SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.20 Issue 04. 23 OCT 2018

Student Independent News

“We invited Granny initially… but then we had to tell her she couldn’t come.”

Conferring students only allowed two guests at their graduation By Áine Kenny The University reduced the number of guests conferring students were allowed to invite to their graduation ceremonies this year, SIN has learned.

This year, graduates were allowed to invite two guests. In previous years, students were given four tickets to hand out.

Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Registrar and Deputy - President of NUI Galway, explained that there was a review of the graduation ceremonies in August, and a number of issues came up.

“One [issue] was the high number of graduation ceremonies relative to other

universities, necessitated by the policy of allowing four guests, which was out of line with other Irish universities, which usually permit two guests per graduate.”

“This in turn led to significant extra costs for the University in terms of catering, security and senior staff time. It was felt that this was not a prudent use of University resources.”

“All staff and students were informed on 23 August and all graduates were invited [to their ceremonies] on 21 September.”

Ross Wilson, a graduate of Arts, conferred on Monday 15 October. He says he can understand there is an issue with

space, but he was sad that he had to leave some of his family behind.

“Four tickets would have done me great, because I have two parents and two brothers.

It is going to be one parent and one brother there… and the other two are going to have to wait outside, which is unfortunate. I’d like all of them to be there… I really would.”

Erin Kelly, another graduating Arts student, said she too had to tell family members they couldn’t attend her graduation.“I was hoping to bring my granny along, but I couldn’t anymore because we only got two tickets.”

“We invited Granny initially but then we figured out we only had two tickets…

and we had to tell her she couldn’t come.

I think the college should have informed people earlier, defintely.”

The Students’ Union were also critical of the new regime and the high level of security and disruption at Áras na Mac Léinn as a result.

“Regarding the graduation issues, the President tasked the Registrar with overhauling our conferring ceremonies.

We were left out of the meetings until the third meeting, we were essentially forgotten about until then,” said Megan Reilly, SU President.

“To the best of my knowledge, students were notified in August but staff were told

in June. The decision was made to bring us in line with other Universities. While I understand the logic behind it, I frankly think it’s been handled extremely poorly by the University.”

“It has caused a lot of grief to people who have been planning their graduations well in advance, and phasing it in would have worked a lot better from the look of things.”

“The communication with students has been abysmal, further shown by the fact that students were given no warning about the changes to Áras na Mac Léinn being cordoned off this week, and an email wasn’t sent out until I asked for one to be sent.”

In August 2017, former GMIT and NUI Galway Student’s Union Presidents issued a statement against this strong opposition.

Former NUI Galway President Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh said; “A few years ago, redevelopment and increasing capacity of Trinity Hall in Rathgar was met with resistance of the local community, protesting against over - concentration of students in that area.”

“Today, the Hall that accommodates 1,000 students is well integrated into the community, and offers student housing in a convenient location. Diverse and well-balanced local communities have a great potential for regeneration, civic activities and engagement.”

Despite being highly contested, the residences are expected to be open by September of 2020.

Westwood Hotel closes to pave way for student accommodation despite controversy

By Olivia Hanna The Westwood Hotel in Newcastle closed its doors on 1 October after being purchased in June 2017 by the Ziggurat Student Investment Fund.

The Westwood is currently being demolished to make way for student accommodation to be built on the site. The proposal, approved by An Bord Pleanála last month, includes five blocks of apartments, making up a total of 63 apartments that will house up to 394 students.

While the new accommodation is expected to help relieve the student housing crisis, the development has been highly contested by local residents.

Residents set up a committee called Save The Westwood Hotel Campaign, which is against the dismantling of the hotel and the development of the residences.

Committee chairperson Basil Fenton spoke with SIN to explain why the local residents wanted to keep The Westwood.

“This closure is a loss… it is removing the centrepiece/heart of the community.

The secret is in the name of our campaign:

Save the Westwood Hotel. Our objections are many and totally ignored by An Bord Pleanála.”

Fenton then shares why residents oppose the new construction; “[reasons for opposition] include the unsuitable location to plank a high rise residential accommodation in the middle of an established residential community.”

“We object to the imposition, irrespective of who resides in the new buildings.

The fact that it is going to be students rubs salt in the wound.”

“The University has more than enough space to accommodate the building of such accommodation in their own property, in a much nicer and more suitable and spacious [way], with direct access to University and its many facilities.”

But the residents did not feel as if their concerns were heard. “Three public meetings were held to ascertain the feelings of the community, and based on the very large participation and feelings of anger and dismay, the campaign was launched and publicly monitored.”

“Neither the University Management or Developers availed of these public

meetings to present their case. Public representatives did and vocally and actively supported the campaign.”

“A committee was formed after the first meeting. This committee had a meeting with three members of the purchasing team and student management. They outlined their plans and committed to engage and respect the community concerns.”

“Last we heard from them, until shortly before the end of the public responses to the planning notice, they requested a meeting at such short notice that no suitable person was available from the committee.”

“After the second public meeting, we hired a planning consultant to guide and advise. The third meeting was to ensure that everyone understood the objection process and that all relevant objections were noted.”

“83 planning submissions were sent outlining all objections, and those also sent by public representatives. All of these were totally ignored by An Bord Pleanála, and everything the developer had requested was granted. Our request for an oral hearing was also dismissed out of hand.”

2 NEWS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

INSIDE

Housing motion passes in Dáil following student protests 4 Winners of the Inaugural NUI Galway Explore Innovation Awards 2018 5 NUIG SU holds protest to secure funding for College Counselling Service 6 I got my Arts degree, what’s next? 7 First year diary: Back to reality 8 “Are there really black people in Ireland?” 9 Meet your new Education officer: Eibhlín Seoighte 10 College vs Relationships 11 Would you like maggots with that? 12 Head to Head: Is Conor McGregor a good role model? 13 Learning to drive and emptying your bank account: just adult things 14 Ode to an Era — The Nineties: Are they ‘Back for Good’? 16 Living her best life: Cher Horowitz 17 Missguided x Playboy: Is the message wrong? 18 Five weekend breaks for students on a budget 19 Soundtrack to Sobriety with Shampain 21 What’s on in Galway: Halloween edition 22 Tracks for your trek to college 23 Film Reviews: Rosie, Venom 24 Reeling in the Years: Horror Movie Edition 25 Goals arrest the Garda challenge as NUI Galway record win 27 Connacht Rugby’s Sportsground to receive €30 million boost 28 Ladies football Senior division 1 league: NUI Galway 4-15 Athlone IT 2-8 29 Ronaldo rape allegation shocks the sports world 30 Was the chalice always poisoned for Lopetegui at Madrid? 31

By Áine Kenny Hello everyone and welcome to issue four of SIN! Now that midterms are mostly over, we can finally relax again before we need to start studying.

This issue has a Halloween theme, so if you are stuck for a Halloween costume, why not read Amy’s Living her Best Life column and channel Cher from Clueless?

If you are thinking of staying in this Halloween, don’t fear boredom; head on over to our arts and entertainment section for a guide to the best spooky films and TV shows.

Our news and features section is particularly busy this issue, which I am really happy to say. A lot of our new writers have taken up news articles, which can be very challenging to write starting out, so serious props to these guys. As always, if anyone wants to join the SIN team, just send me an email!

Our two front - page articles are really interesting. One is about the Westwood hotel in Newcastle being redeveloped into student accommodation. Olivia Hanna got in touch with local residents who are really unhappy about the change.

The other is about the reduction in graduation tickets this year, meaning conferring students could only invite two family members as opposed to four. I met some saddened students outside the Bailey Allen hall last week, and the Students’ Union were also displeased with the level of disruption policing the event caused.

We also have a new Irish columnist, Quinton Beck, who will be talking about current affairs and politics in his column. If anyone else would like to contribute to SIN as Gaeilge, please send me an email. Also special thanks to Hannah Gormley for editing the article.

The power of student protest was revealed this month after the government declared the homelessness crisis a national emergency. This was the result of many marches and protests, which had students at the forefront. Complementing this, Sarah Gill reviews Rosie; Roddy Doyle’s new film about the effect the housing crisis is having on Irish families.

NUI Galway also achieved success through protest, with more money being allocated for the Student Counselling Service. Check out Conor Brummell’s coverage on the protest to get the full details.

Photo: Joanna Kavanagh I also really enjoyed new contributor Paraic Fearon’s feature on if there are really black people in Ireland. He delves into Ireland’s growing multiculturalism and how this can only be a good thing. It is a must-read!

The opinion section is strong as usual; so make sure to read our head to head debate on the ever - controversial Conor McGregor.

I also want to mention the great work that went into the sport section this week, with our writers making a serious effort to cover the games on campus and beyond. Well done lads!

The nights are getting colder and darker and we are well and truly settled into the semester now. So, sit down with a cup of cocoa and have a flick through SIN!

Renowned Galway chef holds Food on the Edge symposium in NUIG By Áine Kenny Famous Galway restaurateur, JP McMahon, is holding his symposium Food on the Edge in NUI Galway this year.

The conference will take place on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 October in the Bailey Allen hall.

Food On The Edge is internationally influential food convention that has taken place annually in Galway City since 2015. This year’s theme is conversations.

The event is a coming together of international chefs to listen, talk and debate about the future of food in the industry, as well as the future of food on the planet.

Previous speakers at the event include Elena Arzak, Albert Adria, Massimo Bottura, Ana Rôs, Magnus Nilsson.

JP and his wife Drigín Gaffey are the proprietors of EatGalway, which is comprised of three restaurants, Aniar, Cava Bodega and Tartare, which are all based in Galway city.

SIN caught up with JP ahead of the event.

Originally from Dublin, JP says he was drawn to Galway because of its cultural feel. “There’s a real arty, cosmopolitan, international atmosphere.”

JP studied for a Masters and PhD in

NUI Galway. He said he decided to host Food on the Edge on campus to try and bridge the gap between the university and the city.

“Food on the Edge deals with quite cerebral, abstract topic like food waste and hunger, but there is also practice and theory applied. The university seemed to be the perfect venue.”

Food on the Edge will deal with issues like mental health, food waste and gender equality. “Working in a restaurant is a high – pressure environment.

The hours are unsociable; there is an extreme pressure on staff. This definitely impacts people’s mental health.”

JP also says there is a gender imbalance in the industry, saying that it is predominantly male – led. “I would like to see more women higher up in the ranks. These issues all play off each other. Because there are a lot of men, tensions run high and there’s a lot of testosterone in the kitchen. Restaurants and kitchens are based off a military system, so kitchen hierarchies began in the army. This creates a power imbalance.”

“If we achieve gender equality, I think better mental health will follow.”

Food waste is another important issue that is on the agenda for Food on the Edge. “Food waste is more important now than ever. Where is our food

waste going? As a restaurant owner, you have different concerns. How much are we wasting in preparing the food? How much are customers leaving on their plates? These are questions that can’t be ignored any longer.”

When asked if he thinks students have an interest in food, the chef says it is hard to say. “I think many students might have an interest in food but they don’t have the money. A lot of the time, students are so focused on academics, and they don’t really think about food.”

“Food is so important in anyone’s life, and the point of Food on the Edge is to get people to think and reflect about food. We would all be better off as a society if people understood more about sourcing their food.”

JP is very passionate about promoting locally sourced, sustainable food.

“If you are growing, buying and eating locally, there is less travel involved, it is better for the environment, and you are contributing to the local economy. It will really add a value to food.”

JP says he hopes students (and people in general) will take more time to think about food.

“It is important to have a meal together, seated round a table, it is a really symbolic ritual in society. The act of sharing food and conversation

JP McMahon and Nathan Outlaw at NUI Galway.

Photo: Declan Monaghan Photography. is powerful, there is a social element.”

JP says that it is possible that mature students might have more of an interest in food. Plenty of undergraduates don’t know how to cook before they arrive at college, and JP believes there should be changes to the education system in order to equip young people with the cooking skills they need to be self - sufficient.

“We educate people in every subject at school, bar food. We wrote to the Minister of Education saying that food needs to be introduced onto the curriculum, but they responded with ‘it is the parents’ job to teach kids how to cook’… but it isn’t the parents’ job to teach maths.”

“There are a lot of young people who aren’t self – supporting because they don’t know how to cook. They rely on ready meals, processed food… and how healthy and sustainable are these?”

“The more people can cook, the better off society is.”

The renowned chef adds that despite this, plenty of students are involved in the food industry. “We have a lot of part – time and full – time (in the summer) waiting staff who are students.”

“We have undergraduates and Masters students in Cava, Aniar, and Tartare. We really like having students, and it is good that they are being immersed in their local environment.”

For students who are interested in breaking into the food industry, JP has some advice. “Seek out people who are doing what you are doing, and talk to them, learn from them. Reach out and ask questions.”

“Also, travel abroad. You will see how other people are doing things differently, maybe even better.”

N UAC HT

October 23 2018

DEPUTY AND NEWS EDITORIAL

By Martha Brennan Welcome to issue four of SIN! It’s hard to believe that we’re already printing our last issue before Halloween. After a crazy few weeks of mid - terms and essay deadlines, I’m sure everyone is ready to take a breather, and we have tons packed into this issue for you to enjoy.

I’m so happy with our news section this issue, where our amazing writers have delved into everything that’s been going on in the student world – from the shocking way in which the government has reclassified homeless figures again, to a NUI Galway Professor’s TED talk going global.

After the amazing protest that our Students’ Union were involved in earlier this month in Dublin, the government has finally admitted that Ireland is in crisis when it comes to housing – showing just how much power our voices can have.

Make sure to catch up with Aileen’s coverage about the Dáil vote in this section, and don’t miss out on Danny’s report about the Galway 2020 fiasco as well.

I’m particularly excited about our Halloween features this week and there’s are also some great tips in lifestyle, from 90’s trends to how to stay fit as winter approaches.

After a hectic week of deadlines and graduations I hope you can sit back and enjoy all we have to offer this week – and a special shout out to our former editor Sorcha who graduated last week! Hopefully watching everyone walk out with degrees will be a bit of inspiration for us all.

FEATURES EDITORIAL

OPINION EDITORIAL

By Tarryn McGuire Happy (almost) Halloween everyone! We have a spooktacular issue for you this week, filled with lots of tricks and Halloween treats. Grab your pumpkins and sit down because we’ve carved out a fangtastic issue for you!

Now is your chance to find out why us students tend not to drive, or, why we can’t afford to drive I should say. Fiona lays it all out quite simply, reminding us of the luxuries most of us simply won’t be able to enjoy until long after we have graduated.

With most of the college drowning in mid - term assignments, it’s only natural that our soft drink intake will increase dramatically. Stevie educates us on whether diet or totally sugar filled is the better choice.

I am really excited for our head-to-head this issue, as Darragh and Danny battle to find out if the controversial Conor McGregor is in fact a good role model.

Relationships can be hard to maintain while in college, should we fight for them or just accept it and embrace the single life? Rachel Garvey gives her insight and even gives some helpful advice if you’ve chosen to keep your bae around.

If you’re anything like me and have had a pet since before you could walk, Olivia’s piece will tug on your heartstrings just a tiny bit (I cried my eyes out).

With all of this amazing content from our fantastic volunteers you should have plenty of reading to distract yourself from looming assignments that are honestly so much scarier than any Halloween content we have in here. Creep it real everyone!

By Molly Fitzpatrick

Welcome to the latest issue of SIN! We’re more than halfway through the semester and it’s hard to believe! Stave off the fear of finals fast approaching by catching up with your favourite final year Aileen as she shares the differences between Halloween as a first year and Halloween now.

Learn more about our fantastic first year Darren as he reflects on his college workload, get Harry King’s take on a local councilor’s call for action to tackle third - level binge drinking, and Niamh Kelly covers our first SU Council.

Last, but not least, Tarryn McGuire introduces us the wild goings on at ZooSoc! Once again I am so grateful for everyone who contributed to this issue and hope to see even more new names in issues to come! It’s never too late to submit a piece of work or join the SIN Team!

It’s really starting to feel like spooky season with midterms lurking around the corner and assignments piling up. But a well - deserved break is also coming up, so why not plan a weekend trip to look forward to? Lacking inspiration? Just turn to our five weekend breaks perfect for students on a budget, where we look at some of Irelands hot spots that won’t break the bank.

With the temperatures dropping and the work piling up, it’s likely that staying active has started to take a back seat, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Staying active can be easy if it’s fun, so turn to our guide on staying active which looks at all the cool ways you can stay fit in Galway. Perfect if you need some motivation to put back on the running shoes!

If you’re looking for some light reading and a good dose of fashion advice, turn to our ode to the nineties

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

GNÉ -ALTANNA

and once again fall in love with the fashions of times gone by that no one is quite ready to leave behind.

Something a lot of us are ready to say goodbye to (I was even before it launched) is the Missguided X Playboy collab, a controversial move that shook twitter, writer Sara Chudzik asks; “Is this message wrong?”

Happy reading!

ARTS AND ENTERTAINEMNT EDITORIAL

By Sarah Gill “When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”

Oíche Shamhna is fast approaching and the Halloween spirit is well and truly in the air. To mark the occasion we have included an abundance of spooktacular articles throughout the pages of the arts and entertainment section.

If you thought horror movies were scary, then get ready to read Caileigh’s article on the all too coincidental “accidents” that happened on set.

Niamh has laid out the essentials for a Halloween movie night, while Fiach sheds a light on the very best TV shows for getting in the pumpkin carving spirit.

With our regular installment of What’s On In Galway (with a spooky twist), some great movie reviews and a look back at the #MeToo movement’s first year - this issue is jam packed with superb articles. Sit back, relax and get ready to dive in!

3

SPORTS EDITORIAL

By Graham Gillespie Welcome everybody to issue four of SIN. Graduations last week gave sleep deprived final years like me a glimpse into our possible future. Meanwhile, many first years are probably only now realising that going to college actually involves going to college.

The third level GAA season has gotten underway and we’ve got reports from the Senior Men’s and Ladies’ football league openers as well as a report from Senior hurlers first outing against Garda College.

Staying with GAA, we’ve got Mark Lynch giving his take on his home county Kerry appointing Peter Keane, while Paul O’Malley and Danny Keown go head to head to argue whether Mayo were right to reappoint James Horan.

Unsurprisingly, many of writers wanted to give their take on Conor McGregor recent return to UFC and Gary Elbert, Darragh Nolan and Darragh Burke do just that.

Darragh Burke also has a report from the recent U19 European Championship qualifier between the Netherlands and the Faroe Islands at Eammon Deacy Park.

Also in this issue are articles on Connacht’s proposed plans to redevelop the Sportsgrounds, and the ongoing Ronaldo rape allegation controversy.

Thanks to all who have contributed so far this year. We’ve really had a good semester so far with the sports section. If anyone wants to get in touch with me just email sport.sined@ gmail.com.

FASHION AND LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL

By Olivia Hanna

EDITOR: Áine Kenny editor.sin@gmail.com LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves

7

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03/10/2018 16:35

4 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

Galway 2020 in crisis University funding not appropriately addressed by after Druid snub

By Danny Keown The Druid Theatre Group have announced that they are withdrawing their ‘Capital of Culture’ project from Galway 2020.

The group pulled the project earlier this month amid “loss of time, significavnt budget cuts and communication issues.”

The budget for the organizations, agreed in principle earlier this year, have been slashed to such an extent that the programme of events in 2020 will be unrecognisable to what was submitted in the ‘Making Waves’ bid book that won Galway the Capital of Culture designation in 2016.

Druid’s planned production ‘Middle Island’ was billed as a ‘large scale, ambitious work’ in the Galway application for the European designation, but the theatre company now says it is not in a position to deliver the production.

The Druid Theatre decision is a significant setback to a project that is already mired in

controversy since the loss of its creative director, Chris Baldwin, in late May. Galway 2020 are under severe pressure as the latest report by the European Capital of Culture Expert Panel, which monitors the progress of the Capital of Culture plans, identified a number of key issues that need to be tackled in the short - term.

The board’s chief executive of just over a year, Hannah Kiely, also stepped down last month.

Former EU Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn resignation came shortly after; when she announced that she could not give the board her undivided attention due to travel c­ ommitments.

The Galway 2020 board announced last week that Galway City Council director of services Patricia Philbin had been seconded to replace Ms Kiely – but there is still no creative lead, in spite of a commitment to appoint one by late July.

Galway 2020’s chairwoman, Aideen McGinley, says the board was delighted with Ms Philbin’s appointment.

Galway 2020 says teething problems are par for the course.

While it says it cannot comment on the detail of specific budget plans, Ms McGinley says there is a dedicated team in place to deliver the project.

Sources in a number of the groups with plans to stage productions during 2020 have spoken about their worries that the city’s reputation for delivering a wide array of artistic events risks being tarnished as a result of ongoing problems.

The Galway 2020 team has “acknowledged there was some nervousness among the cultural producers, but this was normal with any project as it moves to contract stage.”

Ms McGinley says that many of the issues being experienced in Galway were commonly encountered in Capital of Culture planning elsewhere.

It is expected that the organisation will be consulting their respective boards in the aftermath to plot the best course over the coming months.

Budget, according to Irish Universities Association

By Martha Brennan The funding planned for third level institutions in Budget 2019 overlooks the issue of rising student numbers, and will do little to close the funding gap in education, according to the Irish Universities Association.

The association released a statement following the budget’s release, which claimed that the budget does not address “state funding per student in third level” and will produce “no real progress on closing the core funding gap.”

The Irish Universities Association (IUA) is made up of the largest Universities in the country, including NUI Galway.

“The government has done very little to address the growing crisis in third level funding in Budget 2019,” the IUA states.

“The bulk of the money is ring - fenced for specific purposes and does not deal with the core funding gap.”

While education funding has increased in this year’s budget by 6.7 per cent, with €57 million allocated for third level institutions, the Association believes that this figure “only allows the system to tread water.”

The figure for State funding per student in higher level education in Ireland, which remained unchanged in the budget, is below the international average at €5000.

Other European countries offer much higher rates of funding, even though Ireland has one of the highest levels of students that progress to third level education.

The failure of the government to consider the growing number of students progressing to uni-

versity in Ireland every year will lead to the “mopping up” of any extra funding the state has offered by these extra students, the IUA says.

The IUA also believe that the budget fails to address the major upgrading of facilities currently required in Irish universities.

They stated that Irish universities have been neglected for the past decade and that the facilities currently on offer to Irish students are “sub-standard.”

A funding requirement of at least €104 million for 2019 was proposed by the Association as part of a five year University Capital Refurbishment Programme.

They believe that the outcome of Budget 2019 “represents a missed opportunity to deal with the long-accepted crisis in third level funding.”

Housing motion passes in Dáil following student protests

By Aileen O’ Leary During a sitting of the Dáil on Thursday 4 October, a vote was carried out on a cross party motion, put forward by Solidarity People Before Profit, to declare housing and homelessness a national emergency.

The vote, which was passed 83-43 in favour, saw the government lose to the motion.

Galway West TD Eamonn O Cúiv, from Fianna Fáil, told SIN

this week that he voted in favour of the motion.

Independent TD Catherine Connolly told SIN she “signed her name to the motion before it came before the house and voted in favour.”

In her contribution before the Dáil, she highlighted the housing crisis in Galway stating: “People have been on the housing waiting list since 2002, and there is no chance of them getting a house because not one

social house has been built there since 2009.”

The vote came in the wake of the ‘Raise the Roof’ housing protest, which saw students from all over the country, including NUI Galway’s Students’ Union, travel to Dublin to take part.

The protest included students, trade unions, charity members and more who marched along the streets of the capital.

Recent figures from the

Higher Education Authority (HEA) have shown that the projected number of students expected to attend third level institutions over the next decade will increase by almost 20 per cent.

NUI Galway Students’ Union President Megan Reilly spoke to SIN following the protest.

“The conversation around the housing crisis has dominated the agenda since we’ve come into office,” she said.

“We’ve been very heavily involved in initiatives around the crisis, from the Crisis Campout protest, to raising [the issue] with the University President and presenting to the Council.”

She continued, “We were delighted to see this motion pass in the Dáil after the Student Lockout Protest and Raise the Roof rally.”

In relation to the weight the motion has, Megan said that:

“While it has no binding value, the symbolic message it sends is very powerful. It means TDs outside of the Government are listening to the people and know that housing needs to be top of the agenda.”

Moving forward, she said: “We will continue to lobby wherever possible around the need for more student purpose built affordable accommodation and to bring an end to the crisis.”

Galway Rape Crisis Centre and COPE chosen as this year’s Students’ Union charities

By Harry King Last Tuesday NUI Galway’s Students’ Union disclosed the two charities chosen to benefit from its fundraising activities for this year.

Every year the Students’ Union picks two charities to support, and announced the picks for this year as COPE Galway and the Galway Rape Crisis Centre.

Speaking on behalf of the Students’ Union, its President Megan Reilly said: “We are delighted to be supporting two very worthy charities this year.”

“Students in NUI Galway

have a very proud tradition of fundraising for charity. We hope to improve last year’s total of €20,500 raised during the year.”

Galway Rape Crisis Centre is a non-governmental organisation that provides services for people affected by sexual trauma or abuse, including confidential one on one counselling for survivors and their supporters.

They also provide a helpline, which is the first point of contact for many survivors, and train volunteers to complement the support they provide.

Cathy Connolly, Executive Director of Galway Rape Crisis

Centre, said on the announcement: “We are delighted that NUI Galway Students’ Union have chosen GRCC as one of their nominated charities for 2018/19.”

“Many NUIG students have been part of our volunteer fundraising team in the past, and we are ever grateful for the University’s continued support. This funding will be used to offer counselling to our crisis clients and reduce our waiting list.”

The other charity chosen, COPE Galway, helps countless numbers of people who are affected by homelessness around the city.

Their vision refers to an improved quality of life in a home of your own for people affected by homelessness, woman and children affected by domestic abuse, and elderly people.

They support clients, where possible, to avoid becoming homeless, and they help people who are currently homeless by supporting them through their journey.

They also provide a 24 hour helpline for woman and children who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse, and provide a senior support service.

Sharon Fitzpatrick, Head of Development at COPE Galway also commented following the announcement.

“COPE Galway is delighted to have been chosen as one of NUIG Student’s Union charities of the year,” Ms. Fitzpatrick said.

“Funds raised will be used to extend our Rough Sleeper Street Outreach Service, which identifies and engages with people sleeping rough in Galway city, with the aim of supporting people to get off the street and to access suitable accommodation or other routes out of rough sleeping.”

“Fundraising and donations are critical in enabling us to provide this service, and we are hugely appreciative of NUIG Students’ Union for their support.”

In 2017, COPE Galway helped 339 individual women and 214 children experiencing domestic abuse.

COPE Galway’s head office is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and is located in Calbro house on the Tuam road.

They can be contacted by phone on 091 778750.

The Galway Rape Crisis Centre is located in ‘The Lodge’ in Forster Court in Galway city.

Their helpline is 1800 355 355.

N UAC HT

October 23 2018

Winners of the Inaugural NUI Galway Explore Innovation Awards 2018 Released

By Kayleigh McCoy The winners of a new competition known as ‘Explore Innovations Award’ were announced earlier this month.

The competition is based around the cultivation of inventive and progressive concepts which display a substantial ability to emerge into genuine business or social enterprises.

Both staff and students were eligible to enter the competition, and some of the resulting ideas highlighted the promising talent here on campus in NUI Galway – from aiding disabled drivers to providing revolutionary equipment for trainee surgeons, the winners of the award showed admirable potential in a range of different fields.

Those who entered the competition attended a special prize - giving ceremony which was hosted by the University’s Innovation Office, where awards were bestowed under two separate categories for students and staff alike.

Bronwyn Reid McDermott was awarded first place in the student category. A Masters student in the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway, McDermott’s cotemporary idea “Sutureself” was focused around the creation of a simulated and life - like skin, which advancing surgical trainees could utilize in their studies.

In second place in the student category was Eoghan Dunne, Eviasmar Almeida and Guilherme Vaz de Melo Trindade, PhD students in the Translational Medical Device Labs in NUI Galway. Their concept entitled ‘I Can See You Now’, was based on the use of imaging technology in order to create a medical device which could be used to improve patient diagnosis for prostate cancer.

Aidan Breen, a PhD student in the College of Engineering and Informatics, won the third place award in the student category. His proposal ‘Blue Spots Parking’, is centred on aiding disabled drivers locate appropriate parking spaces with ease and his project is set to launch later this year.

Meanwhile, Dr Orla Richardson won first place in the staff category. Richardson is from the Philosophy Discipline at NUI Galway and her concept ‘P4P’ looks to educate schools, along with community groups and organisations, through philosophical teaching in order to promote co - operation and connectivity.

Second place in the staff category was awarded to Dr Peadar Rooney of CÚRAM, Dr Diana Gaspar of REMODEL, and Joshua Chao of REMEDI for their idea ‘Three Blind Mice’ – a podcast which aims to make scientific dialogue more accessible to those without a scientific background.

Finally, Dr Ed Osagie from Insight took the third award in the staff category for his project ‘CDN’ which aspires to use crowd discounts utilising network effect models.

The competition proved to be an overwhelming success with David Murphy, Director of Innovation at NUI Galway announcing at the event that: “Over 30 applications to the competition were received and we are delighted to invest close to €10,000 in supporting these early stage ideas. The team will support the students and staff involved through the next stage of their projects.”

The competition ran as part of the EXPLORE programme, which has been operating since 2012, supporting both staff and students’ innovative ideas in a progressive manner.

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NUI Galway developed ‘MindOut’ programme for young people relaunched

By Graham Gillespie The national ‘MindOut’ programme, which was developed in NUI Galway, has been relaunched for schools following a report on the original scheme by the University’s Health Promotion Research Centre.

The programme aims to improve the mental health of 15 to 18 year olds, and will provide training to teachers and youth workers in 26 locations around the country.

Having originally been developed in 2004, only DEIS schools were involved for the pilot MindOut study. However, MindOut will now be in operation both in schools and in youth sector settings more generally.

NUI Galway PHD student Katherine Dowling and her supervisor Professor Margaret Barry carried out the research behind the initiative.

Their recent report showed that MindOut helped teenagers improve their social and emotional skills.

This was achieved through providing the teenagers with more positive coping strategies.

Another of their main findings was that “students who received the MindOut programme were also found to have improved mental health, reported reduced levels of stress and depression post intervention.”

Lower levels of anxiety were also reported for female students who participated in the programme.

Speaking about the study’s results, Prof Margaret Barry said at the launch that; “these findings support the delivery of the MindOut social and emotional learning programme in the senior cycle curriculum and the important impact it has on enhancing students’ resilience, mental health and emotional wellbeing, which play a key role in supporting positive outcomes in school and life more generally.”

The Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton T.D. said: “It is so important that our young people are equipped with the necessary resilience and coping skills to successfully manage whatever challenges they encounter in their lives.”

He also added; “The MindOut programme supports students at a critical time, late teens, which can often be a stressful time for young people. The revised programme has been trialed in DEIS schools with very positive results, so I’m delighted today to announce that it will now be rolled out to post primary schools all across the country.”

The National Youth Health Programme, which is a collaboration between the HSE, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), will oversee the training for the programme.

18 training days will be offered to teachers and six training days for youth workers.

VENOM-ENAL: NUI Galway lecturer’s talk gets TED seal of approval

By Marie Coady A 2017 TEDxGalway talk by Dr Michel Dugon of the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway was featured on the TED.com homepage on 5 October, a platform which has a global audience of 30 million people.

The talk entitled ‘Spider Dust and Scorpion Juice: Are Bugs the Future of Therapeutic Drugs?’ highlights the potential curative properties of the chemical compounds found in spider venom.

Venom - based medication is already being used to treat hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and Dr Dugon’s experiments have shown that just half a millionth of a litre of diluted spider venom can be used to kill antibiotic - resistant bacteria.

“Each species of spider produces anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred different compounds in its venom,” Dr Dugon tells SIN. “Those compounds are species - specific, so that means that species A and species B, even if they’re quite closely related, will produce different compounds… within that there [are] about 10 million compounds produced by spiders with potential therapeutic application. The thing is that we only know about 0.01% of those compounds.”

Dr Dugon and his students are currently researching the potential of Irish venomous fauna to produce useful compounds.

They do this by capturing native and invasive species of spiders present in Ireland in their hundreds.

They then see how human cells react to the diluted venom.

The spiders are unharmed by the venom extraction and are released back into the wild after a few days.

“We know we have compounds that have excellent

antimicrobial properties… we have venom with very interesting coagulant properties. We have venoms that have very interesting properties also because they act differently on healthy cells and cancer cells,” Dr Dugon says.

He also says the current focus is on reproducing these compounds artificially; “If you can’t replicate it, you can’t spend your life extracting venom from dozens of millions of spiders to try and get something that works.”

As well as being a Zoology lecturer in NUI Galway, Dr Dugon is also the founder and director of the Eco Explorers outreach programme.

“I was invited by the organisers of TEDx Galway to give a talk because one of the organisers actually saw the work I was doing in science outreach with children… we thought maybe I’d give a talk about science and engagement and the promotion of science,” he says.

“Then we just drifted about more the research side of things and how we can use venom to try and develop therapeutics.”

He never imagined his talk would be viewed by 754,385 people at the time of writing.

He notes; “It’s kind of scary to think that hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people, will actually look at it and consider your work and that among them, there’s probably absolutely brilliant people, people that are a lot more specialised in certain fields of science than I am… but it’s very exciting as well.”

“When I publish a scientific paper… it’s aimed at a few hundred, potentially a couple of thousand people that are specialists in the field,” he adds.

“So you basically get a reach that a traditional academic platform would never give you, and that’s absolutely fantastic.”

The talk can be viewed at http://www.go.ted.com/ micheldugon.

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6 N E WS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

NUIG Students’ Union holds protest to secure funding for College Counselling Service

By Conor Brummell NUI Galway’s Students’ Union called an urgent protest on Wednesday 10 October to highlight the need for more funding for the college’s counselling service.

The protest was held on World Mental Health day in response to 14 college students being turned away from drop in sessions during the previous week, due to lack of full - time counsellors.

The Students’ Union posted on Facebook on the day, urging students to turn out at the protest to show staff members within the college that more funding was needed: “The NUI Galway Counselling Service is understaffed and cannot meet the rising needs of the 18,000 students we represent. Their budget was higher in 2011 when they were seeing significantly lower numbers of students as compared to today.”

The post then went on to show how severe the problem was by comparing the NUI Galway Counselling Service to that of Trinity’s by saying; “We only have 3.6 full - time counsellors for over 18,000

students. For comparison, Trinity college have 11.2 full - time counsellors for roughly the same number of students.”

“The national professional body recommend one counsellor (at a minimum) per 2,000 students, which would mean 9 full - time permanent required counsellors in NUI Galway instead of the 3.6 that we currently have.”

At 5pm on 10 October, a large group of students gathered at the Quadrangle on campus where Students’ Union President Megan Reilly read out a letter she drafted to the President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh.

Welfare Officer Clare Austick then made a speech about the severity of the situation, and invited students to share their personal experiences with the counselling service to emphasise the need for more funding.

Students present at the protest also wrote reasons as to why funding for the Counselling Service should be increased on flashcards, which were also sent to Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh.

After the flashcards were collected, students at the protest then stood on the

steps of the Quadrangle where they were led in a chant by Clare Austick; “1, 2, 3, 4, we will not take this anymore… 5, 6, 7, 8, student counselling is at stake!”

Psychology professor at NUI Galway, Dr Sinead Conneely, was present at the protest and spoke to SIN, showing her solidarity to the students who need counselling: “Just as an example today, I’ve had three students in major crises call into me. I regularly refer students to the counselling service - on a weekly basis I’d refer maybe ten people. Our counsellors do an amazing job with very limited resources and I trust them absolutely, they have changed people’s lives, but we just don’t have the resources.”

“Mental health is a really crucial issue. It’s affecting people’s ability to perform in college, to perform in life and to deal with various issues - they can’t continue with academics when they’re dealing with mental health issues. They need that support on campus and when they get it, it works very well. If they’re left waiting, they’re floundering without support and it’s appalling.”

Two days after the protest, The Student’s Union revealed on Facebook that; “An extra €5000 has been allocated to NUI Galway Counselling drop in service. This means that on top of the eight new students seen each day for Drop in Assessment, they will now be able to see an extra four students,

meaning 12 drop in sessions will be offered each day.”

“Geraldine and the team in the counselling service work extremely hard and have the wellbeing of students at the forefront of everything they do. Between drop in and other appointments, they see about 250 students a week. We recognise that they are still underfunded and understaffed, and we promise that we as a Union will continue to lobby management to ensure that the service is properly resourced so that students are getting the help that they need.”

“Today we have shown the true power of student activism and we hope you will continue forward with us on this journey,” the post concluded.

Homelessness figures

By Olivia Hanna Earlier this month the numbers of homeless people living in emergency housing in Galway experienced an ‘artificial’ decrease.

The national figures of those living in emergency housing were nearly over 10,000, but the reclassifications have prevented this.

The numbers, which are determined

by The Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government, have been changed three times since the start of the year in March, April, and August.

The reduction of the numbers seems to come from the de-classification of those families and individuals living in houses and apartments temporarily, and without tenancies.

In a statement in September, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy commented on the classifications in previous reports; “These had involved the categorisation of individuals in houses and apartments owned or leased by the local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies as being in emergency accommodation. I had requested a report on the full extent of this practice, which identified further local authorities categorising houses and apartments as emergency accommodation.”

Following these statements by the Minister, Martin O’Connor of COPE Galway shared his thoughts in a statement; “The manner in which homelessness is counted has always been a contentious issue, with the figures only including families and individuals living in emergency accommodation and whose details

are on the Pathway Accommodation & Support System, the PASS system. These official figures do not include people sleeping rough or the growing number of families without a home of their own who are bunking in with relatives and friends.”

“It’s unknown how many more people there are locally and nationally who don’t have a home of their own and who are dependent on the generosity and understanding of others, and these are ignored when it comes to the official figures.”

COPE Galway isn’t the only group displeased with the latest classifications.“There is confusion on the re-categorisation of households which the Department acknowledge have been removed from the figures,” expressed Spokesperson for the Simon Communities Niamh Randall.

“If people are living in temporary apartments or houses, paid for by Section 10, this is still deemed emergency accommodation. Where are these figure recorded and reported on? This report shows a drop in the numbers of people living in emergency accommodation but as we are no longer comparing like with like in terms of previous report methodology, it is nearly impossible to compare the two.”

While the debate around homelessness figures and classifications grows more contentious, Randall emphasizes that “the number of people counted in this report are the real adults and children facing the reality of this broken system, yet they represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of housing instability and insecurity.”

First SU council of the year raises issues about accommodation, sustainabilty and commercial space

By Niamh Kelly On Monday 15 October, the first Students’ Union Council of the year was held, and topics such as sustainability, on - campus accommodation and upcoming campaigns were discussed.

After an introduction from Chairperson Sabrina Vaughan, three class representatives (Alex Coughlan, David Clifford, and Eoghan Finn) were elected to sit on the Academic Council, which is a committee with over 100 members including 12 representatives from the Students’ Union.

Following this, the President of NUI Galway Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh addressed the representatives and said: “My view is the University is here to support our students.”

He then revealed that NUI Galway had the highest number of students living away from home out of all the universities in Ireland, and mentioned the University’s plans to combat the lack of student accommodation in Galway with a new riverside on - campus residence to hopefully be built by 2020.

A number of campaigns were announced at the Council, such as

Global Health Week, which will take place on the week beginning 22 October.

Other campaigns such as an anti-bullying campaign on Monday 19 November, and a de - stress campaign around exam time were also discussed.

The Students’ Union President Megan Reilly informed the representatives that COPE Galway and the Galway Rape Crisis Centre are the two charities the Union has selected to fundraise for and support throughout the year, with a Christmas jumper night being suggested as a possible charity event.

The Welfare and Equality Officer Clare Austick spoke about the consent workshops held earlier this year with 45 first year students living in Goldcrest and Corrib Village student residences, as well as her view to continue on with and expand these workshops in following years.

She went on to commend the work of the NUI Galway Students’ Union Welfare Crew, who are the “backbone to all campaigns” and this year alone held a protest that resulted in an extra €5000 worth of funding for the NUI Galway drop - in counselling service.

Various issues were put forward for

discussion, one being that the university should work harder to promote sustainability as there is no Sustainability Officer at present, and there doesn’t seem to be enough compost bins for students to avail of around the campus.

The Executive Committee’s response was that it will introduce a full-time Sustainability Officer in NUI Galway for three years and that they would put pressure on the University to be more environmentally conscious and to run sustainability events.

Another question was raised as to what will become of the empty shop space in the Concourse which was formerly PrintThat, and Megan Reilly responded by saying that she is trying to stop the space from becoming a gift shop, instead arguing that it should be a space allocated to the students.

There were also messages from social representatives Noelle McNamara (representing Electric and FourFour) and Catherine O’Brien (representing SULT) about class and society parties, where they stressed the need for students to book these events at least 48 hours in advance.

N UAC HT

October 23 2018

“Ardáin díbhordála” agus Riarachán Bhaile Átha Cliath le Quinton Beck Bail ó Dhia oraibh, a lucht léite dhílis. Leis an alt seo cuirtear tús le sraith nua reatha ina leanfar polaitíocht na hEorpa agus ina bpléifear ábhar amháin suntais i gcoinne na coicíse.

Is mise Quinton Beck, iarrthóir iarchéime sa Nua-Ghaeilge ar an ollscoil álainn seo a bhfuil grá againn uile di. Tá suim ar leith agam i bpolaitíocht na hEorpa agus ní raibh cúrsaí na hEorpa riamh chomh tábhachtach agus suntasach in Inis Fáil is atá an lá inniu in aimsir dhubhach na Breatimeachta.

Pléifidh muid inniu an tseancheist bhuailte úd: ceist an tearmainn agus athchóiriú Riarachán Bhaile Átha Cliath. Tá ainm beannaithe phríomhchathair na hÉireann i mbéal mhadraí an bhaile ar fud na hEorpa leis na blianta beaga anuas ó thosaigh Géarchéim na nInimirceach sa bhliain 2015.

Agus séard is cúis leis ná Riarachán Bhaile Átha Cliath, an dlí de chuid an AE a deir nach mór iarratas ar thearmann a scrúdú sa bhallstát inar chéadleag an t-iarrthóir cos san AE.

Ní raibh aon chúis ghearáin i Riarachán BÁC ar feadh na blianta go dtí gur mhéadaigh an líon imirce agus iarrthóirí tearmainn go tobann i 2015. Ó shin i leith, tá toil pholaitiúil ann go flúirseach go n-athchóireofar na rialacha BÁC ach níor éirigh go fóill teacht ar réiteach.

Tá tuairimí difriúla, contrártha ag baill áirithe den Choimisiún Eorpach. Tá Giuseppe Conte, PA na hIodáile, ag iarraidh na himircigh a dhíbirt óna thír féin trína scaipeadh agus a chomhroinnt ar fud na hEorpa. Tá Viktor Orbán, PA an Ungáir, ag iarraidh gan imirceach ar bith a ligean isteach ina thír féin agus é go láidir in aghaidh a gcomhroinnte.

Ansin tá leithéidí Emmanuel Macron, PA na Fraince, ag iarraidh go mbeadh fáilte roimh iarrthóirí tearmainn ach amháin iad a bheith comhroinnte go cothrom ag na Ballstáit ar fad.

I ndeireadh mhí an Mheithimh den bhliain seo, fógraíodh smaoineamh nua: “ionaid rialaithe” i suíomhanna áirithe laistigh den AE, nó “ardáin díbhordála” i suíomhanna áirithe lasmuigh den AE. Sampla foirfe ar an

For many students, graduation is right around the corner. Some people seem to have it all figured out, having decided on their career paths early on.

However, sometimes for Arts students, it can be a bit trickier. The careers they wish to pursue aren’t always traditional, and it can be hard to know where to go after college.

Claire Murphy, career advisor for Arts students in NUI Galway, told SIN that researching their field and finding out what other people have done before them can be helpful.

She said; “It’s knowing what you want, but sometimes, in order to know what you want you have to know what you don’t want.”

Additionally, Murphy said that it’s never too late or too early to engage with the Career

Development Centre in NUI Galway.

They run several events that can help students get involved with the area and connect with peers.

The Centre also offers one on one appointments, to help with research and choosing subjects.

When it comes to Arts degrees, Murphy said it’s important to choose the right subjects early on, as it can affect your career path going forward.

But, if you find yourself in your last year and realizing that most of the subjects you picked in the beginning don’t make sense to you anymore, Murphy said; “There is a way around most things, but you just have to plan it and know how to do it.”

It’s quite common that the choices you make when you’re 18 years old no longer

Photo by Ramdan Authentic on Unsplash

GNÉ -ALTANNA

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ERASMUS DIARIES

By Anne Rieger

bhfeiniméan a dtugtar i mBéarla NIMBY air: táimid sásta go mbeadh siad ann, ach amháin nach mbeidís inár gcóngar féin.

Ar feadh seachtaine nó mar sin bhí bís sa Bhruiséal, ach ní fada go raibh sé soiléir go raibh gach éinne sásta go mbeadh ‘ionad’ nó ‘ardán’ i dtír eile seachas a dtír féin. Bhí sé ceaptha go raibh deireadh leis an smaoineamh ansin, ach in alt a foilsíodh an 12 Deireadh Fómhair 2018, tugann EUObserver le fios go bhfuil an smaoineamh fós beo: tá an Coimisiún Eorpach ag iarraidh anois go mbeadh Maracó agus an Túinéis aitheanta go hoifigiúil mar ‘tríú tír sábháilte.’

Níos luaithe i mbliana d’fhógair ceannairí an dá thír nach mbeadh siad sásta ‘ardáin díbhordála’ a cheadú ina dteorannacha féin.

Ach an bhfuil an tAE chun tabhairt faoina mealladh chun athchomhairle? An dtairgfear na billiúin euro dóibh mar atá á dhéanamh leis an Tuirc chun na himircigh a choinneáil ansin? Feicfimid linn.

I got my Arts degree, what’s next?

By Julia Tereno

7

apply when you’re 21 or 22.

“Some people get an Arts degree and go work with something different. There’s a lot of Graduate Programmes that hire arts students, like Aldi, Lidl, Vodafone, loads of them, and you can go and start off as a graduate and work your way into a different area,” she said.

Masters programmes are also a possibility, but Murphy advises; “Some Masters can be quite intense, so you really need to love or really like what you’re doing on the Masters.”

She also said it’s more important to like what you’re doing in a Masters, than to pursue it hoping to get a better job out of it.

She pointed out; “If you’re studying something that you like, you tend to do it better.”

Another benefit from a Master programme is that some of them offer placements, which can be good for people who need more experience in their area.

Murphy added that one of the things students seek advice for the most is with work experience.

She added; “One of the great ways to bridge that is to volunteer. There’s a great volunteering program here on Campus, ALIVE, where there are over 80 organizations, so there’s something for everyone.”

The Career Development Centre has a blog, which features employers saying what they are looking for, as well as former students telling their stories of how they got their jobs.

Murphy commented; “We do try to give a lot of advice and we try to give students a big voice, so it’s not just us telling people what to do.”

To access the NUI Galway Career Development Centre blog, go to: https://nuigcareers. wordpress.com/

With the mid - term essays coming up, college life is actually getting serious now, and so does today’s column. I bet you feel the same. Today I want to talk to you about the difference between Irish and German universities (or specifically my university of Bonn).

Everybody here is busy. Busy doing stuff for uni, busy doing stuff for societies, busy doing life in general. But are they? People still have time to hang around in Smokeys or Sult and go to pubs or the movies. And I honestly can’t say it’s any different for me.

Work for university here feels like this sudden rush. You are not busy at all, then suddenly you have three assignments coming up and you just hope that the lecturer will give out information about it on time. Then suddenly it’s all over and you go back to this “I still have enough time until I have to hand in my next essay” mood.

In Germany the work is more spread out throughout the year, or you have much more time for assignments. Most of them are much longer as well.

I just procrastinate through both systems, but here my procrastination really seems to work best.

Otherwise I’ll just get nervous about the delayed handout of information, or about people being late and very laid back here.

So, all in all I enjoy university life here much more.

Being on campus all day, hanging out with my friends for tea or study groups are things that don’t happen in Germany. I love the general mood of studying together, it’s nice to be around people all day.

Lecturers here are much more understanding as well, they really seem to get you and care about your grades. So, if you ever have a problem there are people you can talk to.

This column is probably not the funniest I have written but I just think it’s important to get this message out there in the spirit of mental health week.

It is very important to talk to your friends or a lecturer when you feel too much pressure, or when you are homesick. There are always people that care about you and that don’t want you to feel bad. In Bonn we don’t have the facilities for that, but in NUI Galway you can actually talk to a professional therapist as well.

I’m very sorry about this serious topic – I’ll make sure to talk about something fun next week.

Maybe bread. I really miss good bread.

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SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

FIRST YEAR DIARIES: FINAL YEAR DIARIES: Back to reality Happy Halloween

By Darren Casserly

I still can’t get over the feeling that everyone is waiting for someone to make some noise, so everyone can look at them. I dropped a book in the library at the start of the year and people looked at me like I said something horrible to them.

dering “are you trying to put us to sleep?”

Other than that, some of the lectures the last couple weeks have been great. I’ve really enjoyed my course so far and I feel I picked the right course for me which was one of my concerns coming into first year.

I started to go to the library more during my breaks. However, I still can’t get over the feeling that everyone is waiting for someone to make some noise, so everyone can look at them. I dropped a book in the library at the start of the year and people looked at me like I said something horrible to them.

As always there was a lot of different things going on over the last couple weeks in the university including the vintage sale, which for somebody on a clothes budget was great. I was able to get some really nice clothes there. It was incredibly busy there and what’s more surprising is that there were no signs or anything like that for it, I guess students just always know where to find a deal.

Well, I knew it was coming eventually, and now the work is coming thick and fast. The first month was a breeze and flew by, and now I’ve got essays coming at me left right and centre. It’s always hard to try getting back into work after four months of doing basically nothing, but it’s good to be busy sometimes.

I always tell myself that I’m going to be ready for it and every time I let it pile up until I have to rush to get everything done, and I think I’m not the only one in that situation.

I’m sure you have heard the expression ‘you wait ages for a bus and then three come at once.’ Well that’s how I feel about the assignments I’ve got, waiting a month to do something and then I get all my assignments at the same time. I almost feel like that’s what they’re trying to do to, shock first years into doing work when you get it. Well I’m not going to do work how they want it; I’m going to do it my own way: procrastinate for a week and do the entire assignment the day its due.

One of the things that I’m starting to dislike is some of the lecture halls. The subjects are really interesting, but in some of the lecture halls it’s like a sauna.

I’m constantly looking at the clock wondering when it’ll be over, who knew fifty minutes could be so long.

The worst part about it is the lecturers that just keep droning on Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash and on and I’m won-

By Aileen O’Leary We are at the halfway point in the semester. Halloween is right around the corner and so are midterm assignments. Suddenly its dark by six, its cold, wet, windy.

Your immune system can’t seem to fight off the common cold anymore, and you find yourself (like many) sniffling in lectures and coughing constantly.

The real horror isn’t a bunch of maniacs in masks, it is student life.

By this stage in the semester you might find yourself eating pasta four times a week, turning to staples like beans on toast or one of my favorites, cheese toasties.

Suddenly the bougie lifestyle you had during fresher’s feels like a lifetime ago. Take - aways are now non - essential items, your social life must be planned now in accordance with which assignment is due first and you find yourself in a constant state of tiredness.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. Halloween means bank holiday weekend, and for NUI Galway students that means having a

Monday off for once. It means having a break for one weekend from the commuting, rushing, packing, trying to get to Aldi before it closes, and most importantly it gives us a chance to breathe.

Halloween as a fresher and Halloween as a final year are two very different stages in your college life.

As a fresher you, end up going out in the week leading up to and the weekend of Halloween. You spend hours getting your costume ready, fixing your special fx makeup and coming up with a spooktacular caption for the Instagram you’ll be posting the next day.

In final year, by the time you make it home for Halloween you’re lucky if you get the chance to sit down. You end up watching classics like Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family and eating all of the ‘halloween candy’ as you flick through stories on Instagram of someone dressed up as a celeb, a bad pun, something straight out of a nightmare.

What’s not to love about Halloween though? Great films, great food, its one night in the year where people can dress up and pretend to be someone else, there is pumpkin in pretty much anything you can think of, also it’s a bank holiday weekend and I don’t know any student out there who doesn’t love a break.

Happy Halloween to all our readers.

Check back for the next installment of the final year diaries, exclusively for SIN. Have a final year diary to share? Tweet us at @NuigSin.

Suddenly the bougie lifestyle you had during fresher’s feels like a lifetime ago. Take-aways are now nonessential items, your social life must be planned now in accordance with which assignment is due first and you find yourself in a constant state of tiredness.

— Zoological Society Spotlight —

By Tarryn McGuire The Zoological society in NUI Galway was formed by a group of students who possessed a love for animals of all shapes and sizes. Some of our own zoology lecturers here at NUI Galway were even involved in this society when they were students themselves. The Zoosoc encourages students to join if you have any interest at all in animals or wildlife - the more the merrier!

Zoosoc’s Auditor, Hannah Dominguez McLaughlin, spoke to SIN about Zoosoc and what they have planned for the following year; “We’re really excited for this year because we’re back with some fresh, new ideas.”

“We have a lot of plans for the year, we want to run events that will help to educate people on different animals and research in the field of zoology. We hope to raise awareness about conservation of animals and their environments.”

“One of our biggest goals for the upcoming year is to organise a number of collaborations with other societies and organisations,” Hannah explains. “Zoosoc allows those of us with common interests in zoology to meet one another and make new friends. We cannot wait to organise a big fundraiser this year to help support a group that we believe in.”

Two weeks ago, the society held a talk on snakes, given by John Dunbar, a PhD student

specialising in the field of herpetology. He passionately spoke on the topic of snakes and shared his experiences and insights into the world of reptiles.

The following day, the Galway Bat Group came to NUI Galway to take the society on a walk around campus that night, and show them some local bats (who had any idea these little creatures were right on our doorstep?).

After a fascinating walk by the river with special equipment used to identify bats by the frequencies of their echo location, the society ended up right outside the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, where on the walls they could see two bat

houses that provided Galway bats with shelter and warmth.

With plenty more events planned for the future such as trips to the zoo and a ‘Face your Fears’ night, this society has an exciting year ahead!

If you have ever found yourself looking to get more involved in a society while also indulging your interest in wildlife, the environment and animals, then look no further.

The Zoosoc members are nothing but friendly, inviting and enthusiastic. New members are always welcome, just look up the NUIG Zoological Society on Facebook and give their page a like to get notified of their future events.

N UAC HT

October 23 2018

7

GNÉ -ALTANNA

9

“Are there really black people in Ireland?”

By Paraic A Fearon Recently, while sitting in my Jamaican grandmother’s kitchen, a question was posed to me that I have been asked periodically since I came to live here. Every time I am asked, I have more material to answer it. Sometimes I feel as if the country is ever evolving to prove my point.

This question is “are there really black people in Ireland?” It brought me great pleasure this last trip to be able to say; “yes, there are tonnes.”

Today as I walk around Galway, I am struck by how multicultural Ireland has become. I suppose the great joy that this brings me is heightened by the knowledge that Ireland was definitely not always like this.

My father swears that when he first came to Ireland, sometime in the early 90’s, that a lady saw him in the village and burst into tears. Later she explained that her friend who had died recently had loved Saint Martin de Porres, one of the only black saints, but had never seen a black person “in real life.” To her, the sudden appearance of my father seemed too much of a coincidence to have not been divine. He, according to the tone he tells this story in, did not enjoy being made a specta-

cle of, but for the purpose of this article I hope you can see a comic or sweet side to the story.

Galway is now the most multicultural city in the state, according to the 2016 Census, with 18.6 per cent of its residents recorded as non - Irish. These censuses also show that this population explosion started around 2000, accelerated in 2005, and like anybody living or even visiting Galway can see, is clearly still going strong.

Whilst researching for this article, I found that all of the articles concerning the issue of Ireland’s new multiculturalism followed a trend. I observed that they all fell into one of two categories. The first group were articles full of optimism, pride and wonderment, celebrating the fact that this little island we love is changing and for the better.

The others were articles reporting incidents of ignorance, sometimes violence but always resistance to these changes. One article reported a ‘no blacks’ policy being enforced in a Dublin pub, which made me laugh as I wondered how they had forgotten the ‘no Irish and no dogs’ part of the slogan.

When reading these articles, I became slightly disheartened, but upon further thinking I

believe that this is only natural, given that this is the first time Ireland has had to deal with these issues and it will take some time for everybody, the immigrants and indigenous people alike, to adapt.

I feel it is important to note that Ireland, unlike some other well - known countries, is far from institutionally racist. There are no systems, that I know of, put in place to stop black people or anybody else climbing any socio - economic ladders, we are not being incarcerated at an unfair rate nor is our relationship with the police noted as being bad or dysfunctional. The future looks bright if, not multi - coloured.

To conclude this article I would, if I may, like to give a piece of advice to this new Ireland we find ourselves in. There is a James Baldwin quote that I have been thinking about recently. It involves people in America after the civil rights movement being “segregated from the schoolhouse door.” By this he meant that there was, at this time, no serious or official segregation being enforced, but people still did not dare to go and see how others lived. “Therefore, he doesn’t know - he really does not know - what it was like for me.”

Blasphemy referendum: what you need to know

By Conor Gavin The 26 October 2018 is the day of our Presidential Election. What is lesser known is that there’s also a referendum to remove an old Irish Law on the same ballot.

This referendum will decide whether or not we remove the “Blasphemy Law.” Currently in Ireland, people can be prosecuted for blasphemy.

This is based on a law drawn up in our constitution in 1937, and later revised and redefined in 2009. In this 2009 Defamation Act, a person commits blasphemy when they “publish or say something that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion, and intend to cause that outrage.”

The Referendum Commission explains the details of this act in clear language. In their guide, they explain “Under the 2009 Act, where a person is accused of the criminal offence of publishing or saying something

blasphemous, it is a defence if they can prove that a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific or academic value in what they published or said. If convicted of this offence, a person may be fined up to €25,000. There is no prison sentence for this offence.”

Many believe that this hinders free speech. It is believed that media outlets in Ireland have to “self censor” themselves to avoid being prosecuted. One of the most well - known and recent examples of this is Gay Byrne’s interview with Stephen Fry, when Fry explicitly criticised the idea of God and Christianity. He called God “capricious”, “mean-minded” and “stupid” in the interview.

There was a Garda Investigation following the interview, after a member of the public reported the incident. However, Fry was not prosecuted after a lengthy investigation.

Another aspect of this law is that it has serious human rights implications. Christians, Ahmadi Muslims, Atheists and other

minorities are often persecuted in some Islamic States. These governments have been known to refer to Ireland’s Blasphemy Law as a means of justifying their own.

Under these repressive regimes, people can be executed for blasphemy. Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian, is to be executed if her appeal fails. Bibi apparently insulted the Islamic faith in 2009 while working with Muslim women on a field. No final decision has been made on the matter, and the case is ongoing.

The UN Human Rights Committee and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission have called for the law to be removed from our constitution. Atheist Ireland has also been campaigning for reform for some time.

As with any ­r eferendum, regardless of religious background or ideology, it’s considered vital that the public are informed on what they are voting for.

The vote will take place on 26 October between 7.00 am and 10.00 pm in all local polling stations.

I think it is important that we make sure this does not happen here. Especially when we as the Irish have nothing to base this on, apart from xenophobia or laziness. I really feel if this idea of people not understanding or being scared to experience new cultures becomes prevalent in

Ireland, we will really be missing out. Attitudes of “us” and “them” would quickly become very harmful, but fortunately, this is not something I have noticed amongst Irish people.

So, I urge everybody reading this to run out and experience a new culture or speak to some-

body who has a different heritage. Just don’t assume that they are a refugee because they are black. They might just be an immigrant, you know like the Irish are famous for being! You never know what you might see or learn, remember knowledge is power.

NUI Galway Postgraduate Open Day

Enhance your career prospects with an NUI Galway postgraduate qualification Research shows that having a postgraduate course can increase your earning potential and that your career progression greatly increases after you obtain a postgrad qualification. Furthermore it can enhance your employability. Statistics from the Careers Service Graduate Destinations Report indicate that 64% of NUI Galway undergraduates are in employment nine months after graduation. This rises to 87% for postgraduates.

The NUI Galway Postgraduate Open Day takes place on Tuesday 6 November from 12–3pm in the Bailey Allen Hall. Come along to find out about all the taught and research options on offer, including scholarships.

10 NEWS & F E ATU R ES Councilor asks about our alcohol consumption: why?

By Harry King Speaking to The Connacht Tribune recently, Cllr Collette Connolly called for Gardai, the council and third level institutions to come together to tackle alcohol consumption.

“If students are so happy with their lives, if they’re so self-confident, why are they drinking to excess?” asked Cllr Connolly. She urges the institutions to try and discover the root cause of this problem.

“One has to have an open debate about why are young people, with their whole lives ahead of them, in education, independent and doing their studies, why must they drink a bottle of vodka before leaving the house?”

So why do students drink? Some drink because of the social aspect, some drink not to feel left out, some drink because they genuinely like the taste of alcohol, some drink to commemorate a long week of hustling, some drink as a form of escapism.

Most students won’t admit they drink to escape; they don’t have to either because drinking is part of our culture. The SU recommend drinking no more than 17 standard drinks a week for males and 11 if you are female. That is the limit to a healthy relationship with alcohol.

A public health bill passed on 10 October, which will lead to stricter rules regarding how alcohol is bought in this country. Alcohol products will now include health warnings including the link between alcohol and cancer, nutritional information and the dangers of drinking whilst pregnant. This bill also limits advertising in certain places, and also restrictions will be put on companies sponsoring sporting events.

Following the bill being passed, Minister for Health Simon Harris told the press, “We know that we have a relationship with alcohol in this country that is not good, damages our health, harms our communities and harms many families.” Whether this will have a significant effect on our drinking culture remains to be seen, but at the very least it’s a step in the right direction. The first step in finding a solution to a problem is realising we have one.

When one asks students if they think they drink too much, you will get a different answer depending on the size of the group.

Most will ask to define ‘too much’. If they admit they drink too much, they laugh it off.

We are in University and it’s a time to enjoy ourselves, however it is up to individuals whether they had too ‘good’ a night that they can’t remember it in the morning. There is a lot of advice in the public domain referring to how you can drink in moderation, some of which include eating well before you drink, start drinking late, and of course to never leave your drink unattended.

Cllr Connolly has stated that she is not interested in restricting people or making decisions for them, but believed it was an issue that those who are not equipped to make informed decisions could access dangerous amounts of alcohol with relative ease. She believes it’s time to tackle this problem head on, and calls on the respective institutions to come together and take action.

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

Meet your new Education officer: Eibhlín Seoighte

By Graham Gillespie Having first arrived at NUI Galway in 2007, it’s safe to say that Eibhlín Seoighte is more than familiar with third level education. With this in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that the second year Sociology and Political Science and English student has taken the year out to become the Students’ Union’s new education officer.

Eibhlín had to take time away from her studies due to her son being ill, but as she said herself “she never really left college” in that time.

“I took up part – time courses. I was always involved in the Students’ Union, be it through volunteering and the teddy bears hospital. With Sláinte as well I was always on the ground for the last ten years really,” she said.

During these ten years, Eibhlín learned about the education system through personal experience. Experience which could prove invaluable in her new role. “[I learned about the education system] through struggles with the grant, coming back as a mature student and I suppose just through my interactions.

I would have always come to the education officer when there were problems going on, so I suppose that would be my own involvement with education,” she explained.

However, she was also quick to note that being a mature student did not necessarily offer her any advantage in this position; “I don’t know if it [being a mature student] does help. It all depends on whether you got your head screwed on taking this role. Any undergrad could be at the same level as a mature student.”

In terms of reasons why Eibhlín decided she would like to become the education officer, she explained that she wanted to stop certain things from going in the wrong direction; “Being around for the ten years, I’ve seen the way things have

changed and I don’t know if that change has necessarily been for the better for the students in the long term.”

She also discussed what she felt are some of the major problems in the college which included oversubscription on courses and the fact there’s limited space on campus. Other concerns included registration and appeal problems, and issues over the quality of some courses such as the BA Connect Arts with Journalism, where students had their fees refunded.

In response to these problems Eibhlín hopes that she can “reignite the passion for things that have been left by the wayside.”

It is also important in Eibhlín’s opinion that students come forward with issues they might have, so that she can assist them.

As Louis Courtney resigned at the start of the academic year, Eibhlín has had to come into the role of education officer late. She said making the transition into the position has been an “interesting” experience so far.

“I received training from Andrew Forde, the education officer from last year. I had one meeting with him so far and I have another scheduled this week. The last couple of weeks have been very interesting.”

Going forward, Eibhlín’s two main goals are to have more engagement with class reps and to tackle the registration issue. “If I focus on those two things for now that would great,” she said.

She finished by stressing that there should be serious consideration before making any changes, to ensure that said changes would be in the entire student population’s best interest.

“I think any change that’s necessary shouldn’t happen overnight. It should be a process and we should look into it properly, and make sure it’s for the benefit of all students, not just for a select few.”

Eibhlín discussed what she felt are some of the major problems in the college including oversubscription on courses and the fact there’s limited space on campus.

Other concerns included registration and appeal problems, and issues over the quality of some courses such as the BA Connect Arts with Journalism, where students had their fees refunded.

Getting to know NUIG Students’ Union’s Welfare and Equality Officer in 10 questions

By Sarah Gill

3. Biggest ambition - where do you see yourself in 10 years?

1. Introduce yourself!

I’m not 100% sure, but I hope that whatever I do impacts positively on the lives of others. My childhood dream has always been living in Africa and working in an animal sanctuary or working with a charity organisation that helps build homes for people from a disadvantaged background. I really love and enjoy the job I’m in, as I get to help students on a daily basis.

Being able to support and provide guidance and being a helping hand is one of the most rewarding things in the world. When I was younger I always said I wanted to change the world and make a difference as cringey as that sounds! If I can make someone smile or laugh and feel a tiny bit better I’d be very happy.

Hi everyone, my name is Clare Austick, I’m 21 years old (almost 22) and I’m a proud Galway girl.

2. What course did you study in NUI Galway?

I studied Undominated Science and specialised in Chemistry. I’ll be graduating very soon on 18 October, thank goodness!

• •

“A smile is the universal language of kindness.”

“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.”

7. An unexpected / weird fact about you?

I speak fluent German. I was born in Frankfurt and lived in Paderborn (West of Germany) for the first 11 years of my life. I am also crazy about animals and would happily save and rescue them all if I could! And, I wrote my thesis in four days (would not recommend this to anyone).

8. Biggest fear?

Letting people down, not being good enough at my job or not staying true to my values.

4. Death row meal?

I’m a veggie so a vegetarian curry (rice is a must) and a pint of Orchard Thieves.

9. Soundtrack to your life?

‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman (I based my campaign video and theme around it).

5. Favourite thing about Galway?

The ambiance and the people here. Everyone is so warm and lovely! Whenever I’m away on holidays, I miss Galway!

6. Favourite quote?

I have many! I live by quotes.

10. Best piece of advice you ever got?

No matter how impossible your goal or something seems to be, go for it! If you don’t try, you can never win. I would definitely rather have a life of “oh well’s” than a life of “what if’s.” Knowing that you tried your best and gave it your all is what matters.

TUAIRIM

October 23 2018

11

COLLEGE vs RELATIONSHIPS

By Rachel Garvey

If the question of “can a relationship be maintained in college” was put to you, what would you answer?

I personally believe that relationships can overcome any obstacles with the team work of both parties involved. As someone who has been in a long - distance relationship for over three years with my boyfriend, Ross, I am passionate and positive when it

comes to relationships in college. And yes, we are the Rachel and Ross from Friends, ironic isn’t it?

Every college has a range of students whom are either in a relationship or are single, they don’t over rule one another, there is no one better.

For now, I’d like to share some advice for the couples. Firstly, communication is key, it is the most essential tool for a healthy relationship. Where would couples be without communication? By communication I mean through technology or in person, I don’t mean sending sappy love letters. However, it is a shame that we don’t live in the era of love letters anymore, as they are quite romantic.

Photo by Joe Yates on Unsplash

Are diet drinks actually healthier than their sugary counterparts?

By Stevie Buckley A recent study has apparently shown that people who drink diet drinks may be at an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk of this disease may be the reason why people avoid sugary drinks. Should we avoid fizzy drinks overall or are diet drinks getting unnecessarily vilified?

This study, which was carried out in Australia, involved 29 young and healthy people for a fortnight. Half were given capsules of artificial sweeteners and the other half were given a placebo, that is, a capsule without any sweeteners in it. The results of the study showed that the culture of bacteria in the guts of those who consumed the sweeteners was altered, and there was lower release of a hormone which helps to control blood glucose levels.

This is enough to give you nausea and make you quit drinking diet drinks. I know it’s making me rethink my (quite high) consumption of diet drinks, even if there is plenty of evidence to disprove this study. There are pros and cons to the situation regarding diet drinks versus sugary drinks, some of which I will outline below.

First for the pros of sugary drinks - and there are some despite what you may think! We all know mammy’s trick of flat 7-up when you’re sick; this is to get sugar and calories into you because you’ll just feel worse (or, in a worst case scenario, malnourished) if your sugar levels get too low. There’s also the fact that they taste better than diet drinks most of the time, or at least I think so!

However, the sugary drinks also have cons.

Other than the diabetes risk if you drink too much of them, there’s also the obesity risk. Obesity can cause more than just type 2 diabetes - it can cause heart diseases and some cancers, so a good reason to cut down on them or cut them out completely.

Next, we move onto the sugar free alternatives. There are pros and cons to these too.

The lower risk of obesity, and therefore heart disease and cancers, is a good motive to move from sugary drinks to their diet alternatives.

The sugar free drinks are healthier than diet drinks in general, even if there is that one study to “disprove” that.

Of course, there are cons too. Mammy’s trick of flat 7-up when you’re sick probably wouldn’t work with diet drinks. Say sorry to your mother from me if your mother is a bit of a “health freak” and I’ve crushed her dreams. They also taste worse than sugary drinks, I find they taste a bit artificial and are harsher than their sugary counterparts, if you get what I mean.

Overall, I think diet drinks are getting vilified. Almost every doctor would recommend Diet Coke over regular Coca Cola. There’s just that one study saying that there’s a diabetes link, and this is to be taken lightly, as many doctors have spoken out against this study. If you’re willing to give Diet Coke or Coke Zero a go over regular Coca Cola, good for you! If you’re not convinced, do some research and see if you are convinced by what you find on something like Google Scholar. You’ll thank me afterwards.

Communication establishes a strong tie between couples because we all like to hear how our partner’s day is going, or what are they up to for the weekend, or even to schedule a day to come over for Netflix and chill. No communication destroys that tie, because you’re hardly going to be in a relationship with someone and not converse with them on a daily

basis? Let them know you’re thinking about them by sending them a quick message, let them know you’re still alive after the weekend of being out with friends. Remember to communicate because I don’t think students have the patience nowadays to play charades.

Secondly, you need to trust one another. Trust.

It’s a small word with a big meaning. They may be out with friends, or working their backside off on that 2000 - word essay, so don’t be playing all these scenarios in your head of what you think they are doing, you will drive yourself insane. If they say they are in the middle of something important then it is up to you to believe your partner and it is also their responsibility to be honest with you, to let you know that what they are saying is the truth.

Lastly, both individuals need to be understanding of each other. All their time cannot be devoted to you and you only. Time needs to be balanced between being together, getting coffee with friends and putting work into assignments and study for upcoming exams. With all three tools of communication, trust and understanding, I do strongly believe that any couple can overcome any obstacle that looms over them, no matter how big or small.

People think it would be a big ordeal to balance a relationship and college but all it takes is a bit of team work. And for those who are single as a pringle, it’s perfectly okay. You’ll find that person when you’re ready and remember, everyone does love pringles.

Halloween Smoothie

12 O PI N IO N I have came to the conclusion that not one candidate has the background, beliefs or vision for the future to represent this ‘new’ Ireland on the international stage. Our seven candidates are: three Donald Trump wannabes, as Mattie McGrath calls her, ‘a good Catholic girl’, our current president Michael D Higgins and the Sinn Fein candidate. It’s genuinely hard to pick the worst one from the bunch.

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

SATIRE: Think Before You Tick

By Sarah Canavan Okay, just to clarify, while this article is very out of character, I am a passionate advocate for voting. I am a big believer that one vote can make a big difference. Before I started this article, I had a very clear and strong opinion of who I was voting for in the upcoming presidential election. Now, I have a very strong opinion on each and every candidate, and I have even decided to abstain from voting. After some top - notch journalistic investigation, I have came to the conclusion that not one candidate has the background, beliefs or vision for the future to represent this ‘new’ Ireland on the international stage.

Our seven candidates are: three Donald Trump wannabes, as Mattie McGrath calls her, ‘a good Catholic girl’, our current president Michael D Higgins and the Sinn Fein candidate.

It’s genuinely hard to pick the worst one from the bunch.

I’ll start off with Seán Gallagher, my original number one choice because of his involvement in youth work. His first offence is being a member of Fianna Fáil, and remember what happened the last time we gave one of them a bit of power? He is also the only candidate who hasn’t publicity declared how he is funding

his campaign. He does partially own 27 businesses, so realistically it is self - funding. However, it’s hard to keep your “everyday man” image if the whole country knows you have a couple of hundred thousand euros to throw away on a presidential campaign.

Next up is Peter Casey. There isn’t much I can say about Peter that he hasn’t said himself. He’s said that he has no plans to lift a finger in the Áras.

Which to be honest is quite refreshing, he’s not afraid to tell the truth. He is the Donald Trump in this campaign, he isn’t in it to win it and if he does win, he’ll be more surprised than the Irish public. He’s just here to annoy and question the other candidates, which does make for good media.

I’d better talk about Gavin Duffy just to keep the Dragons Den theme going. To me, he has the best manifesto: Brexit, tackling childhood obesity and cyber bullying, establishing a youth corps and creating a more diverse Ireland. There’s something there for the whole family.

The situation with Duffy is that he has worked with Denis O’Brien and he was involved in a car crash at the age of 18. He had been drink driving without a licence or insurance. Duffy has came out and said that he is a different person to when the car crash

happened, but someone who drives drunk without a licence and insurance never loses that arrogance, in my opinion. Do we really want an arrogant president?

To quote Mattie McGrath; “Having a good Catholic female in the Áras again would be refreshing.” Joan Freeman is running on campaign around mental health, which makes sense since she founded Pieta House, which has done so much work around mental health, which is something I do admire. I’m not going to talk about her funding for the campaign, as she said herself that she was “unaware” of her ex - boyfriend Des Walsh’s background when she was taking out her campaign loan. Oops. She has also said that she’ll have no problem signing in the new abortion legislation, but just in case you don’t know, she was a no voter. Realistically, signing in new legislation voted by the public is one of the few requirements of the presidency, and if she wants to represent the public, it’s basically a must do.

Female representation in Irish politics has risen in the past number of years. It’s something I am proud to say and I believe to continue this trend, us females need to help and support each other. In the Presidential debate, Liadh Ní Riada did the

exact opposite; she decided to take a low blow at the only other female candidate about her past relationship.

We need female representatives who create an environment of support for young girls so they can become future leaders, and in my opinion, Liadh is not one of them.

Last but not least: our current president Michael D Higgins. His comments about serving a second term only came to light last January, and many of his supporters said he’s entitled to change his mind. But my problem is, would he have been elected in 2011 if he publically stated that he was planning on running for a second term, and was this just a ploy to quiet questions about his age? We live in an extraordinary democratic time, where we expect the honesty of politicians. We believe politicians should do their best to follow through on their promises, and if they do not, we rebel against them. Why aren’t we doing this to Michael D? I am going to stop rambling now and get to the point. The above few paragraphs are my reasons for abstaining from voting. Before the 26 October, I am asking every single person reading this to do your research on who you’re voting for, or if you’ll vote at all, because whoever is elected, we’re stuck with them for seven years.

Would you like maggots with that? This is Halloween

By Ameya Godse A McDonald’s customer from Cambridge entered a state of shock when she found maggots wriggling inside the ketchup dispenser of the outlet. Bella Ritchie tweeted the video of the entire incident and the post immediately became viral: “Never going near the ketchup in @ McDonalds again. For those of you who can’t tell, these are MAGGOTS (sic),” read her tweet. Her complaint fell on deaf ears when she immediately informed a staff member about what she had witnessed.

She then emailed the manager informing them about the incident.

A spokesperson from McDonalds told Sun Online, “We’re extremely sorry to see this, and have tried to get in contact with the customer directly. Our condiment area and dispensers should be checked for cleanliness every day and we are looking into what happened here.”

But this is not the first time such an incident of filth has plagued the fast food giant. A McDonald’s outlet in Washington was temporarily closed when a video of rats running around the play area went viral on social media.

Despite this, McDonald’s seems to have stuck around with their ever loyal customer base. It’s a pre - determined certainty that if you’re hungry and you’re running out of time, a quick burger or a wrap from McDonalds is your saving grace. I’m of the personal opinion that the human mind has become “institu-

tionalized” because of one empirical triangular model: money, time and taste.

If a burger is cheap, fast and tasty, it’s going to rule the consumer market. This is especially true when the stakes are as high as McDonalds, which is the largest restaurant chain in the world.

We can keep asking ourselves and the myriads of concerned people around us – why did McDonalds not keep the restaurant clean? Why were there no food inspectors on rounds? I personally call this an exercise in floccinaucinihilipilification (a worthless exercise/waste of time). There is no doubt that as consumers, we demand answers to the questions asked above. All we know is that the answers would either come with an “official apology” from the billion - dollar brand, or a lawsuit filed against them.

Psychologically, our minds have been conditioned to love the big curvy “M” logo that we have seen since adolescence, Ronald McDonald as the joyous clown welcoming us, and the three grand words which made us buy our happy meal: “I’m lovin’ it”.

This whole campaign is a colossal failure when you look at it from a broad perspective. Everything seems redundant and superfluous when you ask yourself - “Why were there maggots in the ketchup dispenser?” You’d probably think it’s a one off case, which may be true. You’d probably think the employee(s) responsible to clean it may have completely overlooked it for weeks. But what you will fail to ask yourself is, will I completely abandon McDonald’s and vow to never eat there again?

This is where McDonald’s has executed sheer brilliance in their marketing campaigns year after year and has transcended into being a mammoth - to the point where every fault of theirs will be overlooked and forgiven. There have been umpteen number of cases where unhygienic conditions have been brought to light, only to be buried with apologies and fallacious promises of cleanliness.

After all, we must be willing to accept that this is one - way street where they call the shots, unless people decide to be self - reliant and carve their own niche.

By Rachel Garvey Halloween begins to draw closer every day, with the cold wrapping it’s icy fingers around your skin, the coloured leaves covering the ground like confetti and the darkness beginning to invade our days by creeping in on us early in the cold evenings. Why do we celebrate Halloween? I’m only too glad to share the story behind it all.

Halloween originated from an old Celtic festival called Samhain which marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Death was associated with this time of the year and the barrier between the world of the dead and the living was at its thinnest, meaning spirits wreaked havoc upon the living.

Samhain was a time of bonfires, where crops were burned, and animals were sacrificed. The Celts dressed up in costumes which mainly consisted of animal heads and skins. Throughout the years, costumes became a big thing among people when celebrating Halloween. People believed that the spirits who roamed the streets would leave them be if they wore costumes, it was just a way of blending in. I know history material can be quite boring, but the history of Halloween is an exception, isn’t it?

I’m an October baby so Halloween means a great deal to me. My Grandad always hosted Halloween parties with tonnes of sweets when I was a child,

and after he died I vowed to never lose my Halloween spirit like. I don’t believe in the whole celebration of drinking for Halloween, I believe the celebration is merely based around children and family. I spend Halloween with my family every year which includes the small kids party, the trick or treating and of course the traditional party games. Also, no one is ever too old to dress up. I think that I’m going to grow up and become the Mom that dresses up every Halloween even though her kids cringe at the thought of it. Why wouldn’t I? It’s the one night every year where you can dress in whatever costume you want, and no one judges you, neat eh?

I’m one of the people that likes to keep the Halloween tradition alive.

Now, I don’t mean by sacrificing livestock or anything, I mean by the traditional ways people do it nowadays.

I’m the person to get excited when I see pumpkins in the shops, the one to spend money on Halloween decorations with no shame, the one to answer the door to trick or treaters and hand out sweets and to imagine their little faces light up behind their masks. Every single Halloween I sit out my front garden and carve several pumpkins and say to myself as I carve out the toothless mouth; “It’s going to be another great Halloween, I just hope I’ll have teeth left after all the sweets, unlike you, my orange friend.”

TUAIRIM

October 23 2018

HEAD TO HEAD

13

Is Conor McGregor a good role model?

McGregor is not a good role model

By Danny Keown Like the Lyons vs Barry’s argument, the subject of Conor McGregor has divided the Irish public since his meteoric rise through the world of combat sports. Whether it’s respect for his superb performances in the octagon, or dislike for his overthe-top public persona, everyone seems to have a strong opinion on the man.

Being a huge fan of McGregor, I’ve watched his initial rise through the UFC roster with much admiration. From his debut in Stockholm against Marcus Brimage, to his defeat of Eddie Alvarez in New York to become the first two-weight world champion just over three years later, McGregor has always impressed me.

Even in defeat to Nate Diaz, McGregor never shirked responsibility like many do in defeat

and came back to beat Diaz in the rematch. This showed an unwavering win to succeed in the face of adversity, which we can all take into our own lives.

Though all the above is true, can I consider Conor McGregor to be a good role model? Outside of the niche bubble of MMA, no.

The blemishes on his behaviour outside the octagon far outweigh the positive lessons which could be taken from his exploits in it.

McGregor doesn’t deserve the criticism he’s getting

By Darragh Burke “We’re not here to take part we’re here to take over.” This is the phrase which embodies the Irishman’s rise to the very top.

It’s not a mentality common amongst the Irish people. Too often we are happy just to qualify, just to participate. Making it to the finals is the goal, it’s enough.

We feel overjoyed just to be there, never quite feeling like we belong.

The textbook definition of an inferiority complex, we don’t think we’re the best, we don’t think we’re better, we’re Irish.

The humble nature of our country is endearing. We’re admired, we’re fighters, we’re underdogs.

It’s a great quality to an extent.

However, it comes to a point where this must change, this isn’t good enough. We’re not the only small nation full of heart and endeavour, as much as we like to think so.

To get to the next level you need conviction, you need confidence and you need belief. All qualities abundant in a certain Dubliner named Conor McGregor.

“The Notorious” is obsessed: obsessed to train like the best, live like the best, to be the best.

He owns the world stage, he struts in front of thousands, revelling in the shouts and whistles, feeling at home.

Not for a moment does he doubt his ability or his place at the top,

he sees it as his right. It’s Mystic Mac. He predicted he’d be the best.

He predicted he’d beat the unbeatable Jose Aldo. He predicted he’d become the first ever UFC fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously.

All his predictions came true.

But us Irish seem to have a thing for knocking a man down, always finding reason to mar someone’s success, to tarnish it.

Folks point to the Dubliner’s pre – fight manner, his trash talk if you will. This is an easy pot shot to take, and is aimed by those who do nothing to understand the man.

It can be easy to forget that he is a supreme athlete and has reached the very top of his field.

Although, it must be admitted that his rise to global stardom outside the world of UFC has also been achieved through his almost natural promotion techniques.

It feels unfair to call them promotional techniques, as they are a facet of the man’s persona and not a fabricated marketing tool.

Confidence and belief are integral in McGregor’s character, although they have also transformed his pre - fight press conferences into events almost as unmissable as the fights themselves.

Nobody can hype a fight like Conor McGregor. Nobody could have globalised the UFC like him. The numbers speak for themselves. The Notorious has

headlined four out of the UFC’s top six pay-per-view events, including the very top one. His boxing match against Floyd Mayweather drew 4.3 million pay-per-view’s in North America, the second most in history.

It must also be remembered that his words are not purely promotional, but psychological. He gets inside the mind of his opponents, disturbs them, engulfs them. It’s warfare. Yet, he is humble in victory and defeat.

After weeks of talk, after rounds of punches, kicks, elbows and knees, Conor McGregor turns to his opponent and shakes his hand. After all is said and done, the Crumlin native shows nothing but respect for his fellow competitors.

Casting my mind back to when he rocked the UFC world by finishing the seemingly unbeatable Jose Aldo inside 13 seconds, I remember the fans in raptures, McGregor’s camp in hysterics, and the pure respect Conor McGregor showed for his defeated opponent.

When the show is over, McGregor shows his true class. We see the real Conor McGregor. Magnanimous in defeat, humble in victory. Qualities possessed by so few, and certainly ones which are alien to the distorted view of this Irishman that are held by so many.

Conor McGregor has a lot more class than those who choose to knock him.

My opinion of McGregor as a role model outside the octagon has changed drastically since his fight with Alvarez at UFC 205.

The build up to the Mayweather boxing match illustrates this, as McGregor promoted the fight by using what seemed like deliberately racist statements to stir up emotion for the upcoming bout.

On the first leg of the promotional tour in Los Angeles, McGregor taunted, “Dance for me, boy,” as Mayweather shadowboxed on the Staples Center stage. McGregor’s use of “boy” — a slur that conjures up imagery of slavery, Jim Crow and the residual racism still prevailing in the United States, and a proxy for

the N-word. Many of McGregor fans would make the argument that this was all strictly business, but there comes a point where fight promotion becomes borderline bigotry.

It’s not only Mayweather who has been subjected to McGregor’s tasteless comments. The likes of Dennis Siver, a German fighter was labelled ‘a Nazi’ and Rafael Dos Anjos was called an ‘American Gringo’ due to him moving his fight camp to America from Brazil.

McGregor’s flaws as a role model also extend out past his fight promotion though. His constant disregard for rules of general society really down-

grades him as a role model. None show this more so than the infamous ‘dolly throwing’ incident.

The event in question came about when McGregor threw a steel dolly through a bus carrying a plethora of UFC fighters at a Brooklyn media event. In the incident, McGregor injured many of the buses inhabitants as he aimed to provoke Khabib Nurmagomedov, a rival who had an altercation with one of his teammates, into a fight.

This lack of thought and concern for the safety of his fellow human beings shows that he should never be considered as a role model outside of the MMA or combat sports.

14 O PI N IO N

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

Are pets important for children growing up?

My pet, my soul-mate

By Olivia Hanna When I was five, all I ever asked for was a little brother or sister.

I was an only child and sometimes it got lonely having only myself to play with. My mom was raising me by herself, so a little sibling was definitely not on the cards, yet I kept insisting.

In January of 2001 my mom and grandparents decided a puppy would be the answer to my prayers; a steadfast companion to stave away my loneliness.

My mom, my grandmother, and myself, went to a breeder where little white fluffy puppies dashed around. I now had to decide which one I wanted to bring home. The decision was easy. I set my sights on the liveliest of the bunch, the most playful puppy in the back of the room.

I remember holding him for the first time like it was yesterday. He was so small, but so was I, he was heavy in my arms.

We brought him home and a few days later he had a name, MacGlinty. A silly name, but it fit his personality perfectly.

He quickly became part of the family.

We grew up together and although we were two different species we were a lot like siblings. He would chew the feet off of my Barbie dolls and I would hate him for a moment, but at the end of the day we were fiercely protective of each other and had a bond that could not be broken.

As I grew older, he was less like a brother and more like my baby. He still looked like a puppy and I slept with him every night. He was such a bed hog even though he was so small, because he always found his way to the centre of my double bed.

One night before bed he had stepped into his own poo, but I didn’t realize it until he tracked it across my duvet. I wrapped his foot in plastic and called it a night.

By the time I left home in America and came to Ireland for college, he was nearly 14 years old, and I made sure I always said extra special goodbyes because I

didn’t know what would happen in the months I was away. But each time I came back he was there with a wagging tail waiting for hugs, kisses, and snuggles like I had never left.

He was in the car with my mom at the airport this spring when I came back home. I loved on him all summer, but we all noticed little changes in him.

He got picky about eating and seemed more anxious than usual. He was healthy so we knew it was just old age, he was 16 after all.

On 30 July while my mom was downstairs cooking he was barking at the door, which he never did, so I brought him to the kitchen to eat with us. My mom rolled her eyes, but I couldn’t have left him upstairs barking.

Later that night I brought him for a walk. For some reason I didn’t I didn’t put a leash on him. As we were about to enter the house I looked into his eyes for a few minutes and it was like we silently told each other how much we loved each other and thanked each other for 16 wonderful years of friendship.

We went to sleep and he never woke up.

The pain I felt in my heart and soul when I found him was the worst I ever experienced. I screamed and cried as we drove his tiny sleeping body to the vet to say goodbye for the last time.

Even writing this is hard as I come to grips with the fact that I will never be able to hold him in my arms or look into his eyes again.

It is so strange and so profoundly beautiful how an animal can touch our lives for the short time they are with us. He made life worth living and allowed me to see the beauty in the little things. He made me laugh and comforted me in my worst times.

While the pain of losing him will forever be with me, the time I had with him was worth the heartbreak. A pet is more than a pet. A pet is a family member and although we give them food and a home, they give us so much more.

MacGlinty will always be a part of me and his spirit will live in my heart for eternity. I know someday I will welcome more dogs into my life, but no one will compare to the boy I grew up with. The little boy who made me who I am today.

Learning to drive and emptying your bank account: just adult things Lá na Sábháilteachta ar Bhóithre

ROAD SAFETY DAY

10am-4pm Wednesday 31st October Áras na Mac Léinn

Road Safety Authority Interactive Shuttle + Roll-Over Simulator • Practice your driving and hazard perception skills on our simulators (car, motorbike, bicycle) • Take part in the roll-over simulation which demonstrates how it would feel if you were in a car which turned over in a collision.

• Practice the driver theory test.

• Practice safe cycling skills on our state of the art bicycle simulator • See how driving environments and speed affect your braking distances on the brake reaction timer.

• Free High Vis Items. www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

By Fiona Lee I have weighed up the pros and cons of learning how to drive. Pros: Fun road trips, useful in dire emergencies, seeing drive - in films, freedom from relying on others and saving on food delivery fees.

Cons: A minimum cost of €660 to get a license, the cost of car, insurance and fuel thereafter.

I tend to walk to college, that won’t change any time soon, and I’m not alone in this debacle.

Let’s break down that hideous but all too believable figure of €660…

The Driver’s Theory Test costs €45 to sit. You will also most likely need to buy a copy of The Official Driver Theory Test Questions and Answers, which will cost you about €20.

Once you pass (hopefully on the first time), your learner’s permit will amount to €35. Your application for this will also need to include an eyesight report, which comes to typically €20.

It often happens with these permits that they go out of date after

two years, therefore forcing one to pay for a new one… that’s how they get you!

Before you take a driving test, you must complete 12 official driving lessons. Prices vary from company to company, but the average comes to about €400. This only covers the minimum amount of lessons required, and does not consider the extra lessons that you will be begging for at the last minute when you are in a sheer panic for your upcoming test.

The actual driving test costs a whopping €85, and statistics show on average across the country that just over half of potential drivers pass it on their first try.

Prepare to pay for that more than once!

If you pass…hurray! But you will now have to pay another spine - shivering €55 for your actual driver’s license.

Now it’s time to look into insurance and a car, and you’re already out by €660 minimum.

Feeling encouraged yet? Unless attending college or work involves a heavy commute, many young people in Ireland do not

see driving as an immediate necessity, especially those living in cities where public transport is prevalent.

This is, of course, truly a pity, for no one doubts the value in learning this life - long skill. It is seen as one of those small steps you make as you ascend into adulthood, however you’ll now find more people in their mid 20s without licenses than ever before. Statistics show that the number of drivers aged 20-24 has shrunk in Ireland from 91.8% in 1983 to 76.7% in 2014, and that number continues to drop.

Don’t be confused, by no means do I mean to discourage you to make journeys of your own in your fabulous second hand Golfs, by all means take the chance if you can! However, learning to drive in Ireland has become far more of a privilege than a basic and simple right.

This is a dreadful reality for present and future generations, as the government tries to make profit on past necessities and mark them as future luxuries in the process.

Coiste Gnó

2018-2019

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Vice President / Education Officer Leas Uachtarán / Oifigeach Oideachais

Eibhlín Seoighthe

President / Uachtarán

Vice-President / Welfare and Equality Officer Leas-Uachtarán / Oifigeach Leasa agus Comhionannais

su.president@nuigalway.ie 086 385 5502

su.welfare@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3659

Megan Reilly

su.education@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3658

Clare Austick

Oifigeach na Gaeilge

Mature Students’ Officer Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Lánfhásta

Postgraduate Taught Officer Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe Teagasctha

Postgraduate Research Officer Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe i mbun Taighde

su.gaeilge@nuigalway.ie 087 174 9570

su.maturestudents@nuigalway.ie 089 966 4053

su.pgtaught@nuigalway.ie 086 238 6183

su.pgresearch@nuigalway.ie 085 134 2748

Societies Chairperson Cathaoirleach na gCumann

Clubs Captain Captaen na gClubanna

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

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

su.socs@nuigalway.ie 087 677 8449

su.clubs@nuigalway.ie 091 524 810

su.council@nuigalway.ie 085 176 2031

su.arts@nuigalway.ie 087 133 1473

Convenor of the College of Science Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta

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

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

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

su.science@nuigalway.ie 085 204 8786

su.medicine@nuigalway.ie 087 621 0216

su.business@nuigalway.ie 091 524 810

su.engineering@nuigalway.ie 089 223 7676

International Students Officer Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Idirnáisiúnta

Gender and LGBT+ Rights Officer Oifigeach um Chearta Inscne agus LADT+

Disability Rights Officer Oifigeach um Chearta Míchumais

Ethnic Minorities Officer Oifigeach na Mionlach Eitneach

su.international@nuigalway.ie 083 884 4332

su.lgbt@nuigalway.ie 085 816 3837

su.disability@nuigalway.ie 089 456 7106

Adhna Nic Dhonnchadha

Brandon Walsh

Ryan Guilfoyle

Scott Green

Daniel McFadden

Teil/Tel: Ríomhphost/Email:

Chuka Paul Oguekwe

+353 (0)91 493 570 studentsunion@nuigalway.ie

www.su.nuigalway.ie

Jibran Abbasi

Sabrina Vaughan

Liezel Ravenscroft

Alex Coughlan

Cameron Keighron

Clodagh McGivern

Muireann O’Sullivan

Rían McKeagney

Roshan George

Victoria Chihumura

su.ethnicminorities@nuigalway.ie 085 231 3107

Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland. Áras na Mac Léinn, OÉ Gaillimh, Bóthar na hOllscoile, Gaillimh, Éire.

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

16 FA SH IO N & L I F EST Y L E

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

— ODE TO AN ERA — The Nineties:

C Are they ‘Back for Good’?

By Ellen Corbett Ok, let’s be real, the nineties were not a good time style - wise for the vast majority of us. The decade was a time of questionable style choices that were definitely a bit cringe, but we can’t all be blamed for that, since most of us weren’t even dressing ourselves. But in the last year and a half, the nineties have really made a comeback, both on the runway and in street style. But are the nineties really back for good this A/W 2018?

It is true that trends that you thought would never find their way back onto the runway have returned with a vengeance, but there is definitely a modern twist to them. But hey, C’est la vie – that’s how fashion works – it’s cyclical, and stuff your mum wore back in the day is becoming more and more fashionable.

Maybe she did have a sense of style after all!

We may not have Cher from Clueless’ closet computer, but you do have me! So, if you want be a true 90’s inspired trendsetter this season here’s a few key themes to get you started:

Dungarees

Dungarees have been around for at least 100 years but have now become a staple of street style and are everywhere. Comfy and stylish, pair them with long-sleeved jumpers or t-shirts for an easily updateable look – just give yourself plenty of time to go to the toilet in them.

Stripes

You can’t go wrong with a stripy top. But why not ditch monochrome Breton stripes and opt for something a little more daring, the more colours the merrier! New Look, Topshop and ASOS all have plenty of options or you could just go Penneys, hun.

Doc Marten’s

A staple of grunge, Doc Marten’s (or just ‘Docs’) have made a huge comeback around campus. Identifiable by their famous yellow stitching, Docs were a staple of grunge during the mid - nineties and are the perfect winter boot. Pair them with jeans and a coat for that no nonsense, ‘heading to college over the Quincentenary bridge wish me luck look’, or with a dress or pinafore for that dressing up but dressing down look. The famous ‘1460’ style run from €150 but last FOREVER. If that’s out

of your budget or if you don’t want to go full grunge, their desert boots aren’t as clunky but just as good (I got mine for £60). Check EBay for second hand bargains or the Doc Marten’s website for sales too.

Wide – Leg Trousers

Ok, so not to the level of those insane jeans from the nineties (you know the ones) but wide leg trousers are bang on trend. Culottes seem to be the epitome of sensible and sophisticated and make you look like you’re dressing up, when they are probably some of the most comfortable trousers you will ever own. Stripy ones are especially popular.

(Look at that! Two trends for the price of one!)

Oversized Everything

Not really a trend on its own but an overarching theme this season is oversized clothing.

Everything is oversized now but when it’s coming into the winter months, it’s no bad thing to have some cosy jumpers or a jacket that you can wear over twenty layers. I would suggest going up a size or two to achieve the look or even having a look at the men’s section – don’t be afraid to roll up sleeves because that’s on trend too!

So, there’s a few ideas to keep you looking fabulous over semester one and into semester two. My top tip would be not to dress head to toe in nineties trends – pick one key piece and use clothes you already have in your wardrobe to make your look feel more up to date.

It’s easy to find nice pieces on the high street, but the best thing about the nineties is that you can find vintage pieces for next to nothing. Don’t just look at vintage stores or online; they’re good if you want something in particular or if you need inspiration, but they can be a bit pricey. Statement jumpers (à la Fresh Prince of Bel Air), denim shirts and athleisure wear can all be found in charity shops for under a fiver if you can afford to take your time and shop around. If not, raid a wardrobe – we’re students, we’re not made of money!

Dungarees, €68 at Topshop

T-shirt, €4.95 at Zara

Boots, €175 at drmartens.com

October 23 2018

FAIS EAN

7

NÓS MAIRE ACHTÁLA

Living her best life:

Cher Horowitz

Recreating your favourite star’s boujie lifestyle on a budget!

By Amy McMahon As if I would not do something special for Halloween! In this issue we are channelling our inner Cher Horowitz, played by Alicia Silverstone. Released in 1995, Clueless has remained a central part of pop culture, not only inspiring fashion trends but providing inspiration for the entertainment industry as well. Australian rapper Iggy Azalea resurged the love for the chick flick with her song ‘Fancy’ back in 2014 by dressing as the character.

Continuing the obsession, Clueless: the Musical is currently in works with Dove Cameron to play the leading lady in the off-Broadway show. Now with the 90s trend at its peak, it’s no wonder that Cher has risen as an icon.

Step one in the Cher transformation has been the easiest step to date. Her makeup is always simple, aligning with beauty standards and popular products of the time. Cheap and cheerful lip gloss is all you need. I recommend Rimmel’s ‘Oh My Gloss’ lip gloss and it’s only €6.99, available from Boots.

They have a sheer shade ‘Crystal Clear’ that will work with any lipstick.

Seeing as the 90s are so in at the minute, finding a copycat outfit couldn’t be easier. The classic Cher yellow plaid look is everywhere. Zaful have a doting pair of yellow plaid trousers on their site.

New Look brought out a gorgeous pinafore. But the pièce de résistance is this co-ord from Boohoo (via asos.com). The pleated skirt looks identical to the original and for €27.65. Aside from being ideal for Halloween, it doubles as an everyday skirt for college paired with a cute jumper and boots. Pair

the plaid with even more plaid. The blazer is on the pricier side at €38.71, but if you’re a true 90s kid you know how incredible the combo is. To complete the ensemble, add a plain tee (€5.99 Bershka) and yellow cardigan (€7, Penneys). Extra brownie points if you can get your hands on a pair of white knee - high socks.

Often what people admire most about Cher, aside from her impressive walk - in wardrobe, is her confidence. This character always believed in herself. She was so determined and strong that she made everyone listen to her, even at times when she was wrong, like mispronouncing ‘Haitians’.

Without realising it, Cher became one of the first feminist characters young women would see in films. Obviously, she was not the only one, but definitely one of the first that millennials would widely receive. Without Cher Horowitz would we have Elle Woods, Rory Gilmore or Blair Waldorf ? Frankly I don’t think so. We can really learn something from Cher. We can learn to be unapologetically ourselves.

Granted, Cher is not a role model as such. After all, the film is called Clueless. However, there are aspects of life Cher had a clue about. She set high standards for herself and the people around her.

When it came to love interests for the character, Cher realised she didn’t want to bother with the petty ways of high school boys. She wanted more and wasn’t afraid to admit it. With her unwavering ideals she finally found happiness with Josh (Paul Rudd). Not a high schooler, but a college guy.

She was never depicted as a damsel in distress.

She opted not to waste time on boys that weren’t an equal match for her. If Clueless was set in 2018, Cher would be the worst person on Tinder ever.

She would barely swipe right, probably just for Trinners. She cared about how she looked, but for herself. Without worrying about impressing boys like many teenagers do, she dressed to make herself happy.

Halloween is a time when we can pretend to be someone else for the night. Wearing a character inspired costume, we walk in their shoes. If you decide to be clueless this Halloween, take a part of Cher with you when the night is over. Believe in yourself. Own who you are. And above all else, figure out a way to turn her computerised outfit organiser into an app. It’s 2018 that should be a thing by now, but whatever!

SULT

WEDNESDAY 31st OCTOBER

Fancy Dress Party 8PM Winner gets a month's FREE rent!

YOU’D BE DEAD STUPID TO MISS OUT

17

18 FA SH I O N & L I F EST Y L E

How to eat healthy in college

By Aoife Burke Its important to eat healthy. Not so easy when you’re on a budget. However, bringing home - made meals to university via a packed lunch should make it a little easier. Personally, I love to make chicken and pasta with a dash of red pesto thrown in there.

Other examples of healthy meals for students include home made soup with vegetables, or even go all out and make a stew. Chopped carrots, onions, potatoes, peas and lentils are just a few examples of what could make a healthy nutritious stew, combined with stewing beef. You can freeze this food (hopefully there is room in the freezer!) and gradually defrost as needed.

Buying convenience food such as takeaways should be avoided, as it gets quite expensive and there can be hidden ingredients, such as added sugar. The best thing to do is to look at the food pyramid.

There are six layers to this pyramid. At the bottom is fruit and vegetables. You should aim to eat five to seven servings of this a day, for example one medium sized piece of fruit or 150ml of unsweetend fruit juice (remember, fruit contains fructose which is a natural sugar). The more the better, and try to choose fresh over frozen or canned.

Next is the carbs. Cereal, breads, potatoes, pasta and rice, three to five servings a day is recommended. Choose two wholemeal slices of brown bread or 1 cup cooked rice. Next is dairy: milk, yogurt and cheese. Three servings a day is the usual, so you could combine one glass of milk (200ml) and one carton of yougurt (125g) with some cheese. Try to choose the low fat variety.

Next on the pyramid is meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts. Two eggs is one serving, you could have these at breakfast.

Choose meat the size of half the palm of your hand for another serving. I personally love quorn steak strips, although I am not personally a vegetarian.

It is important to eat meat or its substitute every day. Kidney beans are a tasty alternative and so are salted butter beans. Also nice and cheap! Second last on the pyramid are fats, spreads and oils.

Use as little as possible, just a teaspoon of oil is needed. Limit mayonnaise and coleslaw. Always choose reduced fat butter. I prefer to cook with rapeseed oil but depending on the dish, coconut oil is a tasty alternative.

At the top of the pyramid are small servings of chocolate, biscuits, cakes, and sweets. Maximum recommended is twice a week. It has been revealed that most people consumed food high in fat and sugar sweetened drinks up to six times a day. So limit these sweet treats and consume healthy alternatives. There is no subsitute for exercise as well, after all healthy body healthy mind!

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

Missguided x Playboy: Is the message wrong?

By Sara Chudzik

Is the future, or are we back in 2008? Twitter cannot decide. On 25 September Missguided, a UK based fashion chain, dropped their newest clothing line collaboration with Playboy, a men’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine commonly known as the magazine sixteen-year-old boys giggle over and hide from their mothers.

The line itself features a clothing range from tracksuits to dresses. The preferable colour scheme is black, white, silver and nude - unintentional, I’m sure. Of course all these clothes are branded with the infamous bunny logo. All very reminiscent of Paris Hilton circa the 2000s.

Of course, the worlds biggest online debating society, also known as Twitter, had many reactions. Some people absolutely loved it. In fact, the

line sold out after only a few days. To some it was a welcome throwback, like live action remakes of Disney movies. Some Twitter users have commented that their younger selves would love it. That’s where it starts to get problematic.

When we look a few years back, we remember that majority of the people who owned either playboy clothing or merchandise were secondary school girls, not women over eighteen. Missguided itself targets women from the ages of 16 to 35, which still includes under aged girls. What are the consequences of branding teenage girls with the logo of a magazine known for the distribution of female nudity?

Previously, Missguided have come under criticism due to placing a ‘Send me nudes x’ neon sign in one of their stores. Complaints came from parents concerned with the inappropriateness of the message that it was sending to young girls.

Rachel Gardner, a representative of the Girls Brigade England & Wales pointed out that according to an NSPCC report, teenage girls are negatively affected by the sexting culture. Pairing this controversy with their newest Playboy collabo-

ration may give us the impression that Missguided are not concerned with sending positive messages to this age group.

Going back to Twitter, some voiced their strong dislike of this clothing range describing it as ‘trashy’. Here, we are coming into close contact to the phenomenon that is called ‘slut- shaming’ or criticising women for owning their sexuality. Is this a ground for dismissal of Missguided’s newest collection? Absolutely not.

The problem reveals itself when we look at the connotations of Playboy and whom it accommodates, rather than the clothes themselves being ‘trashy’ as some might call it.

Missguided described their collaboration as an “essential collection for a new generation of rebellious females who dress by their own rules.” Why would ‘females’ who dress by their own rules wish to accommodate the male gaze of Playboy Magazine?

For grown up women, that may be their personal choice, but for the under aged within that 16-35 target group, it should be out of question.

In the end, accommodating nostalgia sells well today, and Missguided are in the process of restocking the line.

Stay Active and Have Fun!

By Elizabeth Stolbova Sometimes we forget that college is not only about studying, but also about making friends, doing loads of activities and of course, having fun.

It’s impossible not to smile at least a hundred times while playing soccer or learning a new dance move, isn’t it? Or doing a small 15 min workout, so our hardworking mind has a break and recharges, achieving a healthy balance.

So, if you have something in your mind, leave the article - go do it! Right now!

Well, there can never be too many ideas on how to get into these habits, and here are some of them. NUI Galway has loads of sports clubs that do lessons for beginners, such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton - anything you can think of.

Teamwork motivates, and as known, the best experience is always the one that is shared with other people.

For those loving water sports, there is a surfing and a kayaking club. Check out the numerous sessions they have for all levels. If you love the outdoors (don’t tell me you don’t have time, there is nothing better than a day in the wild), there is a mountaineering club, which as well as their weekly climbing sessions, does Sunday hikes. Or why not go to

one of the frisbee sessions that are on every Wednesday outside on the field?

It looks like so much fun. Don’t be shy, there will be loads of other beginners, just like you, who want to try it out.

Now it’s time to introduce the lotus society. For those of you who are just like me, all over the place, this is a good place to stop and breathe, concentrate and do some yoga. Or you could move your hips in a rhythm of salsa with the dance society.

A must - have of our modern

society is a favourite workout on YouTube. When the weather is dull, or you have a massive workload to deal with, these videos are indispensable.

The best thing about those is that you can vary the length, and get the most out of the smallest break you’ve got!

Another idea is to get yourself a workout or dance playlist and just have your little moment: switch off your laptop, put on the earphones and dance. Let it all out and express yourself; alone in the room, dancing

while no one can see you. Sometimes this is all we need, and it lights up our mood. So just let yourself dance and be happy!

Why stay active? Well, any activity, even the smallest, is rewarding.

You feel like you achieved something, your creativity increases, and it’s an amazing opportunity to spend your time productively with your friends!

Just a little tip: it’s best to do activities before 8 pm, so your mind will have time to settle down before sleep.

Image: via Flickr

FAIS EAN

October 23 2018

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Five weekend breaks for students on a budget

By Martha Brennan As the college term snowballs past us and mid - term works begin to pile up, many of us are dreaming about escaping for a weekend away. You don’t need to travel abroad or have a pile of money saved to enjoy a quick break though, and there are tons of options right here in Ireland to experience on the cheap. We’ve rounded up some weekend - away options here at SIN that won’t break the bank or your study habits for too long. With Air BnB options and winter deals starting to be advertised by hotels, take advantage of your student card and travel to our five top picks for a pre - Christmas weekend break – you deserve it.

1. Cork

Now is the perfect time to head to the Rebel county with the annual Cork Jazz Festival taking place from 26 - 29 October. The festival attracts huge crowds every year, with jazz musicians lining the streets of the city and performances running around the clock in the countless bars and hotels across the Lee. A lot of the gigs are free and even the best - known acts performing – such as Jenny Greene and the Academic – are offering tickets for as little as €20.

Cork is an up and coming city with a huge cultural scene and student population. But in under half an hour, you can also reach some of West Cork’s beautiful coastline with cute towns such as Kinsale and Clonakilty a stone’s throw away. Citylink run direct buses to Cork for just €20 return from Galway.

2. Kilkenny

The Ancient East have been pushing their tourism lately for a reason. Towns such as Wexford, Waterford and Wicklow not only have stunning scenery to offer but also tons of history. Kilkenny is our favourite place for a fun weekend getaway, and it’s a top spot for hen parties and stags. Not only does it offer great nightlife, but every historic sight is walkable and it’s a cheap town for someone to holiday on a budget. Make sure to visit Kilkenny Castle and the Black Abbey for some stunning ancient activities, the Smithwicks brewery is also an option if the weather isn’t on your side. There’s some really cheap Air BnB’s on offer in Kilkenny, but it’s a little harder to get to from Galway than larger city destinations. We’d recommend doing the trip by car if possible, but if not, you can make your way to Dublin by train or coach and hop on a bus from there.

3. Belfast

Belfast may seem like a trek but by car you can get there from Galway in just over three hours, and the journey is definitely worth it. Belfast is steeped in history and culture and has an amazing array of restaurants and bars on offer. Make sure to visit the historic streets of the Troubles - the Falls and the Shankill – to see the famous murals and experience both sides of the struggle. There are also countless museums to choose from. The Titanic museum has the largest collection of Titanic history in the world and is one of Ireland’s top tourist destina-

tions. From here you can also see where the Titanic was built with the famous Harland and Wolff just around the corner. Make sure to visit the City Hall, who have a free exhibition of the City’s history on offer. The Cathedral Quarter is a must at nighttime, when its bars and restaurants buzz with people.

4. Lahinch

For a break closer to home, Clare has gorgeous offerings just a stone’s throw away by bus or train from Galway. Towns such as Ennis and Lahinch have become must - do points along the Wild Atlantic Way for visitors and natives alike. Lahinch has always been a popular destination for surfers, but there’s plenty to enjoy for everyone and it’s becoming an increasingly popular spot for group and couple breaks alike. Ennis is just a half hour away and is filled with Irish tradition and music.

You can also take a trip to the Cliffs of Moher or the Burren for a proper touristy experience.

5. Dingle

A weekend in Dingle is a must do for everyone living in Ireland. The small Kerry village may be tricky to get to, but it’s proven to be one of the most fun places to visit year after year with countless pubs, gorgeous scenery, amazing food and of course, plenty of Murphy’s ice cream and Gaelic tongues.

You’ll definitely need someone to drive down here but the journey is scenic and can be done in about three and a half hours. We promise it’s worth the hassle!

Dingle, with its countless pubs and gorgeous scenery. Image via Flickr.

Is a trend obsession making PLANNER EVENTS us lose our individuality?

22-26 OCT //2018

By Stevie Buckley There are many trends going around at any one time. Some are fantastic, and some are… not so fantastic. Should we subscribe to all these trends, even the ones we find “ugly”? In my opinion we definitely shouldn’t, and here’s why.

We all want a bit of individuality, right?

Well, I hate to break it to you but pairing that leather dress with those Balenciaga croc heels probably isn’t the individuality you’re going for. If you subscribe to the latest trends, there is probably someone else wearing the exact same outfit as you (if they can afford croc heels, that is). Especially if you buy everything religiously from your local Penneys.

I love Penneys as much as the next person, but I’d never wear an entire outfit with only clothes from there. I usually add a signature piece such as a pop culture reference or a pair of authentic Doc Martens. So, don’t be afraid to be you. Add something unique, even if it means cheating on Penneys.

In addition, there’s the fact that some trends don’t suit some people. For example, whenever yellow is in fashion, I can’t wear half the clothes in stores because I look like I have a bad case of jaundice, which isn’t a look anyone would go for. Also, I hate to break it to you, but horizontal stripes don’t look good if you have any extra weight at all. I learned that one the hard way.

Similarly, there’s also the problem of subscribing to trends as a plus sized person. Many shops which stock the latest trends stop somewhere between sizes 12 and 16. Penneys may go up to a size 20. However most of the time, it’s either a case of losing weight, going to plus size

boutiques which usually go for your granny’s type of style (as if there are no younger curvy people) or going online and shelling out for something that vaguely resembles the current trend you are going for, which leaves you both depressed that Bershka clothes don’t fit, and strapped for cash.

If you religiously subscribe to trends, you have a huge problem when the seasons change.

Practically everything you own goes out of fashion and you need to buy a totally new wardrobe.

The clothes you buy today may be completely out of style in a week or month. This is expensive, especially if you shop at places like Urban Outfitters (where, in my opinion, the clothes are grossly overpriced) or buy from designer brands. It’s also wasteful and bad for your ecological footprint, as you are getting rid of vast amounts of clothing that was probably flown in from another country.

Of course, there are also people who just don’t like to subscribe to trends, and I would call myself one of them. I don’t like wearing the same thing as everyone else, and most of the time I don’t like what’s in fashion anyway. In my opinion, some of it is just “ugly” to me (for want of a better word) and I can’t see myself wearing it. I’m not dissing anyone who follows trends, but I just can’t see myself wearing most of what’s in style.

Overall, I think we shouldn’t follow trends religiously. Of course, you can buy a few pieces that are in fashion, but you definitely shouldn’t buy one of everything in Topshop. It completely ruins individuality and leaves you strapped for cash at various points throughout every season. Is a new wardrobe of clothes every season worth those repercussions? I don’t think so.

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MONDAY 22ND OCTOBER DÉ LUAIN, AN 22 DEIREADH FÓMHAIR 6.30pm-8.30pm 7.30pm-9.30pm

Screening of “Through our Eyes” with Fáilte Refugees Society in Kirwan Theatre “A Stevening” in the O’Flaherty Theatre. Two of Galway’s favourite bearded wonders: Steve Bennett + Steven Sharpe, doing a funny, musical, weird-ass show like only they can!

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C U LT ÚR

October 23 2018

7

SIAMSAÍOCHT

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Soundtrack to Sobriety with Shampain

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Young people are at the centre of how the world operates today, and instead of depreciating, why not just take our own future into our own hands and realise that being on earth is much more about what you do on it, than how long you inhabit it.

Plenty have and will continue to fall victim to a system that’s littered with hidden pitfalls, and it seems as though the path less travelled is the most profitable and enjoyable one, despite not being necessarily as recognised as a single sheet of paper.

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LeBron James never went to college and by then time he had spent roughly 7665 days on earth, he made it to the NBA finals with a team of nobodies.

That’s not to say that you should be reaching for the lofty heights of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, but don’t just sit around and act your age.

There’s no point waiting on the society around you to change, because that will inevitably leave you in the same position as those before you: respected because of your obvious age and not your PER.

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One thing that’s incredibly surprising, and a bit disheartening, is that we as a society have managed to unlock a plethora of ways to do and evaluate things in the most efficient ways imaginable. We live in a society where flexibility is king, and where cutting corners may not be approved, but it is a given. This is in order to tick all the boxes to be a functioning member of the community, no matter the occupation you have.

Take the NBA for example; players are no longer heralded for highlight plays or dramatic heroics; we as fans expect as much, but pundits and the powers that be look for players that can do it all. Players must not only fill a box score, but pass with flying colours when it comes to advanced metrics. The same rule seems to be applied more and more in all walks of life, even in employment. The years drift by and the average speed of members of society ramps up a notch or two, almost on a monthly basis.

Young people are at the core of this huge flux in the way our society operates. Our adoration of technology, social media and consumption, for good or bad, has changed the way everyone lives. It’s definitely heading more in that direction, rather than in reverse. For that reason, it’s quite puzzling that our futures are still so firmly placed within the norms of a society gone by.

21 years is roughly 7665 days, which is 183,960 hours spent upon the earth’s round or flat surface (leaving that open to interpretation). That’s undeniably a long time, but for some reason it’s looked upon as only a meagre number in the grand scheme of what society lets us think.

The same society expects us to adapt to a new way of doing things in the click of a finger. It expects and demands of us to push our capacities to the limit and to never waste a minute. Yet, it still dismisses one’s time spent on the same earth as if it’s nothing compared to that of more seasoned superiors.

Of course, there’s no denying that if one person is older than another, then indeed they have spent more time on earth, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve experienced more.

How one chooses to spend their time is up to them, and all humans are different. Someone who has existed longer might have a louder voice compared to someone who has not spent as much time respiring, but the younger could have experienced much more than someone far superior to them in age. This notion is gaining traction thanks to the outspokenness of young people in 2018.

The example of the NBA wasn’t one born out of a particular fascination with a sport the author was never physically inclined to succeed in (actually it was, but I’ve just tied it togethernnicely, t l e Cletá me r t alive). s c i and useful In the league, the most advanced meti C r ric for evaluating how truly effective players are while they’re on the court is the PER; Player Efficiency Rating. It takes into account a wide range of factors that most basketball fans find hard to swallow, so they won’t be spewed out in this particular discussion, but in short, it weeds out the glam from the good and shows what players actually have the most efficient impact while they’re on the court.

In turn, the PER hasrmanaged to gift some of the C is a c the t with more unheralded and under players i n tradar r á l e Cfor players contracts more traditionally reserved with more experience and more star power, leaving out players that used to grace magazine covers, who are now gracing the bench instead.

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Cóilí/Shampain is a resident DJ in Electric nightclub, former electronic music editor of District Magazine, contributor to District and Four Four magazines, former resident DJ of Hangar, and has written for Mixmag and worked on Rinse France.

The PER is something that in 2018 could really be used in a human context: Personal Experience Rating. Rather than asking someone their age and then determining how valuable their opinion is, how skilled they are at their trade and ultimately how valuable they are to society, one could instead ask for their PER, which could indeed be made up of how well they’ve spent their time on earth, rather than how long they’ve spent on it.

“Where are you going with this?” exclaim a series of readers in unison.

It was widely reported that NUI Galway elected to refund both third and fourth year students for the fees they paid for their third year of the BA with Journalism course. It would be entirely juvenile and pointless to berate a course that has already admitted it’s not worth the time or money that was spent on it, that much has already been (albeit very lethargically) done.

This admission from the powers that be is a not - so - common apology from old to young, and one that also calls into question the current system we all find ourselves apart of, especially in more creative industries, ones that would benefit from PER ratings.

I was never one to think that I’d sit in a variety of lecture halls on University Road for four years and find myself walking in the door of a gleaming magazine office, still draped in my graduation attire, waiting to slap my degree on the editor’s table and land myself a key role as part of the staff.

As laughable a notion as that sounds, it’s the only one that really matches up with the current ideology of the creative college system. Creative industries are symbiotically linked today with social media and technology, undoubtedly the most rapidly changing facets of today’s society. With that being the case then, why are we expected to sit and brew for four years while the world around us continues to spin at a faster rate than it ever has?

Humans aren’t like wine and as much as we like to think, we don’t get better with age, we get better with experience.

That’s not to say that one just sits down for four years, but the learning advantages of real life journalism are more beneficial than those attained discussing hypotheticals on a Thursday afternoon, when all anyone really to do is get out in time l e Cwants á r t home. i n t on to grab a Boojum the way c a s r i in a CCTV room in JDCSports, face to face Sitting with Bugzy Malone, is definitely a situation that alters your interviewing techniques. Being tasked with making an email interview beefed out enough for a cover interview for a real magazine definitely calls your writing ability into question, especially when you’ve left it to the last minute and you’ve chosen Rick and Morty as background noise (which I hate by of it every r i the way and I still get reminded s cat said magazine).t a C time I look i n t forl ea prominent Cár Writing bios festival for their social media accounts, in order to sell tickets, pushes your ability to squeeze information into every single word.

Being on the phone and meeting up with some of your musical idols definitely makes sure you don’t mince your words in the key moment, something a piece of paper with your mark on it really does not.

All that and loads more will remain on the horizon, and this most definitely isn’t an affirmation of how much one person has achieved, there’s always room for improvement. It’s just to note that it’s definitely possible to go out and make waves in whatever you do, and that doesn’t require you to remain idle in an endless sea of seats.

Whether this is a rant about the futile nature of our current education system is neither here nor there. One should never just sit about and watch the world go by until you’re old enough to matter.

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

movie night essentials What’s on Halloween for the nostalgic trick or treater in Galway: HALLOWEEN EDITION

By Niamh Kelly

By Marie Coady If your tight - fisted neighbours refuse to give you sweets despite how hard you worked on your Halloween costume, don’t sulk. There are spooky things afoot all over Galway - and great craic to be had too. Here are some of the highlights on the cultural boOoOks.

Galway Aboo Halloween Festival Ireland’s largest Halloween festival runs from 26 to 29 October with a wide variety of activities on offer. These include ‘The Village Salthill Zombie Chase’ on 27 October in aid of ACT for Meningitus, which will see a pack of sluggish, brainless monsters descend on the Prom and make hassle for unsuspecting humans (so business as usual, then?). The star attraction, the annual Macnas parade, takes place on 28 October at 5:30pm. This year’s theme is ‘Out of the Wild Sky’ and it’s always worth drinking in the surreal spectacles, especially if you’re new to Galway.

ASAC Halloween: Shampain SIN contributor Shampain will be setting up shop in the Cellar Bar on Eglington Street on Halloween night with hosts Anti Social Acid Club. The Facebook event description promises “BREAKS TECHNO ACID GRIME RAVE PINTS SWEAT AND SKELLINGTONS,” which encompasses everything you need in life really. 18+ only, doors open at 11 and tickets are €10 at the door.

Halloween Treats at Pálás The movie buffs at Pálás cinema have been cultivating a suite of diverse and creepy films throughout October, and it all culminates on 31 October with screenings of the Suspiria remake, the original Evil Dead and a 4K restoration of Donnie Darko. Grab your friends so you have someone to grab onto during the scary parts (or when you are just too overwhelmed by the beauty of young Jake Gyllenhaal).

The days are getting darker, the trees are becoming bare, and the changing weather now means scarves and jackets can be spotted on every second passerby, however October has always meant one thing to me – Halloween!

We always tend to associate the holiday either with children or highly intoxicated, foolishly dressed adults but I believe a movie marathon surrounded by friends is the perfect way to reminisce over the childhood joy 31 October brought us – and I’ll give you my idea of the key things you’ll need for a Spooktacular night.

The Big Scream Firstly, you have to pick what kind of movie you – and possibly your friends – would like to watch for your fright night. If you’re looking for a fun, light hearted movie to remind you of all the excitement and enjoyment that comes with Halloween, movies such as Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Halloweentown should do the trick (pun intended).

Perhaps you would prefer a movie that aims to disturb, rather than startle? The Shining, A Quiet Place, and Rosemary’s Baby are perfect choices. Or maybe you’re looking for a movie that truly aims to terrify? A movie with all the classic jump scares and gore you can imagine? Movies such as The Conjuring, The Nun, and Insidious are worth watching.

Trick or Treat Yo’Self

As with any movie, snacks are essential.

There is the classic movie snack of popcorn, as well as bites like nachos and dip for a group of friends, and for the more adventurous you could prepare Halloween themed grub like toffee apples, ghost shaped cookies, and pretty much anything pumpkin flavoured.

Of course, you could always give in to your younger self and fill bowls with the best selection of sweets you would receive as you scoured the surrounding houses as a child.

Grave Rave One thing that livens up any night in with friends is a collection of tunes guaranteed to make you either dance or sing like lunatics.

All my Ghoulfriends

If there is one piece of advice I could bestow upon Halloween celebrators this October, remember Halloween is an event that is supposed to be shared with others. Whether you were pestering neighbours for treats as a youngster, painting your family members’ faces, or busting out ‘Thriller’ dance moves in school, there was always a sense of community surrounding Halloween.

So, dress up in silly costumes, decorate your bedroom, and have a blast indulging yourself in Halloween festivities with your friends.

Don’t allow the togetherness of Halloween to disappear just because you’re in college and too ‘mature’ to have fun anymore. Savour your Halloween experiences, because we all know Christmas enthusiasts will take over as soon as 1 November hits!

The best TV for getting in the Halloween mood

By Fiach Mac Fhionnlaoich Looking for some programmes to get you into the pumpkin carving spirit? Have a ghostly glide through the list below…

The Simpsons – Treehouse of Horror V (Season 6, Episode 6) No Halloween TV watchlist would be complete without this ghoulish staple of the long - running comedy series. This edition features a

parody of The Shining as one of its tales, perfect for those who can’t set aside the time on 31 October to read through Stephen King’s tome or sit down to soak in Stanley Kubrick’s atmospheric screen adaptation. Give me Homer Simpson over Jack Nicholson any day.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer – Fear Itself (Season 4, Episode 4) A haunted house organised by a Sunnydale fraternity goes horribly wrong when the

Celebrating Samhain, Druid - style Dressing up as Suicide Squad era Harley Quinn and headin out: tired. Donning a cloak and sacrificing your corn, milk and children to the Fomorians to stave off darkness and blight: wired.

56 Central on Shop Street will be hosting practicing druid and storyteller Eimear Burke on 31 October from 7:30pm.

Burke will track the origins of Samhain as the New Year in the Celtic calendar, and how it influenced and morphed into modern day Halloween festivities, as well as explaining how modern day Druids continue to mark Samhain. It promises a nice break from the typical Halloween antics, so check it out!

Songs from Little Shop of Horrors, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show are my first choices, but there are also non - movie related songs such as ‘Thriller’, ‘Monster Mash’, and ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’.

frat boys choose the wrong occult symbol to draw on the floor, unwittingly summoning a demon who brings people’s worst fears to life.

No prizes for guessing where Buffy, Xander, Willow and Oz chose to spend Halloween.

A regular episode of this must - watch supernatural series would contain enough spooky goings - on and teenage snark to warrant mention here, but where fear itself wins out over regular episodes of Buffy, is how it capitalises on one of the series’ greatest strengths, magnifying the real - life angst of the transition to adulthood under the lens of the supernatural. In this case, the Scooby Gang are forced to confront their anxiety and unease as they settle into their first year of college life, or in Xander’s case deal with his sense of isolation as his friends venture into that brave new world without him.

Doctor Who – Blink (Series 3, Episode 10)

Photo: Sean Loyless via Flickr

Want Halloween TV guaranteed to make you afraid to go to sleep afterwards? Then, this is the one for you. After this sci-fi show’s revival in 2005, its lead had faced new alien threats as well as classic foes such as the genocidal Daleks.

But no new monsters were quite as terrifying as the species featured for the first time in this episode. A race of ‘lonely assassins’ who take the forms of stone statues and can only move when they aren’t being observed, the Weeping Angels send their victims back in time to a point before their birth, feeding on the potential energy of the life they might have lived in the present.

When the story begins, the Doctor and his companion Martha have already fallen victim to the Angels. Thus, it is up to a young woman named Sally Sparrow (in an excellent guest performance by actress Carey Mulligan) to unravel the mystery of the Angels with clues the Doctor has left for her in the past, and prevent them from locating his TARDIS, which would allow them to feed on all of time. But all you need to remember is the most important message. Two words. Don’t. Blink. And keep an eye on that new statue your mam bought for the garden.

C U LT ÚR

October 23 2018

7

SIAMSAÍOCHT

23

By Rachel Garvey

More of his weight pressed down on to the floorboard and it gave out a vibrating groan, as if standing on it was hurting it. With two final steps he was at the bedroom door.

Sam peeped his head out and was greeted by the darkness of the night and the silence of the sleeping house. The door handle, which his fingers closed around, gleamed due to the light of the full moon pushing its way in through the dancing curtains. He pushed the door closed and padded back to bed, stopping by the window to have a little peek outside. A few leaves from the full blossomed deciduous trees were scattered about the garden below, like rich green

confetti, and the whole night was still. With one final sweep of his eyes around the garden below he went back to his bed, removing his hearing aid in the process.

With a sigh he fell back into bed, his body flopping against the duvet like a fish in an awkward way because of his tallness. He turned himself over and just before his eyes shut the door began to open again. Slowly, his eyes turned to the direction of the door and he gasped silently, fear overtaking his body in a way that enveloped all his remaining senses, almost paralysing him. He sat up, his body feeling stiff with worry.

He reached for his hearing aid which he had just left on the dresser and he froze when he

saw that it was nowhere to be seen. Damn… where the hell has it gone?

He arose from his bed once again and stood up shakily, his legs threatening to give way if he didn’t move them.

With the way he was feeling right now, he felt completely useless without his hearing aid. He took one step, his foot landing down on the floorboard. A loud groan disturbed the silence of the dark room, but silence enveloped Sam’s entire world. He made his way wearily to the door and peeked out on to the dark landing, terror taking over his body. He tiptoed out a little further and strained his eyes to see down the dark hallway. He began to turn around when something, at the end

Tracks for your trek to college

By Caileigh Ryan Dreary morning? 9am lecture?

Would you rather roll over and catch an extra hour’s sleep? Here are some tunes with a great bass and tempo to give you a bit of motivation to rock in to college like a boss. Fast paced and slow paced combined to get you to college on time and in a great mood for the day ahead. Throw on your comfy shoes, don’t forget a jacket and get a move on.

Carpe Diem!

SONG 2 – BLUR This classic has the perfect bass if you’re running a few minutes late. Put a bit of pep in your step – feel heavy metal, feel pins and needles – and hell, if you do rock in a few minutes late, it’s not your problem!

UNBELIEVABLE – EMF Yes, you do look unbelievable with your bed head and your untied boot. Keep moving. This angsty tune is the perfect compli-

mentary track to how you really look marching to college over the Quincentenary bridge, with the harsh Galway wind blowing in your face.

I AM THE RESURRECTION – THE STONE ROSES The Stone Roses have the ideal tempo in this one for every unwilling step you take! Don’t feel sorry for yourself, we all have to do it. Give yourself a pat on the back, march on like a boss and enjoy this belter.

FEEL GOOD INC – GORILLAZ “You got a new horizon, it’s ephemeral style, a melancholy town where we never smile.”

Turn up your headphones and listen to these whack lyrics. Even if you’ve got your sour face on, at least you’ll feel good.

YOU SHOULD’VE GONE TO SCHOOL

– BC CAMPLIGHT BC Camplight hit the nail on the head with this one. A funky bassline and backing vocals singing “you want it, you work for it.”

Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?

SHE MOVES IN HER OWN WAY – THE KOOKS If you don’t find yourself singing along to this one, maybe you should’ve stayed in bed! Picture yourself bopping through campus, headphones turned up full volume, radiating positive energy. You’re a better man, moving on to better things.

CLAUDIA – THE VIEW You’ve arrived! The intro to this one is the perfect soundtrack to you stumbling down the lecture stairs and slouching into the first empty seat you see! Now, take out those headphones and listen to what the lecturer has to say! You’re paying to be here!

of the hallway, caught his eye.

A dark black outline stood tall and evil at the corner at the end of the hallway. Sam stepped back on impulse and slammed the door, pressing his hands against the white wood hoping he could protect himself from the entity.

‘Don’t… just don’t… am I going crazy?’, he argued with himself in his mind. He took a step back, his heart beating so fast that it threatened to beat from his chest.

The floorboard gave out an agonizing groan from behind him.

He didn’t hear it… but he felt the floorboard shift beneath him.

This vibration was felt only a step behind him…

Poems

By Oisin Henry What is a poem? What is this poem?

This poem is a poem about the purpose of poems, I’ll go from the start.

A poem comes from the heart People persist to pick poems apart, and call it art A rhyme or two A happy haiku What is a poem to you?

A rhyme, an art? A chant, a rant?

Expressions about our lives to leave impressions in our minds Is this how you would write a poem?

Is this how you would end a poem?

CORNER

Floorboards CREATIVE

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

‘Rosie’ film review “We’re not homeless ... we’re just lost.”

By Sarah Gill This poignant and deeply affecting film serves as a visualisation of the Irish housing crisis, giving a face and a pulse to the anonymous battle of so many people. Pálás Cinema invited SIN to a screening of this beautiful and moving tale before its initial release. One family’s 36 - hour struggle to secure a safe lodging for the night is condensed into an 86 - minute film. Penned by Roddy Doyle and directed by Paddy Breathnach, this is nothing short of a masterpiece.

The movie kicks off with a compilation of news reports on the worsening state of the housing crisis. We are introduced to Rosie, who is embodied

by Sarah Greene in a stunning performance. Rosie is a gracious, working class woman who is working tirelessly to find her family of six somewhere to live after finding themselves suddenly without a home when their landlord decided to sell their house. Working through a list of potential places to stay, Rosie develops a refrain, repeated throughout the film like a prayer; “We’re looking for a family

room for a week ... a few days? ... even just one night?”. With each utterance, the hope diminishes more and more.

With their entire lives stuffed into a couple of bin bags, the downtrodden family are crammed into a small family hotel room for a single night.

What was once a luxury now feels like a prison cell. The word ‘homeless’ is treated as a profanity, a slap in the face of those who are desperately trying to keep up appearances. With a weary optimism, the family trudge through the uncertainty of their situation. From schoolyard bullying to getting ready for ‘bed’ in a chipper’s bathroom, the sudden realisation of the bleakness of their fate becomes apparent.

Cathal Watters, the cinematographer, captures so much feeling in moments where so little is said.

The handheld close - ups of the kids exquisitely showcase their uncertainty, innocence and simultaneous lack thereof in times of great turmoil.

Condensation on the car’s windows represents the claustrophobic nature of their temporary home which seems to shrink as life closes in on them.

The music by Stephen Rennicks allows us to feel the moments gaining significance in the pit of our stomachs.

The culmination of impeccable cinematography, powerful music and a stunning performance by every single cast member left me with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat.

With each scene, you find yourself becoming increasingly inflamed with rage. You are left questioning a very broken system. Up until this point, I had taken for granted the luxury of having an address. Of waking up in a familiar bed every morning. This movie challenges the preconceived stereotype that so many have of homeless people. Rosie and her family are working class, respectable people who have fallen on unbearably hard times. It could happen to anyone reading this in our current economic climate, and that is why this movie is so poignant. It is a demand for change, for improvement.

This movie is set to go down in Irish film history. It is not one family’s sob story; it is the reality of “too many true stories”. It is a call for change, and it will not go unnoticed.

With special thanks to Pálás Cinema.

With their entire lives stuffed into a couple of bin bags, the downtrodden family are crammed into a small family hotel room for a single night. What was once a luxury now feels like a prison cell. The word ‘homeless’ is treated as a profanity, a slap in the face of those who are desperately trying to keep up appearances.

Review: Venom: a toxic mess

By Paul O’Malley Venom is the sort of movie that we as audiences and fans are wired to dislike from the moment it is announced.

After all, it is headlined by one of Spider - Man’s most notorious enemies with no appearance from the webhead himself.

There was a certain buzz among audiences, an expectation that we were here to see fail at box office level.

The story of Venom is truly the story of Eddie Brock, portrayed by Tom Hardy.

Brock is an investigative reporter who loses it all after crossing the wrong sociopathic billionaire, Carlton Drake, played by Riz Ahmed. He then reluctantly teams up with an alien symbiote named Venom to thwart Drake’s insidious plan.

The relationship between Brock and Venom is played for laughs for the vast majority of the film, but most of this comes across as cringey, forced humour. The two - exchange dialogue is more suited to a bad buddy cop film.

The element of the relationship where

Brock attempts to enforce a moral code of sorts on the alien works, but does not receive sufficient focus until the movie is almost over.

Tom Hardy is an incredible actor with a great track record, but this is far from his best performance. He stumbles his way through Venom with an ill - fitting American accent. Instead of being a saving grace, Hardy comes across as the loud guy at a party who we got tired of listening to a long time ago.

Venom has a very jarring tone which is related to its characters. Venom has no right to be classed as a superhero film when its titular character literally eats people and Brock’s actions are mostly tied to him. The main villain, Carlton Drake, is a sort of Elon Musk figure whose brand of insolent billionaire villainy is far from convincing. Michelle Williams plays the love interest Annie, but her motivations are so inconsistent that she fails to add anything of substance throughout. Like any franchise film, these relationships dictate the tone throughout, and the result is a jarring

movie.

Venom suffers from poor action set pieces. Fight scenes come across as noisy, overly chaotic and claustrophobic. There were however a few cool shots during a car chase with Venom using his alien powers to perform assorted motorbike stunts.

In terms of music, the score is enjoyable. It is composed by Ludwig Goransson, who also scored Creed and Black Panther. Eminem penned the main credits song, also called ‘Venom’ and it is an excellent example of Shady’s legendary rapping chops.

Overall, Venom exists, but does it have any real need to? Its artistic merits really come into question during scenes such as the one where Eddie Brock sits into a big tank full of water and consumes a live lobster. When you consider the character of Venom, what Marvel have done with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and this movie’s frankly over - qualified cast, Venom feels like a very disappointing movie.

Rating: 1/5 stars

C U LT ÚR

October 23 2018

REELING IN THE YEARS:

By Caileigh Ryan We’re changing things up a bit this week. Below you’ll find a list of classic horrors from the 60s, 70s and 80s that I recommend watching on Halloween night with the lights off, along with an insight to some of the creepy things that happened on, during and after production – just to intensify the experience! It’s amazing what so many cast and crew members have endured to produce something for our entertainment.

Psycho, 1960 Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is one of the greatest horror films

of all time and Hitchcock is one of the greatest directors. Held in too high regard by some, in fact. A body double for one of the actresses was murdered on the film set by a handyman who wanted to impress Hitchcock.

Rosemary’s Baby, 1968 This film will make you feel incredibly uneasy, and so will what happened to some of the cast and their loved ones. One of the cast members stated at one point that “No good will come of all this ‘Hail Satan’ business”, and how right he was. Producer William Castle received an anonymous letter after the film was released that prophesised that he was going to die from a long and painful sickness. Surely enough, and not long after he received the letter, Castle suffered from gallstones so severely that he required emergency surgery. The musical composer in the film, Krzysztof Komeda, met an untimely death after he accidentally fell. The following year, the director Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Manson Family, in the summer of 1969.

The Exorcist, 1973 The Exorcist is said to be one of the most terrifying films of all time – the plot circulates around the possession of a young girl, Regan, by a demon. Coincidentally (or maybe not?), a number of freaky events happened during the filming, which has led people to believe that the film is cursed.

The film set actually caught fire, delaying shooting – leaving the bedroom of Regan unharmed. In addition to that, two of the characters who die in the film also died in real life during the film’s postproduction.

Poltergeist, 1982 Many have said that the Poltergeist franchise is also cursed, following a number of cast deaths, including one of the film’s central characters, little Carol Anne, who was played by a young actress by the name of Heather O’Rourke. Heather died at the age of twelve, during the post - production period of Poltergeist III after a short but vicious battle with Crohn’s disease. The actress who played Carol Anne’s older sister in the first Poltergeist film, Dominique Dunne, was strangled to death

Live from New York, it’s 44 seasons strong. NBC’s Saturday Night Live’s bold humour and honest interpretation of politics and trending themes still has us laughing guiltily behind our computer screens.

SNL in a nutshell is witty and ruthless spoofs of current political and cultural affairs.

Republicans, Democrats, and celebrities: SNL has them all in its cross hairs.

Politics can get very boring, annoying and nasty. For those reasons alone, I feel like comedy plays a crucial role in the making of politics. Parody especially is so important because it triggers self - reflection. It makes us think about our political views, like our choices of candidates for example. Of course, not everyone will identify with this style; some will find it clever, others will find it insulting.

Some indeed master the art of self - deprecation, others find it harder.

While we often talk about the influence of the media on the political stage in general, the power of entertainment should not be overlooked. We must remember that SNL has a large Youtube audience, which is made up of many young future voters who will undeniably be influenced by their video feed.

The ‘SNL effect’ has been coined to describe people’s political behaviour in various US presidential elections.

The SNL concept travelled across borders, but never took off as well as the original US edition, because frankly there is nothing like the American political scene for satire material, especially at this moment in time.

The 2016 American presidential election was a dream topic for SNL to cover, with Alec Baldwin as the most authentic bully

and imbecilic version of Donald Trump, and Kate McKinnon as an overly confident feminist and populist Hillary Clinton. Note that a hint of irony lies in how far removed from their characters some actors are, Baldwin being a strong advocate of the Democratic Party.

Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Conan O’Brien: all your favourite (or indeed loathed) American late night hosts’ careers were actually born in Studio 8H. These guys spend their late nights spreading their SNL heritage on the biggest television shows, and their reach is very high. Indeed, SNL is greatly responsible for that, with its reputation now very much established, yet still debated.

While the actors are certainly professional, they also do their homework remarkably well.

There is a real study of the characters they impersonate. From their mannerisms to their hair-

SIAMSAÍO CHT

25

#MeToo, a year on

By Laura Varley

by her boyfriend at the age of just 22, the day after the film premiered.

Twilight Zone: The Movie, 1983 One of the lead actors in this movie, Vic Morrow, seemed to forecast his death. Shortly before filming, Morrow took out $5 million in life insurance, and died in a tragic helicopter accident not long after filming began.

Other horror classics I’d recommend are Pet Sematary (1989), which was inspired by events that actually happened to author Stephen King, and The Omen (1976), which involved multiple airplane accidents, affecting the crewmembers.

And Live from New York its…cheap entertainment, fake politics and any excuse for a celebrity cameo: take two

By Kaylen Blanchier

7

style, the actors take over this body and leave us wondering: who is who? This greatly contributes to the comedic effect along with their raging satire, and the live dimension of the skits. The joys of live television include actors who temporarily become comedians and now and then break character, which lightens the tone of the show. On the flip side, it also allows for someone like Sinead O’Connor to rip up a photo of Pope John Paul II on air, or a more recent example, for Kanye West to barge in at the end of the taping, sharing his support for Donald Trump.

All in all, whether one appreciates the humour or not, Saturday Night Live demystifies politics. It creates a feeling of control and removes the distance we may feel with these fancy, suited individuals.

Cue that internationally familiar ‘elevator music’ closing theme.

It’s been a year now since Alyssa Milano re - popularised Tarana Burke’s 2006 #MeToo slogan. The phrase grew wings and became a global phenomenon, sparking perhaps the most prolific women’s rights movement since the suffragettes or the second wave feminists.

The 2017 Emmy Awards discarded the usual glitz and glamour of Hollywood, choosing instead to don black in solidarity with those affected by sexual harassment and abuse. Men and women alike took to the pulpit, encouraging survivors to tell their stories and expose their powerful abusers. Truly, it was an undeniably compelling cause that reached the farthest corners of the globe, but one year on what has changed?

There have been numerous allegations made against the rich and successful of Hollywood, but arguably no one is more notorious than producer Harvey Weinstein. A name that once stood amongst the greats of film history has now become synonymous with the abuse of women by the powerful elite. Accused of the rape and assault of dozens of women in the movie industry, Weinstein has lost his position in Hollywood; but he is just one of the many predators that prey in that particular territory.

How has the industry changed now that these allegations have come to light? In a move that the internet coined #Pervnado, sexual harassment finally “became a fireable offence” (USA Today). High-profile men such as Louis C.K, Kevin Spacey and Aziz Ansari, were investigated and subsequently fired from shows they were starring in.

Whilst American law has not implemented country - wide legislature to tackle sexual harassment, many states have begun to amend the laws surrounding these crimes. Michigan state recently passed a bill that extended the statute of limitations when reporting a sex crime. This allowed infamous USA Gymnastic physician Larry Nassar to be prosecuted retroactively by past victims.

In France, the government passed a law deeming catcalling a punishable offence. This has been criticised by some as too severe, but for any woman who has been walking alone and heard a group of men whistling and spouting lewd comments, this will come as a massive relief. Though it will never rid the world entirely of this kind of behaviour, it works to stigmatise and criminalise those who would catcall on the street, making a daily commute feel a little safer.

In Northern Ireland, Sean McFarland has been brought before the courts for revealing the identity of the complainant at the centre of the Belfast rugby rape trial. Such was the disgust over the acquittal of Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding, that Ireland spawned its own version of #MeToo. This saw people take to the streets with banners bearing the phrase “I believe her.”

It would be easy to allow ourselves to be disheartened by the abuses that happen all around us. But the #MeToo movement is in its infancy. In only one year, women and men have unified to bring down some of the most prolific predators alive today. Activists work tirelessly to bring forth legislature to protect everyone from abuse in any aspect of life. If that isn’t a success I don’t know what is.

26 SPORT

NUIGalway…..4-26 Garda college………..2-15. NUI Galway under new manager Jeff Lynskey, himself a former student and Fitzgibbon hurler with his alma mater has made a winning start to the new season with a near double score win over Garda College on Tuesday afternoon. Well done to all involved.

Pictured is Róisín Mooney who is a senior Irish international Archer. Roisin competed recently at an International Archery World Cup. All at NUI Galway sport are very proud of her achievements.

Well done to the NUI Galway senior ladies football team and management.

The college girls secured a good win in Division 1 over AIT. The final score resulted NUI Galway 4-16 Athlone IT 2-9. Well done to all involved

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

A Great 3-2 win for our Collingwood side v Limerick IT earlier today in the CUFL. Solid performance and our unbeaten run continues.

Pictured from left to right Mike Heskin Head of Sport at NUI Galway and Mark O’Donovan Masters Student, World & European champion rower at the NUI Galway college open day.

NUI Galway ladies soccer ACE Aislinn Meaney was in Poland with the Ireland senior squad for their friendly game vs Poland recently in which they won. All at NUI Galway are extremely proud of her achievements.

The Sigerson team kicked started their season with an excellent win over the Garda College. Maurice Sherdian’s side ran out winners 3-14 to 0-16. Well done to all the players and management involved.

SPÓ IRT

October 23 2018

27

Goals arrest the Fletcher hat trick seals NUI Galway Garda challenge as league win NUI Galway record win SENIOR HURLING LEAGUE ROUND ONE NUI GALWAY 4 – 26 GARDA COLLEGE 2 – 15

SENIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE ROUND ONE

By Michael O Connor

NUI GALWAY 3 – 14 GARDA COLLEGE 0 –16

By Michael O Connor A nervous outing to Templemore ended with an ultimately comfortable seven – point win against a competitive home side, who gave the visitors much to think about before two goals in as many minutes decided the contest.

Fielding a sizable number of players from last year’s Sigerson campaign, NUI Galway exchanged early blows with Garda College, who are managed by long time former Clare senior goalkeeper Joe Hayes. Indeed, for an early season foray, both sides were intent on securing the league points that would defer relegation fears.

A sizable attendance in the Templemore grounds had to wait until the fourth minute for NUI

Galway centre forward Owen Gallagher to open the scoring.

Kildare’s Jack Robinson added to this opener before Headford’s Enda Tierney (2) and Patrick O Donnell left the winners (0 – 5) to (0 – 2) clear, as Galway starlet Paul Mannion was impressive for the Garda College.

Aaron Brady in the NUI Galway goal was quick off his line to deny Paul Mannion just before Kevin Quinn was also stopped from hitting the game’s first goal at the other end. Mannion added two scores and with seven minutes left in the first half, the sides were level. Both sides were guilty of errors in front of goal, more so Maurice Sheridan’s men.

Indeed, a scoretaker of renown Sheridan would have worried more for NUI Galway in this aspect, as they hit 18 wides over the duration of the outing. Kieran

Molloy, even though named at 15, was sweeping all over the well – prepared Tipperary venue.

Enda Tierney edged his side a point clear before three scores from Garda sent them into the lead. This was as good as it got for the trainees, as Tierney (0 – 2) and Kevin Quinn were on the mark to leave NUI Galway ahead by the odd score in 17 at the interval.

Two early second half scores

by Garda left them ahead by the minimum, and indeed NUI Galway were under the cosh before Kevin Quinn with two scores, and one response from Garda, left the sides deadlocked at 0 – 11 apiece, and one feeling that NUI Galway had retaken the initiative in the contest.

The result was effectively decided between the 41st and 45th minute with NUI Galway hitting 2 – 1 opposed to a solitary score from Garda. Patrick

O Donnell and Owen Gallagher were the goalscorers as Jack Robinson added the minor.

The final quarter saw 1 – 2 more from NUI Galway as Garda kept plugging away with Fionan O Laoi, the scorer from the penalty sport, after he won the free.

NUI GALWAY: Aaron Brady, Stephen Brennan, Sean Mulkerrins, Ciaran McCloskey, Patrick Donnell (1 – 1), Ruairi Greene, Nathan Mullen, Cian Darcy, Kevin McDonnell, Donal Shanley, Owen Gallagher (1 – 1), Enda Tierney (0 – 4), Jack Robinson (0 – 4), Kevin Quinn (0 – 3), Kieran Molloy. Subs: Fionan O Laoi (1 – 1).

NUI Galway played IT Sligo at 6pm in IT Sligo on Wednesday 17 October. The NUI Galway Senior team won, final score was NUIG 2-20 Sligo IT 2-15.

NUI Galway under new manager Jeff Lynskey, himself a former student and Fitzgibbon hurler with his alma mater, made a winning start to the new season with a near double score win over Garda College on Tuesday 9 October.

Devoid of due to the cont i nu i n g G a l w ay hu r l i n g championship saga of many key performers, it gave NUI Galway a chance to blood new players and indeed it proved successful.

Roscrea starlet Shane Fletcher opened the scoring, and Thomas Kimball quickly added to this before a stunning overhead flick to the net by Fletcher saw the first of half a dozen goals in Dangan. Kimball and Jeff Lawless added minors, as Garda College had their best spell to leave the game deadlocked at 1 – 4 each at the end of the opening quarter.

This was as good as it got for the visitors in the NUI Galway home grounds. Conor Sheedy and Ardrahan’s Liam Forde added scores before Shane Fletcher ended a three - man move with his and College’s second goal. Conor Sheedy (0 – 2), Kimball and Lawless gave little respite to the Garda College, to leave them floundering on a 2 – 12 to 1 – 7 half time deficit.

The scoring spree created and executed by the home side continued in the early stages of the second half as Conor Fahey, Fiachra C Fennell,

Sheedy and Lawless turned in more scores to leave their sides 2-17 to 2-8 ahead.

Try as they might, Garda College fell out of contention in the final quarter as Fletcher struck for his third goal and substitute Jack O Sullivan hit two points when he entered into the fray. Conor Sheedy, meanwhile, went on a scoring spree in the later stages with nine scores in as many minutes. Jack Haverty had the final score with a goal, to round off a 17 – point win for NUI Galway.

Best for NUI Galway were James Greaney, Pat Monaghan, Ian Fox, Conor Fahey, Jeff Lawless, Conor Sheedy, Thomas Kimball and man of the hour Shane Fletcher.

NUI GALWAY: Jonathan Griffey (Clarecastle), David Barry (Clooney/Quin), James Greaney (Craughwell), Pat Monaghan (Craughwell), Andrew Flynn (Lusmagh), Ian Fox (Sarsfields), Oran Martin (Sylane) (0 – 1), Eoin Carroll (Shinrone), Conor Fahey (Pearses) (0 – 2), Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenalllis), Liam Forde (Ardrahan) (0 – 1), Jeff Lawless (Sarsfields) (0 – 4), Conor Sheedy (Roscrea) (0 – 9), Shane Fletcher (Roscrea) (3 – 2), Tom Kimball (Castlegar) (0 – 5), Subs: Jack Haverty (St Thomas) (1 – 0), Alan Culligan (Clooney/Quin), Jack O Sullivan (Shannon Rovers) (0 – 2), Fiachra McLoughlin (Buncrana) REFEREE: John Keane (Rahoon Newcastle)

Fitzpatrick and McDonagh shine as Freshers win FRESHER B HURLING LEAGUE ROUND 1 for the weekend to the gathered onlookers.

NUI GALWAY 8-17 The management team of the two Brian’s, DCU DOCHAS EIREANN 2-11 Hanley and Griffin were deliberating long and

By Michael O Connor NUI Galway welcomed DCU Dochas Eireann to Dangan on Wednesday 10 October in splendid conditions, albeit with a strong breeze blowing, announcing the arrival of Storm Callum

hard over the first 15 and eventually settled on a balanced squad that in the early exchanges were on a par with the visitors who were very much prepared for the game in Dangan.

Eventually with the ability to hit the net, NUI Galway took a tentative control on proceedings as Ross Albertini scored the opening

goal with Fionn McDonagh to the fore as Reuben McCarthy, Sean Joyce and John Niall were also on target.

At the break, the home side were comfortably ahead 4 – 9 to 1 – 4. Conor Elwood was introduced for the second half and he spearheaded a continued onslaught on DCU as the NUI Galway defence held firm, marshalled by the impressive Lorcan Fitzpatrick.

NUI Galway: Karl Connelly, Ryan Connolly,

Darren Morrissey, Eddie Jennings, James Phelan, Lorcan Fitzpatrick, Dan Booth, Liam English, Sean Joyce, Fionn McDonagh, John Niall, Conor Cribben Hayes, Reuben McCarthy, Ross Albertini, Shane Brennan. Subs: Conor Elwood.

On Monday 15 October NUIG travelled to Belfield to play UCD in round two of the fresher’s league. NUIG won, final score 0-20 to 1-6.

28 SPORT Connacht Rugby’s Sportsground to receive €30 million boost

By Owen Kennedy Connacht Rugby will be expanding their home stadium, the Sportsground, which will increase the maximum capacity of the venue to 12,000 spectators.

The strategic benefits of the project to the entire region are also closely aligned with the Government’s National Planning Framework, Project Ireland 2040 as well as the recently launched National Sports Policy, all of which highlight the need for a regional spread of capital investment throughout the country.

Making the announcement, CEO of Connacht Rugby, Willie Ruane said; “A key pillar of the vision for Connacht Rugby, Grassroots to Green Shirts, is to deliver facilities that match our ambition.”

“The arrangement we have reached with the IGB paves the way for the delivery of modern, fit for purpose facilities to sustain the Sportsground as the home of club and professional rugby in the province.”

“The plans for the stadium redevelopment also include a high - performance training centre to provide both our existing professional players, as well as our emerging talent, access to appropriate facilities to enable them to fulfil their potential and go on to perform at the highest level.”

The Irish Rugby Football Union are also fully supportive of the redevelopment plans. Commenting on the announcement, CEO of the IRFU Phillip Browne said; “The Sportsground has been the home of rugby in Connacht since 1927 and it is fitting that as the team develops the ground does too.”

“The province has made huge progress on and off the field, and the development of these facilities will sustain Connacht Rugby into the future.”

“A high-performance training centre and a modern stadium are important for the future of rugby in the West of Ireland and the IRFU is fully supportive of, and looks forward to, the development of this exciting project.”

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

Kerry search for their own special one

By Mark Lynch As Dublin quietly put preparations in place to capture the eternally elusive five in a row of All - Ireland Senior Football Championship titles, all eyes are on some of their nearest challengers for the Sam Maguire.

Perpetual bridesmaids Mayo have gone backwards in order to go forwards, as they turn to former manager James Horan to guide the team to the promised land of championship glory.

Meanwhile, the curious case of the Kingdom has taken a step towards salvation with the appointment of Peter Keane as the successor to Eamonn Fitzmaurice at the helm of the Kerry senior footballers.

Keane, fresh from three in a row wins at All-Ireland minor level with his county, has a seriously talented and exciting team in front of him, but in Kerry, success is expected to be instant and consistent. Does Keane have what it takes for arguably the toughest job in GAA? There’s an argument to be made that no matter who Dublin face in the All-Ireland Championship, no matter the manager or the players they’re up against, that they’ll prevail. In that sense, it’s possible the appointment of

Peter Keane is as irrelevant to the race for Sam as what colour socks you choose to wear next Monday morning.

However, looking at the Kerry team Keane now has at his disposal, coupled with a new voice, his own playing style and an unrivalled bank of knowledge of the county scene in the Kingdom, perhaps this is what Kerry need to propel themselves back into the running for an All - Ireland title.

Last year, they missed out on the Semi - Finals after a frankly disappointing Super Eights campaign. However, despite the horrific reaction from fans and press alike surrounding the games against Galway, Monaghan and Kildare, it was only the two – point loss against Galway that sent Kerry out of the championship. The draw against Monaghan was a snatch and grab, without a doubt, but it seemed more like a show of potential rather than papering over the cracks.

What will have frustrated Kerry supporters over Fitzmaurice’s term is the potential that the team has shown, without ever taking it to the places they probably should have. A common criticism of Fitzmaurice, until 2018 at least, was his reluctance to trust the youth in and around the squad, which one would

have to imagine won’t be an issue for Keane.

When Fitzmaurice did put faith in the younger players, he was fully rewarded.

A large part of that was the rapid acclimatisation made by David Clifford to senior championship football, but the likes of Sean O’Shea, Micheal Burns, Jason Foley and Gavin White all showed the strength that’s going to be in the Kerry team for years to come.

However, as stated above, Kerry managers don’t have years to bring success to the South West and as Eamonn Fitzmaurice found out, when the fans and county board have lost patience, there’s only one direction the manager is going.

That’s not to mention the intense media attention that Keane has been able to avoid to an extent with the minor gig.

The vast majority of GAA followers around the country won’t know what his voice even sounds like, whereas most would instantly know Fitzmaurice’s voice without even seeing his face.

How the Caherciveen man copes with the newfound intensity that accompanies the senior gig will be an important indicator of how he’ll fare.

Of Keane’s managerial career so far, not many will know the extent of success he’s achieved. He brought his club

to an All - Ireland title in 2011, while he also brought James O’Donoghue’s club Killarney Legion to the County Final in Kerry for the first time since 1946.

On top of that, he’s taken three different teams to All – Ireland Minor success in a row, a more impressive feat when you consider the latest team he took to All - Ireland success were an entirely new group of players after the changing of the age groups. He has also developed an incredible insight into the workings of the majority of players under the age of 23 in Kerry, and given his reputation for being a fantastic man - manager, it appears the Kingdom might have a man who can internally prepare them for the challenge of the Dubs.

On the field, his playing style will likely garner more support from Kerry purists so to speak, who became frustrated by Fitzmaurice’s inability to get the most out of the stacked forwards in the big games, which was softened by the emergence of Clifford this last year.

Whether Mayo’s tactic of going back to Horan to try and overthrow Gavin and co. pays off is more dependent on what consistency in the squad he can put together, but for Keane, he seems to have all the raw materials to make this work. At least, one can hope.

U19 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER:

Netherlands 5 – 0 Faroe Islands AT EAMMON DEACY PARK

By Darragh Burke Eamonn Deacy Park was the unlikely venue for the clash of the next generation of Oranje stars versus the Faroe Islands.

As expected, the Dutch dominated much of the early play as they threatened to break through the Faroe’s rear - guard.

Despite this, the Faroe’s did have some chances of their own as they looked to punish the high line employed by the Dutch. The best of these chances fell to Lukas Giessing who skipped past the challenging defender, only to drag his shot wide of the post.

However, that was about as good as it got for the islanders as they were forced back by continuous pressure. Daishawn Redan had a couple of headed chances for the men in orange, which he failed to convert, leaving the Dutch largely frustrated.

The Faroe’s resistance was finally broken in the 43rd minute when Orkun Kökcü cut inside from the left wing and released a low drive into the bottom left - hand corner of the net.

This was quickly followed by a second on the stroke of half time, as the Faroe’s failed to clear from a corner and Wouter Burger took full advantage as he evaded the fullback’s tackle to drive into the box and fire a shot past the keeper which was too hot to handle.

This was a cruel blow for the Faroe’s, who had been solid throughout the half

and largely kept the Dutch at bay. One could expect the islanders would emerge deflated for the second half following the hammer blows before the whistle sounded. However, they started the second half on the front foot. Despite this, it didn’t take long for the Netherlands to once again take over.

The contest was then well and truly put to bed when Mohamed Mallahi unleashed a beautiful curling effort from the edge of the box which found the top corner of the net. Mallahi was at it again only ten minutes later with a back-post header following some great work by Kökcü, putting Les Oranje 4-0 to the good after 62 minutes.

Maarten Stekelenburg’s men then really began to strut their stuff with the slick attacking play we’ve come to associate with Dutch teams. They continued in the pursuit of more goals, and were unlucky not to make it five when Teun Koopmeiners struck the woodwork.

The fifth goal did eventually come in the dying seconds through Diashawn Redan, who forced a super save from the Faroe’s goalkeeper Bárdur á Reynatröd, before burying the rebound.

The Faroe Islands can take pride from this contest. They battled throughout the 90 minutes, but were just undone by the Dutch’s undoubted quality. The Netherlands followed up this win with a clash against Bosnia Herzegovina, where a win for the Dutch will see them progress to the Elite Round. This match took place on October 13 in Eamonn Deacy Park.

As for the Faroes, they faced Republic of Ireland on the same date at Longford’s City Calling Stadium.

A win for the Boys in Green will also see them progress to the elite round, following their 3-1 win over Bosnia

Herzegovina in their opening game. A win for both the Dutch and the Irish will then see the sides battle it out for top spot in the ground in the final round of group stage fixture, which commence on October 16.

SPÓIRT

October 23 2018

29

Ladies football Senior division 1 league:

NUI Galway 4-15 Athlone IT 2-8

By Oisín Bradley Our Senior Ladies Team got their league campaign off to a flying start in Dangan on Thursday 10 October. The girls, who were backboned by a spellbinding Eimear O’Kane performance, struggled to find their range midway through the opening 30, and there was a fear that this would

Should McGregor get his rematch we know the brawl will appear all over the promotion, just as Conor’s bus attack did in the build - up to this past fight. The pay per view number reportedly cracked two million, making it the biggest fight in UFC history.

With so much money on the table, a sequel is a possibility White and the UFC brass will find hard to ignore.

cost them come the final whistle. However, they upped the ante considerably to beat the girls from the midlands by 13 in the end.

The hosts got off to a flying start, when O’Kane slotted the ball between the uprights with 30 seconds on the clock.

O’Kane dictated the game from centre half – forward, 1 – 7 of her sides tally.

Their lead was stretched by three when corner - forward Grainne Nolan netted the first goal of the evening into the college end. Nolan found herself metres from the goal - line and made no mistake with a cool finish from her right boot into the net.

There was a real sense that the ladies in maroon would kick on and put the

game away early, but it would be Athlone who would seize the initiative, scoring 1-4 without reply over a period of 15 minutes. The goal, which was flashed across the face and into the left corner on the cusp of the 20th minute, was a big blow for the Corribsiders and left the visitors three to the good.

Our girls battled hard to claw back to a one - point deficit in the dying echelons of the half, with the slick full - forward trio of Nolan, Niamh Daly and skipper Chloe Crowe all raising the white flag. AIT rallied late on however, with another point two minutes into injury time to extend their advantage to two at the changeover.

The second half started in a similar vein to the first, with Crowe and O’Kane levelling proceedings only seconds from the throw - in. AIT had a goal chance, when a dangerous dipping shot looked like it was on course into the top left corner. The Galway shot - stopper Mikayla Kelly showed strong reactions however, reaching high to swat the ball out of danger.

The pendulum well and truly fell NUI Galway’s way in the 38th minute. A misplaced AIT kick - out found the gloves of half - time sub Kirsty Crotty – Ryan.

Crotty – Ryan passed to O’Kane, who showed her class with a fine finish into the roof of the net, to put her charges four points ahead.

Two more points from O’Kane put further daylight between the XVs, and from here there was no turning back for the eventual victors, and this was underlined by Crotty – Ryan’s goal, a powerful effort from outside the 13’.

There were plenty of positives to take from the clash for AIT, who displayed strong performance levels all over the park in the first half and displayed a real never – say – die attitude to keep going later on, despite the scoreboard being against them. A late goal will give them a slight confidence boost going into matchday two, but in truth this meant little on the scoreboard, as a rampant Galway side cruised to an easy victory.

NUI GALWAY: Mikayla Kelly; Rachel Lyons, Mairead Eviston, Elaine Kelly; Emily McNally, Eimile Gavin, Rebecca Kiernan; Fiona Dooley, Siobhan Divilly; Mikela Kearney, Eimear O’Kane, Meghan Kelly; Grainne Nolan, Niamh Daly, Chloe Crowe.

SUBS USED: Elaine Needham, Rachel Fitzsimons, Kirsty Crotty – Ryan, Grace Nolan, Amy Halford.

NUIG Ladies senior team played Maynooth University on Wednesday 17 October and were victorious. Final score 4-15 to 1-2.

Where do the UFC, Conor McGregor and Khabib go from here?

By Darragh Nolan Khabib Nurmagomedov mauled Conor McGregor on 6 October, but managed to come out much worse off than his opponent. His two million dollar purse is still being held by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, his status with the UFC is uncertain and he’s staring down the barrel of a lengthy spell on the side - lines.

As for McGregor? He’s taking home a healthy paycheque, taking a month off for a medical suspension and kicking back, demanding a rematch on Twitter.

The wish of the Irish superstar is often the UFC’s command.

The horrific nature of the events at UFC 229 could have landed the UFC of times past in piping hot water. The post - fight brawl comes across as the violent thuggery of a sport many consider

barbaric, if they even consider it a sport at all. But scraps like this happen all the time in baseball where bench - clearing scuffles are commonplace. It just looks and feels much worse in this case because it happened after a bloody cage fight. For the UFC in 2018, life goes on.

In all likelihood, Dana White can use this to his advantage.

Should McGregor get his rematch we know the brawl will appear all over the promotion, just as Conor’s bus attack did in the build - up to this past fight. The pay per view number reportedly cracked two million, making it the biggest fight in UFC history. With so much money on the table, a sequel is a possibility White and the UFC brass will find hard to ignore. It all depends on what the NSAC decides to do with “The Eagle.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov is

27-0, the undisputed lightweight king and the number two pound – for - pound fighter in the UFC. Despite his incredible resumé, his future as a UFC employee is entirely up in the air. Dana White effectively fired featherweight prospect and Nurmagomedov cornerman Zubaira Tukhogov following his melee with the defeated McGregor. Khabib responded by threatening to leave the company, an ironically Conor-esque move. We know McGregor can get away from disputes like this scot – free, but does Khabib have enough clout to win an argument with Dana White?

We’ve seen spats between the UFC President and competitors get heated before, and they usually end with Dana bullishly standing his ground and the fighter deciding to compete somewhere else. Ben Askren

and Paul Daley come to mind.

Khabib’s name and brand may be just big enough for Dana to stand down but who knows? The chaos started by Nurmagomedov leaping into the Las Vegas crowd continues to spill over.

It’s in times of chaos that Conor McGregor thrives. He’s right at home in the crosshairs of a feud like the one he embroiled Khabib in. The cash he rakes in for the UFC affords him the choice of any opponent. He could settle his beef with Tony Ferguson or decide to take on a resurgent star in Anthony Pettis. If he requests a rubber match with Nate Diaz, the only question will be “lightweight or welterweight?” He will most likely look to run it back with his Russian rival in an attempt to seize back that twelve - pound gold belt. “The Notorious” holds all the cards.

30 SPORT

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 04

HEAD TO HEAD: JAMES HORAN Should Mayo have James Horan; the brought back Horan? only man for the job

By Danny Keown Watching the events that have led to the re – appointment of James Horan as Mayo manager unfold, I’m reminded of many similvar cases of managers being reinstated to a previous position that resulted in failure.

James Horan is a brilliant manager who has had great success with many members of the current squad, and he’s a Mayo man born and bred.

He has his finger on the pulse of Mayo football, and has a past of nurturing young talent who go on to later produce winning performances at senior level.

Despite all this, there is the big pink elephant in the room. Horan’s time as manager of Mayo can be in part be summed up by his failure to win an All – Ireland. Though he was close throughout his term, getting to finals in 2012 and 2013, and semi - finals in 2011 and 2014, he never brought the famed Sam Maguire trophy back to Mayo.

His restoration as manager, in these terms, doesn’t make sense. Logic would dictate that appointing someone who failed before will most likely fail again. As the famous quote making its rounds on the internet eloquently says; “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

There are some precedents for such a reappointment in sport. The most prevalent one in recent years has been the return of José Mourinho to Chelsea after a five year absence. It has many similarities to the circumstances we now find ourselves in with Horan.

Mourinho in his first term as Chelsea manager had great success, winning Premier League and FA Cup titles. However, he failed to win the Holy Grail which was the Champions League. Mourinho’s second term as Chelsea manager seemed to be stagnant and stale.

The second term, though did yield some success, was nowhere near as successful and they were even further from winning the ultimate prize of the Champions League. This precedent is an example of where doing the same thing has yielded worse results and should be learned from.

The appointment of James Horan is for Mayo an appointment for familiarity. Many Mayo supporters are welcoming it because they believe it will bring them back to Connacht titles and All – Ireland finals.

It is seen time and time again that successful ventures come from being placed in unfamiliar situations, such as Serena Williams moving from Compton to West Palm beach, Florida to improve her tennis. Therefore, Mayo shouldn’t stick to the same formula if they want to be successful.

By Paul O’Malley The Mayo County Board’s decision to bring back James Horan as manager is a positive move.

First off, it is important to consider the mentality of Horan himself. He comes back a much wiser and learned head.

Speaking to Mike Finnerty for Mayo GAA TV, he said he is in a “privileged position to be able to work with the best footballers around Mayo.”

There is a feeling amongst Mayo supporters that the time for the fairy – tale story has passed, and that it is time to get back to the drawing board.

This is a sentiment shared by the Ballintubber man who stated, “there’s a lot of talk about Odyssey’s and Holy Grails but that’s a bit mythical. What I like to deal in is what we can do next Tuesday night, and how good can we make that session.”

These come across as the words of a man who is hungry to get back on the touchline doing what he does best.

There are lessons to be learned for both Horan and the county board. Moving forward, it is not just about utilizing the current panel but blooding in new talent.

The news that there is to be intercounty trials with over 100 players involved is refreshing for Mayo fans.

Horan laid the ground work for a generation of Mayo players winning All Stars. He kickstarted

the process that saw Mayo reach All Ireland Semi Finals from 2011 to 2017. There is no better man to blood in new talent.

Horan has been away from the intercounty game for four years, but during this time he has not slacked. He has worked as a pundit for Sky’s GAA coverage, gaining fresh insights into the game in the process.

In December 2017, he took the reins of the Westport senior team, an outfit which has produced key intercounty players over the years including Lee Keegan, who was the 2016 All Star Player of the Year.

A major point that must be considered is the lack of suitable alternative candidates. Michael Solan pulled out of the running and lacked the experience to lead this team. Kevin McStay ruled himself out in the early stages. Jimmy McGuinness and his famous ‘System’ and this current crop of players are not a match made in heaven by any stretch.

Horan was a wise choice. He carries none of the caveats that the other potential candidates would have.

Credit where credit is due to the County Board, for handing a four – year deal to Horan, who had previously criticized them for failing to back him and the team appropriately. This is a monumental vote of confidence.

Ronaldo rape allegation shocks the sports world

By Harry King Kathryn Mayorga, a former model and elementary school teacher, filed a lawsuit late last month in Nevada. She accused Cristiano Ronaldo of rap-

ing her in the Las Vegas night club Rain on 12 June 2009.

Ronaldo has firmly denied these accusations.

Police have re – opened an investigation. After the nightclub, the party continued in Ronaldo’s

penthouse which he was sharing with his brother in law and his cousin.

Until recently, Mayorga was an elementary school teacher but she left her job because she said; “I need all my strength now.” When the German magazine Der Spiegel broke the story, the world was presented with two contradictory accounts. What seems to be clear is that Ronaldo paid Mayorga £375,000 to not speak about the alleged encounter, as part of an out of court settlement.

On 4 October Juventus tweeted “Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus. The events allegedly dating back to almost ten years ago do not change this opinion, which is shared by anyone who has come into contact with this great champion.”

On Friday 5 October Juventus share price dropped by almost ten per cent. Complementing this, Ronaldo’s sponsors EA sports and Nike expressed their “deep concern.” Nike is “monitoring the situation closely” and so too is EA sports, according to their spokesperson.

Mayorga, according to the report, has a document that could be extremely dangerous for the football star. After the incident, a questionnaire was submitted to Ronaldo and two others who were present at the party. There are many versions of this questionnaire. The questions were consistent, and the answers are not.

In one of the earlier versions, which was sent

via email from one of Ronaldo’s lawyers, there is a question asking if Katherine Mayorga (who is referred to as Ms C in the questionnaire) ever raised her voice, screamed or called out. The document alleges that Ronaldo responded; “she said ‘no’ and ‘stop’ several times.” Other versions of the questionnaire state that she did not call for help.

On Wednesday 3 October, a lawyer representing Ronaldo said that these documents were stolen in 2015 by a cyber - criminal by the means of hacking, and continued to say that these documents were significantly “altered or completely fabricated.”

Der Spiegel on the other hand stand by their reporting in a statement saying it has “hundreds of documents” that substantiate their claims, also adding “we have no reason to believe that those documents are not authentic.”

It was October of last year when #MeToo went viral. From Harvey Weinstein then, to Brett Kavanaugh a while ago. Football fans are angry and there are no prizes for guessing which side they are on. There are only two people who knew what happened in that hotel room in Las Vegas.

Objectively, can I say that one of them is lying?

No. However, I can say that it is complicated, unlike football which is very simple. Ronaldo will go down as one of the best football players of the modern era from what he has won. This story has nothing to do with football. The situation is ongoing and all we can do is wait like Ronaldo’s sponsors, and monitor the situation closely.

SPÓIRT

October 23 2018

31

Wrestling becomes dominant style in MMA once again with McGregor loss

By Gary Elbert The history of vale tudo is the history of grapplers testing and besting various striking based martial arts disciplines. Royce Gracie’s early UFC success showcased the dominance of ground fighting when faced with stand - up fighters. The lineage persists throughout this embryonic period of televised MMA, with dominant champions all working off a wrestling – based schemata.

That supremacy has been a running theme throughout the past two decades. Most of the organisations champions and especially those who reigned over longer periods were almost all fighters with extensive wrestling backgrounds. That trend continues to the present day. Tyron Woodley, Daniel Cormier, T.J. Dillashaw, and Khabib Nurmagomedov all evolved from wrestling heavy cultures and school programs.

Any crossover attempts from traditional combat sport have been mismatches. That is why the talk of Floyd Mayweather stepping into the octagon is ludicrous to anyone with even a superficial knowledge or appreciation of mixed martial arts.

To compete effectively in this hybrid extreme sport, one requires at minimum two to three years of grappling and ju jitsu training, with a weekly commitment of four to five hours participation.

Conor McGregor’s loss to Nurmagomedov on Saturday merely extends the trend. The overhand right that McGregor ate in the second round was a product of the hesitancy a consistent takedown threat triggers in the recipient. It was a right hand that McGregor has slipped and countered a thousand times, but this time his awareness of the takedown threat left him open to the flush blow, sending him onto the canvas.

McGregor’s meteoric rise to champion status appeared to signal a new era of striking dominated

MMA stars. Sadly, his performance against the Dagestani phenomenon mirrored George St Pierre’s smothering of Nick Diaz and Daniel Cormier’s neutralisation of Anderson Silva, that fight narrative is endless. Competent wrestlers dictate the shape and pace of MMA fights, enjoying an immediate tactical advantage before a punch is thrown and ducked under.

Nurmagomedov’s wrestling and grappling ability is spoken of reverentially in the American MMA scene. Stories of the Dagestani overwhelming Olympic wrestlers at the AKA academy are regular, while his resume is a highlight reel of utter domination against a stream of highly capable mixed martial artists.

That’s why McGregor deserves immense credit for accepting this assignment after two years out of the Octagon. In boxing, a two year hiatus usually warrants a slow build up process, involving tune up fights against mediocre foes. Tyson Fury’s return is a recent salient example. Ring rust is real, and any perceptive observer on Saturday night could see McGregor’s head movement and hand speed were not as sharp as seen in previous performances.

A more worrying theory is athletes like McGregor are not built for longevity. The speed and explosive dynamism of his highlight performances may have eroded already at age 30.

Nurmagomedov’s stifling top control and evasiveness in the early rounds clearly depleted McGregor’s arms, sapping the snap out of his shots and significantly reducing his knockout ability. It was a flawless performance, and its difficult to see how McGregor can reduce the gap in wrestling ability between now and the rematch. It may not be a stretch to predict that McGregor’s days as a peerless champion are now behind him. His desire to fight faded names, such as Anderson Silva, was a worrying portent ahead of the Nurmagomedov bout.

The Dagestani has nailed the template on how to beat the Irishman. Unless the fearless Dubliner undergoes a rebooting of his style and training camp, it is quite possible that he will never wear gold again. But this is MMA, the sport of all sports.

Tony Ferguson, that wild combat anarchist, is beatable, as is Kevin Lee. An immediate rematch against Khabib is the wrong move. The time for the trilogy fight with Diaz is now, and should be signed, sealed and cashed in, which will bring us into autumn next year where a reassessment of the lightweight landscape may yield a more promising vista for McGregor than the current situation.

This has been a common problem for Irish and European mixed martial artists when facing American and Russian opponents. Back in June at the IMMAF European Championships, the Irish that failed to medal or were beaten mostly lost to opponents who provided a consistent takedown threat, and relentlessly pursued it.

Irish combat sports and indeed the Irish conception of fighting or duelling has always centred on boxing and traditonal martial arts. In fact, one of the reasons why many Irish teachers of Taekwondo and karate are so dismissive of mixed martial arts is because the sport invalidates the efficacy of such disciplines in real life combat situations.

Here in Ireland, the antics afterwards inside and outside the cage provoked the usual finger wagging columns from unqualified chancers perched upon a moral soapbox. A day after the Vegas theatrics, two rival villages in an Ulster Gaelic football match proceeded to engage in a full - scale brawl that made the goings on at the MGM look like a game of croquet.

The soundbites and moral handwringing over this incident were conspicuous by their absence of course. Those who cheer McGregor’s loss are not

Photo: Andrius Petrucenia via flickr qualified to analyse the intricacies of the Dubliner’s life choices.

What happened in Vegas was not a good look, but this is elite level prize fighting, where the casuals are hooked by hyperbolic and manic pre and post - fight antics. And without the casuals and armchair experts, the fighters cannot get the level of pay commensurate with their skills, sacrifice and discipline, in societies where such traits are horrifically lacking.

McGregor understands this dynamic and exploits it to the full. He is now the biggest star in the history of combat sports. Not bad for a man subsisting on social welfare five years ago.

Was the chalice always poisoned for Lopetegui at Madrid?

By Paul O’Malley As Manu Garcia rose to convert a last - minute winner to seal Alaves’ win over footballing giants Real Madrid, the cameras immediately turned to focus on Madrid’s manager, Julen Lopetegui.

Lopetegui sat crestfallen, with one hand resting on a miserable looking face, as the Alaves’ faithful relished in their first victory over Madrid in La Liga since 1931.

Lopetegui’s misery is understandable. Madrid had now gone four games without scoring, a run which included a 3 – 0 defeat to Sevilla and a 1 – 0 defeat against CSKA Moscow in Europe.

Following this result, rumours began to fly that President Florentino Perez was actively searching for Lopetegui’s replacement. This is not a club historically known for their patience with managers.

From Vicente Del Bosque in 2003, to the appointment of Jose Mourinho in 2010, they went through nine managers including names such as Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Fabio Capello and Manuel Pellegrini.

There are several factors weighing against Madrid and their coach. Not least of all the departure of talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. The five – time Balon D’Or winner departed for Juventus in the summer, and was not adequately replaced.

They did dip their toes into the market but not in the traditional Galactico’s sense. In the past, Los Blancos would have splashed the cash on superstars in the mould of Eden Hazard and Harry Kane.

In the last two summer windows, they have noticeably looked towards younger players. They have signed the likes of Theo Hernandez, Dani Ceballos and Vinicius Jr in an attempt to build for the future.

Lopetegui was a smart hire in this regard. He had blooded a younger generation into the Spanish national team, including Isco and Marco Ascensio, and he had great success managing the Spain under 19’s and 21’s.

While building for the future is refreshing for a club associated with snapping up all the biggest talents, this defiance of tradition does not help them right now. Vinicius Jr is only 18 and is experiencing his first season in Spain. He is not the answer, and expecting him to be is foolish on Madrid’s part, given his circumstances.

If Madrid seem intent on building for the future and have a coach known for developing youth, why does it seem like the ex - Porto boss is destined to fail only four months into this job?

This lingering feeling has been present before he

managed a single match. It is worth considering the controversial circumstances in which he was hired.

Flashback to late May 2018. After claiming a third Champions League win in a row, Zinedine Zidane stepped down as Real Madrid manager, claiming in a press conference that the club; “needs a change, a different voice.”

A lot of big names were touted for the position: Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham, Massimiliano Allegri of Juventus and Maurizio Sarri. Lopetegui, who at the time was the coach of the Spanish national team, was not a name that jumped to anybody’s mind, given the imminent start of the World Cup. However, he jumped to Florentino Perez’s mind. Perez honed in and Lopetegui was announced as the new manager for the 2018/19 season on 12 June 2018, two days before the start of the World Cup. The Spanish FA were furious with this decision.

On 13 June 2018, Lopetegui was sacked and the head of the FA, Luis Rubiales stated; “there are ways of behaving, we couldn’t ignore this.”

This of course left Spain without a manager a day before the World Cup was due to start. It was an unprecedented and unique situation.

The sporting director of the national team, Fernando Hierro, was drafted in to manage the team for the tournament. Hierro was well respected in Spain but given the controversy, it felt like the Spanish FA were hastily putting a Band – Aid on a bullet wound.

Lopetegui described his dismissal as Spain coach as the “saddest day of my life” at his unveiling as Madrid manager. He broke into tears as he was applauded by onlookers. He then proclaimed that “today, is the happiest day of my life.”

Four months on, and happiness has not followed Julen Lopetegui and Real Madrid to Sevilla, Moscow or Alaves. The loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and the lack of action to fill the immediate void left by him would hurt any team. There is no denying, however, that the events of June 2018 have had an impact on Lopetegui during the short time he’s been in charge.

He is both unique and unfortunate in that his reign is destined to be defined by events surrounding his appointment. Poor results are not helping his cause.

If Florentino Perez soon pulls the trigger on the former Spain and Porto boss, he will be remembered as more of a Vanderlei Luxemburgo than a Vicente Del Bosque at the Santiago Bernabeu.