SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL. 20 Issue 07. 15 JAN 2019

Student Independent News

Women to take the lead

in USI seminar this month

By Martha Brennan The USI are encouraging women to take the lead this month, by organising a national seminar aimed at empowering females to take on student leadership roles.

The USI, or the Union of Students in Ireland, is the national representative body for the country’s Students’ Unions, representing over 370,000 students nationwide.

The ‘Women in Leadership’ seminar is a two-day event aimed at any female-identifying students who are aspiring to run for leadership positions in their college’s Students’ Unions, or committee roles in their clubs and societies.

Participants will have the opportunity to partake in helpful classes, hear from established women leaders and take part in discussions regarding female empowerment.

The first evening of the seminar will feature a film screening, and an open discussion will be held afterwards.

Saturday will host a series of helpful modules such as public speaking, campaigning basics, managing a campaign, and leadership classes.

There will also be a host of guest speakers and panel discussions throughout the weekend.

The seminar is taking place on the 25 and 26 of January in Dublin, and is open to all students and Students’ Union officers whose college is part of the USI – such as NUI Galway.

The USI’s Equality Officer, Aisling Cusack, spoke to SIN this week about what people can expect from the event.

“The event will look at diversity in leadership, campaigning 101, role of the campaign manager, leadership styles, panel discussions with elected representatives and discussions relating to women’s issues,” Aisling explains.

“This event also gives potential student leaders the opportunity to discuss barriers and how to overcome and smash through those barriers with other already-elected female student leaders.”

“It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to be in a room surrounded by women who are both ambitious and inspirational, that in itself is empower-

Over €650,000 worth of drugs seized by Galway Gardaí last year

By Martha Brennan

ing and everyone who attends Women Lead 2019 will learn something.”

The event is being held as part of the USI’s ‘Women Lead Project’ which was launched last year to try to empower women in the student movement to take on leadership roles.

“Women are under-represented both in our educational institutions and students’ unions,” Aisling tells SIN. “This female representation in colleges and students’ unions is vital to women’s equality, and to overcoming the everyday discrimination that women face in our society.”

“Recognising this lack of female representation, it is important that we equip women with the tools and confidence to run for election and support other women who want to be student representatives.”

The USI states: “this is a really important event in the USI Calendar, as it is one of our priorities to support self-defining women in the student movement to progress and succeed to leadership positions.”

“However, at no point during the event will you be asked to disclose your gender identity other than your pronouns, if you wish. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please just ask.”

The USI are covering the event costs, but participants will have to pay for travel and accommodation.

NUI Galway’s Students’ Union will be organising transport and registration for any students wishing to attend. Once you have registered please contact the Students’ Union President, Megan Reilly, by emailing su.president@nuigalway.ie.

Megan is urging any student who is interested to contact either the NUI Galway Students’ Union or the USI about registering for a place.

“We would encourage anyone who is interested to go, not just SU members.

The event is for any self-identifying women who are interested in running for an election,” Megan says.

The seminar will be particularly helpful for anyone interested in running for a position in the upcoming NUI Galway Students’ Union elections, or for those who are considering becoming a campaign manager for a candidate.

The three full-time officers (the President, Education Officer and the Welfare and Equality Officer) will all be elected on Thursday 7 March. Nominations for these positions will open at 10am on Thursday 14 February. Nominations will close at 5pm on Wednesday 20 February.

The part-time officer positions (Oifigeach na Gaeilge, Societies’ Chairperson, Postgraduate Taught Officer, Postgraduate Research Officer, Clubs’ Captain, five College Convenors, Mature Students’ Officer, International Students Officer, Gender and LGBT+ Rights Officer, Disability Rights Officer, Ethnic Minorities Officer) will all be elected on Thursday 13 March. Nominations for these positions will open at 10am on Thursday 21 February.

Nominations will close at 5pm on Wednesday 27 February.

Anyone with a question relating to the event is welcome to contact Aisling by emailing equality@usi.ie with #WomenLead19 in the subject line.

To register for a place, go to the USI’s website http://usi.ie/events/women-lead-18/.

2018 saw another steady year of recreational drug use in Galway city – with a worrying total of €650,000 worth of drugs seized by Gardaí last year.

As students may be aware, the drug culture in NUI Galway is continually on the rise, and the first semester of the college year saw multiple drug seizures occur in Galway city.

During exam time last month, Gardaí intercepted an extremely large quantity of ketamine in the city centre - they believe the drugs were destined for use in bars and nightclubs.

Ketamine is an anesthetic that is normally used as a horse tranquiliser or prescribed for humans as a painkiller, but the drug is also frequently used recreationally among students.

The sedative drug creates a dreamlike state, creating a difficultly for users to move – this makes it a popular date rape drug for predators, unfortunately.

At a meeting of the Galway City Joint Policing Committee in December, the Superintendent of Salthill Garda Station, Pat McHugh, told the public that €225,270 of drugs were seized in the interception.

Ketamine made up a large proportion of the figure along with seizure of some prescription drugs, such as Valium, which can cause a paranoid state and impair memory, judgment, and coordination.

The seizure significantly raised the total value of drugs seized in Galway for the year, with around €650,000 worth of drugs intercepted in total.

An estimated €131,625 worth of cocaine was seized in the first 10 months of last year.

Adding to this was €47,056 worth of ecstasy, €226,425 worth of cannabis, and €18,575 worth of heroin.

Gardaí in Galway City and Salthill performed around 79 seizures of drugs for sale or supply in the first 10 months of last year.

There were 184 incidents of simple possession in the same period – where Gardaí confiscated small quantities of drugs off people.

Though the figure is down by 14 percent compared to 2017, it is still a worrying amount for a city mostly made up of students.

Last February, a Judge in Galway District Court was told that college students were becoming drugs dealers to fund their education.

After three different students pleaded guilty to drug dealing offences, the Judge said that the cases reminded her of the show ‘Breaking Bad’.

The students being tried included a third-year NUI Galway mechanical engineering student who pleaded guilty to having €4,080 worth of cannabis for sale or supply to others – he was sentenced to six months in prison.

The student’s lawyer told the judge that students selling drugs had become a “growing trend”, to which the judge replied “well, if it’s a growing trend, they will have to expand Castlerea Prison”, as reported by the Connacht Tribune.

NUI Galway students in older years may also remember the two students who were hospitalised after taking dodgy drugs on campus last March – one of the few stories about the dangers of recreational drug use that went around the university since this time last year.

NUI Galway’s Students’ Union Welfare Officer, Clare Austick, spoke to SIN this week after the release of the findings.

“It’s always safest not to use drugs,” she said.

“However, we recognise students do take them, and we want them to be sensible and informed, to reduce harm.”

“If you do choose to take drugs, it’s important to be aware of the effects and dangers associated with them to keep yourself safe and well.”

“If you choose to experiment at least be informed of what may go wrong and what to do in case of emergencies. There are supports available on campus for anyone who needs them, including counselling and the Student Health Unit.”

Anyone who feels they need to seek support for any reason can contact the Students’ Union, NUI Galway’s Counselling Service or the Student Health Unit anonymously and free of charge.

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SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

INSIDE Support NUIG student Rebecca’s battle against EDS 4

Four NUI Galway researchers feature on world’s most highly cited researchers list 5 GALWAY GAA FIASCO: county under fire as audit reveals the use of credit cards for personal expenses 6 MATURE STUDENTS: A Camus-esque experience 7 SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT: Dramsoc 8 ADULTHOOD: the final frontier 10 Does technology make us lonelier? 11 Lecturers committing technology travesties 12 Top five Instagrams to follow in 2019 14 2019’s pre-fall trend forecast 14 LIVING HER BEST LIFE: Miley Cyrus 15 Favourite Film Fashion 16 A journey through mindfulness (easier said than done) 19 BLACK MIRROR’S BANDERSNATCH: the advent of interactive television or Netflix’s secret weapon? 21 No Mr Spacey, let me be frank 22 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse review 23 BOOK REVIEW: Michelle Obama’s Becoming 24 We should all dare to dream as 2019 promises to be a thrilling year in sport 27 MMA cannot be a clean sport while Jon Jones competes 28 Sports Unit highlights in pictures 30-31

EDITOR: Áine Kenny editor.sin@gmail.com LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat?

Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir chuig editor.sin@gmail.com

@NuigSin

Find us online:

www.sin.ie

By Áine Kenny Hello everyone and welcome back to a new issue of SIN! It is hard to believe we are in semester two already, and this is bittersweet for those among us entering our final few months at NUI Galway. It seems like just yesterday I was wandering around campus, completely lost, with no idea where the Bailey Allen Hall was. I actually ended up missing the Dean’s address because of this. Who knows if I fulfilled whatever dreams they had for us? In any case, I am nearly at the end of my time here in NUI Galway and nothing has gone too horribly wrong yet, and I hope this continues.

It is 2019, which means one thing and one thing only: new year’s resolutions. I find making simple resolutions like sticking to a skin care routine, or picking up a fun new hobby, work the best. Don’t be too hard on yourself in January, it is a miserable month after the festive period, filled with grey skies, back to work blues and the inescapable weight loss advertisements that bombard our phone screens. Don’t feel like you have to change yourself completely to be happy, happiness starts from within, give yourself a break!

Speaking of resolutions, our opinion section has articles on whether they are a waste of time, and plenty of articles on

the pros and cons of technology, in case you’re thinking of doing a screen detox for the new year! I for one am going to make a conscious effort to spend less time on my phone this year by turning off the Wi-Fi so I am not constantly bombarded with a flurry of messages. It is very easy to get sucked into a never-ending cycle of replying to emails, sending stickers on messenger and scrolling through Twitter threads, but this year we should all try to be more mindful about the technology we consume.

On the topic of mindfulness, we have an excellent article by Harry King on how to become more in tune with the present moment in our lifestyle section, as well as the return of Amy McMahon’s Living Her Best Life column. This week she looks at Miley Cyrus, anyone else so delighted she married Liam Hemsworth? They are the cutest couple!

In news, there were plenty of statistics released at the end of the year, our reporters take a look at muggings, drugs seizures and rent prices. Our lead story

by Martha Brennan takes a look at the USI’s Women Lead seminar, perfect for any woman who is looking to take on a leadership role in college. I for one am glad that women are being seen more as assets rather than burdens when it comes to leadership. I listened to an Unladylike podcast recently about the

Photo: Joanna Kavanagh “leaking out effect”, whereby women leak out of political and leadership roles when they leave college. Discouragement was a major factor, and the USI organising events like this will hopefully stem the flow of women leaving leadership roles.

Our arts and entertainment section contains many reviews, pop culture commentary and event guides, and our sports section has an interesting piece on football documentaries as well as sports highlights.

As usual, we are always looking for more writers, so if one of your resolutions is to get involved, send me an email at editor.sin@gmail.com! To everyone who wrote for SIN last year, a major thank you, and let’s keep up the good work for 2019!

Teen who slashed students throat released on bail

By Martha Brennan A teenager who was charged for attacking students in Galway has been released on bail, according to the Connacht Tribune.

The 17-year-old was arrested for slashing a Galway student across the throat with a knife during a mugging spree in the city over a year ago.

The incident was one in a series of attacks on students in Galway by a youth gang on September 3 2017.

The students were targeted near their student accommodation houses late at night.

Three male teenagers, aged between 15 and 17, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court to robbing two girls of phones and cash outside Castlelawn Heights on Headford Road as they returned from a night out.

The muggers approached the students wearing hoodies and searched their handbags as they threatened them.

The teenagers also pleaded guilty to robbing another girl, a visiting student, at Dun na Coiribe on the same date.

They also targeted two male students at Gort na Coiribe that night, where the then 16-year-old pulled a knife to one of the victim’s throats.

The victim was not seriously harmed but the 10cm wound left a permanent scar on his neck.

The gang stole the student’s phones, wallets and one of the men’s watches.

Gardaí were responding to the Castlelawn Heights incident when they received news that an ambulance was on its way to Gort na Coiribe following another robbery.

They came across the Dun na Coiribe robbery on route and spotted the three muggers robbing a German student.

The Gardaí caught the teenagers and found a large kitchen knife in the 16-year-olds possession.

The youth pleaded guilty to assault-

ing the student with the knife and also to armed robbery of another teenager outside B&Q on a separate date.

The two unarmed muggers received three years’ detention for each of the robberies from the Judge, but were placed on 12-month probation before the sentences were to begin.

The mugger with the knife will also be back on the streets of Galway, after a Judge released him on bail before Christmas.

He was granted permission to leave the Oberstown Detention Centre for young offenders for three months on the condition that he engages fully with the probation service during that time.

The judge requested an up to date probation report by 20 March, when his sentence will be finalised.

Students are reminded to take precautions when returning home late at night and to ring Gardaí straight away if they ever come across suspicious activity or feel unsafe.

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January 15 2019

NEWS EDITORIAL

By Martha Brennan Happy New Year and welcome back everyone! I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing Christmas break – and my fellow final year students managed to get some bit of well-deserved downtime. Even though it’s been a quiet few weeks in the student news world, a lot has been going on since our last issue. Pre-exam time seems like a decade ago, and we have plenty for you to catch up on here at SIN. As 2018 rounded out, annual figures came in, from everything to Galway’s drug seizures to the success of the KeepCup scheme on campus. We also got to speak to the USI about their Women Lead conference coming up, and I would urge anyone interested to get involved in the opportunity!

We also have the run-down on the drone incident at Gatwick, Galway GAA’s fiasco, Galway 2020 and what to expect in the art and fashion world for 2019.

As 2019 kicks off we have so much content coming up, and we would love to see some new faces at SIN this semester.

If anyone is interested in writing anything, from fashion to news to sport, please just give us a shout!

And to all of our current writers – welcome back, I can’t wait to see what this semester holds.

FEATURES EDITORIAL

By Olivia Hanna Happy New Year! A new year represents a clean slate and a fresh start. It is time to put semester one behind us and focus on surviving (and thriving!) until spring exams.

In this issue of SIN our first-year diarist talks about his New Year’s resolutions and what he is going to do differently this semester. Aileen O’Leary shares her feelings on submitting essays, and Gary Elbert talks about life as a mature student at NUI Galway.

Get to know more about DramSoc, read how one woman was affected by the Gatwick Airport drone incident, and refresh your memory on the Galway 2020 drama.

If one of your resolutions is joining a society or writing more, join the SIN team on Facebook or e-mail me at features.sined@gmail.com! We’re always happy to have new contributors.

OPINION EDITORIAL

By Tarryn McGuire Happy New Year everyone and welcome to our first issue of semester two!

If you are struggling to face the idea of starting an entire new year from scratch, don’t stress too much, Sarah has a whole list of reasons as to why 2019 is going to beat the year of 2018!

The majority of us all have a few New Year’s resolutions that we would love to keep (even until February would be nice), however if these don’t exactly go to plan, Rachel has some wise words to help us to save the year.

Social media resolutions have been very popular this New Years with many people vowing to reduce their screen time dramatically, Niamh takes a look at what app we are most likely to delete in 2019 to help us pursue these goals!

Anastasia outlines the reasons as to why social media might actually be making us even more lonely, yet another reason to consider deleting an app or two.

While we may all be tech savvies, addicted to social media and technology in general, can we really say the same about our lecturers? These technological travesties might have a thing or two to learn when it comes to digital attendance records and blackboard page layouts, that’s if they can turn the computer on first!

This issue features a fascinating piece on adulthood and faces the terrifying question of ‘when can we consider ourselves as adults?’ Perhaps it’s when we turn 18 and can buy

our first legal drink, maybe it’s when we move into our own place or the most likely, when we can no longer use our student cards to get cheaper bus tickets!

I hope this issue helps you all with the transition into 2019 and into semester two, and best of luck with those New Year’s resolutions!

FASHION AND LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL

By Molly Fitzpatrick Welcome back to SIN everyone, and happy new year!

For many, a new year signifies new goals, setting new intentions and perhaps even a whole new you. For me, I use it as an opportunity to take a good hard look at my wardrobe and trade the old for new. If you too are like this and need some inspiration, in this week’s issue we look at some of the trends that are set to take the new year by storm.

Some of my personal favourites are the comeback of the nostalgic print, and childhood favourite; tie dye and the slightly further throwback of puffed sleeves, the perfect way to get that 80’s feel without committing to the full shoulder pad. As well as forecasting what’s to come, we take a look back, 2018 has been a great year for fashion.

We countdown 2018’s most iconic fashion moments, 2019 has big shoes to fill!

If you want some new Instagram pages to follow for the new year, but not the kind that will make you wish you were skinnier, prettier, richer, then take a look at our list of Instagram’s that will inspire, make you laugh and most importantly won’t make you feel bad about yourself.

I can hardly believe it’s second semester, and if this one flies by like the last it will be summer in no time, which means its time to start saving for summers adventures! If you’re in need of some tips look no further as we go through some easy tips to help you save. If you aren’t like me and would rather a new year’s resolution rather than a new year’s wardrobe, and are on the search for something worthwhile (or perhaps your other ones have already failed, not pointing any fingers!), turn to the lifestyle section to read all about mindfulness and get some tips on how to practice it.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL

By Sarah Gill It’s a new semester, a new year and a fresh start. January is a time that most people utilise by knuckling down and focusing on how to be the best version of themselves. Many of us may have promised ourselves that we will study harder, exercise more and start digitally detoxing. But here we are, a Netflix binge here, a selection box there and the prospect of going for a jog is looking a lot less likely. Making it to a new year should be a celebration in itself, so let’s just focus on that! We’re back and better than ever and I for one am extremely excited for the arts and entertainment section to truly flourish this semester. So, pour yourself a large mug of tea and jump right in to another great issue of SIN.

SPORTS EDITORIAL

By Graham Gillespie Hello and welcome to the first issue of SIN in 2019, hope you are all glad to be back in NUI Galway after the Christmas break. In terms of sport, the business end of the college season is upon us, with most sports’ intervarsity campaign just around the corner.

One NUI Galway side who have already been in action is the camogie team. The defending Purcell Cup champions are looking to hold onto their crown, and Michael O’Connor was at their second group game against Queens to see how they were getting on. Get the full story online at sin.ie.

Across the water, Liverpool sit top of the Premier League after an impressive festive period, which has Scousers all over the world starting to dream. Markus Krug reflects on whether Jurgen Klopp and his side can finally make the unthinkable happen, by bringing the title back to the banks of the Mersey.

Elsewhere, Gary Elbert predicts what 2019 might have in store for us, while Darragh Nolan examines the Jon Jones fiasco. Finally, Darren Casserly gives his take on the Sunderland Till I Die series, and discusses whether these documentaries are worthwhile.

Thanks to everybody who contributed last semester. If anybody else wants to get involved, please contact sport. sined@gmail.com.

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SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

Support NUIG student Rebecca’s battle against EDS

By Rachel Garvey Rebecca Grant, a student in second year Arts, was diagnosed with EDS back in July 2018 after suffering with health issues over the past eight years, SIN has learned.

EDS is an abbreviation for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is a rare genetic connective tissue disorder and is a result of faulty collagen.

“Collagen is basically the glue that keeps our body together. My joints partially or fully dislocate on a daily basis which causes me great pain,” Rebecca told SIN. She was hospitalised back in February 2018 as a result of her hip moving out of place, and over the past eight months, has been fighting for a specialist and for treatment.

However, there are no resources and experts for EDS in Ireland. So, like the strong-willed girl Rebecca is, she is collecting donations in order to travel to London to see a specialist and to hopefully get the treatment she needs.

The donations are being collected through gofundme.com and offline donations are also

being accepted. Over €3,000 has been raised in the past month, with the goal being €10,000 to travel to London.

“This specific treatment in the United Kingdom is private, and EDS isn’t covered under the treatment abroad scheme,” Rebecca said. Each and every donation is a step closer to Rebecca receiving the treatment she needs.

“I have a range of medical conditions that are associated with EDS that include arnold chiari malformation type 1, where my brain is pushing through the opening of my spinal cord at the base of my skull, and it’s preventing the flow of fluid to my brain and spinal cord.”

“I also have syringomyelia complex, which are cysts that form within my spinal cord and this can cause damage. I also have dysautonomia, which is a disorder that effects my autonomic nervous system, headaches and endometriosis.”

Rebecca was rejected by Harold’s Cross in Dublin, who run a rehabilitation programme, while another woman with EDS was accepted.

“The HSE are funding them to

deal with patients who have EDS, but they are rejecting people, it’s not fair.”

Rebecca is now taking action by refusing to let her medical condition take over her life in a negative way. On 29 November 2018, Rebecca set up a booth in Smokey’s Café in NUI Galway

from 10-4 in order to create awareness for EDS. As part of the campaign, volunteers were out and about around Smokey’s café, the concourse and the Bialann, collecting signatures for a petition that would appoint a qualified doctor in Ireland.

“We were extremely happy with the results of that day, we needed 4,000 signatures and we managed to exceed that number,” Rebecca told SIN. The support of Rebecca’s friends and family and the people around her are proving that she will receive the donations she

needs to travel.

As a student of NUI Galway, she says she is delighted with the support she has received from numerous students and staff, and that positivity is really keeping her optimistic while on this journey to overcome her medical conditions.

left to right: Rachel Garvey, Rebecca Grant, Maeve Pritchard

Galway 2020 future looking bleak Campus-wide reusable cup scheme proves to be massive success as customers save thousands

By Cathriona M Coleman

In July 2016, Galway was awarded the much-coveted title of European Capital of Culture 2020, beating off stiff competition from Limerick and the ‘Three Sisters’ cities; Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford.

The hard work paid off for all involved at the time, the city and county were in ecstasy with this news, but it was short-lived, things were about to take a turn for the worst. Much drama was to follow, with the Creative Director of Galway 2020, Chris Baldwin, resigning in the latter stages of 2018. When contacted

by SIN, Mr Baldwin declined to comment on the matter: “I will not be making any further statements on G2020”.

In 2016, prior to the bid, the local well-known poet Rita Ann Higgins was commissioned by Galway City Council to “cast a critical eye” over the City. Higgins did this in the form of a poem which was later seen as an insult to the City and subsequently was omitted in the final version of the Galway bid book.

The highly controversial poem titled ‘Our Killer City’ was not was at all what the committee expected. The outspoken poet

gave a critical view, and spoke mainly about the politics of the city, zooming in on sewage issues at Galway Fire Station, hospital waiting lists and allegations of cheating at GMIT. “Writing ‘Our Killer City’ was never going to be an act of embellishing or setting up Galway as some kind of Banríon. I couldn’t look at the social and political shortfalls of the city and write anything other than the poem I wrote,” said Higgins.

“I have no regrets, only that perhaps I didn’t go far enough to highlight the cities foibles and inadequacies. The contempt shown to various artistic groups

by Galway 2020 has convinced me that the people involved had absolutely no sensitivity to the arts or culture or the individual.”

“This was after inviting various groups to participate with suggestions of what a capital of culture might look like. They used all their ideas to sell the bid book to the judges and then when it was time to put all these suggestions in motion, they slashed each and every project to ribbons.”

“This left artists and directors and producers with very little hope of bringing forward their original vision. So, each

project now is a shaved down version of an original concept.

This is not how creativity works.

Someone should tell them. Culture is about a lot more than the greasy till.”

Local teacher and artist Holly Mullarkey also commented about Galway 2020, saying: “I once worked as an artist in the area of disability. A glossy magazine was produced, congratulating management for their vision in the arts. The artists barely got a mention, and found it both offensive and disingenuous. The era of identity theft was in.”

“I fear that this same type of identity theft underpins the business model of top down management with the artist as a pawn, rather than a centrepiece. To honour the artist as centre stage, a visible effort needs to be made to provide studio space in some permanent capacity. The artist is not incidental in the glossy business model… until these changes, 2020 will continue to lose good people. Long live the artists.”

When SIN contacted City Mayor Niall McNelis, he said he was unable to comment as he is a member of the Galway 2020 committee.

By Marie Coady NUI Galway students and staff saved up to €5000 and reduced their environmental impact by using reusable cups for hot beverages, according to figures released by the catering firm Masterchefs Hospitality.

Many of the on-campus cafés and restaurants offer a discount on customers’ drinks if they bring in a reusable cup or flask, instead of opting for a single-use cup. In 2018, 25,000 hot beverages were served in this manner at the sites operated by Masterchefs Hospitality, including Moffetts, Cloud Café, CSI Café, Staff Club Café and Stem Café.

The initiative was introduced as part of NUI Galway’s pledge to become a more environmentally sustainable campus by 2020. Single-use cups generate massive amounts of waste as they are lined with a plastic polyethylene waterproofing layer, meaning they are not currently recyclable in

Ireland. According to Recycling List Ireland, approximately 200 million single-use cups are disposed of every year in Ireland alone, or six per second.

Ann Duggan, Director of Commercial Services at NUI Galway, says; “Masterchefs’ promotion of reusable cups is an excellent example of the significant steps being taken on campus to reduce waste. NUI Galway’s current recycling rate is 53 percent and our target recycling rate is set at 60 percent by 2020. This is set to increase to 70 percent by 2025 ahead of the EU Commission’s objective to reach the same target by 2030.”

Auditor of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Society Padraig Scully tells SIN; “It’s great to see the phenomenal success of the reusable cup discount scheme, and it goes to show that even small incentives can help students make huge changes to the amount of plastic consumed on campus.”

CCAFS Society are currently working on schemes to further promote the use of reusable cups and plastic alternatives on campus, including a planned ‘Sustainability Day.’ “One of our main goals next semester will be to raise awareness amongst students of the effects that single-use plastics have on our environment and the possible benefits of using reusable products such as reusable bottles and mugs. We also plan on showing students possible sustainable alternatives to everyday single-use plastics such as the use of a metal straw as opposed to plastic ones,” says Padraig.

More than 1,000 vendors in Ireland now offer a discount to customers with reusable cups, including many of NUI Galway’s most popular cafés and restaurants such as An Bhialann, Friars Restaurant, Saol Café and Zinc Restaurant.

A list of these cafés can be found at www.­consciouscup. ie/map.

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January 15 2019

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NUI Galway spin-out launches innovative treatment for atrial fibrillation

By Martha Brennan A NUI Galway based spin-out company announced the launch of a pioneering treatment for atrial fibrillation late last month.

The heart condition, commonly referred to as AFib, affects millions of patients across the globe and can be difficult to treat. Galway based start-up AtriAN Medical, however, are now hoping to change patient outcomes worldwide with their innovative technology.

AFib is a form of abnormal heart rhythm, currently affecting around 10 million patients across Europe alone. The condition can progress heart failure and cause blood clots, increasing the risk of stroke. It is usually treated with medication or surgery, but failure rates are high, and results are usually only temporary.

AtriAN medical have spent years working on a permanent treatment for the condition.

“In a nutshell, we have developed a technology that selectively targets the origin of the problem from outside rather than inside the heart and that’s very novel,” AtriAN Medical co-founder and chief executive Ken Coffey told The Irish Times last

month.

AtriAN Medical’s treatment is called mPEF, or micro-pulsed electric field. The pulses gently target the origin of the atrial fibrillation on the exterior surface of the heart, while sparing healthy tissue.

The unique approach targets neuronal cells that appear in clusters known as ‘ganglionated plexi’ and should hopefully prove to be the first permanent solution to atrial fibrillation, as the approach treats the origin of the problem, preventing regeneration.

The original idea for the treatment came from Dr Sam Asirvatham, a consultant at the Mayo Clinic in the US. The idea was tossed aside until its potential was spotted by two academics from NUI Galway.

“NUI Galway then secured a licence from Mayo Clinic and we subsequently got development funding through Enterprise Ireland’s commercialisation fund,” Mr Coffey added.

“The licensing agreement gave the Galway team access to all of the early research done on Asirvatham’s atrial fibrillation solution, as well as access to the patent and to the catheter prototype.”

The idea took four years to research and develop, and clinical trials on the product are set to begin

Four NUI Galway researchers feature on world’s most highly cited researchers list

By Martha Brennan It has been announced that four NUI Galway academics were featured among 2018’s most highly cited researchers.

Claritive Analytics identified 6,000 of the year’s most highly cited scientists and social scientists in a list released late last month.

NUI Galway’s Professor Henry Curran, Professor Colin O’Dowd, Professor Donal O’Regan and Dr Derek Morris ranked in the top one per cent of the list.

The academics were selected after demonstrating significant influence through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade in one or more of 21 fields of research.

The Highly Cited Researchers data is a key component of the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

The NUI Galway researchers represent the university’s Schools of Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical Science and Mathematics.

Professor Henry Curran is the Director of the Combustion Chemistry Centre at NUI Galway’s School of Chemistry and also works in the Energy Research Centre in the Ryan Institute.

His research interest lies particularly in how fuels burn in combustors and how we can increase efficiency and reduce emissions for a cleaner envi-

Professor Donal O’Regan has written over 1,300 peer-reviewed mathematical articles, making him one of the most prolific authors in the history of mathematics.

ronment. He received his PhD from NUI Galway in 1994.

Professor Colin O’Dowd is a professor in the School of Physics and is the Director of the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies at the Ryan Institute.

Through his pioneering work in the field of atmospheric physics, Professor O’ Dowd has become internationally renowned as one of the leading scientists in the field of climate change. On top of multiple awards, Professor O’ Dowd has been granted over €22 million in funding for his research in previous years.

Professor Donal O’Regan is a Professor of Mathematics in the university and is an internationally recognised expert in the field of Nonlinear Analysis.

He has written over 1,300 peer-reviewed mathematical articles, making him one of the most prolific authors in the history of mathematics.

Dr Derek Morris graduated with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from the NUI Galway in 1998 and completed his PhD in Cardiff University. He is a Principal Investigator in the Neuroimaging and Cognitive Genomics Centre in NUI Galway and is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science.

His research is based on using genetics and genomics to understand the biological basis of schizophrenia and other common psychiatric disorders.

This is the fifth year in a row since 2014 that Professors Curran and O’Regan have been included in this prestigious list, the fourth year in a row for Professor O’Dowd and the first year for Dr Morris.

“Professors Curran, O’Dowd, O’Regan and Dr Morris are outstanding in their fields and have deservedly earned respect and recognition globally for their research,” Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice President for Research at NUI Galway, said following the announcement.

“We are proud of our colleagues and the way they reflect the vibrant and impactful research community at our university.”

in 2020 with an initial study being completed on 21 patients. The company is aiming for a full commercial launch in 2024.

Early research was carried out at the Mayo Clinic and later work completed in NUI Galway – both universities are shareholders in the company.

Since 2010, about €2 million in grant funding has gone into developing the technology, €1.1 million of which was granted to the company by Project Ireland 2040’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund.

It was just one of five NUI Galway start-ups supported by the fund, which granted €16 million in total.

2018 was a busy year for NUI Galway startups all around, with over €35 million invested in on-campus companies.

NUI Galway also signed more than 60 project agreements last year ranging from healthcare diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, energy optimisation and internet solutions.

More than 2,200 staff and students were actively engaged with the university’s entrepreneurship experiential learning and mentorship programmes last year.

5

Woodquay named most expensive area to rent in Galway City

By Olivia Hanna The Central Statistics Office has released the 2018 rental prices in Galway City and County.

Woodquay topped the list with an average rent of €1,372 per month, a 15 percent increase from the previous year. Not only is it the highest rental price, but also the highest increase.

The most affordable area to rent in is Ballybane at €846 per month, a one percent increase from 2017.

The only area with a decrease in rental prices is Ballybrit, which saw rent go from €1,163 to €1,024 per month.

6 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

GALWAY GAA FIASCO:

Galway set to get ‘flocked’

county under fire as audit reveals the use of credit cards for personal expenses

By Olivia Hanna It has been announced that the Galway Atlantaquaria is finally set to become home to a huddle of ­penguins.

The Atlantaquaria submitted a planning application last month to Galway City Council for a ‘purpose built Penguinarium’ that includes a penguin pool and beach area, viewing areas and seating for guests.

The proposed site is the Fáilte Ireland tourist office that has been vacant for nearly a decade.

Cllr Donal shared with the Connacht Tribune that he “would welcome any facility that would see increased footfall to Salthill. The project is family orientated and would bring in more visitors and school tours to Salthill.”

The Atlantaquaria received nearly €700,000 in 2010 for the penguin project. The funding for the Penguinarium was criticized at the time, citing that the funds could have been used for social welfare instead.

The decision to allow the construction of the Penguinarium is set to be announced on 15 February by the City Council.

By Martha Brennan Galway GAA, one of 2018’s biggest national spenders, have come under fire after the club’s finances were laid bare after an external audit last month.

An international auditing company was appointed by Croke Park to carry out a review of Galway GAA’s finances in recent years, and club delegates were stunned by the findings at the county’s annual convention.

The national GAA became involved after an internal audit, which was initiated by new County Board Treasurer Mike Burke.

Mr Burke, along with the GAA’s national Finance Director and the external auditors,

Photo by Ian Parker on Unsplash

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devise to prevent me and the honest and decent people in Galway GAA from getting to the truth.”

Mr. Burke says that when he became secretary of Galway GAA in 2017, he realised straight away that there was a problem with the management of financial affairs and that it was difficult to initiate the investigation.

Galway GAA chairman Pat Kearney denies that he tried to block the audits.

The convention was also told that there are four pending legal cases involving Galway GAA. The Connacht Tribune, who have covered the story extensively, reported that one of the delegates at the presentation called Galway’s handling of expenses “not fit for purpose” and said that “it was an embarrassing night for us.”

It was revealed that there was a lack of transparency over match tickets - on one occasion a sum of €440,000 for tickets sold locally wasn’t returned to Croke Park for a year.

P

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have raised concerns about the county’s expenses since 2015 which included unauthorised bonuses and the use of credit cards for personal expenses. €1.8 million was spent on the Galway hurling and football teams in 2018 alone, with an average of €150,000 being used for staff wages.

It was also revealed that there was a lack of transparency over match tickets - on one occasion a sum of €440,000 for tickets sold locally wasn’t returned to Croke Park for a year.

County board expenses were as high as €45,000 in 2016 alone.

Mr Burke said at the convention that “the game is up” for those who have “done a disservice to Galway GAA and whose only interest is, or was, self-interest.”

He also scolded the “few” within the club that “put every barrier and obstacle they could

CAFE

Léinn

One of the members of the internal audit committee, Paul Bellew, called the culture in Galway GAA “rotten to the core”.

“I certainly am not happy that Galway GAA is in a good place to deliver that change,” he said.

However, Secretary Seamus O’Grady had a more positive outlook for the board, saying: “What remains to be done with the report at this stage is the Management Committee have to take it on board, they have accepted the recommendations, so it is now up to the Management Committee and the County Committee to implement the recommendations which, hopefully, will improve things and improve the many inadequacies that were pointed out in the report.”

Following the revelations, Mr Burke is calling for a full-time financial manager to be hired for Galway GAA, which took in €5 million last year.

“As far as I am concerned the looking back is over,” Mr Burke said.

“The problems and wrongdoings of the past have been identified and I’m fully satisfied that Galway GAA, which is a great product, is out of life-support and we are well on the road to recovery.”

Gatwick Airport grounds to a halt

By Cathriona M Coleman On 20 December 2018 Gatwick airport was brought to an abrupt standstill due to unconfirmed sightings of drones. A man and woman known locally were arrested over this incident, but have since being released without charge.

When contacted by SIN about the incident, a spokesman from Sussex Police said, “I’m afraid we cannot help you at this time.

This is a live investigation and our media team are focused on supporting our operational response.”

SIN spoke with one passenger who was travelling to Cyprus for holiday. Cilla Moon said “I was there for 17 hours and even though it was not ideal it was not the worst experience for us.

There were a number of cabin crew from Easyjet who made themselves available to help anyone with questions.”

“This was after being on a shift for thirteen hours. People

who had cleared customs were all kept safe and given vouchers for refreshments. Even though there were sometimes large queues, it was actually quite easy to find someone to speak to. We flew the next day!”

“Hardest thing is getting the information our insurance company requires for evidence of delay. As it’s not 100 percent certain there was drone activity – I wonder if insurance companies will stall in paying delay/cancellation costs.”

“We lost a day and a half of our holiday. However, we were grateful not to lose out completely. Those who booked package holidays were at the mercy of their travel agent.

Thankfully ours eventually conceded that they were obligated to assist us in ATOL protection.

We are now trying to get written confirmation of reasons for the delay...from whom? I have found that hard to pinpoint.”

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport commented, saying:

“Operations were disrupted from the evening of Wednesday 19 December through to Friday 21 December. Around 1000 arrivals and departures were cancelled, disrupting around 140,000 passengers.”

“The airport resumed normal operations from Saturday 22 December. However, there were a small number of delays and cancellations as airlines repositioned aircraft which had been diverted over the period of disruption.”

“The airport has invested several million pounds to ensure it is equipped to the level of capability provided by the Armed Forces. This bolsters the detection and safety protocols we already had in place, which were effective in ensuring the safety of our airfield during the incident.”

“Finally, I would add safety is Gatwick’s top priority and we are grateful for passengers’ patience as we worked to get them to their final destination in time for Christmas.”

N UAC HT

January 15 2019

7

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7

Mature students: A Camus-esque experience

By Gary Elbert They are a little bit creased around the frontal dome. Their hair may be flecked with grey wisdom.

Their gait and face perhaps hardened by experience. Many opt to sit in the front row of lecture halls like eager but obedient Jack Russels, desperate to absorb every syllable of the lecture while fanatically writing notes with the fervour of a fourth century monastic monk.

Yet mature students find themselves in the university bubble surrounded by fresh faced idealism and underdeveloped pre-frontal cortexes in a decision often stimulated by a personal dissatisfaction with earlier educational experience, and sometimes simply mandated by strict social welfare protocols. Either way, the mature student experience is singularly unique in its existentialist absurdity.

The Camus-esque sensation of negotiating modern campus culture while juggling external life such as children and work is certainly worthy of analysis. Early studies tended to highlight the declining cognitive capacity of advancing years as a possible obstacle to mature student performance, but just as phrenology gradually gave way to common sense, such studies were rapidly side-lined by new evidence that mature students are just as capable and competent as their younger counterparts, provided the learning experience itself is competently delivered.

Paula Foley, a second-year student in the denominated BA with Children’s Studies programme rates NUI Galway highly in terms of maximising the student experience. “I came through the Access

programme and it was absolutely ideal for preparing us for the full degree programme, not to mention the fact that you meet other mature students beginning the same educational odyssey as yourself,” said Foley.

The Access programme has provided a vital pathway for mature students to return to education. A recent report found that such students of foundation courses went on to perform better overall than other cohorts regardless of socio-economic status or age. Access offers a rigorous but gentle introduction to student life and has produced numerous success stories since its inception on the NUI Galway campus.

As people age, evidence suggests that crystallized intelligence increases while fluid intelligence decreases. The former is a posh word for enhanced wisdom and ability to remove unnecessary information. An example of this may be mature students’ unwillingness to engage in traditional idealistic student activist movements or indeed participate in the many extracurricular options available on campus outside the lecture halls and seminar rooms.

Mature students perhaps have a greater need to manage time and are thus constrained from joining societies which may lead to a diminished overall student experience but is not usually reflected in overall academic performance. There is evidence of a higher non-completion rate of programmes for mature students which is often caused by non-academic factors suggesting a more complex external life beyond the campus twilight zone that may encroach on learning outcomes.

Photo by Angelina Litvin on Unsplash

As people age, evidence suggests that crystallized intelligence increases while fluid intelligence decreases.

First year diaries: New Year’s resolutions

Final year diaries: The final countdown

By Darren Casserly

By Aileen O’Leary

Firstly, I would like to welcome everyone back to college after the Christmas break. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and New Year celebrations.

For me the holidays are a time where all the family have a big get together which is nice for a while until it isn’t, and you’re just waiting until you can leave, but I suppose that’s family.

It’s a new year and you know what that means, New Year’s resolutions. Usually I’m not a big fan of resolutions as I almost always forget about them, but this year I’ll give it another go. We’re at the halfway stage of the academic year and it’s a great time to look back on the first half and improve on it, maybe that could be a resolution.

Another New Year’s resolution is to get more organised and to stop leaving things to the last minute and rushing whatever I’m doing. I know it’s a very common thing in college to leave an assignment you had weeks to do and end up having to do it in a couple of days. Personally, I’m always annoyed at myself thinking about all the time I’ve wasted procrastinating and going out of my way to make it more difficult for myself.

Another resolution of mine is to get more involved in societies or clubs in NUI Galway. At the start of the year I didn’t join any societies because I told myself I would be too busy to go to any of the meetings, that was until I realised there isn’t that much work

Nelson Mandela once said ‘it always seems impossible until it’s done.’ Four years ago, I never would have imagined reaching the last few weeks of college, or what it would feel like. There were so many times when I felt like I couldn’t do it, that the course load was too much, that I had no idea what was going on, but right now I am packing my things about to head back for my last semester in NUI Galway.

Despite the doubt, the infuriating assignments and stressful exams, somehow, I made it to my last semester in one piece. Of course, I never thought too seriously about dropping out, like everyone else I got stressed out, cried a little, went out a lot, and forgot it and faced the exams, the assignments and the projects the next day.

In four years, I’ve probably submitted dozens of assignments, sat about 20 exams, presented a handful of group projects and spent endless nights cramming. Looking back at it all, it wasn’t that bad.

Exams aren’t easy for anyone and neither are 2,500 word assignments, but one of the greatest banes of any college students existence is referencing.

Whether its Harvard or MLA, at one point or another I have spent far too long referencing an essay, and I’ve always left it until the end for some unknown reason.

involved with first year and I spent far too much time in the college bar. I would really like to join Flirt FM to help me develop my journalism skills and I’ve also been looking out for more societies to join.

The return to university also means that winter exam results are upcoming. If you’re like me and your impatience can get the better of you, sometimes or if you’re wondering if you failed an exam or not it can feel like a long time waiting. Something I’ve learned from my first semester in university is don’t expect things to happen quickly around the university, you know what they say, you wait ages for a bus and then three come at once. Even if you didn’t do as well as you thought on an exam the new semester can change that. I know there are a couple of grades I want to improve on.

The final point I want to end on is no matter how semester one went for you can always improve yourself as they say, new year new you. Also, for anyone who wants to write for SIN in semester two we are always accepting new contributors and I know you won’t regret it.

Many mature students return to university in pursuit of a previously thwarted childhood ambition and a dissatisfaction with their current employment and economic situation. Conversely however by entering third level, mature students are willingly reducing their earning power in the short term in order to access long term personal reward through the satisfaction of completing a degree programme.

This may explain the often-quiet desperation of many who sit attentively at the front of the lecture hall, eager to please, desperate to stand out from the factory-like throng, and determined to optimise their intellectual experience even if it means challenging complacent and incompetent lecturers.

One study found that 66 percent of mature students entered higher education to enhance their career prospects with the remaining 34 percent citing personal and individualistic reasons as their determining factor. From this data we can reasonably extrapolate that those on the lower end of the socio-economic scale begin a higher education programme for primarily economic reasons although they too will have personal fulfilment as a factor, despite the economic hit that full time study engenders.

Vanessa Marovatsanga, a mature student undergraduate here in NUI Galway has expressed her gratitude and admiration for the support on offer for mature students. “Returning to college was daunting but the entire staff of the college have been great. The supports I have found here have been on a whole other level from accommodation to high tech software. It’s a really good place to be a mature student.”

However, one of the greatest moments of relief is submitting your essay. There is no better feeling than being able to close all 25 tabs you have open, shut down your laptop and walk away. This usually lasts until you find out your results have been posted and then the dread and fear comes rushing back. Suddenly you’re rethinking that all nighter, wondering what did you even write on at all.

There is always a silver lining. Results always means a night out and Galway is a student city after all, it would be rude not to celebrate in style.

With 12 weeks to go, the countdown is on. To my fellow final years, congratulations on making it this far, only one semester to go. This semester is going to be a busy one with St Patrick’s Day, the Arts Ball, and more to come.

Welcome back to all our readers!

Check back for the next instalment of the Final Year Diaries, exclusively for SIN. Have a Final Year Diary to share? Tweet us at @NuigSin.

8 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

ERASMUS DIARIES

By Anne Rieger

Society Spotlight: Dramsoc

By Vannessa Marovatsanga This week SIN sat down with Áine Cooney and Mary Clare Tehan to get the inside scoop on our very own Dramsoc.

What is your role in the society?

Here we are, back again, ready to start a new semester full of fun, studying and rain. In my last column I wrote about food items I missed while being in Ireland and a lot of people told me they thought it sounded like I don’t like the food here. This is not true. I love food in all shapes and tastes, so there are also some food related items I missed while spending my break in Germany. Here it goes, my top four list of foods (that are not necessary of Irish origin) that I am looking forward to when returning to Ireland: BREAD: Ok, I might have lied a bit in my last column. I said that I preferred German bread and while part of that is true, I also love the good old brown soda from time to time. Honestly, who wouldn’t love a slice of bread that looks and tastes a bit like cake? I even attempted to make my own the other night, but I failed hard. Please send help, I really want my soda bread!

RELISH: Not every kind of relish, but a certain big Irish brand, Ballymaloe, makes this insanely amazing red relish that goes well with everything. I haven’t been able to find it in Germany, which has bothered me for a couple of years now, so spending the year here means that I can finally include this fruity deliciousness into my diet.

BISCUITS: It makes so much sense! A country where the average adult drinks five to six cups of tea a day (I googled that, it sounds about right if you ask me) has to have something to eat when enjoying an afternoon cup. This is where biscuits come into the picture. They are just not that popular in Germany, even though I wish they were. Ginger nuts especially are the ones close to my heart (literally eating some as I’m writing this), but also digestives are a staple in my diet. They also have another advantage for students: they are cheap and they last ages, so anytime I can’t get my shopping done for a few days, digestives save my day, thanks for that, Ireland!

TEA: Would this list even be complete without the favourite drink of the Irish? This beverage, especially Barry’s has a special place in my day ever since I first set foot on Irish ground. I sometimes still go back to my flavoured teas or hot chocolate, but you can never go wrong with a nice cup of freshly brewed Irish breakfast tea.

It also works as a conversation starter and builds a social ground for every age group.

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

Áine Cooney: I am the auditor of Dramsoc, which means I run the society with the Vice-Auditor, Mark Fitzgerald.

We oversee everything that the society does, make all the decisions for the society with the committee, produce all the shows, and help all of our fantastic committee do their respective jobs! Being Auditor basically means you’re the face of the society and you need to know what’s going on with all the shows and events, and you’re the one everyone turns to with any questions or queries they may have about Dramsoc. I am so lucky to have such an incredible Vice Auditor in Mark, and we have an impeccable committee this year that are all working so hard to make the society the best that it can be, I don’t know what I’d do without them!

Mary Clare Tehan: I’m head technician so I’m basically in charge of the maintenance of the theatre. I find that some people want to join Dramsoc but think that it’s all about acting or that only a certain type of person gets involved, but it’s such a broad playing field and there is such a variety of personalities involved that it’s impossible to not find something you’d be interested in or someone you’d like to work with. It’s all about giving people opportunities to get involved, you know yourself there’s so many more ways to be a part of it than just acting.

Mary Clare, what are the unique challenges of being head Technical director? What led to your interest in this?

Mary Clare: In first and second year I never really got involved with the tech side of things. In third year, I spent a semester studying at UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina where I had a lot of exposure to the technical side of theatre and I really enjoyed it so I wanted to try and start getting involved with that kind of thing when I got back to Ireland. The main difficulties or rather fear is that there’ll be an issue I won’t be able to deal with but I don’t worry too much because the Drama department keep a close eye on the theatre so if anything is wrong that we can’t fix they’re there to help. The committee are such a help too, like I know I’m on the committee, but from the perspective of a society member that’s having an issue, the committee do everything they can to help, like I imagine the theatre would’ve burned down now if it wasn’t for everyone pitching in and helping out.

Mary Clare: It’s been a really busy semester but it’s great because if people are interested in getting involved, they don’t have to wait weeks before there’s an opportunity to do so, Dramsoc has shows and events going on literally every week.

Any big exciting events coming up? Áine: Next semester, we have four shows, God of Carnage written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Claire O’Toole, The Box written and directed by Eibhleann Caffrey, The Language Archive by Julia Cho directed

by Cristina Scobee, and Conversations on a Homecoming by Tom Murphy directed

by Muireann Kavanagh. We also have our Jerome Hynes One Act play series during theatre week, which will feature 5 original one act plays. We will also be partaking in the Irish Student Drama Association festival again this year, as 3 of our shows will be chosen and sent to Queens University in Belfast to compete! We had a very successful ISDA in University College Cork last year and took home many awards and nominations, so we are very excited to be a part of it again.

Mary Clare: And there will also be our annual theatre week where we’ll have events and talks with wizened figures of the theatre scene.

What led you to become involved? Áine: I got involved in Dramsoc in first year when I got cast in the fresher play and I haven’t looked back since! I then became involved with countless more productions, I ran for committee in second year and was elected productions officer and ran this year and was elected Auditor! Dramsoc is a fantastic way to make friends and to try out different aspects of theatre that you have an interest in! It’s such a great platform to gain experience in acting, directing, writing, stage management, lighting, sound, set, costume, hair and makeup. Dramsoc give you the budget to put on your show and let you do the rest, it is a wonderful system as you have the comfort of having the Auditors to turn to if you need help, but you are also given a lot of freedom and resources to experiment with theatre.

Mary Clare: I’m studying DTP (drama theatre and performance) so I knew of Dramsoc but was too shy to get involved. It wasn’t until second semester of first year that a friend directed a show and said that I could get involved so I assistant stage-managed Vincent by Daniel Cronin. From there I got to meet more members and was given more opportunities to get involved.

So what has dramasoc been up to this year?

Speaking of involvement, you’ve been in or involved with over three separate shows this year Ms Tehan, where do you find the energy?

Áine: So far this semester Dramsoc have

Mary Clare: Yeah, I was in The Last

done a Summer play, a fresher play, a collaborative musical with GUMS, five first semester plays as well as an event every week, ranging from workshops to mixers to parties!

Days of Judas Iscariot and then designed lights for Devils Ceili directed by Vinny McBrien and In the Heights directed by Cian Elwood. They were all one week after another so I was fairly wrecked after those

three weeks alright but when you’re in the mix and things are being set up, you don’t notice the time flying and before you know it, the show is done. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that it can be tough going the closer it gets to the show with late nights and that kind of thing but it’s worth it when you see the audience enjoying the final product.

What in your time has been most rewarding about the experience?

Mary Clare: My most rewarding experience was probably doing The Last Days of Judas Iscariot directed by Kevin Murphy last semester. I know I was talking about how there’s more ways to get involved than just acting but I was acting in this particular play. I just had so much fun with my characters and the whole production team and cast got on like a house on fire, everything from rehearsals to costumes to makeup was just so much fun, and it seemed to be well received which was the cherry on top. Áine: My most rewarding experience since joining Dramsoc… that is a hard one as there have been so many! Obviously being Auditor has been an exceptional experience thus far, being able to head a society that shaped so much of my first two years of college and means so much to me personally is wonderful. I absolutely love brainstorming ideas about events and shows, and working with the committee to continue expanding the society and making it more progressive and inclusive. The standard of theatre that we have produced this semester has honestly amazed me and it is so lovely to see everyone having such a great time doing it and making such good friends! I also have to say that Dramsoc has really shown me how much I loved performing, I’ve been lucky enough to stand on a Dramsoc stage seven times so far, and I have another two shows coming up this semester that I am so excited for! My favourite performance to date would have to be Alone it Stands, a play that we did last year and then reprised for last year’s ISDA festival. It was a hugely rewarding experience as it was such a difficult show to master but once we did it was very fulfilling and the audiences seemed to love it! And we also got nominated for best show at the ISDA festival so that was the icing on the cake!

Moral of the story, join Dramsoc! You will not regret it.

What Will You Do

in 2019?

Learn Sign Language

SU Sign Language 10 Week course starts 29th January

✈ ✮

Have the Best Summer Ever SU Working & Travelling Abroad Fair Wednesday 23rd January

Raise Money For Charity

SU Charity Collection Day Saturday 2nd February for Galway Rape Crisis Centre/COPE Galway



Run For Election

✚ 

Learn To Save Lives

SU Election Nominations open Thursday 14th February

SU Life Skills First Aid Responder Course/CFR Course/ASIST

Laugh!

SU €5 Comedy Gigs: David O’Doherty (28th Jan) & Neil Delamere (18th Feb)

Contact studentsunion@nuigalway.ie for more information

www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

10 OPI N IO N

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

ADULTHOOD: What does 2019 have in store?

the final frontier

By Conor Brummell

We all know the story: when we’re young, we want to be older but when we’re older, we yearn for our youth.

The circle of life is pretty ironic in that sense, tricking the young and seemingly unwise into thinking that they want to be out of school, qualified from college, working in the big bad world and earning big bucks with a house, family and car of their own.

However, you often hear of people reminiscing on the good old times they didn’t appreciate enough.

With age comes the responsibility of other things (that thankfully seem too far into the future for me to worry about) like taxes, full price train tickets and god forbid, Spotify Premium without the student discount. But when do people reach the elusive ‘adulthood’ per say?

Is it when we turn 18, and can drink legally and make our own decisions? Or is it at 21, when we are given the key to the front door? Or is it when we can no longer hide behind the student card and must make our own way in the world?

I once jokingly referred to myself as being an adult in a snapchat I sent to a friend once, to which I received the reply, “when did you start considering yourself an adult?” The truth was and still definitely is: I don’t.

Despite being in college and living independently in Galway five days of the week, I still don’t think I’m fully grown up. Sure, I work on the weekends to help pay bills, rent and do grocery shopping but does that qualify me to say I’m an adult? I would say that I’m simply on the bottom rung of the ladder that is life, and that I have a long way to go before I can truly call myself an adult.

We’ve all heard the phrase “you’re big enough, bold enough and ugly enough now to make your own decisions” and whereas I feel like I definitely might be all of those things, I’m still learning as I go along. To become a fully rounded human being I think you need to make mistakes, and make a lot of them, to gain that experience to be the mature adult we all have to be eventually.

However, the fact that I’m only turning 20 this year comforts me enough to know that the mistakes I make now won’t haunt me forever (only make me cringe uncontrollably at times), and that when I maybe feel like an adult at 30 (are you an adult at 30?), that I’ll have the knowledge I need to navigate myself through life.

As much as I might sound like I have a clue about what it means to be an adult, I really am only in the last year of my teens and that terrifies me. With two years of college left and no clue about where I can see myself after my degree, let alone in ten years’ time, it can often feel like time is running out.

No matter how many times we try to battle against the treadmill of life that is time, the sad reality of it is that time will always win, so we literally just have to take it one step at a time. And with each step I take, I’m going to try and revel in my youth and take the advantages that come with it: the carefree attitude I can afford to have, the student discounts (even if IrishRail have put their ticket prices up once again) and enjoy the fact that I’m still just growing up.

By Sarah Canavan

From weather, politics, finally reaching the Eurovision Final, repealing the Eighth, to our nation finding our voices against the abuses of the past, 2018 was the year Ireland entered the twenty first century and it will be, beyond a doubt, a hard year to fit into one episode of reeling in the years. Reflecting on the year has me thinking about what will 2019 be like.

2019, the year of the pig, but in Ireland it’s the year of the snake. On the third day of 2019 a sea snake washed up on our shores.

I’m not someone who believes in bad omens but a SNAKE! St Patrick must be rolling in his grave. Hopefully this isn’t a sign for what’s to come.

On a brighter note the boom is back.

2019 will be the first year since 2006 that the Irish Government will have a budget surplus. Some say it’s bad and some say it’s good. We’ll just have to keep an eye on it to see how it plays out.

Netflix will kill it again in 2019 with new seasons such as ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events,’ ‘The Good Place,’ ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Rick and Morty,’ and ‘13 Reasons Why.’ We will also be gifted with some new Netflix originals,

while other big name players like Disney and Apple are expected to make an entry in the streaming market in 2019, so Netflix will do anything to gain our love and adoration to ward off the competition.

If Netflix isn’t your jam, Ireland will have an enormous amount of sport interest in 2019. In March, we have the Six Nations which, let’s be realistic, we will win. From September to November, we have the World Cup and after beating the All Blacks in 2018, we have a pretty good chance. In June, we have the European Games where ‘Team Ireland’ will obviously bring home a nice medal haul. In August, the world rowing championships will take place, where in the last few years the Irish have become the ones to beat.

Thomas Barr will be looking to add a world medal to his collection in September. In boxing, we have some excellent talent in both the amateur and professional ranks and it looks like we’ll have a few more world champions by the end of 2019. Will Dublin GAA win the infamous five in a row? Or will someone, or some team, derail Dublin’s plans last minute?

1982 ring any bells? Offaly, I will be watching you. Mick McCarthy is also returning as our soccer manager, so we are definitely in for a few funny gifs and interviews.

Vodafone are trailling 5G in Ireland this year and Ericsson have promised they will have a 5G WI-FI router with us by the end of 2019. “I do not care for faster Wi-Fi,” said no one ever. Babies to be born in 2019 can expect to live until 2101. Only 28 countries globally can expect new-borns to live till the 22ndcentury. Ireland will also introduce paid paternity leave this year. 2019 will also be the year of reunion tours: Spice Girls, Westlife, ABBA. We will be spending the year dancing.

In the world of politics, 2019 is unpredictable. Who knows what will happen. Will Trump accidentally create world peace? Will Peader Toibín’s new party gain popularity?

Will the BCC create a game show called ‘Brexit: deal or no deal,’ who knows? One thing we do know is that in Ireland, it will be the year of voting. In 2019 we can expect to be voting on the local/European elections, women’s place in the home, divorce, Irish citizens living abroad’s voting rights, ESC Rights and probably one or two more referendums.

I am already tired thinking of all those ticks I’ll have to write.

Even though we had a small hiccup on the third day of the year, with the snake situation, 2019 is set to be a brilliant year and I can’t wait to see it play out.

Which app gets scrapped in 2019?

By Niamh Kelly As 2019 begins we may all wish to focus on the important things in our lives and getting rid of some of our least-used apps might help us do just that. I’m sure we all have our attachments to different social media apps, be it the ability to reach out to friends and family or the opportunity to express yourself through pictures and posts. However, with all the apps nowadays appearing to be nearly identical to one another there is simply no point in having them clog up your phone’s storage space and bombarding you with notifications.

So, let’s talk about three of the biggest social media giants used today and ask ourselves which one should get the boot this year- Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat?

Facebook provides a range of services to its users, reminding them of friends’ birthdays and events, allowing them to message friends and family members and creating a timeline complete with pictures and videos. It’s less than ideal features are that in order to access Messenger on your phone, a second app needs to be downloaded and posts can be inundated with hate comments or trolls, discouraging many from checking their Facebook feed.

Despite these negative aspects it can be difficult to uninstall the Facebook app, especially if you’ve used your Facebook account to sign up for other apps, for example Spotify.

Nevertheless, it seems that young people (1824 year olds) are gradually moving away from using Facebook. The Pew Research Centre has reported that the 71 percent of people in this age bracket that used the app in 2015 dropped to 51 percent in 2018.

Instagram is another popular social media app and is owned by Facebook, however pictures and videos take precedence over posts and connecting with others in this app. For many users, Instagram provides the opportunity to play with photography and allows

users to create multiple accounts that they can switch between, perfect for separating personal accounts from those focused on interests such as fitness.

What can be annoying about this app though is the countless number of businesses and ‘influencers’ shoving advertisements down your throat, perhaps symptomatic of how personally attached users feel to these people who share every moment of their lives with their followers. Though Facebook is Instagram’s predecessor, the aforementioned Pew Research study shows that 52 per cent of young people in 2015 used Instagram, compared to 72 per cent in 2018.

Which brings us to Snapchat, the only social media app of these three to not include ‘posts’ or ‘comments’, opting instead for picture-based messaging, text-based messaging and ‘stories’ where you temporarily share moments with your friends. The lack of comment sections means that it is easy

to avoid the senseless bickering that can go on between Facebook and Instagram users, and other features like snap maps and ‘our stories’ give Snapchat a greater sense of community. Something that may not appeal to all Snapchat users though is the inability to store photos and posts permanently for any of their friends or family members to find. The Pew Research study shows that 41 per cent of young people used the app in 2015 as opposed to 69 per cent who used the app in 2018.

So, it would seem that young people have made up their minds as to which app they should abandon: Facebook. Not only does Facebook (and Messenger) take up more space than the other two apps combined, but it is also a place where trolls and hate comments dominate. Facebook timelines are also a pain to sift through and edit and this can be a problem if there’s some post or picture you wish you could erase, whether for a future employer or your own dignity.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

TUAIRIM

January 15 2019

11

Does technology make us lonelier?

By Anastasia Sytnyk Technology is a wonderful thing that allows us to communicate with friends and loved ones who might be abroad or live far away. Unfortunately, this did not exist for many of our family members in their youth making it seem like we, the younger generation, take the world’s advances for granted by using technology to communicate with people who live close to us, with some people texting their parents or siblings from their bedroom upstairs rather than interacting face to face.

Social media is the best tool to stay social, but it takes away from real life interaction which is a lot more important than text communication. Text does not pass on the other persons tone or emotions which could lead to misunderstandings. Physical contact is also very important, without it some

might feel estranged and lonesome! We all need a hug when we are going through a tough time, and sadly a cute messenger sticker doesn’t do the job.

Social media is great for arranging to meet up with people who you haven’t seen in a long time or even skyping with your family who live abroad and can’t come home as often as they hoped. In this instance, social media helps to provide a temporary solution, thus making you feel as though they are still close even if they are far away. However, it is temporary, those people will have to come back to see you or you’ll have to go see them in order to re-connect and interact face to face, sharing smiles and giggles.

Many say that being in the physical presence of the people you care for and who care for you can help with feeling lonesome, and it’s true. Although you may interact with people through text, it is

not the same as hearing their voice or being able to know they are there, the internet connection could be lost at any moment or the other person could fall asleep while texting, that doesn’t really happen in face to face interaction, people don’t lag.

Although social media interaction can help with missing a person who is far away from you, and you do still want to be with them in person, but there could be obstacles in the way which makes

social media the only solution for the time. Texting is not a long term solution to feeling alone or sad.

Once you click out of that messenger head or the snapchat app; you are alone.

Don’t take face to face interactions for granted and always do your best to stay in touch with the people you love! Invite them over for some tea and cookies, maybe some Netflix? Or you could just sit together and talk about everything and anything!

Era of digital scrapbooks

By Rachel Garvey In today’s generation we capture a lot of moments, and those captured moments are then automatically saved to our phone’s photo galleries. We capture a time with our friends and then a moment with our family and then we click into our photo galleries and check to see how the pictures turned out. There’s a small part of us that thinks it is the most beautiful picture ever taken and we look at it for a few seconds even though those few seconds feel like forever. We dwell on that picture and the importance of it, how it helps us to remember the time and the fun that was had but we never tell anyone that. Don’t worry about that though, they are probably thinking the same thoughts as you.

However, we are all guilty as charged for forgetting about those precious photos. The memory is still vaguely remembered in our minds somewhere, but when it comes to finding that one photo again, we fail to find it because of the thousands of other photos we have taken in between that one event and other small events when we capture more moments. We try to scroll down through the endless amounts of pictures with our friends and the crazy nights out, the pictures we take of our dogs sleeping or the family photos we take at events, but we still prove unsuccessful at finding the picture that we wanted.

However, there are still a few of us out there who take one look at the variety of pictures and we feel some deserve to be placed in a scrapbook, preferably with a little side note written beside

Photo: lafleur via Flickr

them to remind us of the time the picture was taken. I’m one of those people, the one who prints off photos, no matter how many and I stick them in a scrapbook where they belong. It is really nice to flick through an actual photo album or scrapbook instead of straining your eyes on a screen and flicking through digital snapshots.

At least in the scrapbook they are safe from the errors that technology surprises us with.

There are times that technology tricks us and we accidentally press the delete button on that one important photo, this accident will happen more than once, and it becomes a picture we can’t get back. The beauty of scrapbooks is there is no delete option, a perfectly safe platform for those precious memories.

One thing will not change though, it doesn’t matter whether we have saved these precious memories on our phone or we have them stuck in a scrapbook, they will never lose their importance. They will always mean something to us. We don’t take photos just because, we take them because they will always be important to us, no matter where they are stored.

As a Libra, the star sign with the scales, I believe there is a balance between having a scrapbook of pictures and a phone gallery of pictures. They both serve the same purpose in showing us the moments of fun we have with our loved ones. I suppose our phone galleries are scrapbooks after all, digital scrapbooks, and there is nothing wrong with that.

It does not mean that our thousands of pictures mean nothing, they all mean something to us.

Photo by Steven Spassov on Unsplash

12 O PI N IO N

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

I promise, yeah right!

By Rachel Garvey As we welcome in the New Year of 2019, we also embrace our New Years Resolutions with hesitant open arms. Semester two is also upon us and with that comes the commitment to study and work harder, but do we really? We always promise ourselves every year that we will stick to our New Year’s Resolutions but before we know it, we welcome our bad habits back into our lives again but not as hesitantly.

I applaud the people who stick to their promises, who don’t let themselves slide backwards into their old habits. However, a few words of advice for the people who find themselves sliding downhill when they attempt to better themselves this New Year, it’s okay. We fail but we pick ourselves up again and strive to do harder.

We won’t reach our goals by not facing challenges that hold us back along the way. In order to learn how to work harder we need to face these challenges that will bring us to our final goal. The whole concept of the “New Year

New Me”, in my own opinion, is merely based on a theory that people think will help them change for the better. It’s all in our heads, if we want to change ourselves by being healthier or more hardworking or taking up a new hobby or sport then why don’t we make these changes whenever we want? However, it is understandable to start in the New Year because it gives us the idea that we are starting off right and it gives us the hope and motivation to make this change stick.

Do those changes ever really stick though?

I remember starting off last year with the motivation to start eating healthy, exercise more and write a little bit everyday as well as volunteering for various events and making a bigger effort in my studies. Quite ashamed to say none of those resolutions lasted. Okay, some of them did happen like writing and volunteering and a little bit of the studying harder but eating healthy lasted only a little while. Fruit and vegetables and salads are great and all that, but chocolate is my love, it’s simply a necessity for me.

Oh well, it’s not the end of the world.

If you want to eat chocolate then indulge in it, if you want to join a gym and get fit then go for it, if you want to take up a new hobby and end up not liking it and giving it up, that’s okay. The “New Year New Me” thing doesn’t necessarily have to be centred around doing better and being better in what you do. It should be the open door that presents new possibilities that allows you to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes, it should allow you to have the power to fail at something and then be able to pick yourself up afterwards.

Be who you are and what you want to be, at whatever time in your life. Don’t let the New Year determine what you can and can’t do. Don’t make promises to yourself that you can’t keep, because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. Yes, it is a New Year but everyday should be taken as it comes. 2019 will be a good year, but whatever you do, don’t let 2019 determine whether you should cut back on chocolate or not!

Do boys experience less intense friendships than girls?

By Conor Brummell It is frequently said that friendships between males are completely different to those experienced between women. One Google search brings up a myriad of quotes stating that friendships between women are deeper, more emotional and that they are more meaningful; that simply put, no two males could ever have a bond that is as intense as that experienced by members of the opposite sex.

Obviously, friendships between men and friendships between women are going to be different; we are two different genders.

Women may have more intense and intimate relationships with their friends, whereby they go on shopping trips, have sleepovers or simply have a gossip over a bottle of wine.

I think that men themselves can have just as intense friendships; we just show our affection in ways that aren’t as obvious.

We all know the stereotype: men are emo-

Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash

tionless, stone-hearted creatures who, when with friends, sit mostly in silence and watch endless amounts of sport. This, coupled with a beer or two, certainly might have summed up what friendships between men were like a generation ago. Even though going to the pub to watch ‘the match’ is still a valued pastime, friendships between men have evolved in recent years.

So much emphasis has been put on men’s mental health in the past while that I think it has positively encouraged men to become closer to their friends, to develop a deeper connection and to feel comfortable being more open with one another. I can’t count on one hand how many heart to hearts I have had with a few of my male friends when one of us has needed it. It’s often easier to open up when you know someone has had similar experiences to you, or that they might know what you’re going through, and most lads can relate to each other on a personal level,

something which is so desperately needed in this day and age.

All it takes is one glance at social media to see that there has been an influx in activity between lads and their friends on the likes of Instagram and Facebook. Tagging each other in memes has become a daily ritual, and more often than not my phone is buzzing from the lads tagging me in stuff that mirrors a private joke we may have. As well as that, group chats between lads are constantly active, and I know myself and my friends are never not snapchatting, even if it is just blank face snaps. I can’t recall either the amount of times that I’ve received a picture from my lad friends asking for fashion advice on clothes they’ve wanted to buy or vice versa. I’ve even once had to change my outfit due to being dressed too similar to one of my friends and it’s said that girls are bad when it comes to all things fashion and clothes!

I’ve noticed recently as well that lads take and post more pictures of themselves with their mates on social media, something that is usually associated with girls, and it’s refreshing to see that this is becoming ‘normal’ nowadays (even if that ‘normal’ is just taking the mick out of each other). Barriers are breaking down, and guys appear to be more comfortable with expressing themselves more openly as a result.

Despite friendships between men and friendships between women being completely different, I wouldn’t say either is more intense than the other. Friendships work in mysterious ways, and I’ve had some very intense and close friendships with both males and females in the past that I still have today.

All it takes is to have that one friend you can be yourself with and who you just truly gel with for it to feel pretty special, and in its own way, almost like you’ve always been destined to be friends with each other.

Lecturers committing technology travesties

By Stevie Buckley I would go as far as to say that most of our lecturers are proficient in technology. After all, technology is one of the main things that keeps our university running these days, be it for the use of the administrative staff or for students desperately accessing the library system while trying to complete an essay at the last minute.

However, there’s always one lecturer that doesn’t use technology at all (except to check the time on their Nokia 3310). You know the one I’m talking about, right?

Because I certainly do. The one that’s confused even by the lighting system? Yes, them.

One lecturer I had last semester seemed to not believe in technology at all. They had no lecture slides for any of their lectures. As well as this being bad for students’ exam prospects, this also bores students to the point of no return. They put three PDFs of vague and slightly confusing sentences and “thought-provoking questions” based around the main topics of the course up on Blackboard days before the exams, which (unnecessarily) stressed everybody out by making them think that they were getting no help right up until the last minute. However, this was only one lecturer. Every other lecturer I have had had lecture slides and put them up on Blackboard within a reasonable period of time, thus avoiding the panic that ensued from the tactics of that one lecturer.

There are also always a few lecturers that organise the Blackboard page for their module in a rather confusing way. I had a few lecturers last semester with Blackboard pages that were extremely hard to navigate. They had secondary readings for a topic in a folder with the topic name as its title, but having the lecture slides for that topic in a completely different folder. In these modules, I found myself panicking during study week because I thought there were no lecture slides for those modules on Blackboard, when there were, but just not where I was looking. Needless to say, I was relieved when I found those lecture slides.

There have also been a few occasions, mostly in my first year, where lecturers have either accidentally marked everyone absent or have had to count everybody present because of technological blunders in the Qwickly attendance system, the attendance system linked to Blackboard. In all these cases, the lecturers had to get in contact with their respective colleges and/or schools in order to rectify these problems. I think that lecturers should have Qwickly training if they are going to use the service. This service is useful but is also prone to technological difficulties.

Overall, I think most of the lecturers have reasonably good skills when it comes to the use of technology. However, during your time in university you’ll always have that one lecturer that doesn’t know what they’re doing and probably doesn’t know the screen from the keyboard. You have to admit that they stress you out and bore you, but you also have to admit that it’s probably not their fault that they’re not proficient in technology. They may be a product of their time, as people above a certain age grew up without smartphones and computers. So, when you find yourself thinking about how a lecturer is stressing you out, don’t blame them, they just aren’t as privileged as you, technology wise.

N U I G A L W AY S T U D E N T S ’ U N I O N P R E S E N T S

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WORKING & TRAVELLING ABROAD A

12pm-3pm Wednesday 23rd January 2019 in Áras na Mac Léinn 12i.n. - 3 i.n. Dé Céadaoin, an 23 Eanair 2019 in Áras na Mac Léinn

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

Top five 2019’s pre-fall trend forecast Instagrams to follow in 2019

By Molly Fitzpatrick

(that won’t make you feel bad about yourself) Aislinn O Connor

Instagram, we all know it. We love to hate it and we hate to love it. With over 1 billion monthly active users, its easy to get caught up in a world where everything seems perfect. However, there are still Instagram accounts out there that won’t try sell you things or make everything seem flawless. These Instagrams are my top five picks that won’t make you feel bad about yourself, and I think you should all be following them in 2019 (in fact, you definitely should!).

@bodeburnout Bode Burnout is an Australian artist who is taking over Instagram one satirical post at a time. Her account is that one you scroll through, show your friends and say, “so true”, no matter what mood or form you are in. Although Bode Burnout deals with issues that aren’t usually easy to talk about, she brings them to light in a humorous way that we are all able to relate to and share with others.

If you’re having a bad day, need a bit of a pick up or just looking for a new fresh account, @bodburnout is the one to go to.

@clodaghcahill_ Clodagh Cahill is a mental health advocate and graphic designer from County Limerick. One of the quotes on her page says, “use social media to show who you are and what you stand for” and that’s exactly what she does. After losing her mother to suicide in 2017 and suffering from mental health issues herself, she has become a role model for people suffering from mental health issues and grief. Unlike other Instagram accounts, @clodaghcahill_ doesn’t use her account to promote products or herself, she uses it to promote mental health awareness and to end the stigma that is around taking medication.

@corylrodriguez As a nutritionist and health coach, Cory Rodriguez’s Instagram will actually make you feel better this year. His page is full of tips and tricks that anybody can follow in order to make you feel fresh and healthy. He doesn’t just talk about eating vegetables all the time as what you might think, but instead he posts about a range of things that we can all do in our everyday lives in order to feel better. If you’re looking to get healthy and fit this year or even to just feel better, @corylrodriguez is the page for you.

@thedailygrin A couple of weeks ago when exams were on and most of us were panicking, a friend of mine recommended this page to me. A midst all the tears and frustration during exam period this page never failed to make me smile and feel good about myself. It is full of quotes, stories and little reminders to yourself.

It exactly the kind of page we all need in 2019. But don’t worry, it won’t spam your Instagram feed with too much positivity, it posts just the right amount!

@Instagramanimals And finally, Cutest Animals of Instagram. Because who doesn’t love cute animals. Cute cats? Cute dogs?

Cute pigs? This page has it all. When has a cute picture of an animal ever failed to make someone smile?

It has a 100% success rate. However, I will say, the only problem with this page is that they don’t post enough. All I wish for 2019 is that all our Instagram feeds can be filled with more cute pictures of animals.

For some the new year signifies new goals, intentions and a renewed self, ‘new year, new me’ as the saying goes. For me, rather than setting out a list of resolutions that we all know will be forgotten by the 10th of the month, I prefer to go down the simpler route; new me, new wardrobe. There’s nothing like a blindingly white fresh pair of runners to make you feel like you have your life in order.

Fashion-wise, 2019 is set to be a scorcher (as if my shopping addiction couldn’t get any worse). Offering everything from returning nostalgic favourites like tie dye and 80’s puffed sleeves to fresh, new, sure-tobe obsessions like micro bags and utility dressing.

In case you need a little inspiration for your new year, new wardrobe shopping spree, here are our predictions of the top sartorial trends you’ll be seeing in 2019.

contemporary. Whether you opt for this elevated version of tie dye or you go full on surfer girl, our favourite preteen hobby is now fashion, I think we can all agree 2019 is off to a good start.

The micro bag If you’re like me and carry your entire life in your handbag this trend probably isn’t for you.

Although not the most practical of trends the micro bag is set to be ­massive in 2018.

These

Fringing

SS18 saw the rise of the prairie trend, then AW saw, to the disgust of many, the cowboy boot trend, and if you thought we’d get away without something western inspired in 2019 you were mistaken. Seen on the runways of Tom Ford and Coach, fringing is set to adorn everything from jackets, to trousers, handbags and everything in between, what ruffles were to 2018 fringing is to be to 2019.

Neon

Highlighter brights, another 80’s throwback, h av e a l r e a d y managed to Neon cardigan, €49.95 at Zara infiltrate the high street. Fluorescent shades slowly became popular last season Micro bag, €49.95 at Zara thanks to Kim Kardashian and Instagram. However, absurdly small bags may literwhat we thought was a ally only fit your lipstick, card fleeting microtrend Tie dye and a stick of chewing gum has made its way P.S.A; tie dye is making but this celebrity favourite onto the catwalks, a comeback, I repeat tie is set to be the finishing with lime green, dye is making a cometouch to every goinghot pink, and back, THIS IS NOT A out outfit of 2019, the flaming orange DRILL. Let the twelvesmaller, the better!

featured year-old inside us all across the Dress, €52 rejoice, this nostalUtility runways of at Topshop gic favourite is back New York, dressing and set to become a All about khaki, London, staple in the fashion lovers’ wardrobe. cargo pants and boiler Milan and Tie dye appeared on the SS19 runways suits, the utility Paris, and it in two ways. Firstly, it was seen in trend is where function looks like it’s here to a streetwear inspired way, think meets fashion. This one stay. A daunting pal90’s surfer on the Califorstarted creepette to tackle, it’s best nian coast. Pair a classic ing in to our to stick to one colour at tie dye tee with light wardrobes in a time, either groundwash denim and old 2018 with ing it with neutrals school vans for a laidcargo pants or opting for a monoback Californian girl quickly chrome neon look. vibe. The other less becoming a expected way dye tie wardrobe 80’s puffed was seen is in a more staple. 2019 sleeves refined upscale manwill see If you’ve been payner. Tie dye doesn’t edgy and ing attention to the Boiler suit, €80 have to mean kitsch effortless runways at all, you’ll at Topshop and juvenile, as utilitarian know that there’s the SS19 runways dressing been a shift in our have showed it can taken to attention from 90’s to be sophisticated. the next level, the decade earlier, with wide waist clenching Tie dye has been boiler suits belts, bold patterns and a personal favourite of appearing in muted are becoming mine; maximalism dominating fashion weeks. tones on everything a streetwear As someone who loves all things eighties, parfrom silk midi skirts favourite ticularly it’s fashion and rom-coms (even more to more structured and military so when combined, I’m still not over Andy’s silhouettes. This khakis and wardrobe in Pretty in Pink) I couldn’t be hapunexpected juxcamo are set pier about the return of the puff sleeve. A less taposition of this to become harsh alternative to the much-hated shoulder traditionally laid our new pad, the puff sleeve creates a strong silhouette back boho print neutrals. without losing femininity. Weather it’s a subtle with more formal Also, extra puffed shoulder or an all-out Disney princess shapes and matebrownie three quarter length puff sleeve, this 80s retro Fringe Jacket, €1295 rials keeps the points for revival will be seen on the most fashion forward at net-a-porter.com pattern fresh and comfort! in 2019.

FAIS EAN

January 15 2019

7

NÓS MAIRE ACHTÁLA

Living her best life:

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

By Amy McMahon With each new semester brings an opportunity to start afresh. The comeback queen Miley Cyrus will be your point of reference for this fresh start. There’s no denying the singer had somewhat of a quarter-life crisis in recent years. However, she has changed her life around for the better. It’s assuring to know our teen role model Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus is someone we can look up to again.

Starting off with simple skincare. Sometimes it seems that all celebrities undergo an overpriced twenty-something-step Korean skincare routine to achieve their flawless skin. Thankfully Miley’s routine is refreshingly low maintenance. She regularly posts face mask selfies to social media, most of which are homemade avocado masks. Of course, we want to look after our skin, but without the fuss of making a mask from scratch. I recommend the Tony Moly avocado sheet mask for €5.50 available from Beauty Bay (sometimes cheaper in TK Maxx).

Moving onto Miley’s standout beauty product. The ‘Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’ singer is always sporting a red lip. Miley is a big fan of the red Tom Ford lipstick in Nikita. However, it costs €48 from Brown Thomas which is far too pricey for students. Instead try Maybelline’s dupe in the shade Siren in Scarlet, for just €9.99 in Boots.

There has been a clear shift in Miley’s wardrobe in the past couple of years. The risqué fashion days of nipple tassels and twerking in a nude bodysuit are well and truly over, thank the Lord. Now Miley mixes patterns and silhouettes with classic pieces. Dare I say she’s even chic! In late December the singer was spotted in New York rocking this metallic look, which has been recreated and pulled from the high street.

Bottom’s up – let’s start with Miley’s Stella McCarthney court shoes. Cute, but not worth the price tag.

Instead, Z a r a have a similar

silver pair for €29.99 in the sale (reduced from €49.95). Miley’s Louis Vuitton tailored trousers fit like a dream, but they’re too boujie for our budget. Topshop’s trousers are highly recommended and are a comfortable fit. These tapered trousers are €20 in the sale, usually €29.

The show stopping piece of this outfit is the Louise Vuitton 80s inspired metallic blouse. It was tricky to find a suitable match, but I may have found a worthy contender on ASOS for €34.56.

To c r e ate the s a m e neckline as Miley’s, you could wear the top backwards. It might seem a little odd, but it would look more like the original Louis Vuitton cut. Finish off the look with gold jewellery from Penneys, cheap and cheerful as always. Finally add a Zara beaded bag (€25.99, also in the sale) as a dupe for Miley’s Louis Vuitton tote bag.

As for lifestyle choices, Miley Cyrus endorses a clean vegan diet.

If you are willing to try Veganuary you will be glad to know Oreos are vegan. To dip your toe into a healthy diet, Miley is a green smoothie lover which is ideal for energy boast in the middle of lectures. Equally trying the odd vegetarian meal here and there is a great start.

Take a leaf out of Miley’s book and sign up for yoga and pilates classes in the Kingfisher or the Students’

Union’s eight-week yoga course. For a free workout listen to ‘Malibu’ on repeat while strolling down the Salthill promenade. Bring some sunglasses along and pretend to soak up the Californian sun.

It has also been noted that the 26-year-old takes time off from social media sites such as Instagram from time to time. A tech detox might lead to a more focused semester. Miley Cyrus once said, “Chill it out, take it slow” and I think we can all take that on board. And yes, that is a Hannah Montana quote…

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

Favourite Film Fashion Ashley Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air:

By Áine Kenny

We all love film fashion, from Clueless’ 90’s wardrobe, Heather’s chic 80’s plaid, to the early noughties sparkly lip-gloss featured in Mean Girls.

Why shouldn’t we take inspiration from the silver screen? Not to mention the style icons from tv shows; I wanted to purchase every single outfit Hanna Marin wore in Pretty Little Liars! Here we have SIN’s definitive list of our favourite on-screen fashion icons.

Hanna Marin, Pretty Little Liars: Known for her fashion-forward thinking, Hanna actually becomes a fashion designer in the later seasons of the show.

She goes through many style transformations, beginning with a glamourous, high school look, finally finishing up with a more laid-back style towards the end. One thing she is known for is her changing hairstyle; remember when she cropped her hair and dyed parts of it black? That was a bold look! Her jackets are also major statement pieces: check out this sequined silver bomber jacket from Missguided, reduced down to €31.

Pair these with a pair of dream catcher earrings from Etsy (€5) and you’ve stolen her look!

When you re watch this 90’s classic, you soon realise that basically everything we are wearing now was worn in the 90’s. Puffy, clashing-colour jackets, crop tops, mom jeans, you name it, Ashley wore it! Not only is she a style icon, she is also a strong-willed feminist (a-women) who really comes into her own by the end of the show.

Here we see the bright jumper that so many of us are snapping up in the January sales, steal Ashley’s look with this similar piece from H&M (€19.99), pair with some mom jeans from ASOS (€41.46) and some small silver hoop earrings.

And don’t forget your scrunchie!

Elle Woods, Legally Blonde:

P i n k, p re t t y a n d preppy, Elle’s style is not the typical courtroom appearance, and that is what we love about her character. Her fluffy pink heels, her orange totes, her iconic glasses… pretty in pink definitely applies to this budding lawyer.

Steal her style with these heels from Missguided (€24) and these amazing red-toned sunglasses from PrettyLittleThing (€12).

Soon enough semester two will be over and you’ll be sitting by the pool just like Elle, hopefully with the amazing exam results to match!

Vivian Ward, Pretty Woman: Despite the problematic subtext of the film, Vivian remains a very versatile style icon: you can take inspiration from her going out wear and blonde wig, and her more modest style towards the end of the film. Check out this brown polka dot dress from Boohoo, at only €25, it is perfect for a wedding or a day at the races. Pair with a pair of pearl earrings to complete the look. If you’re more into clubbing, white crop tops are available from €5 on Boohoo, and pairing one with leather, thigh high boots and a blue skirt will channel your inner Vivian.

Bouncing back and saving cash after the festivities

By Veronica Murphy December has come and gone and so too has the tendency to overindulge during the festivities; that extra glass of mulled wine with your food and splurging a bit more than usual on gifts for your loved ones. But now that things have resumed back to normal you may notice your wallet feeling a lot lighter than it did before. Here are a few tips and tricks to bounce back after the Christmas period.

Avoid being lured in by January sales: Don’t get me wrong, the January sales can be great, and you really can get some good deals but it’s also very easy to get carried away on the idea that you’re doing yourself a favour by saving money on something which you don’t actually need. By all means if you have something in mind that you’ve been wanting for a while, now is the time to strike. However, try to steer clear otherwise.

Prioritise: When you’re trying to scrape back some of the pennies you splurged over the festivities, for a month or two you may need to start prioritising until you get back on track. For example, if you have a gym membership maybe cancel it for a while and try some at home workouts or just

upping your steps every day. If that won’t work for you, why not make a pact with yourself to avoid eating out for the month or limiting your number of nights out.

New Year, new saving scheme: There is no better time to get into the habit of saving a few extra bob wherever you can. Invest in a savings tin that can’t be opened unless you use a tin opener, they really do make the saving process a lot easier (you can buy them in any euro shop). Whether you decide to put away a €1 coin every time you receive one or are in a position to put away €5/€10 a week, it all adds up! I also find it to be a bit more motivating to save by keeping track of everything you are putting into the tin, so stick a piece of paper on the side of the tin and tally up how much is in there as you go along.

Don’t forget your student discount: More often than not, shops won’t ask if you’re a student and eligible for a student discount, so get into the habit of asking every shop if they have it. So many places have it on offer and while saving 10% here and there may not seem like much at the time, I’d still rather have the extra in my back pocket than someone else’s. Register with UNIDAYS if you’re an avid online shopper as there is a great list of retailers that supply a decent student discount online.

Be book smart: You will probably be bombarded with what books you are required to read upon starting the new semester. Before you splash the cash on a book list that is as long as your arm, find out which ones you can get your hands on in charity shops and which ones will be available to rent in the college library.

So, there you have it, a few simple ways to help you get back on track with your spending and undo all those drinks you bought during 12 pubs.

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January 15 2019

FAIS EAN

7

NÓ S MAIRE ACHTÁLA

19

Fashion’s Most Iconic Moments of 2018

By Catherine Taylor

THE MET GALA Arguably the most important date in fashion’s calendar, 2018’s Met Gala saw celebrities embrace religious tradition through a high fashion lens.

Themed ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,’ the event saw co-chair Rihanna arrive in a diamond-encrusted papal hat, while Zendaya transformed into the 21st century embodiment of Joan of Arc in grey armour. Undoubtedly, the star of the night was Gossip Girl alum and fashion darling Blake Lively, whose deep red Versace gown and ornamental halo headpiece stunned attendees and fashion enthusiasts alike.

SERENA WILLIAM’S CATSUIT CONTROVERSY Record-smashing pro tennis player Serena Williams faced sartorial challenge when her beloved catsuit was banned by the French Tennis Federation prior

to her match at the French Open. The organisation, who cited her choice of dress as inappropriate for professional tennis play, stated that William’s full-body suit was a step ‘too far,’ despite evidence that the suit had been specifically designed as a compression mechanism against blood clots, from which Williams suffers. However, when Williams subsequently arrived at the US Open in a custom Louis Vuitton black tutu, she became the catalyst for conversation about the sexist restrictions placed on women in professional sports.

MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDING DRESSES Undoubtedly one of the most iconic fashion moments of 2018, Suits star Meghan Markle wowed in a design

by Claire Waight Keller of Givenchy when she wed Prince Harry in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle.

The dress, which featured a boat neckline and simple satin material with no embellishment, came as a surprise to many royal enthusiasts, who predicted a more glamorous design fit for a Hollywood actress. However, the bride later changed into a second gown by Stella

A journey through mindfulness (easier said than done)

By Harry King It’s so easy today to get bogged down as modern living is so fast paced. Life seems to move so quickly.

We constantly worry about the future or think about the past. In truth, it’s very difficult to live in the present. In 2018 there was a lot of hype about mindfulness and 2019 won’t be any different. Selfhelp books are being bought off the shelves quicker than they are being written. Many students won’t have time for a half hour meditation, however there are many diverse techniques to return to the present.

In truth there’s a mindful way to do everything.

There are countless studies to prove that people who meditate are happier than those who don’t.

It objectively helps with dealing with the stresses and anxiety brought about by everyday life. It makes sense in today’s world. Social media sucks society into believing social narratives about other people’s lives which simply are not true. Thus, the importance of taking time out for yourself can’t be ignored.

From journal writing to mindful walking there are many simple ways to de stress and take a moment for yourself. Journal writing encourages you to reflect on the positives and negatives of the day gone past. Mindful walking just involves thinking about the sensation you feel when your feet hit the ground. Mindful listening involves paying attention to the sounds you hear in the environment around you. All techniques have certain qualities in common. They involve thinking about whatever it is that you are doing without a set agenda or passing judgement on it. To accept and appreciate.

Something as simple as reading a book or watching a film can work wonders for your mental health as long as you pay attention to it. Great art, whether its music, literature or film productions, has the ability to let you escape the daily hustle if you allow it to by giving it your undivided attention for as long as you can. The same serves for when you’re eating, you can’t fully appreciate a meal if its only complementing your phone.

You are where your attention is. How often do we meet somebody new and forget their name instantly? Mindfulness can help us with our daily interactions with peers also. The gift of your attention can bring two people closer together. Mindful listening involves stopping anything else you are doing when a friend is talking and to be patient with responses. You don’t always have to have a response ready to go before someone makes a point.

In its essence, mindfulness makes us feel better as it helps us accept objects and people for what they really are. A concept that marvels at the power of the present moment.

Many new year’s resolutions, statistically, will be absent by the end of this month. It might be a nice idea every day to take time for yourself and just become aware of any given situation. When we are young it always seems like we are preparing for something. For school, we prepare for exams to get into University. In University we prepare for a job, and in lots of jobs we prepare for another job. All of a sudden, a long time has passed, and it would be easy to forget what direction you want to go in life.

In the words of Ferris Bueller: “life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.”

McCartney for her reception. Featuring a halter neck and relaxed fit, the dress was said to be more in keeping with Meghan’s personal style and is sure to inspire the wedding gown choices of brides in 2019.

BTS ATTEND THE BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS IN GUCCI

firming her status as both a role model and style icon for the modern woman. During her tenure as First Lady of the United States, Obama rarely put a foot wrong in her clothing choices, and post-White House is no exception. Obama met with fashion muse Sarah Jessica Parker in Brooklyn, New York for the final stop of her book tour, wowing fans in a pair of daring Balenciaga thigh-high glitter boots and a metallic yellow maxi dress.

Boy group BTS dominated both the style and music stakes in 2018, as they became the first Korean group to ever attend the Billboard Music Awards in the U.S. The septet beat out the likes of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande for the Top Social Artist award two years running, attending the 2018 award ceremony in co-ordinated Gucci ensembles. BTS have become known for their high-end sartorial choices, gaining recognition from the likes of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar for their bold individual styles and influence on men’s fashion.

MICHELLE OBAMA’S BALENCIAGA GLITTER THIGH-HIGH BOOTS Former First-Lady, lawyer, activist and author Michelle Obama embarked on her first book tour in 2018, further reaf-

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January 15 2019

CREATIVE CORNER The Ghost in the Machine

By Seán O’Donnell Great sheets of light cascaded through the skylights above and bounced around the spacious interior, refracting off the sleek silver surfaces which coated almost every inch of the facility. I have always been astounded by the way in which the warehouse changed colour on the whim of the capricious skies above. In the early morning light, the slick metal floors glittered with a golden aura that threatened to blind those who stared at them too intently, for too long. When it rained, or when the sky grew tenebrous with clouds, a carpet of darkness fell from above, cloaking them in shadow. At night, the only source of light came from the stars overhead as they shimmered off the reflective surfaces below. At dusk, the facility looked as it did now, each sharp edge and smooth curve coated in a soft orange hue. Afterglow, they called it.

I marvelled at the effect the setting sun created as I made my evening rounds.

The equipment glittered and sparkled; the great whirring machines shone like grotesque, fiery monsters; curious metal pods at the end of the warehouse gleamed like oversized, relucent eggs. But it was the rows of decommissioned units that really caught the eye. They slotted into racks which lined the massive storehouse, awaiting disposal. There were thousands of them – row after row after row. I have always found them strangely beautiful.

They are so very still, so very peaceful, so very silent, their eyes wide open but unseeing.

Then I saw something in my peripheral vision, the slightest of movements, an almost imperceptible twitch. It was improbable – should have been impossible – but I had seen it, nonetheless.

I approached cautiously. Sometimes retired units had been known to display such sudden movements and twitches in the hours following deactivation – a glitch that had yet to be ironed out. However, it was also possible that there had been a mistake, that this unit had somehow slipped through the proper shutdown procedures.

I inched tentatively closer. Each unit in the facility had been marked for decommission because a fatal flaw or glitch had been found in their internal architecture.

This made them dangerous, and therefore it was of the utmost importance that they were safely retired. I relaxed somewhat when I was close enough to examine the unit properly. It was a female model, young and pretty, with short blond hair.

It looked just like the others, its pale skin glowing slightly in the dying light, its features expressionless, its caerulean eyes vacant glass orbs. There was no danger: all units were put into critical standby mode before they were transported to the facility for decommission.

Still, I figured that it was better to be safe than sorry. I unlatched the unit from the rack and hoisted it over

my shoulder before carrying it to a dormant machine in the centre of the room. I placed the model gently into the contraption before inserting a wire into the back of its head. I paused, examining the unit once more. I wondered briefly what was wrong with it, what flaw or glitch existed below its beautiful exterior? Then, failing to find an answer, I shrugged and activated the machine. It gave a mechanical roar as it shuddered into life. I pressed a few buttons to activate the procedure. Then something curious happened.

Just before the decommission process began, I saw something flash in the depths of the unit’s eyes. I froze. A glint of light had sparked there. A shadow had passed across those empty, reflective pools. It lasted only for an ephemeral heartbeat, but it had been there, I was certain of it. I knew what it was. I had seen it before, but it always unnerved me a little all the same. The phenomenon had been recorded in the units many times: just as the decommission procedure began, a strange light would flash across their eyes for the briefest of moments, before they shut down completely. The anomaly was so prevalent that it had been given a name.

They called it: The Ghost in the Machine.

I stared into the unit’s eyes for a long, lingering moment, trying to discern some indication of intelligence, some sign of life. I found none. Those blue eyes were blank, vacuous, entirely devoid of emotion. Curiously disappointed, I lifted the unit out of the machine and returned it to the rack. The other models watched on, still as statues, silent as the night.

Darkness had fallen, and they were illuminated only by the starlight which filtered in from the skylights overhead. They glimmered in the dim light, and for an insane moment, I pitied them. For they could not see, much less comprehend, the beauty of their surroundings.

I made my way to the metal pods in the back of the facility. Hundreds of eyes watched me pass, glowing out at me from the twilight. I found my charging station and prepared to plug myself in for the night. It had been a busy day, and tomorrow would be busy too.

In the solitary moments before I shut down each night, I often wonder to myself: How are there so many problems with so many of them?

How do they have so many flaws? So many glitches?

It seemed that more and more units were arriving each day. Thousands upon thousands of them – a never ending stream.

These Humans had been malfunctioning so often lately.

“Consciousness is unquantifiable, a ghost in the machine, barely considered real at all, though in a sense this flickering mosaic of awareness is the only true reality that we can ever know” – Alan Moore.

7

SIAMSAÍOCHT

21

BLACK MIRROR’S Bandersnatch: the advent of interactive television or Netflix’s secret weapon?

By Catherine Taylor Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror returned to Netflix on 28 December with Bandersnatch, an interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ episode with multiple endings.

The landmark sequence doubles as both a feature film and a video game, giving viewers the opportunity to make decisions which ultimately influence the outcome. Set in 1984, no doubt an ode to George Orwell’s novel of the same name, Bandersnatch follows video game creator Stefan Butler as he attempts to adapt a fictional novel, the titular Bandersnatch, into an interactive video game. Stefan is an only child who blames the untimely death of his mother on his bewildered father, who witnesses Stefan’s eventual mental collapse at the hands of the game that consumes him.

Since its debut in 2011, Black Mirror has pushed boundaries, raising thought-provoking questions about societal issues surrounding morality, social media, modern politics and vigilante justice. Each episode is independent of the last, with new characters and settings attributed to each individual chapter. However, one overarching theme prevails across all Black Mirror episodes: modern technology is developing at such a rate as to be considered potentially detrimental to society.

What, if anything, does Bandersnatch have to say about these issues? As a film, Bandersnatch is well written and skilfully plotted, with stellar performances from Fionn Whitehead as Stefan and Will Poulter as master programmer Colin Ritman. Strip back the interactive elements and Stefan’s story remains impactful, even though all five potential endings to the film are at worst frightening, and at best bittersweet.

EVENTS

The genius of Bandersnatch, therefore, lies in its intrinsic message concerning the concept of ‘free will’. Stefan has created a game that tricks the player into believing they have the power to influence the ending when, ultimately, all potential endings have been decided for them. Stefan’s game, therefore, mirrors the game we as viewers are playing in real time. If there are five potential endings to our viewing of Bandersnatch, which is the truest ending? Most viewers find that the first, second or even third conclusions they come to are unsatisfactory.

To its credit, Bandersnatch allows players to go back to a decision-making point in the story and choose an alternate pathway, in the hopes of finding a happier conclusion for Stefan. This is the secret of Bandersnatch’s success: in combining addictive storytelling with the potential to view alternate endings, Black Mirror has created a real game as addictive as Stefan’s fictional one.

Bandersnatch could therefore be viewed as Netflix’s secret weapon in the growing competition between streaming services. Netflix is now competing for customers with the likes of Amazon Prime and Hulu. Having the first interactive film of its kind on its service may give the company an edge over other streaming sites.

Interactive films also target the problem of illegal streaming or piracy, as Bandersnatch is proving notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to stream without a Netflix subscription. Therefore Bandersnatch, with its ‘choose your own adventure’ format, may be the forerunner of interactive television in an age of streaming innovation.

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SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

Remembering the idols we lost in 2018

By Owen Kennedy I think it’s safe to say that 2018 was a difficult year for the majority of us. The news seemed overly negative with everything from Trump to Brexit, North Korea and the numerous natural tragedies in between it all. But the biggest sting 2018 left, that many of us may still be recovering from, is the loss of some of the world’s most influential celebrities and famous figures who passed on.

Dolores O’ Riordan, 6 September 1971 - 15 January 2018 I’m going to be honest, I didn’t know a lot of the Cranberries music until I heard about the passing of Dolores O’ Riordan.

I knew their most popular songs like ‘Dreams’ and ‘Linger’. I revisited their music and gained a newfound appreciation for them. To the Faithful Departed is probably my favourite album the band have released, but almost all of their discography is of excellent quality, and none of it would have been achieved without their lead singer.

Avicii (Tim Bergling), 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018 Avicii was inescapable from my music playlists when I was in secondary school.

Avicii was a pioneer in the genre of EDM, electronic dance music, with DJs like Calvin Harris and David Guetta joining

him as some of the first to popularise EDM into today’s music scene. Whilst ‘Levels’ is possibly his most iconic single, ‘Wake Me Up’ is personally my favourite song he has released.

Stephen Hawking 8 January 1942 - 14 March 2018 Hawking’s revolutionary work has changed the world of science and how we understand our universe. His amazing discoveries and theories almost feel like they have shaped the universe itself.

However, I think the most remarkable accomplishment of Hawking’s is his overcoming of ALS. He suffered from the disease for 50 years and never once let it stop him from continuing to enlighten us with his knowledge.

Aretha Franklin, 25 March 1942 - 16 August 2018 The Queen of Soul was amazing throughout her life in the limelight, currently still ranked as the number one most charted female artist in history. With 112 charted singles, including 22 number one hits, it’s safe to say she was pretty good. ‘Respect’ was probably

her magnum opus when it came to her music, but I always thought of ‘Chain of Fools’ as the better song personally.

Mac Miller (Malcom McCormick) 19 January 1992 - 7 September 2018 Another young musical artist we lost his year, Mac Miller burst onto the scene 2011 with Blue Slide Park, hitting num-

ber one in the first week. His latest and unfortunately final album Swimming is currently nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammy’s in February. Miller will be remembered for being the kid who came up from humble beginnings, he started off making mixtapes in Pittsburgh at the age of 14, to becoming one of the biggest rappers in the industry.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, 2 November 1927 - 29 June 2018 This one hit me hard, I won’t lie. I’ve been a fan of superheroes and Marvel ever since I was a toddler. Stan Lee gave us some of fiction’s most iconic figures, from the Fantastic 4 to the X-Men, to Daredevil and the Incredible Hulk, and let’s not forget his charming cameos. Whilst Stan’s passing was tragic, we also lost his co-artist Steve Ditko earlier in the year, creator of Doctor Strange and Spider-Man’s most iconic villains like the Green Goblin.

These two were superheroes in their own right.

Dolores O’ Riordan

What’s on in Galway No Mr Spacey,

By Sarah Gill After a nice break spent eating our weight in turkey, fighting over the green triangle in the Quality Street box and catching up on Netflix, we’re back to reality. I, for one, am ready to jump back into the streets of Galway and experience as much as I can.

If you are looking for something to get up to over the coming weeks, either with your friends or solo, look no further!

19 JAN THE DIRTY CIRCUS AT THE RÓISÍN DUBH Cabaret, burlesque, drag, comedy and music, what more could you need for a successful night out?

Bring your Moulin Rouge fantasies to life with this celebration of glamour, sexuality and diversity.

25 JAN NEGATIVE CREEPS (NIRVANA TRIBUTE) AT MONROES If 90’s grunge is your forte, this is the place to be. Negative

Creeps reincarnate the intense and raw sound of Nirvana, performing all your favourite anthems from ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ to ‘­Lithium’.

25 JAN PAINTCLUB AT TRIBETON Fancy sipping on a pint, some prosecco or a cocktail while you create art in the company of other like-minded, creative people? The paint club is a bimonthly event which invites people to come along and recreate a different painting each meeting.

18 JAN GALWAY DARK TOUR FROM THE SKEFF If you’re interested in delving into the darker side of Galway’s history, this walking tour will take you through the story of the women of the Magdalene Laundry, the hanging of Myles Joyce for a murder he didn’t commit, how the famine hit Galway, and much more.

let me be frank

By Darragh Nolan Just as the sun began to set on 2018 and Kevin Spacey had totally faded from the public eye, the disgraced actor re-emerged in truly bizarre fashion. Christmas Eve saw Spacey tweet for the first time in over a year with a video in which he seemingly denies the numerous sexual assault allegations made against him, in character as Frank Underwood from House of Cards.

The vague, almost tongue in cheek clip left us with more questions than answers. Was this some sort of strange cry for help? Was the boisterous and charismatic Spacey simply getting in on the festivities of the holiday season?

Naturally something more sinister was at play. The video came within hours of Spacey being charged with felony assault and battery for a 2016 incident involving an 18-year-old man.

Despite the shock and awe generated by the sudden release of Spacey’s high production value Let Me Be Frank routine, we shouldn’t be surprised. This is the same man who responded to actor Anthony Rapp’s sexual abuse allegation in 2017 with a press release that trivialised the incident. Kevin Spacey tried to rebuke an accusation of molesting a

14-year-old boy by explaining it away with drunkenness, and then coming out in the subsequent paragraph.

Kevin Spacey is doing all the wrong things in the age of #MeToo, regardless of his guilt or innocence. He was already forced out of public by the allegations, but his attitude since has turned him into a walking PR disaster. His initial statement in October 2017 was insufficient and tactless. His silence up until recently was respectful, simply because he wasn’t saying anything to further draw attention away from alleged wrongdoing. This latest stunt might be the worst of all.

Not only does the video feature the revival of Spacey’s iconic Underwood character but his actual approach to his legal issues appears to mimic what Frank Underwood might do in the same situation. He’s trying to manipulate the media and the public at every turn, painting himself as someone who has been victimised and mitigating the stories of his accusers.

There’s no denying that his handling of the case has caused more harm. In October 2017 prominent LGBT Hollywood personalities including Wanda Sykes and Billy Eichner accused him of using coming out to distract from Rapp’s allegations and also reinforcing the

stigma that homosexuality and abuse are related. The Christmas Eve social media return took a case of the utmost seriousness and sensitivity and reduced it to the subject of a pre-prepared, pitiful denial, written directed and produced for 9.2 million viewers in less than two weeks.

It’s crucial that we don’t get pulled away from the real story at hand. Kevin Spacey faces up to five years in prison for a criminal charge of assault. The alleged victim claims to have video evidence proving Spacey’s guilt. Whatever the outcome in court, he has revealed his true colours has a reprehensible man lacking awareness for how his actions negatively impact those around him. He made a failed attempt to avoid his next court hearing showing he won’t even face his accuser in person. He was recently seen wearing a cap branded “Retired since 2017”. Hopefully it stays that way.

C U LT ÚR

January 15 2019

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse review

By Nithu Krish We have had three live-action film versions of Spiderman so far and because of that, I was a little sceptical watching this film. Having so many versions of the same character made me wonder if the film would work, but one look at the trailer was all I needed to book my ticket. In short, the film works, and it does so in a beautiful manner.

Here’s why…

The story begins with Miles Morales, a high school student realising that there is more than one Spiderman due to a particular event. Saying more will rob you of the pleasure of seeing this unfold on-screen. What follows is a pulsating adventure

with the right amount of emotions thrown into it.

One of the highlights of the film is the way it looks; the animation is done in such a manner that the film feels like a comic book come to life. The only other recent film that I can think of doing this is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which had the limitation of being live-action.

Being an animated film gives Spiderverse the ability to look and feel unique. Imagine reading a comic book and seeing those images come to life in your mind. This is exactly how it feels when watching the film.

A film like this will not work without a talented bunch of voice-actors which, thankfully, Spiderverse has in abundance. Whether it is Jake Johnson’s Spiderman, or Brian Tyree Henry who plays Morales’ dad, each of them brings so much personality to their work. When these characters speak, it doesn’t feel like someone is just mouthing lines, we feel that they are real people with real feelings. A special mention has to be made of John Mulaney who plays Spider-Ham and has some of the funniest lines in the film.

You do not have to be a Spiderman fan to watch this film, as it is one that will appeal to all ages. There isn’t really any flaw in the film. You may be able to find something if you nit-pick and if you do, good for you.

What we have is a film that gives the very idea of a superhero film a fresh way to move forward. It is visually dazzling but doesn’t lose sight of the emotional core of the film. The journey of Miles Morales is one that we can relate to even though most of us haven’t been bit by a radioactive spider. So, go watch Spiderverse and you are sure to have a great time.

For more film reviews, check out www.filmsnframes.com

Bethel Woods Music and Cultural Festival – a celebration of Woodstock’s 50th anniversary

By Sarah Gill In the summer of ’69 over 400,000 people gathered on a dairy farm 30 minutes from New York City to celebrate music, culture and art at the iconic Woodstock festival. Jimi Hendrix, the Who and Janis Joplin were just some of the musical greats to grace the main stage of the festival to spread the message of love and positivity through their music. The spirit and energy that permeated the air was one of peace, love and community. On those magical days in August almost 50 years ago, an era was defined.

Michael Lang, the co-creator of the original event, has announced that 16 to 18 August will mark the 50th anniversary celebration, taking place at the original location in “entertainment villages” and “bespoke performance areas” created just for the event.

It has been reported that this pan-generational cultural event will feature “live performances from prominent and emerging artists spanning multiple genres and decades, with TED-style talks from leading futurists and retro-tech experts”. This experience hopes to educate and inspire a new generation to change the world through music, which was the ethos of the original movement.

This is not the first time the festival’s anniversary has been celebrated. 1994 marked Woodstock’s 25th anniversary while Woodstock ’99 was a chaotic event headlined by Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Metallica. Some acts rumoured to headline the 2019 event are Daft Punk, Elton John and the Foo Fighters, though none have been confirmed as of yet.

This reincarnation of one of the most iconic rock and roll celebrations is set to make history and ignite a much-needed spirit and energy in the younger generation.

7

SIAMSAÍOCHT

23

Let her wear lipstick

By Olivia Hanna Kim KardashianWest has come under scrutiny yet again for letting her daughter, five-year-old North West, wear red lipstick to the annual Kardashian Christmas party.

The elaborate all-white Dr Seuss themed party was attended by the Kardashian and Jenner clans as well as other celebrity faces such as Paris Hilton, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. In true Kardashian style, images from the event were posted on Instagram and Snapchat and people were quick to notice North’s unnaturally crimson hued lips.

People took to their keyboards to criticize the decision, making comments such as “lipstick on a child? Not okay” and “Why does that little baby have lipstick on?”

Many commenters also took to defending North and Kim by sharing stories of when they wore lipstick at a young age and pointing out that stores market make-up kits to little girls.

Kim also stated in a tweet that the choice to wear the lipstick was North’s and that it was a special occasion.

It is absurd that people who have no connection to the Kardashian-West family feel as if they have the right to criticize and shame them for such an innocuous choice. We don’t know what goes on behind closed doors and how Kim chose to address North’s decision to wear the lipstick. But Kim is right, it was a special occasion and for North wearing lipstick is a fun and exciting privilege. She watches her family members get ‘glam’ and got to participate in that.

Even if she didn’t just wear the lipstick for a special occasion, what is the harm in it? Some of the Instagram commenters suggested it means North would engage in sexual activity at a younger age. It’s disgusting that some people even imagined that happening. Lipstick and makeup are simply a form of self-expression and don’t need to be sexualized, especially on a little girl.

Kim should be trusted to make the right decisions for her family and, quite frankly, people should stop being so concerned about whether or not a little girl is wearing lipstick at a Christmas party. As Kourtney once reminded Kim, “there are people that are dying.”

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

BOOK REVIEW: Michelle Obama’s Becoming By Áine Kenny This Christmas, I was hoping someone would get me Michelle Obama’s memoir. She was a woman who I had long admired for her grace, strength and wisdom. It mustn’t be easy having a charismatic husband, let alone being the First Lady. I wanted to find out more about her life. Luckily, my dad prevailed and bought me a copy.

The book is quite long, 421 pages.

It’s only available in hardback at the moment. The cover features a smiling picture of Michelle, honestly, she is stunning. As for the writing, it is brilliant. Michelle is a trained lawyer, and it shows. Her book is clear, concise, meticulous and thoughtful. The memoir is divided into three sections: Becoming Me, which details her childhood, Becoming Us, which details her relationship with Barack and his early political career, and Becoming More, which focuses on their time in the White House.

My favourite part of the book is probably when Michelle describes her childhood and Barack starting his political career. She had a modest upbringing, two strong-willed and hardworking parents, who ensured their kids got the best opportunities: both Michelle and her brother went to Princeton. Her relationship to the city of Chicago is also most intriguing, she describes up-close the gentrification of the neighbourhoods that surrounded her and white flight. She analyses her career trajectory with a fine-toothed comb: at twenty-five, she was a high-up lawyer and Sidley and Austin, a big-wig Chicago law firm, with her own office.

But she wasn’t happy, her job wasn’t meaningful. And this is where it gets really interesting.

A major theme that permeates throughout the book is the idea of helping people and meaningful public service. Michelle leaves the law firm to work for Chicago’s Mayor, later she works in community outreach programmes, getting youth leadership schemes off the ground, getting poorer folks healthcare. She has a completely different approach to her husband: she believed that she could do good and give back to her community without getting involved with politics.

In fact, she hates politics! She didn’t even want Barack to run for office, as their kids were too young and it would mean he would have limited time for family. She even discusses very personal things such as marriage counselling, miscarriages and IVF. This rawness is welcomed, this is an honest memoir; she even admits she only “allowed” Barack to run for president because she never thought he would win, because (to paraphrase her) at the end of the day, he was a black man in America.

The role of First Lady is also scrutinised in the book. This role has no official guide map, but Michelle decided to spearhead campaigns that focused on military families and obesity. I was surprised to see how pro-military she was, not just with reference to honouring the servicemen.

She doesn’t critically analyse why these young men have been maimed, or why these wives are now widows.

Surely, she sees that their sacrifices are not simply to “keep America safe”,

but a part of a much larger problem of a military industrial complex, with American troops fighting in unnecessary wars? This was my one criticism of the book.

The one thing she isn’t afraid to criticise is her husband or politics. She is a neat freak, while Barack is a messy person, who even used to be a serial smoker.

She gives out about when he failed to write his book on time, and didn’t study enough to pass the bar exam. The book really gives a great insight into his character and their relationship: he arrived as an intern in Sidley and Austin, she was his mentor (although three years his junior). Both went to predominantly white colleges, both excelled at lawyering, but it wasn’t where their true passions lay.

Some of the most poignant parts of the book are about how she worried about the effects public office was having on her children, how she struggled to cope with all of the criticism the media and trolls were throwing at her, how she had to get media training to make herself seem softer and more likeable, to avoid the unfair “angry black woman” stereotype. Her candidness is refreshing, also, she doesn’t mince words about Donald Trump: she calls him out as a bully.

The book concludes with her saying: “there’s power in allowing yourself to become known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others.”

If this isn’t an excellent summation of what we should all strive to be, I don’t know what is.

Rating: 5/5

shirtless. In prison, he was forced into a bare-knuckle boxing gang, and this plot point lead to nowhere: the writers just needed to make sure KJ Apa had at least 20 minutes of bare-chested glory.

The female characters are also completely sexualised. When Veronica and Toni go to bust Cheryl out of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy’s dungeons, they dress in heels, low-cut tops and night-club wear. While they both look stunning, it is completely ridiculous they would be dressed like that to go on a stealth mission. It is just so unnecessary, why can’t two girls help their friend without it turning into a runway?

Another part of Riverdale that really annoys me is how the show glorifies gang culture. While the Southside Serpents are no Heartless Felons, they do dabble in serious violence: Jughead literally slices the skin off Penny Peabody’s arm (this is a far cry from the sensitive writer of season one), while his mother seems to murder Penny pretty casually, judging from hints in the last episode. While the show may represent the Serpents as a family, listening to the latest season of the Serial podcast will have you convinced: a gang is not a family. Most

vulnerable young people who are in these gangs wind up dead, in prison, or in witness protection. Riverdale completely fails to examine gang culture effectively.

Ridiculous plotlines and oversexualisation aside, Riverdale does get one thing right: representation. Featuring a diverse cast with many actors from minority backgrounds, teens can finally see themselves on screen. There is also great LGBTQ representation, with Kevin, Toni and Cheryl all engaging in relationships which are not a main plotline: there is no dramatic coming out story that lasts a whole season, their character isn’t defined solely by their sexuality. This is definitely a step forward from most tv shows where writers shoe-horn in a gay character just to tick the box for representation.

All in all, this show is so bad it’s actually good. I want to stop watching it, but I feel like I have invested too many hours of my life into this weird town to give up on it now. Then again, that’s what I thought when I was watching Pretty Little Liars, and I was severely let down

by Marlene King. Here’s hoping Betty doesn’t have an evil British twin sister!

Riverdale: it’s so bad it’s good By Áine Kenny Anyone else guilty of watching Riverdale, the teen drama show set in a mysterious town that seems hell-bent on self-destructing? I started watching the show in the hopes it would be a better version of Pretty Little Liars, believing that some writers and showrunners out there actually notice glaring plot holes and remember what happened in season one, gradually joining the dots to form a logical conclusion.

Riverdale has presented me with a different problem: bizarre storylines that have no connection to one another, that become more and more insane as the tv show progresses.

Riverdale season one starts out with the murder of Jason Blossom, and the story follows a sort of mystery drama.

Season two takes a ridiculously dark turn, with Betty’s annoying dad Hal Cooper being outed as the Black Hood, a crazed serial killer who tried to kill Fred Andrews (aka the only faultless man in the show) not once but twice.

If you thought that plotline seemed a bit far-fetched (why did Hal randomly just start killing people in season two,

when serial killers usually act over prolonged periods of time) wait till you get to season three.

Season three features one of the most ridiculous plotlines in the history of tv, and I am including Lost. Riverdale’s resident crime lord, Hiram Lodge, expertly portrayed by Mark Consuelos – you may know him as the police officer from Friends who pulls over Rachel while she’s driving the Porsche – has decided to use the town of Riverdale as his own drug factory, with the entire town being quarantined and guarded by state troopers with guns. Think The Simpsons Movie, but without the dome.

But this is not the craziest plot of this season, oh no. While Hiram is all up in high school students’ faces, giving them seizures with his drugs, he’s trying to murder his daughter’s boyfriend while also framing him for a crime he didn’t commit. Literally no one in the town seems to care at all, when it is overwhelmingly obvious that Archie is not guilty. There is literally zero public outcry, and no lawyers willing to help, despite the fact Hiram has been imprisoned, is a known Mafioso, and can have people killed with the click of his fingers?

And on top of this, everyone in the town is playing a knock-off version of Dungeons and Dragons called Griffins and Gargoyles, which is making people take their own lives. There is also some demonic figure called the gargoyle king running around in a big cape with a bloody animal skull mask on. And no, it isn’t Hiram Lodge. Is it Hal Cooper, busted out of jail? Who even knows at this point.

Some of the even more unrealistic plot points include the Sisters of Quiet Mercy convent, which is essentially a modern-day Magdalene Laundry. I find it incredibly difficult to believe these sorts of institutions would be allowed in 2019... is there no law enforcement in this universe? That’s right, there is literally only one police officer in the entire town of Riverdale, and he was Hiram’s lackey, that is, before Hiram had him beheaded and dismembered. The whole story is just so ridiculously laughable, yet I can’t stop watching this cursed show.

The one thing I really hate about Riverdale is how it unnecessarily sexualises the “teenagers” (all the cast are well over 20) on the show. Archie, as a character, is little more than a hunk of meat. At every opportunity, the show seeks to make him

SPÓIRT

January 15 2019

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We should all dare to dream as 2019 promises to be a thrilling year in sport

By Gary Elbert Looking ahead to Irish sporting events, the Rugby World Cup under the Oriental sun looms large. Arguably the best collection of Irish rugby players since the game’s inception on the island will head to Japan hungry, determined, and targeting outright victory.

A tentative hope exists, resting upon a precarious dream of success that is pockmarked by previous bitter experience restricting full blown optimism.

The upcoming Six Nations campaign will either temper or heighten expectations. Perhaps, its better if we lose a game or two thus allowing the Irish team to enter the fray in Japan with the more comfortable role of dangerous but capable underdogs.

The Irish soccer team goes back to the future with Mick McCarthy spearheading the European qualification campaign, with a squad full of passionate but limited journeymen footballers. Irish soccer rarely produces world class players, and McCarthy’s shortterm appointment aims to inject new passion into the listless performances that spelled the end of Martin O Neil’s dull tenure. The Irish underage structure needs radical overhauling. Ten – year – old children still play 11 – a – side games at the weekend, where

substitutes often remain unused and victory is the aim not skill development. That must change.

The group facing McCarthy’s team are not to be feared. 12 points from Gibraltar and Georgia is possible, while Switzerland are a possible four-point target. The games against Denmark will prove pivotal and aside from our recent capitulation to Christian Eriksen, the Danish squad is just as average as our own.

Again, McCarthy’s slightly more expansive style married with renewed energy and passion should see the Irish team lay the groundwork in 2019 for a playoff spot at least. Southampton’s teenage talent Michael Obafemi offers some hope for the Irish. The team has lacked a proven goal-scorer who excels against park bus defences since the retirement of Robbie Keane. The ongoing Declan Rice saga will need resolving. McCarthy has elected not to share any great details of his talks with the West Ham player.

For this writer, the smart money is on Rice looking to maximise his career earnings and switching allegiance to England.

In Gaelic Football, Dublin remain the team to beat.

Their superior fitness levels are unmatched, while their winning pedigree and consistency will fail to

Football club documentaries:

GOOD TV OR JUST GOOD PR?

By Darren Casserly Recently, with the release of the Netflix series ‘Sunderland ‘Till I Die,’ a fly-on-the-wall documentary following in the footsteps of Amazon’s Manchester City’s ‘All or Nothing’, many of us questioned if these kinds of productions are even worth watching or are they just positive PR for the subject.

Both of these documentaries follow the clubs varying seasons, and their executions are vastly different.

From sheer production value, City’s is visually more appealing with many bright shots of the dressing room, green pitches and even the training facilities reinforcing a bright image of the club.

This with the use of narrator Sir Ben Kingsley gives the documentary remarkably high production value, up there with some of the best documentaries available. Contrastingly, in Sunderland’s documentary there’s no narrator and many dark and gloomy shots. These negative shots with dull colours foreshadow the events of the series.

Also, the perspective of both of these documentaries is vastly different as City’s is very much about the club and the personalities within it whilst Sunderland’s documentary focus is on the whole city of Sunderland. The in-house interviews and team talks in “All or Nothing” shows you what City wants you to see with little to distinguish between interviewees.

Meanwhile, Sunderland is viewing it more from the fan’s perspective and the clubs’ relationship with the city of Sunderland. Brutally honest reactions from fans postgame and reactions during the week show us the effect of Sunderland on the whole city.

In Manchester City’s documentary you get a cleancut silky-smooth vision of this season with the narrator guiding you along and you get the feeling it’s what the club want you to see. Sunderland’s is the polar opposite, detailing the cruelties of the game in many hard-hitting interviews with fans and players alike. From Johnny Williams injury-plagued year, to the much-publicised drink driving of ex-Ireland midfield Darron Gibson and even the case of Jack Rodwell and his exuberant wages for no game time, this Sunderland documentary pulls no punches and explores the reality of football.

The atmosphere is also vastly different, which isn’t the documentaries fault, with Manchester City fighting for the title and Sunderland battling relegation. This makes the Sunderland documentary more interesting as they are struggling to stay up and the responses are brutally honest about what they really think of the team, much more so than the Manchester City documentary, where they have no real problems.

However, if you are looking for a documentary that will show you everything about the club, you will be disappointed, but the Sunderland documentary does tell a better story and leaves you wanting more.

The new trend of football documentaries starting with another Netflix production ‘First Team: Juventus’ does show that teams are now willing to show fans a peek behind the curtain, but the question remains do they show you the full story? The bigger the club, the more influence they have over the documentary, the story that they tell, and how honest the people at the club are.

A great example of the honesty of the players in the Sunderland documentary is former Irish international Aiden McGredy’s critical appraisal of their season and playing staff, whilst there is no interview comparable in Manchester City’s documentary.

While this may be down to the success that City had last season, there is a surprising lack of negativity towards the club.

Saying this, both docuseries were entertaining in their own way, and any football fan would thoroughly enjoy them. Both allow us to see a personality instead of just a face which we are used to seeing on TV. One of the best aspects of these docuseries is the interactions between the players, especially with the Manchester City documentary that shows us the players are not just teammates but friends.

A great aspect of the Sunderland documentary is the time they spend with the fans, especially during the matches, and the passion that they display show us that their passion lasts 24/7/365 instead of just 90 minutes on a Saturday. These give the documentaries a focus and characters which even people who wouldn’t be fans of sports would grow attached to and enjoy them for their story and unrequited passion.

be tested in the shallow Leinster Football Championship. The usual suspects will plot an ambush, but it remains to be seen where the challenge comes from.

Galway football is rising, but perhaps they are a year away from mounting a challenge. The bookies rate Dublin as 2/1 on to retain their title.

In hurling, reports suggest Limerick are focused on retention of their breakthrough win last September. On any given day, any one of Tipperary, Kilkenny, Galway, Cork, Waterford and Clare can beat each other. The reappointment of Liam Sheedy to the Premier places Tipperary as robust underdogs while Kilkenny’s rebuilding project continues. Either way, hurling’s aristocratic counties will likely provide more sporting seesaw battles over the summer.

In combat sports, we are likely at the tail end of Conor McGregor’s storied and thrilling career. A trilogy with Diaz may happen depending on whether the minted Crumlin man really wants to mix it with the Stockton psycho one more time. UFC president Dana White has suggested the Khabib rematch is back on the table depending on the outcome of the Nevada State Athletic Commissions hearings into the postfight brawl back in October. McGregor’s stubbornness may just be his downfall. The Khabib rematch is the wrong move to make, but in fairness to the Crumlin man, if it was only just about the money then he would avoid the Dagestan powerhouse.

In boxing, a disappointing year saw Carl Frampton

lose against a game Josh Warrington, and Spike O Sullivan rendered unconscious by the fearsome left hook of David Lemieux. Katie Taylor continued her dominance but still no sign of a homecoming, while Midlands expat TJ Doheny pulled off one of the best underdog stories of the year in claiming a World title in the super bantamweight division against a Japanese home favourite. Looking ahead to this year, Irish boxing seems to be entering a rebuilding period.

Irish MMA still waits on a contender to enter the professional ranks.

In a years’ time in a dream scenario, Ireland are World Cup rugby champions. The Irish soccer team are cruising through their group spearheaded by new boys Rice and Obafemi, and Conor McGregor has just destroyed Khabib to reclaim the lightweight title.

Locally Oughterard talent Kieran Molloy continues to build towards Tokyo 2020, while former World kickboxing champion Cathal Manning enters the pro game of MMA after securing a bronze medal at the IMMAF European Championships in Bucharest.

Galway United have resigned well-travelled striker Vinny Faherty as they seek to improve on an underwhelming season while Connacht Rugby is going from strength to strength with the announcement of a new stadium upgrade being given the green light.

Galway sport is in rude health.

It is ok to dream. Dreams are the images upon which we build our goals.

28 SPORT

MMA cannot be a clean sport while Jon Jones competes

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

STILL UP FOR GRABS

By Darragh Nolan Where Jon Jones goes controversy follows. His latest comeback from a drug suspension looked to be doomed when he tested positive for turinabol in the week leading up to his rematch with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232. This illegal substance was the same one that saw Jones stripped of his light heavyweight title, his win over arch rival Daniel Cormier changed to a no contest and left him suspended for 15 months. The UFC’s decision to move the fight from Las Vegas to California damaged their credibility in the short term, but the sport of MMA as a whole could suffer for far longer.

Since 2015, the UFC has been at the forefront of cleaning up the sport of MMA. Their deal with the United States Anti-Doping Agency brought state of the art out-of-competition testing to the organisation, and the effects were felt immediately.

Positive tests for former champions including Anderson Silva and Brock Lesnar indicated the effectiveness of the programme. Elite fighters like Johny Hendricks and Alistair Overeem underwent obvious physical changes and quickly slid down the pecking order, showing that USADA’s strict policies were forcing athletes to change their training habits. Jon Jones’ latest debacle has erased all the good work done in the past three and a half years.

No matter how many times Dana White, Jeff Novitzky and Jones himself harp on about “picograms”, the fact remains that Jon Jones failed a drug test and was allowed to compete anyway. The Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, and when such measures are taken the other commissions usually respect the decision.

But California welcomed the event, and Jones decisively beat Gustafsson to reclaim his belt with a banned substance in his system.

Jones’ numerous mistakes don’t just damage his own legacy. His questionable history has tainted the career of Daniel Cormier. Sure, he’s one of the greatest to ever make the walk to the octagon. But he could never beat Jon Jones. What if Jones never tested positive? Would he still run through Cormier?

The frustrating reality is that Jon Jones might be such a great martial artist that it doesn’t matter. He’s the definition of an eight-point striker, his kickboxing second to none and his effective use of elbows and knees is simply the best we’ve ever seen in the UFC. A complete fighter who used his ground game to dispatch Gustafsson on 29 December. We’ll always wonder what might or might not have been because Jon Jones couldn’t stay clean.

Both he and the UFC have a dark tinge that we can’t ignore. The immediacy with which Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and Dominick Cruz called for the third Jones-DC match felt like a forced cash grab. Cormier has rightly questioned whether steroids are “part of the deal now” with Jones.

A ready – made excuse has been manufactured for Jon Jones to test positive for long-term metabolites for the rest of his career.

It feels too convenient that a fighter who has struggled to stay away from drugs, recreational and performance enhancing, could be licensed to fight with steroids in his body for years to come. Lest we forget that the UFC allowed its athletes to avail of testosterone replacement therapy up until 2014.

It’s a stretch to say that I’ll never watch Jon Jones fight again, but I certainly don’t take him seriously anymore.

A career that includes wins over “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort and Reshad Evans among many others feels like a total sham. The UFC will continue to thrive under their new TV deal with ESPN in the States, and the sport as a whole will grow towards bigger and better things. But as long as they facilitate Jones and his antics, they can’t claim to be a clean organisation and critics can once again dismiss MMA as a dirty sport.

Image: Ben Sutherland via Flickr

By Markus Krug The 2018/19 Premier League season has seen one of the most exciting title races in recent memories so far. As of 4 January, there are three major title challengers battling for first place. Liverpool are in first place with Manchester City trailing by four points and Tottenham trailing by six. And while we still have almost half a season left, it would take major shake ups for the likes of Chelsea (10 points behind), Arsenal (13 points) or Manchester United (16 points) to get back into title contention.

For the longest time, it looked like a neck and neck race between Manchester City and Liverpool, when both teams went on a long unbeaten run. City had a slight advantage and seemed like the favourites to repeat last year’s success. Tottenham seemed fairly far behind the two, once again hindered by their inconsistency.

Then City lost three out of four matches within 18 days. And while Manchester City is still a powerhouse that can win against any other EPL team on a good day, the losses to Crystal Palace and Leicester City were both surprising and devastating for Pep Guardiola’s team. Even after winning their recent head to head matchup in a hotly contested and highly entertaining 2 – 1 win at home, City trail the Reds by four points. Tottenham had their recent run halted by a costly loss against Wolverhampton and are now trailing six points behind the league leaders. With this lead and a seemingly easier schedule coming up, is it now Liverpool’s league to lose?

Obviously, they are in a great position right now. Their squad seems to have perfected Jürgen Klopp’s high-octane style while obtaining a tactical variability that sees them reacting effectively to different opponents

and game situations. Their trio of Mané, Firmino and Salah is clicking as well as it ever has, while new stars like Xerdan Shaqiri, Fabinho and Naby Keita are contributing at a surprisingly high rate. With energizer Oxlade-Chamberlain looking to be ready to come back from injury sooner than expected, their squad surely looks set for a title run.

So, what could derail the Liverpool hype train on its way to a league title? While losing midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain to a long-term injury was unfortunate, this hit the Reds in an area where they had plenty of other options and that was also strengthened with several new arrivals during the summer transfer window.

An injury to one of their attacking three players would prove much harder to handle and would probably have a bigger impact on their title chances. Mané, Firmino and Salah are the main scoring threats for Liverpool and of their potential replacements only Shaqiri has shown to be a reliable scorer this season.

While the likes of Sturridge and Lallana are trustworthy on the pitch, they are far from the constant goal threat of their three main strikers. An injury to either one or even just the need to rest them down the road could prove fatal.

Besides the unpleasant possibility of injuries, the recent example of a struggling Manchester City side should be a warning for every Liverpool fan already planning a title parade around the town. At the beginning of December, City looked like the most likely option to win the title while putting together a run that made them look almost untouchable.

Then they lost several “must win” matches and fell all the way to third place.

The Premier League has proven how competitive it still is and that an offensive dry spell can hit even the biggest of names

at the worst of times. And while they are consistently winning at the moment, it is not impossible to envision the Reds losing a shocker against teams like Bournemouth or Burnley down the road. While I will not use past shortcomings as an argument here, both the Liverpool squad and their head coach have experienced similar scenarios.

Even right now, with the Reds leading the league all that glitters is not gold. The defence has improved drastically since the arrival of centre back Virgil van Dijk from Southampton about a year ago. But at the same time the defence is now shockingly dependant on the big guy from the Netherlands. Any injury or even just slight drop off in form could be catastrophic for their stability.

Also, there have been games this season where the midfield failed to show the necessary creativity to set up the amazing strikers in front of them. Especially against smaller opponents that try to hold their own with a defensive approach, Liverpool has struggled to create and might do so again in the deciding times ahead.

Make no mistake about it: the Reds are in the best possible position to win the league this season. They are several points ahead of their opposition and are displaying the consistency needed for the quest towards a nineteenth league title. But this race is still far from over.

With the incredible depth in Manchester City’s squad, they have been able to overcome injuries to even key players and are best suited to do so again. With a surprising run and several key players soon to be back from injury, Tottenham are only waiting for their opponents to slip up. Yes, Liverpool is leading the league right now, but the 2018/19 title is still up for grabs.

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SIN Vol. 20 Issue 07

Pictured are the winners of the NUI Galway futsal leagues that took place over the months of September, October and November. Well done to all participants involved.

Pictured are all of the NUI Galway sport scholarship holders at the recent annual awards night.

Connacht 7s Winter Champions 2018. The NUI Galway Ladies Senior Club were crowned winners of the Connacht Winter 7-a-side football tournament which was hosted at the Connacht Centre of Excellence. NUI Galway emerged convincing winners of this tournament and all at the club would like to extend their congratulations to all players and the management.

Pictured are the NUI Galway swimming club from a recent swimming intervarsity at NUI Galway. This sporting event was a major success and hosted by our won swimming club. The NUI Galway swimming team performed very well and carried the day with many victories.

Well done to all involved and we look forward to seeing the swimming club in action again real soon.

Pictured are the teams that reached the finals in the NUI Galway futsal leagues that took place over the months of September, October and November. Well done to all participants involved.

Well done to the NUI Galway Fresher B team who were crowned All-Ireland champions recently.

Congratulations to all players, management (John Brennan & Anthony Coyne) and the club from all at NUI Galway Sport #hereiswhere #highperformance #champions

The NUI Galway Senior Ladies Football Club presented a framed picture to their main sponsor ‘Bank of Ireland’. The NUI Galway Sports Unit and the Ladies Football Club are extremely grateful to the Bank of Ireland for their kind generosity and continued support. Pictured are Mike Heskin (Director of Sport at NUI Galway), Ailish Gorman (Bank of Ireland), Brían Ó Ruairc (Senior Ladies Football Co-Manager), Chloe Crowe (Senior Ladies Football Captain) and Kate Geraghty (Senior Ladies Football Scholarship Holder)

January 15 2019

Pictured are all of the NUI Galway sport coaches who recently received their diploma in sport from the University at the annual awards night

SANTA DASH!

SPÓ IRT

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Damien Landers of NUI Galway Athletics club represented Ireland recently. Landers competed in the senior men’s event during the European Cross Country Championship at Beekse Bergen Safari Park in Tilburg, Netherlands. All at NUI Galway are extremely proud of his achievements #highperformance #hereiswhere #starsareborn

The 2nd round of the President’s Cup was a major success. The fun activity included a ‘Santa Dash’ which took place on the President’s Lawn in December. Up to 100 participants took part on the morning and everyone had an excellent time. The next event will take place in the coming weeks and the fun activity will involve a treasure hunt. Details will be posted on the NUI Galway Sport Facebook page and you can register online at www.otc.nuigalway.ie