SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07 by SIN Newspaper University of Galway

NUACHTÁIN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.18 ISSUE 07. 10 JAN 2017

Student Independent News

ECO EFFORTS Motion for full divestment of fossil fuels by NUI Galway expected early this year By Sorcha O’Connor Efforts made by students from the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Society of NUI Galway, and Students’ Union President Jimmy McGovern late last semester to commit NUI Galway to divestment of its €3.4 million worth of fossil fuel shares have been met with support from NUI Galway President Dr James Browne. “It is important for students to consider their role as global citizens who will shape our planet’s future,” he said. “By advocating for an ethical policy on institutional investment, the CCAFS society and the Students’ Union leadership

are highlighting an important global issue which impacts on climate change, social equity and a range of important ethical issues today.” The students met with Dr Browne on 30 November 2016 to discuss the divestment of the shares. This meeting resulted in a motion for the divestment being drawn up by February, which will seek full divestment of fossil fuel shares, and the implementation of an ethical investment policy. “I look forward to working with our students to promote a transparent and ethical investment policy at NUI Galway, including fossil fuel divestment,” said Dr Browne.

NUI Galway President commits to fossil fuel divestment. Colm Duffy, Auditor of the CCAFS Society and Director of the Fossil Free Campaign was delighted with a significant and positive step towards divest-

ment: “We are thrilled with the response so far from Dr Browne, and see today’s result as a significant step towards divestment,” he said on the day.

New NUI Galway Arts Dean keen to encourage critical thinking amongst students By Sorcha O’Connor NUI Galway has announced the appointment of Professor Cathal O’Donoghue as the new Dean of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies. “I’m delighted to welcome Professor Cathal O’Donoghue to NUI Galway as Dean of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies,” said NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne. “Cathal is a distinguished scholar who has significant policy and leadership experience in the social sciences. He brings a great breadth of experience and I look forward to working with him to strengthen and build on the strong foundations in the College of Arts and to further developing new programmes of research and teaching initiatives.”

Professor O’Donoghue has expressed great enthusiasm for the new role. “I am very energised by taking up this role. As the world has become more complicated and volatile, where big data, 24 hour news and social media bombards us with information, there has never been a greater need for Arts and Social Science graduates and research,” he said. He also commented on the importance of the Arts in terms of critical thinking and the current political landscape, explaining that he intends to encourage and inspire students to develop analytical skills and cultivate their creativity. “We have seen in recent years, that if we don’t get the foundations of society and the economy right in terms of

inequality, culture, identity, language, heritage, we get crisis, marginalisation and the large political and social upheavals we are experiencing now.” “The world needs graduates who can distil and critically assess information; have independence of thought; apply creativity, communication and analytical skills; and are adaptive team players. While many traditional professions become obsolete due to advances in technology, there will always be a need for graduates, with these, the core Arts skills,” he continued. “I look forward to working at NUI Galway to enhance the offerings in Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies which will build this critical capacity.” Formerly the Head of Teagasc’s Rural Economy and

Development Programme, one of the four research programmes of Teagasc, Professor O’Donoghue was a member of the board of Teagasc’s research directorate. He was also a member of the Fund Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a $1 billion a year International Agri-Food Research organisation from 2014-2016. From 2012-2014, he was CEO of the Irish Government’s Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas 2012-2014, Chairman of the Irish Sport Horse Strategy Committee 2013-2015, was President of the International Microsimulation Association 2011-2015 and is on the Executive of the UK Agricultural Economics Society.

“We are looking forward to announcing NUI Galway’s commitment to divestment, and implementation of an ethical investment policy in

February. We are hopeful that successes here, and in Trinity College, are the beginning of a cascade effect among Irish Universities.”

Students' Union by-election to be held later this month The Students’ Union will be holding a by-election to fill the recently vacated part-time officer post of Students’ Union Postgraduate Officer on Thursday 26 January. Nominations open at 10am Thursday 12 January. Nomination forms will be available from the Students’ Union Office in Áras na Mac Léinn and the Students’ Union website. Completed nomination forms must be returned to the box in the SU Office at 5pm Wednesday 18 January. Votes will be cast by registered Postgrad students only in this election but the Students’ Union advises that all students can run for this position. The Postgraduate Officer is responsible for developing Students’ Union policy on postgraduate issues and lobbying for improved induction, training, services and facilities for postgraduate students. They work closely with the Vice-President/Education Officer on postgraduate related issues and encourages postgraduate involvement in the Union and in University life. If you are interested in running for this position, contact the Students’ Union President Jimmy McGovern on su.president@nuigalway.ie for more information.

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NUACHT

January 10 2017

NEWS EDITORIAL: CATHY LEE & CATHAL KELLY New year… New news? Let’s go with that. The dream team of the news team that’s vaguely modelled off Anchorman 1 & 2 Cathal and Cathy are back with a blast for 2017. Our resolutions? Transform our section to make campus news the forefront of the much exciting content contained within SIN. We’ve loads of plans so be sure to check out SIN meetings to get the scoop.

FEATURES EDITORIAL: DEIRDRE LEONARD It’s 2017 and with it come the back to college blues. Your list of resolutions is burning up the pages of that new Christmas notebook, your college room feels like it could never possibly be warm again and you’re actually, officially sick of eating chocolate (for a little while at least). We’re all hit with that ‘new year new me’ feeling so if you’re looking to detox, struggling with making or keeping resolutions, looking for some tips on beating the blues or just hoping to put your best foot forward this semester, we’ve got you covered.

LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL: KAYLEIGH MCCOY Hey guys! Happy new years to you all, and I hope you had a great time over the holidays. It’s around that time where everyone is drastically trying to change themselves for the better, thanks to the whole ‘New year, New Me’ misconception. This week’s lifestyle section will hopefully help you re-evaluate your new year’s resolutions and help you create ones that you’ll be able to stick to longer than a month! Also, we have some top tips on starting this year off on a fresh, positive note which will come in handy coming into semester two! Happy reading guys!

Editorial So we here at Student Independent News took the whole New Year, New Me thing a step further this year and got ourselves a brand new look… Student Independent News. Yep. That’s what SIN stood for all along – who knew?! Well, myself, our designer Shannon Reeves and the loyal lot of contributors who worked harder than Santa’s elves over the Christmas season to get this issue done knew – but it was a mystery to everyone else it would seem. There was only so many times more we could hear our beloved college paper be incorrectly branded “Sin, sin!” though (as in shin-shin, like Irish for that’s that… I mean, come on) and we said enough was enough. After a lot of brainstorming and hard work by Shannon, here we are, starting 2017 with a brand new sophistication: we’ve got our full title in the masthead. So welcome to Student Independent News, your one stop shop for the latest commentary on all things NUI Galway and further afield. A massive thank you must go to Shannon for coming up trumps with the new layout. I’m hopeful that 2017 is going to carry on for us here at SIN as 2016 ended. Taking over the reins in the latter stages of 2016 was of course a highlight of my year but so too was the great enjoyment I got from working with so many superbly talented writers and contributors. The team work is what made SIN such a brilliant experience for me, as ideas and

SPORTS EDITORIAL: TREVOR MURRAY It’s a brand new year, but you can still expect the same great content from SIN’s sports section in 2017. This edition, along with other great features, we have a look at Manchester United’s resurgence in form, an analysis of how Galway United are faring in the off-season as well as a tribute to our choice of sports person of the year - NUI Galway’s very own Eoghan Clifford. Enjoy!

theories bounced around the team meetings and became articles I was proud to publish. If this continues in 2017, you won’t want to miss an issue! This fortnight, we have plenty to get you ready for the new semester – and new year – ahead. There’s plenty of discussion on resolutions: we’ve got everything on how to make them to why not to bother making them (look, as I said we’re a one stop shop; we cover the lot). We also look back on the year that was 2016 – counting down the Top Ten books, films, TV shows and celebrity moments of the year. We delve into the harsh realities of the internet in the Opinion section, taking a look at the phenomenon of fake news, while our opinion editor addresses online hypocrisy. We’ve the latest trends from the girls at SIN fashion and Lifestyle is jammed with ways to make 2017 your year (and some tips on keeping the dreaded flu that everyone has away!) The Entertainment section has the lowdown on new shows, new stars and new things to do in Galway, and also remembers the many celebrities that passed away last year. We’ve also the best and worst five moments of sport last year, we have a tribute to Eoghan Clifford as our sports person of the year and much more. So what are you waiting for? Go buy that latte, settle down for some quality reading and get #SINformed this 2017. Till next time,

Sorch�

INSIDE EDITOR: Sorcha O’Connor editor@sin.ie LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL: AISLING BONNER As upset as I am that 2017 is a prime number I’ve decided it’s going to be a prime year. The Ents section is full of things to look forward to including Ireland’s 2017 gigging forecast by Heather Robinson, a guide of ones to watch this year by Aileen O’Leary and hello, Dancing with the Stars?? The Creative Corner is also full to the brim with poems and prose because you know, freedom and all that. Of course, it’s important to start the academic semester on the proper footing, so we’ve got you covered with our Galway fortnightly guide for all your *ahem* stress relieving options. Leigh anois go curamach.

Ill-Informed: The spectrum of understanding 4 17 things to look forward to in 2017

Remembering 2016's top 10...

My ALIVE experience

The trouble with New Year resolutions

Head to Head: Debating repeat exams caps 13

Email: editor@sin.ie Facebook: SIN Newspaper NUI Galway Twitter @SIN_News An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat? Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir chuig editor@sin.ie.

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The absence of no is not consent

Upcoming trends for 2017

Returning trends

Detoxing your life

How to make the most out of 2017

What’s going on in Galway 10 – 23 January

Creative Corner: The Bridge of the Bridged Town

Léirmheas ar Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The Galway Gamer: New Year, New View

An Elegy to the Fallen

Eoghan Clifford – our sports person of the year

Best sporting moments of 2016

4 F EAT UR E S Diary of a Final Year By Caoimhe Tully Week One: Let’s get real. I didn’t achieve my New Year’s resolutions in 2016. And either did you. Last January I decided to be a little more realistic than writing my usual wish list (ie. learn to do the splits, give up chocolate, read a book every week), and settled with just one goal for the year – finish the novel I was working on. While I do have over 80 thousand words, and some characters that feel like real friends at this stage - it is only a first draft, far from finished. I know that you didn’t achieve yours either, because I recently read that only eight percent of people do. So, statistically I’m going to bet that you didn’t learn the splits or give up chocolate either. And that’s okay. Sure, New Year resolutions are a bit mad anyway, aren’t they? I mean, I usually leave the festive season feeling tired and tubby, with a stubborn gathering of sugar and alcohol induced spots on my chin and cheeks, and a strong desire to do some kind of yoga retreat on a faraway mountain for a couple of days. And in that state, it’s far from “getting in shape” and “saving a few bob” one should be thinking of. It’s only a recipe for guilt, and maybe even a mild heart attack. Honestly, I’ve battled with New Year resolutions for time immemorial. When I was seven, I decided I was going to complete the Harry Potter books my older brother had been reading. From January to July I struggled with the overwhelming amount of words, too stubborn to admit this to anyone in the world (I’m a Cancer). That July I was given the next book in the series for my birthday, and the whole ordeal culminated in an early life break down, and a weird resentment towards Harry and Hogwarts for the rest of my days (soz). Then, a couple of years ago, I joined the bandwagon and decided that once January hit, I was going to “get in shape”. A completely mad idea, for more than one reason. Firstly, past Tull-Meister couldn’t even define what this ambiguous goal meant. What is “in shape”? Is it the ability to sprint 4 miles, or do ten push ups? Is there body fat percentage involved? Or did I simply just yearn to look like the images of perfect Missguided models and Instagram babes being shoved in my face every day? A little like finishing a novel, it was something too vague to be achieved. Yet, off I went, (like the big cliché consumer I am) and bought new runners, some yoga pants, and about twenty lunch boxes to fill with only very green stuff. Then, feeling like a true adult with lunch boxes in every corner of the house, I got completely ahead of myself. I challenged my two athletic (male) house mates to see who could do a plank for the longest. If you don’t know what a plank is, just think of an intense form of torture and you won’t be far off. I had approximately 60 seconds of glory when I won, closely followed by three days of feeling like I was bet up. Then, when I turned to my lunch boxes for comfort, I was struck by the realisation that the pizza in the freezer was a lot tastier and more suitable for my line of work at the time – broke student. Yes, perhaps if my goals were a little more specific or achievable, I would be part of that eight percent. But for now, I am content to enter the New Year in my traditional tubby state, guilt free. Join me.

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

ILL-INFORMED: The spectrum of understanding By Jennifer O’Connor

o many facets of life are described in terms of spectrums. A spectrum is thought of by many as a scale of progression describing colours, life stages and on occasion, disability, or illness. For those with such intimate knowledge of a particular spectrum it can be hard to take a step back. When this is the case, the in-depth understanding of an illness or disability can colour your view of everything. I imagine to myself that it is similar to how an engineer does not simply see the same construction site other pedestrians do, but instead sees every nut and bolt that makes it so. I will not attempt to generalize the wealth of disabilities represented at NUI Galway, particularly when I only have experience with a specific branch of chronic illness. To do so would not only be disrespectful, but also pointless. For those of you students who are not members of the Disability Support Services you do not need lengthy descriptions of pain to trigger your empathy or encourage you to cease procrastinating through your own struggles and simply join the Services should you need to. You need to understand the effect, not the cause as that is something all we ill and disabled people can understand.

In December, it was the last day of the Semester One exams and in some ways, a victorious day for all of us disabled students who have made it this far. I was sitting in my comfortable chair at my computer in the PC Suite I had been assigned and was taking full advantage of the extra twenty minutes I was allowed. Upon glancing to the familiar, non-descript round clock that had been carelessly erected onto the wall by my desk, I felt a rush of pride for all of us in the room. To my left was a boy who was anxiously glancing from his calculator to his computer screen every few seconds. I met the gaze of the girl to his left for a moment and we both smiled sympathetically, hoping the boy was not on the verge of a panic attack. In that moment, there was a sense of unity in the room as more pairs of eyes met mine and more smiles followed. Yet, why is it that despite the growing sense of warmth in my chest, that I felt a disparity between myself and the word ‘disabled’. Perhaps it was the incomplete jigsaw in my mind that reminded me that I was appallingly uninformed about disabilities. In truth, had I not become sick myself I would likely have avoided the truth at all opportunities. My eager mind-set towards broadening all aspects of

my education seemed to halt rather sharply when it came to disabilities - so much so that my sympathetic face when a friend explained her chronic endometriosis had become a party piece I had perfected. It is all very different when you are the one seeking understanding and an open mind. I had never quite understood my cousin’s cerebral palsy, or my mother’s persistent migraines. Now, I can admit to myself that I did not want to understand them. Why would I want to expose my sheltered realm of health to the harsh struggles of those who seemed all too distant from me? What could I hope to gain, but understanding and what was that truly worth? In short, your empathy is worth nothing to you. You will neither feel better nor worse for showing an interest in anyone’s struggle. In truth, you might feel bored. But to that disabled person, or chronically ill student who can’t cope with the stairs to the library from the SU shop, you will be the reason they go home and cry that day at having felt heard for the first time. I have cried many times due to the kindness of friends and strangers. There is no more genuine or honest cry. If you can give someone that gift, it will only cost you time but nothing else.

n writing this, I have given some thought to why it is I feel so at odds with declaring myself as disabled. Yet, I am. I also have blue eyes and a great appreciation for well used sarcasm. In this college, we build careers upon facts. Our favourite lecturers talk in terms of facts. And my - and perhaps yours, or your loved one’s - disability is just that. A fact to be declared and thought of as true. If we, those members of the DSS, feel any semblance of shame towards our disabilities, we can only expect others’ ignorance and will not see our numbers grow in understanding. I invite you to think, extremely hard, about what it means to be disabled. Does it truly define you anymore than your hair colour? You are still vivacious. You are still capable. You are still alive with the eagerness to improve the world you were born into. I can only imagine what we may achieve together. Those in need of understanding, standing by those willing to offer such understanding. In the history of our world there has never been a more victorious duo, through the least amount of physical effort. All it takes is the decision to want to understand. Then, the rest is yours.

Confessions of a provisional driver By Aisling Bonner It has been almost two months since I last confessed to almighty provisional driverdom and as surprising as it may seem, my progress has been as slow as ever. Dreams of my first 2017 column being a triumphant account of me landing a big fat ‘N’ fizzled rapidly over Christmas (along with any chance of me wearing anything mildly fitted on St Stephen’s night - but let’s not go there). However, there was some good news: the Christmas holiers brought with them a landmark in my driving career and that was the completion of my lessons. Alas, this was also the bad news. When picturing this moment a few months ago I saw myself drifting into the sunlight, donuts forming beneath the rubber, my head so big it was bursting through the sunroof. But reality bites, and when it does, it chomps. Having practiced my turnabout and reverse around a corner until I was dizzy, I plonk myself into my instructor’s car like the cocky boyracer I think I am. It had been

a couple of months since my last lesson and I regularly glance sideways on the way to Naas expecting to see the look of disbelieving pride smothering my instructor’s face. Any minute now. It’s all about to sink in. We pull up at the test centre and my instructor lands me back to earth with a tremor. “Right so Ais, we are going to do a pretend driving test. We are not gonna pass this test. We are 100% going to fail this test. Are you ready?” Sorry what now? Shots. Fired. “I’ll show him”, I’m thinking. But the feeling is fleeting. “How do you clear the back window? How do you test the brake lights? What does this road sign mean? And this one? And this one?” “Ehhhh STOP?” I say nervously. “At least, I think it’s a STOP sign”. My brain is turning to mush and fast and it continues to do so as I bang on random buttons, spout off random definitions until the car is resembling a Willy Wonka creation with wipers, hazards, water and air going ninety without cause.

When we start the actual driving part the test takes a U-turn down an even steeper slippery slope towards failure. Now, I’ve documented (and admittedly overdramatized) the difficulty involved in leaving the Naas Driving Test Centre in the past. The blind spots, the yields, the roundabout and the kerbs all present their potential problems. You would think that it’s implied after hours of lessons that you could overcome at least one of these traps. You would think. To help me figure out where I’m going wrong, my instructor informs me of every mark he has given me at the time of screw-up. I swear I get at least five before even hitting a proper road. A wide left here, a short right there, progression, progression, progression some more and I’m beginning to sweat. Turnabout time comes and I decide it’s time to focus. “It’s not over until it’s over”, I tell myself. In reality, it was the overest thing that’s ever been over. Hoping to redeem myself somewhat, I make the first turn – delicious. I look around like a dog chasing its tail – beautiful. I

put the car in reverse and back it up. Oh yes Aisling you sexy thing, look at you… My thoughts trail off signalled by the sound of the tyres ramming up against the kerb. “I’m giving you a grade three fault for hitting the kerb”. From Herbie to kerbie, I accept defeat. I finish out the test with another list of faults just for good measure. When it’s time to drive back home my instructor and I laugh about how much of a shambles I am. We pull into my driveway and my instructor signs me off and produces a gold brooch from his briefcase. “The medal of St. Christopher, Patron Saint of Travellers for ye Ais. Tanks for bein’ an absolute legend and congratulations on completin’ your lessons”, he beams. While I know that I will most definitely be returning for many more lessons, I do feel a little emotional. I exit the car with a handshake and a wave and watch him drive away. The sadness escapes me as the feeling of fear sinks in. I’m going to be writing a lot more columns.

An Bhialann has upped its game! Global leaders Sodexo are innovating the student dining experience.

Finally, gone are the days of slap-up meals at slap-up prices. Sodexo, world leaders in quality of life services have brought with them an arsenal of attributes to the students of NUI Galway. An Bhialann, the 720 seater restaurant in the heart of NUI Galway’s campus, now with a new modern feel has been grabbing students attention with bespoke food offerings at affordable student prices. With big names such as JP McMahon, Michelin Star chef of Anair Galway and renowned food blogger Maria McNeela of Rustic Grub being part of the team it’s clear to see why the food on offer has never been so good. Executive Head Chef Kieran Cooney tells us: “We’ve put together a team of high quality chefs and experienced front of house staff to bring students the best possible offering available. We try to put some personality into the service at every touch point and I think that shines through in our service and in our food.” Students have more choice now than ever before, with at least six hot options for lunch each day, not to mention the barista style coffee at INC, the artisan salad bar and fresh sandwiches and sub roll choices with Sub Central opening this month. Walking through the newly refurbished restaurant customers are greeted by the smells of Aran Bakery. Fresh breads, pastries, muffins, scones and other delights are on offer daily and the freshness really rings true here. The Originals counter hosts at least three options every day, one being vegetarian to meet the student’s needs. Students can then check out the Guest counter, which for semester one was hosted by food blogger, Maria McNeela where they can indulge in yet more appetising choices. If that wasn’t enough there is also a chicken counter aptly named Yardbird where customers can enjoy Halal chicken, smothered in flavour. On then to the soup station where students have the opportunity to customize their dish with added meat, croutons, seeds, and chili flakes and lots more. To finish the grand tour in the main food court, the very popular pizza counter is offering up some very tasty treats daily to hordes of hungry students. The newly opened Sub Central is also proving very popular amongst the student body. Sub Central offers fresh sub sandwiches filled with locally sourced meats and salads at very competitive prices. This is healthy “fast food” made to order ever time. The ingredients on offer are fresh, Irish and tasty with a range of homemade sauces available to suit. Follow An Bhialann on social media for updates, offers and promotions. Facebook – An Bhialann NUI Galway.

6 F E AT UR E S

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

17 things to look forward to in 2017 By Shelly Hannigan As 2016 comes to a close (*cue sighs of relief from celebs everywhere*), we have plenty of things to look forward to into 2017, including new films, books, and music.

Movie Sequels: There is always this fear when a sequel is announced, of it not being as good as the first but there is still a strong hope that the sequel will further our love of certain characters and their story. 1. Pirates of the Caribbean started as this amazing adventure, the first two films had audiences glued to the screens. The third and fourth films however seemed to have bored people, so it will be interesting to see if the release of Dead Men Tell No Tales on May 26 will revive the film series or if these tales should in fact remain dead. 2. If there is one movie franchise that people love it has to be The Fast and the Furious. The eighth instalment will be released on April 14 which will see Dom turning to the dark side. It is the first film that will not star Paul Walker who died in 2013. 3. Star Wars Episode VIII, which will

be released December 15, will be tinged with sadness at the recent loss of Carrie Fisher. The sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a continuation of Rey’s epic journey with Poe, Finn and Luke Skywalker.

TV Sequels: 4. Brace yourself – Game of Thrones season seven is coming. The usual spring release has been put off until the summer months to fit with the weather of the latest series. So there’s still loads of time to binge watch the other 6 seasons to clear up any confusion, there’s usually a lot. 5. Stranger Things made a huge splash this year and the Netflix original series looks set to be just as amazing with a new season due to be released in summer of 2017. The trailer gives little away but does reveal the names of nine episodes, one more episode than season one. 6. The Pretty Little Liars gang are ready for more drama as 7b is set for release in April. 7a ended with a few cliff - hangers so this release is highly anticipated.

New TV Shows: With so much work to do, we all need something new to distract us from our responsibilities. 7. Count Olaf will grace our screens once again courtesy of Neil Patrick Harris in the Netflix version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. The series will consist of eight episodes, each book will be adapted into two episodes of the series meaning that the first four books will be covered in these eight episodes. 8. Tom Hardy will hit the small screen in new series, Taboo. Set in 1814, London, Delaney (Hardy), returns after ten years in Africa to discover he has been left a mysterious legacy by his father. The dramatic series looks set to be a good one.

New Films: 9. Jackie sees Natalie Portman portraying Jackie Kennedy in the days when she was First Lady and her life following her husband’s assassination. This is definitely an interesting one to go see. 10. Emma Watson’s portrayal of Belle

in Beauty and the Beast is highly anticipated and on March 17 we will finally have our chance to see it.

Books are a go-to for entertainment for many and libraries and online access to books there are endless supplies. There is one in particular that many will watch out for. 11. George R.R. Martin’s highly anticipated Winds of Winter is rumoured to be released in spring 2017, let’s hope this is true because we need more of this story in our lives.

be in 2017 so hopefully this prove to be true. 15. Indiependence returns to Mitchelstown County Cork again this year. The festival has grown massively since starting in the square in the middle of town in 2006. The Coronas will return this year and many more acts are to be announced. Tickets are on sale now for the August bank holiday event. 16. The final batch of Electric Picnic tickets will be on sale in the New Year so keep an eye out if you want to head to Stradbally in September.

Music:

Politics:

12. Ed Sheeran has just released new

17. Trump. This isn’t something a lot

music and according to rumours, he will be making an official comeback performance in February at the Grammys. Ed took time out in 2016 so I’m sure a lot of people will be happy to have his voice back. 13. Katy Perry has been previewing snippets of new material on social media so hopefully this means a new album will be out in 2017. 14. Prepare to lose yourself because the real Slim Shady is about to stand up once again. Again, it is rumoured to

of people are looking forward to as such but it’s happening in 2017, will Trump surprise us? It’s time to find out…

Books:

There you have it, 17 things to keep you entertained in 2017. If 2017 is anything like 2016, I have a feeling we’ll need the distraction.

The Jess Press: Beating the winter blues

Top ways to spend the weekend in Galway

By Jessica Hannon

It’s hard to deny that Galway is a beautiful place. As someone who’s grown up here, it’s easy to take just how much the city has to offer for granted. Whether you’re on a budget or ready for a big night out, you’re into sports or prefer the arts, there’s definitely something for everyone here. If you’re staying in Galway at the weekends instead of heading home, we have a list of all the best things to do that’ll make the most of your time off.

Here lies a definitive list of all the things you can do come January to ring in 2017 and beat the winter/2016 blues. DETOX: After you’ve scoffed all the boxes of Roses and eaten all the selection boxes, perhaps it is time to get back in shape for the New Year. An easy way to do this is to stop with all the junk food (this might be easier than you think because you’ll be sick of sweet food.) Green tea is also a good idea to detox the body, try one cup in the morning before breakfast, you’ll be surprised how you’ll feel. A small detox will make beating the blues so much easier if you’re not feeling sluggish. CUT DOWN ALCOHOL INTAKE: This is a big one people. Especially after the holidays it’s a good idea to take a few weeks away from the heavy drink and have a re-evaluation. Everyone needs a liquor break from time to time. You’ll welcome it in January. TREAT YOURSELF: If you’re cutting down on sweet foods and alcohol, you’ll need a little pick me up. I’m thinking a spa or a facial, maybe even get a manicure/pedicure if you’re unlike me and won’t just ruin your nails in work. CLEAR THE CLUTTER: This is especially effective if the New Year brings with it a loss in a relationship or friendship. One effective way I found to psychologically clear my mind was to commence a purge of my Facebook friends list. If you find you’ve hundreds of friends that at this stage are not adding to your life then why have these

people at the forefront of your life? Cut down the list to those who you really want to see your stuff and vice versa! It’s a really effective way of making space in your life. FIND NEW TV VIEWING: i.e get a new show to binge watch. The New Year brings with it lots of new opportunities so why not really delve into it by finding a new show to marathon watch? If you’re any way like me and you’re feeling a bit hermit-like, you love a good hibernation and you’ve done enough socialising for all of January, then what is stopping you? DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP: Christmas and New Year always brings with it a certain amount of expected happiness. It seems like everyone’s getting engaged and love is really all around us, however, if you’re single this January, don’t feel bad about yourself. Relationships are overrated, especially the wrong ones so embrace the single life while you still can. The right love will come at the right time, don’t try and rush it. FIND HAPPINESS IN THE EVERYDAY: After all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, relax and enjoy the beauty of everyday life. Live life at your own pace, you’ll find that at this time of year social media is filled with posts of beautiful Christmas trees full of presents, engagement photos and couple/ family holidays. Don’t stress the petty stuff. It’s easy to get caught up in all the things society encourages you to be doing at this point in your life but just settle down and enjoy the ride.

By Deirdre Leonard

GET OUTSIDE: NUI Galway is built beside the river Corrib and has some of the nicest walkways in the city. Locals use these everyday but they’re often overlooked by students. It’s a great place to start if you’re not sure where to head for a nice walk on a dry weekend. Start at the back of the IT building or the engineering building and follow the path up behind Corrib village and into Dangan sportsgrounds. If you’re into sports there’s pitches galore here, along with a running track, an astroturf hockey pitch, lots of lovely woodland to walk around in and hills that overlook the river for a nice post puck around lunch. It’s a wealth of pretty spots if you’re into photography as well, especially along the Corrib itself. IF THE RIVER DOESN’T DO IT FOR YOU, HEAD TO S ALTHILL TO WALK THE PROM: You can start at Blackrock and walk straight in to the Spanish

arch, where you can treat yourself with a congratulatory ‘I just walked two kilometres’ Boojum. There’s plenty of places to stop for coffee or ice cream along the prom where you can look out and enjoy the sea. Salthill is also the home of Galway’s only aquarium. It’s open 10am – 6pm at the weekends and student tickets are nine euro, so if you’re looking for a creative date idea, to feel like a kid again or just want an excuse to hold a starfish, look no further. The 401 bus heads straight out to Salthill from Eyre Square and with attractions like a kilometre of sandy beaches, Leisureland pool where you can spend a few hours swimming and some of the nicest coffee shops in Galway, it’s a great place to spend a quiet weekend day exploring. GET CULTURAL: Galway will be the European Capital of Culture in 2020 and for good reason. There’s so much to do and see the city that can definitely fill a few hours at the weekend. Sign up for the Roisín Dubh newsletter to get emails about all the latest comedy shows, gigs and events they have on, they usually guarantee an interesting time. Galway has some great theatres and you can see plays, ballet performances, comedy and lots more in the Town Hall or the Taibhdhearc. If you don’t fancy seeing an actual play, the Eye Cinema usually has live streams of things like variety performances or ballet recitals from famous performers that you can enjoy from the comfort of the big screen. If

you’re looking for culture on the cheap, Galway has a free museum at the Spanish arch that you can explore and learn more about the town. Places like the Cathedral or St Nicholas Collegiate Church near Shop Street are incredibly beautiful and have lots of free information available inside if you want to learn more about local history. Or just grab a coffee and some breakfast at somewhere like Cafe Express or McCambridges and sit outside, watch buskers perform and soak in the vibe that Galway is famous for. GET EXPLORING: If you have a bit of cash or a car and you want to see more than just Galway city, head west. You can book a tour, usually for about €20 to see places like Spiddal, the Twelve Pins, Kylemore Abbey or even the Aran Islands. You can spend a day out there exploring one of the islands and still make it home in time for tea in the evening. If you have a car, head to some of the beautiful beaches along the coastline like Dog’s Bay or the famous coral beach in Carraroe. You can visit the free Connemara National Park and hike Diamond Hill if you really feel like an adventure or just drive around and see the beautiful landscape left behind by years of glaciers. ‘To hell or to Connaught’ Cromwell used to say but when you’re out among the craggy landscape, it’s far from hellish. It feels like somewhere from a mythological tale and it’s easy to spend hours seeing what the West has to offer.

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8 FE AT UR E S

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

Remembering 2016's top 10... ... celebrity moments of the year By Deirdre Leonard

1. Losing legends 2016 has been hard in many ways and the loss of some of pop culture’s most iconic figures has been particularly sad. Music lost some of its greats in Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen and George Michael, singers who had touched the minds and souls and hearts of millions for decades. All time greats like Muhammad Ali and Harper Lee passed and the acting world lost big hitters like Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Gary Shandling and most recently - Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. The loss of such influential, impactful characters that many people grew up with, has left a 2016 shaped hole in a lot of hearts these last twelve months.

2. President Trump This year, Trump achieved a feat that no celebrity or socialite would ever dared aim for before him. Because of a billionaire’s whim, the world is in for a rocky four years but regardless of what happens, everyone will be watching Trump again, giving him the most global celebrity position possible.

... films By Mícheál Ó Fearraigh

1. Edge of Seventeen This is a film for the ages. I am convinced that this film will be up there with the great teen movies in the years to come, indeed, when I describe this movie to my friends I call it Ferris Bueller’s Day Off but with a female lead. Hailee Steinfeld shows more and more promise in every film I see her in and this is another stalwart performance among a wonderful supporting cast.

3. Kim Kardashian held at gunpoint Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying that the Kardashians are a media empire in themselves and the impact of this power was felt in 2016. Kim Kardashian was held at gunpoint and robbed during Paris Fashion Week and has kept a careful silence on all social media

of drunken rage surrounding Brad Pitt, FBI investigations ensued in one of the most dramatic Hollywood divorces in recent memory that has yet to come to a neat conclusion for those involved.

5. Johnny Depp abuse scandal In one of the most shocking celebrity revelations of the year, Amber Heard filed from divorce from then husband Johnny Depp in May and filed a restraining order against him a week later. She appeared in public with a bruised face and video footage of Depp drunkenly arguing with her was released online. Heard was called a liar and attention seeker by many and the issue brought light to the massive problem of female victimisation that was particularly prominent in Hollywood this year.

The loss of such influential, impactful characters that many people grew up with has left a 2016-shaped hole in a lot of hearts these last twelve months. platforms since. It’s a move that is unprecedented for the social media focused family and has left many fans eagerly awaiting her recovery and comeback.

4. Brangelina’s breakup In a move that had people declaring they no longer believed in true love, Brangelina came to a shocking and somewhat messy end when Angelina filed for divorce in September. With claims of abuse and public displays

2. Arrival For a while, I had this film at the number one spot on my list and I even considered putting it joint first but I believe that I will watch my number one film more often than this one, that being said it is a matter of watching one dozens of times and the other tens of times. This film has a career best turn by Amy Adams in what starts off as a film about science by the end though it is an emotion movie about people. If that sounds to Interstellar to some of you, I assure you that this is far superior. I predict that this film will take the Oscars by storm in the New Year.

3. Captain America: Civil War Marvel finally made a film that

6. Vilification of women in Hollywood The new all-female reboot of the

rewards those who have watched all of their work with Captain America: Civil War, though a more casual viewer could get away with just seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Winter Soldier, the longtime fans will delight at seeing the arcs of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). This film also contains not one but two superhero showdowns to end all showdowns even if the reasons are a little flimsy.

4. Hail Caesar! The Coen brothers’ latest film may not be their best work but the Coens on a bad day would still be the best of most other directors. Any strangers to the Coens would conclude that the film has little to no plot but fans of theirs know that that’s not the point, this movie features a fantastic turn by Alden Ehrenreich, who will be the next Han Solo, and a brilliant sequence with Channing Tatum.

5. The Nice Guys I am a massive fan of Shane Black and this is another brilliant buddycop movie in his oeuvre with the silly Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, doing an excellent comedy version of his character from L.A Confidential. Imagine Lethal Weapon (which Shane

film ‘Ghostbusters’ was released in 2016 and faced harsh criticism by those who were not impressed at the idea of an all-female cast. One of the movie’s stars, Leslie Jones, faced a racist bullying campaign online, which allegedly culminated in her account being hacked. The hatred surrounding the cast illuminated for many the already contentious issue of women in Hollywood being seen as ‘lesser’ than their male counterparts.

7. Leo won his Oscar 2016 was the year Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar. After a year in which he was the centre of many meme filled jokes, his part in the Revenant earned him that much awaited Oscar, one of the nicer moments of the year in Hollywood.

8. Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize winner This was the year Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his song lyrics. It was a move that shocked a lot of people, elated others and led to a multitude of online jokes. Bob Dylan is undoubtedly a legend and it’s interesting to see the Nobel Prizes stretch categories to accommodate a songwriter, a deci-

Black wrote) set in the ‘70s and you’ve got this film.

6. Deadpool Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller did a great job in washing away the memories of the woeful X-Men Origins: Wolverine this year. I saw this film twice and enjoyed it both times. My only complaint was that it wasn’t crazy enough of a film, it has a straight-up revenge thriller storyline, I believe this will be solved in the sequel, however, since the timetravelling Cable will be present.

7. Zootopia/ Zootropolis Disney Animation’s addition to the buddy cop genre is a welcome one with the wonderful Jason Bateman doing a great job as a wily fox opposite Ginnifer Goodwin’s idealistic bunny rabbit. The film also I believe does a great job in doing a little bit of discussion on race relations in the United States which is important for the year ahead. It’s not all political musings, though the movie is hilarious and features a great turn by Idris Elba as a buffalo police captain.

8. The Accountant I saw this film because a friend of mine heard a review of it and told

sion that could be indicative of the awards widening their parameters more in the future.

9. All hail Queen B 2016 was undoubtedly Beyonce’s year. She released her visual album ‘Lemonade’, yet again changing how music is being produced and consumed in recent years. She’s been nominated for several Grammys following it and it’s clear that she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

10. Taylor Swift’s Lovelife It’s been a messy year for Ms. Swift who went from being with Calvin Harris to a whirlwind and very public romance with Tom Hiddleston that fizzled out as quickly as it began. She was the subject of controversy in her love life and professional life regarding lyrics written about her by Kanye West that she denied approving, only to have Camp Kardashian release a video of her approving it over the phone. It wasn’t a great year for Taylor PR wise but another new album next year should do the trick of wiping any bad memories from the public eye.

me that it would be my sort of movie - they were correct. The Accountant is Ben Affleck’s attempt to capitalise on the re-emergence of the revengethriller genre that started with Taken and John Wick, though it is more of a mystery it does feature the same sort of bone-crunching action. The film’s cast is brilliant: John Lithgow, J.K Simmons, Jon Bernthal and Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck also does a great job playing a character with autism.

9. Doctor Strange Marvel’s first proper voyage into magic had the best visuals this year and some wonderful trippy sequences. It featured a winning cast (plaudits especially for Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton) and some great action. My biggest negative about the film is the formulaic origin story: a cocky protagonist learns humility so that he may become a hero.

10. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Though Rogue One’s characters are quite archetypal, the actors did a great job to make the audience care for them. This, combined with the brilliant set-pieces and grittiness dreamed up by the director, Gareth Edwards, makes this a welcome addition to the Star Wars canon.

GNÉ -ALTANNA

January 10 2017

...TV Shows By Graham Gillespie

1. Atlanta Atlanta is an FX comedy-drama from the freakishly talented Donald Glover which chooses quality over quantity with only 10 25 minute episodes in its first season. It follows the fortunes of Earn, a college dropout who leaves his job to become the manager of his cousin Paper Boi, a rapper who has gained some traction in the Atlanta hip hop scene. Often episodes feel almost like their own short films, separate from the rest of the series (such as mid-season standout “B.A.N”). The show is strikingly realistic one moment before delving into surrealism the next with black Justin Biebers and invisible cars. It also often combines the two like when it uses a cartoon advert for cereal to make a point about police brutality. No other show I’ve seen in 2016 can match Atlanta for innovation, unpredictability and sheer entertainment.

2. Black Mirror If you need cheering up after the year of 2016 then watching Black Mirror would probably be the last thing I would recommend doing. Nonetheless, the return of Charlie Brooker’s bleak anthology series on Netflix which is examines the pitfalls of our relationship with technology produces six excellent episodes. The episode “Playtest” is classic Black Mirror where everything is taken one step further than expected. However, unlike in previous seasons of the show when it was on Channel 4, there is some light to be found amongst the darkness provided by the Lesbian love story “San Junipero”.

3. Game of Thrones Season Six of the Fantasy epic matched the series’ usual high standard as we reach the beginning of the end of “the great game” as character Tyrion Lannister calls it. Game of Thrones was probably the only show in 2016 where watching each episode felt like a social occasion akin to watching a sporting event. The stunningly executed battle scene in “Battle of the Bastards” was not only a highlight in the season but arguably one of the best moments of the entire show.

4. OJ Simpson: Made In America Not to be confused with the FX series The People Vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, OJ Simpson: Made in America is an ESPN documentary series. Consisting of 5 90 minute episodes and directed by Ezra Edelman, Made in America examines the phenomenon of OJ Simpson and its wider implications on factors such as Celebrity culture and race relations in America. Naturally most of the

... books offers a detailed insight into the US legal system and life in prison as Ahmed perfectly portrays an individual caught in a nightmare scenario.

7. Planet Earth 2 Not much needs to be said about Planet Earth 2. There’s astonishing work from the crew to get the shots that capture the drama of the natural world all sound tracked by David Attenborough’s timeless voice. Attenborough continues to set the benchmark in nature documentary making.

8. Preacher

series focuses on his infamous 1994 court case. This exhaustively researched series emphasised how this trial stopped being about OJ and became driven along racial lines, essentially becoming a trial of the LAPD after incidents such as the police beating of Rodney King. Ironically “the Juice” himself generally tried to avoid the issue of race in his life before the trial “I’m not black, I’m OJ”.

5. Stranger Things In what was a fruitful year of original programming for the streaming behemoth, simplicity was the key for one of Netflix’s standout moments. Featuring alternate dimensions, the nostalgia fuelled Stranger Things could have come across as being too confusing and complex, but the use of children as the main characters allowed the Duffer Brothers to adhere to the storytelling maxim of show don’t tell.

6. The Night Of The Night Of was a passion project of the late James Gandolfini, in fact a pilot of the series starring the former Sopranos actor was shot before his death. Based on the BBC show Criminal Justice and written by Richard Price (The Wire) and Stephen Zaillian, the HBO miniseries is a stunning crime mystery. The show follows Naz Khan, played by Star Wars Rogue One star Riz Ahmed, a Pakistani-American accused of murder who is represented by lawyer John Stone (John Turtoro). Reminiscent in some ways of The Wire, The Night Of

Based on a comic book, Preacher follows the story of former outlaw Jesse Custer who returns home to take over his late father’s church in Texas and become a preacher. However when his body becomes the residence of a supernatural force his task becomes more challenging. Preacher is an off the wall show full of witty writing and left turns. The AMC series is worth watching if only for the chemistry between the main three actors Dominic West (Jesse), Ruth Negga (Jesse’s ex-girlfriend/ partner in crime Tulip) and Joseph Gilgun who shines as Jesse’s Irish alcoholic vampire best friend Cassidy.

9. BoJack Horseman The Netflix comedy has come into its own in season three and continues to pull off the unforgiving task of discussing issues such as depression whilst remaining hilariously funny. All the main characters including the downtrodden BoJack are ultimately likeable and the humour is chocka-block full of animal puns which helps counteract the dark subject matter and keeps this comedy a comedy.

10. Westworld The first season of the show created by Christopher Nolan and Lisa Joy based on a 1973 film of the same name is not without its flaws, however it makes its way into this list ahead of series such as Narcos and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It was always going to be tricky for a series about Artificial Intelligence in a futuristic theme park to hit the ground running but season one did improve with each episode and the finale was a sign that Westworld is going in the right direction. Besides, the cast led by Anthony Hopkins redeem many issues in this first instalment of HBO’s latest blockbuster.

By Orla Carty Since I’ve been working in a bookshop for the past three months in anticipation of this article (yes, uh huh, that was the sole reason of my job, yup, swear), I feel the list I’ve gathered is quite varied and represent the general population somewhat, rather than just myself. At least, I hope it does. From biographies to hard-core literature, this year has been a bit of a whopper. I’d like to start off with our home-grown talent that has fared extremely well this year. First up is Mike McCormack’s ‘Solar Bones’. In a prose style, without any use of the full stop whatsoever, it depicts the life of a smalltown Irish man, Marcus. More than one person that I know who have read this book have described it as the best one they’ve ever read. If that isn’t high praise, I don’t know what is! Next in our Irish batch is ‘Miss Emily’ by Nuala O’Connor. If you did the Leaving Cert here in Ireland you’ll likely be able to say that you have a pretty spiffing essay detailing exactly what it’s like to be in Emily Dickenson’s mind. This novel, however, is an entirely new perspective on that, depicting Emily’s point of view during her forties, as well as her new seventeenye a r- o l d h o u s e m a i d Ava Concannon. It’s an intricate study of friendship, and has that ‘Brooklyn’-esque vibe of Irish emigration. A slightly different book this year from good old Éire is Paul O’Connell’s autobiography ‘The Battle’. Topping bestseller lists all the over country and having picked up the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Award for best sports book, it’s been taken up extremely well. Detailing his entire career, and the determination behind it, it’s a must-read for any sports fans. L e av i n g I r i s h au t h o r s behind, my next novel on my best-of from this year is Paul Beatty’s ‘The Sellout’. Having won several prizes, including the Man Booker Prize 2016, it has some serious acclaim from critics. Personally, my manager is currently reading it and is hooked. It’s about a small town in which the narrator tries to re-implement racial segregation and slavery. The whole thing is a satire, bulging with irony and surrealism.

Changing tone completely, another book that trumped sales this year was the ‘Girl on the Train’ by Paula Hawkins. This one is actually cheating, because it was released in 2015. However, this 2016 was definitely its most successful, largely due to its onscreen adaptation. If you liked ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn a few years ago, this is another one that would tickle your murder mystery fancy. Very easy to read, despite the multiple perspectives and timelines, the novel is gripping and is the type that can be devoured in an afternoon. Here is where I divulge a little into my own personal stash of books. One that hasn’t been overly popular and received the praise I feel it should is ‘The Potion Diaries’ by Amy Alward. Featuring the alchemist Samantha Kemi as the protagonist, it follows her journey to discover the ingredients necessary to cure her nation’s princess after she’s been poisoned and fallen in love with her own reflection. It’s the perfect blend of girly reading and adventure fantasy. There’s not too many mixes of that variety out there, and if it sounds like something you could get into I

era of Nazi Germany, it details a programme set up by the government in which babies are bred to Hitler’s idea of perfection. The titular character Max is one of his most perfect specimens. It follows him right from his entry into the world from his mother’s womb, depicting clearly how effective indoctrination can be. Max must take a microscope to analyse everything he thinks he knows, and question whether it is truly right or not. It’s essentially a battle between nature and nurture. Eighth on my list of best books from the year is ‘Swing Time’ by Zadie Smith. It tells the story of two mixed race, black and white, girls who meet at a tap dancing class in the eighties. The girls initially bond due to their mutual skin colour, which is different to everyone else’s in the class and the novel portrays their friendship as it grows. Some have described it as a little chaotic, but if you enjoy novels with a good social aspect it’s one I would recommend. If fiction isn’t your thing, and history is, a bestseller from this year was ‘SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome’ by Mary Beard. It describes in magisterial detail how Rome grew from a shabby Iron Age village into the glorious empire we’ve all heard of. An accurate timeline told beautifully is something that’s actually quite rare, and it def initely exists here. My last recommendation from 2016 is Anna Kendrick’s autobiography, ‘Scrappy Little Nobody’. Very tongue and cheek, it’s a collection of personal essays that are full of fizz and wit. As someone who wouldn’t necessarily classify themselves as one of Kendrick’s fans, I was happily surprised with how relatable I found it. It’s one of those books that really does read like a chat with one of your friends. And that’s the top ten books of 2016! I hope there’s something that you all can choose from on the list. Bring on the books of 2017.

If you did the Leaving Cert here in Ireland you’ll likely be able to say that you have a pretty spiffing essay detailing exactly what it’s like to be in Emily Dickenson’s mind. This novel, however, is an entirely new perspective on that... It’s an intricate study of friendship, and has that ‘Brooklyn’-esque vibe of Irish emigration. definitely recommend giving it a whirl. Sticking with the slightly fantastical type of novels, my next on the list is ‘Max’ by Sarah Cohen-Scali. In the

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January 10 2017

Last semester, ALIVE had three students - Matthew, Shane and Laura - on placement with us and they wrote some articles on ALIVE innovations - our new national platform, our partnerships with conference and community organisations. Plus we held an event for a local secondary school on campus for them to get awarded their Gaisce medals. Read the articles below to see how they got on!

MATTHEW

My ALIVE experience By ALIVE volunteer

As a part of my community project I helped run a promotion at Smokey’s on the 10th of October. It was a brilliant experience. For the promotion we organised a jar of jellies and held a competition. We asked students walking by if they wanted to win the jellies, to win it students needed to supply us with their student email and student ID so they could be added to the mailing list at the ALIVE office. It went very well. We had about 60 guesses and had 20 people sign up to the ALIVE website to start their volunteering experience. Throughout the promotion I tried to get as many people to not just sign up to ALIVE, but I explained exactly what it is that ALIVE does so they can understand what they are signing up for. Having volunteered myself I would encourage everyone to sign up and volunteer. It could be as easy as packing bags

for an hour or two on a day or helping out at a homework club but it would go a long way. For the promotion we organised a big screen TV on wheels so we could show fellow students through the website. Shane, Laura and I took turns approaching people sitting down to try encourage them to sign up to studentvolunteer.ie. We provided the new signs ups with highlighters and booklets on how to get started. Some students were looking for information about international volunteering and we were able to explain it to them and after they received a booklet on all the details so they could become eligible for the international experience. We worked very well as a team and gained a very valuable experience. This day really improved our communication and teamwork skills and enhanced our knowledge on the work that ALIVE does.

LAUNCHLAB Interaction, Innovation and Incubation Opening January 2017 Want to develop core technical capabilities in analytics and computing ? Are you interested in developing skills in the FinTech space? Do you want to learn advanced analytics using agentbased modeling and simulation techniquest?

Visit Blackstone LaunchPad on the Concourse or Email blackstonelaunchpad@nuigalway.ie for more information

My ALIVE experience By ALIVE volunteer

SHANE

How many times had you volunteered before coming to college? Perhaps you were like me and only did the odd bit around the local community when you had to. Maybe you were the total opposite and couldn’t get enough of it and are now running volunteer organisations. All I know is since I’ve come to college my outlook on volunteering has changed. Before I came to college I did what most young adults did and only volunteered when they had to, usually through a TY project. Through one of my Commerce modules I was partnered with ALIVE volunteering in NUIG. ALIVE was set up in the college to help harness, acknowledge and support the contribution that students make by volunteering at home or around campus. What’s great about ALIVE is the ALIVE Cert. This recognises the student’s contribution towards voluntary work and through ALIVE. Signing up with ALIVE online is easy and finding volunteering opportunities to apply for is even easier! I applied to work with COPE Galway on a bag packing event they were organising in Marks & Spensers here in Galway. I thought that this would be right up my ally as we own a supermarket back home in Mayo, so I’m well used to packing bags! When I arrived to M&S I was welcomed by

My ALIVE experience By ALIVE volunteer

Marie-Anne who was working for COPE Galway and I was kitted out in my COPE t-shirt and ready to get packing! The event went very well and I received a text last week telling me they raised €2,524.77 and thanking me for all the help I gave them on the day. This text made me think. First of all - WOW! What a serious amount of money for a serious cause! Secondly, I didn’t think I did all that much. In fact, all I did was turn up, throw on a t-shirt, pack some bags and be nice to the people shopping. That’s it! I always thought of voluntary work being long and boring and of no benefit. But that really did open my eyes up. Since that event, I have been in talks with COPE again to meet up for another event they hope to be holding in the near future. I’ve also gotten more involved with events back home like with the TidyTowns or local community centre and Foróige. ALIVE was the springboard to launch me into all these wonderful opportunities and I would recommend everyone go sign up to their mailing list at least to stay in touch with all the volunteering events around the area. You’d never know, you might just find a new passion for something you never even thought about! And remember, a little goes a very, very long way.

LAURA

Volunteering has always been important to me. I started volunteering at a very young age with my local community centre and continue to volunteer there up to this day. Volunteering has helped me to make loads of new friends and learn new skill and to feel part of a community. It was a great help to me when I was taking part in the Bronze Gaisce Award because I was able to continue my volunteer work and earn the award. Coming to NUI Galway I thought it would be difficult to keep up my volunteer work back home in Limerick because I would only be able to volunteer at the weekends. But boy was I wrong! ALIVE, NUIG’s student volunteering platform has made it so easy to volunteer and to be recognised for your efforts. I first heard about ALIVE at one of the stand days in the Bailey Allen Hall and I signed up to the mailing list to stay informed with what was happening, later through one of my modules I was partnered with ALIVE. I found out how easy it was to apply for the certificate and after a minimum of 10 hours of volunteering I would have a certificate from the President of NUIG. This certificate rewards you for the volunteer work you’ve done and looks great on a CV. Often in job interviews students find it hard to talk about the volunteering they’ve done because it may not fit into the questions they’ve been asked. This certificate, however allows the employer to see that you have volunteered to a high standard. It shows the employer that you’re not just academically minded, that you’re a wellrounded person.

My volunteer work has mainly been in Limerick at St. Munchin’s Community Centre. I started volunteering there because I realised how much it was benefiting my community and I wanted to be a part of that. I started by helping the manager in her office so I could see what it was like to do that kind of work but also help her tidy and organise the office. I then moved to helping out by running the sweet shop at community bingo every Thursday night. Throughout this time I got the chance to meet with loads of new people and it really got me out of my comfort zone and made me more confident. Now that I’m doing a commerce degree I have been allowed test my new skills in the community centre. Every Saturday I volunteer on the cash register and take note of pricing issues and try figure out other ways to market the community centre. I brought the idea of getting the centre on social media more to the manager and she has allowed me to start up accounts to get the word out. Because of volunteering I have been given the opportunity to gain experience in marketing and get on ALIVE Certificate. I am also looking forward to using studentvolunteer.ie to find some once off volunteering experiences over the Christmas period and you should too! You might think you don’t have enough time and there’s nothing out there for you to do but you are needed and you gain so much from the experience that it’s well worth it. So get out there! There are loads of opportunities, whether it be with young people, old people, the environment and so much more.

12 OPI NI O N

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

Eoin Drones: A new age of hypocrisy By Eoin Molloy DOUBLETHINK: ‘The acceptance of contrary opinions or beliefs at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination.’ The staggering hypocrisy of modern political discourse has been laid bare by a series of tumultuous events over the Christmas period, blighting my ability to gleefully tear the wrapping paper off of yet another Lynx Africa wash-set. The world appears to have turned on its head overnight. If the early encounters are anything to go by, 2017 is giving 2016 a run for its money. Supposed ‘left liberals’ on the internet led calls on publishing house, Simon and Schuster, to cancel a book deal handed to controversial journalist and self-confessed provocateur Milo Yiannopolous. This is doublethink – liberals traditionally tolerated diversity and plurality in society. How can you stand for freedom of expression, yet censor a book that hasn’t even been written yet? The general rule nowadays seems to be that so-called liberals will tolerate free speech, only insofar as it overlaps directly with their own ideology. If you are unwilling to even hear the opinion of someone who disagrees with you, were you ever that sure in your own opinions to begin with? Mr Yiannopolous is no angel. He was banned from Twitter for likening African-American comedienne Leslie Jones to a ‘hot

black guy’. Though he maintains this was a joke, the Breitbart vice-editor was immediately branded a white supremacist in a trial-by-internet of unprecedented proportions. This kind of impertinence is far from out of character for Milo, who thrives on prodding the easily offended. For example, he bills himself as ‘The Dangerous Faggot’ while touring college campuses in the US. Clearly no joke is off limits for this self-professed ‘free speech fundamentalist.’ And so, USA Today were forced to publish a correction order, apologising for falsely stating that he was a white supremacist. As an openly homosexual man of Jewish extraction, Yiannopolous has become the unlikely picture boy for the ‘alt-right’, a loosely-connected subculture of irreverent online political commentators who have continually been labelled racist, homophobic and misogynistic in equal measure by oh-so-tolerant ‘liberals’. Let me be clear, the alt-right does have racist elements. That being said, it is a loose umbrella organisation without a central authority. Therefore, painting all of its proponents with the same brush is somewhat problematic. This incessant labelling is precisely what led to the ascent of President Trump. It’s time we cut it out and started actually listening to what people are saying. While it may be hard to agree with anything Yiannopolous says, it is fair to say he can be viewed as somewhat of a natural correction. His foolhardy, insulting nature is a direct counterbalance against the hypersensitivity of many

on the left. He is symptomatic of a wider problem in modern society, where young white men have been marginalised and spurned online for having ‘privilege’ that does not reflect their true circumstances. A knee-jerk reaction was bound to happen, and it has been manifested in the shiny, foul-mouthed personage of Milo Yiannopolous. The doublethink and hypocrisy of the left has also been displayed regarding Trump. There has been a lack of respect displayed for the next President of the free world. Can you imagine the reaction if Hillary won the election, and article after article condemned her appearance and undermined her competence? Calls of misogyny would ring from the furthest reaches of the internet. The very crowd who consistently show up in the comment section of news websites to mock Trump’s ‘tiny hands’, a thinly-veiled elusion to a supposedly diminished manhood, are the very folk who create hour-long vlogs condemning the fat-shaming of Khloe Kardashian. Either all of it is okay, or none of it is – the hypocrisy needs to end in order for open debate to flourish once more. Hot Press journalist Olaf Tyaransen once told me: ‘If you ever find yourself siding with a loud majority, take a step back and re-evaluate your position.’ The internet seems to have spawned a new era of Orwellian groupthink - angry mobs find it easier to congregate online. Comment sections are no longer a place of individual expression, they have become extremely polarised. At the outset, Trump seemed cartoonish. Then he seemed dangerous. And now he seems

like he is trying to get on with the job he has been chosen by a majority of states to do. So can we just let him? At the time of Trump’s election, my timelines were awash in self-satisfied statuses, offering help to those who felt personally victimised by the ramblings of a would-be

anyone in this country, so putting up such a show of ‘solidarity’ isn’t offering any real help to people in need. Moreover, if you honestly think Congress, the military, the intelligence community and all of the other instruments of power in the US would comply with any order that is prejudicial against these communities, you’ve been spending too much time in your online echo chamber. He said those things to get elected. It’s a sad fact that it worked, but it’s time to move on from that and judge him on the here and now. Since 2015, hate crimes i n A m e r i c a t ow a rd s minorities have increased by 6%. The Twitterati were steadfast in their certainty that countless more hate crimes would be perpetrated against minorities with Trump’s victory. Yet was anyone expecting as harrowing an event as the recent attack on a Trump supporter? Four black students lured a mentally-disabled young white man into a house by claiming to be his friend. He was held for 48 hours. His kidnappers beat and cut him, all the while tormenting him with racial slurs. The horrifying attack was broadcast live on Facebook, where the poor young man could be seen cuffed and gagged in the corner of a decrepit apartment, while his off-camera tormentors threatened to kill him. Thankfully, the young man escaped – elsewise I could well have been writing his obituary.

My timeline geniuses were right, Trump’s election has been accompanied by a rise in hate crime. However, the sickening brutality of the Chicago kidnapping does not fit their agenda, so my timelines have been silent. White males aren’t allowed to be victims nowadays. Who knows, perhaps this young man left his white privilege at home, or maybe it ran out of battery? Closer to home, Irish Times columnist Una Mullaly wrote an op-ed condemning her employer for publishing an explanatory article on the so-called alt-right movement. In a meandering column almost as poorly-focused as this one, she accuses the writer, Nicholas Pell, again of being a ‘white supremacist’. That seems to be the go-to slogan if you find yourself in need of censoring an opinion of someone you disagree with. If you want to ban the ideas of those who offer different ideology to your own, were you convicted in your worldview to begin with? Can we please end the hypocrisy and start finding common ground? We all remember what happened to the last crowd who were in favour of banning books. A majority of today’s youth are disgusted by the hatred and vitriol of the right, and equally disgusted by the smug ‘holier than thou’ attitude of the left. Most millenials will continue to firmly straddle the fence until such time as we prove ourselves mature enough to have issue-driven, topical debate online without descending into name-calling. Please feel free to exercise your constitutionally-protected free speech and hurl abuse my way on Twitter @Mollybeure.

you will need to give each item individual time. Start with a walk once a week, or reading a couple of pages of a novel on the bus. Wait for these things to become normal and then slowly incorporate another resolution into your life. Achieving a goal and making a small change in your life is fun when you understand that it can be done. You won’t even remember it was once an ambition you wrote down on paper because you’ll be so busy doing it and reaping the benefits. We are not always aware of the exact moment we become the person we wish to be and that is due to the time it takes to get there.

The bigger and more difficult resolutions we may ascribe to ourselves will be a longer battle and may last more than a year. This is why determining the New Year as a hallmark for life changes is a detrimental one. As long as you are focused on what needs to be done, it doesn’t matter how long it takes or how slowly you do it. It especially doesn’t matter at what time of the year you started. If you are a sentimental and still like to sit down on New Year’s Day with resolutions in mind, why not decide on just one item. Make one small change over the course of the year rather than dreaming up a gazillion.

If you honestly think Congress, the military, the intelligence community and all of the other instruments of power in the US would comply with any order that is prejudicial against these communities, you’ve been spending too much time in your online echo chamber. He said those things to get elected. demagogue who will likely be impeached before his term is out. Students here at NUI Galway even put up a ‘Wall of Empathy’ to show their support for the minority groups Trump had insulted, and while well-intentioned, the fact is Trump’s decisions have no impact on

The trouble with New Year resolutions By Heather Robinson I saw a really funny meme the other day about how ads on TV before Christmas are telling you to ‘treat yo’self’ and that you deserve nice things. But immediately afterwards, posters and billboards are replaced with gym membership offers and magazines are titled ‘New Year, New You’. I don’t think I need to warn you of the dangers of advertising, but this sudden shift of attention to improving your life in a sensational ‘five easy steps’ is not a healthy one. We are not all smoothie guzzlers and morning joggers and you are not required to

wake up early on the first of January and pretend you are. New Year resolutions can be a huge failure for most people. The list can withstand a couple hours, maybe a day or two and then you give up on your goals and ambitions because it simply isn’t working out. But that doesn’t make you a failure, it just means your method wasn’t up to scratch. This long-time tradition of forming a list of goals that you will enforce on New Year’s Day is not designed to work. Firstly, because you’re probably putting way too many things on the list. Secondly, because waiting for the New Year is pointless

and you’re just putting off self-improvement. You’re essentially procrastinating your goals which means you’ll be just as reluctant to enforce them when the big day arrives. If there is a change in your life you wish to make, don’t designate a special day or time of the year to finally make it happen. You are better off starting that very day you made your decision. What’s to stop you? Leaving it to chance or to a day you will most likely wake up hungover on, is not allowing yourself any hope. There is so much emphasis on becoming a new person once the clock strikes midnight that people

are delirious with fantasy and don’t realise the reality of working towards a goal. The dream is hyped up in their minds and when they don’t see results after a week, become wearied and disillusioned. Should you happen to have a list of resolutions in front of you and are already doubting yourself, don’t! Look at the easier goals on there, like taking more walks or reading more books. Don’t scare yourself with more than you can handle. It’s important to begin gently. Take on one thing at a time rather than attempting six goals simultaneously. Remember that if your resolutions are going to work,

TUAIRIM

January 10 2017

HEAD to head

SIN journalists discuss the cases for and against the University's policy of capping repeat exam results at 40%.

Against capping: An An argument in argument on behalf favour of capping of human error By Briain Kelly

By Eoin Molloy Capping is but the latest in a series of crackdowns on the freedom of students here at NUI Galway. In the last two years, the capping of repeat examinations at 40% has been gradually phased in and received by the student body in general with all the warmth of a limp handshake. Capping, in theory, presents no problems whatsoever. In the view of many, it is only right that the university should attempt to erode the ability of unscrupulous students to deliberately fail exams, only to repeat them in August with the renewed vigour granted to them by an extended summer break. How frustrating is it to juggle an unrelenting balance of commitments during college term, to obtain a 2:1 by the skin of your teeth, only to have some jack-a-nape rock home fresh from a J1 in late July to study and achieve the exact same grade as you, while avoiding the December and May examtime meltdowns. All things equal, capping would function adequately. However, the landscape of academic topography here at NUI Galway is decidedly slanted. For example, continuous assessment is a mainstay of some courses, while being completely absent from some. Surely the commerce under-

We all have bad days. No-one examines well all of the time over the course of the eight exam periods of your average four-year undergraduate course. No-one deserves to miss out on a prestigious masters course because one of their questions didn't come up. graduate, who takes around six exams a semester should be granted some modicum of relief from the draconian grasp of capping as opposed to say, a masters in journalism student, who may take only one exam per semester. One size cannot fit all when university courses resemble a rag-tag of body shapes. I would propose that we keep capping in place,

but stagger it somewhat. The University of Limerick caps repeat grades at a C level, as opposed to the bare-bones pass grade that is mandated by our overlords in the exams office here at NUI Galway. The staggered system I would rather see in place would grant sanctuary to people who put in all of the work but simply ‘had a bad day’, while also functioning as a deterrent against the opportunistic August heroes. A student’s first repeat should be capped at 70%, her second at 60% and her third at 50%. Anything beyond this should be capped at the minimum pass grade. We all have bad days. No-one examines well all of the time over the course of the eight exam periods of your average four-year undergraduate course. No-one deserves to miss out on a prestigious masters course in Trinity because one of their god-damn questions didn’t come up in administrative law (solemnly swear this did not happen to me). Another preferable alternative would be to cap the exam relative to the points scored in the original attempt. Say you achieve a mark of 35%, it is abundantly clear that you made some attempt to study for the exam, and aren’t simply skiving off your study during term-time. Perhaps it would be fairer to cap higher-scoring fail students at a rate higher than 40%, and work it down based on the mark achieved in the original exam. Initially, it was thought that having to pay for repeat examinations was enough of a deterrent in and of itself – that is obviously no longer the case. There is a certain logic in what the university is doing. Since the advent of universal third-level education took hold, the holding of a degree has become somewhat devalued. Therefore, the quality of your mark in said degree has been amplified exponentially in importance. This is designed to favour students who have worked hard during the course of the year. I agree with capping in theory, however, it is not a perfect rule. If capping is to apply to every course equally, every course should have the exact same proportion of continuous assessment. Moreover, ‘absolute’ courses should be graded in the same way that ‘subjective’ courses are. Ask any arts or law student if they have ever been graded over 80% and they will likely scoff at you. Ask a maths or science student the same question and they may answer yes. It is possible to get an accounting question 100% right, whereas the same cannot be said for a comparative assessment of post-Joycean Irish literature. If the university is to adopt a uniform stance on one aspect of its exam policy, it should apply across the board. Otherwise, special dispensation should be afforded on a case-by-case basis.

So since last year if you have to repeat an exam in the summer the best result you can get is a bare pass, 40%. And this is only fair. The repeat exams are a safety net to stop people having to repeat a year, or fail a course. But they were never meant to be a get out of jail free card for people who didn’t feel like putting the work in during the year.

When you sit a repeat in August you’re correcting a failure, not pushing up your grade average. A pass is presumably better than what you got in May. It’s still a step up. And why did you fail in the first place? The question you wanted didn’t come up maybe? Again, this is not a slot machine where you get a payout if all three cherries line up. And even if it were? No casino would give a second spin just because it’s unfair that you didn’t win. Don’t pretend that isn’t a thing. Listen to a few conversations near exam time and within ten minutes you’ll hear someone say: “Sure, I can always repeat in August.” Usually in the context of a humble brag about how little study they’ve done - or in relation to a mad gamble on what topics will come up. Laziness was never meant to be the determining factor behind repeating. Nor is opportunism: “Yes, I could probably pass this exam but I bet I could do better on a different paper.” Does anyone really think that the college was unaware of how the system was being abused? So many of these people are repeating two, three, or four exams every year. When someone’s name comes up on the roster that often it’s going to imply fault on their part rather than a series of unfortunate exams.

Using the repeats in this fashion is unfair to the people who actually studied during the year, even with classes and work and whatever else is taking up their time. That pretty much takes away the usual excuses people bring up, some variant on “I was busy”. Well, so is everyone else, and everyone that came through the college before you. But they managed, so why can’t you? Having capped results in the repeats provides a more accurate picture of the work you did in college overall. If a person can go through a year doing little to nothing, but still ace their exams by studying during the summer when they’ve time, then it muddies the waters. It makes it harder to tell apart, by results, which people worked and clawed for their grade, and which breezed though. If an employer is ever looking at a transcript and sees 40% on the dot come up multiple times, then it tells more about that person’s work ethic than anything else. Hopefully, capping is having a deterrent effect, the same as any other punishment. If someone knows that come August the best they’ll be able to get for €295 is a pass then it should encourage them to work harder. Seeing as how the library and reading room filled up first thing in the morning last May, or else never really emptied, then I’d say it’s having some effect. And if you’re the kind of person who knows all this but still does no study and whines afterwards about the unfairness of it all? You are never going to get that Honour no matter how many times you repeat. An argument can be made that the measure is unfairly punitive on people who failed their exams despite trying their best. If someone studied and prepared but still failed, is it right to punish them along with people scamming the system? Well sorry but the same thing I said earlier applies to you as well. When you sit a repeat in August you’re correcting a failure, not pushing up your grade average. A pass is presumably better than what you got in May. It’s still a step up. And why did you fail in the first place? The question you wanted didn’t come up maybe? Again, this is not a slot machine where you get a payout if all three cherries line up. And even if it were? No casino would give a second spin just because it’s unfair that you didn’t win. It’s not as if this has been sprung on us all of a sudden. Talk of capping was in the air for several years before being introduced. If there was serious student discontent, that would have been the time to voice it. A quick look at the factsheet up on NUI Galway’s site shows how the program was introduced gradually to accommodate the change. Last year it didn’t apply to students in their final year, nor will it ever apply to first years undergrads. These are pretty reasonable measures that allow students to become comfortable with the system. So, suck it up. Rather than spending ridiculous amounts of money in August because you were having too good a time in May, do the work, get the grade.

#NUIGSU17

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TUAIRIM

January 10 2017

The absence of no is not consent By Michael Taylor The title of this piece is taken from a line from the YA bestseller novel of 2016, Asking for It by Louise O’Neill. But far more than a novel, Asking for It has become a conversion piece about consent nationwide. O’Neill has, with the help of our own Academic here in NUIG Dr. Siobhán O’Higgins, and her contemporaries, sparked a nationwide conversation about consent - what is it? – And, more importantly, what is it not. To begin with, a statistic that appeared in a recent RTÉ documentary of the same name by O’Neill. 4 in every 10 women in Ireland will be sexually assaulted at some stage in their life. Four women out of every ten. Consider that statistic, then consider how many women are in your fam-

ily; Mum, sisters, granny. Then spread the net; aunts, cousins etc. If you haven’t made up ten yet consider your friends, work colleagues, fellow students, acquaintances etc. Failing all of the above, look around the hall in the lecture you’re ignoring right now. Ten women, 20, maybe 100. Out of those 100 the odds are at least 40 will receive unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime, and the scariest thing, if you’re a woman, you could be in that forty. The most dangerous thing in the fight against anything is complacency. I believe that in this country rape culture is an epidemic. Only now in 2016, with the aid of O’Neill, O’Higgins, et al, have we begun to have this conversation. So what is consent and what is rape culture? Well, per Broadcaster Vogue Williams, rape culture is the society normalising rape due to social

Seventy eight percent of statistics are made up. In 2016, half of the news you read was, too By Grace Kieran People are reflecting on how crazy and unpredictable the last twelve months have been, with so many political curveballs and so many greats taken away from us. “It is becoming increasingly obvious that David Bowie has established a better alternate universe and is populating it selectively one-by-one,” one Twitter user wrote. Ninety one thousand people seemed to agree, retweeting the theory, dreaming of a utopia where we could listen to Last Christmas and watch Singin’ in the Rain without being reminded of how cruel fate can be. 2016 feels a lot like the “Factors that led to [insert catastrophe here]” question on Leaving Cert history exam papers. The type of question that would fill a candidate with glee, because there’s so much material. It is easy to look at death and destruction and conclude that we’re hurtling towards an inevitable apocalypse, with Putin and Trump set to have a locker room, nuclear war-related game of Chicken over the next few years. And if that is not the end of the world surely a lack of Great British Bake Off might just finish us off. This year will be forever deemed the year a post-truth society was born. Debates between Hillary and Trump in October revealed that voters would rather see a medical from Hillary than tax returns from Trump. The televised debates were treated like rap battles, with audiences hollering and cheering each time Trump said something outrageous, but remaining silent whilst they discussed boring stuff like policies and accusations of sexual assault. Tabloids and broadsheets alike led with the personality-over-policy angle during the US election trying to attract consumers and it somewhat worked. People watch political news because they are engaged in the horse race aspect, clearly depicted in the fact that Fox News received better ratings than ESPN in the last six months. Audiences awaited whilst the competitors pummelled one another’s egos with accusations and occasionally voters observed opinion polls to morally assuage themselves that they were responsible citizens. Spoof news sites such as The Onion and Waterford Whispers News suffered in 2016 as genuine newspapers and gossip sites started also publishing completely fabricated stories! These articles

had catchy, dishonest headlines like ‘Trump Offering Free One-Way Tickets to Africa & Mexico for Those Who Wanna Leave America’ and ‘Pope Francis shocks the world, Endorses Donald Trump for President, Releases Statement’. The idea is that news websites operate on a “clickability” basis. The more traffic on your website, the more adverts are viewed, the more money is made. All bad things in the world come down to money and fake news is no exception. Fake News is not only manipulative and condescending towards the public, it is dangerous. Twitter ironically adopted the tagline “It’s What’s Happening” in 2016. Twitter is definitely not what’s happening because you could not possibly cage this beast of a year into one hundred and forty characters. Moreover, influencers use fake news, clickbait and controversy to distract from the dreaded truth. For instance, thousands reported on the protest towards Mike Pence as the cast of Hamilton voiced concern about his policies at their performance. Trump tweets “The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!” and the sensationalist media goes wild. Meanwhile, Trump loses a $25 million fraud settlement and nobody seems to notice. Are we, ‘the Snowflake generation’, so stupid that one tweet can distract us from the truth? Was anyone even talking about the fraud settlement? Here lies the crux of the matter: consumers will only follow news outlets or influencers that they are aware of on social media. They might see the perspective of a peer, but arguably they would not be peers if their views were radically different. Hence, their feed is largely one-sided. The internet cultivates citizens who consider themselves informed because they are constantly taking in new information but the danger lies in the fact that they will never find something that they are not looking for. Gorilla-killing 2016 revealed that the world does not really care for the numbers, the statistics, or the truth. They wanted to read about how Hillary is a drug-addicted, murdering head of a paedophile ring. In 2016, you could print lies onto the side of a bus, parade it around the country and then deny you ever said it only hours after you get your own way. That is “What’s Happening”, Twitter. That is the world we live in.

attitudes about gender & sexuality. Furthermore, the associated behaviours include victim blaming, sexual objectification, trivialising rape, denial of widespread rape, refusing to acknowledge harm caused by sexual violence. These behaviours have been exhibited throughout Irish society, and are intrinsically woven into and culturally accepted by our society, be it the lads sitting at the counter of the Bar nursing their pints and discussing the aesthetically pleasing barmaid serving them, or stepping it up a notch and pinching or slapping her rear as though she were public property; or Fr Sean Sheehy and several others who lined up to shake convicted rapist, Danny Foley in Kerry. All this behaviour is part of our rape culture, yet we might be inclined to say that the act of the priest shaking hands with Foley might be worse than the men in the bar, which is ‘only harmless behaviour’, but the fact is that all the aforementioned behaviours are ratifications of the rape culture that exists in this country. So now that we know where it came from, and how it continues to be cultivated, we must ask where does the buck stop and how can we break this cycle. Well I know that if I was in the seat of Minister for Health Promotion, Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy I would look at what has been done here in NUI Galway with Smart Consent, and other Third Level Institutions with Consent Classes and

bring them to grassroots of our education system – the time has come to talk about sex. What it is, and what it is not. Children are having sex younger but the fact is our education system doesn’t prepare them, so everything that they know comes from older friends or pornography. By the time kids start having sex they may have a totally skewed idea of what is acceptable and consent, unfortunately, is sometimes misunderstood. If I were made Minister for Health Promotion tomorrow my top priority would be to get a proper system of sex education taught by teachers who aren’t scared of the topic. Consent classes would be taken in First Year of secondary school, not university. But as I am not the Minister (yet), I’m just asking you to do one thing: don’t be complacent. Don’t tolerate untoward behaviour and don’t ever proceed without consent. The absence of a no is not a yes. For the sake of our society we need to have this conversation. So, I am asking you to start that conversation in your circle. Think of the words of Mahatma Gandhi; “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The only way that we can have this conversation is if somebody is brave enough to. Turn to your mates or significant other or whoever you may be with and spark that conversation. I said it earlier and I’ll say it again; the worst thing in the fight against anything is complacency.

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16 FA SH I ON

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

Upcoming trends for 2017 By Amanda Leeson It may only be the start of the New Year, but we are looking forward to the trends that will be dominating the catwalks this year. While we’re still wearing our fur coats and boots, most designers have already showcased the top trends for the upcoming spring/summer seasons. Here at SIN fashion we’ve chosen our top picks of trends which are also easy to achieve.

Be a name dropper: Remember back in the 90’s when if you didn’t have the designer brand all over your clothes you wouldn’t have been out in public? Well, those days are back. Get your Calvin Klein, Ellesse, Nike and more tops at the ready, because they’re bang on trend in 2017.

Navy is the new black:

dress and full on floral two piece suits graced the catwalks. The message from countless designers for this trend being; the bolder the better.

All about the shoulders: Yes that dreaded 80’s trend is back. Take some inspiration from those old photos of your mum with massive shoulder pads in nearly all of her tops because it’s set to make a return. The volume is all in the shoulders and where all the attention is focused. Keep in mind therefore that there shouldn’t be too much going on with the top half of your outfit. Balance is Key so a simple white shirt with shoulder pads and mom jeans marrys this trend with simplicity and will look so chic. This trend also means having to admit that our parents were actually fashionable back in day.

Sheer black:

Florals for summer:

If you’ve seen this trend filtering through numerous high street shops and it frightens you more than your mother with a wooden spoon – you’re not alone. However, this trend is said to be massive for spring/ summer. Items like dresses and tops that are completely black and sheer (yes see through!). Thankfully this is more of an evening trend that Chanel and Michael Kors have given the nod to so it looks like we will have to embrace it.

Yes we know groundbreaking stuff this is, who would have though it eh? If you’re a Devil Wears Prada fan, you’ll know what we’re on about here. But it seems that floral is not just back but they’re bigger than ever. Floral

2017 fashion will definitely be something out of the ordinary. But maybe this suits your New Year’s resolution of trying something new. Embrace the new fashion and have fun with the styles.

The catwalks have been showing navy as a staple piece for spring/summer 2017. Designers like Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger are show casing this trend through double breasted coats and high waist trousers. Navy is softer than black meaning it’s much easier to wear.

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Swapping liner for lip filler: the Kylie Jenner effect By Aoife O Donoghue Kylie Jenner said that 2016 would be the year for ‘realising stuff’ and there’s certainly one thing the world has realised about her – the power of her influence on all things beauty. Along with the rest of the Jenner-Kardashian clan and associated figures such as Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevgine and Jordyn Woods, she has created this image of flawless perfection that young women have desperately tried to emulate. Everyone seems to want Kylie’s lips, Gigi’s tan, Cara’s eyebrows and Jordyn’s nails and are more willing than ever to splash some cash to obtain them. The growth of the beauty industry in recent years has been colossal, accompanied by the new phenomena of the rise of beauty bloggers. Homegrown gurus like Suzanne Jackson, or international stars like Jaclyn Hill have become household names for many young women who watch their tutorials and buy their products in the hopes of achieving the perfect image. Huge numbers are following in their footsteps, with many young women training as MUA’s and setting up their own blogs and channels to get in on the beauty world action. The trail of influence is easy to see however, when you notice that almost every YouTube beauty channel has a video called “Kylie Jenner Inspired Tutorial”, which inevitably features wildly overdrawn lips, eyebrows like razors and fake eyelashes so big they weigh down your eyelids. The appeal of the Kylie Jenner look is also evident through the huge success of her Kylie Cosmetics range, whose lipkits are constantly sold out due to high demand. It’s important to remember though, that makeup is just makeup; it’s fun, it’s creative and it can be taken off at the end of the day. The problem in that this new obsession with all things beauty runs much deeper. 2016 has seen manicures swapped for acrylics, tweezers swapped for HD brows, a wash, cut and blow-dry swapped for a head full of extensions. Whereas these had previously been considered luxuries, things you’d get done for a wedding or the races, they have now become common place practices. Women are getting their nails redone every fortnight and constantly topping up the tan at what must be an enormous financial cost. The trends are easy to see on Instagram, where a

quick glance at my Explore page shows me a gel polish manicure, a video of a girl getting her eyebrows tinted and a girl who is not Kylie Jenner but looks so like Kylie Jenner it could be her twin. The lengths people will go to for their appearance have become more and more drastic over time thanks to the influence of the young, rich and famous. The prevalence of ‘aesthetic surgery’ has risen in Ireland and abroad, with people paying for procedures to alter their facial features. The desire to alter the natural face seems to be widespread and is propagated by social media figures, reality TV stars and good old fashioned peer pressure. The demand for lip fillers in particular has risen enormously, in no small part due to the attention received this year by Kylie Jenner’s enhanced pout. People are increasingly willing to pay a few hundred euro for a new set of lips, with many people have the procedure repeated multiple times. The results are instant and long lasting and many people develop a kind of addiction to cosmetic enhancement, wanting fuller and fuller lips. However, too many people do not make themselves aware of the dangers surrounding such a procedure, such as the development of scar tissue, the risk of lips becoming misshapen and the importance of it being carried out by a professional with complete sterility. In the vast world of cosmetic surgery, lip fillers are on the tamer end of the scale and many people would ask what is really wrong with them? Countless girls claim they give them a confidence boost, or make them more comfortable with their appearance. Surely that’s a good thing, right? But, when everyone starts to look the same, when everything we consider “beautiful” is fake, how can we even know what real beauty is anymore? Instead of making girls feel like they need big lips to feel confident, shouldn’t we be reinforcing the message that everyone is beautiful in their own individual, unique ways? It’s important to remember that people like Kylie Jenner live in a world full of unlimited credit cards, personal stylists and photoshop. The images of themselves that they put out aren’t real, they’re staged and edited. We’re just ordinary people, but we’re all unique and that’s important to hold on to. You are beautiful, so keep on doing you.

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18 FA SHI O N

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

Who to look out for in 2017 Fashion designers set to break out this year By Christina O’Reilly

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Molly Goddard received the British Emerging Talent gong at the fashion awards. The ceremony took place at the beginning of December 2016 and is set to make a huge name for herself in the fashion industry both nationally and internationally. She is a Central Saint Martin’s graduate who has a desire to focus her attention on fluro-tulle party dresses and making sure her pieces have a DIY aesthetic. Rejina Pyo’s pieces have been gracing the pages of street style imagery since the fashion shows that took place last September. She constantly creates pieces that are elegantly tailored, contain graphic prints and have elaborate shapes. Esteemed street style gurus Kate Foley, Yasmin Sewell and Martha Ward are huge fans of her pieces. The Korean designer is a graduate of Central Saint Martin’s MA program and was an assistant to Roksanda Uincic before commencing her own label. AV Robertson is one of the many designers who are completely embracing the embroidery trend. The Manchester designer calls her collection ‘casual couture’. It embodies a fusion of relaxed streetwear inspired with luxe detailing such as intricate iridescent embroidery. Also a graduate of Central Saint Martins, Robertson was an assistant to Marc Jacobs prior to obtaining the mentorship programme, Fashion East. Her debut collection for AW16 was modelled by Edie Campbell and Georgia May Jagger. Attico is a label which was started by Giorgia Tordini and Gilda Ambrosio, Italian fashion consultants and street style circuit regulars. Attico’s pieces are all influenced by boudoir chic. Attio, which means penthouse in English, focuses on slip dresses in a silk or velvet finish and classic robes. Basically these are pieces for the upper class and lovers of the luxe life.

Returning trends By Amy McMahon Where to begin? Although I’m almost certain we can all agree 2016 was a bit of a brutal year, it was kind to the world of fashion, bringing some of the best trends into our lives. Think of these trends as a silver lining in the year of Trump. Here at SIN fashion we hope to continue to see these stellar styles throughout the coming year.

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I am a huge fan of bomber jackets. It’s the easiest thing to juts throw on a bomber jacket and an outfit automatically has a cooler vibe. Zara did a line of gorgeous silk floral patterned bombers perfect for both daywear and nightwear. Even though this trend emerged in 2016, the true credit lies with the 50s and we owe it to that great Grease era and all the Pink Ladies to carry this trend on.

BUTTON-UP SKIRTS Button-up skirts are adorable and if you swap a pair of jeans for one of these skirts, any simple

Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, founders of the Attico label, pictured with Patricia Manfield and Diletta Bonaiuti. Photo: JPMV. This collection is definitely not just luxurious lounge wear; they are the cool-girls answer to evening wear. The brand also focused on teaming their pieces with denim jeans in most of their imagery for their campaign to give it a modern street style vibe. Jacquemus is also making waves in the fashion industry at the moment. Even though ‘Vetements’ was the French Fashion brand on everyone’s lips in 2016, the Parisian label Jacquemus is soon likely to become just as huge in 2017. Solange Knowles and Rihanna have already been seen to show support for the brand, and we at SIN fashion predict their modern tailoring,

architectural silhouettes and unique exaggerated proportions will be huge for 2017. Alice Archer is a young British designer who specialises in ornate embroidery. She studied embroidery at both Goldsmiths and Central Saint Martin’s. She later worked as an embroidery designer for Dries Van Noten. After her time with Van Noten she created her hand-embroidered art works for Tracey Emin. Susie Bubble, Pandor Sykes and Suzy Menkes,who are already admirers of her pieces. The collection is now stocked in Barneys and Browns, so we predict she is set to go onto big things in the fashion industry in the upcoming year.

The trends that need to move over into the New Year outfit looks put together, smart and most importantly very stylish. A-line skirts are a wardrobe essential in my eyes and the button detailing was a great new twist on the class style.

WEARING RUNNERS WITH EVERYTHING Comfort and style finally joined forces for the better and it was magical. Who knew wearing Nike runners with just about every outfit possible could be such a great trend that everyone caught onto. I beg of you, good people of the fashion world, keep this trend for the sake of my feet that have been hurt by heels for far too long.

FUR-BOBBLE BEANIES Cute, cute, cute! These beanies popped up everywhere in a million shades and colours, each as fabulous as the next. Admittedly I’m not a major hat fan, however my pink fur-bobble beanie has become an everyday essential of mine that I am not willing to give up in 2017.

BARDOT TOPS AND DRESSES This was definitely one of my favourite trends of 2016. I found this style of top and dress was something different to the typical bodycon dresses that kept cropping up on every single shopping site and in every shop. Frankly, I was sick of it and 2016 provided an excellent alternative option that flatters all body shapes at the same time. What’s not to love?

OVERSIZED JUMPERS AND SHIRTS This one is similar to the runners point mentioned previously, 2016 clearly was the year comfort and style worked hand-in-hand together. There’s something cool, quirky and sexy about wearing oversized jumpers and shirts paired with knee high boots. It’s stylish, effortless and oh so perfect for nights out in Ireland when it’s absolutely freezing but you’ve got a jumper on! This is an absolute keeper for me in 2017.

NÓS MAIRE ACHTÁLA

January 10 2017

Detoxing your life – advice on the Learning to Leave Negativity Behind New Year, New Me mentality Get Motivated By Orla Carty

By Ciara O’Neill It’s that time of year again. A time where our newsfeeds will see four words more than any others - New Year, New Me. We’ve been blessed to have survived another year of madness and now our fresh start is upon us, ready for us to wipe the slate clean as we welcome in the New Year, and a potential new version of ourselves. Sticking to resolutions is hard and working towards a new you can be even harder. Here’s three simple tips to help you get started.

Write down your goals:

I’ve often struggled to stick to my New Year’s resolutions, but every year I make a list. The list gets put in an envelope and sealed until the following New Year’s Eve. Sometimes I’ll open the envelope and smile at my naivety, and commend myself for my wild imagination as I see I wrote “become fluent in two more languages” as my number one goal for the year, but there have also been times when I have beamed with pride as I have checked off goals that I actually have achieved. Writing things down is a sure way of marking them in your mind and it will give you the motivation to start chipping away at your goals. After all, if you just think about a resolution, that’s all it will ever be; a thought. Start with small, attainable goals and pair them with bigger goals. Never think a goal or resolution is too out there, because you could really surprise yourself.

Cleansing your body and mind:

After the Christmas season, it’s not uncommon to feel like your body and mind need a detox. After all, it’s a time of year filled with lots of good food and a lot of nights on the town. Making small changes to your diet and fitness regime can help start the year on a healthier note. I have found that writing down what I eat has helped cut out the bad food here and there. Many people also take part in the campaign known as Dry January, which is way to cut out alcohol out for the whole month of January and any money donated to the cause will be

used to help those affected by alcoholism, both struggling individuals and their families. Participating in Dry January is a great way to detox and cut alcohol out for a while, as well as helping people who need it. You can get more information on Dry January at alcoholconcern.org.uk.

Declutter:

Not only is decluttering your physical surroundings incredibly therapeutic and beneficial as you begin the New Year, but mentally decluttering is even more liberating. Start with your surroundings like your bedroom, wardrobes, handbags and then move to bigger things like people, jobs, hobbies. If a person, place or even a thing is not bringing you joy or making you a better person, it has got to go. Life is too short for mediocre. If you aren’t happy in the environment which you are in, you need to make a change. After all, when a flower doesn’t bloom, you change its environment, you don’t get rid of the flower and people are like that too. Start small and build your way up. I recommend getting a black bag and going through your room piece by piece, parting with things that are no longer beneficial to you. Then, take to cyberspace and give your friend list a look and clear out. If following certain accounts in Instagram don’t make you feel good about yourself, click the unfollow button. If you find yourself negatively thinking about someone else’s photos or words online, unfollow them. Clear out anything that can bring negativity and your year will start on the most positive note as possible. It’s nice to have the New Year upon us to remind us that change is good and exciting, but we shouldn’t forget that we don’t need it to be 1 January to make positive changes to our lives. Every day you wake up is another chance to make choices which will allow you to get the best out of this crazy thing called life. You don’t have to rely on the New Year to have a new you, you just need a little inspiration and be willing to be pushed. That being said, maybe the New Year is just the push you need. Here’s to a year of new beginnings, new experience and new and improved versions of ourselves.

If you’re any way like me, negativity sucks at you. It sticks its teeth into your shoulder, picks you up, and tosses you around until your insides have fallen out. It’s an exhausting way to live, and therefore, I’ve tried to find ways to combat the effect it has on me. A new year is the perfect time to put these ideas into practise. Hopefully, you’ll find them somewhat useful as well.

Write It Down

Simple as. If something bothers you, put it on a page. It doesn’t have to be in diary format, or even legible. If it helps you, tear it up. Burn it. Let it go physically and it’ll ebb something mental away too. But, on the flip side of this rule is another one.

Write Down the Good Things

Keep track. One small line a day can make all the difference to your happiness. Something as trivial as ‘I found a one cent coin on the footpath’ can be that silver lining. I find that a line relating to people, especially strangers with a random act of kindness, can be particularly helpful. I’m glad I wrote down that the woman in McDonalds last week held the door open for me, because when I get an angry customer at work, it reminds me that that nice lady existed.

Exercise

It’s preached at us so often, but it’s true. If you have an argument, take a run. Power it out of your system and you’ll sleep without tossing and turning over it. Honestly. Endorphins make you feel better, the fitness aspect gives you satisfaction about yourself, and you generally are just a lot more productive. It’s so much more beneficial than sitting and stewing.

Relaxation Time

This can be just as important as exercise. Downtime has to happen, but just make it the right kind. Light some candles. Have a bath. Get cosy and watch a movie. Pamper yourself. Just try and give a bit of time to appreciate you.

Negativity is, a lot of the time, self-caused. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but you just don’t have the time, do it now. Otherwise you never will. Your brain knows this and it’s criticising you for it. Instead of three nights out a week, cutback to two, and get started on your project then. Whether it’s painting, or just studying harder for those tests, just go for it. Don’t let the guilt get to you when the key to changing it is yourself.

Try

This comes in line with the above. Give your full best to what you undertake. Sometimes this means narrowing your commitments down and concentrating on just some of them. It’s better to give your full self to a couple of things than to give a thin spread. The results will be worth the energy, and give you a serious buzz of positivity.

Surround yourself with the Right People

This can be so much easier said than done. I know that in the past I’ve had friends who I had no idea were dragging me down at the time. In foresight I realise this, but in the moment I was blind to it. During these new weeks back to NUIG, try and take a step back. Try and see what kind of way these people make you feel. Now, I don’t mean, hey, ditch that girl because she has been pretty upset, and that’s annoying. I’m more along the lines of a person who puts next to no effort into your friendship being cut, or at least being accepted for what they are to you. Figure out who’s the right fit and who’s not. Then put your all in for each one that you know is worth it. 2016 has been a bit of a dark year. Political turmoil, terrorism, death and war have slowly been releasing a black cloud. Don’t let personal negativity add to it. Instead try and make your personal life as positive as possible. You can do whatever you put your mind to. Make the most of 2017!

What to do with a gift you don’t like By Heather Robinson Every Christmas we are all blessed with some wonderful, thoughtful presents from our friends and loved ones. Unfortunately among those stellar gifts, there is always at least one dud. The odd gift out that makes you wonder about the person who gave it. But it’s the thought that counts and you don’t want to seem ungrateful. Don’t be like Chandler and make fun of the present in a public place. Say thank you and hide it away in your room.

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Just because you cannot appreciate it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t. There are a number of options available to you when dealing with unwanted gifts. Fundamentally they all include giving it away to a new home.

Charity

Local charities like the Simon Community, Cope and St. Vincent de Paul are crying out for donations of clothes, jewellery, gifts and homeware. These charities are connected to people and families in Galway who are in need of a helping hand, especially at Christmas time. It would be worth the effort to go around your house and collect unwanted gifts from previous years and donate them to a charity. It doubles as a spring clean and you’re doing something good for your community. There’s no point leaving lamps and ornaments to gather dust in your attic when someone else would be thrilled with it. Simply pop into one of the many charity shops dotted just off Shop Street and ask about making a donation. They only accept items in good condition so don’t think you can just offload your rubbish for free.

Re-gifting

Did your sister get the kind of gift you’d prefer and you’re feeling a bit cheeky? Ask her to swap or ask a friend if they’d like to swap a gift. There might also be a relative who would like those pair of earrings. Don’t let yourself feel guilty about giving away something. It’s not dishonouring the person who gave it to you, there is simply no use keeping it if it’s not going to be used. Think of someone who’d absolutely love a copy of The Greatest Boyband Hits and give it to them for their birthday. The point being, give it away with the right intentions, not just to get rid of it. You don’t want to do the same thing to your friend that happened to you. Choose the recipient wisely and give when it’s appropriate. On the other hand, if you’re feeling particularly mischievous, re-wrap the present and give it back to the person the next

year, see if they notice. For all you know, you were just next in line on the re-gifting rotation.

Makeover

Can the item be altered in some way to turn it into something you’d actually like? Could you bring the dress to the tailor and have it altered to a more trendy style. Could you paint it a different colour or remove a certain feature. Ultimately, does the giver have a gift receipt so that you can exchange it in the shop for something else of equal value? No shame in doing that, especially when it comes to clothes. Turn it into something new and something you like with either some DIY or a shop exchange. This is handy when you received two of the same thing or if it’s just not quite right for you. The giver wants you to appreciate their gesture and if you can find a way to do that, then you should.

20 LI F E ST Y L E

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

How to make the most out of 2017 Memory Jars

By Roisin McManus With the New Year among us, now is the time to take a moment to sit down and really think about what goals you want to have achieved by the end of this year when you look back. There are plenty of ways to do this and plenty of ways to keep you motivated to keep going, despite the various bumps in the road we are all inevitably going to stumble across. Here is a list of my favourite ideas for success in the New Year.

Write down all your goals This one might sound very simple but it is a very important precaution to make as, being human, we can all easily forget what we have wrote down on 1 January, or whatever day we decide we want to go out and achieve our goals, by the time April or May comes. Most likely, lots of things will happen in the time elapsed that can make us forget; exams, an overload of assignments, or, of course, big nights out on the cobblestones! So now is the time to sit yourself down and write down all your goals. It is important, however, to be realistic as writing down 50 goals would be unnecessarily overwhelming for you and chances are, you’ll end up feeling less motivated than you were to begin with.

Memory jars are a great way of reminding you of all the things you’ve done over the year and can motivate you to keep going and continue to make a memory jar every year. You can open your jar and read all your little notes after the year has passed. I can personally say that this is a great idea as I make a memory jar and I find it very helpful as often, we forget the little things that make us happy daily, such as spending time with your family, or going out with your friends, and instead can focus on the negative things that happen to us, which tend to stick in our minds more so than the positive. By keeping track of your daily positive memories can contribute to your long-term happiness.

New Things One way of finding out new things about your personality and your interests can be by taking up a new hobby, or learning a new skill. There are plenty of ways of doing this. For example, you could take up guitar lessons, which are provided here in NUI Galway by MusicSoc, or you could take part in any of the dance classes, be your interests Irish dance or Hip-Hop, which are run daily by DanceSoc. You don’t necessarily even have to join a class to learn a new skill, with websites such as YouTube - a great tool which provides tutorials on all things from hair and beauty, to languages,

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and drawing - and Pinterest, which provides us all with various workout plans that we can follow. By taking interest in new hobbies you can realise your full potential and learn you have interests in things you never knew.

Yearly Review On a very important, final note, a good way of keeping yourself informed on what’s working and what’s not working in your life is by writing into a journal the most important parts of your life, your career, your family, your friendships and your other relationships and their effect on you. You can take note of what went wrong last year, what worked well for you, whether you have any regrets on how you handled things, and what goals you achieved last year. By doing this, you will know where you stand in these most important aspects of your life and you will know what progress you want to make in the New Year. I hope these few tips will help you think about what it is you want to achieve in 2017, and I hope they will keep you motivated to continuously work towards your goals. Just remember, if you don’t meet some of your goals, or fail to achieve them by the end of this year, don’t worry, the important thing is to not give up on the goal itself. Keep this quote from Walt Disney in mind: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”.

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Exhibitors include J1 Visa Companies, Travel Companies, Volunteering/Adventure Companies and Internship/Training Companies 12PM-3PM WEDNESDAY 25TH OF JANUARY 2017 IN ÁRAS NA MAC LÉINN 12 i.n.-3 i.n. Dé Céadaion an 25 Eanair in Áras na Mac Léinn

NUI GALWAY DOES NOT ENDORSE OR AFFILIATE WITH ANY EXTERNAL COMPANIES EXHIBITING AT THE FAIR More information: www.su.nuigalway.ie

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or email studentsunion@nuigalway.ie facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion twitter.com/NUIGSU

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By Sorcha O’Connor Right now, it seems every second person has the case of the sniffles – or worse, the dreaded post-Christmas flu. Now that we’re back at college, it can be a struggle to get anything done while fighting off an illness – and it can actually make matters worse. So what’s the use in running yourself into the ground? Try my natural flu-fighting remedy and hopefully you’ll be on the road to recovery before long…

What you need: • JUICE OF 1 LARGE ORANGE • JUICE OF 1 LARGE LEMON • A PINCH OF GINGER • HONEY • BOILING WATER • YOUR FAVOURITE MUG Add the juice with the boiled water (that you have let cool slightly) into the mug, add the ginger and squirt in a generous helping of honey (which will help sweeten up the drink.) Mix it all up and enjoy. As far as medicines go, this isn’t so bad and should have you fighting fit in no time. Along with a few early nights and a bit of TLC, you’ll shake off a bad dose within the week.

Is it really a ‘New Me?’ By Jessica Hannon

Working &Traveling

NATURAL REMEDIES: The Flu-Fighter

Every year at around this time, every man, woman and child across the country takes it upon themselves to become a better person in the New Year. Sometimes, some people really do make a great change, be it dropping a dress size, getting a haircut or just changing their perspective on life. However, for a lot of us the New Year, New Me spiel never quite goes to plan. So I ask, is it high time to let go of the illusion that most of us like to create at this time? Is it time to take into consideration the fact that sometimes making a change takes more, and means more than just changing your mind-set once the New Year rolls in. Social media news feeds are always full of New Year’s resolutions, my Instagram feed is full of sparkly pictures of lists of resolutions and glittery grams of people’s new outfits and bottles of bubbly, ready to ring in the New Year.

However, with all the pictures and photos, is it possible that most of us just get caught up in the social norm that is making a list of resolutions? Sometimes it feels like the holiday period has come and gone without us even noticing, so come New Year many of us just jump on the bandwagon that is ringing in the New Me rather than the New Year. Perhaps this year we should take a step back, re-evaluate our lives and see is there anything that we would really like to fix or change. Perhaps when we make resolutions this year we should really try to stick to them with all the energy we can muster. After all, do we not owe it to ourselves to give ourselves the best shot at change and happiness? So this year rather than just going with the flow of normality, why not step back and make a new course for yourself in 2017. Embrace the New Year without the burden of feeling like you have to change things about yourself.

Bake with Justine D’Oven E ve r h ave t h o s e intense cravings for hot fudgy brownies but can’t bear the thought of the arduous process and mounds of ingredients they involve? Well then this recipe is perfect for you. These brownies can be made in less than an hour and are so delicious I am adding a warning; you may eat the whole pan before you realise what you’re doing. I am also convinced that the best way to eat these brownies is with vanilla ice cream and hot Nutella drizzled on top, but you can feel free to top and serve how ever you wish! Bon Appetite!

Chewy Fudgy Nutella Brownies Ingredients • ¾ cup all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon salt • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup sugar • 2 large eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 cup Nutella*

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a small bowl combine flour and salt and set aside. 3. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Cream in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add Nutella and beat until mixture is creamy. Stir in flour mixture. 4. Grease an 8-inch square brownie pan, or line with baking paper and pour in batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack.

Tuilleadh eolais: www.su.nuigalway.ie nó cuir riomhphost chuig studentsunion@nuigalway.ie

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*I like to heat my nutella slightly so that it pours into the batter leaving little behind in the measuring cup. Let’s face it, Nutella is just too good to waste!

C U LT Ú R

January 10 2017

What’s going on in Galway 10 – 23 January By Heather Robinson Even though Christmas festivities have come to an end, Galway still has plenty to offer. Busy away those January blues with SIN’s comprehensive guide to what’s going on in Galway this month!

Silent Disco Tuesdays at the Róisín Dubh You know the drill – admission is €5, get a free shot and pop your headphones on. Being back in Galway city couldn’t get any better.

Assassin’s Creed at the IMC Michael Fassbender lives out the adventures of Aguiler, his ancestor from 15th century Spain in a life-like adaptation of the video game franchise from Ubisoft. It’s in cinemas now and if you book online at imccinemas.ie on Thursdays, tickets are only €5. Very student appropriate.

Róisín Dubh Comedy Clubh – 13 & 20 January Every Comedy Clubh evening boasts a new night of fresh comedy. It’s on every Friday night at the Róisín and hosted by Steve Bennett. If you’ve never been to a comedy show, why not make it your business this January? The price of your ticket depends on where and when you get it. If you are among the first 30 people to show up, you get in for a nifty €8. After that it’s €12.50 on the door and €10 if you book in advance.

Sherlock: The Final Problem – 15 January A special series four finale episode will be showing in the IMC with promised exclusive content for cinema-goers. Advanced booking is advised.

Open Mic Night – 15 January Do you have facing your fears a top resolution this year? The Róisín Dubh has its Open Mic night every Sunday and this year could be your time to shine! Admission is free and the doors open at 9 PM. Even if you’re completely untalented, it still sounds like a nice way to spend a casual Sunday evening.

Neil Delamere: Handstand – 17 January Neil Delamere is back to “talking to strangers in rooms for money” this month with a one night performance in the Town Hall Theatre. Tickets are €23 so if you’re a huge fan and you have some Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, why not go? You can book online at tht.ie.

Midwinter Festival: Prodigy – 20-22 January The Music for Galway’s 36th International Concert Season has child prodigies in mind for the beginning of 2017. Every piece of music composed will be written by someone at the age of eighteen or under. That’s quite impressive and if you have an interest in this particular area, it might be worth checking out. The Midwinter Festival spans three days with different performances for each. Take a look at the programme before booking. Tickets are €22/€18 from the Town Hall Theatre.

SIAMSAÍO CHT

Ones to watch this 2017 By Aileen O’Leary 2016 proved to be the year for break out stars such as Lily Rose Depp, Millie Bobby Brown, Brooklyn Beckham and more. It was also the year for ‘It’ girls like Kendall Jenner, Arianna Grande and Bella Hadid. If you are looking for the ones to watch in 2017 then look no further because yours truly has the rundown on the best newcomers in TV, film, music, fashion and sport. Here are five fresh faces to keep an eye out for in 2017.

TV: Sadie Sink The name not ringing any bells? Well, let me fill you in. The Texan is set to star in Stranger Things season two as a new character, Max, a tomboy with secrets of her own. While Netflix have not given us a definite date for season two, we do have episode titles, starting with ‘Mad Max’. The fourteen-year-old has starred in American Odyessey, The Americans and Unbreakable: Kimmy Schmidt. She is sure to bring some surprises to the show next season as we all wait for Netflix to release the next episodes in this sci-fi series.

Film: Ray Fisher Meet your new favourite superhero: Victor Stone aka Ray Fisher. The former stage actor is set to

make his first real jump from stage to silver screen this year with DC’s adaptation of Justice League, set to hit theatres by the end of 2017. Fisher is set to make his screen debut as Victor Stone/Cyborg in the DC Universe. After making a brief cameo in 2016 in the DC action film Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice as Victor Stone, he’s set to reprise his role in Justice League this year. This stage actor may not be Hollywood royalty yet, but 2017 might jumpstart Fisher’s screen career. Having received such a great response at their panel at Comic Con in 2016 there is significant hype surrounding this project with film geeks and comic nerds alike waiting for the latest instalment in the DC franchise.

already check out Noah’s Vevo page or you can listen to ‘Make Me (Cry)’ instantly on Apple Music or Spotify.

Music: Noah Cyrus

Sport: Gary Ringrose

Remember Miley’s baby sister? Well, she’s all grown up and releasing her own music. The youngest of the Cyrus clan sent shockwaves with her hit ‘Make Me (Cry)’ featuring Labrinth. The acoustic version has also been released over the holiday season, and her latest track ‘Almost Famous’, set to be released later in 2017, is racking up views on YouTube. Her voice is hauntingly similar to Miley’s, but with her own distinct style. If you haven’t heard it

BOD watch out - this 21 year old Dubliner is set to make an impact in 2017 having made his mark with the Irish squad scoring a try in the Ireland vs Australia game in November. While his international debut might seem premature considering Ringrose is less experienced than other members of the Irish squad, keep an eye out for this fastpaced midfielder. He might just fill the void left by Brian O’Driscoll and maybe we’ll be chanting Ringrose at the end of 2017.

Fashion: Stella Maxwell Sound familiar? Way back when Miley Cyrus and her now fiancé Liam Hemsworth were split up she was Miley’s rumoured girlfriend, rising to internet fame in 2015. While she has walked in runway shows for the likes of Balmain and Versace, the Victoria’s Secret angel is on the rise having gained a following of over two million on Instagram alone. You can catch her in Topshop’s holiday campaign or follow her social media accounts to stay up to date on the jetsetter’s life.

Dancing with the Stars preview By Aisling Bonner RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars shimmies onto our screens this month with the equal potential to either enhance or preclude the nation’s January Blues. Debuting merely weeks after an extremely successful series of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, the final of which racked up one of the biggest audiences of the show’s fourteen years, the spinoff will undoubtedly be scrutinised by the nation’s dedicated Strictly fans. Realistically, its success depends on how much RTÉ is willing to spend on the show, as a half-assed, cheapened attempt is destined for a flop. To avoid ending up in the Cemetery of Irish Spin-offs alongside The Great Irish Bake-Off and countless others, Dancing with the Stars has produced a semi-well-known cast, with a few notables sure to steal the limelight.

Katherine Lynch: Funny woman Lynch will be expected to provide the giggles of this series. We all know her as the crude but hilarious Bernie Walsh, but it will be interesting to see how she performs out of character. Lynch

definitely has the potential to go far in the Ed Balls category, but the pressure to provide the comedic element is very much on her, and could go against her.

Aoibhin Garrihy: Sure it wouldn’t be an RTÉ talent show without a Fair City takeover. Not the most familiar of faces, Garrihy is best known for her role as Neasa in Fair City. With a strong theatre background, the woman can perform in front of a crowd – a skill that tends to go in many celebrities’ favours. It is expected that Garrihy will be one of the show’s frontrunners so any slip-up could be costly.

Daryl Cronin: It equally wouldn’t be a talent show without a little bit of Louis Walsh tucked in. Daryl Cronin of boyband HomeTown is a definite ploy to attract a younger audience. Speaking of his experience dancing on stage, Daryl has said ballroom and Latin are a “totally different ball game”. If Westlife’s sit-on-chair-stand-up-from-chair routines are anything to go on, Cronin won’t have any drastic advantage over the others, although his age and performing experience should go in his favour.

Theresa Mannion: Flying the Galway flag, Theresa Mannion will be spotted on the dancefloor for what hopefully won’t be an unnecessary journey. The RTÉ Western reporter has shown she can have the craic with her response to that iconic news report that shot her to Internet fame. If she lets her personality show on the dancefloor she could become the people’s favourite.

Des Bishop: The most eager of the celebrity beavers, Bishop was the first contestant to confirm their part in the show. The Irish-American comedian is sure to take the competition seriously and will hopefully add a quirky dynamic to the show. Gaeilgóirí across the country will be hoping for his success along with a cúpla focail here and there. The above contestants will be joined by sports broadcaster Des Cahill, Operation Transformation’s Dr. Eva Orsmond, Big Brother’s Hughie Maughan, Kerry footballer Aidan O’Mahony, actress Denise McCormack and model Thalia Heffernan all vying for the glitter ball trophy, or whatever Irish equivalent that’s been concocted.

What it means to be famous By Grace Kiernan Kanye West was making headlines before he was taken away for psychiatric evaluation on 22 November 2016. On his Life of Pablo Tour, many audiences only heard one or two songs. He preached about politics, informing the world that he did not vote, but he would have chosen Trump if he did. This is the same man that said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” ten years ago. In Sacramento, he accused Jay-Z of having hit-men. “Don’t send killers at my head, bro,” he said, and mentioned other millionaires with whom he

had argued, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Taylor Swift. In his closing statement he said; “Get ready to have a field day, press. Get ready get ready because the show’s over.” Everyone has always seen Kanye as an enigma. What I see is a person struggling with his mental health. These frequent contradictions, the paranoia and volatile behaviour on stage point to the fact that Kanye is not stable. Not as a psychologist, just a pretentious journalist, I would argue that the ‘show’ Kanye referred to was not only the Life of Pablo tour, but the pretence that he was more than a human being. One can understand properly once we see him as a person rather than an act or a personality.

The problem with labelling celebrities as ‘them’ means that the public forget that superstars share some of the same problems that we do in our lives. These include rejection, insecurities and arguably on a larger and more publicised scale. Rumours about Kanye’s episode being related to the supposed breakdown of his marriage prove that we seek to have every kind of situation dramatised. Being famous in the year 2017 means that you can’t have a bad day; you can’t have an argument with your wife or go out wearing fat-man pants without being accused of having a breakdown. Then, when you do suffer with mental illness, or are grieving over your late mother it is labelled a publicity stunt. Because how could he be sad when he’s so famous?

22 A RT S & E N T E RTAIN M EN T

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

The Bridge of the Bridged Town By Martina Baldissera The first time I went to Cambridge, in July 2009, was an overlapped mingling of a dark, water-pouring, bleak-smelling evening and an open-skied morning when heat was sweet and made the cobblestone streets shimmer. The night was a square frame blurring with mildew at the sides, with over-inflated podgy slimy dense drops slowly streaming all down its edges, while in the background a slim tall charcoal-coloured concrete house stood, blending its contour with the raven-black surroundings, slanted by thin lianas of itching, needling, brisk elongated spits of rain, throbbing white with the intermitting reflection of the streetlamp’s dim attempt to pierce through them, and chillness even taking possession of the air we breathed inside the car. But I was minding all of this very little, because we were only a day away from Cambridge, and I would have walked where Stephen Hawking and Charles Darwin and Nick Drake had strolled. And what does my thirteen-year-old self send me back now, when I consult her about that whole day spent among Hinc lucem et pocula sacra? No durable image whatsoever. Floating up from those sunken recesses only a flash flickers, so fleetingly brief that it’s a visual sensation rather than a thought, but whose vivid substantiality makes up for everything else that crumbled apart. We must have been in the road just opposite from the King’s College, as in the right-hand side of the circular frame into which that day is now shaped I do remember a porridge-yellow, quaveringly imposing mass occupying a good one-third of my vision. An outstretch of bright green underneath, a neat blue one equally broad above, the shiny square pebbles of the street in the middle. On the left, at the sharp corner where two angled walls met, stood a tall, slender man wearing a short suede leather jacket, his upper body bowed on an acoustic guitar. His face resembled a dried plump, the head was bent and no blink of eyes leaked through from the strip of blackness cast down to his nose by a large-brimmed cowboy hat. And that melody, that song coughed out from those chapped lips was a withered whisper, dry, low, murky, an earthy croak zigzagging its way through the hurried excited tread of the crowd, melting in the warmth as soon as it left its shaded spring, like a hushed revelation offered to the ears of everyone but whose raw coarseness slid off on the glossiness of the refined cobblestone, engulfed in its noises and evaporating all around. That solitary, wilted creak tenderly erased the whole frame around: that’s why, when I envisage it, its edges are blunted; I also suppose because sweetness softened them to the point of melting.

My parents and my siblings barely noticed him, they were heading further ahead. Then, blackness, a zap! and that’s all Cambridge is to me. I went back there on November 20th 2016, to take part in the Cambridge Women’s Open Debating Competition with Kate and Nat from NUIG Lit&Deb Society, in a upsurge of enthusiasm that lured my dignity into believing that its self-value would have resulted unhurt from a verbal struggle against people who had been debating for years, while my knowledge of what “debating” even meant was gum-piercingly three months old. Slaughtering aside (but also, indeed, included) the best weekend ever had in months unfurled in those two afternoons. The morning after, Kate and Nat boarded their coach to Stansted Airport, leaving me, whose flight was in the evening, with the tasteful freedom of wandering around the town on my own. The puddles on the pavements reflected the lead-soaked sky, and after a failed attempt to get to the river canals, the historical centre bumped into me. The list of ghosts stalking those streets had grown over those seven years: I also saw Alan Turing now, and Bertrand Russell, Wittgenstein, Milton and Byron and Virginia Wolf, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes and Watson and Crick… and all was imbued with that joyful pulse of what is about to bloom. When the unexpected steeples of the honey-coloured King’s College imposed on my sight, my body was struggling to hold the grips of the shivering excitement I was trying to spoon-feed with control, but couldn’t extend its harness to my lips, which versed in a crystallised condition of asinine smiling. Under stinging cold I entered the rusty gate of a very small circle-shaped park, with a tall porphyry column in the middle and spots of withered brown scattered all around, heading towards one of the two wooden benches to eat the burrito I had stolen the night before from the box of those left uneaten on the Students’ Union’s catering table. There was a man in his, I’d have said, late sixties sitting with his back to me. Long, silky white hair, black leathered jacket, grunge jeans and long-brimmed hat: “Helloaryeah?” “Oh, you a student? Cool…this is a lovely place to live”. His voice is a light, clear waft, and exhales like a clattered chirp, calmly. Basmati rice and peppers are starting to brim over the drought and the tin foil. His eyes cheerfully sparkle on me and are grinning through an imperceptible cobweb of wrinkles and a sharp narrow smile. “It doesn’t sound like you’re from Italy at all! Ah, she’s from West London…yeah, you sound much more like you’re from there!”

Lost and found offices By Martina Baldissera Common sense I have forgotten it in a glass jar in the snow when I was ten What a good excuse to: lick snowflakes while they are falling, sniff a milk puddle up my nose before it’s dripping smell virgin book pages on the bus among bacteria and delays polish someone’s teeth with my tongue, searching their inter-gaps for unbrushed crumbled-inhabited cracks until the frozen white melts and everyone is free to forget theirs in the winter-freed grass.

“I’m a musician, got a rock band, we play almost every night in town.” “Yeah, I live here. I’m originally from London, but it’s been years since I moved to Cambridge, there’s my wife here too.” “The Swinging Sixties, yeah, I was right inside there back in my twenties…had got a job on the M1 as guardsman. One night, I was standing in my box, and Mick Jagger came and was dragged away by some bobbies because he had pissed

Reverberation By Martina Baldissera The thought stings me of what an extraordinary wonder it is to know that Shakespeare rounded his sight around my same moon The same swollen inflated void-staring whiteness whose lipless face hangs now pinned up above me eyed down on him too. That her lungless craters wandered into the width of his pupil too rippled the dilated shores of his eyelashes And that his dry noiseless skull enshrines the same memory now on the rails. Keith Richards was there too!” -he chuckles coughingly, his eyes shimmer looking ahead. The clouds have broken off in the meantime, the ticking drops rustle the lawn, getting plumper and plumper. The fabric of my trousers is completely heavy with water and my hat isn’t used to it enough to keep it from beading my eyelashes. We are there, talking, while the Victorian lodges peer on us and the barren trees eavesdrop on our re-joining. “Had really an awful good time”. He chuckles again and sticks a cigar behind his right ear. “I’ll have to go in a while…” “Oh, I’m DEIvD! MarTHinah…I know another Martina, she works in…”. His last words are muffled by the rubbing of his trousers as he raises from the bench. “Well, it was lovely talking to you”. He walks away without glancing back at me, slowly strutting towards the gate. “I’ll see you, David!” I shout. “Thank you!” I won’t let haziness dilute you away this time.

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

24 A RT S & E N T E RTAIN M EN T

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

DRAMSOC IN REVIEW

Léirmheas ar Rogue One: A Star Wars Story The Tempest Le Mícheál Óg Ó Fearraigh

Review by Aisling Bonner

Stiúrthóir: Gareth Edwards Aisteoirí: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker

The Tempest opened with what can only be described as an explosive 4D cinema-like experience with strobes, smoke and sounds that electrified the audience to attention. It was something unlike anything I’d experienced in a theatre before, completely immersive and intense – a real technical spectacle. How a production could reach its peak in the first thirty seconds, and retain this level throughout was a lesson director Róisín Eyres was about to teach the four audiences of this sell-out production. A story comprising of love, betrayal, family, and a sprinkling of magic, The Tempest is regarded as Shakespeare’s last play. When a boat becomes shipwrecked on an island, its passengers are met with the vengeance of the magician Prospero, the usurped Duke of Milan seeking revenge. Aided by the spirit Ariel, Prospero wreaks havoc amongst his shipwrecked usurpers and simultaneously drafts a love story for his daughter Miranda. With a cast of eighteen students, almost unheard of for a Dramsoc show, the interior of NUI Galway’s Bank of Ireland Theatre was completely renovated for this production. Facing the door through which they entered, the audience were seated in a U-shape around the new stage area, allowing the actors full use of the upper gantry and foyer area of the theatre. The many dimensions created by this bold staging greatly enhanced the production, and the action sprung up in places unknown, toying with the audience. The gantry above was draped with fishing nets and shells, and showed clever shadowprojections depending on the

Má tá suim agat i Star Wars beidh suim agat sa scannán seo. Ar an chéad dul síos tá sé tábhachtach a thuiscint go bhfuil an scannán Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ag tarlú i ré atá roimh Star Wars (1977)/ Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope agus tá sé bunaithe ar na ceannaircigh a mbíonn ag lorg na pleananna don ‘Death Star’. Sa scannán leanann muid Jyn Erso (Jones) a n-éarcaíonn na ceannaircigh le cuidiú leo na pleananna seo a fháil. Earcaíonn siad Jyn de bharr gur Galen Erso (Mikkelsen) a hathair, agus gur é an príomh-innealtóir ar an Death Star, agus measann siad go mbeidh sí ábalta an t-eolas a fháil uaidh. Tá dúil mhór agam sa choincheap a bhaineann leis an scannán seo agus tá súil agam go ndéanfaidh lucht Star Wars agus Disney níos mo scéalta mar seo sa todhchaí. Tá an scannán seo iontach suimiúil mar go dtaispeánann siad an cogadh a bhí ag dul ar aghaidh ag an am sin i gcruinne Star Wars; tá na carachtair uilig fíor shantach agus ag díriú isteach go hiomlán orthu féin. Chuala mé daoine ag rá nach dtagann athrú ar na carachtair ó thús go deireadh an scannáin agus nach bhfuil an fáth a ndéanann siad gnímh airithe iontach soiléir. Tuigim cén fáth a ndéarfadh daoine seo ach níor chur sé sin isteach ormsa agus bhí go leor suim agamsa iontu ó thús go deiridh. Tá an cliar iontach maith go háirithe Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Alan Tudyk agus Mads Mikkelsen, an t-aon locht atá air nó nach bhfaigheann siad go leor ama ar an scáileán. An rud is fearr fá dtaobh don scannán seo ná an comhrac: tá troideanna ar thránna, i lár cathracha agus amuigh sa spás, tá an troid amuigh sa spás ar an cheann is fearr a rinneadh i spás in aon sraith roimhe seo. Déanann an stiúrthóir Edwards obair iontach ag taispeáint an scála do chuile rud, tá cuma níos mo agus scáfara ar an ‘Death Star’ ná mar a bhí riamh. Fosta tá tú cinnte agus tú ag amharc ar an scannán go bhfuil na carachtair uilig i ndainséar agus go dtiocfadh le duine ar bith acu bás a fháil. Is cinnte go bhfuil an scannán seo níos fearr ná na réamhscéalta a tháinig amach idir 1999 agus 2005 agus níos fearr ná Return Of The Jedi ach ní shílim go bhfuil sé chomh maith le Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back nó Force Awakens ach is iadsan cuid de na scannáin ab fhearr liom riamh. Conclúid: Má tá suim agat i Star Wars agus scannáin cogaidh ba chóir go mbeadh suim agat sa scannán seo. 8/10.

scene. A large rock below worked well as the focal point of the set however, the unused kitchen setup in the corner seemed a little unnecessary and its presence was confusing at times. Visually delightful and incredibly creative, Clíodhna Hallissey and her costume department thoroughly outdid themselves with this show. With a wealth of fabrics, materials and colours, each costume stood out in its own way. The mermaid-like scales of Ariel, teamed with her cable-tie neckpiece and white and fishnet robes enhanced the mysteriousness of her character. Likewise, Prospero’s elaborate multi-coloured cloak, and lighting crystal staff added to his magic. Just as no costume disappointed, neither did its wearer. Extremely well-rehearsed, and with a noticeable understanding of their character, each cast member oozed energy, emotion and confidence. While all actors held their own on the stage, standout performances were aplenty. Gráinne White in the male role of Prospero commanded attention with her inspired facial expressions and gestures. Her perfect diction and convincing understanding of the words were consistent throughout, allowing her to fully embody her character. The audience loved her. Orla Tubridy playing the spirit Ariel also showed this consistency of character. Her unpredictable nature was enthralling as she went from manic cackling to silent focus, moving in slow-motion but with complete precision. Meadhbh Lyons and Oisín McDonagh in the roles of the weary drunkards Trinculo and Stephano provided the very welcome comic relief in the play with ease. By adding modern twists to their delivery, they cleverly appealed to the predominately student audience, leaving them

in convulsions. Their contrast to the lion-like monster Caliban, played by Charlotte Nate, gave an added dimension to these moments of comedy, as Nate provided a sinister element evoked through her captivating delivery and agility on stage. Delia Keane (Miranda), Davin McGowan (Ferdinand), Mark Fitzgerald (Sebastian) and Tomás Clayton (Antonio) also delivered noteworthy performances. Overall, it was an unbreakable cast and a testament to Eyres’ direction. In a production of this size, executed so smoothly, the most credit is deservedly due to director Róisín Eyres, aided by her stage manager, Niamh Ní Fhlatharta. The accumulation of lighting, sound, set, costumes and a tightknit cast was seamless and I had to constantly remind myself that it was student-run. The brave choice to ignore gender specifics in casting this play was pulled off unquestionably, and gave many characters an interesting quirk. With a number of sub-plots and complicated conspiracies, this storyline was difficult to follow, making the comedic moments even more welcome throughout. While some of the longer monologues provoked utter confusion, they were countered by some modern directional interpretations which brought the audience back on track. In the same way, Fergal Breen’s beautiful original score with its memorable recurring themes set the focus, and proved highly atmospheric. His music was just another welcome dimension to this well-rounded production. Dramsoc’s production of The Tempest was less a play than a theatrical experience, inviting the audience into its world. With its visual sublimity, stunning soundtrack and captivating acting, it truly was such stuff as dreams are made on.

Gee Whiz! Review by Saoirse Rafferty “Geeeeee WHIZ! Why not enjoy it with a cool and refreshing coca cola?” I admittedly cringed a tiny bit every time these corny lines were repeated throughout the play – but from the moment the lights shone on stage and I heard ‘Go Johnny Go’ by Chuck Berry I fell in love with the production written by MA student at NUI Galway, Alice Keane. At the beginning of this play I tried my best to be critical, but from the beginning of the play I loved it. I entered into a world of black and white, literally. The cast were spray painted grey and dressed in black and white; blending in to the stage set. I was amazed at how brilliant the characters were and how much effort must have been put into the production. Glasses of whipped cream were convincing enough to make me crave a milkshake, and the Jukebox added to the diner scene. The play was based in an American black and white 50’s television show called ‘Gee Whiz’, a world where characters must perfect the show re-runs for Gee Whiz, a world of constant routine. That is, until three Irish teens from a ‘colour’ television programme called Rollies (similar to English programme Skins), end up in the Gee Whiz TV station. The main character ‘Gee’ (Patrick Conneely) was the star of his own television show and did an outstanding performance in the play to portray his enormous ego. Anyone who has the ability to show and hold a range of facial emotions without blinking is definitely an actor. However, the star of this show was Katie Lernihan who played Linda. She was truly wonderful and nowhere near as annoying as Missy (Kate O’Mahony) who fainted

at the sound of the word ‘drink’. There was something brilliant that caught my eye about each unique character; whether it be the Author TV (authority of TV) played by Stephen Mc Ginty and Jack Fitzgerald, or Marty who loves milk (Oisin Mc Donagh) or even the ability for the audience to feel Missy’s irritating personality. The contrast between the Irish and American characters was overly exaggerated but quite humorous. Fist pumping vs Jiving, Rollies vs Milkshakes, colour vs non-colour, the list goes on. The audience loved it, with a small personal stage the actors really engaged with the audience. Alice Keane’s clever storyline reminded me of the hit Disney movie Wreck it Ralph, a film where characters have a similar ability to move from one screen to the next. A storyline that is definitely far easier on film than on stage. The play had hilarious inner monologues, punny jokes and a grumpy old hunchback man who mirrored a typical traditional elder. The facial expressions kept by Old Man Jenkins (Sean Harvey) were superb, I couldn’t help but laugh anytime I saw his face. The Irish characters made the play with the private jokes, constant cursing and idiotic statements that we could all relate to. However, there were hidden traits throughout the play that suggested it were made for a young modern audience; ‘dem hips doh’, ‘Got Milk?’ or even the mentioning of Game of Thrones. These were the jokes that made the audience laugh out loud, literally. This is a play about the importance of change, how sometimes trying something new is better than doing the same thing every day; even if you mess up in the process. The Irish teens give the Americans guidance and try to show them how there is a life outside of their television personas. As stated by the play writer Alice Keane, everything was definitely ‘exciting!’

SIN BOOK CLUB PREVIEW: 1984 by George Orwell By Sorcha O’Connor George Orwell’s 1984 is one of those books I’ve been advised to read many a-time. Orwell’s prophetic dystopian novel has been referenced to again and again in articles I’ve read – and of course, lent the name Big Brother to the well-known TV series. The book is set in the future, a future that apparently may be more likely than we care to believe - I remember a friend of mine telling me it was a must-read and how they had drawn so many comparisons from it on how we live our lives today; how perhaps we don’t

have Big Brother watching over us, but how we willingly give over our information and access to the mic and photos on our phones to download the latest apps. It sounded intriguing but somehow or other I just didn’t get around to reading it, and so it sat on my toread list till this Christmas - when someone finally did me the favour of giving me a copy. As I have mentioned, Orwell is imagining a future in which people’s every move is seen by Big Brother, who, to my understanding, is a governmental watchdog intruding in through a TV screen in every home. If

we cast our thoughts over our modern world, we can unfortunately compare this to the knowledge shared with us by Edward Snowden, who shed light on intrusions by the NSA onto civilians’ technological devices. It seems that foresight was a particularly strong suit of Orwell’s and I’m excited to get stuck into the novel. I’m also aware that the term “Thought Police” is from this book – and again it strikes me that this too may have been prophetic on the part of Orwell. I’m not fully sure exactly what the Thought Police are as of yet but I have to

admit the name alone reminds me of the ongoing battle for freedom of speech in our world today. Do you ever feel that you are being coerced into thinking a certain way by your peers, by online sources, by news outlets? It started happening me of late. Whether we like to believe it or not, most of the articles we click on our aimed at us through use of algorithms and it can in turn create an echo chamber of our news sources, when all we read are in line with our own beliefs. I could be way off with this theory, but it seems from the little knowledge I have from conversing with

friends, Thought Police are symbolic of this decline of thinking for ourselves in society today. I might be growing cynical, but there is only so many celebrity news stories a girl can take before you begin to wonder if there’s something amiss... Right. Enough from me. Come back in two weeks’ time when I am sure to have become even more cynical and disillusioned with the world. In the meantime why not pick up your own copy of this Orwellian classic and read along, and see if this highly esteemed work is all it is cracked up to be?

C U LT Ú R

January 10 2017

SIAMSAÍOCHT

THE GALWAY GAMER: New Year, New View By Eoghan Murphy The whole “new year, new you” thing has been done to death. There’s no denying that when January rolls around, many people throw themselves headlong into crazy diets or attempt to cut their vices out of their lives completely to a point where it almost feels a little bit clichéd. These training regimes are rarely fun, and so it comes as no surprise if they’ve fallen apart by Valentine’s Day. So, if it’s not newly constructed health and dietary choices that should take the lead for New Year’s resolutions, what should? How about something a little more relaxing and enjoyable? Video game players have an unbridled passion for their game of choice. They spend countless hours perfecting their art form and taking on other players from around the world to prove their worth. However, one of the great things about the video game community is just how vast it is. No matter what kind of player you may be, there’s always something there to appeal to you. Due to the sheer magnitude of titles that line the shelves of games stores, it’s easy to stick to one favoured genre or series and never venture outside of it. With that in mind, why not make 2017 the year of taking risks? Fighting game fans love the intensity of one on one combat. The idea of your character staring directly into the eyes of their opponent in an all or nothing fight to the finish is absolutely exhilarating. Possessing a selection of tricks

and traps, and pulling them off at just the right moment make franchises like Street Figher, Tekken and Mortal Kombat the juggernauts that they are. However, while waiting for Tekken 7 to arrive on consoles, why not check out a cult classic frisbee game from the mid 1990s? WindJammers is an intense, top town, stylised sports game featuring a selection of cartoonish beach-body stereotypes participating in a frisbee tossing tournament. While this may not sound too great on paper, the the result is fast, hectic gameplay requiring players to both outsmart their opponents and think on their feet in order to stay one step ahead of the game. To add to the simple mechanics of sprinting across the sand and performing dives, there are also a number or turbo-charged super moves which propel the frisbee in unusual patterned, ricocheting it off walls to plant it deep inside the opposition’s goal. WindJammers takes a lot of inspiration from classic fighting games and is now available to purchase on PS4’s PSN. On the other side of the spectrum, Dice’s latest first person shooter, Battlefield 1 has managed to breathe new life into a genre that was simply being smothered by over-saturation and yearly releases. Battlefield 1 took things back to basics by creating a multiplayer experience embedded in a stunning historical World War I aesthetic. Although it has reinvigorated the FPS scene, it’s still a regular military shooter. If you’d prefer something a little less

2017 and the Irish gigging scene By Heather Robinson

June: Bon Iver: Forbidden Fruit Festival 2017

This year is jammed with amazing gigs and June is shaping up to be a pricey month for concert junkies. Some of you might already have tickets for a couple of these shows (thank you mom and dad) but if you’re just getting started, then feast your eyes on this line up!

5 June in Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Tickets: €59.50 Musical wonder Lisa Hannigan is also playing at Forbidden Fruit that day, what a time to be alive!

January: Black Sabbath 20 January in the 3Arena, Dublin Tickets: €93.50 - €118.50 The heavy metal English band are coming to Dublin as part of The End tour.

February: Elbow 26 and 27 February: Olympia Theatre, Dublin Tickets: €58.50 - €64.50 These old faves are playing the Olympia in lieu of their new album ‘Old Fictions’ which will be released on 3 Feb 2017. If you miss these dates or they don’t work for you, never fear because Elbow will also be playing Live at the Marquee, Cork (21 June for €58.65)

May: Iron Maiden 6 May in the 3Arena, Dublin Tickets: €73.50 Know any Teenage Dirtbags who will go with you? #sorrynotsorry

June: Justin Bieber Live at the RDS Arena, Dublin on 21 June Tickets: Sold out Boy Wonder is wowing teenage girls in Ireland this summer. Look out for news headlines featuring crazed young people running around Dublin city.

June: Phil Collins: Not Dead Yet 25 June in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin Tickets: €114 - €144 “No woman can truly love a man who listens to Phil Collins” – Sing Street. I don’t know about that. But you should see him while he’s still alive.

know they’re playing in Ireland this summer. Time to get your skinny ties and eyeliner out.

28 June in Orneau, Belfast and 29 June in Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Tickets: €58.65 If you made it past American Idiot and still hold a flame for this punk band, you’ll be glad to

tried and tested household names. However, there’s also a chance that you could be missing out on some real gold. So this year, throw caution to the wind and experience some genres that you may have never considered before. You might find yourself with some new favourite games from a previously untapped source. 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

Heading to college, going home or

just looking for Pokémon?

June/July: The Coronas 30 June Live at the Marquee, Cork and 1 July at Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Tickets: €39.00 Everyone loves the Coronas, so get your ticket quickly!

August: Electric Picnic 31 August – 3 September in Stradbally, Co. Laois Some of the tickets have already sold out for the Family Campervan weekend and general sales have ceased for the present. But keep an eye out on Ticketmaster.ie for sale dates coming soon. Electric Picnic is the prize of the summer concert season.

Semptember: Red Hot Chili Peppers 20 and 21 September in the 3Arena, Dublin Tickets: €59.50 - €89.50

October: Emeli Sande June: Green Day, supported by Rancid

sane, then perhaps BulletStorm: Full Clip Edition would be more your speed. Originally released in 2011 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, BulletStorm saw a lukewarm reception. Being a complete break from the regular brown and gray drenched shooters of its time, BulletStorm brandished bright, tropical scenery complete with light blue waters and lush green natural environments. Although it sported staples of the genre, such as head shots and auto-healing, there was a huge emphasis on over the top combos and slow motion action. It featured totally outrageous kills and awarded the player for using their surroundings and their innovative use of weaponry. It took the old concept of Tony Hawk’s style score attack gameplay and mixed it with the fast paced FPS action of 90s’ classics such as Doom. These elements, complete with the game’s witty characters and hilarious single player campaign, made it an underrated gem of the last generation. Luckily, for those who missed it during its first outting, BulletStorm will be returning to consoles via Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in April of this year with a 4K release called BulletStorm: Full Clip Edition. To sweeten the deal, this time around the zany cast of gun toting characters will be joined by FPS’ original loud mouth, Duke Nukem. It would be easy to charge through 2017 enjoying your favourite video game franchises and never daring to reach outside of your comfort zone. There is a lot of fun to be had with the

27 October in the 3Arena, Dublin Tickets: €48.50 - €68.50

November: Little Mix 6 November in the 3Arena, Dublin and 7 and 8 November in the SSE Arena, Belfast Tickets: €140.00

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C U LT Ú R

January 10 2017

SIAMSAÍO CHT

An Elegy to the Fallen By Martina Baldissera We didn’t know what it was about to be unleashed when we wished each other a Happy 2016, while the 366-days-old chap was mockingly grinning in the shadows, waiting to lash its first whip on its people rocketing David Bowie up to his homeland on 11 January. Minnesota’s Prince made many purple tears to be shed on 21 April, followed seven month later by the shyly-smiling minstrel Leonard Cohen. The progressive-rock trinity of Emerson, Lake and Palmer found itself orphan of two of its angles, Keith Emerson (11 March) and Greg Lake (7 December), while one of the ambassadors of heavy metal, Lemmy Kilmister, dragged his band Motorhead down to the grave with him at the very eve of the year, on 28 December 2015, reflecting the event, in perfect ‘100% 2016’ style, of George Michael (author of ‘Last Christmas’) dying on Christmas Day. The list isn’t even in the least over. The Italian scholar and writer Umberto Eco (19 February), Munster Rugby player and trainer Anthony Foley (16 October), actor Alan Rickman (14 January), Cuban lider maximo Fidel Castro (25 November), boxer and social activist Muhammad Ali (3 June), actor and director (and maudlinly-grinning Willy Wonka meme) Gene

down, that’s what we need. Because stagnation turns the rippling waters into lime, because weeds prevent from looking down through the surface, and we can’t make out neither our reflected image nor anything else’s on it anymore. We may already know this, but we need constant, relentless reminding. We unceasingly need someone to have our finger vert in the direction that is right for us, even if we think we know where we are heading. Not a pattern to settle into, not a stereotype to epitomise, not a model to turn into, but an advisor to guide us and pierce the bubble we always tend to enshrine ourselves into, in search of comfort and reassuring lenses with which we are used to handle the world. These people are all examples of this needle, the pin necessary to burst our bubbles and use its constituent water to feed and grow something outside it, something worthier of nourishment. We need people like them to be unsettled, discomforted, challenged, shaken, questioned; and to absorb the notion that all of this is good, that moss grows on and stifles unrolling stones. These personalities somehow contributed to the definition of a series of patterns that set up the establishment itself, but they were more icons than constituted schemes -practical examples of liberation, not of conforming homo-

There is nothing noble or gentle in belittling yourself not to appear brash or overconfident: go out and say what you stand for. Maybe, that’s why we ultimately admire such personalities, because they blatantly, cheekily and uncompromisingly lived following principles we believe in but are too afraid to concretise. And so, when one of our spokesmen physically leaves the Earth, we feel those belief’s adversaries can count off an enemy, their side gaining ground, not held off by the aesthetic militancy that moulded our world for the best with their simple presence.

Why can’t we take on that heritage too? Why not finally be our David Bowie, our Muhammad Ali, our Anthony Foley? Why confine what they had been only to their evanescent ghost? Ghosts keep walking the Earth until their life accomplishments have reached completion, an action that they personally can’t embrace anymore. It is us who must reset the balance and pay that debt, even that revenge, only through making those ideals and credos stalk the streets again. Non-physical substance is not an excuse for substance not to exist at all.

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Wilder (29 August). When we were thinking that the forthcoming 2017 was close enough to scuttle 2016’s wornout nails away, stretching its arms out to take charge of and relieve us from its slaughtering predecessor, Carrie Fisher soared back up to her spaceship followed by her mother Debbie Reynolds right the following day (28 December). 2016 started with the multi-changeable Starman floating back to space and ended with Princess Leia re-joining her realm in the stars. The circle fittingly closed. It even looks like a plan, a disposed screenplay, an ‘all is accomplished’ scheme. What we really, unconsciously, look for is not something that may save us; we yearn for something that tears us into pieces. Being dismembered, disassembled, demolished, smashed

genisation. If we stood in the same room with any of one, an itching will of rushing home and rub off some of our pettiness would have seized us; why do we say that a particular personality “is born once in decades”? This calendar-long necrology reminds us this: to dare. Not to be the first to enchain our identity into some well-defined compartments. Not giving yourself away to please what, if followed, could give you comfort. Whatever you feel is good within yourself is worth expressing; clashing and contradiction is part of you being human. What inhabits your mind can be even more real than concreteness. Do not give credit of anything you act, think or say to anyone, or one day you’ll find yourself facing your consciousness alone and despise where you ended up. Let yourself be dismantled and reshaped.

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28 SP O RT

SIN Vol. 18 Issue 07

Eoghan Clifford – our sports person of the year By Darragh Berry

he Olympics and Paralympics are where heroes are made; Sonia O’ Sullivan, Katie Taylor, Michael McKillop, Jason Smyth and of late, the O’ Donovan brothers, Gary and Paul, and Annalise Murphy. They become immediately renowned throughout the country. To have a hero of that calibre in the same vicinity as your own gives a sense of pride to the community in which you belong, and students of NUI Galway couldn’t be prouder of our Paralympic champion, cyclist Eoghan Clifford. He had us pedalling in our seats in late September as the Civil Engineering lecturer raced for his country. He was competing in his first Paralympics but his success came as no surprise considering he began his para-cycling career in

winning fashion, chalking up gold and silver at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup in both 2015 and 2016 respectively. Adding to his heroism is the fact he has a hereditary muscular degenerative disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth which involves progressive loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation across various parts of the body. Student Independent News covered a story on Clifford and Patrick O’ Leary after their Paralympic glory which this reporter had the honour of covering. Clifford was facing the biggest race of his life as he headed into the 70km C1-3 road race in search of his second gold. He had just achieved his first in the Para-cycling C3 time trial but still gave up his time to speak to SIN. In that interview, he explained how he had approached the race differently to that of the C3 3000 metres Individual Pursuit in which he won a bronze medal. The characteristics of a true champion are to be humble in defeat and modest in victory and the fact that he critically analysed the race in which he won the gold medal and compared it to where he had gone wrong in the first race shows how much of a true champion he really is. Victory was never enough and he finished that interview confessing that already he was looking ahead to his final race. He was part of the five cyclists who broke away from the pack and were racing for a podium finish in the pulsating climax of the 70km C1-3 road race. However, 200 meters from the line, the chain on his

bike came off despite the athlete not changing gears at the time. He finished fifth overall in that contest. It was a heart-breaking end to the race as he felt he could have added another medal to his collection before he bowed out of the 2016 competition in Rio de Janeiro. Most, though, would agree that one gold and one bronze medal makes for a very nice collection already. Especially when you consider that the Irish champ achieved this feat while struggling with a knee injury as a result of his degenerative muscle disease. However, he decided to choose power over pain and this determination has propelled him over the line on many occasions. It was a delight to see his name on the list of nominees for RTE’s Sportsperson of the Year 2016. His name was bunched with an array of Ireland’s top sportsmen and women. All-Ireland-winning midfielder Brian Fenton, Olympic sailor Annalise Murphy and World Champion boxer Carl Frampton were a few of the names thrown in the mix but

they were overpowered by eventual winner Conor McGregor. The vote was decided by the public and even if you were oblivious to all sport, McGregor’s name is one that everyone is familiar with. One must keep in mind that Clifford has only been around the sport scene for the last two years. This was his debut Paralympics and you can be sure it won’t be his last. He may not have been voted as RTE’s best sportsperson but it is a long road. You can be sure to see his name on the nomination sheet in the future and if he continues to beat records and cycle races like he does, it won’t be long before he scoops up that award too. Eoghan Clifford’s Paralympic performance was the stuff of dreams. He is an inspiration to all of us especially those who have overcome struggles in life to find success, whatever that success or struggle may be. He may not have been RTE’s standout choice but one thing is for certain, he is most definitely ours.

Rating Galway United’s preparations for the 2017 LOI season By Trevor Murray It has been a long wait for the new League of Ireland season – almost 16 weeks will have passed by the time the opening fixture of the 2017 campaign takes place which is ridiculously longer than most other European leagues – and Galway United have been using the time wisely to get ready for a crack at improving on their ninth-place finish from the end of the previous term. So far, the groundwork is being laid rapidly and effectively to give the Tribesmen a firm platform from which to spring forward positively. Optimism is high that new manager Shane Keegan is a great choice to lead the team to a better position this time around, his commitment to playing intelligent, passing football will be a treat for Eamonn Deacy Park regulars who, although used to seeing effort and graft, are interested to see what the players can do with more of an emphasis on technique than they are normally used to. Mervue man Stephen Walsh has departed the club, but many of the club’s key players have resigned including Alex Byrne, Kevin Devaney, Gary Shanahan and Paul Sinnott so there is a strong contingent of regulars returning that should help the new guys gel in quicker and keep the tribalism lit. In particular, Byrne’s versatility as either full back or defensive midfielder will be crucial to Keegan’s philosophies being implemented effectively – transitioning the ball with fluidity is something that Byrne can do so fans should expect to see his accurate stylings become an essential cog in the United machine once again. In fact, although the loss of pass-master Ryan Connolly to Shamrock Rovers on a transfer is something most United supporters hated to see, Byrne has what it takes to pick up some of the former captain’s responsibilities. Plus, the Corribsiders have been busy on the market themselves with plenty of new faces coming through to add a dash of fresh blood. In particular, the arrival of Gavan Holohan from Cork City is a massive plus. The 25-year-old has plenty of experience as a creative midfielder for one of the best club sides in the country and his passing will prove crucial if the absence of the once influential Connolly is to be masked correctly. Moreover, the ex-City man was a part of a group

of players with the appetite for victory and silverware for a couple of seasons, something that United could perhaps do with more of, despite how unquestionable their work-rate always is. Arguably the most exciting player people should have their eyes on, though, is Mayo native Jesse Devers. Although the teenager will be familiar to die-hard United followers he only made seven appearances last season so he was very much a fringe performer under Tommy Dunne. However, there is real excitement from those in the know that Devers can really blossom in the coming months. Indeed, having played a crucial role in the team’s U19 success under Johnny Glynn with three goals as they reached a national final, it’s clear he possesses the work ethic to push on and impress a boss who loves to give youth a chance. After all, as Keegan was in charge of proceedings at Wexford Youths he had one of the youngest rosters in the League of Ireland available to him and has never made any secret of his desire to inject freshness and vitality to keep a squad on its toes – something that should excite promising starlet Conor Melody, too. Away from the pitch, the acquisition of Arsenal Academy strength and conditioning coach Johnny O’ Connor is an exciting development, as well as the decision to appoint first-team assistant manager Glynn as Head of Football Development at the club. All in all, there have been some huge strides been made by the Galway outfit in the off-season and it’s understandable that there is a renewed sense of hope back at the club. Europe might still be a big ask, but with three clubs relegated from the top tier at the end of the forthcoming season and plenty of other clubs beefing themselves up for what’s sure to be a close season, there are unlikely to be many easy matches – that said, United are refusing to allow a minute go to waste and are planning pragmatically, spending wisely and building their resources up. Preseason friendlies will reveal a lot more about Keegan’s version of the Tribesmen, but for now the fans should be happy in the knowledge that nobody has slacked off since the end of October and that desire to work hard should help them when the humps and bumps come over the busy nine-month competitive schedule to come.

January 10 2017

SPÓ IRT

Basketball triumphs at Freshers tournament

NUIG Mens and Ladies Basketball teams enjoyed double victories in the recent Fresher tournament in IT Carlow. The ladies recorded a convincing win over Cork IT, 26-50, to take the plate, while Megan O’Donnell was awarded MVP. The men also won emphatically 27-52 against UCD to take the cup. Eoin Rockall was awarded MVP for their campaign.

Clubs Day 2 TODAY!!! Kingfisher 10am to 5pm

Over 45 sports clubs / 6,000 students involved in clubs

NUI Galway first year student Aisling Joyce was recently selected as part of the junior team to travel to the European Cross Country Championships in Italy. Aisling competed very well at the championships and finished 55thh and fourth scorer on the Irish junior squad of six, who finished joint ninth team overall. Over the last several years, Aisling has built her way up to become a top athlete, and under the guidance of NUIG Athletics coach Matt Lockett, has gone from strength to strength. As Aisling progresses with her academic studies and her time at NUI Galway, our outlook for Athletics at Tokyo 2020, should not be seen as pessimistic.

The Mens’ Futsal League semester 2 kicks off on Monday January 16th at 8-10pm with a free blitz for all. The league itself will run for 8 weeks each Monday night in the sports hall, and sign up can be done online at otc.nuigalway.ie. Information will be provided at both the Clubs’ Day 2 and on the night of the first blitz. Teams are a squad of 8 players and costs €50 per team. Congratulations to last semesters winners “Haramber Leaf”, who triumphed after a great finals night of Futsal and were captained by Sean Lang of world Tennis fame. Congratulations also to the ladies Futsal winners, “Corrib Rangers” who beat a fine NUIG team in the final, and were captained by Carol Mannion.

NUI GALWAY STUDENTS’ UNION PRESENT

CHARITY CLIMB OF CROAGH PATRICK WITH NUI GALWAY MOUNTAINEERING CLUB

Dreapadh Chruach Phádraig Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn, OÉ Gaillimh Ar Mhaithe le Carthanachtaí i gcomhar le Club Sléibhteoireachta OÉ Gaillimh

Saturday 18th February 2017 Dé Sathairn an 18 Feabhra 2017 Sign up now in the Students’ Union Office and the Engineering Building Raise €40 (minimum) to take part Entry includes free t-shirt and return bus! All proceeds go to the SU Charities: The RNLI and Threshold THE CROAGH PATRICK CLIMB IS A FUN EVENT OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF OF ALL CAPABILITIES www.su.nuigalway.ie facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion twitter.com/NUIGSU www.su.nuigalway.ie

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SPÓIRT

January 10 2017

Best sporting moments of 2016 By Trevor Murray Most people couldn’t wait to turn their backs on 2016 - it wasn’t the best year, all things considered, but let’s not forget that there were some really positive highlights on the sporting scene. Let’s take a look.

When Ireland taught New Zealand a lesson

Standing by for 111 years might seem like too long a wait for anything, but just try telling that to Irish rugby fans in light of the country’s first-ever win over New Zealand when they emerged victorious on a score-line of 40-29 at Soldier Field last November. Everyone remembers where they were when Jamie Heaslip

put Robbie Henshaw in to score a win-clinching try that day just like they remember where they were when Brian O’ Driscoll grabbed a hat-trick against France back in 2000 - but this was much bigger than that, and will forever be referenced as the perfect way to win against the odds, through grit, mental fortitude and incredible resilience.

Leicester City’s fairytale Premier League win

At the beginning of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, if you thought that Leicester City might win the Premier League you were probably dreaming - but it was precisely the dare to dream that spurred the Foxes on to undoubtedly the greatest triumph in club

football. Fending off the challenges of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to clinch the league crown, Claudio Ranieri’s men were powered over the line by incredible feats of superhuman ability from Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante, in particular. This season is not panning out so well for the champions, but lifting the trophy in May, 2016 will always be remembered as an unlikely triumph of endeavour and skill.

Conor McGregor’s retribution against Nate Diaz

It was difficult for plenty of Conor McGregor’s fans to watch on as their hero got pummelled in the Notorious’ first bout against Nate Diaz back in early 2016, but when

he eventually returned to the octagon to take on the Stockton native, he seized his redemption with a glorious southpaw. The Irish superstar reached an all-time high when he claimed a majority decision over his opponent after a five-round slog to become the first dual-weight title holder in UFC history. To top it all off, he then went and dominated against Eddie Alvarez later the same year. No doubt, whoever he faces in 2017, McGregor will entertain and delight as he has always done.

The O’ Donovan brothers’ Olympic triumph

The whole country couldn’t help but delight in the wonderful brilliance of Gary and Paul O’

Donovan’s rowing win at Rio 2016, as well as appreciating the quotable post-race interview from their lightweight double skulls contest. It was an uplifting moment for the Skibbereen pair and it gave the Irish audience watching across the globe more than a few reasons to smile. Rowing might not be the most popular sport in the country, but it has gained a lot more interest since the two brothers made their mark on the biggest sporting stage imaginable with their hard work and infectious personalities. Irish sports fans pull together in support like nothing else when one of its athletes reaches for the stars, and they were pulling like dogs once the medals were handed out. Long live the O’ Donovans’ success.

Robbie Brady’s goal against Italy

Heading into the must-win Euro 2016 match against the Italians, the Republic of Ireland fans the length and breadth of the country were praying to the great god of Jack Charlton that a miracle would arrive, and when Robbie Bready rose to head home Wes Hoolahan’s cross late on, they were emphatically answered. It was an iconic moment that deserves to be remembered alongside Ray Houghton’s goal against England, Shane Long’s strike versus Germany and Jason McAteer’s stunner against the Netherlands. Although the Green Army were ultimately eliminated by France, Brady’s heroics made it all worthwhile. Roll on Russia 2018.

Ranking the worst sporting moments of 2016 By Michael Burke There were some real sporting highs this year – serving a nice distraction from the social and political upheaval that took hold of our newsfeeds. However, there were quite a number of lows, too. Let’s take a look at five of the worst.

Antoine Griezmann’s UEFA Champions League penalty miss: Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Winners and losers are separated by inches as Antoine Griezmann could painfully tell

us. With Atletico winning a penalty in the first half of Europe’s premier club competition against Real Madrid last May, a glorious chance awaited the Frenchman to draw level with their city rivals only to see his effort crack off the crossbar and bounce down the field. Atletico went on to lose the UCL final, their second in two years to Real, and it’s easy to imagine that the skillful Frenchman can’t help but think ‘what if’.

Pauric O’Mahony’s free in the All Ireland Hurling semi-final (replay): Kilkenny vs Waterford

No doubt, it was an unreal moment of nerve and skill by Eoin Murphy to stop it from going over the bar but for hurling lovers the length and breadth of the country they couldn’t help but sigh at the familiar sight of Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. Pauric O’ Mahony’s attempt for Waterford was accurate and about to lob over but low enough for Murphy to leap and catch it above the crossbar in a move that seemed to happen in slow motion. The Deisse’s quest for an All-Ireland was shattered as quickly as Murphy raced for the sideline with O’Mahony’s

sliotar firmly gripped in his hand.

Cristiano Ronaldo limping off in the European Championship final The teary-eyed image of Portugal’s captain being stretchered off in the opening minutes of last year’s Euro 2016 final against hosts France reflected the man’s pain of being unable to play his part for his country. It was an awful moment for football considering the final would be deprived of one of the all-time greats and, love him or hate him, that image of his departure said it all.

Thomas Barr’s 2016 Olympics fourth place, a half second too late

Cillian O’Connor miss vs Dublin: All Ireland Football Final (replay)

The University of Limerick student caught national attention by finishing as runner-up in the second heat of the 400 metre hurdles in a season best time of 48.93 and again in the semi-final by winning it and allowing the country to dream of glory. Although Thomas Barr completely surpassed expectation in reaching the final and even breaking the Irish record once again in it, he still finished fourth and only a half second too late for a bronze medal. It’s the small margins.

The country held its collective breath as Cillian O’Connor wound up his right foot that would kick Mayo into extra time thanks to a last minute free. We watched and sighed as it curled left and agonizingly, wide. In sitting rooms across the country (outside of Dublin) the familiar feeling that Mayo bottled it was probably tossed about in conversation while others blamed ‘the curse of 1951’. Whatever the reason, most couldn’t help but feel sorry for the athletes who sacrifice their time for the chance of glory, only to come up short and listen to the drivel that comes along with it.

Manchester United’s success right around the corner By Mark Lynch On St Stephen’s Day 2016, a familiar face lined up in the dugout opposite Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, as David Moyes’ Sunderland made the trip down for the 18th round of fixtures of this English Premier League season. The last time Moyes was managing a team at the league’s largest stadium, he was in the home dugout, presiding over a 4-1 victory for Manchester United against Aston Villa at the end of March 2014. It left his United team in seventh place, 15 points behind the league leaders at the time, Chelsea, coincidentally managed by current Red Devils boss, Jose Mourinho. United recorded a 3-1 win over Sunderland this Stephen’s Day and currently find themselves chasing the breakaway pack. Many of those who inhabit the Stretford End on a regular basis would say that twoand-a-half years of progress since

the last time they saw Moyes in an Old Trafford dugout should be much more than it has been. However, as all fans of the red side of Manchester know, the intermittent 33 months have been far from a steady progression. Dutch enigma Louis van Gaal held the famed office for the past two seasons, but a disillusionment with tactics and transfers led to his dismissal at the end of the previous campaign. It was at this point that Mourinho, held up as the definition of a winner, was appointed and given a sizeable transfer and wage budget with the aim of getting United back to where they have been for the majority of the last two decades – perched atop the Premier League table. This season had more anticipation for United fans than any since Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, with a reinvigorated first team and, on paper, their strongest squad in years. Statement signings right

through the spine of the team had been cited as necessary for years and this was the summer that delivered them: Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Mkhitaryan, were all seen as signings who would immediately impact the team in a drive for some badly needed success in the short-term. However, with over half of the season’s league games played, almost all have accepted that United’s title hopes are over, while securing UEFA Champions League football is already proving a big challenge. That said, Mourinho’s side are finding form. Ibrahimovic is coming into his own, with five goals in five games for December, finally showing the match-winning form that inspired United’s board to basically write an open cheque to the then 34-year-old. The defence no longer looks likely to start costing the team points, to the extent that the ‘Spe-

cial One’ has decided not to bid for Benfica defender Victor Lindelof in January. The loss of Bailly to the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast for up to three weeks will also be felt less due to the improvement at the back, although one doubts anybody would have foreseen defensive solidity coming from the pairing of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo, the latter some maintain should still be banned for a certain tackle put in against Everton at the start of December. Undeniably, United got lucky with that one, as they did 13 days later against West Bromwich Albion, when Ibrahimovic could well have been sent off for a challenge on Chris Brunt. If there’s one thing United need right now, it’s their supremely skilled Swedish striker, whose double figures in the league is the best in the squad. On the goal-scoring front United’s midfield is lacking, but the trio of Michael Carrick,

Ander Herrera and the aforementioned Pogba have been essential to the Red Devils finding their feet. Mkhitaryan’s rapid rise from serial unused substitute to regular starter has also improved the side on the pitch while increasing the level of competition among attackers. Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were all in the 18-man squad against Sunderland, and that’s not even mentioning Memphis Depay and club captain Wayne Rooney. This strength in depth is sure to come in handy if United progress from their UEFA Europa League last-32 tie against St. Etienne in February, added to by the EFL Cup semi-final legs and potential FA Cup progression. The recent resurgence of Mourinho’s Manchester United has to be respected. Unbeaten in the league since their harrowing loss at Stamford Bridge against Antonio Conte’s charges in October, a continuation of this form should see Old Trafford

turn back into the intimidating fortress it once was and turn United themselves into a similar side to the one that ruled the roost under Sir Alex. That factor has become lost over the intervening few years since he left, but is gradually being built back up. At this stage closing the gap on Chelsea looks like an impossible task, but given they’re just a handful of points behind Arsenal in fourth, United should be there or thereabouts when it comes to the Champions League places this season, if they continue this current form. Lest we forget that when Mourinho rejoined Chelsea in 2013, he took two seasons to deliver a league title, don’t be surprised if he keeps that record up in Manchester. This year is almost definitely too soon for first place, but Stretford End residents may finally be seeing the steady progress that they’ve craved for years.

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