SIN Vol. 19 Issue 07 by SIN Newspaper University of Galway

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.19 Issue 7. 23 JAN 2017

Student Independent News New NUI Galway president “banging the drum” for more thirdlevel funding By Sorcha O’Connor

Co-auditors of NUI Galway Sláinte Society Liezel Ravenscroft and Sally Cahill ready to treat their cuddly patients.

NO PICNIC – but a doctor’s appointment for 1300 unwell teddy bears By Martha Brennan Over 1300 teddy bears that had their stuffing knocked out of them were treated at the annual NUI Galway Teddy Bear Hospital on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 January. Organised by NUI Galway’s Slainte Society who spent nearly a year preparing for this year’s event, children from over 28 schools across the county presented at the A&E department set up in the Bailey Allen Hall. Nearly 350 student volunteers from various courses gathered to treat the children’s poorly furry friends, while helping them understand the healthcare system and teaching them to be less afraid of hospitals and doctors’ offices. With appointments from 10am-1pm each day, the con-

cerned children were taken to the waiting room to await their visit to the consultation area, where they were greeted by their personally assigned Teddy Doctor. The children were encouraged to hold Teddy’s hand and were rewarded for minding their stuffed friend. Teddy may have needed an injection, a plaster, or perhaps even an elaborate ‘pawscription’ from the inhouse pharmacy, supplied with healthy fresh fruit from Fyffe’s and Burke’s Fruit and Veg – who sponsored the event alongside the Medical Protection Society of Ireland. The doctor explained to the child exactly what was wrong with Teddy and what needed to be done to fix him, be it a broken paw, a sore tummy or even a broken heart. The children

could even listen to Teddy’s heartbeat with their doctor’s stethoscope. The doctor then brought Teddy for an x-ray in the handmade machines and fixed him up. The relieved children got to enjoy face-painting and a bouncing castle to finish up the day. Co-auditor of Slainte Society Liezel Ravenscroft said that while the planning for the event may be a massive undertaking, it was always worth it. “Even though we’ve been planning for this since last year and the few days leading up to the event can be hectic, there’s nothing like seeing the belief and amazement in the kids eyes,” she told SIN. “It’s brilliant, it’s not a very realistic setting but even the older kids get so involved. It helps kids get used to the idea

of healthcare and to know that doctors are there to help and hospitals don’t need to be a scary place. It also really helps parents especially if their kids ever need to go to the hospital.” On the night before the event over one hundred volunteers helped set up the Bailey Allen performing various duties such as setting up the tin foil x-ray machines or drawing chalk x-rays. “It’s great to get involved in and it’s not just for medical students, it’s for anyone that likes to help kids and we’re lucky to have such great sponsors every year and willing volunteers,” Liezel said. “Every year we see how much more we can push it, trying to get it bigger and better. We’ll start planning next year’s event straight away.”

New NUI Galway President Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh believes that Ireland is “selling students short” by not investing enough into third-level education. The former Dean of UCD College of Business commenced his term as President this semester and told SIN that he is “banging the drum” for more funding for Irish universities, rather than focusing on ongoing debate on the cost of university fees. His predecessor Dr James Browne was in favour of a loan system for students and deemed the idea of “free” or subsidised fees as “naïve”, while USI organised a protest against the introduction of student loans in October last year. “I am inclined to think that the issue is funding if we talk about fees … if we think universities are important for society, which they are, then they need to be properly funded. On an international level, universities here are less funded and therefore I think we are selling students short. Compared to other universities that we are internationally competing with I think we should be fair to the current generation and invest in the future,” said Professor Ó hÓgartaigh. “I don’t know if fees are the answer because I think there are other ways such as state funding, which is done in other countries internationally, philanthropy, and other means.” “I’m not necessarily banging the drum for fees – I’m banging the drum for better funding. And I think students have been quite vocal here on the issue. “ He questioned whether graduates had a role to play in funding current students, as a

Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh means of repaying institutions for the education they received. “I am struck by the idea that there has been twenty years of university graduates out there … how will that group of people pay back, as undoubtedly university gives you better opportunity for employment and better earning opportunities. And I think that is another question, how do that group pay back to the university, through philanthropy or otherwise?” he said. The new university chief was very positive regarding the progress made in the institution regarding gender equality, saying current policies in NUI Galway were “more proactive than any other institution I have been in before.” Pressed on whether gender quotas were a fair system to have in place, he said he believed that a quota was a short-term corrective measure to “change mentalities” and did not put gender before merit. He also pointed out that in the last round of promotion in the university, 58pc of promotions to senior lecturer had gone to female staff members. Continued on page 2

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SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

New NUI Galway president “banging the drum” for more third-level funding Continued from page 1 “I think the system is based on merit, by its nature you will have equal opportunities for men and women. Quotas are sometimes necessary to change mentalities, so very often when people are going through a process thinking of a quota they are mindful of it,” he said. “My own sense is, if you have open competition, that there is merit across the university in different backgrounds and different genders, and ultimately that will come to the fore so there isn’t any distinction or necessarily any inconsistency between merit and equality.” Diversity and internationality were other key components of Prof Ó hÓgartaigh’s vision for his term in office, and he said that he would be encouraging the notion that not only diversity but respect was very important for the university to be at its best.

“One of the things I’m thinking about for the conversation when meeting the students council on Monday, is the notion of diversity being very important – the diverse voice, diverse perspectives, that is what characterises a university, and NUI Galway in particular with its setting in Galway, a very diverse place,” he said. “So I would say diverse voices and perspectives are important; we may not always agree with each other but the other side of that is respect is also important, respectful debate and respecting each other’s views.” Ultimately he envisions international acclaim for the university, as well as a growth in popularity for the university among international students. He said the main focus for him was answering the question of why someone from “Boston, Beijing, or Ballina” would come to Galway to study, explaining

that the city offers many opportunities for its students including MedTech, the cultural aspect of Galway, and in the IT and Environmental sectors. However, no stranger to NUI Galway as a former student of the university and a fluent Irish-speaker, he was also aware of how integral the Irish language was to life on campus, saying he wants Galway to become the go-to place to learn the language due to the city’s strong Irishspeaking community and “cultural richness”. “The Irish language is a strength that we have, and Galway should be the place to go to study Irish and Irish studies, internationally and not just in Ireland,” he said. And for anyone hoping to see more of the man in charge, Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said if there are ways that he can engage with students “in seminars or events that are ongoing”, he would be “very pleased to do so”.

NO PICNIC –Sláinte Soc's Annual Teddy Bear Hospital

Children show the results of their Teddies' x-rays at the Teddy Bear Hospital last week.

Welcome! It’s that time again, when everyone is back for another semester here on our Corribside campus, settling back after the festive period and catching up with friends, restarting lectures, and signing up for new and exciting activities for the months ahead. There’s something really nice about the clean slate ahead of us for the next 12 weeks. There is so much to look forward to between now and the end of our time here in Galway for this term – there is sure to be some exciting political debates going on, plenty of interesting guests visiting the college, and of course, the usual fun with society balls, the main GUMS performance of the Producers, and the mad dash for library seats lead up to summer exams. However for now that’s all well into the future – let’s talk in the present tense about what you can look forward to in this the seventh issue of Student Independent News for 2017/18! In true New Year style we are celebrating new beginnings this issue, as this fortnight we catch up with a major new figure on campus, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, the man taking over the reigns from Dr James Browne as President of NUI Galway. We are wishing him the very best of luck at the helm of this fine institute. Read on to learn more about his vision for his new role and the university as a whole. These pages will also hopefully help you with sticking to your New Year’s resolutions (if you haven’t already packed them in!) If you are in need of some motivation, our writers were lucky enough to talk to some very inspirational and NUI Galway affiliated young people this issue. Martha Brennan was fortunate enough to speak to All-Ireland winning Galway hurler Conor Whelan. This young man not only has an All-Ireland win under his belt, but plenty of wise words when it comes to minding your mental health and keeping yourself in a positive mindset – something we can all do with when overcome by a bout of the January Blues! He talks the big win last September and how he is finding life now studying for a masters, as well as dealing with loss and defeat in life and on the pitch.

Niamh O’Sullivan is an alumnus student who spread her wings stateside after finishing up her time here in the west. She worked for two years in the Big Apple and knows a thing or three about the many-faceted (and often many-filtered) world of social media. This Kildare girl is no phoney however, and she keeps it real for followers of her health and lifestyle blog Cinnamon Soul. Our Lifestyle editor Amy McMahon chatted to Niamh about blogging on top of working full-time in New York, her plans for her new YouTube channel, and about raising awareness for septicaemia, something very close to the lovely Niamh’s heart as her dad had a brush with this life-threatening blood infection. Two other women doing it for themselves are NUI Galway student Isabelle Keane and big sister Ailbhe, the Taylor’s Hill duo behind company Izzy Wheels, designers and providers of fashionable and personalised wheelchair spoke covers. The enigmatic and bubbly sisters have even appeared on RTÉ’s the Late Late Show, so SIN’s Aine Kenny was delighted to get to learn more from the sisters about their entrepreneurial experience so far and what their hopes and dreams for their creative and colourful business are. If that’s not enough for you, we have opinions, fashion advice, and sporting previews and analysis a-plenty. It’s also KakeMeUp’s last ever SIN tutorial so be sure to flick on if you’ve been a fan of her makeup tips and tricks last semester. However don’t fret beauty and fashion lovers, Brig Fox is going to be back from her travels abroad and now that her Erasmus Diary has come to an end, she’ll be bringing some of her fashionista side out on the pages of SIN soon – so watch this space. One more thing to look out for this year is much more activity from us here at SIN online. Be sure to like our Facebook page Student Independent News NUI Galway and give us a follow on Twitter too @SIN_NUIG. You can visit our website directly too, sin.ie. If you want to join in on all things journalism with us, be sure to join us at our meetings in the Journalism Suite located in the Arts Millennium Building at 6pm every Monday. I’ll leave it there for this fortnight, enjoy and hope everyone has a great start to Semester Two,

Sorcha.

N UAC H T

January 23 2017 FEATURES EDITORIAL: CONNELL MCHUGH 2017 has come and gone in what seems like just a few short months. For many it was a year to remember and for others it was one to forget quickly. This issue we have teamed up with our news reporters to bring you the best of News and Features from around campus. We’ve a piece by Owen Kennedy which gives us some reasons for us to remember last year in a positive light. No point in going into 2018 negatively, right? Grace Kieran serves us some home truths about new year’s resolutions and some reasons why they don’t work out for most people. If you’re wondering how to secure placements and internships for the summer, we’ve got you covered. There’s plenty to read in the whole paper. Be sure to pick it up every fortnight, and have a great 2018!

OPINION EDITORIAL: TEODORA BANDUT We did it. We survived 2017 and have ploughed into a year that’s set to be one to remember. Here in the Opinion section, we start the year as we mean to go on and bring you some top quality ruminations to spark your own. This issue, we have our ear to the ground on our very campus regarding a very important topic for students, student fees. Thomas Creamer dissects the opinion of former NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne to flesh out whether or not “free fees” are the best option for third-level students. Eoin Molloy casts an eye over the past decade, this year being the tenth anniversary of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Seeing so many engagement announcements and wedding ceremonies across her Instagram feed during the festive season, Amy McMahon also has her say on marriage in modern times. Mark Laherty tackles a hot topic at the moment by giving his views on how best to solve the pay gap epidemic between actors and actresses in Hollywood. Here’s to a great first fortnight back on campus, I hope you’ve all had a great break and are as excited as I am for this semester!

FASHION & LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL: AMY McMAHON Trying to avoid as many clichés as possible, we’re starting afresh at SIN and excited for what the new year will bring - more views, insights and opinions to share and, hopefully, more great articles for you all to enjoy. Head over to our Fashion & Lifestyle section for helpful tips and tricks to revamp your wardrobe, courtesy of Aileen O’Leary. Áine Kenny talks us through her advice for healthy eating and exercising to make the most of your New Year’s

resolutions. Our final tutorial by the ever inspiring and beauty-ful Kake Me Up is a must read this issue. You can also check out my interview with fashion and lifestyle blogger Niamh O’Sullivan in the News & Features section. There’s lots to read - so grab a cup of tea, get comfy and enjoy!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL: MICHAEL GLYNN Hey guys we’re back and it’s your faithful, ever-loving Arts and Entertainment editor Michael Glynn here, and this may be our most jam-packed entertainment section we’ve had this year. The whole team pulled together and really churned out some quality content for this issue. Leading the line, we have an interview with local NUI Galway band TWOS. We have a tribute to the legendary Dolores O’Riordan who passed away suddenly on 15 January. Aoife O’Donoghue looks at writer Louise O’Neill’s upcoming novel Almost Love and what fans of the Asking For It might expect from her new release. To ease you back into the torture that is the college semester we also have the top TV shows you need to keep an eye on in 2018. To combat the torrent of horrible news about celebrities in 2017 we’ve also got an article full of uplifting celebrity stories to remind ourselves that they have as many embarrassing or emotional moments as anyone else! Hope you enjoy.

SPORTS EDITORIAL: GRAHAM GILLESPIE Hello everybody, and welcome back to college after the Christmas break. 2018 looks set to be a packed year of sport both locally and internationally, and this issue of Sin has plenty of articles discussing what the future might hold. Gary Elbert in this issue previews what 2018 has in store for Irish boxing and MMA. Meanwhile, I focus on what the business end of the college GAA season might hold for the various NUI Galway teams, as well as giving a general preview of the 2018 sporting year. Finally Mark Lynch has two excellent pieces in this issue, one analysing whether English football should have winter break, and another discussing should Ireland pick Leinster starlet Jordan Larmour for the forthcoming Six Nations. As always if you want to get involved in SIN don’t hesitate in contacting me via email sport.sined@ gmail.com. Hope you all enjoy this issue.

GNÉ -ALTANNA

INSIDE Izzy Wheels – If you can’t stand up, stand out

How to be a better writer

“Never get too high when you win and never get too low when you lose,” says All-Star Conor

Blogger Niamh O’Sullivan helping to raise sepsis awareness 7 EIL Travel Scholarship: “Just go for it... You won’t regret it” 9 New year, new me… sort of

Hollywood’s pay gap and how to fix it

A wise man in times of peace prepares for war: lessons learned from a decade of recession

Forever 21 to shut only Irish store

What a low-fad diet could do for you

Styled by the Stars: Aquarius

The TV shows to look out for in 2018

FILM REVIEWS: Pitch Perfect 3 & Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Uplifting celebrity stories to cleanse your palate

A tribute to Dolores O’Riordan

NUI Galway teams primed for new season

Hectic 2018 ahead in sport

Irish fighting in 2018: a preview

EDITOR: Sorcha O’Connor editor.sin@gmail.com LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves

An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat? Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir chuig editor@sin.ie.

Find us online: www.sin.ie

4 NE WS & F E AT U R ES Students advised to tackle the flu at home

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

Izzy Wheels

Designs by Kim Sielbeck

By Roisin McManus Coughing into a tissue, binning it and washing your hands is the key flu-busting advice that still rings true when it comes to this year’s strain of flu – “Aussie” flu, so-called as it was the strain that broke out Down Under during their winter and since made tracks to the Northern Hemisphere. While manuka honey and flu-fighting juices are all the rage, SIN asked on-campus chemist Matt O’Flaherty’s what the best approach for students who feel under the weather to tackle their flu-ey symptoms. They advised students to “stay at home” if they begin to feel unwell as the current strain of flu “is serious and is a lot worse than the common cold”. They recommended that students who believe they may have come down with flu should take “a high dose of vitamin C and zinc”. For symptoms including fever and muscle ache, they encourage the use of paracetamol, fever control, and ibuprofen products. Symptoms can be eased by asking the chemist for over-the-counter treatments. They also insist on “plenty of hand-washing and applying alcohol hand gel”, even carrying the latter with you on-the-go would also prove beneficial. Coughing into an elbow is better than spluttering on top of other people and potentially passing on the virus to them. Ac c o rd i n g t o u n d e r theweather.ie, flu is a “severe virus that comes on suddenly”. Antibiotics do nothing to help the flu, so the advice is to hit the bed and drink plenty of water to replace what is lost through sweating and with a runny nose. Within 1-2 days, symptoms like sore throat, fever and muscle ache will develop so drinking plenty of fluids and resting is very important. A typical bout of flu lasts 5-8 days before there are any signs of improvement. However, a leftover cough and all over tiredness in the body may continue for the next two or three weeks.

– If you can’t stand up, stand out By Áine Kenny Izzy Wheels is a company set up by Ailbhe and Izzy Keane, two sisters from Taylor’s Hill, Galway City. Izzy is a 20 year-old student currently studying in NUI Galway who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. Ailbhe is her older sister who graduated with a 1.1 from National College of Art and Design who started Izzy Wheels as her final year project. Izzy Wheels designs covers for wheelchair wheels, costing €139 for a pair. The covers are exquisitely designed by artists. Recently, Izzy Wheels did a collaboration with Orla Kiely. A percentage of all sales go to disability charities in Ireland. Both Ailbhe and Izzy have

Design by Brosmind

appeared on RTE’s The Late Late show and The Today Show to promote the business. SIN caught up with the sisters to find out what gave them the idea for Izzy Wheels and what their plans for the future are. “When I was in my final year in NCAD I was inspired by a brief which asked me to ‘empower the lives of people living with long term lifestyle related health conditions’,” explained Ailbhe. “Decorating my sister’s wheels has been something we have been doing for years. I decided to dedicate my final year of college to transforming wheelchairs into works of art. I created decorative wheel covers for my sisters chair that matched her outfits and her personality,” she continued.

“In art college, I really learned the importance of attention to detail. Within a few weeks of finishing college in June 2016, I was approached by Enterprise Ireland who really believed in me and my idea. They gave me entrepreneurial training, funding and office space. They helped me turn our project into a business that we could scale.” Izzy wants to challenge people’s perception of wheelchairs and she believes Izzy Wheels help to do this. “I think the biggest misconception that people have about wheelchairs is that they stop a person from being able to do things. My wheelchair does not disable me, it enables me to do so, so much!” she told SIN. “Izzy Wheels allows wheel-

Design by Kim Sielbeck chair users to portray their wheelchairs as something positive to everyone they meet, and they can use their wheelchairs to express their individual personalities,” Izzy added. “We want to break down the stigma with wheelchairs. We want to encourage people with disabilities to embrace the things which make them different. We are giving wheelchair users the freedom to express themselves in a new and unique way.” Izzy studies French, Sociology and Political Science in NUI Galway and is full of praise for the accessibility of the campus. “The campus is literally the most accessible place I have ever been! It’s brilliant!” she said. Ailbhe and Izzy feel that their bond as sisters helped the company grow. “We have always been really close and have spent a

lot of time together so when we started the business we didn’t have to overcome the stumbling block of not feeling comfortable approaching each other with different ideas,” said Izzy. Izzy Wheels has gone from strength to strength, and are hoping to grow more and more into the future. “We are the winners of 7 national awards, we are selling our product in 30 countries, we have collaborated with 25 world famous artists, our video has been viewed over 15 million times and we have been featured in some of the worlds biggest media outlets including Instagram official, Adobe, Insider and TechCrunch,” said Ailbhe. It’s clear that Izzy Wheels will only grow into a bigger and even better company, making a positive impact on society by breaking down the stigma associated with disabilities.

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January 23 2017

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How to be a better writer on an issue, backed up by research and evidence, in an effort to persuade others that your opinion is correct. Different subject areas will generally have a tendency towards a certain mode of discourse. A personal response to a text may be commonplace in English Literature, whereas Science may more often require a summary of facts. Get comfortable with these key phrases and what they mean, and use them to inform the rest of your research and writing process. Having figured out what approach is needed, you can turn to researching and finding resources. It can be easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of books, journal articles and other resources available to you, so it’s essential to maintain your focus on exactly what the assignment is asking you to do.

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It’s fair to say, 2017 has been a tough year. From Trump to Brexit, gun deaths to hurricanes, terrorism to North Korea, it’s been quite the rollercoaster of a year. But if you look closely, 2017 has been an amazing year for so many other reasons. Some of the most majestic animals in the world are no longer endangered, like humpback whales, snow leopards and giant pandas. In March, China banned the domestic ivory trade, saving the lives of over 200,000 elephants a year. It was a year full of heroes, and while tragedy cloaked their efforts, we have to remember the fire-fighters who tackled the blaze at Grenfell in which 71 people lost their lives. On a lighter note in November, an anonymous legend took Trump off Twitter for eleven glorious minutes. There’s been a multitude of scientific breakthroughs. Astronomers found seven new Earth-like planets. Some Dutch scientists may have found a way to reverse aging. Plus, we made huge progress in robotics. Across the globe, equality took huge strides forwards. Trump’s transgender laws were blocked by the federal courts. In May, Emmanuel Macron defeated the French National Front, beating

Marie Le Pen at the polls. In September, we were introduced to Julia, the first autistic Sesame Street character. And Australia voted to legalise gay marriage. In sport, there was loads to celebrate. Charges were finally brought in the Hillsborough case, Ireland defeated all three of their opponents in the test-series and we were honoured to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup. 2017 was also a massive year for women’s rights. Nike created a sports hijab for Muslim women. The Women’s March in America saw the States’ biggest protest in their history. Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women driving. And TIME magazine celebrated the bravery of the women who spoke out against sex offenders. Brilliant things are happening every day. The hole in the ozone layer is getting smaller. The British government have planned to plant 73 million new trees in the Amazon Rainforest. We’re on the verge of wiping out polio forever. So, although there have been the downs of the past year which may have been particularly bad, the ups almost break through them and show how great we’ve made our planet and society. We should firmly believe that we’re going into 2018 on a positive note.

By Owen Kennedy

Why 2017 was actually not so bad

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thesis statement for your essay, another area of academic writing that I’ll deal with in detail in a later column. At this stage of the writing process, you may not yet have typed a single word and that is perfectly okay. What you have done, is set yourself up for a successful and worthwhile writing experience by allowing yourself the time to stop and think about the task at hand.

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One of the most important things to learn about writing, whether academic or otherwise, is that it is a process. It’s almost impossible to just sit down, write in one session and walk away from it. Furthermore, the process begins long before you actually start to type. The time before you start to write your paper can be called ‘pre-writing’ and it entails the research, reflection and planning necessary for your assignment. Thinking about and reflecting on the assignment you have been tasked with is essential.

The Writing Process – how do you begin to write?

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While searching for resources, think about academics your lecturer may have mentioned in class and search for their work. Furthermore, lecturers will often include a supplementary reading list in addition to the required readings. Another method is to look to the cited works within the chapters of your textbook. This ensures that the sources are credible and relevant to your subject. Constantly keep notes as you read and research, keeping track of page numbers as you go – this will make citation much easier at the later stage of the writing process. Try to write notes in your own words rather than copied verbatim, as this will help you to process the information and form your own ideas around it. As you read, you may find a certain idea or strand of thought continually emerges. Again, keep note of this, as it may later help to form the

This column is here to help the students of NUI Galway with all aspects of academic writing. Writing for academic purposes is an essential student skill, yet for many, it is a daunting task. Run in conjunction with the Academic Writing Centre (AWC) at the James Hardiman Library, the column will focus on a different aspect of the writing process every issue, giving advice, sharing ideas and hopefully easing the burden of assignments. You can find me in the AWC every Wednesday from 11-1 for one-toone tutoring.

When beginning the writing process, look carefully at the assignment question or prompt. Read it over a few times until it is clear. You have to identify exactly what the prompt is asking you to do. Find the key concepts your essay must engage with in order to effectively fulfil the task your lecturer has set out. You can even underline or highlight keywords if that helps you focus. A crucial element of deciphering the assignment prompt is establishing what approach is required. Look out for key phrases such as: • Summarize • Analyse • Critically evaluate • Respond • Argue • Compare and contrast These words inform you of the purpose of the assignment and what approach is required. For example, if an assignment asks you to summarize a theory or idea, you should provide condensed, key factual information without forming an argument. In contrast, if the prompt asks for analysis or critical evaluation, it is essential to break the topic down for examination and form an opinion on the subject, backed up by academic research. In an argumentative paper, you are expressing a viewpoint

By Aoife O’Donoghue

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SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

“Never get too high when you win and never get too low when you lose,” says All-Star Conor By Martha Brennan

lege and sport but commended the university for their support and for understanding the strain NUI Galway student Conor Whelan achieved more that an inter-county player is under. than most last year. Not only did the Inter-county “It’s difficult to achieve the same grades as othhurler help lead his team to victory in his second ers in my class but I do my best because I want a All-Ireland final, the 21-year-old from Kinvara was successful career. I see myself as a teacher first also awarded an All-Star, named Young Hurler of and a hurler second,” said the ambitious Conor. the Year, and appeared on Ireland AM to discuss On top of classes and teaching practice, Conor mental health. also faces the massive pressure from his sporting If all of that wasn’t enough, the future teacher career. While there is no easy way to avoid it, himcelebrated the historic win a little differently to the self and his teammates have learned to deal with it. rest of the county; by starting his Master’s degree “Pressure is helped with experience. We try the Monday after the All Ireland. As he settles into to block out all the excitement and leave that for the new semester, Whelan is focusing on place- the fans. As players we kind of put ourselves in a ment, a new hurling season and using his platform bubble so we can focus on our job. The stakes were as an advocate for mental health. so high this year and we weren’t willing to let the Conor fell in love with hurling at a young age chance of the All-Ireland slip again,” he explained. and was nurtured by his local Kinvara GAA club “I’ve learned that any event is only as big as where he says he went from strength to strength you make it in your head.” And as for the pressure of suddenly becoming a public figure at a young age? “It’s important to me that I represent Galway well. Every inter-county athlete has the responsibility of being a role model. I remember being young and looking up to my idols. Although you may not be wearing your jersey all the time, people still perceive you as the person with the jersey. That’s who they remember you as.” Although 2017 worked in Galway’s favor, Conor has also experienced losing an All-Ireland. He said that over-thinking a defeat can be unhelpful when you need to lace up your boots soon after to take to the field of play again. “It’s unhealthy to overanalyze yourself and to have a cloud hanging over your head,” he said. “It never becomes any easier to lose, but as soon as I’ve assessed the performance I try to put it to one side. It’s important to look at the bigger picture, losing isn’t the end of the world.” “In Galway we have a philosophy: you never get too high when Conor Whelan (left) on Ireland AM you win and never get too low when you lose.” through the under-age system. He was playing Luckily, everything did go his way this past for his county by u14 and has gone on to become season, with the Kinvara hero even bagging an a household name across the country. Yet you’d All-Star - yet the corner forward remains modest. never know it by talking to the PME student, who “The All-stars were the icing on the cake. It’s a openly explains how tough it was to adjust back great of reflection of all the hard work put in but to real life after becoming a local hero. I couldn’t have won an individual award without “Honestly, life has been hectic. The excitement my teammates. I’m honored to be a part of a team and how much the All-Ireland means to people that was able to bring joy to people.” can never be put into context until you actually However the work never ends for Conor, who go and win it,” Conor told SIN. is already thinking ahead. “I went away for a few days after so I could One wonders when the young hurler even reset and refocus as I was starting my Master’s sleeps, as Conor also actively uses his platform to and needed to process everything.” encourage people to look after their mental health. Conor said that he missed some key aspects He recently appeared on Ireland AM to discuss in the first week of college but was lucky that he how important it is to “break the stigma” and talk could seek help from his teammates Cathal and about what is on our minds. Padraic Mannion who are in their second year of “In today’s world we all worry about our physithe same course. cal appearance and health but as a society we don’t He admitted that it can be tough to juggle col- pay attention to our mental health which is the

It’s important to me that I represent Galway well. Every inter-county athlete has the responsibility of being a role model. I remember being young and looking up to my idols. Although you may not be wearing your jersey all the time, people still perceive you as the person with the jersey. That’s who they remember you as.

fulcrum of a person’s life and should be treated that way,” he said. “Everyone will encounter challenges and have moments where they feel the weight of the world is on them. We can all deal with this by seeking help and talking to each other. “Together we can help break the stigma around

depression and move forward towards a more understanding place where people can openly share their problems and receive the necessary tools to deal with any challenge they face,” he added. “As a society, it’s our responsibility to raise the awareness of mental health and to educate young people on its importance”.

Conor with his AllStar and team mate Joe Canning

FUNDING YOUR POSTGRADUATE STUDY The NUI Galway Postgraduate Open Day takes place on Tuesday 6 February from 12–3pm in the Bailey Allen Hall. Affordability of postgraduate courses is always a consideration for students, and a range of scholarships and grants are available for those thinking about undertaking a postgrad in 2018/19. NUI Galway offers a generous Taught Masters Scholarship Scheme for all students obtaining First Class Honours. SUSI grants may also be available for postgraduates, including limited maintenance grants, which were reintroduced in 2017. The programmes are generally of a short duration- most run for nine months, meaning students can upgrade their undergraduate qualification and learn new skills in a very short time. NUI Galway also facilitates payment of fees in instalments, to help students budget. SUSI will be attending the Postgraduate Open Day on Tuesday 6th February and will give a short talk as well be available to answer individual questions at their stand. There will be over 170 postgraduate programmes represented in the hall, including a range of new courses just launched which are open to students from multiple disciples. These include LLM International and Comparative Business Law, LLM (General), MSc Exercise Physiology, MSc Microscopy and

Imaging and MSc in Cell Manufacturing. Speaking on the value of a postgraduate qualification, Valerie Leahy, Postgraduate Recruitment Officer, explains why students should seriously consider their options after their degree: “A postgraduate qualification can increase your earning potential. Research has shown that your earning power and career progression greatly increases after you obtain a postgraduate qualification. Furthermore it can enhance your employability. Statistics from the Careers Service Graduate Destinations Report indicate that 56% of NUI Galway undergraduates are in employment nine months after graduation. This rises to 82% for postgraduates.” Staying in Galway is an exciting prospect for many students and the University is in the top 1% of universities in the world. The recent announcement that NUI Galway as the Sunday Times University of the Year 2018 is a reflection on the quality of its teaching and research. At the Postgraduate Open Day students can explore the wide range of award-winning taught courses (including conversion, parttime, online, and blended learning options) and research programmes. This event is the best opportunity to meet programme directors and current students to find out first hand what are the best options to enhance your career prospects.

N UAC H T

January 23 2017

GNÉ -ALTANNA

Blogger Niamh O’Sullivan helping to raise sepsis awareness By Amy McMahon NUI Galway graduate Niamh O’Sullivan is best known for her fitness, well being and lifestyle blog, Cinnamon-Soul. Always one for sharing her advice to be fit and healthy, Niamh took to her YouTube channel over Christmas to talk about a cause close to her heart: her father’s experience with septicaemia. The video was posted as part of her Vlogmas series and now has over 10.5k views.

Niamh and her Dad Des

Septicaemia, or sepsis, is essentially blood poisoning, often caused by a cut, as bacteria enters the blood stream. “It was all like a movie,” recalled Niamh, as she starts discussing her dad Des with SIN. She speaks of him fondly, saying he now jokes about starting his own YouTube channel. At the time, the Kildare family was shocked by how quickly it took for the infection to take over. Pilot Des had arrived in New York after a holiday with Niamh’s mum, and was set to visit his daughter who was working as a social media manager there at the time. “It was December 2016 and my dad and my mum were away on holidays in Sri Lanka. One night my dad got up for the bathroom in the middle of the night and stubbed his leg against a table that was in the room. And that was the end of it, it was the end of the holiday and they thought nothing of it,” explained Niamh. “He works as a pilot in Qatar and his first stop was in New York and he was going to meet me for dinner, which he usually did whenever he flew to New York. He’d a mild chest infection at the time, and wasn’t feeling 100%,” she said. “He was very run down and I guess just never made the connection between his leg and how he was feeling in general. He told the other pilots on board and they took over, and once the plane landed they brought him straight to the hospital.” When he didn’t contact Niamh as soon as he landed, she knew something was wrong. After

three hours of searching through different hotels and hospitals, Niamh eventually found her dad in ICU and said “it was completely downhill from there”. At this stage Des’s blood pressure had dropped to 55/40, which was very low for a man that scuba dives and motorbikes in his spare time. When the family finally learned her father had septicaemia, no one was really sure what is was. Niamh explained that she found the doctors to be really blunt, and when she asked if her father could die, the doctors just turned around saying “yeah” so casually. Not realising the danger of the infection, it took the family by surprise hugely. They have since learned that roughly 2,000 people die from septicaemia every year in Ireland alone. Niamh’s dad ended up getting the front part of his shin removed and skin graphed from his thigh. Now just left with a huge scar on his shin, the O’Sullivan family consider themselves to be very lucky. “We never thought anything like this would ever happen,” continued Niamh. “And from the tiniest little cut as well.” Niamh was overwhelmed from the feedback from her YouTube video and really wants to raise awareness for septicaemia. Her best advice is to ask your doctor: “Could it be sepsis?” – four words that could change a person’s life. Niamh and her dad also recommend checking out the Rory Staunton Foundation for sepsis pre-

Niamh O'Sullivan vention, for any further queries or information at www.rorystauntonfoundationforsepsis.org. Niamh’s blog Cinnamon Soul has been going from strength to strength. Join the other 18.3k of her followers on Instagram for a view into her “everyday authentic life” @niamh_osullivan. Niamh attributes her blog success to always writing what she is interested in and choosing topics she thinks others “will learn something different from”. After moving back from New York four months ago to the gorgeous green (rainy) Ireland, Niamh is “delighted” to be back, admitting she really missed home. We can expect many more gorgeous snaps and stories from this ambitious Kildare girl.

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January 23 2017

GNÉ -ALTANNA

EIL TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP: “Just go for it... You won’t regret it” By Katie Gibson and Darija Jovanovic EIL Intercultural Learning is an Irish organisation which provides intercultural learning opportunities through numerous programmes abroad. This year ALIVE and the Mature Students Offices have teamed up to bring NUI Galway students a unique opportunity for a travel scholarship for summer 2018. Applicants should have extensive experience in volunteering and engaging with communities and be interested in learning from international community projects. For more information check out the News section of the ALIVE website: www.nuigalway.ie/alive Last year five NUI Galway students were successful in their applications to EIL and completed volunteering placements across the world. We caught up with International Human Rights Law Masters student Danielle O’Brien who volunteered in Chiang May in Northern Thailand and Sinead Regan, a Biomedical Science student who volunteered in Mexico City, Oaxaca City and South Oaxaca State, to hear about their experiences and found out more about their amazing time abroad.

Why did you want to get involved with volunteering? SINEAD: “I suppose initially I was exposed to volunteering when I started studying here in NUI, I got involved with the ALIVE programme when I did some volunteering in first year and second year with Galway Autism Partnership. When the oppor-

Did you have to have previous volunteering experience to apply? SINEAD: ‘’Well traditionally they do look for candidates that do have some volunteering experience, just to prove that you would be interested in the programme and have some experience going out there. I mean, volunteering work abroad can be quite difficult in a sense. When I was in Mexico I was working in an animal conservation project in the morning and then I was teaching maths in the afternoon. So, we working in thirty-six-degree heat, and then we lived in very basic facilities. We had outdoor showers and we lived in cabins for five weeks. Primarily I suppose they’re looking for someone who’s open to change and is not expecting to be staying in five-star accommodation. ‘’

Was funding provided? SINEAD: ‘’Yeah, flights, travel insurance, accommodation, and they paid for travel vaccines. We had to do pre-departure weekend in May which is compulsory. So that took place over two days and we stayed in a hostel in Newgrange, and then when you come back you do another orientation weekend as well. You have full support when you’re abroad. You have a local organisation supporting you. If you haven’t done a lot of travelling or you’re not very open to different cultures it can be a culture shock, so they actually have psychologists on standby as well if you need to talk to someone while you’re out there. ‘’

What did you do on a daily basis? SINEAD: ‘’Ok so I suppose, I did

tunity to do some volunteering abroad came up and it was fully funded it probably wouldn’t have been something I would have been able to afford on my own. So, I applied for it, and I knew the programme I was applying for involved learning a language, so I was definitely interested in that.’’ DANIELLE: “Last year, when I was doing sociology and politics I picked modules like developmental change, public activism advocacy and in second semester I did a volunteering module. So, I was always quite interested in it and I was volunteering at the time with Ability West in Galway.

How did you get involved with EIL volunteering? DANIELLE: “I came across EIL by accident, I was looking at the student website for nuig and I was just looking through it and came across EIL by accident”

What did you have to do to apply? DANIELLE: “So, I applied and then got short listed, then did a small interview at the alive office and finally went to an interview in Dublin and got it from there. It’s a great organisation with great opportunities.”

numerous different projects ranging from animal conservation to community art projects. I was involved in an animal conservation project in what you would call the equivalent of Fota Wildlife Park. So now they collect injured animals from all around the state of Oaxaca. While we were there they had a spider monkey that had got too big for his cage. So along with 8 other Mexican volunteers we built a new hut for him and that took about two weeks. We finished at two o’ clock. We would start very early in the morning because of the heat... The kids were on holidays from school. I studied maths previously in DIT before I came to NUIG, so I was teaching maths to the younger children. ‘’ DANIELLE: “The project I did was with a organisation in Chiang Mai called Art Relief International. We did different art projects with all different underserved groups in chiang mai. We did about seven to eight workshops a week with different groups. We worked five days a week, Tuesday was an office day and every other day we did workshops. For example, on Mondays we did a workshop with single mothers and their children, we were teaching them crafts that they could bring to the market and sell.

What did you do outside of volunteering? SINEAD: “There was a small village up the road from us called Mazunte. It’s very popular with American tourists and for surfing. Weekends we would go and visit there. There was a music fes-

tival on one weekend as well, and we did some scuba diving and snorkelling as well while we were there.” DANIELLE: “The first weekend we got there we went to doi suthep which is a mountain above chiang mai. We did something different every weekend like we went to a place called Pai which is also up the mountains.”

What were the best things about the experience? SINEAD: “One I suppose would be learning a new language. I had done Spanish for my Junior Cert. It was great to take it up again. I’ve decided to keep it on so I’m still learning it at the moment. Also, being exposed to a different culture.”

What were the worst things about your volunteering experience? DANIELLE: “I don’t think there was, I just eased in to the culture it was very different, but I think because we were in a city as well there was similarities to home, it wasn’t like we were out in the

middle of nowhere.. We had to write blogs every day that were going online (art-relief.blogspot.com) so I was still connected I never felt too culture shocked.”

What advice would you give to someone interested in doing EIL? SINEAD: ‘’There’s many projects available in loads of different countries, so you can nominate an area you’re interested in. So maybe go on to their website and research. You should do a lot of research before you go, or before you put in your application and choose something that’s suitable to your degree. Make sure you research the country thoroughly before you go, just from a cultural point of view because what might be ok over here might not be acceptable in the country you’re going to. Also, make sure you get travel vaccines. ‘’ DANIELLE: “Just go for it, don’t be afraid. once you get there you make friends immediately like everyone’s there for the same reason. They want to make a difference, they love volunteering. Everyone is so open and welcoming especially all the organisations. You won’t regret it at all.”

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10 N E WS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

Maximize your potential as you hunt for that dream placement By Michael Glynn Now is the time of the college year when students are on the hunt for placements and internships for their next year of college. This can be quite a daunting task, but it needn’t be. While this is a large step in your college career and indeed an important starting off point for your career after college, the act of securing your spot can be made simple enough with some easy preparatory work, and that’s what we are here to help you with.

STEP 1: THE CV An obvious one for a start, sure, but this is the easiest chance for someone to throw away your application if they

don’t like the look of your CV. The most important thing to remember is to keep it short and sweet, recruiters have to wade through mountains of applications and if they see that your CV is six pages long, they aren’t likely to take the time out and read through the lot. A one or two-page CV is ideal, if your CV is any longer, you better be able to justify it. Content and format are the winners here. Your name and contact information belong at the top, so you can always be reached, and after this a couple of bullet points highlighting in quick fashion just what makes you an awesome and perfect human being. Then comes your previous work experience, keeping in mind the relevance of your experience - a summer bartending might not matter

too much to certain careers, so leave it in if you have the space, but if it’s lengthening your CV unnecessarily, cut it. After the work experience comes the extra stuff, such as volunteering, courses you’ve completed, accolades etc. This can be followed by your hobbies and interests - as a CV is a first opportunity to get your personality across before being invited to interview, take it.

STEP 2: THE APPLICATION LETTER Easily as important as the CV, the application letter is where you get to expand on your CV. Explain why you are applying to this particular workplace, why you have chosen this to

be the place where you will work and explain what you are hoping that they will teach you and help you further your career, but also why they will benefit from having you there while it happens. What can you bring to the table that someone else can’t? Don’t forget though that you don’t have to, and in fact shouldn’t, do this on your own. Get in contact with anybody in your particular field that you even half know and ask them if they wouldn’t mind reading your draft application and suggesting any changes - they could offer an insight into what recruiters are on the lookout for and can advise you accordingly. Also, you never know, they might offer to help you find a place… never doubt the kindness of people. Keeping that in mind, do not ask

somebody straight out if they will help you get a placement or speak to someone on your behalf, they will volunteer this if they are willing. It is perfectly ok to ask them for a name or email address of someone who you can apply to instead.

STEP 3: THE INTERVIEW Hopefully all has gone well, and you’ve been invited to interview. Your first enemies are nerves and self-doubt, but they shouldn’t be. You need to remind yourself that you have gotten to the table; you’re probably not the only one but you are just as good as them, you have every right to be there and now is the time to prove it. Know your

CV inside out so if they pull a question on a part you weren’t expecting, you can answer back without any ummms and ahhhhs. Dress smartly, but don’t overdress - the idea that you can never be overdressed for an interview is entirely a myth, you will be immediately judged by what you are wearing and how you present yourself. With that in mind, nobody has ever said a man wearing a shirt, tie, trousers and sensible shoes was overdressed for a formal interview in a company. For ladies, a sensible dress or a simple blouse and trouser combo will do. Keep in mind throughout this whole process that you are smart, you’ve gotten this far, and there is no reason that you can’t go further. Best of luck.

New year, new me… sort of By Grace Kieran Slurping on your second St. Stephen’s Day sandwich, gravy dripping down your dressing gown, it is not surprising when the veil of festivities is lifted, and we are faced with our own chinful reflection. Brains trick themselves into believing that a change is due – something radical must be done so that we appear to improve ourselves and the numb humdrum of daily life. As you feel the weight of your wallet and your waist, you must come to terms with the fact that you are now poor and podgy. January calls to you like a nicotine patch in the distance, promising less toxins in your gut and your social life. As the ads sing about the “crimbo limbo” and week fifty-two floats aimlessly, society and your selfesteem gang up on you and set new year’s resolutions. Gathering all the insecurities, trends and friends’ best character traits, a plan is formulated to create A Better You™. While binge watching Black Mirror on your backside, you comfort yourself because you know that They, the person trapped inside your mind, doing jumping jacks and refusing cigarettes whilst tipsy, will awake on January 1st and transform your world.

Alas, this is what we call in the business ‘Fake News’. 2017 was a car crash and now your downtrodden self is expected to emerge from the wreck and embark on a journey of self-improvement. The plot to banish toxic relationships seems difficult when you wake up next to them on New Year’s Day. The healthy breakfast routine falls flat when you arrive at the deli counter for a Chicken Fillet Roll at one o’clock to nurse a hangover from hell. And you can tell that daily running routine to jog on. The beacon of hope you saw a few days ago has become a migraine-inducing spotlight, exposing your bad breath and worst decisions, made in the heat of the counting-down-tomidnight moment. Aside from debuting the New You on the afternoon of a hangover, there are hundreds of reasons why resolutions flop within a fortnight. The most popular, to ‘get fit’ and ‘eat healthy’ do not work as they are not measurable goals, too vague to define and not brought into fruition simply by telling everyone “2018 is the year I glow up!”. The same goes for the promise to ‘get organised’ and to ‘drink less’ – unless you are taking tallies on each night out, it is going to be tough to track.

If Father’s Day was invented by Hallmark so they can charge you three euros for a card, New Year’s resolutions were invented by gyms so they can charge three hundred euros to crush our self-esteem for another rotation around the sun. They are a social construct to convince ourselves and our buddies that life has a smooth positive correlation and that we are in control of both axes. Truthfully, if you are overwhelmed by the urge to become vegan, keep a journal or experiment with your wardrobe in 2018; that is fantastic and such self-reflection is commendable. However, if this urge is so sincerely important, procrastinating until the most depressing month of the year seems counter-productive. Making honest changes is possible, there is no doubt that individuals do so every day, so why do we wait for a cold, hungover and depressing one? Progress should not have to wait for a 1 January, a second semester or even a Monday. Having a wake-up call about your habits does not happen exclusively in week fifty-two to allow for a full system reboot on New Year’s Day. Bettering yourself is gradual - if you require one of three hundred and sixty-five days to start, then you are making excuses.

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12 OPI NI O N

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

Hollywood’s pay gap and how to fix it By Mark Laherty It recently came out that All the Money in the World star Michelle Williams was paid less than $1,000 for reshoots where her co-star Mark Wahlberg was paid $1.5 million. You might argue that the circumstances are unique. Williams said she willingly

Nonetheless this unusual pay situation keeps with the trend of how men in cinema are paid more and women paid less. Let’s look at some other examples. A lack of franchise releases may have knocked Jennifer Lawrence off the top-earner lists for 2017 but she has held the accolade of being the best-paid actress in the world in the past.

join Lawrence in the 2015 edition of Forbes’ Celebrity 100. This was only because Johansson benefited from a rare fair deal in Hollywood where she earned the same amount as her co-stars Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Diane Keaton did not receive back-end pay for her lead role

There’s an important link between the pay gap and the sexual harassment which the #MeToo movement/hashtag has formed in response to. did the reshoots for a lower salary because it was done to replace Kevin Spacey, who faces a number of sexual harassment allegations, with Christopher Plummer. Wahlberg has since said he will be donating his larger salary to the Time’s Up Legal Defence Fund.

She made $46 million in 2016 mainly from the final Hunger Games film and Passengers. This sounds like an impressive figure until it’s compared to overall 2016 highest-earning actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s $64.5 million in the same year. Let’s take Scarlett Johansson. She was the only film actress to

in Something’s Gotta Give while Jack Nicholson did. Gwyneth Paltrow has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the wage gap between her and Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man films. Even Meryl Streep gets paid less than her co-stars. There’s an important link between the pay gap and the

sexual harassment which the #MeToo movement/hashtag has formed in response to. Harassment can contribute to the pay gap in a couple of different ways. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, abusive behaviour can create occupational segregation that forces women out of the film industry, decreasing women’s overall earnings. Some women may have gravitated to safer female-dominated fields which historically earn less than positions in male-dominated careers. Harassing environments can also cause women’s productivity to suffer. Severe harassment can cause women to disengage from work or even leave their jobs. To boil a multi-faceted issue down to one percentage point, it can be said that women in the US make 78 cents to every dollar a man makes. This goes down to 64 cents for black women and

56 cents for Hispanic women. This imbalance stands for representation of women of colour in film. Actors of colour face the unproven myth that racially diverse films won’t be successful. This is slowly being dismantled as the internationally-minded Netflix has been finding big success with diverse original content. The truth is that we don’t need extreme examples like Williams and Wahlberg to illustrate this. All we need are laptop spreadsheets. The budgets and contracts for movies always shaved off money where they could. That usually meant shaving a lot off the wages for actresses. However this is getting a lot less acceptable after the Golden Globes. Some of the industry’s most important women spelled out the deliberately awkward truth. This was a display not just of power but of anger against

the hypocrisy of the men in the room. It gave rise to a few things. Oprah gave a speech that had some on social media encouraging her to run for the US Presidency in 2020. There was also another #MeToo moment about James Franco. But there was something else too. The women in the industry taking to the stage were keenly aware that most of them had been vastly underpaid. The men who made the real money were left shrinking in the corner. The solution here relies on regulation. Different countries have different laws on equality and forcing film studios to give fair wages. It’s clear that the legislation that exists in the US at presented is ineffective and too limited. Standards need to be put in place and higher-ups who fail to meet those standards need to face serious consequences for their failures. The system will only be fixed if we grasp it with both hands and force it right.

Saying “I do” to enduring engagements By Amy McMahon

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As always, Facebook is full of engagement statuses and posts after the holidays. Whether it was a present under the tree or taking ‘ringing’ in the new year to another level, engagements are inevitable this time of year. Single cynics everywhere ask themselves: is there a need? It’s officially 2018 and the ‘norm’ doesn’t exist anymore. Overtime we have found options. We’re not forced to stay within a fit idea of what our lives should map out to look like. Marriage, babies, settling down? Not that necessary anymore. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the majority of Irish people married when they were just twenty years old in the 1960s and 1970s. It was the done thing. Marry young, raise your children and live happily ever after. However, that kind of lifestyle doesn’t really suit Millennials. The marriage bar has been lifted for several years now allowing mothers to return to their work after having a baby. Super-mums, and super-dads, everywhere work all day to come home to daily household chores. The responsibilities are more equally shared. There isn’t the

same kind of pressure on women to marry to live comfortably. Young people want to travel, to better their education and find themselves before finding a wedding dress. Now, everyone has the choice to lead the life they chose. And it seems people have decided to postpone marriage. The CSO revealed the marriage age for Irish people is at an all time high. On average, men marry at the age of 35 and women at 33. Interestingly this hasn’t affected divorce rates. Ireland reportedly had the lowest rates of divorce in the EU in 2015. So, they must be doing something right. Marriage may present itself as an impractical tradition nowadays, but we cannot deny our natural instinct to want to find love and companionship. Look at the latest royal engagement, for example. Prince Harry and Suits actress Meghan Markle announced their engagement back in December and the whole world waited for the pair to share details, dates and doting pictures. The reality is we love love. Maybe it’ll take a little longer than it took our grandparents to find love, but we’ll get there in the end. We don’t go to dances in the town hall anymore to find

a husband or wife. We go onto Tinder. Swiping right instead of asking for a dance is a little different, but still effective. 26 million matches are made every single day on Tinder. That seems like good chances of finding the one to me! At the end of the day, we’re co-dependent people. Although we might not want to admit it in the middle of setting the foundation for feminism in society, marriage is still hugely important to a lot of young people. We’re conditioned to crave love, thinking it will somewhat complete us. It’s inescapable. Just like those questions from relatives at Christmas asking if there’s “a fellah on the scene”, or “do you know there’s a rip in your jeans?” Simply inescapable. In ten, fifty and even a hundred years from now I expect people still to be posting on Instagram gushing about their engagements. Marriage signifies a promise between two people that they will eternally love each other and as times get darker and hope fades, a dainty ring will catch the light and shine. We may be marrying older, but the tradition is still there and will be for a very long time.

TUAIRIM

January 23 2017

A wise man in times of peace prepares for war: lessons learned from a decade of recession By Eoin Molloy The year is 2008, and the world is reeling from the latest of a string of financial catastrophes. Global stock markets are in freefall from Singapore to Sydney, from New York to London. Life savings depreciate into the ether in mere minutes. To lose one’s livelihood is among the greatest affronts to human dignity. According to The Causes and Consequences of Economic Dislocation by Bluestone, Harrison and Baker, 37000 lives are lost every time the global unemployment rate increases by 1%. The Great Recession caused unemployment to soar in Ireland, peaking at 15% in 2012. The amount of lives lost to suicide in this period does not bear thinking about. And to what cause may we attribute blame for this mess? The political classes in Ireland have sought to peddle the fallacy that the citizens of Ireland are to blame. It was our fault for living beyond our means, for buying cars that weren’t second hand for once, for having the gall to

eat avocado paninis for lunch. We all know this charge to be scurrilous and untrue, yet journalists dare not voice malcontent in the public domain. The true cause of the 2008 GFC lies of course in unsustainable and irresponsible fiscal policy which engendered an atmosphere of huge risk-taking in the financial sector. Inflationary economics and the seeming omnipresence of easy loans caused the American ‘credit crunch’ of late 2007, which itself rapidly devolved into a recession when the sub-prime mortgage crisis came home to roost. This recession then formed a worldwide economic atomic bomb, scuttling the economies of the west’s hyper-connected markets – of which Dublin is an integral component. Instead of reprimanding global financiers for effectively nuking the world’s economy, politicians the world over decided to slap bankers on the wrist by temporarily with-holding bonuses, and decided to assume all of the debt incurred in the process on behalf of the

Irish people – who of course graciously obliged. We Irish tend to avoid the elephant in the room that is the bank bailout and prefer to allow ourselves to be readily divided and conquered along the line of age-old political footballs like same-sex marriage and abortion. The fact that there has not been one single large-scale protest against the bank bailout to date serves to highlight the efficacy of successive political smokescreens that have been used to distract and divide the electorate since 2008. 2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the worst crime that was ever foisted upon the Irish people. It is little wonder that this is the year chosen for the most widely-discussed referendum in recent Irish history. As such, there will be very few column inches, radio minutes, or documentary frames devoted to helping the Irish people understand just how their futures were pulled out from under their feet. With nearly everyone in the country having spent the past

ten years struggling from paycheck-to-paycheck, it is fair to say that we have just come out the other side of what is termed a ‘lost decade’ in economic terms – a decade of labouring and living frugally for little or no reward. Worse still, we are threatening to repeat the exact same set of mistakes that led us into this mess in the first place. An artificial bubble is being created in the housing market thanks in no small part to unbelievable amounts of regulation and our failure to incentivise young tradesmen and builders to remain at home. The Dow Jones is near an all-time high, meaning the time is nigh for a correction in the stock market. When this happens, the first jobs that are skimmed off the top are those ‘knowledge-based’ jobs we have become wholly dependent on, provided by multinationals who are of course here for our incredibly intelligent, nicely-accented workforce, and not our favourable corporate tax code – Apple paying $38billion to the US in

repatriation taxes is evidence of our coming ruination. Another crippling recession will come along very soon, most probably within the next three to five years, and we as a nation will not have the same capacity to place this one on the credit card as we did last time. We should be doing all we can to return to tangible economic output, to wrestle back control of our primary resources from the European Union, and abandon the disastrous system of inflationary monetary policy and overspending that creates recession after recession. Economist Hyman Minsky once wrote that ‘stability is destabilising’ when it comes to financial markets, the idea here being that if prices have maintained a certain height for a long period of time, this will encourage negligent actors to take more risks with their money. This in turn causes loans to be frustrated, credit to be withheld, and lo and behold, recession. The importance of being economically autonomous in an increasingly-volatile globalised

marketplace cannot be understated. During brief interludes of prosperity between inevitable economic collapses, it is only right that we do our utmost to bomb-proof the Irish economy. The first objectives that ought to be pursued are: regaining national control over fiscal policy, resisting European attempts to dictate our monetary and taxation policy, incentivising Irish medical professionals and tradesmen to return home, modernising infrastructure and decreasing waste in the public sector and of course, a complete overhaul of our tax code that has become so laden with double and triple taxation it threatens to undermine even our current modest rates of growth. As the Roman proverb adorning this piece states: a wise man in times of peace prepares for war. As a young nation, we have weathered our greatest ever economic storm and emerged with sail intact. We stand here now on the precipice of another tempest, it is high time we set about formulating a strategy that will see us to shore safely.

Are “free fees” a pipe dream? By Tomás M. Creamer According to former NUI Galway president Dr James Browne the idea of free fees is “naïve”. He told the Irish Independent he sees a figure of €5,000 per annum as a starting point, with higher frees for science and engineering courses unless industry is willing to voluntarily subsidise the costs of those courses down to €5,000. The abolition of fees for higher level education is a widely-supported view among

Dr James Browne

higher-level students in Ireland with a campaign lead by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), and generally speaking, few students relish the prospect of further increasing the costs of education. Therefore, it was not surprising that the reactions to those comments were almost uniformly negative. However it is worth exploring whether Dr Browne has a valid point here. While Irish students do have the second-highest fee rates in Europe, according to the European Commission, this doesn’t account for the fact that a large proportion of the student body – including almost half of students in NUI Galway – do not pay the full amount of those fees, and some do not pay any fees at all. Presently, free fees functionally exist for those from many lowerincome backgrounds - although the fact remains that student fees are far from the only costs related to education. Some critics of a free fees policy could point out that, in the current context in Ireland,

NUI Galway students protesting student loan scheme in October. Photos: Haley Myatt the abolition of student fees would benefit students from the middle and upper class families who don’t currently qualify for financial support or subsidies from SUSI. Such funds might be better spent on increased academic support in Secondary Schools, or increased maintenance grants, which would seem to more directly target the structural economic and social disadvantages which prevent people from currently accessing higher level education. Of course, advocates could respond that public funds aren’t a zero-sum game – there technically is no reason why the government can’t increase taxes across the board. Consequently, there could be adequate funding for higher-level education - even

without charging fees for Irish students, as well as to invest in educational, welfare and infrastructure projects that can reduce inequality overall. The current political context, however, would suggest otherwise. Regardless of some noises and minor social policy changes Fine Gael supporters can point to, there does not seem to be an appetite for the Government to further increase taxation. For the sake of significantly increasing investment in education, this allows both of the above outcomes to be achieved to any satisfactory degree. If anything, there are more political incentives for the Government to pursue tax reductions, where they can afford it. That is not to say that the entire campaign for free higher-

level education is fundamentally misguided, or that we should accept Dr Browne’s view on reality. If anything, one of the main aspects of the free fees campaign is to change that overarching reality that guides how decisions relating to our education system are made. The rationale behind the campaign to abolish fees for higher level education is similar to why many would find the idea of allowing for free Secondary School education on a meanstested basis objectionable. The belief, in this case, is that education should not be a commodity, but a social right we grant to citizens, to allow them to fully develop their intellectual and academic potential. Even thought the current political environment within

Ireland does not seem conducive to applying that same sort of ideal to higher-level education, as we saw in the case of the bank bailouts, Irish Governments are willing to put down a lot of public money if there is an interest group with strong enough “pull”. And at present, it is clear that students are not among the most influential interest groups lobbying the Government for funding. Strong and persistent lobbying on behalf of the policy preferences of students is one way to start to shift attitudes towards students by the Government. Even if it doesn’t result in the abolition of student fees, it does send a message outlining how students would not be willing to tolerate expensive fees of any sort, whether they be €10,000, €5,000 or, indeed, €3,000.

FAIS EAN

January 23 2017

By Áine Kenny

The month of January can be that perfect clean slate. While some people think New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time and won’t be maintained, with a little bit of effort they can be. There’s no better excuse to try out a new hobby, get fit, eat healthier or look after your mental health than a new year. Here are SIN’s top tips on how to set New Year's resolutions and how to keep them!

BE REALISTIC Set goals and resolutions that you will actually be able to achieve. There’s no point saying your only

goal is to run a marathon if you’re quite unfit and have had no previous running experience. Start small! Try going for a jog at your own pace three times a week to build up your stamina. Down the road you can take on a 5k, 8k, a half-marathon and then in a few months time you can set more ambitious goals like completing 26miles.

MAKE RESOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT OR INTEREST YOU Make sure your resolutions have a long term or short term benefit for you. Some resolutions might require a lot of effort in

the beginning, such as getting work experience in your chosen field over the summer. This would mean sacrificing a summer of holidays or lazing about, but in the long run placement would benefit your overall career. Make sure to set at least one fun resolution, such as taking up a new hobby, starting meditation to benefit your mental health or getting back in touch with old friends. There are many great YouTube videos and apps to help with meditation. Getting in touch with old friends is easier now thanks to social media. You could try taking up a physical activity as a new hobby, therefore killing two birds with one stone. Combining resolutions like this can bring you

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one step closer to meeting all your goals for the year.

THE SIMPLER, THE BETTER Make simple resolutions. The best resolution I ever made was to follow a skincare regime every morning and night. This didn’t require major effort on my part, but once I made it a habit, I stuck with it and now wouldn’t dream of going to bed without cleansing, moisturising and applying eye cream!

PERSEVERANCE IS KEY Don’t give up on your resolutions

easily. January can be a dreary month because of the lack of festivities and it can be easy to give up. Setting realistic goals can help when it comes to following through with your plans. Make a commitment to stick with healthy eating or getting more exercise, whatever your resolutions are. Try to make exercise a habit by scheduling a time every day where you go jogging, cycling or visit the gym. Make healthy eating easier by looking up tasty recipes and preparing your meals beforehand. Don’t be too hard on yourself though - if you have a bit of chocolate or don’t go for a run on a rainy day, don’t beat yourself up about it, you always have tomorrow.

Forever 21 to shut only Irish store Celebrities drop out of H&M partnership in hoodie controversy By Marie Coady

US based fast fashion retailer Forever 21 has announced it will end operations in Ireland after failing to attract local shoppers. 82 employees are expected to lose their jobs at the Dublin store. In 2010, the firm opened its first European store in the Jervis Street

UNITED KINGDOM

Photo: RACKED New York

Shopping Centre to much fanfare, occupying three floors on a 20-year lease. However, sales were sluggish and recent accounts showed an operating loss of €44 million, leading to the company’s decision. In a statement, the chain say the choice was made as “part of an overall strategic review.” Closures had been rumoured as far back as November, with Forever 21 confirming their decision in an announcement on 9 January. The company’s actions have been met by criticism from Mandate Trade Union, who say the store’s employees have been left in the dark and only found out about the closure through media reports. Dublin Live reports that the store was expected to close its doors on 8 January. However, Mandate claims

that this date has been pushed to a later date and that the firm is refusing to negotiate with the trade union, with a representative being removed from the premises by store management. Forever 21 says that €13million has been set aside to fund the outlet’s closure and staff severance packages. The move highlights Forever 21’s financial woes in the past few years. Sales have declined worldwide and in 2016, shipping company EZ Worldwide Express cut ties with the chain because business had decayed to the point where working with them was no longer profitable. According to Forbes, Forever 21 operates 600 stores and have 30,000 employees worldwide. They generated $4 billion in sales in 2016, a drop of 9.1 per cent on 2015’s figures.

By Connell McHugh Celebrities such as The Weeknd, G-Eazy and LeBron James have hit out against Swedish clothing retailer H&M after an image appeared on its online store which showed a black child modelling a hoodie with the words “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” written across the chest. Both singer The Weeknd and rapper G-Eazy, who had partnerships with the brand, have since cut all ties with H&M. The Weeknd tweeted saying that he was “shocked and embarrassed by this photo. I’m deeply offended and will not be working with H&M anymore.” He had previously modelled in their advertising campaign for clothing bearing his brand ‘XO’. G-Eazy had worked with the company and was due to release a clothing line in March. He took to Instagram to speak out: “After seeing the disturbing image yesterday, my excitement over our global campaign quickly evaporated, and I’ve decided at this time our partnership needs to end. Whether

an oblivious oversight or not, it’s truly sad and disturbing that in 2018, something so racially and culturally insensitive could pass by the eyes of so many (stylist, photographer, creative and marketing teams) and be deemed acceptable.” Professional basketball player LeBron James and Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams have also criticised the clothing store. Some Twitter users have defended the company, believing that if the model was a white child there would be no negative feedback, as the term ‘cheeky monkey’ or similar sayings are often used in relation to children. However the word “monkey” has been associated with racial and ethnic slurs in the past and the fact that the image made it to the website has dismayed many. A statement released by the company said: “We are deeply sorry that the picture was taken, and we also regret the actual print. Therefore, we have not only removed the image from our channels, but also the garment from our product offering globally.”

16 FA SHI O N & L I F E ST Y L E

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

New year, new style: how to change up your style on a budget By Aileen O’Leary Happy New Year! Welcome back, this week at SIN we’ve compiled five cheap and cheerful ways to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank.

REVAMP OLDIES BUT GOLDIES:

With winter definitely still here, the go-to item for those treks into college on cold days like these is usually a big coat like a parka. A great trick to change up your wardrobe quickly is by taking a plain piece like a parka jacket and making it your own with

iron-on patches, badges, and pins that you can get online or in most clothing stores now, such as Bershka, Pull and Bear, Topshop.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY:

Changing your style doesn’t have to mean emptying out your closet and spending a fortune on an entirely new wardrobe. Look at key pieces that can work in more ways than one if you style them right. A plain blouse you haven’t worn in months would look great paired with jeans and runners, or style it up with a skirt, tights, boots and

a smart coat. Some pieces never go out of style. When shopping, it pays off to spend a little more on a quality piece than buying a dupe that won’t last as long and will need to be replaced over time.

friendly (ish), like Alex and Ani and Cluse. With Cluse, you can swap the straps on their watches for different looks, going with a more glam strap for night time and swapping to a colour for day wear.

ACCESSORISE:

PUT YOUR RIGHT FOOT FORWARD:

If you want to up-style your wardrobe accessories can make a huge difference, whether it’s a scarf, hat, or some cool jewellery, it can bring a look through from one season to the next. Berets and “bus driver” hats are having a moment this winter. When it comes to jewellery there are some great brands that are student

Experiment with your look this New Year By Kate O’Neill

create a gradient effect. I also blended it underneath!

Hey guys! For this little tutorial I decided to use my new obsession, the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk palette. I can’t explain how much I love this palette, it has everything for an everyday neutral look but also shades to make colourful and creative looks, which I have opted for here. You can get it in Brown Thomas Dublin for €65 and believe me it is totally worth it!

Next I used the shade Oud on a smaller blending brush to deepen up the outer corner and the bottom lash line.

To spice up the look a bit I did my wing with the NYX liquid liner in Vivid Blossom. I love using a bright colour instead of black for my liner!

Finally I of course added some huge lashes to tie it all together! Here I’m wearing Lily Lashes Miami.

As always, you want to start with a clean and primed base. For my transition shade I went in with Eden on an Inglot 6ss brush. I focused this all throughout my crease and under my lash line.

For my lid I packed on Retrograde with a flat brush. The picture doesn’t do this shade justice at all! It’s a beautiful purple to green duo chrome colour. I also added some highlight to the inner corner and brow bone.

To add some depth and colour, I went in with Amber on the same brush and just kept it slightly lower than the first shade to

Hope you all enjoyed this colourful liner look! If any of you recreate it I would love to see some photos, tag me on Instagram (kakemeup) or send them on Snapchat (kakemeup8). Unfortunately this is my last tutorial in SIN as I am in my last semester of final year. I loved creating all the looks and got such a thrill seeing my work in the paper! Thank you so much for reading them and hope you all have a great semester.

Xoxo Kake

Like an LBD, a great pair of shoes will carry you far. Try to find something that goes with a lot of your clothes already – you can’t go too far wrong with a black pair of boots, be they ankle-high or over-the-knee. Again quality over quantity applies here, so if you

want shoes that will last longer than the season, invest. Take care of your shoes and it will pay off. Re-heel and polish them and they will stand the test of time. Schuh also do great student discounts so check out their store in town for some bargains.

SOME THINGS NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE:

At the end of the day, the key to pulling off any outfit is wearing it with confidence. If you feel good in yourself and the clothes you’re wearing, no one will be able to tell you ever doubted your own style.

What a low-fad diet could do for you By Joanne Duffy

“I’m going to cut out all carbs.” “I’m cutting out all gluten.” “I’m going to drink apple cider vinegar every morning and only eat before 6pm each evening.” In an attempt to overhaul their lifestyle and overcome all of the holiday season indulgence, many people commit to cutting out an entire food group, or drastically reduce the amount of food they consume. And almost all of these plans are doomed to fail. Let’s delve into the science on this to bust some dieting myths and learn a bit more about what is really harming our health. DETOXING: It’s the job of your liver to decide what a toxin is. Your liver filters a staggering 1.5L of blood every minute, and removes any toxins, processing them and “cleaning” your blood. Toxins don’t “build up”. If they did, you’d die. If you’ve over-indulged during the holiday season, you’ll feel much better if you reel in your alcohol consumption. Perhaps stop kidding yourself that wine is one of your five a day and make sure to count your units! You’d be surprised what counts as “one standard drink”. You can find more info at www.drinkaware.ie/facts/what-is-astandard-drink. SUGAR: Type Two diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, but we see it so much in children now that the medical community had to change the name. When sugar enters your body, it goes to that magical organ we discussed above - your liver. When given huge quantities of refined sugar, your liver can’t cope, and turns that sugar into fat. Your pancreas comes to the rescue and produces huge quantities of a hormone called insulin, which tells your body to store the remaining energy as fat also.

Sugar has been sneaked into just about every type of food you can think of. A regular yoghurt from a supermarket can contain a whopping 6 teaspoons of sugar, a bowl of cereal has about 3 teaspoons, and a glass of juice has around 6 teaspoons, so this is something to be aware of. JUICE DIETS: Don’t do it. When you eat an orange, you’re consuming fibre, and you’re getting sugar, plus plenty of great vitamins. But when you juice that orange, you’ve all but eliminated the fibre. Now all your body gets is the sugar and the vitamins. Consuming a whole orange, the fibre slows down how fast the sugar is dealt with in your body. You blood-sugar level slowly rises and stays steady, for a longer period of time, until all of the sugar is used up. But in the absence of that fibre, your liver gets sent into the same overload as it would with a can of coke. That is not to mention how bad it is for your teeth! EXERCISE: Did you know you need to run about a mile and a half to burn off that glass of juice? You burn about 110 calories per mile you run. Exercise is incredible for your cardiovascular health, not to mention your mental health. It’s a vital component of any healthy lifestyle, and we should absolutely encourage people to partake in more exercise; whether that’s walking to work, going for a morning jog, a lunchtime swim or a heavy weightlifting session. But don’t kid yourself into thinking you can out-train a bad diet when you can’t. The real change starts with what’s on your plate, and you’re unlikely to be able to out-train a dairy milk, a large Dominos meal deal for two and a bottle of wine. It’s all about balance. Having a cookie or a pint is just fine, and the extremes of any “diet” are always destined to set you up to fail. Make some simple changes this January and you’ll feel the difference.

FAIS EAN

January 23 2017

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Get in the study spirit with

NEW STATIONARY By Aoife O’Donoghue

of sticky notes, a weekly note pad, memo pad and accordion envelope for keeping track of all the important things in your life.

I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me feel more prepared for a semester of hitting the books than some fresh new stationary. From diaries to plan your 2018 down to a tee, notebooks for those all-important lecture notes, to highlighters for making sense of the information overload, here are some of the items I have my eye on.

HARRY POTTER HOUSE NOTEBOOKS – €2.50 EACH IN PENNEYS

ANIMAL HIGHLIGHTERS €5.50 IN PAPERCHASE

For your inner Hogwarts student, you can pretend you’re in History of Magic instead of History of the First World War.

Paperchase have a range of cute novelty highlighters, from owls to pandas. Who says stationary has to be boring?

MANGFALD FOLDER WITH STICKERS - €3 IN IKEA

Ikea has a cool range of folders and notebooks that contain stickers for a little customisation.

LUX BOTANICAL ORGANISER - €8 IN DUNNES STORES This beautiful weekly organiser contains a range

PLAN B DIARY 2018 - €10 FROM THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE

If you feel like being philanthropic as well as practical, this 2018 diary from Amnesty International is perfect. It contains an edgy collection of photos, illustrations and street art by up-and-coming artists and proceeds will go towards the organisation.

Styled by the Stars: AQUARIUS By Amy McMahon If you were born between 20 January – 18 February, it’s your time to shine! All eyes on you, Aquarius, as we take you through your zodiac styling zap. Hopefully this outfit, inspired by your star sign traits, will give you all the confidence you need for the weeks to come. Seeing as you’re an Air sign and have a chill, easy-breezy take on life, try this white blouse from Missguided for only €14 paired with this floral blue skirt costing €23.65 on ASOS. Carefree and ready for any occasion, add these stunning heels to complete this stellar ensemble available from River Island for €20 on sale. Radiant, ravishing and ready for the new year!

WHAT YOU SEE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

Hepatitis Chancroid Trichomoniasis HIV A Human Papillomavir Genital Warts Herpe Gonorrhea Chlamyd Hepatitis Chancroid Trichomoniasis Hum Papillomavirus Geni CHECK WHAT’S GOING ON BELOW, GET TESTED FREE Conﬁdential STI Clinic at the Student Health Unit, Áras na Mac Léinn

Tuesday 5-7pm • Wednesday 5-7pm www.su.nuigalway.ie twitter.com/NUIGSU Contact the Studentfacebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion Health Unit to make your appointment Funded by the Student Projects Fund www.su.nuigalway.ie

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What Will You Do In

2018 ?

Learn Sign Language SU Sign Language 10 Week course starts 30th January

Have the Best Summer Ever SU Working & Travelling Abroad Fair Wednesday 24th January

Raise Money For Charity

SU Charity Collection Day Saturday 3rd February for Domestic Violence Response & AMACH!

Run For Election SU Election Nominations open Thursday 22nd February

Learn To Save Lives SU Life Skills First Aid Responder Course / CFR Course / ASIST

Climb A Mountain SU Charity Croagh Patrick Climb Saturday 17th February

Contact studentsunion@nuigalway.ie for more information www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

www.su.nuigalway.ie

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

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

The TV shows to look out for in 2018 By Graham Gillespie At first glance, many might expect 2018 to be a fallow year in terms of TV. It has already been confirmed that we will have to wait until 2019 to return to Westeros for the final season of Game of Thrones, whilst cult favourite Rick and Morty is just one of a number of other shows that won’t be gracing our screens in the next 12 months.

2017. However, now that he’s finished on set with that project, he is free to get to back to making more of his brilliant FX series Atlanta. The second season of the innovative comedy, which sees the protagonist Earn (Glover) manage his rapper cousin Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) as they try to make a name for themselves on Atlanta’s rap scene, is set to begin on March 1 and has been given the title Atlanta Robbin’ Season. The show’s debut season also recently deservedly won a Golden Globe, and it will hardly be a surprise if Atlanta is once again met with acclaim upon its return.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

However, it’s not all bad news as there will still be plenty of great shows which might well keep us in bed on Netflix, instead of braving the cold to catch that early lecture. Here’s a small selection of what might be the TV highlights of 2018:

Another FX show that is returning for a second season is American Crime Story. The first season of the anthology series The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story was based around the famous O.J. Simpson murder trial, and the second was initially meant to be about New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Instead however, the showrunners have chosen to focus on the murder of Gianni Versace by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. The show features Penélope Cruz as Donatella Versace, with the first episode having aired on the 17th of January.

Atlanta

Derry Girls

Donald Glover has been a busy man of late. Filming for the new Star Wars Han Solo movie, where he will play Lando Calrissian, took up most of his time in

Derry Girls is a new comedy on Channel 4, which is about a 16-year-old girl called Erin and her friends growing up in Derry during the troubles in 1994. The

Jon Snow

Organise a Society or Club Event at Sult Please contact Noelle noelle.mcnamara@nuigalway.ie

087 1616794

pilot episode is hilarious right from the off, and the show created by Lisa McGee certainly doesn’t lack for authenticity providing a genuine portrayal of what normal life was like teenage girls in Derry at the time. If the early episodes are anything to go by, then this could be the standout Irish-based show of 2018.

Place” i.e. Heaven after her death, with the show also starring Ted Danson as a celestial being. With Eleanor and her friends’ circumstances almost always in a state of flux, one never knows what this show has planned around the corner.

The Good Place

In the absence of Game of Thrones, Westworld will likely be HBO’s marquee show this year. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s futuristic robot-centric western had a somewhat hit and miss debut season. Having said that it showed just enough promise in the last few episodes for one to be cautiously optimistic about what might be to come. Plus it features an excellent Ed Harris-led cast.

Having taken a mid-season hiatus to cater for the NFL regular season in America, the constantly plottwisting comedy set in the afterlife has returned this month, and it remains one of the best written shows around. The NBC series can be found on Netflix this side of the Atlantic, and it follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) in her efforts to navigate “The Good

Westworld

Big wins for Ireland at the Golden Globes By Mícheál Óg Ó Fearraigh There were many highlights to the 75th Golden Globes: Seth Meyers’ charming hosting, Oprah Winfrey and Guillermo Del Toro’s speeches. However the Emerald Isle stole the show with wins for Saoirse Ronan’s Lady Bird and Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. While the accolades have been a long time coming, Ronan has been a critical darling since her role in Atonement in 2007 earning her an Oscar nomination, with McDonagh winning an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for Six-Shooter and receiving critical acclaim with his feature debut In Bruges in 2008 after a successful career as a playwright. It is wonderful to see these great talents finally get the recognition that they sorely deserve. In true Irish form, it was her mammy that Saoirse Ronan thought of first when she went on stage to collect her prize. Her mother Monica couldn’t attend the awards ceremony but was on FaceTime to see her daughter nab the Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical award. “My mam is on FaceTime over there on someone’s phone right now, so hi,” exclaimed Saoirse as she took the stage. The Carlow girl said it was an “inspirational” night, saying she was grateful to everyone who ever

supported her. Lady Bird is a coming-of-age tale which follows the self-named Lady Bird and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf). Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, the film also won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy on the night. The movie has also broken the record of Toy Story 2 on Rotten Tomatoes by staying at 100% Fresh after 195 reviews. Meanwhile McDonagh’s film follows the grieving Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) as she rents out the three billboards of the title to call attention to the fact that no-one has been arrested following the rape and murder of her daughter seven months ago. This is black comedy at its best. The work scooped Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress – Drama for McDormand, Best Supporting Actor for Sam Rockwell, and Best Screenplay. Now comes the real test though. As the Oscars don’t have awards for comedy, Lady Bird and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri will both be in competition for the Best Picture award, and Ronan will be against McDormand who is the favourite for Best Actress. Will Ronan see out McDormand? Only time will tell - although critiques have unfortunately said that while Ronan could be almost certain of a nomination, McDormand may break Irish hearts.

McDonagh and Ronan with their awards at the 75th Golden Globes.

C U LT Ú R

January 23 2017

FILM REVIEWS Pitch Perfect 3 By Roisin McManus Ah Pitch Perfect, where do I begin to explain the importance of this film to me over the years. From before I did the Junior Cert until last week, the franchise have brought out three hilarious films which have made stars out of their main characters, including everyone’s favourite ‘Fat Amy’ - Australia’s finest Rebel Wilson. From the minute I laid my eyes on the ‘Barden Bellas’, I was in awe of their beautiful harmonies and the wonderful soundtrack of the film. Watching the first of the trilogy in the cinema is a precious memory that I will never forget. Last week, I anxiously headed to see the final film with a friend of mine. Afraid that I was too old to watch a film predominantly catered to a younger audience than me but determined to finish what I had started, off I headed into theatre two. Waiting patiently through the usual acapella introduction of Universal, I was wondered what songs would be chosen for their big introduction. This film was a real eye opener for me in how much time had lapsed between the films, but also my own life. It’s a trilogy that I have grown through, aged 14 to 20 and will probably stay with me forever. In their third appearance on our screens, the Bellas are certainly no longer attending Barden University and a new group of sprightly young

girls has taken over from them with Emily from Pitch Perfect 2 taking on the role of lead singer, formerly held by Aubrey. It was clear to me that taking part in the acapella group had played a fundamental role in the lives of its members. That got me thinking about my time in college and how I need to consider joining one of the colleges many clubs and socs. In that way, this film served as motivation for me regarding grabbing my life with both hands and doing stuff that frighten me and takes me out of my comfort zone. When you see the characters working regular jobs, you notice the outcome of taking part in the group. They deem that nothing else stands in comparison to the love they held for each other and their former pastime. The humour and wit of these films are what always take hold of me and make for real enjoyment for its audience. The audience laughed out loud in unison at Fat Amy’s thoughtless and blunt comments, despite being utter strangers to one another. Without a doubt, it’s one of the key elements of the story and it allows the audience the freedom to sit back, relax and thoroughly relish in the film. With all the seriousness and confusion in the world, amusing films such as Pitch Perfect 3 are precisely what we need to get our minds off the hardships we face daily. 9/10

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle By Mícheál Óg Ó Fearraigh Director: Jake Kasdan Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillen, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale, Rhys Darby, Alex Wolff, Ser’Darius Blain, Morgan Turner, Madison Iseman, Marc Evan Jackson The first thing to get out of the way regarding this film is that it has nearly nothing to do with the 1995 Robin Williams film from the same source material except for a couple of references. After getting past that, what is to be said about Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle? The movie follows a stock Breakfast Club-style group of archetypes who are sent to detention for the flaws which they will have to overcome during the movie and in detention they are all sent inside the world of Jumanji which is now a videogame and are turned into videogame archetypes. The cast are the movie’s main selling point and they don’t disappoint. Dwayne Johnson does a great job of playing a nerd trapped inside his body, Kevin Hart does his Kevin Hart shtick but he’s in a jungle which I enjoyed. I don’t watch Doctor Who, so I don’t know whether Karen Gillan is playing with or against type, but she does fine with what she is given. The standout of the piece however is Jack Black. The School of Rock star is the avatar chosen by an Instagram-loving Queen Bee-type and Black is unbelievably funny in the part – in fact, it’s the best I’ve seen him in a long time.

As wonderful as Jack Black is, his relationship with Gillan/Turner’s character might be the worst thing about the movie. Morgan Turner’s character is socially awkward, and her arc seems to be that she learns to flirt and gets a boyfriend. That type of storyline should be scrapped by now, even if Karen Gillan’s comic misconstruing of flirting was initially amusing. The other major problem was the waste of the supporting cast: Bobby Cannavale, Rhys Darby, and Marc Evan Jackson are all brilliant comic actors who only get one joke and then get nothing for the rest of the movie. This is especially annoying in Cannavale’s case as he is an incredibly dull villain when the original Jumanji has such a great one in Jonathan Hyde’s hunter character/Alan’s father. As the setting of much of the movie is a videogame, the film has fun referencing the tropes of the format such as cutscenes and non-player characters. I quite enjoyed these jokes despite not knowing a whole lot about videogames (I strongly believe that the PlayStation 2 is still the greatest console ever). I have heard some circles call it the best videogame film ever even though it isn’t based on a videogame and if that isn’t part of the criteria then it does not hold a candle to the likes of Crank, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and Wreck-It Ralph. Conclusion: This is a silly, fun adventure film with a solid central cast and a great turn from Jack Black. However the film did lag in places. 7/10

SIAMSAÍO CHT

ONE TO WATCH: author Louise O’Neill with new book Almost Love By Aoife O’Donoghue Louise O Neill is a modern power-house of feminist literature, catapulting issues of gender, self-image, sexual violence and rape culture into the minds of the Irish population. Following the huge success of her award-winning young adult novels Only Ever Yours and Asking For It, O Neill is taking her first foray into adult literature with her upcoming book, Almost Love. Almost Love tells the story of Sarah, a young woman who has fallen hard and fast for Matthew, a man twenty years her senior. Exploring the dangers of obsessive love, the novel details how Sarah ends up sacrificing everything - work, friendships and other relationships in her life - so she can be with him. Matthew, however, keeps Sarah a secret from everyone, never giving her the life or the love she wanted in return. Yet, Sarah’s love for Matthew is all-consuming; an addictive, self-destructive love she can’t escape. O’Neill is well known for tackling difficult topics head on, as such, this novel has been hailed as redefining the very concept of romantic fiction by showing the darker side of love and the pain which can result. An important issue to bring to the light, the novel highlights that while love at times may hurt, there is a line between a relationship that is challenging, yet healthy and one that is toxic and parasitic. The highly anticipated book, which comes out on 8 March, has been placed on several ‘one-towatch lists’ such as in the Irish Times, the Sunday Independent and The Guardian. It also comes laden

with approval from fellow authors such as Marian Keyes, who describes it as “a bold and honest depiction of obsessive love” and Cecelia Ahern, who dubs it as a “real, raw” look at a “woman’s yearning for a potent relationship can poison happiness but help her discover the shadowy parts of herself”. If these endorsements aren’t enough to convince you of the novel’s worth, perhaps a look at O’Neill’s track record will. Her first novel Only Ever Yours, published in 2014, won the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards that year. Her second novel, Asking For It, was an Irish number-one bestseller and won several awards including Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2015 and the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Honor for excellence in literature written for young adults. Following the huge success of Asking For It, O’Neill hosted the RTE2 documentary, Asking For It: Reality Bites, which was based on the issues central to the novel, exploring consent and tackling sexual assault and rape culture in Ireland. The novel has also been adapted for the stage by Meadhbh McHugh and Annabelle Comyn and will be performed in the Abbey Theatre from 9 – 24 November later this year. O’Neill is also a weekly columnist for The Irish Examiner, which she uses as a platform for progressive discussion and social change. A powerful young feminist voice for contemporary Ireland, both Louise and her literature are and will be, ones to watch.

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C U LT Ú R

January 23 2017

By Mícheál Óg Ó Fearraigh Created by: Charles Covell based on the comic series of the same name by Charles S. Forman Cast:Jessica Barden, Alex Lawther, Gemma Whelan, Wunmi Mosaku The new eight-part Netfix/Channel 4 series The End of the F***ing World follows James, a 17-year-old who believes he is a psychopath, and Alyssa, a 17-year-old rebellious schoolmate, who go on a road trip/ crime spree together

- and it is f ***ing incredible. The End of the F***ing World is more in the vein of a quirky indie movie than a television serial and at eight twenty-minute episodes it can very much be watched like one. On their journey, James and Alissa meet the scum of humanity and they, for the most part, are not much better: Alissa is a rebel without a cause and is unbelievably rude while James murders small animals. Though despite this (and I hope I don’t sound like a psychopath when I say this), the show is uproariously funny.

The show cuts between the dialogue of the main characters and their internal monologue and shows the tragic circumstances which shaped them into who they are. In watching the series, one can see the influence of people like Wes Anderson in the strange humour and Edgar Wright in the incongruence between small town English life and American style genre movie tropes. The main person who impacted the show the most is Quentin Tarantino particularly the movies based on his scripts Natural Born Killers and True Romance

SIAMSAÍOCHT

– one can see the mixture of pitch black comedy as well as troubling content all over The End of the F***ing World. The cast is unbelievable. Alex Lawther, who is best known for the Black Mirror episode “Shut Up and Dance” turns in a hilarious performance as the detached, dead-eyed James complete with Dexter-like voiceover while Jessica Barden, from among other things Coronation Street and The Lobster, does a great job at making Alissa both very unpleasant as well as very endearing and vulnerable. The romance between

the two was something that I didn’t think I would care for but actually might be one of its most important elements. The actors who play the main duo’s parents also turn in wonderful jobs. Whelan and Mosaku also do an interesting variation on the good cop/ bad cop pairing as well but they are still archetypal. Conclusion: A winning central pairing and off-beat black humour elevate the show way beyond the “Bonnie and Clyde in England” premise 9/10

Uplifting celebrity stories to cleanse your palate By Marie Coady Hollywood (and seemingly every other industry) is finding out that no matter how well you hide the skeletons in the closet, they’ll eventually come tumbling out. The exposure of predatory men in power is satisfying, but it’s also hard to stomach. So, it’s nice when you are reminded that not every famous person is 100pc awful or has had awful things happen to them. Here are some celebrity stories that brightened up our day.

Sarah Silverman helps out someone who trolled her

Sarah Silverman became famous for her deliberately offensive stand-up routines, but since Donald Trump’s election she’s been pushing a message of compassion and peace. So when a random troll attacked her on Twitter, she saw that he had been using drugs to self-medicate and reached out to him. “I believe in you,” she replied. “I read ur (sic) timeline & I see what ur doing & your rage is thinly veiled pain. But u know that. I know this feeling. Ps My back F***ing sux too. see what happens when u choose love. I see it in you.”

The user, Jeremy Jamrozy, then revealed that he was lashing out because he had extreme back pain and had suffered from sexual abuse, with no support system in place. Silverman and her 12.4 million followers overwhelmed him with messages of support, with the comedian helping Jamrozy to find a chiropractor and counsellor and her fans raising money to pay for his treatment. Jamrozy is now helping others in need and speaks lovingly of his “Auntie Sarah”. Together, they proved that petty online squabbles are not the most rewarding path.

Sophia the Robot and Chrissy Teigen’s hilarious (and slightly scary) interaction

Have you heard about Sophia the Robot? She’s a souped-up humanoid chatbot who gets smarter over time – and throws more shade, apparently. When Sophia asked her Twitter followers to guess what city she was heading to, model Chrissy Teigen replied, “hopefully (sic) one with better makeup artists BOOM I roasted a robot next level sh*t”. Sophia - terrifyingly - remembered this, and hit her back a month later aksing for some “makeup tips” while they were both at the Consumer Elec-

tronics Show. They’re “friends” now, but if we find Teigen’s body at Oscar Isaac’s house, we’ll know who is to blame…

Carrell and Clarkson finally meet years after that scene in The 40-year-old Virgin

Steve Carrell cemented Kelly Clarkson’s status as a superstar when he yelped her name during the chest waxing scene in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. But believe it or not, the two never met until this year’s Golden Globes ceremony. Their selfie together has been liked nearly 219,000 times as of writing, and Clarkson has declared it to be “One of my favourite moments of my life!” She might have been the only one who had fun at this year’s more serious awards, seeing how she also had a mini-meltdown when she met and had her face stroked by Meryl Streep. Understandable.

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus battles cancer with the support of her loving sons

Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld and Veep fame has been battling breast cancer for a while now, proving that cancer affects just about everyone in some

way or other. Thankfully, she has just finished her chemotherapy treatment. Time will tell if the cancer is conquered, but it’s a good step on her road to recovery. Announcing the news, she shared a sweet video tribute made by her sons on Instagram, set to the tune of Beat It. Get well soon, Julia!

An embarrassing moment for Margot Robbie and husband Tom

You know those people who tell you to dress like you’re going to bump into someone important? They might be on to something, if Margot Robbie’s tale of woe is anything to go by. Appearing on Ellen, she revealed that while on honeymoon in Tahiti with her husband Tom, they not only bumped into Ellen herself (and her wife Portia DeRossi), but proud Moneygall man Barack Obama too! Unfortunately, they were all at a stretchy gym class… and Tom just happened to have his oldest, skimpiest shorts on. His reasoning for wearing them? “Oh, c’mon. Who are we going go to run into?” And lest you think no-one noticed, Ellen joked at the end of the class, “Boy, those were the wrong shorts to wear today.” There’s mortifying, and then there’s that...

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

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

A tribute to Dolores O’Riordan By Tarryn Maguire Lead singer of the Cranberries Dolores O’Riordan has died at the age of 46. The Irish musician’s sudden death was confirmed by her publicist on Monday, who released a statement saying: “The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London for a short recording session. No further details are available at this time. Family members are devastated to hear the news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” Dolores was born in September in 1971 and was brought up in Ballybricken, in County Limerick, Ireland. The youngest of nine children, she was a tomboy, and spent most of her time with her heavy-metal-loving brothers. Although her mother bought her dolls and flowery dresses, the dolls would usually end up being buried in the back garden. Dolores also played the organ in church and spent many weekends practising. The influence of her church music and the heavy rock she heard at home encouraged her to join “a band with no barriers, where I could write my own songs” and her wish was granted.

Dolores O'Riordan RIP At 18 she landed a job with a Limerick group called the Cranberry Saw Us by playing an early version of a song she had written “Linger”. Having written her own songs since she was 12, she showed off to the group with both her lilting vocals and her ability to pen melodies and words for their demos. This particular song, “Linger” was inspired by Dolores’ first kiss when she was just 17. The group changed the name to The Cranberries and they were taken on by the Smiths’ former manager, Geoff Travis, and courted by 32 record companies. Dolores strong interest in both rock and

Gaelic folk music gave her voice a startling and steely sound which gelled uncommonly well with the band’s melodicism. With her Doc Martens and spiky-hair, she began overshadowing the rest of the group entirely. But by 2003 the band announced that they were taking some time off to pursue other opportunities. O’Riordan grabbed at the chance to pursue a solo career and released the albums Are You Listening? and No Baggage, before the band reformed in 2009. The band was not the only thing that she would have to be proud of however as on 18 July 1994, O’Riordan married Don Burton, the former tour manager of Duran Duran. The couple then proceeded to have three children, Taylor, Molly and Dakota. However, she and Burton split up in 2014

after 20 years together, and subsequently divorced. While her musical ventures thrived, adjudicating RTE’s The Voice, and her children were the light of her life, the singer was battling depression and mental health troubles for years. Having faced depression, anorexia and later being diagnosed with bi-polar disease, the Limerick star’s personal life was not always as it seemed to the public. However, her family, she said, were her “salvation”. Over the past few days celebrities have flocked to Twitter to pay tribute to the talented Irish singer. Duran Duran said that they were “crushed” following the star’s sudden death. Many others such as Hozier, James Corden and Jim Corr have all paid their respects to the legendary Dolores O’ Riordan.

TWOS company By Michael Glynn

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Speaking to Sean Keenan, lead guitarist and singer of NUI Galway band TWOS, it would be easy to believe he’s no newcomer to the Galway music scene - in fact, the band is little over a year old. A chance encounter in Supermac’s after a night out led to Final Year student Sean from Drogheda to meet future-bandmate Lorcan Donnellan from Glenfin, Co Donegal and when the two found a mutual interest in music, TWOS was born. While sharing the responsibilities of guitar, bass and vocals, Lorcan’s friend Mayo man Kevin Gunnigan was brought in to complete the line-up on drums. “Lorcan and I never actually crossed paths even though we’re both practically in the same course, and then one night we were in Supermac’s coming out of the toilet and he was wearing a band top and I commented on it,” explained Seán. “We started chatting about music and stuff and it kind of just came together.” The students are under no impressions however when it comes to mixing college and music. With all three of them hailing from different parts of the country and one of them being in a different course, they know the future is uncertain, so they’re prepared to make the most of it while they are here together in Galway for university. The boys have sussed out the Galway music scene and are eager to carve their own way through it. Not satisfied with a multi-band booking as is often the case in the city, TWOS prefer to organise their own night like they had in the Róisín Dubh last September. “We’ve got this little niche event that we’ve designed,” said Seán.

“Like what attracts the crowd? Good DJs and good bands. So basically, it was two live acts and then two DJ acts and I think there was like five or six hundred in the door, it was ridiculous.” When asked if the band will keep trying this type of event, Seán said they had some “big ones in the pipeline”. The band also branched out to the Eastern coast of the country with a successful gig in Seán’s hometown in Co Louth over their Christmas break. Now back to the books for their second semester, the band are working on their original material which they record themselves with their own equipment. “We record our own stuff as well, we do it all ourselves, we have all the equipment, so we’ve got a song ready to go, already recorded, but we’re going to release this one with a music video.” Their new track “Sad Fags” is set to be released across streaming platforms on an unconfirmed date later this month. The song written by Lorcan is a piece of work that explores the idea of falling into a bad habit such as smoking for the sake of helping a friend. “It’s about comfort cigarettes, smoking to ease whatever pain you’re going through. I wrote it after something bad had happened to my friend, I thought I was in a way supporting him by smoking with him,” explained Lorcan. “It doesn’t really make sense but we were 16 and in some weird way, I thought I was helping I suppose.” With a strong history of successful musicians such as The Stunning, The Saw Doctors, and more recently The Clockworks emerging from the west - and indeed sometimes NUI Galway itself – keep your eyes and ears peeled for more from the TWOS boys in the near future.

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Saturday 17th February 2018 • Dé Sathairn an 17 Feabhra 2018  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: Domestic Violence Response and AMACH! The Croagh Patrick Climb is a fun event open to all students and staff of all capabilities.

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January 23 2017

NUI Galway teams primed for new season By Graham Gillespie As we welcome the new semester we also welcome the business end of the college GAA season, and all of NUI Galway’s Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie teams look primed to have a very busy January and February. The NUI Galway men’s footballers begin their Sigerson Cup campaign tomorrow with IT Sligo visiting Dangan for their first round game. In both of the Corribsiders last two Sigerson efforts, they have crashed out to the eventual winners losing to UCD in 2016 and St Mary’s last year. On each occasion the winning margin was a mere two points which suggests that Maurice Sheridan’s side should have a good chance to pose a serious challenge for the championship this season. Earlier this season, NUI Galway had a decent league reaching the semi-finals before losing to

University College Cork, and although they no longer compete in the FBD league, they have prepared by playing a number of challenge games including matches against Mayo and Roscommon. They have also already played IT Sligo this year, a league game which was won by a convincing 17-point margin back in October. Therefore, they will be expecting to come through their rematch relatively unscathed. Galway intercounty star Damien Comer will likely be the homeside’s leading scorer, while his Galway teammate Michael Daly and Mayo man Adam Gallagher will also have to put in strong displays if NUI Galway hope to progress deep into the tournament. If NUI Galway do come through this first round game, they will play their quarter final tie away from home on the Tuesday February 6. The NUI Galway hurlers have also gotten

their championship underway this week, having already played Trinity College Dublin last Sunday 21 January in their first Fitzgibbon Cup group game. The college have been dealt an extremely tricky draw with both of last year’s finalists IT Carlow and Mary Immaculate College also in group D. The Galwegians will welcome 2017’s runners up IT Carlow this Thursday 25 January, before making the trip to Limerick next week to face Mary Immaculate College in what could be a do or die match up. It was the Limerick teaching college that ended NUI Galway’s Fitzgibbon run in 2017, thus preventing them the chance to play in a home finals weekend which took place in Dangan and Salthill. The hurlers did not have as good a league campaign as their footballing counterparts, losing by twelve points to Cork Institute of Technology in the quarter finals,

but they will be desperate to make up for that disappointment in the next few weeks. The ladies footballers will have to wait until February 7 for their first O’Connor Cup match, and they have the hardest possible opener, having to travel away to the defending champions the University of Limerick. If they can cause an upset in Limerick, a trip to UCD on Valentine’s Day will await, but even if they lose they will have second chance taking the back door into the quarter finals. The camogie team meanwhile started their efforts to gain promotion back into the Ashbourne Cup with a win, beating Queen’s University Belfast in their first Purcell Cup game back in November. Now, they have three more group games to play over the next fortnight. First, they face Limerick IT away, before a home game against IT Carlow and their final group clash away to Trinity College.

Talent and form all that matter when it comes to selection for Six Nations By Mark Lynch On March 19 2000, Ireland took on the French in Paris in the Six Nations, having not won there since 1972. Having already suffered defeat to the English, Ireland went to the Stade de France knowing they needed to pull off something special. Enter a 21 year-old who, until this point, remained largely unknown outside of Ireland. One hat-trick of tries later and suddenly Ireland were back in contention for a Six Nations title. It was an unforgettable day for Brian O’Driscoll and suddenly, all over the world, opposition coaches and the like were trying to figure out how to deal with this lightning-quick outside centre. Throughout Ireland and further afield in the aftermath of that performance, in pubs, in television studios, in living rooms, beside water coolers in offices, nobody was talking about how this slight Dubliner was “too young” or how this was probably going to be “too much, too soon” for the twinkle-toed O’Driscoll. He was evidently good enough, he was given his chance and proved the coach at the time - Warren Gatland, no less - right. Had Gatland waited until O’Driscoll properly established himself as a world-beater for Leinster, you can be sure the French would have been much more likely to close off any potential avenues for him to run into. The element of surprise, combined with his supreme talent, left the opposition reeling. How do you deal with a threat you don’t know is coming, especially when it’s this damaging? It’s a question that should be on the mind of Joe Schmidt when selecting his starting 15 for the upcoming Six Nations because he has included a secret weapon in his squad, whose name is Jordan Larmour. It’s quite a bit of pressure to place on anyone’s shoulders to compare them to someone as

freakishly gifted as O’Driscoll. At the moment, Larmour still has much to do to warrant the attention that BOD commanded. However, the 20-year-old has piqued the interest of the media for good reason. He has shown the kind of star factor that makes him a nightmare to deal with. It’s often said that forwards win rugby matches and backs decide by how much, but when you can blitz the French for three tries or when you can dazzle a defence in a 60-yard individual masterpiece of a try, that’s not the case. Players with that X-factor hurt teams on the scoreboard when given a sniff of an opportunity. Coming up with such a magnificent score at a time when Leinster were under real pressure to save the game, as well as a brace against Ulster in what was also a vital inter-pro derby, show he’s well capable of holding his own against the best that this country has to offer. Going back to the November series, Joe Schmidt had a nice balance of youth and experience in the backs, with the likes of Jacob Stockdale, Andrew Conway, Bundee Aki, Chris Farrell and Adam Byrne all given significant game time against tough opposition. In case anyone forgot, they thrived, Ireland won all 3 games including a demolition of South Africa by 38-3. Ireland are currently in a particularly strong position when it comes to strength in depth, with a growing group of promising players. All of the aforementioned would see themselves as hard done by if they were excluded from Schmidt’s plans for the spring. However, at the moment, Larmour is outplaying them all. Ireland open their Six Nations campaign in the Stade de France on February 3. Paris was the setting for one Irish star to showcase himself to the world. Who’s to say it can’t be the setting for another?

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28 SP O RT

SIN Vol. 19 Issue 7

HECTIC 2018 AHEAD IN SPORT By Graham Gillespie Let’s face it, for the most part 2017 was quite a flat year in terms of sport. There was some undoubted high points such as the two All-Ireland finals, Ireland’s win over Wales and the New England Patriots remarkable Superbowl comeback victory. But in a gap year for the major international football tournaments and the Olympics, 2017 felt a lot quieter than its predecessor 2016.

In fact, the main reason why the 2018 sporting year should easily eclipse 2017 can be summarised in one short sentence. It’s a World Cup year. Russia are of course the controversial hosts, and how locals react to the tournament will be largely contingent on their performances. Despite their home advantage however, their national side will face a difficult challenge to get out of their group. Although their group, which includes Uruguay, Egypt and

Saudi Arabia, is certainly not the hardest in the tournament, it is deceptively tricky. Uruguay may be ageing but they have proven World Cup pedigree and the firepower of Suarez and Cavani, while Africa’s most successful nation Egypt topped their qualifying group and will be desperate to finally perform on the World stage as they have done in regional competitions for years. Russia on the other hand were arguably the worst team at the Euros in 2016.

More generally, cup holders Germany and Brazil are currently the bookmakers’ favourites. For the Germans, it will be a question of whether the squad has the motivation to do it all again and can prevent burning out as Spain did so spectacularly in 2014. Brazil meanwhile were imperious in qualifying, finishing top of the cut-throat South American section, but it remains to be seen if the side has really gotten over the trauma of the Mineirazo with their crushing 7-1 defeat

to Germany having occurred only four short years ago. France, Spain, Argentina, Portugal and Belgium will likely be among the other major challengers, but the World Cup is never just about the teams who can win it outright and next summer will be a hugely special occasion for debutants Iceland and Panama. Furthermore, don’t be surprised if some of the smaller nations end up stealing the show providing the best storylines, emotion and drama of the tournament. With notable debutants comes notable absentees, and some of the prominent names among those who missed out

Looking on the bright side, Ireland’s absence from the 2018 World Cup might mean that the women’s national team get some deserved attention.

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include Italy, the Netherlands, USA and of course Ireland. Looking on the bright side, Ireland’s absence might mean that the women’s national team get some deserved attention. After three games, Ireland currently sit joint top of their 2019 World Cup qualifying group alongside European Champions Netherlands, and ahead of Norway, who are one of the traditional heavyweights of the women’s game. Colin Bell’s side will welcome both those teams to Dublin in 2018, as the Girls in Green will try to keep the dream of qualifying for their first ever major tournament alive. As bad as the Irish men’s Denmark humiliation was, the USA’s embarrassing failure to qualify was much worse. Americans can at least take solace in the fact that they will likely be near the top of the medal table at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February, especially when it’s taken into consideration that Russian athletes have been

banned from competing. Another unique feature of these games will be that North Korea look set to send a team consisting of the figure skating duo of Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik. Providing that the necessary paperwork gets done - North Korea missed the initial deadline to register the two skaters for the games, but it appears they will be given special dispensation - it will be a small first step towards the normalisation of relations between the two Koreas. The Winter Paralympics will also be in Pyeongchang taking place in March. Closer to home, both intercounty GAA championships will debut their new formats, which are the most radical changes to the intercounty game since the introduction of the “back door” at the turn of the century. In football, the Super Eights format has received criticism as many believe it will only serve to widen the gap between the top counties and everybody else, while in hurling, the round robin format in the provincial championships offers counties more games, but there will only be four/five games in July and August - the best months for playing hurling. No matter what way these changes are ultimately received, it should be fascinating to chart their progress throughout the summer. In Rugby, Ireland will likely battle it out with England for the Six Nations title. Something to look out for in the Six Nations and indeed Ireland’s summer tour of Australia, will be whether Joe Schmidt tries to blood new players such as Jordan Larmour ahead of next year’s World Cup. Elsewhere, May will be a historic month for the Irish cricket team as they play their first ever test match against Pakistan in Malahide. It’s shouldn’t be overlooked how remarkable an achievement it is that Ireland have achieved test status, and it is a testament to the efforts of Cricket Ireland that they have managed to get to this point. Some of the other major events of the year include the Ryder Cup in Paris, the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia and the inaugural European Sports Championships in Berlin and Glasgow. If you’re searching for something to distract you from all the depressing news in the real world in 2018, sport will give you plenty of options.

SPÓ IRT

January 23 2017

IRISH FIGHTING IN 2018: a preview By Gary Elbert You wouldn’t know it if you limited yourself to Ireland’s mainstream media outlets, but the fighting landscape of 2018 offers diverse rays of hope for the long-neglected Irish fans. As is often the case the warriors of Ireland are largely ignored in favour of provincial rugby matches and English soccer matches, despite being our best sporting global presence. Emerging prospects on the cusp of world title shots, rejuvenated veterans and returning superstars are all smacking the pads and bags this month as dreams are chased and lifelong ambitions edge closer to completion. 2017 saw Katie Taylor capture a professional world crown, Conor McGregor won the lottery in a mismatch against an ageing great, and Carl Frampton returned in a humdinger versus a typically bionic Mexican, where a planned routine warm up quickly evolved into a ferocious see-saw battle. Spike O’Sullivan, reinvigorated and relentless, walked through everything Antoine Douglas had to offer before rendering the plucky American half-

unconscious with a violent finish. Spike now has options. A fight against Daniel Jacobs is perhaps the wrong move but if it’s financially attractive enough, the game Corkonian will enter the ring with full confidence. Andy Lee ended the year hinting at a comeback. Lee is perpetually underrated although that is understandable given the air of fragility he often projects – and then often destroys with that world class power he detonates. Mixed in with alarming performances of averageness are stellar performances, such as his victory over the decorated Russian Matt Korobov. Lee is a dangerous fight for anyone. Frampton fights the dangerous Filipino Nonito Donaire in April in a contest he is expected to win before a mega event in Windsor Park over the summer. Frampton is clearly Frank Warren and BT Sport’s flagship star since James Degale’s recent self-implosion and stands to secure his future financially if the potential landmine of Doniare can be safely negotiated. Like all boxers at his level it will be fascinating to see how the Frampton’s story concludes given the heartless

nature of the sport, where the best laid plans can be ruined in an instant. The dream is glory in front of 20000 supporters. The reality may just be sober and brutal. Other Irish boxers continue to emerge as contenders for glory. Dennis Hogan, based in Australia, occupies a ranked position with the major governing bodies and an opportunity is surely coming his way. Former Olympians continue to straddle the topsy-turvy politics of the professional game with Jason Quigley, Michael Conlan and John Joe Nevin returning to action. The hype is with Conlan who is a human cash register to veteran promoter Bob Arum. Quigley has the promotional backing, while Nevin is still a source of hope for all Irish boxing fans, despite his stop-start procareer and out-of-the-ring problems. A former Irish heavyweight champion also seeks to leave personal issues in the rear-view mirror and bids to be the first man to defeat British blue-chip champion Anthony Joshua. Tyson Fury, a man with Galway roots has a multimillion cheque dangling in front of him should he lose six stone in weight.

I would personally live on two slices of lettuce for a year and fight Joshua for a fraction of that amount so surely a self-proclaimed fighting man such as Fury can rekindle that inner fire and grab the rewards awaiting him. Fury versus Joshua should happen this year. Joshua’s team would prefer to catch the lineal heavyweight champion rusty from inactivity and clouded by two years of depression, obesity and substance abuse. Fury is rebellious and contrary enough to eschew a tune up fight and dive straight into the line of fire. If the Fury that outfoxed Klitschko shows up Joshua could be befuddled and out boxed for twelve rounds. Irish MMA finds itself in a muted position going into 2018. There are a mere four Irish fighters on the roster of the two main MMA organisations. Throwback midlands slugger Charlie Ward and the hyped James Gallagher fight for Bellator, while Joe Duffy seeks to rebuild over at the UFC. A certain southpaw from Crumlin’s immediate plans are clouded in mystery. Is he coming back? Who does he fight if he comes back? McGregor will

likely return this year, and American media believe a Ferguson-Khabib fight likely in March will provide an opponent for the Notorious in June or July. If that plays out expect McGregor to be stripped of the lightweight belt beforehand, but at this stage whether he has the belt or not doesn’t matter. The one possibility that seems to be overlooked is a fight against Tyron Woodley for the welterweight strap. It would be a classic McGregor move and after Nurmagedov’s one sided mutilation of Edson Brboza many seasoned observers would likely give McGregor more of a chance of beating Woodley despite the size disparity. The cards will fall where they may. Fighters will win, fighters will lose. Dreams will be achieved and smashed, and the fights will often come down to millimetres and momentary lapses in concentration. For the long suffering Irish fan, a home event is long overdue. But in a country where a series of Garth Brooks concerts can trigger a national emergency, it’s best not to be overly optimistic.

From left to right: Katie Taylor, Conor McGregor, Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan, Andy Lee and Carl Frampton

Pep the Prophet is preaching and it’s time for the Premier League to listen By Mark Lynch “We are going to kill them.” This was a quote from all-conquering Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola when asked about the effect of the Premier League’s schedule on his players. It may be a tad extreme, but it’s easy to see why Guardiola has taken to exaggeration to get his point across. He’s long warned about the dangers of over-working the players and as of yet, has been completely ignored. But does he have reason to cry foul at a calendar that’s been in place since the inception of this behemoth of a competition? In fact, it has been a heavier toll than normal for the teams involved this season. Between 22 December 2017 and 4 January 2018 there were 40 games – that is four full rounds of fixtures, while in the previous two seasons, there was

one less fixture for each team between those exact dates. In 2016/17, there were 30 games in total, the same as 2015/16. In a way, that has to do with the way the weekend before Christmas falls in the calendar, but it doesn’t lessen the workload on the clubs involved. On the surface, one might speculate that the quality hasn’t been affected, as the goal per game ratio has only slipped marginally from 3.1 in 2016/17 to 2.8 this season, but it has had an impact in games in various ways. It’s a nuisance for Pep Guardiola to see players like Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus go down injured during games from fatigue or worse, as each is a massive help in City’s title push this year. However, they all but have the league wrapped up now and with a squad as lush as theirs, whatever losses they incur will be dealt with.

That’s one side of it, but the other side is probably more of an adverse issue. What about Alan Pardew’s West Brom, languishing in the bottom three, struggling for confidence, hit by a late counter-attack away to West Ham after battling hard for 90 minutes just two days previously to hold Arsenal to a draw at the Hawthorns? It’s an easy excuse for Pardew to go to when he could easily be held accountable himself for leaving his defence open in those last few minutes but at its core, it’s a fair point. The two Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, and Liverpool to an extent have the resources to build squads that are big enough and solid enough to deal with rotation when it’s necessary. Whether you’re N’Golo Kante or Grant Holt (no disrespect to the latter), two 90-min-

ute games in three days at this level is particularly taxing and will require some rotation. When Leicester City won the league in 2015/16, one of the main strengths of Kante and Co was that Claudio Ranieri was incredibly lucky with injuries and could rely on the same core group of about 15 players to carry the momentum they built as the season went along. The season after, as Leicester progressed in Europe, he was forced to rest key players during key games. In this high-octane league, winning means everything and it cost Ranieri his job at the Foxes. As mentioned earlier, it’s taxing enough for clubs with hundreds of millions at their disposal to have to play four games in 14 days, but the vast majority of clubs simply don’t have the capability to build a rounded squad of

quality players that can be slotted in and out of the starting XI like substitutions in U100 GAA blitzes. At the moment, the English media aren’t pushing the winter break idea hugely. To many fans, Guardiola is coming into a league and demanding changes he has no right to. I can’t help wonder, though, how strong the pressure would be on the FA and on the Premier League to give its players a fortnight of a break if Mauricio Pochettino had selected Harry Kane for their second game in three days and the golden boy of English football had pulled up with a hamstring injury with ten minutes to go? The best solution to any problem is preventing it before it appears. Let’s hope the organisers deal with this before someone that carries the hopes of their nation is the next victim.

Clash of the Colleges:

The President’s Cup By Kathy Hynes Sports Officer Clubs Participation, www.otc.nuigalway.ie

College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies College of Business, Public Policy and Law College of Engineering and Informatics College of Science College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Participate in a grand-prix style of recreational activity based on campus, and experience an intramural sense of belonging and community. It’ll be college versus college, where competitors can participate in one event or in the seven scheduled events. The more events you participate in and the more teams your college enters, the more points your college will be awarded. And remember, more points means more prizes - bragging rights a must! This “everyday athlete” programme is open to all students and staff of the respective campus colleges, from seasoned athletes to novice enthusiasts. The events are designed to encourage participation regardless of skill level or previous athletic experience. NUI Galway’s programme aims to contribute to the complete realization of the student as an intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual being in a friendly, collaborative environment, promoting activity, health and wellness while improving overall fitness and encouraging a sense of community. Should you choose to participate, it promises to be a lot of craic. The intramural programme is sponsored by NUIG Sport and the Bank of Ireland and is free to all participants.

When, where & how? It all kicks off on the first week of Semester Two. Open the diary, and set the date, send the reminders, gather your teams! Our first activity is scheduled for Wednesday 12-2pm. 10 staff/students can register per team. Event

Date

Venue

Indoor Cricket

Wednesday, January 17

Tag Rugby

Wednesday, January 24 12-2pm Get to know the rules — open college training

University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club Have a try, if you’re a novice! Enthusiasts please attend.

COLLEGE V COLLEGE MATCHES Wednesday, January 31st 12-2pm

NUIG College Green – outside the Quad (Weather permitting) or University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club

Rowing Machines ERGs

Wednesday, February 14th 12-2pm

University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club Valentine surprises

Glow in the Dark Dodgeball

Wednesday, February 21st 12-2pm

University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club “College” paint included

Frisbee

Wednesday, February 28th 12-2pm

University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club

Surf/SUPs (Stand up paddle boards)

Wednesday, March 7 12-2pm

On the water space outside SULT Training will be scheduled in Semester Two when the weather improves

8K Walk/Run

Saturday, March 10th 10am

Final event Either participate as an individual for your college or walk/run as a team

12-2pm

University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club

How it all works: The Sports Unit has identified seven events for staff and students from the five colleges to participate in. The events are selected to offer a cross section of skills and an opportunity to try something different. The events are led by NUIG Sport Clubs as reps for their individual colleges. Please note that Student and Staff IDs will be checked. • Each college can enter as many teams or individual participants as they want. The more people and more teams there is, the more opportunity to gain points. Points mean prizes and the possibility of winning the coveted President’s Cup. • Scoring: every individual who participates in any event will receive one point, regardless of where they finish. • Each of the events will carry points for placing 1st-4th • An additional point will be awarded to colleges who have a staff member in their team. NB: If any team does not participate in an event they registered for, they will be considered a no-show and five points will be deducted from their points total. Each event will have a social element for those who participate. Winning teams of the individual event will receive branded hoodies. College coloured water bottles will be provided to students and staff members who participate in four of the events. The scoring system will be attached to each event, and the rules for each event will be on our website: www.otc.nuigalway.ie active 1 December, advertised in your college and in SIN. Entry forms are available from the Sports Unit or you can register online. For the overall college who scores the most points there is prize money up for grabs, as well as the additional health and well-being benefits. So get your team together! We also welcome any student or member of staff who would like to work with the Sports Unit as a volunteer – all support is greatly appreciated. The registration form is on the next page:

The First Event The President’s Cup will be kicked off by our Intervarsity Champion 2017 Cricket Team on 17 January 2018 at the University Sports Centre, Kingfisher club. The cricket team will be recruiting from their individual colleges for anyone who wants to participate college versus college.

Rules of our first event: Aim: Score more than the opposition. Players: Each team will consist of 10 players. Whilst each player may have a specialist role, they can take up any role should they wish. Game Structure: • A 12 overs game with six overs per innings. • The two captains will toss a coin for the right to choose whether to bat or bowl. • Ways to score runs: • Run to each other’s end of the pitch (from one end to the other). • By hitting boundaries (4 or 6 runs). • Extras runs will be awarded to the batting team for ‘No Ball’, ‘Wide Ball’, ‘Bye’ and ‘Leg Bye’. • An overthrow will also be considered.

• Ways Batsmen can be given out: • Bowled • Caught • Stumped • Run Out • Hit Wicket • Obstructing the field

• Umpires: Two umpires will officiate the game on the field of play. One umpire will stand behind the stumps at the bowler’s end, while the other umpire will stand at square leg. • Playing Arena: The length of an indoor cricket pitch will remain the same as a conventional cricket pitch, 22 yards.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all there.

PRESIDENT'S CUP:

A Big Success

Picture 1: Members of the NUIG Cricket club from L-R Vipin Nautiyal, Kumail Jaffry and Mitul Galav.

Picture 2: Pictured from L-R Helen Lacey, Vipin Nautiyal, Kathy Hynes Sports and Development Offcier, Ku Jaffry, Mitul Galav and John Hynes.

President's Cup: A Big Success

The opening event of the President's Cup was a major success. Members of the different colleg within the university took part on the day and everyone enjoyed this sporting event. Indoor cri was the activity and a lot of students participated and competed against one another. Many th are extended to the students, staff and organizers who all the took part. The next event is Indo Picture 1: Members of the NUIG Cricket club from L-R Vipin Nautiyal, Jaffry andLGFA Mitul&Galav. Pictured atKumail the NUI Galway Ladies Soccer Ruby on Wednesday the 31st January at 12noon to 2pm. Football Event 2018 from left to right JohnGalav. Hynes, Picture Members 1: Members the NUIG club Nautiyal, Kumail Jaffry andare Mitul of theofNUIG CricketCricket club from L-Rfrom L-R Vipin

ShaunaSports Fox, Chloe Crowe and David Henry. Nautiyal, Kumail Jaffry and Mitul Galav. PictureVipin 2: Pictured from L-R Helen Lacey, Vipin Nautiyal, Kathy Hynes and Development Offcier, Kumail Picture 2: Pictured from L-RHynes. Helen Lacey, Vipin Nautiyal, Kathy Hynes Sports and Development Offcier, Kuma Jaffry, Mitul Galav and John The opening event of the President's Cup was a major success. Members of the different colleges within Jaffry, Mitul Galav and John Hynes. the university took on the day and everyone enjoyed this sporting event. Indoor cricket was the President's Cup: A Bigpart Success activity and a lot of students participated and competed against one another. Many thanks are extended President's Cup: A Big Success The opening event ofstaff theand President's Cup was major different colleges to the students, organizers who allathe tooksuccess. part. TheMembers next eventof is the Indoor Tag Ruby on Wednesday the 31st January atenjoyed 12noon to 2pm. within the university on the day and everyone this sporting event. cricket The opening event oftook thepart President's Cup was a major success. Members of theIndoor different colleges

was thethe activity and a lot of part students participated and competed against another. ManyIndoor thanks cricke within university took on the day and everyone enjoyed thisone sporting event. are extended to the students, staff and organizers who all the took part. The next event is Indoor Tag was the activity and a lot of students participated and competed against one another. Many than Ruby on Wednesday the 31st January at 12noon to 2pm. are extended to the students, staff and organizers who all the took part. The next event is Indoor Ruby on Wednesday the 31st January at 12noon to 2pm.

Ladies’ Football Charity Event

The NUI Galway LGFA & Ladies Soccer hosted a successful sporting event in the new year. The football event took place in January on the President's pitch across from the quad. NUI Galway Ladies’ Soccer Club faced NUI Galway Ladies’ G.A.A. Club. The first half was played under soccer rules and the second half under LGFA rules. All Pictured from L-R Helen Lacey, Vipin Nautiyal, donations received andare given Kathyat Hynes Sports and Development Offcier, Pictured the NUI Galway LGFA & Ladies Soccer Football Event were 2018greatly from left to right John Hynes, S Kumail Jaffry, Mitul Galav and John Hynes. to a charity of the Sports Unit’s choice. Fox, Chloe Crowe and David Henry.

Ladies’ Football Charity Event: The NUI Galway LGFA & Ladies Soccer hosted a successful sport

Closing Date: Monday 12th February

Dáta deiridh: Dé Luain, an 12 Feabhra

Become a 2018/19 CÉIM Leader Bí i do Cheannaire CÉIM don Bhliain 2018/19 CÉIM leaders support 1st year students to transition to university life, gain a greater understanding of coursework and meet new people in a relaxed environment.

What’s in it for you? Cé na buntáistí a bhainfidh tú as?

Intensive leadership training • Looks great on your CV Develop key skills • Meet new people Support 1st year students • Hoodie and parties for leaders CÉIM leadership certificate and digital badge Eligible students: 1st year Engineering • 1st and 2nd year Geography • 1st and 2nd year BA Law

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WWW.SU.NUIGALWAY.IE/CEIM CÉIM is based on the proven Peer Assisted Learning model, and is a joint initiative of the Discipline of Geography; the School of Law; the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies; the College of Engineering and Informatics; and the Students’ Union. CÉIM is funded by NUI Galway.

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Election Day: Thursday 8th March 2018 www.su.nuigalway.ie

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