goodness.

“Betta-Carrotene” muffins… Get it? Betta, better.

Carrotene, carrot. It’s not the greatest, but at least I can laugh at my own yokes. I mean jokes. I am a baker after all. These muffins are healthy, moist and super delicious.

I also think they are so easy to make!

October is mental health month and not only is baking a great way to relieve stress, eating healthier is also beneficial. Baking and healthy don’t often go hand in hand but these muffins are great! Carrots, cinnamon, apples… it’s basically dinner and dessert in a muffin! These muffins are great for breakfast or for a study snack and are also great to share.

Whip up a batch today, smile and laugh at my terrible joke… Remember, laughter is the best medicine!

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup oats for ‘garnish’- not the quick cook kind; old fashioned rolled oats • 1 cup whole wheat flour • 1 cup all purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking soda • ½ tsp salt • 1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less if you want- base it to your tastes!)

• ½ tsp ginger (powdered) • ½ cup coconut oil- melted • 1 cup packed brown sugar- I use light muscavado • ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce* • ¼ plain greek yogurt • 3 large eggs at room temperature • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2 cups fine shredded carrots† * You can make your own apple sauce or purchase it from the shop; if you would like the homemade applesauce recipe email justinedoven@gmail.com † Shred your carrots into a bowl lined with

Healthy but satisfying!

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup shredded coconut • ½ cup raisins • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 177 degrees celcius.

Line 12 cup muffin tin with liners.

Sprinkle a few oats in the bottom of each liner and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the brown sugar and oil. Add in the yogurt and apple sauce until fully combined. The mixture will remain gritty and will look thin. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well before each addition. Add the vanilla.

Slowly add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients, taking care not to over mix the batter. Fold in the shredded carrots and any optional ingredients, if any- nuts, coconut and/ or raisins.

Spoon mixture into prepared liners filling each approximately half way- I recommend using an ice cream scoop for even filling. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining oats.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or when a toothpick insterted comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for about 1 minute then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. kitchen roll and lay another few sheets on top of the carrots after shredding – this will help remove excess moisture

How to use your money on tasty, full meals rather than quick fixes or junk food good at the time but often they are so high in fat and salt leaving you starving again within a couple of hours. Using spices can make something as boring as leftover veggies in the fridge into something delicious for little or no cost.

Adding garlic, chilli, cumin or thyme to roasted veggies makes a whole world of a difference and adding cinnamon to something as basic as a bowl of porridge in the morning is delicious and also curbs sugar cravings; win-win!

Be adaptable and resourceful when you shop. Plan your meals around what is on offer in the supermarket. If there are tins of chopped tomatoes on offer, make a chilli and some spaghetti Bolognese. Both are easy to make and can be kept for later in the week.

Also going into the supermarket at the end of the day can get you a few bargains. Check in the fruit and veg aisles and the bread and baking aisles. You’ll be surprised by what you can pick up for half the price!

28 ENTERTAINMENT

Gogglebox Ireland makes its debut But can it rival the original?

By Connell McHugh For the past several years since Gogglebox made its debut in 2013, plenty of us have made our long treks home in time for the TV gem at nine o’clock on a Friday evening.

It was a surprise to all viewers, let alone Channel 4, to find that the show would become a smash hit and go on to create C-list celebrities out of regular couch potatoes. Scarlett Moffatt has capitalised on her short time on our screens and has written an autobiography as well as landing a presenting job on Capital Radio. The Gilbey family was noticeably absent from season four due to son George’s involvement with Celebrity Big Brother and everyone’s favourite ‘drunk posh ones’ Steph and Dom even hosted their own chat show, inviting some wellknown faces to stay at their B&B. So when it was announced earlier in 2016 that TV3 gained the rights to broadcast an Irish version people were understandably sceptical.

Come Dine With Me Ireland lasted only 50 episodes while its British counterpart is still going strong having surpassed 1000 episodes last year. TV3’s Take Me Out managed to make us cringe even more than the original, if that was even possible. A lot of pressure is on Gogglebox Ireland to perform well. Three episodes into the first series, it is safe to say that it is not disappointing.

The Thursday night show opened with a staple of Irish television – the Angelus. The format of the programme shows the families and friends at home on their own sofas and their reactions to whatever comes on. “It rings 18 times, you know,” remarked Angela to her friend Eileen, both from Castleknock, and both of whom became favourites along with their Michael ‘Tea’ Higgins tea cosy. Hopefully someday they’ll explain what a Post Office Book is.

Cavan twins Neal and Fergal Tully immediately stole the limelight and continue to do so, each week managing to make viewers laugh with their wry sense of humour. In episode two, Neal revealed that he met Hillary Clinton while watching a preview to the US Presidential Election aired on TV3, and by meeting he meant “saw her across the road while she was waving”. The brothers even got out of their armchairs to practice some Irish dancing while BBC’s Strictly

Come Dancing was being played, sending Twitter into overdrive.

Their fashion sense is also impeccable: “Jeans are too stiff. Trousers are too loose. Cords are just right.

Right in the middle.”

The original UK version has just debuted its eighth season with narrator Craig Cash permanently taking on the role after the death of Caroline Aherne in July. Some of the featured programmes included Victoria on ITV, Hunted on Channel 4 and the immensely popular The Great British Bake Off. A distinguishing difference between the two is that the British version tends to air more news stories such as new leaders of parliamentary parties. In March, Gogglebox UK returned to our screens from its break for a Brexit special, prompting discussion between the cast itself and millions of viewers who were undecided.

It appears as if the Irish version of the show is heavily monitored by Channel 4 as the programmes that are played for the cast are almost identical to the original. In week two both casts reacted to The X Factor, which naturally were received differently. It seems as if we here in Ireland are becoming bored with it. Limerick mother Aoife Ryan branded Nicole Scherzinger as being “affected, like” after the judge began dancing to the controversial rapper Honey G. The British reactors never seem to get bored with their own talent. Louis Walsh’s return also led Aoife Ryan to view him as “taking too much medication”.

Perhaps Irish audiences will just naturally gravitate towards the TV3 version, and it is difficult to argue against it. We won’t be seeing Marty Morrissey at the Ploughing Championships being played on Channel 4’s Gogglebox anytime soon, yet it featured on the Irish one. We get shown Laura Whitmore’s dance on Strictly Come Dancing, not Judge Rinder’s. Seeing an Irish person give out to a celebrity for getting a fish hook caught in their finger with Bear Grylls is far more entertaining than watching a sympathetic English woman pray for her.

While both versions of the show offer different reactions to somewhat similar pieces of entertainment, the Irish version reigns supreme. Perhaps this series will break the curse of terrible Irish adaptations once and for all.

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

5 Best feel good movies of all time

By Brigid Fox The films we love can come in all shapes, sizes and genres; each of us having our own favourite style and humour whether that be with action, romance or even a little horror. But on bad days, sometimes all you need is one really great feel-good movie to improve your day. If that is what you’re searching for then look no further. Scouring the movie world in search of such films, the top five best feel good movies destined to make you all fuzzy inside are here: 5. 17 AGAIN Starting this list is Zac Efron’s 17 again, a story of a middle aged man (Matthew Perry) whose life has taken a turn for the worst until he is visited by a spirit guide who allows him to relive his glory years as a popular basketball player in high school. Through this experience he gets to know his children, falls in love again, and gives the school bully exactly what he deserves. A heart-warming, funnier-than-you’d-expect movie that is sure to bring you joy in its watching.

4. SHE’S THE MAN. With famous stars like Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes, this femaleempowering, humorous story of soccer hopeful Viola, who takes her brothers place in a boarding school after her soccer team was cut, is nothing but sheer feel-good bliss. In the middle of this story of self-discovery is a whole bunch

of hilariously cringe-worthy situations, crazy exes and a whole lot of scheming. This movie never fails to lighten the mood and absolutely deserves a spot on this list of feel-good movies.

3. 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. Based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, this is a modern twist to classic story of young, complicated love. Following the story of a timid high schooler named Cameron (Joseph Gordon Levitt) whose adoration for the high school sweetheart Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) develops into a creative scheme for the two to be together. With Bianca’s strict father, Cameron’s only way to date his “true love” is to make Bianca’s sister Kat (Julia Stiles) fall for a boy named Patrick, played by Heath Ledger, a mischievous, mysterious character. This film is both hilariously witty and has such charm that it is bound to make you feel all gooey inside.

2. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. Based on Stephen Chbosky’s late nineties novel, The Perks of being a Wallflower is a coming of age, boisterous film about an introverted freshman named Charlie (Logan Lerman) who writes about his teenage experiences through a series of letters to an unnamed person in his life. His story follows being a teen in an imperfect world, falling in love, bullies and dealing with a painful past with

the help of two passionate, eccentric seniors named Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson). This movie will have you laughing one second and reaching for tissues and ice cream the next, although the concluding feeling is honest and undoubtedly heartwarming.

1. THE BREAKFAST CLUB This iconic 80’s film will have you fist pumping the air as the stories of five stereotyped teens who are forced to spend an entire day in detention discover they aren’t as different as they once thought. The athlete (Emilio Estevez), basket case (Ally Sheedy), princess (Molly Ringwald), criminal (Judd Nelson) and the brain (Anthony Michael Hall) begin to realise through witty humour and open hearts the struggles of adolescence are not bias to high schools labels. This honest, uncut coming of age film is undoubtedly one of the best feel good movies to this day and is one of the many reasons why it is a movie that is still such an influence on people and teenagers today.

5 worst feel-good movies

By Amy McMahon I usually only watch movies that I either know I will enjoy watching, or that I’ve heard great reviews of.

However, the following five films are counting down some of the worst (supposedly) feel-good movies I have ever watched.

cast of Disney Channel-ReginaGeorge-wannabes, it tarnished the Mean Girls good name. If you have never heard of this sequel, it can be found in the dodgy part of Netflix we all end up on at 3am when you finish watching every single Gossip Girl episode known to man.

2. FROZEN

I like Frozen, I really do but thanks to the many little cousins in my family I have seen Frozen way more than anyone ever should. For a first time watcher it’s a lovely feel-good film. But once you’ve heard ‘Let It Go’ as many times as I have, it becomes one of the worst feel good films very, very easily.

3. HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU 5. BURLESQUE

A typical tale about a small-town girl with big dreams of making it.

I really dislike this film, mainly because the opening reminds me of a cheap knock of Chicago. With a star studded cast, you’d expect so much better but Christina Aguilera’s bad acting skills frankly hurt my soul. Rotten Tomatoes only gave this film 36%; the people have spoken.

4. MEAN GIRLS 2

Next on my list is the sequel that nobody asked for, Mean Girls 2.

After the comedic genius of the original film that brought us fetch, Glen Coco and pink on Wednesdays, the sequel is a slap on the face. With a completely different

I am a huge fan of chick flicks. It’s my divine right as a girl to love all movies that inspire us to wait for our Prince Charming to come around. I’ve seen He’s Just Not That Into You a few times now, and I can never get passed how irritating the main character Gigi is. She spends the entire film deciphering the tell-tale signs when a guy does and doesn’t like you. Seems informative, seems useful to millions of women everywhere; it’s not. It makes women, like Gigi, out to be desperate and like an American knock-off Bridget Jones. The movie tries to recreate a Love Actually interconnected scenario style of film with actors such as Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long and Scarlett Johansson, but it falls short.

1. TWILIGHT

Last but by no means least, Twilight.

Okay, so this may not classify as a feel-good movie but Netflix categorised it with chick flicks so there’s my loop hole! When I was twelve years old this was one of the best movies ever. Team Edward and Team Jacob broke up friendships worldwide. It was a phenomenon.

Now as a nineteen year old studying Twilight as part of my English Literature course (no, I can’t believe it either), I have really realised how brutally awful the Twilight film well and truly is. At the end of the day no matter how much we all hate Twilight, no one hates it more than the cast. Let’s just take a moment of silence for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.

ENTERTAINMENT 29

October 11 2016

FROM PAGE TO STAGE:

the ups and downs of writing a play An interview with DramSoc writer Shane Gaffney on the writing process and inspiration behind his upcoming play, The Monday B.C.

By Deirdre Leonard Q: Hi Shane, thanks for taking the time out to be a part of this interview. Can you tell us a little bit about your play to start off with?

I’ve rehearsed this pitch so much, I’ve had to say it a million times at this stage! It’s called The Monday B.C. - which is when it’s set, the Monday before Christ came. It’s set in a corporate boardroom in heaven, where we meet Moses, Isaiah and Ezekiel. They’ve all been dead for centuries, they’re officially retired but they’ve been called into this boardroom by the head honcho and they have no idea why.

The Archangel Gabrielle comes down to them and basically goes ballistic about the decline of the religion. They’ve got this new prophet coming up in a few days and he has to be a hit or Judaism is going to be a flop basically. The three prophets are Heaven’s new PR Team and the play follows them desperately trying to brainstorm ideas for a pitch they’ll have to deliver to God. Q: Sounds great! So what inspired you to write the play?

The inspiration, I guess, was a lot of time just sitting in mass questioning things that were being said, a lot of angry discussions on the way home in the back of the car where I was taking on my parents, picking apart the sermon and that kind of thing. It’s also inspired by the indoctrination we’re all familiar with from childhood. The play strikes a reference base that’s so ingrained in us, like everyone knows Noah and Moses and the play plays with those familiar stories. It’s something that came up a lot in the writing process actually, finding the balance between research and not being too alienating for the audience.

Most people familiar with the religion would know Moses but may not be familiar with Isaiah and Ezekiel, which is how they’re represented in the play, with Isaiah and Ezekiel being nobodies essentially. The play also kind of spun from one

terrible, recycled joke I used to use where Jesus was the greatest PR Manager in history, who somehow managed to turn it all around.

Q: How long did it take you to write the play overall?

Well, I got the idea around June 2015. I originally planned it as a one-act play but when I brought the first draft to the mentor I had for my creative writing course, it developed into a longer play. It was great having a second opinion on it; it really helped in adding some drama to the comedy side of it and really expanded the play. She asked a lot of questions about the script and the characters that really made the process unpredictable. When I started the play, I never thought it would go down the direction it went but that made it pretty fun, and scary, to write.

Q: What advice would you give students looking to get involved in drama or playwriting?

Don’t hedge all your bets on one thing, I would say.

That goes for projects you’re involved in, but also for different fields. For example, don’t say; “I’m an actor and if I don’t get a part this semester, I’m not doing drama at all”.

It took me until the second semester of second year to get a part in a DramSoc play.

I hadn’t acted before coming to college, so I was very fresh to everything. There’s loads of ways to get involved if you feel like that. You can do costumes, makeup, set design, directing and loads more. These are all really artistic things as well that you can get creative with. All these jobs come together to create the world of the play and they’re so important; if any of them fall short, it breaks that world down a bit.

I felt more confident writing after I had acted because I was more aware of how characters speak and of how you rehearse a script so it really is invaluable to get involved in as many areas as you can. The new committee for DramSoc this year are great, they’re doing a lot of stuff to make it easier for Freshers or

anyone else to get involved so if you want to submit a play or if you’re unsure about anything, definitely just contact them, they’re really helpful people.

Just go for it, I think would be the main thing.

Q: You’re not involved with the production of The Monday B.C, what made you decide to take a step back from the play?

It would be too much of The Shane Gaffney Show if I got involved I think! It’s the same for most writers though I’d say, once you send it off then it’s just a piece of writing. It has your name on it but it’s not yours so much anymore when it’s a play.

Some writers have great visions for their play and a good eye for directing and do great jobs but I haven’t directed before and I think, despite my best intentions, I could suffocate the play a bit. With a writer involved, actors might be a bit reluctant to experiment with the script and it could take away a lot of the good things you might end up discovering about the play, that I might not have seen. The cast are really great so I’m excited to see what they do with it.

Q: What are most excited about when it comes to seeing it on stage?

I’m excited to see the spectacle.

We did a rehearsed reading last February and it was really good.

I think writers can get stuck in a tunnel vision and you can be really unsure if a joke makes sense or if something works so the rehearsed reading was great for that. It can be daunting but DramSoc moderates it really well and it’s handled really well. I’m just really interested in seeing how it’s performed. A big mistake people can make is thinking they’ve failed if the production doesn’t go well but I mean, I’ve still written a play and if it doesn’t go well here, I can make another version and try to bring it further again.

Q: And when can we expect to see your play?

It’s running from the 18 - 21 October in the BOI Theatre so you can catch it then!

HIDDEN GEM

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich Welcome to Hidden Gem, a new SIN column where each week we will take a closer look at a book, album, show, or film that has managed to slip past the general cultural radar.

To start, we’re kicking the column off with a review of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the new film by Academy Award-nominated director Taika Waititi, who is also directing the third entry of Marvel’s Thor franchise, Thor: Ragnarok, set for release next year.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople opened to rave reviews, yet despite achieving a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming the highest grossing indie film in its native New Zealand, it has largely been ignored here in Ireland.

In my eyes that is very much a mistake, as this is a little firecracker of a film. Combine the slapstick of the cult American classic Little Miss Sunshine with an added dose of dry humour and action and you should get an idea of the DNA that makes up Hunt for the WIlderpeople, based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump.

The film follows Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a troubled young city kid who is sent by child welfare to live in the countryside with kind foster mother Aunt Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and her grumpy husband, Uncle Hector (Sam Neill). When Bella dies unexpectedly, Ricky opts to venture into the bush rather than be taken back to a care home. Hector is injured chasing after him, and

when child welfare officer Paula (Rachel House) finds the barn burnt down and the pair missing, Hec and Ricky are forced to form an unlikely duo as a national manhunt is launched to hunt the pair through the bush.

Neill takes to the role of the gruff and cantankerous Hector with ease, but it is Dennison and House who get to have the most fun with their roles with Ricky and Paula getting the meat of the film’s most memorable scenes, including a hilariously awkward television interview with Paula and an encounter between the two that morphs from a tense moment to the equivalent of a playground argument within moments. Rima Te Wiata makes her brief screen-time as Bella count, and the audience, much like Ricky and Hector, will spend the film dealing with her loss.

Watiti, as director, proves his previous credentials are well deserved.

He deftly manages to balance the film’s disparate elements into a cohesive whole, smartly dividing the film’s 101 minute runtime into chapters. This allows him to focus on different moods and settings along

This is a little firecracker of a

film. Combine the slapstick of

the cult American classic Little Miss Sunshine with an added dose of dry humour and

action and you get the idea.

Ricky and Hector’s journey, with the comedic and serious elements all getting their moment in the sun, while also managing to showcase New Zealand’s dynamic landscape of forest and mountain ranges.

Although the film begins to lose steam three - quarters of the way in, it is rescued by an excellent final sequence which stays true to the film’s comedic yet poignant spirit.

So grab your popcorn and grab your mates, because this hidden gem is one that most definitely deserves to be discovered.

30 ENTERTAINMENT

BOOK CLUB PREVIEW: All the Bright Places

By Orla Carty All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a YA novel that somehow managed to propel itself forward from its overcrowded, bustling genre. It first waved its hand at me from a friend’s bedside cabinet. The cover – eight sticky note pictures on a blue backdrop - caught my eye.

Four spelt out the title, a word per note. One featured the author’s name. The other three were the interesting ones; a purple flower, selotaped on by the stem; a bird; and a little description saying ‘the story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die’. I then read the blurb, and although I found it enticing, I’ll admit I forgot it almost immediately.

But All the Bright Places didn’t let go. It kept popping up. Bestseller lists, must-read lists, if-you’ve-read-John-Green-you’ll-love-this lists... it nabbed a top five spot each time. Finally, while watching a Zoella book club video, I decided to take the plunge.

All the Bright Places is basically described as a young adult realist novel about two teenagers, Violet and Theodore, who meet in a bell tower as they prepare to jump. Although that initial moment is definitely attention-grabbing, I worry that everything else about it might be quite formulaic. Other than that one moment it sounds like almost every other young adult high school novel. If the rest of it manages to keep pace with the opening sequence, I think it can surpass the stereotypes.

After all, there’s clearly something special about it that’s impacting people and transcending it above its peers.

I don’t know exactly what to expect from the book and that’s exciting. It’s clearly a story surrounding suicide. That’s a topic that’s widely undertaken and rarely told well, without romanticising it. Furthermore, it’s also a story of grief. It says on the blurb that Violet is devastated by her sister’s death. Having recently read The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, which is a story depicting the exact same situation in heart-breaking detail, I feel as though I’ll be reading with my judging microscope in my hand.

Before I’ve even begun the story (well, I have peeked at a few of the first pages, but just a peek, I swear) I’m wary of where it’s going. It seems too predictable. Violet, and her fellow protagonist Theodore Finch, who’s described as being “broken and no one can fix it”, are clearly going to spring up a relationship. In my opinion, it will end up saving them both – Theodore from his want to take his own life, and Violet from grief.

But we’ll have to see. Maybe it won’t be a completely horrendous thing if that is the entire outcome. I look forward to the twists and turns along the way, as well as getting to know these two characters who have captured the hearts of so many people. As I’ve said before, the bell tower opening is an interesting concept. If the rest of the book can keep in line, and have a new take on the stale stories we keep re-reading, my review next issue will be very satisfied.

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Sleepless nights turn sinister

By Stephen James Name: Nod Author: Adrian Barnes Publisher: Titan Books Ltd Pages: 272 Verdict: 3.5/5

Sleepless nights. We’ve all been there right? Whether it’s burning the candle at both ends trying to meet an assignment deadline, or going on an all-night bender followed by an early morning lecture, sleepless nights and college life often go hand in hand. Usually it’s just a case of hitting the hay early the following night and we are right as rain again. But what if this became impossible, and a life without sleep became the norm?

How would you react? How would you cope?

As you can imagine, it would be a serious problem.

After just six days, sleep deprivation will lead to psychosis and after four weeks, the body will begin to shut down and die. This is the reality facing the world in Nod, the debut novel by British author Adrian Barnes, previewed in the previous issue of our SIN book club, and getting the full review treatment here.

Barnes obtained a Masters in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University, after which he channelled his love of storytelling into his debut novel.

Nod was originally published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2013, which recognises the best science fiction novels published in the UK in the previous year. Earlier this year, Titan Books reissued the book with a striking new cover and also a copy of Barnes’ acclaimed essay, My Cancer is as Strange as Fiction. A heart-rending account of his diagnosis of brain cancer, it bears some striking similarities to his characters’ decline in Nod. Our story is told from the point of view of Paul. An author with misanthropic tendencies, the only human he has any affinity with is his wife Tanya. He recounts the fall of society in diary form, when chronic insomnia sweeps the planet. Initially, everyone remains calm, merely curious at such a coincidental happening. But by the end of night two, panic and hysteria set in as the seriousness of the situation becomes apparent. Paul is branded a Sleeper, being one of the few people still able to drift off, and prone to unexplainable ‘golden dreams’.

He must endure the agony of watching Tanya’s decent into madness, having been branded an Awakened along with the majority of the human race.

Things take an even stranger turn when it emerges that a large portion of Sleepers are children, who have all been struck dumb. And Paul must tread carefully when the increasingly zombie like Awakened interpret his most recent book as a harbinger of the apocalypse. With time running out, and a cure nowhere in sight, those who still have their sanity must act quickly before civilisation as they know it crumbles.

Barnes ticks the boxes of dystopian fiction with a ravaged world, people-in-peril and a ‘them vs us’ dynamic.

But it’s also more literary than your average dystopian novel. Nod poses questions that challenge our perceptions of what it means to be human, and ponder why we put such blind faith in things. Paul wonders at one point: “when we doze off each night, there’s never the slightest guarantee that we’ll wake the next morning. So why fear death when we’re happy and eager to make that leap of faith each and every night of our lives?” It’s one of the many hugely thought provoking points in the book that stay with you even after you’ve turned the last page.

Nod stands out from its contemporaries in how it is able to take something so simple such as the ability to sleep, something we take for granted, and turn it into the stuff of nightmares. The book starts slow but builds along with the character’s desperation. We see the Awakened turn to anything they can think of to force them to sleep. Forgoing anything electric, turning out every light, drinking, praying, sex; things from everyday life synonymous with living have now become obsolete.

And it’s safe to say that some of the imagery in this story is not for the faint hearted. An Indian woman and her child are torn apart by a sleep deprived mob, while groups of people stalk innocent children for their blood, believing it will free them from their affliction.

It prompts the question: what do we become when our human nature is taken away?

For the most part, Barnes handles the story well, with exceptional, thought provoking writing. The characters are generally compelling, especially Paul, who it’s impossible not to root for in a world gone mad. However, the last couple of chapters stumble in their delivery, becoming ironically sleep inducing. And the novels ending could be better; rather than giving a definite close, what happens is left open to your interpretation. It’s not a deal breaker in terms of enjoyment of the book, and it’s most definitely still worth a read for its uniqueness, but it is disappointing given the high calibre of story-telling up to that point.

For more book reviews, amongst other things, visit Stephen’s blog at escapetherealworld.com

By Saoirse Rafferty Sometimes it’s hard, Finding somewhere to go, When you feel quite sad, And all on your own.

Often it can be difficult, When trying to talk, It’s even a struggle To go for a walk.

Sometimes we let chit-chat Get the better of us, We let our mind take over, And make a really big fuss.

When you feel all alone, And quite in the blue, Don’t be scared to pick up the phone, And know there are others alone like you too.

It can be quite scary, When the sky looks dark, But if you look real closely, You’ll find a reaching hand igniting your spark.

We are all here together, Through stormy and good weather, Know that any problem isn’t worth taking your happiness away, Make sure to look after your mental health today!

ENTERTAINMENT 31

October 11 2016

Galway’s hidden gems: the Theatre Room

By Ita Reddington As Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage” and it is this concept The Theatre Room Galway have applied to each of their productions since their inception back in January 2015. Having started in a living room, this new collective has gone from strength to strength bringing theatre to unconventional theatre venues such as parks, hospitals, pubs, bookstores, a direct provision centre and a racecourse to name but a few.

I have been involved from the beginning as a writer and serve on the steering committee too, where I have developed a wide range of skills in theatre and production. The Theatre Room Galway aims to work collaboratively with local writers, directors and actors.

Their aim is simple: to produce monthly performances of original 10-minute-long one-act plays in unconventional theatre spaces.

Luke Morgan and Seosamh Duffy, who wanted “to make theatre”, started this initiative in a living room. Morgan said he was “hugely inspired by the first wave of artists that emerged in Galway during the 1970s (Ollie Jennings, Garry Hynes, Lelia Doolan) as they brought a new energy to the city and country when Galway needed it most”. In hindsight, I don’t think the founders could have realised the effect their new vision had on local theatre as they ignited a spark in the community and created a theatrical revolution that dismantles the old ideas and traditions of performance in favour of something new.

The Theatre Room Galway has since moved into larger venues to accommodate audience demands.

Since its inception, over 120 plays have been staged, engaging with an ever growing ensemble of local writers, directors, and actors who work together with a script as well as devising pieces of theatre such as mime and dance.

This community collective has moved from strength to strength since its inception and has become synonymous with leading theatre festivals in Galway such as the Galway Fringe Festival and The Galway Theatre Festival, as well as being one of the recipients of the FUEL: Emerging Artists Residency with the Druid Theatre Company where they showcased a number of plays which were subsequently performed at their inaugural awards ceremony in December 2015.

Although, The Theatre Room Galway has grown exponentially, it still retains the intimacy and energy that was created when they first tread the boards. According to Morgan, the vision is simple “to challenge convention”. Morgan further explained his vision; “We want to bring theatre to all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life, before they have time to deflect their anti - theatre shields. I’m talking about theatre in rooms, theatre in hospitals, theatre in parks, theatre in community hubs.”

It’s clear to see this vision has already become a reality for these talented theatre makers in Galway, with each play being produced with little to no set, minimum costumes, props and natural lighting in various community hubs around the city and county. The Theatre Room Galway has delved into many different genres and forms such as monologues, comedies, tragedies, mime, sketches, adaptations, and modern Shakespeare.

Each performance has been described by many cast, crew and audience members as “energetic, fresh, explosive and imaginative with no two performances the same and it’s very welcoming and collaborative with many writers both male and female and an ever growing ensemble who assist in devising plays”. The Theatre Room Galway encourages people of all skill level and ages to join their ever-growing family and as always every show is free to the public.

So if you want to get involved and watch your ideas come to life, they offer free monthly workshops in acting and directing where you can work on improvisation, inter-

pretation of the script, character development and blocking. Furthermore, there’s a free monthly writer’s workshop where you can enjoy participating in writing exercises as well using it as a reading for potential scripts.

Getting involved is simple. All you have to do is turn up! Each month writers submit original one-act plays to theatreroomgalway@gmail.com and from that eight plays can be staged. After each monthly performance, writers go up and pitch their script to prospecting directors and actors.

Directors come along to pitching on the night and choose a script to direct. Actors come along to

the pitching too and auditions will be a cold reading of the script that was pitched. After auditions, casting takes place, rehearsals are scheduled and the magic is kept going month after month.

The next Theatre Room October performance, on the theme of ‘Nine lives’, takes place on 24 October at 6:30pm in Fr. Burke Park just off Fr. Griffin Road and as always the performance is absolutely free. For details on how to get involved, check out the website www.­thetheatreroomgalway. com/ and for updates follow the Theatre Room on Facebook www.facebook.com/­ thetheatreroomgalway.

Tiernan delights as his ‘Work In Progress’ comes to a close

By Calvin Byrne Tommy Tiernan ended a run of four shows a week for four straight weeks in Galway last month. Playing the Ruby Room of the King’s Head pub at lunchtime Tuesday to Saturday may seem an unusual choice for one of the country’s most highly revered comedians, but these were no ordinary shows. Hosted under the banner ‘Work In Progress’, this mini tour of sorts was exactly that – a chance for the man to get a hold on his new material, a trial to see what works with his audience and what doesn’t work. More often than not, it did work.

Preparing himself for his upcoming ‘Under the Influence’

tour which will see him perform all over Ireland, including a series of shows in Vicar St. and three at Galway’s own Vodafone Comedy Carnival taking place at the end of the month, Tiernan captivated his audience in the Shop Street pub.

Called the “funniest man in Ireland”, he managed to display all of his best qualities in the hour long gig, hardly ever giving the packed crowd the chance to catch their breath between laughs. He carefully walks the tightrope between madness and genius, only ever venturing far enough toward one side in order to confuse his audience before he reels them back in – playing the role of both puppet and puppeteer. “If you can’t make

them laugh, make them scared of you” – a mantra he lives by.

It’s hard to imagine Tommy Tiernan ever being anything other than funny. Even if his words lack substance, his style makes up for it.

He delivers every punchline with a sort of energy that makes him completely unique and inimitable. With every performance Tommy brings his audience on a journey, and if you choose to go with him you’ll come to a crossroads where you have to choose to either laugh or be appalled. He knows this as he repeats the phrase “in for a penny, in for a pound”, when he decides to delve into his more controversial material, reminding us not to take him too seriously.

Tiernan is one of the very few you can headline a comedy festival on, one who will immediately add credibility and star power to absolutely any line-up. This is exactly what they’ve done for the aforementioned Vodafone Comedy Carnival. With no surprise, both of his originally scheduled shows were the first to sell out. In addition, after another act was forced to withdraw due to other commitments, Tiernan has stepped in to take his place on a third show which also features one of Irish comedy’s fastest rising stars, Al Porter.

There’s no difference between the man selling out shows across the country, and the man playing an intimate pub gig, but we do get

to see another side. We see one who has to end his show at two o’clock so he has time to get home and collect his kids from school.

We see one who leaves drinks behind the bar for five members of the front row, who he bantered with throughout the show. We see a more self-aware man, one who appears afraid to leave his audience anything less than entertained. Perhaps most interestingly though, we get a behind the scenes look at his writing process, and how his shows come together. Not only do you get to laugh along to a genius of comedy, but you also come out knowing the man a lot better.

As I’m sure he himself would say, “In for a penny, in for a pound”.

32 ENTERTAINMENT

Hey there, Delamere

By Aisling Bonner Offaly man Neil Delamere brought his razorsharp wit and side-splitting quips to a sell-out audience at NUI Galway this month as part of the SU’s Mental Health Week. In an hour-long set which victimised Mayo men, Engineers, mature students and a Columbian woman whom he christened Miss Escobar; Delamere delivered a mix of lightening one-liners and attention grabbing anecdotes that left the crowd in stitches.

Chatting after the gig, Delamere was clearly still pumping with post-show adrenaline. With a list of television credentials including The Panel, The Blame Game, Republic of Telly, Neil Delamere’s Just for Laughs, and a weekly radio show under his belt, nothing beats the buzz of a live audience for this stand-up fanatic.

“You know if I have a joke about a pink elephant I just do the joke about a pink elephant.

On telly you go well, where are we going to get a pink elephant at this hour? Can we even get a pink elephant? Can we get a normal elephant and paint it pink? Can we green screen an elephant in? Do we really need a pink elephant, would a hippo do? Whereas the only thing that limits you in stand-up is the words you can think of. So nothing really limits you”.

He speaks a mile a minute, certainly not limited by words. But where did it all begin?

Rewinding a little, Delamere recalls own his childhood growing up in Edenderry, Co. Offaly. He fondly remembers young Neil as being shy and academic at school, but a selfconfessed “pain in the arse” for the teachers.

He separated himself from the rest of the comics by knowing not to cross the sacred ‘line’.

It wasn’t until after school that Delamere started to pursue comedy. Admitting that his decision to study Computer Applications at DCU was solely job-focussed, he jokes that unfortunately Brewing and Distilling at Carlow IT wasn’t an option in his day. 2004 brought Neil Delamere his big television breaks with appearances on The Panel and at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal. However, the years between uni and telly weren’t all just laughs.

“Every comedian has died at some point”, he solemnly says. “You die in your early days when you have to take gigs to get experience.

You’re walking into gigs and the Champion’s League is on a television above your head and you’ve no stage and no lights and people haven’t paid in and they’re just not interested”.

Alas, those days are gone and having established himself as one of Ireland’s top comedians, Delamere can pick and choose his gigs as he pleases. From Canada, to Australia: he’s played to audiences of all nationalities, preventing complacency and keeping him on his toes.

“When you do Edinburgh Fringe Festival where the audience will be from everywhere it’s good because it kind of focusses you. Then it’s really great when you come back to Ireland and you’re messing with someone in the front row and you know that every single reference that you can think of they will understand.

There’s no pause or delay or anything”.

Irishisms were a-plenty indeed at NUI Galway’s show and gained the big laughs from the predominately Irish crowd. But who is funny enough for the funny man? He reels them off modestly with admiration: Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran, Daniel Kitson, Flight of the Concords, the “improvisational genius” Ross Noble and the acclaimed one-liner Milton Jones.

“I like people that do it in a different way to how I do it”, he muses. “If anybody is reading this and is interested in stand-up, don’t let anybody tell you how to do it. There are so many ways”.

Neil Delamere has certainly found his way in the laugh-business and is not slowing down just yet. As far as the future is concerned, between panels, documentaries, stand-up and radio – Delamere’s excitement for the variety of the job is unwavering.

“As long as I can stand on stage and act the eegit, I’ll be happy out”.

Once there’s a leg to pull, Delamere will be tugging it.

Neil Delamere will return to Galway with his show ‘Handstand’ on 19 January 2017 at the Townhall Theatre.

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

THE GALWAY WAY:

What’s going on this fortnight?

By Georgia Ryan With Halloween just around the corner, there are lots of things to see and do in the coming weeks. From festive frights to big nights out, here’s your guide to what’s going on in Galway this Halloween season: CARNEVIL – AN EXERCISE IN FEAR: For those of you who may not have had a chance to check this out last year, Carnevil is back and more frightening than ever. If you’re feeling brave and are ready to test the limits, the West’s premier fright house might be just the right spot for you and your friends. Starting on Wednesday 12 October, this haunted house is situated in the former Connaught Tribune printing press on Market Street (spooky). Running from 7pm – 10pm, this haunted house received rave reviews last year. If you think you’re tough enough to make it to the end, why not give it a go? Carnevil runs until Halloween night and costs €10.

THE GOOD THIEF: If haunted houses aren’t your thing, why not give theatre a go? Conor McPherson is an award winning playwright who returns with The Good Thief. This tells the tale of a petty criminal who becomes mixed up with the far more serious crime of kidnapping and becomes tortured by his conscience. At just €15 a ticket, this play runs in the Town Hall Theatre from 10 – 15 October and is sure to supply a night out with a difference.

HUXLEY TAKES CARBON: Prepare yourselves, the return of Huxley is imminent. If you like Carbon and vaguely recognise the name of this DJ, then this is the night for you. Nah, in all seriousness this should be a great night that should not be missed for all you techno heads out there. In the words of Carbon themselves, “It is fair to say that, in 2016, Huxley has fully arrived”. Some of Huxley’s most popular tracks include ‘Box Clever’ and ‘Say My Name’, along with many more. Doors open at 10:30pm on Thursday 13 October, so be sure to get down early as the club is sure to fill up fast.

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS AT ELECTRIC GARDEN AND THEATRE Keeping in line with the clubbing vibes – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (T.E.E.D) are playing Electric on Thursday 20 October. Hoolie is definitely an Electric night that never fails to disappoint – and this time you’re in for an extra special treat. In the words of the organisers themselves; “Dubbed to be a leading force in ‘the redefinition of cool’ Orlando’s appeal stands in a place completely removed from trends, fads, and ‘the done thing’ in dance music to the point where it actively pushes against it”. T.E.E.D provide house music with a funky twist and are sure to supply many movers and shakers with a night to be remembered. To get yourself pumped for the event, why not take a listen to ‘Your Love’ or take a look at the T.E.E.D BBC Radio One Essential Mix on Youtube.

CONNAUGHT RUGBY VS TOULOUSE For all you Connaught Rugby heads out there, our boys in green will play host to Toulouse at The Sportsground in the Champions Cup. Kick off is at 5:30pm on Saturday 15 October and tickets are €27.50 (or €20 in the SU!) SILENT DISCO TUESDAYS Silent discos on a Tuesday are always, always a great night in The Roisin Dubh. At only €5 entrance fee expect a night that supplies golden oldies, as well as recent bangers. These events take place every Tuesday of the college year and are highly regarded as one of the best cheap nights out you can have.

OPEN MIC NIGHT Maybe you’re sick of going to all these events and watching other people perform? Think you could do a better job yourself? If so, why not head to The Roisin Dubh on Sunday 16 October. From opera to comedy – anything goes. If you’re feeling up to it, then why not pop on in and sign up? If performing’s not for you, take a trip down anyway. There’s sure to be lots of weird and wonderful talents to see on the night and admission is free.

THE GALWAY GAMER: Part of the Tribes

By Eoghan Murphy With Freshers’ Week well and truly behind us, freshers are finally beginning to settle into their regular routine, many of which are finding themselves adjusting not only their new busy schedules but also a whole new city. Slowly but surely those who’ve moved to Galway are discovering their favourite haunts around the town, transforming them into their own personal stomping grounds for the next few semesters.

Those with a taste for clubbing flock to places like Carbon while those with rock‘n‘roll in their veins may prefer to socialise in the likes of Sally Longs.

But what about the video game fans? Where is there for these people to let their hair down?

Each Monday evening for the last two years has seen a large number of gamers gathering from all over the county to indulge in a host of video gaming and board gaming at an event known as Galway Gaming Tribes. GGT was the brainchild of two local gamers who were looking

to expand upon the then vibrant Street Fighter scene within the city by incorporating an array of other games to appeal to a broader audience.

From here, news travelled fast of this and in what seemed like no time the event became an important part of the weekly calendar for all manner of different types of gaming fans.

On the virtual side of things Street Fighter has still remained a staple of Galway Gaming Tribes, seeing players face off each week in order to improve their skill sets and beat their rivals.

This competitive edge gives the game constant drive even in this relaxed, casual atmosphere.

This is heightened further by the monthly tournaments that see competitors play for money and pride.

Also on Galway Gaming Tribes’ competitive circuit is Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

This adorable 3DS game sports more depth than meets the eye. With literally hundreds of different team variations and countless set-ups available, it’s a game that sees a healthy community of play-

ers battling week after week. This title also sees regular tournaments that keep players coming back for more.

However, not all of the games played here are highly competitive; there are just as many options for the casual player. Board games like King of Tokyo and Concept are easy to pick up and play.

Some of these titles play almost similar to a word based Charades, while others see players picking characters and brawling to the roll of a dice. One firm favourite among weekly attendees is the infamous Cards against Humanity which acts as a fill-in-the-blanks style game where the object is to form the most hilariously offensive sentences from the hands that you’re dealt.

Along with having the choice of a large number of video games and board games to choose from, Galway Gaming Tribes also takes full advantage of its venue in The Loft, Seven Bar by utilising the stage and projector. Here, the entire bar and enjoy watching players battle for high scores in everything from Tony Hawk Pro Skater

2 or Bomberman Live to Geometry Wars 2: Retro Evolved while still enjoying their own games from their table. The big screen is also used to display local indie game developers latest projects and allow people to get some hands on time before the games’ release.

Galway Gaming Tribes has become the heart of gaming in Galway City, sporting everything from tournaments to charity events. So where can gamers go to let their hair down? They can go to GTT, Monday evenings from 7pm in Seven Bar. Eoghan Murphy is a Galway City based music and gaming journalist. Born and raised on 1980s thrash metal, this ex-vocalist also enjoys a touch of hard rock and hip hop. When not banging his head to extreme music, he can usually be found knee deep in piles of video games, competing at tournaments and writing for www.Hit-Start-Now.com or spinning chiptunes on Flirt FM at 2pm each Thursday as the Galway Gamer

34 SPORT

Sin Vol. 18 Issue 3

Paralympic stars welcomed Club, County, countless fixtures and fatigue back to NUI Galway in style at homecoming

By Darragh Berry

By Graham Gilespie Despite the miserable weather NUI Galway gave the Paralympic athletes with links to the college or city an extremely warm welcome home at a reception held outside the James Hardiman building on Wednesday 28th September. In front of a sizeable crowd NUI Galway celebrated the achievements of university lecturers Dr Eoghan Clifford and Dr Pat O’Leary along with former Student Union manager and table tennis player Rena McCarron Rooney, and Galway native Eric O’Flaherty, a member of Irish Cerebral Palsy Football team. Former student Deirdre Mongan, who competed in the shot put, was also honoured but did not attend the ceremony.

The homecoming was also attended by Denis Twomey, Chef de Mission of Paralympic Ireland and President of NUI Galway Jim Browne whilst Galway Bay FM’s Ollie Turner was on hand to host proceedings. The torrid conditions did not dampen the spirits of the crowd that gathered on the concourse and the crowd remained boisterous and jubilant mood throughout the event. The loudest cheers of the homecoming were reserved for Gold and Bronze medal winning cyclist Eoghan Clifford and Canoe finalist Pat O’Leary.

Engineering lecturer Clifford took home Gold in the C3 road time trial and bronze in the C3 3000 metre individual pursuit.

Whilst talking to SIN before the ceremony Clifford spoke of the pleasure of returning back home.

“It’s good to get back home, you live in a bubble when you’re training and racing over in Rio, so it’s nice to be back to normality and it’s great to see so many people out today”.

He continued on to describe his emotions upon winning his two medals; “With the bronze one initially I was disappointed I wanted more, but I think looking back on it, it was a good ride because I had a lot of injury problems, but the gold medal I think was relief as much as anything”.

Clifford also harbours no regrets on not managing to win a medal in the C3 road race after a chain malfunction.

“When I look back on it the fact that I won at least one gold is the stand out memory, I think with the last race it was just bad luck there was nothing anyone could have done about it”.

Pat O’Leary from the school of Chemistry also had a successful Paralympics achieving a personal best in finishing sixth in the KL3 Canoe Final and was quick to give thanks to those who helped him in the process.

“The support we’ve gotten over the last four years from the people of Galway and within NUI Galway is fabulous and it’s great to kind of mark that a little bit with today” he told SIN. O’Lear y also mentioned how it was “special” to participate in para-canoe in its first ever Paralympics. The Cork man also spoke glowingly of the hosts; “The people of Brazil really embraced the Paralympics maybe even more than in the Olympics, there was a lot more crowds because they reduced the prices of the tickets”.

O’Leary also referred to how the Brazilian heat affected his preparations; “A lot of the time was spent indoors as much as possible, we weren’t going out to long events to support people as much as we could”.

Speaking to Ollie Turner at the homecoming itself Table Tennis quarter finalist Rena McCarron Rooney was also happy with her games. Rooney also said it was “gratifying” that people were paying more attention to the Paralympians; “People realise that we’re elite [athletes],” she added.

Footballer Eric O’Flaherty also spoke at the ceremony and said it “unbelievable” to represent his country especially when playing against the hosts Brazil; “Playing in front of 14 thousand for Brazil game, we couldn’t even hear our own players calling for the ball”.

NUI Galway president Dr Jim Browne said at the reception to the athletes; “You were the heroes in Brazil, you have no idea how much excitement you created here, on this campus, in this city, in this country and that’s one thing you probably missed.” He went on to state; “You (the Paralympians) have certainly inspired this country… and have done something we are all really proud of.”

What an exciting GAA championship year it has been. For me, an avid Mayo fan, it has been the longest and most brutal campaign I have ever witnessed in our pursuit for the Sam Maguire Cup. As Cillian O’ Connor’s equalising point floated over the bar, we wondered could we put our hearts through another tight, tantalising game. So what must it feel like for the players?

AIB’s club and county campaign has been a real hit, playing on both Croke Park’s monitors and RTE and Sky’s screens before, during and after games. However, clubs have been neglected both in Mayo and Dublin as the Championships came to the forefront. In fairness to ‘The Dubs’, from the second they lifted their provincial title, players and county board alike came to a mutual agreement that no more club championship football would be played until Dublin either won or got knocked out of the All-Ireland series.

If only similar common sense had prevailed in Mayo. Two group stage matches of championship football had been played when we got thrown out of Connacht by Galway. Since then, it has been a case of play it by ear and no concrete agreement like in Dublin was ever made. Following Mayo’s semifinal win over Tipperary, the county board stated that the final round of group stage championship football would take place the following weekend, only to overturn the decision days later following cries from footballers both past and present to cancel it. A good choice in the end for the Mayo panel, but a frustrating call for the club players. Players who have committed to their respective teams since

January, followed drinking bans and strict training regimes are still left in the darkness 10 months later.

Now, the Mayo championship has four rounds of football to play before a winner is decided despite there being only four weeks until the Connacht quarter final is due to be played. The county board have asked for the quarter final to be pushed back another week and if that proposal was to be accepted, some players could be looking at five or six high-profile games in as many weeks – absolute pandemonium. While on the other side of the country, Dublin have to squeeze in their last-16, quarter-final, semi-final and final matches all before the first round of the Leinster Senior Football championship on November 13. A more realistic fixture list albeit more compact than it should be.

Ballyboden’s St. Enda’s are defending club football champions of Ireland slaughtering Castlebar Mitchells in last year’s final on St Patrick’s day.

Three players from those respective clubs featured for their counties including last week’s replay. Patrick Durcan, Barry Moran and Michael Darragh McCauley have been on the road now for more than a year straight. Their clubs are expected to do well again this year meaning, these lads might not even get a winter break for recovery. Diarmuid Connolly plays hurling as well as football for his St. Vincent’s club in Dublin. Hypothetically, if both sides were to reach their finals, Connolly will be squeezing in a whopping eight competitive championship matches from mid-October to Late November.

The October to December period was once about recovery, catching up on some lost time with friends,

family and drink, if it is your pleasure.

Furthermore, when someone says the phrase championship football to me, you think of freshly cut summer grass, sunshine and county players playing at their peak with their teammates firing on all cylinders, kept in shape by regular league football.

Now, this ‘Summer’ championship clogs up the recovery period filled with fatigued county players and fedup club colleagues.

McKenna, O’ Brien, McGrath and FBD cups, once brought excitement as the unofficial start to the GAA year.

Even if they didn’t mean anything, you knew when these started, the league wasn’t far away. Now they just seem a nuisance which is sad. How long is it before these cup competitions get the chop to make way for a new recovery period? Will they ever be a recovery period again? Axing these competitions is a great suggestion but what’s the point if the vacant spot is just filled with club football spilling over from the previous year?

Premier League players and managers alike are often complaining about having to play three or four matches in less than two weeks over the Christmas period. Players who get paid thousands upon thousands whether they are Wayne Rooney, Chelsea’s third choice goalkeeper or constantly in the physio room. These GAA players are unpaid and unbelievably talented footballers playing an amateur sport. If they break a leg, they’re out of work and unpaid until they return. Certainly, a solution is possible to this madness. They provide us with such entertainment and the GAA with a vast amount of money, surely the least they deserve is some respect.

Giro d’Galway helping Jigsaw Galway

By Trevor Murray The Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia are not the sort of activities most of us have ever thought we’d be fit enough to take part in. Renowned for their tremendous difficulty levels, they are up there as some of the most challenging tests of commitment in the world of sport. However, for the bravest among us there is a Galwaybased cycling event that will provide much of the prestige of partaking in these sort of gruelling – and rewarding – events.

The aptly named Giro d’Galway is a two-day, four stage 360km charity cycle that gives people the amazing opportunity to get an authentic taste of the attractive surrounds of the city and county of the tribes while also giving something back. That’s because anyone can register for

free with the aim of looking to raise money for Jigsaw Galway.

Jigsaw are, of course, a truly crucial youth mental health charity who offer support for young people aged 15-25. They provide a free, confidential and non-judgemental service that keeps young people’s health in mind.

Participants can either donate or be sponsored for as much as 500euro for a good cause all while experiencing what it’s like to be a cycling professional. With a plethora of nifty extras for all involved such as an overnight stay in the team hotel, a dedicated support crew to help you along the way and even some exclusive Giro d’Galway branded gear to sport throughout the two days, there are a huge amount of extra reasons for lovers of two-wheel transport to get involved.

You don’t have to be the supremely

talented Chris Hoy or Bradley Wiggins to take part. As long as your heart is in the right place, you know how to shift through the gears and you can, well, actually cycle a bike then this is the right event for you.

Taking place on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 October, it’s easy to see why this will be a huge success, and with plenty of excited spectators expected to turn out to cheer the cyclists on there is sure to be a fantastic atmosphere across the county.

While it’s a long-haul journey with limited places available, the reward of completing it and helping promote and improve a much-needed charity organisation means the two days in the saddle will surely be worth it.

For additional information, contact Justin McDermott at justin. mcdermott@jigsaw.ie or sign up at iregister.ie.

SPORT 35

October 11 2016

Student Sport Competitions

By Trevor Murray Registration for the Student Sport Competitions is open for entrants to take part in a variety of activities over the next few months. There are plenty of different sports on the agenda so there is something for everybody to channel their competitive edge into over the autumn and winter months.

Everyone loves a good contest, and we all deserve to take time out of our busy schedules and hours in the stuffy library or overcrowded reading room to pour our concentration and energy into something with a little bit of an edge to it – and what better way to do that than by taking part in something like karting, volleyball, rugby (in association with the IRFU), pool, netball or even badminton.

Not only are these competitions great as they promote third-level sport across the nation, but they have a lot to offer NUI Galway students. First off, as mentioned, they can provide a great outlet to blow off some steam. Secondly, they could open up an interest one never knew they even had; jumping into a kart and whizzing around a track could turn out to be the pursuit somebody never even knew they were good at, or even enjoyed.

After all, even the least sporty among us are usually pretty adept at one physical activity or another.

It’s also a chance to represent your university, and even if you don’t have a really strong affinity with the place just yet, you’d be surprised just how big a push that can have on

Dear Big ­Yellow Thing, As a first year, there were many reasons I set my heart on NUI Galway as the college for me. Aside from the typical reasons like the course choice and great night life, my main priority was picking a university that could meet my caffeine needs and when I heard NUIG had a Starbucks I was sold.

But on my arrival it turns out Starbucks AND Subway are no longer on campus. What do I do now? Nothing here meets my sub and mocha needs! To make matters worse, and possibly more embarrassing, I spent a solid week searching for this Starbucks. As a pack of first years, we ventured out and explored the entire campus in order to get our much sought after pumpkin spiced lattes to find out we wasted our time.

So Big Yellow Thing, please help with this pressing problem - I need to Instagram a Starbucks cup urgently!

—A Caffeine-Deprived Student

DEAR CAFFEINE-DEPRIVED STUDENT

one’s performances. The difference between taking to a course for a leisurely spin and some craic is one thing, but doing it with the intention of winning as part of a team is something completely different – it reveals a whole other perspective.

Clubs and societies all around the university are always open to accepting new members and although we always like to celebrate and praise the benefits and positives of being involved with a campus-based sport, it’s fair to say that they don’t offer one important aspect.

That is time away from the campus. Heading out towards the local arena to do a few laps, whizzing around the windy, angular track in the petrol-fuelled, speedy karts is a great way to remove oneself from the confines of the college.

So, if you’re interested in signing up to take part in one or more of these tournaments, you can find out more details online at or you can fill out the necessary forms on the studentsport.ie website.

First of all, choosing your college based on the fact it has Starbucks is worrying enough, also, aren’t you aware of UCD where they have a Starbucks in almost every building? Or dare I even mention the holy Trinity slap bang in the centre of Dublin with about 50 of the dreaded coffee shops within a two mile radius. But alas these two fine institutions don’t have a strangely shaped yellow thing in the middle of campus to entice students so I can see why you were put off.

My advice would be to hang around me for a while, you will look so artsy and cool that someone will indefinitely HAND you a free Starbucks of theirs that they have decided you are more worthy of. Have fun, and make sure to choose the right filter I look terrible in Valencia.

—BIG YELLOW THING xxx Send your problems to be solved by the Big Yellow Thing to satire.sined@gmail.com for a chance to be published in the next issue of SIN.

COME FOR THE CHANGE, STAY FOR THE EXPERIENCE Sult NUI Galway

FOR PUBLICLY FUNDED EDUCATION AND AGAINST STUDENT DEBT

Wednesday 19th October, Dublin DÉ CÉADAOIN 19Ú DEIREADH FÓMHAIR, BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH

Depart 9:00am from The Cathedral or entrance to Gort na Coiribe Return to Galway by 7:00pm (approx.)

Tickets: €2 • Available from Students’ Union Office NUI Galway Students Only • Mic Léinn De Chuid OÉ Gaillimh Amháin

www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU