SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL. 20 Issue 09. 12 FEB 2019

Student Independent News

“They don’t see them as people… there is no kindness”: NUIG students volunteer in Calais and Dunkirk over Christmas By Áine Kenny Three NUI Galway students volunteered in the Calais and Dunkirk refugee and migrant camps in France over the Christmas break, SIN has learned.

Aoibhinn Dixon, Christian Arra and Isaac McNamara all went to France to volunteer with a charity called Refugee Community Kitchen, which helps migrants living in Calais and Dunkirk by providing them with clothes and hot meals.

The students went for a week from the 4-11 January.

Isaac moved to Galway to do a Masters in Public Law in NUI Galway. Back in Cork, he was involved in University College Cork’s STAR society, which welcomes refugees.

He joined NUI Galway’s Failte Refugee society, and brought his friends Christian and Aoibhinn along to events that the society was running. This is how they got involved in helping refugees, and volunteered to go to France.

“I suppose we just were attending more events, and Isaac encouraged me to run for a role in the Failte Refugee society. I am the treasurer. My parents are also refugees,” Christian explains.

“I was just going along to support the events too, and the more I learned about the situation, the more I became involved,” added Aoibhinn.

Both Christian and Aoibhinn are full-time students, studying Law and Chemistry respectively.

But what was the breaking point for them, when did they know they had to volunteer?

“We watched a documentary about the refugee crisis last semester, and after the film, Amy Lawless, also an NUIG student, gave us a talk about her experience volunteering,” said Christian.

“She was supposed to volunteer for two months in a refugee camp in France, and she ended up staying for ten months,” Aoibhinn revealed.

“After the talk, we just wanted to do something to make a difference,” Christian said passionately.

“Also, Christmas time is when they need volunteers the most, because that’s when a lot of people go home,” explained Aoibhinn.

When asked what it was like, the two students struggle to find the words. “It was very cold at the time, it was snowing,” Aoibhinn said.

“All of the charities worked out of the same warehouse. We used to report every morning and we would be given a huge brief, what needed to be done for the day, and we could then pick what jobs and tasks we wanted out of those,” explained Chrisitan.

According to Aoibhinn and Christian, the conditions that the people were facing were extremely difficult. “Every two days, the camp was cleared out,” Aoibhinn said.

“The police would kick people out, tell them to move, and scatter their clothes and rip up their tents,” Christian said. “They were made kind of run, like ‘don’t get too comfy here’, scare tactics were used.”

This was happening to up to 200-300 people at a time. After these clearouts, many people lost their possessions, tents and clothes. Volunteers would then give out new clothes and tents.

The branch of police in charge of clearing out the camps is the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS).

In 2016, the ‘Calais Jungle’, which was essentially a slum built by the migrants, was cleared out by the CRS completely. Since then, the remaining people are more dispersed and isolated, which has resulted in more police violence, according to L’Auberge des Migrants.

The two NUI Galway students say it was hard to pin down exactly how many people were living in Calais and Dunkirk. “In Calais, it was mainly African men. In Dunkirk, it was mainly Kurdish families.”

Aoibhinn also said that in Dunkirk, the mayor opens up a gym every Christmas for women and

children to shelter in at night. “It is first come first served, but if you put one foot outside the door you’re locked out.”

“Some of the police just didn’t treat the refugees and migrants as humans,” Christian said. “They don’t see them as people… there is no kindness,” Aoibhinn agreed.

The volunteers explained that even the locals view this branch of police as a sort of ‘gang’. “They seem to be like the black and tans,” Christian said.

“We heard they are all ex-soldiers, discharged for some reason or another.”

“And they have access to vulnerable people, it is not good, they have no sympathy for them,” Aoibhinn added.

What was the worst thing the migrants were facing? Indignity, according to Christian. “These people could have been really qualified, and they are forced to live in tents, eating once a day, relying on charities.”

“They had to line up, food was doled out, they have no freedom to just go down to the shop and buy a loaf of bread. They have no control over anything,” Aoibhinn said.

“What is important to remember is that we were in France, not a third world county. This is one of the most developed countries in the world and people are living like this,” Christian noted.

Despite the overwhelmingly brutal situation, most of the refugees were quite positive. “The men

in Calais used to Facetime their family and let us talk to them too. One man was chatting to his sister who happened to be in Ireland, he had nieces and nephews there he had never met,” Aoibhinn said.

Christian said they also were able to joke with the refugees, despite how terrible their living conditions were. “One time we were serving food from the back of a van, and one of the men said ‘you could probably fit some of us in there if you’re heading back to the UK’ and we all just started laughing.”

“They were in good spirits considering what they were going through. Even the kids had a happy look in their eyes and said thank you for the food. It was just awful thinking that they’d be sleeping outside that night,” Aoibhinn lamented.

The pair both said that they were told not to ask the refugees how they got there, as that might upset or trigger them into remembering their trauma.

“I just wish the general public were more accepting of different cultures. Just because you’re born in the EU, doesn’t make you a better person. All of the people stuck in Calais didn’t choose where they came from,” said Christian.

“If that was us, we would want to be accepted.

We would expect to be treated with respect,” concluded Aoibhinn.

If you want to get involved with the Failte Refugee society, contact their Facebook page, or email them at failterefugees@socs.nuigalway.ie.

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SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

INSIDE

Student Nurses speak out in support of strike 4 NUI Galway Students’ Union all set for annual SHAG Week 5 The art of self-compassion 7 Final year diaries: results may include stress 8 AE le Teresa May: “Dheamhan athrú atá tagtha ar an scéal” 9 Do People Complain Too Much?

12 RTÉ Prime Time’s transgender ‘debate’ was a disgrace 13 How to dress for spring when it still feels like winter 15 Living her best life: Retro Flame 16 Solo travel: it’s good for the soul 17 Styled by the show: Friends 19 Why are superheroes more popular than ever?

21 Moonlight: A Review 25 And if you don’t know, now you know: Lizzo 26 Should Mick McCarthy utilise the granny rule or focus on home grown talents?

29 New running group offers sanctuary and solidarity for asylum seekers in Galway 31

By Áine Kenny Hello everyone, welcome to issue nine of SIN! It is hard to believe that we are half way through this semester already, it feels like just yesterday we were returning back to our student houses, repulsed at the sight of the chunky milk in our fridges that decayed over the Christmas holidays. Not just me, no?

This edition is a great one, and I know I say this about every issue but this one stands out! Our front page features two amazing NUI Galway students who volunteered part of their Christmas holidays to help migrants and refugees in France. This noble endeavour

definitely deserves to be highlighted. Christian and Aoibhinn are just some of the brilliant NUIG students in our paper; on page two we have an interview with budding entrepreneur Séan McGarry, who has invented the shower gem shower caddy. This clever invention landed Séan a spot on the Late Late show!

We have an excellent opinion section, as always, where Molly highlights the perks of being single. As someone who has been in a relationship for three years now, I have forgotten what it is like to not have to hog the duvet. On the plus side, I always have someone to complain to and someone watching out for me.

In fashion and lifestyle, we have an amazing article on Diet Prada, which I really enjoyed.

This vigilante Instagram calls out top fashion houses when they rip off younger, aspiring designers. How do we define the line between inspiration and appropriation? Pretty clearly, in my view. Sadly in the creative industries, many younger artists are ripped off by their older counterparts, rather than be paid for their work.

We have loads of film reviews, some classic and some new, as well as a feature on the Ted Bundy pop culture craze that has taken over our lives.

From Netflix to blockbuster Zac Efron flicks, it seems like every-

Photo: Joanna Kavanagh one is fascinated with one of the world’s most notorious killers.

But is this fascination problematic? Read SIN to find out!

Finally in sport, we have a round of Champions League predictions; NFL (in both senses of the word) and GAA ticket prices coverage.

As always, if you are looking to get involved, just send me an email. We are always happy to see new faces at our meetings!

NUIG President calls for student suggestions as Nun’s Island masterplan is announced

By Graham Gillespie

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

Find us online:

www.sin.ie

President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh has launched the masterplan for the regeneration of Nun’s Island.

The masterplan is a joint venture between the University and Galway City Council.

A public consultation process to help decide how this regeneration should be carried out was also opened.

Idea submissions will be taken until the end of April, which is when the consultation period closes.

The regeneration will take in 15 acres of land in the quarter right of the city centre and will be one of the most significant development projects in Galway in recent years.

Prof Ó hÓgartaigh said to SIN he especially wants students of the college to be involved in this process.

“We’re very keen to get students’ input. What would you like as students for Nun’s Island to look like? What do you need in the context of Nun’s Island, and particularly what do you think it should look like in ten or 20 years time?” he said.

This launch comes after Government funding was secured for the project through the Department of Housing’s Urban Regeneration and Development fund.

Planners BDP, quantity surveyors AECOM and business strategy advisors Colliers International are the companies who are preparing the masterplan.

It is hoped that the regeneration will not only benefit the University but the city more generally as the plan is expected to enhance the city’s chances of enticing multinational companies.

Prof Ó hÓgartaigh also alluded

to the “wide scope” of the regeneration with the land having the potential to be used for community, social, cultural, economic, educational, residential or environmental purposes.

“This master-planning exercise will deliver fresh perspectives on the development of University lands and properties on Nun’s Island,” Prof Ó hÓgartaigh said.

“We look forward to hearing the ideas of local residents, businesses, community groups and other interested parties as we collectively look to the future for this part of the City.”

Welcoming the announcement, the Chief Executive of Galway City Council Brendan McGrath also pointed to the importance of involving the community in this planning process.

“We have been working closely with our partners and colleagues

in the university to bring the project to this point and we look forward to engaging with all the stake-holder communities in this process of consultation,” he said.

“Galway City Council is committed to the triple concept of ‘People, Place and Process’ and in Nun’s Island we look forward to building on the established strengths embedded in this city-centre area, and to drawing together the complementary strands of education, culture, heritage, business and the residential community to improve and develop the local area in the context of our vibrant, dynamic city and region.”

Submissions to the consultation process can be made to nunsisland@nuigalway.ie.

Further information about the masterplan can be found at www. nuigalway.ie/nunsisland.

Former NUIG student’s shower innovation impresses The Late Late Show

By Roisin Prendergast Seán McGarry, a former student of NUI Galway, wowed audiences of The Late Late Show on Friday 1 February with his invention the ‘Showergem Shower Caddy.’ The Westport native and Managing Director of Showergem spoke to host Ryan Tubridy about the easily installed, rust-free shower caddy.

Four years ago, frustrated with messy shower floors scattered with soaps, bottles and razors, McGarry’s father, Seán McGarry Senior, created a plastic shower caddy for his family home. McGarry Junior, seeing the product’s potential, began

the process of turning the idea into a business. The innovation can store three bottles, a razor, a jar, soap and a hanging bottle or loofah. Angled shelves prevent the user from having to shake bottles to remove all the product, and glue designed to be used in wet areas also prevents the caddy from falling.

McGarry received the call to appear on the Late Late Show at half past five on Tuesday, some three days before the event.

A bathroom had to be built in the studio and manufacturers were pressed to meet the newly projected demand. In regard to Ryan Tubridy, McGarry remarked that the host was “really easy going” and “calms

you down.” Overall, the entrepreneur sums up his appearance on the show as a “unique, crazy experience.”

When questioned about what he found to be the most difficult aspect in setting up his business, the NUIG alumnus talked about manufacturing. “It’s really easy to create a product and just sell one of it. If you want to sell thousands, it’s hard to set the business up in such a way that you can make thousands in an efficient, short and cheap process.”

All the company’s manufacturing and assembling processes are completed in Ireland, from the cardboard boxes to the shower caddy itself.

McGarry started off studying Undemoninated Science, and then majored in Physics here at NUI Galway. In 2015, while in third year, he won the top prize of €10,000 in the NUI Galway Students’ Union Enterprise Award for his simple mechanism. McGarry mentioned how much of a “great boost” this competition was to entrepreneurs in the college and how it was a “huge help” in developing the Showergem business.

To budding student entrepreneurs, McGarry’s advice is clear: “Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call people. Ask people with more experience than you who have been there before.

You don’t realise how nice people are until you go and talk to them.”

In terms of future plans, McGarry comments that the company’s ambition is to increase sales in Ireland and the UK, with the possibility of targeting the US market.

Further expansion in the home storage industry is also being discussed, in terms of smart storage inventions to suit both current and potential customers.

The Showergem Shower Caddy is available to purchase online, through showergem.com at a cost of €29.99 for a single pack, with thirty day hassle-free returns and free delivery to either Ireland, the United Kingdom or America.

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February 12 2019

NEWS EDITORIAL

By Martha Brennan Welcome to issue nine everyone! This semester is absolutely flying – especially for those of us facing or final few months of college (*cue screaming*).

I’m sure the stress is building for everyone this week, with mid-terms already looming and placements in full swing for many students.

Newsrooms around Ireland are in overdrive at the moment, and the story everyone is hearing about affects those students on placement as much as anyone. The nurses of Ireland are still bravely bracing cold weather and condemnation to stand up for their rights – and SIN has the inside view from how the strikes are affecting students.

We also have your usual updates on what is going on in the world of NUI Galway research, as well as your full guide to the Students’ Union SHAG week. We’ve been especially busy this month here at SIN in the lead-up to the annual Students’ Union elections. Our team has compiled a special issue for you guys on all things election – which means we have an extra issue of SIN out in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for all the updates you’ll need coming up to election season.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our latest edition of SIN, and for anyone who may be venturing out this week for something that rhymes with SHAG week, stay safe and see you next week!

FEATURES EDITORIAL

By Olivia Hanna It’s hard to believe that we are half way through our issues for this semester.

Time is flying by faster than I’m comfortable with, and although I’m eagerly anticipating submitting my last essays and taking my final exams, I don’t want my time at SIN to end! During my first two years at NUI Galway I didn’t dare attend a meeting or submit an article, something that I now regret. Writing for news, features, and fashion is a great break from the monotony of college work and a fun way to improve my writing skills. As an editor I really enjoy reading people’s work and seeing how they put their own spin on different article ideas.

For this issue Stevie Buckley has given some advice to their past self about college life, and as always Aileen and Darren share their experiences as final and first year students. For our society spotlight Owen Kennedy spoke to the auditor of Video Game Soc. If anyone is wondering whether or not they should contribute to SIN, I strongly encourage you to join the Facebook group and get involved. With only three issues left there’s no time like the present!

OPINION EDITORIAL

By Tarryn McGuire Hi everyone and welcome to the ninth issue of SIN! This issue is filled with fantastic opinions and incredible writing from our amazing volunteers here at SIN. Valentine’s day is here and for most of us, this really isn’t good news. However, Molly has written a fantastic article that helps us to recall all of the perks of being single and why in her opinion, being single is the best way to be.

What we need to remember not to do, is complain. Niamh believes we should all think before we complain and learn to appreciate and be more grateful for what we have.

Speaking of complaining, people are criticising Anne Hathaway’s parenting decisions, as the actress has decided to stop drinking for the next eighteen years as she doesn’t want her son to see her drunk or hungover. Laura takes a look at why people are so interested in her choices and whether people should take a leaf out of her book or not.

Another interesting article by Daniel delves into the question of “do video games really make people more violent in real life?”, based on some research studies and his own personal experiences, Daniel breaks it down clearly and simply in this piece.

I hope you all enjoy this issue and if anyone is interested in writing for SIN or has any desire to express their own opinions, please email me at opinion. sined@gmail.com.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL

SPORTS EDITORIAL

By Graham Gillespie

By Sarah Gill Welcome to another great issue of SIN! While I was scrolling through Instagram this week I came across a great quote; “Speak with honesty, think with sincerity and act with integrity”. Sometimes words of wisdom just catch you at the right time and I think this is a piece of advice that everyone can benefit from at some point. I hope that when you read through the pages of this issue something stands out to you, a piece of information that you can take in and grow from.

The arts and entertainment section is, as always, bursting with informative and thought-provoking articles. There are some great poems, some fantastic movie reviews and some brilliant social commentaries. Sophie Kavanagh takes a look at the dark side of social media, the elements which can foster an altered sense of self. The question; “why do we glorify serial killers?” is discussed in Michelle McClair’s dissection of the Ted Bundy Tapes, a subject that has been making waves across social media. For all that and much more, keep on reading.

Welcome to the latest issue of SIN. NUI Galway has enjoyed considerable success since our last issue, with our Men’s footballers and hurlers both having advanced to the semi-finals of Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups respectively. Our Ladies Soccer team also secured their place in the Intervarsity tournament, while the camogs reached the semis of the Purcell Cup. Speaking of the Camogie team, Michael O’Connor provides a report of their last group game in this issue.

The collegiate competitions are not the only GAA championships that are currently at the semi-final stage as Mark Lynch previews the two All-Ireland Football Club Championship semis that are on this coming weekend.

Also inside, Markus Krug recounts the underwhelming conclusion to what was a thrilling NFL season, while an NFL of a different variety is one of the focuses of Danny Keown’s article, which criticises the price hike of GAA tickets.

Our regular dose of soccer content is provided by Paul O’Malley and Darren Casserly, whilst I get the lowdown on the Sanctuary Runners, who are a new group in Galway who hope to bring asylum seekers and locals together.

Thanks to everybody who contributed, and if anybody needs anything contact sport. sined@gmail.com.

*One-way only. Online offer. Ends February 24th. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

SPEND LESS. SEE MORE. *

FASHION AND LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL

By Molly Fitzpatrick Welcome back to SIN. This week’s issue is certainly not short of fashion inspiration, with our regular ‘styled by the show’ feature taking everyone’s favourite 90’s tv show Friends and showing you how you can style some classic 90’s pieces.

We’re on the cusp of spring yet the weather still feels incredibly wintery, so Michelle gives us tips and tricks on how we can dress for spring when it still feels like winter. Also for fashion, Martha writes about the need to protect novice designers and the Instagram account that airs the fashion industry’s dirty laundry: ‘Diet Prada’.

As summer is fast approaching and we are all starting to think about the adventures that could be had, Olivia takes about her experience with solo travel and why we should all experience it too. Finally if the doom and gloom of winter has taken its toll on your skin, turn to Ciara’s guide on how to get glowy skin for plenty of tips and tricks.

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4 N E WS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

Student Nurses speak out in support of strike

By Conor Brummell The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) held a strike on Wednesday 30 January, with nearly 30,000 nurses all over the country taking to the picket lines.

The INMO are calling upon the Government to introduce a 12 percent pay increase to bring Nurses into line with other medical staff.

Other demands being made are for more emphasis to be put on staff recruitment and retention in what is a seriously understaffed sector.

The INMO have also planned seven more strike dates, which are set to take place on 5, 7, 12-14, 19 and 21 February.

This could see a possible 240 services going on strike throughout the month of February, with a national rally being held on Saturday 9 February.

Ahead of the action happening this month, SIN spoke to some of NUI Galway’s student nurses, who are currently on placement in University Hospital Galway, to get their opinions on the strike and to see what life has been like being out on placement in the middle of an industry dispute.

When asked what the general atmosphere in the hospitals was like in the lead up to the strike, a student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told SIN that “the strike has been a cause of a lot of confusion and stress among staff and student nurses alike.”

“We did not receive a lot of guidance as to how it would affect us and what was expected of us. The staff were in similar situations, where guidelines and rosters for the strike were only given to them in the days running up to the strike.”

“Staff rostered on the days of the strikes are only allowed to provide ‘life preserving care.’”

Similarly, another student said that “the hospital has coped well with the strike, but the wards aren’t any busier than they usually are.”

“Staff, however, are very anxious about what draws the line on vital patient care and whether they are going to be paid if they go on strike.”

A third student gave her opinion on the strike in general, and why the nurses deserve pay restoration.

“Nurses don’t want to stay in Ireland and in the general wards in Ireland due to how bad the wage situation is.”

“The ward I’m in is extremely understaffed and there are very few senior members of staff - this creates difficulties for newly qualified nurses due to the lack of experience and support they would get from older members of staff.”

Our first interviewee agreed, saying that she backs the nurses striking 100 percent.

“It’s heart wrenching that it has come to this. All we want as nurses is to provide the best care possible to our patients, and whilst striking, we cannot.”

#NUIGSU19

Thinking of Running in the SU Elections?

Ag smaoineamh ar dhul san iomaíocht i dtoghcháin an Chomhaltas?

Attend the SU Election Information Night!

B’fhiú duit freastal ar an Oíche Réamheolais maider le Toghcháin an Chomhaltais!





SU Will ELECTIONS TOGHCHÁIN CML you run?

An rachaidh tú san iomaíocht?

Are you thinking of running for election to the Students’ Union for the 2019/20 academic year? Come along to our SU Election Information Night in AC203 from 7pm on Weds 13th Feb and find out all the ins, outs, ups and downs about running for election!

Remember: • Full Time Officer Election Nominations open 10am Thurs 14th Feb • Part Time Officer Election Nominations open 10am Thurs 21st Feb www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU

More information from/Tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ó elections@su.nuigalway.ie

“Staffing levels in the hospitals at present are not safe. Nurses are run off their feet, caring for many ill patients of varying dependency with little to no help. Their job does not begin and end at the bedside and this deserves a living wage.”

The INMO strike has caused uncertainty for student nurses on placement in all sectors.

On the days of the strikes, nursing students on placement are not allowed to work for legal reasons as their supernumerary status could be compromised.

As well as this, a second year Nursing student due to go on placement on the week beginning the 11 of February said that, despite supporting the strike, it will cause uncertainty for her.

“As a result of the Government taking no action to resolve the situation, I will not be allowed to attend a specialized placement dealing with children with intellectual disabilities.”

“This is frustrating for me as we only get one week

within this placement and I will miss out on a valuable opportunity due to the process of the strike.”

NUI Galway’s Students’ Union released a statement on Facebook supporting the INMO strike and posted pictures of the Union protesting alongside student nurses at UHG. “We were proud to stand in solidarity today with Nurses and Midwives as they went on strike,” the statement reads.

“We chatted to Student Nurses and heard their concerns about placement, as well as the sector that they are going into and the options they have once they graduate.”

“In the sector they are under staffed, under paid, and vastly overworked. We want to see a better future for Student Nurses and Midwives, and all involved working in such a broken area of our healthcare system.” “#StandWithNursesAndMidwives,” the statement concludes.

€1.2 million spent on cleaning services in NUI Galway

By Daniel Brennan The Connacht Tribune news group recently revealed a variety of expenses that NUI Galway pays to private companies last month.

The expenses include a €1.2 million bill that the university foots on cleaning each year.

NUI Galway is set to pay Grovesnor Cleaning Services, the provider of both cleaning materials and cleaning staff to the college, a total of €4.8 million over a four-year period.

Another rather surprising expenditure included in the findings was a bill described as “external bespoke wayfinding signage” - a contract worth €290,000 which was attributed to a company called Trueform Engineering.

The contract seems to be for signposting, and the duration of this contract was not stated.

The university also paid a company named MediaVest a total of €450,000 for publishing recruitment advertising and public notices.

NUI Galway also spent nearly €5 million on IT services last year, with €4.3 million of that being paid to Intel to provide “national high performance and technical computing infrastructure”, with a €300,000 per year contract awarded to Wriggle Learning for the provision of Apple devices and services.

A contract totaling €1.67 million was awarded to Coady Partnership Architects for a “single point design team for student accommodation”. Again, the duration of this contract was not revealed.

Meanwhile, G4S Secure Solutions will get around €350,000 a year over four years for providing security services for the college campus.

While many of these costs are necessary for the smooth running of a large university – some are questioning why the university seems to be spending such a large amount on cleaning services.

SIN contacted the University’s press office to speak about the issue but did not receive a response before the time of publishing.

NUI Galway Students’ Union condemns extortionate rent increase in Menlo student accommodation

By Sarah Gill This week, the Menlo Park Apartment complex have announced a rent increase of an extortionate 20 percent. These privately-owned apartments are located on the Headford Road and accommodate roughly 140 NUI Galway students each year. Rent prices have been steadily increasing year after year, but this year’s increase has seen the price of a single en-suite room rise by €1,390, in comparison to last year’s prices.

NUI Galway’s Students’ Union have publicly confronted the apartment complex, with SU President Megan Reilly stating, “It is beyond frustrating that a year after our efforts protesting the accommodation price rise in Cúirt na Coiribe, we are facing yet another such increase in one of our accommodation providers. These kind of rent increases, not captured by the Residential Tenancies Act, exploit students in a time of an accommodation crisis, and they must not go unchallenged.”

Last year, the Minister for Housing, Planning

and Local Government made a commitment that legislation would be introduced to extend the four percent rent cap rule to purpose-built student accommodation, but this has yet to come to fruition. According to the Residential Tenancies Board, Rent Pressure Zones are designated areas where rent can only be increased by a maximum of four percent a year. These zones are located in areas where rent is higher and rising, intended to moderate the increases and create a stable and sustainable rental market.

Voicing the outrage experienced by a number of students, Megan continued to say, “the failure of the Government to act on this matter means unregulated rent increases in student accommodation continue to happen, while the private housing surrounding these areas is bound by the 4 percent rule. Soaring accommodation prices continue to be one of the biggest barriers to securing a third level education, with parents now being faced with paying the increase, or students having to work extra hours to afford to live in Galway.”

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February 12 2019

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NUI Galway Students’ Union all set for annual SHAG Week

By Rachel Garvey

SHAG week is just around the corner with many events planned for the biannual sexual health awareness campaign.

The campaign is run by the Students’ Union, who plan events around campus for a full week to teach students about smart sexual health.

SIN spoke to NUI Galway Students’ Union Vice President and Welfare and Equality Officer, Clare Austick, about the events that will be held during this year’s SHAG week.

The introduction to SHAG will start off with a ‘Not Consent’ Exhibition on Saturday 9 February from 2pm-6pm in the O’Donoghue Centre, where people can explore what consent means and think about why consent is so important.

Mental Health Mondays will go ahead on campus as normal except with a special emphasis on the topic of Sexual Health Awareness.

Comedy Sex Hypnotist Michael McCoy will visit

NUI Galway on Monday for a show in the O’Flaherty Theatre, tickets are €5 with proceeds going to Draiocht.

Sex Toy Bingo will take place in SULT on Tuesday 12 February at 9pm. The free event is always a big hit with students and “was packed last time, people were sitting on the ground and it was so crazy”, according to Clare.

Disclosure Training with Galway Rape Crisis Centre will also take place on Tuesday 12 February in The Space in Aras na Mac Léinn from 10:00am-1:30pm, students can pay a fee of €10 in the Students’ Union to attend the training, which is designed to increase awareness of the causes and effects of sexual violence and give participants an opportunity to practice scenarios involving a disclosure of sexual violence.

Clare shared what students can expect on Valentine’s Day, Thursday 14 February.

“On Valentine’s Day, the Students’ Union will be handing out roses and chocolate bars,” said Clare, while stocks last.

NUI Galway researcher granted nearly €420,000 for bacterial infection project

By Graham Gillespie NUI Galway have secured €419,585 in funding from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) for a research project which involves developing technology to help detect bacterial infections more quickly.

The research will be carried out by Dr Joseph Byrne and a PHD student, who Byrne will recruit himself. Work will begin in April with the funding supporting the project for four years.

This funding is part of the SFI’s Starting Investigator Research Grant scheme which has invested a total of €10.8 million euro to aid 20 researchers and 20 PHD students.

The proposed technology will help identify pathogenic bacteria, which in a medical setting will enable doctors to treat infections faster. As a result, this could help tackle rising antibiotic resistance. This research could also have applications in areas such as food safety and water contamination.

Speaking to SIN, Dr Joseph Byrne pointed out the potentially wide-ranging applicability of this research.

“The technology should be generally applicable to detecting these kinds of bacteria wherever they crop up. So while my primary goal is for a medical diagnosis usage, it could also have a role to play in environmental protection and food safety,” he said.

Byrne will work on developing chemical sensors to detect specific proteins that are produced by bacteria.

“We can then use these sensor molecules to make a device, which should interact with a clinical sample to change colour or fluorescence and give us some sort of readout that tells a doctor if there’s problematic proteins in the sample,” Byrne explained.

This project will see Byrne and his PHD student collaborate with the NUI Galway School of Chemistry and the CÚRAM research centre here on campus.

Having CÚRAM in Galway was a “big reason” why Byrne applied for this grant in NUI Galway.

The School of Physics will also be involved, they will develop 3D printing technology which will be used in the project.

Byrne said that he believes Galway is an ideal location to carry out such research due to the city’s prominent role in the medical device industry in Ireland.

“Galway jumped out as having the necessary expertise and necessary connections to the medical device industry,” he said.

“It’s the perfect environment to take this research from beyond the lab bench towards application.”

“The chance to develop a partnership with a company or create a company to allow us to commercialise this technology and bring some revenue back to the Galway taxpayer, this is really what makes Galway stand out.”

Kildare native Byrne will return home to Ireland for the project from Switzerland, where he was in Bern on a Marie Curie Research Fellowship.

In Switzerland, his research involved carbohydrate derivatives and Byrne believes this experience will stand to him in this new project.

“I learned a lot more about carbohydrate chemistry which is going to play an important role in how I tackle my research question in this new grant,” he said.

“I also learned a lot of leadership skills through supervising students whilst on the Marie Curie Fellowship.”

Byrne also explained how securing funding is the “hardest part of a research career,” and that this SFI grant now provided him with stability.

“I’m really looking forward to four years of uninterrupted research, where I know where I am, I know where I’m going and I know what I’m trying to achieve,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD, praised the awarded researchers at the SFI launch.

“These innovative projects demonstrate the impressive cutting-edge research taking place across Ireland, which has significant potential to positively advance Ireland’s economy and society, and further solidify its reputation as a world-leader in scientific advancements.”

From 12pm to 2pm AIDS West will have an information table at Smokey’s café and will be taking over the Students’ Union Snapchat account.

The Dirty Circus will also be paying a visit to SULT at 8pm on Thursday 14 February. The event is free and not to be missed as it will be a night filled with “comedy, burlesque, cabaret and Sauciness!”

‘SHAG Packs’ will also be available all week from the SU Office, the SU Engineering Desk and will be handed out by the Union’s Welfare Crew around campus.

Free rapid HIV testing by AIDS West will also be taking place in The View in Aras na mac Léinn on Monday 12 and Wednesday 14 February from 9:30am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm.

The Student Health Unit’s free STI clinic is also open by appointment every day of the week from 5pm to 7pm.

“If people would like to volunteer in handing out roses on Valentine’s Day or to help with the sheets for Sex Toy Bingo, then feel free to get in contact with us at the Students’ Union,” Clare told SIN.

Clare also said how last month’s Mental Health week went.

“I think it went pretty successfully,” she said, and spoke about the feedback they received from the ‘Positive Pebbles’ that students were finding all over campus during the week.

The pebbles had little inspirational mental health quotes and positive messages on them.

Students were informed through the Students’ Union Instagram page that one certain pebble with a green awareness symbol, with a message on the back saying “You are good enough”, was hidden around campus somewhere, and the student who found this pebble was given instructions to bring it back to the Students’ Union office and they would be rewarded 10 points on their Students’ Union card.

More events in relation to SHAG week can be accessed from the Student Emailer and SU website with times, venues and fees included in the information.

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6 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

RCSI push for university status Galway Food Festival Cancelled for 2019

By Martha Brennan

By Fiona Lee Organisers of the Galway Food Festival have pulled the plug on the project this year due to a lack of ­funding.

In a statement, festival organisers said they were taking a break “to reflect on its position and impact in the food community in Galway, and to look into funding opportunities for expanding and developing the future of the festival.”

The festival has been held in Galway since 2012 and last year attracted 70,000 tourists and foodies to the event from around the country.

Neither their website, or social media accounts, have been updated since the 2018 event, and the 2020 food festival is already being advertised on galwaytourism.ie, stating that the festival will take place “over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 9 April to Monday 13 April 2020”.

“Principally it’s funding – we don’t have the budget to hire employees in time. Everything is last minute,” explained chairperson JP McMahon.

“Over the past seven years the Galway Food Festival has been crucial in establishing Galway as a food destination. Its legacy has been continued in various ways, such as through Food On The Edge which grew out of the Galway Food Festival and will be returning this year.”

“We’d have a few people working from January and February, when the thing is on in April and really we’d need to have three part-time people working on running events and getting sponsorship from October. We just feel like we have to take stock.”

Despite stating that “last year we just about made it” in a financial sense, the 2018 festival went ahead due to the importance of Galway holding the title of European Region of Gastronomy for 2018.

Galway Food Festival has provided great opportunities for local businesses to get their name out there and build a relationship with the community.

Eugene Greaney, co-owner of The Dough Bros Woodfired Pizza, said that the festival was a pivotal moment in the young chef’s careers.

Speaking to This is Galway, he said “we first took part in the Galway Food Festival in 2014 when we had been trading for nine months, and it was a real landmark moment for us in our journey.”

“We were set up in the Spanish Arch and for three days people queued for up to an hour for our pizza, you can’t imagine the confidence that gave us. At that point we knew we had something that people wanted and needed to take our business to a bigger audience which led to our pop-up shop.”

“The rest as they say is history, but the Galway Food Festival really was the springboard for this.”

Food On The Edge will go ahead on the 21 and 22 of October this year, the two-day symposium grew out of the food festival, and is a chance for chefs and food enthusiasts from all around the world to debate the future of food and create a global network.

The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) is the next in a line of Irish colleges pushing for university status.

The efforts follow the establishment of the new Technological University Dublin and talks of a University merger between IT Tralee and Cork Institute of Technology.

Since the end of last year, officials from the RCSI have been trying to urge the government to amend legislation and allow the institute to describe itself as a university.

Currently, the RCSI can describe itself as a University of Medicine and Health Sciences overseas but may not do so in Ireland.

The College believes the “inability to use the description within Ireland seriously impacts on RCSI both in Ireland and overseas.”

The college believes that university status will help boost its chances of attracting top international researchers, students and investment.

Under the Universities Act 1997 an educational institution is not allowed to describe itself as a university without the approval of the Minister for Education.

RCSI has been fighting for the title of university since the Act was created.

Since an amendment in 2015, the institute may describe itself as a university abroad but not within Ireland.

The CEO of RCSI, Professor Cathal Kelly, said that the college has opted not to do so as it could leave it open to accusations of misrepresentation.

“We’ve a problem and a concern about a student leaving Malaysia or the Middle East, coming to RCSI ‘University of Medicine and Health Sciences’. And the moment they come into Irish airspace, the name changes,” he said.

“We think it lacks integrity. We would very much value a dialogue with the Government to address this.”

It has been reported in the past that the Department of Education feared that granting the RCSI university status would derail the work done to establish the new Technological University Dublin, which became an official university last month.

The fact that the RCSI exists outside of public pay controls has also been a factor in the government’s decisions, as has its governance structure, which differentiates from that of the rest of Ireland’s universities.

Prof Kelly highlighted to the Irish Times that the college was the only one in Ireland not funded by the government.

“Our request comes at no cost to the Irish Government... the Irish Government doesn’t pay any of our salaries. None of our staff has a defined benefit pension scheme. We pay our own defined contribution scheme. We are responsible for our own capital investment,” he said.

RCSI is a member institution of the National Universities of Ireland, whose constituents include NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, University College Cork and University College Dublin.

The University Observer reported that lobbying records for the period 1 September 2018 to 31 December show that RCSI officials, including Prof Kelly, met with at least 11 officials to provide a description of “why the limitation applied under existing legislation was not in the national interest”.

Apparently, a total of 54 Senators were lobbied by RCSI, including NUI Senators Ronan Mullen, Michael McDowell and AliceMary Higgins.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was also contacted by RCSI officials, as was previous Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton TD and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD. The college has about 3,500 students and trainees and is currently planning to expand its Dublin campus.

“These days we’re all wearing the green jersey and want to build the reputation of Irish education internationally,” Prof Kelly said.

“And I am determined, along with my colleagues, that we will deliver for Ireland a second institution in the top one per cent. I would like government support in doing that.”

Cúram at NUI Galway receives €4.8 million in funding for research projects

By Conor Brummell Cúram, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research based in NUI Galway, has received €4.8 million in funding following the announcement of the Government’s Disruptive Technologies Fund.

Cúram teams, along with industry partners, will be involved in three key industry projects that will be driving disruptive innovation on vital areas of medtech and connected health.

The first of three projects, named Augrien, will see €5.9 million being invested in a solution for persistent Atrial fibrillation of the heart.

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is the most common heart rhythm disturbance in the US and Europe, significantly affecting the lives of those who are diagnosed.

Symptoms range from palpitations to fatigue, weakness and activity intolerance, and it substantially increases the risks of stroke, congestive heart failure, dementia and death.

Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director at CÚRAM in NUI Galway commented on NUI Galway receiving the research money, saying: “This funding of €4.8 million to CÚRAM research labs is a strong recognition of our pivotal role in the development of the next generation of medical devices and implants that target chronic illnesses.”

“This funding is also a reflection of the close collaborative relationship we have

with key industry partners with whom we will continue to work closely with on the development of these disruptive technology projects.”

The second project, called Smart Cardio, sees TMD-Lab partnering with another lab based in NUI Galway called AtriAN Medical to develop and optimise ablation technologies for the minimally invasive treatment of cardiac disorders.

exciting research projects with a combined value to the TMD-Lab of almost €2 million are further evidence of NUI Galway establishing itself as a world-leader in ablation medical technology.”

“The funding will bring an additional 10 senior post-doctoral ablation engineers to Galway, and in collaboration with our industry partners, will drive significant employment in the sector.”

“This funding is also a reflection of the close collaborative relationship we have with key industry partners with whom we will continue to work closely with on the development of these disruptive technology projects.”

The third project, called Ardent II will create a new therapy for people suffering from rhinitis.

This is an inflammatory disease which presents as a nasal congestion, rhinorrhoea, sneezing and nasal itching.

The partnership between Neurent Medical Ltd and the Cúram lab Biggs for this project will benefit from the €2.8 million in Disruptive Technologies Innovation Funding which will be invested in the development of new medical technology that will address this nasal inflammatory condition.

Dr Martin O’Halloran, Director of the TMD-Lab at NUI Galway, stated: “These

The Government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund was setup as part of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment plan.

It aims to provide finance to projects that tackle national and global challenges in a way that will create and secure jobs into the future.

Dr Manus Biggs from CÚRAM at NUI Galway believes that “the commitment of the Irish government to the development of forward-thinking disruptive technologies has the potential to place Ireland at the forefront of biomedical engineering research and development.”

N UAC HT

February 12 2019

7

GNÉ -ALTANNA

7

‘History can illuminate and be illuminated by so many other disciplines’: NUIG’s Dr Padraig Lenihan welcomes talk of history being made core subject

By Aaron Deering Historians and history students welcomed recent comments reported in the Irish Independent by Minister for Education Joe McHugh about being open to the idea of making History part of the core Junior Cert curriculum.

As a student of History, Sociology and Politics, I welcome the comments. History, as a subject, assists us in learning from the past and helps us appreciate things in a much deeper and meaningful way, for example events such as the recent Holocaust Remembrance Day. I spoke with Dr Padraig Lenihan, lecturer of history at NUI Galway, to find out his views on the recent comments and why he feels the reading of history remains as relevant as ever.

Speaking about Minister McHugh’s recent comments, Dr Padraig Lenihan said, “I am enormously encouraged by his remark that, ‘at a national, European and international level it has never been more important for people to understand the lessons of history’.”

“It is not as simple as that ABBA song about ‘the history book on the shelf always repeating itself’. Knowing the past helps you spot the patterns… both the similarities and the differences. You will, for example, spot how some variant of the ‘bringing in Hitler’ argument is trotted for everything from justifying invading Iraq to warning about the ‘rise of the right’ in Europe.”

When asked why he thinks history is still important and relevant today, Dr Lenihan offered three explanations.

“First, nations are nations because they are imagined communities of people who identify with each other and with the generations that went before them, because they share a back-story.”

“That collective memory, that history, is less tangible but more important than ethnicity, language or religion as a cohesive force. History does not say

that our community is better or worse, more victimized or less, than any other, just that it is our story, warts and all. At second level, history does not, as CSPE would for instance, encourage pupils to apply positive attitudes to their own culture, or to any other.”

“Secondly, history trains the mind to make and to recognise pleas for action (or inaction) based on reason: on probable causes, contexts, likely and unanticipated outcomes and so on.” “[This is opposed to] emotional manipulation, which is the debased

“Much of the story is one of contingency: stuff happens or people make stuff happen. One can legitimately be counterfactual and speculate about what might have been. That exercise of disciplined imagination is what lets us engage with history, to care about people who are long dead. History is colourful because it is so often people and personality centred.”

“Moreover, it is not narrow: history can illuminate and be illuminated by so many other disciplines, archaeology, geography, literatures and sociology and

“The historian believes in the possibility of finding out the truth, and in doing so, is a sceptic who reads a document from the past and first poses the question: who wrote this and what is the writer’s bias?

That kind of scepticism is invaluable today. currency of electronic and most print media. The historian believes in the possibility of finding out the truth, and in doing so, is a sceptic who reads a document from the past and first poses the question: who wrote this and what is the writer’s bias?”

“That kind of scepticism is invaluable today in spotting the shadows of the puppet masters. It gives students the capacity to arrive at their attitudes by reason and reflection yet the humility to accept that others may, legitimately, arrive at different conclusions.”

“Third, personally, I love history because it is really, really, interesting.

It tends to avoid theory and especially determinism, the idea that certain outcomes are pre-set by huge impersonal forces like economic resources or geographical endowment.”

politics.”

When asked if he believed there could be any improvements or changes in the way history is taught at secondary level, Dr Lenihan stated: “I looked over the Junior and Leaving Certificate syllabi and they are actually quite good. The history project provided at Leaving Cert is a really great opportunity for the student to engage in depth.”

Dr Lenihan added that he would like to see more women’s history on the curriculum. “Gender, specifically women’s experience, needs to be slipped unobtrusively into the syllabus or its delivery and more attempts made, in general, to give voice to the voiceless.”

He also expressed his desire for more schools to take up the Early Modern option at Leaving Cert and outlined its importance. “A bit of special pleading:

it is such a pity that so very few students take the Early Modern option, which looks excellent. The outcome is that few young people have much of a clue about stuff that was really quite formative in our story: the plantations and mass immigration of the seventeenth century, the 1641 massacres, the Boyne, the Penal Laws.”

Regarding the Junior Cert Cycle, Dr Lenihan got the views of secondary school history teacher Mr Manus Lenihan, who felt the Junior Cert course was too long but welcomed the new Junior Cert Cycle history course: “The Junior Cert course may be too long and try to include too much. There’s an argument for a long course that embraces the broad sweep of history from ancient to modern so that pupils can situate themselves in some conception of human history, but by third year the details of Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance are a distant memory.”

“A solution could be, within a broad and sweeping overview, to highlight themes, characters or episodes from history and explore them in detail. There’s a lot of promising stuff in the new Junior Cycle history course.”

“It does not deviate much from the old Junior Cert in many ways, but it sidetracks into recurring themes like Crime and Punishment, Medicine and Technology, and pauses to dwell on issues like genocide or historical controversies like Columbus or the use of the atom bomb.

This is a good way to engage students.”

Mr Lenihan also added that he felt at both Junior Cert and Leaving Cert level there was an attempt to portray the 20th century dictatorships as a battle between just fascism and communism: “Both Junior and Leaving cycles frame 20th century history as a battle between ‘dictatorship’ and ‘democracy’, with fascism and communism presented simply as two varieties of dictatorship.”

“Horthy, Mannerheim, Pilsudski, Primo De Rivera and many others, dictators who were not fascist and certainly not communist, don’t fit in the scheme.

Troubling facts are not raised, such as the ‘democracies’ ran vast empires, and exercised voting discrimination.”

“This ‘dictatorship vs democracy’ model hides more than it explains by absolving liberal capitalism of any faults and presenting all evil as emanating from attempts to challenge it.’’

Mr Lenihan also pointed out the problem of inaccuracies in secondary level history books: “One textbook claimed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were part of the USSR as early as 1920, and even included a map! Consider that there will be students whose parents are from these states reading these very textbooks. History is always going to be a source of controversy and honest mistakes will happen but…”

“One new history textbook, and especially the timeline supplied, gives the impression that the ‘Troubles’ were one IRA bombing after another. Airbrushing the Dublin/Monaghan bombings is consistent with that bias.”

Returning to Dr Lenihan, he also has his own views on the history curriculum at Junior Cert level and if given the chance, would make changes to the curriculum.

“In the Junior Cycle I would love to see a more explicit focus on the so-called ‘Island of Saints and Scholars’ or the early Medieval period when the Irish, or the Scots as they were then called (bet you didn’t know that!) played a vital role in transmitting Latin learning and literature back to a European mainland ravaged by barbarian invasions: vital, and largely forgotten.”

“It makes a change from a narrative based on a seemingly endless cycle of invasion, resistance, assimilation, more invasion, war, massacre, partial assimilation, and so on.”

But I didn’t leave college. I persevered, and qualified, despite the duress which social anxiety conferred. I am glad I did. In the end I qualified as a teacher: I travelled, I got work experience abroad, I came home. I worked for quarter of a decade in Prison Education, where I flourished.

Ironically, the traits which social anxiety engenders, (if we honour its suffering): awareness, discipline, respect, and honesty, were an exact match for the demands of the prison-teaching job.

Then later in the late 1990’s, I availed of the opportunity to return to Education, and while still working completed an MA in Education, with the Open University.

Fast forward another twenty years or so, to September 2019, when I walked back through the gates of NUI Galway, my alma mater, to embark on an MA in Writing. It is good to be back, and I am enjoying it better this time.

I have thanked my mother in my unholy prayers, many times since that day, from her spacious wisdom and lack of insistence, she gave me the beginnings of tolerance and compassion for myself.

The art of self-love and compassion was something I was going to have to work on over the following years, but back then, sitting in the spring sunshine with my mother in the back garden, was when the work began.

The art of self-compassion

by Bern Butler Did you ever get the feeling that you’ve been here before? Well I have. I first attended NUI Galway, (then U.C.G) from 1982 to 1986, scraping through an Arts Degree and H.Dip in Education.

In 1984, I was 19, in my second year, and finding the going in college increasingly tough. I had begun to experience the scourge of social anxiety. I felt like the defined edges of myself had begun to be eaten away, by an invading rust over which I had no control. I was suffering but didn’t know what to do.

Nobody talked much about social anxiety or any other neurotic illness in

those days. In fact, it would be over 15 years later, when I first heard the term social anxiety. The doctor I visited after I’d experienced my first panic attack had brushed my fears aside, asking me if I’d had a row with my boyfriend, or if could I be pregnant, implying the indefinable suffering I had just begun to experience, had to have some ‘reasonable,’ explanation and would just go away. Every level of my life was affected. My college work suffered big time.

I remember on one of the first sunny days of Spring, having a chance conversation with my mother. I sat beside her on the wrought-iron seat in the back garden and waited for a chance to break my

news. A suitable pause eventually arose in the conversation. I took it, and speaking quickly, told my mother I wanted to quit college. I told her I hated it and wanted to leave. With little hesitation, she asked me what I would do instead.

“Horticulture,” I answered, seizing upon it randomly, because we were sitting in a garden and I found its effects so soothing, so unlike the clamour and clatter of that dark underground restaurant in the University! It’s likely my mother arched an eyebrow when she heard what I’d said, but; “Suit yourself,” is what she replied.

“If you are unhappy then you must leave college.”

8 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

Final year diaries: results may include stress

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

First year diaries: spring cleaning After about five minutes of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo I turned it off when she started talking about clothes that spark joy and if not just throw them away. I just thought to myself, ‘when has sorting through clothes ever sparked joy in me’?

By Aileen O’Leary It happens every year: an email is circulated by either department heads or lecturers regarding provisional exam results. Nothing induces panic faster in a student than exam results or a deadline. For weeks you’ve agonised over how you did, if you failed anything, what grade you received and then you discover your results are being released.

It’s a stressful time for any college student, whether you aced the exam or not, and it can be daunting. The best way to deal with exam results?

Acceptance. Accept that you tried your best and whatever the grade is, good or bad, it’s final. It’s done and there is no point looking back or getting mad about it.

Here’s what you can do, speak to your lecturer/ tutor about your result, find out where you can improve upon and how. Use the supports available on campus, from the academic writing centre to the grinds available through the SU. If you are struggling with your course work or the course load itself there is plenty of help out there for you.

Another way to stay on track is to set up a study group. If you’re struggling to comb through the reading list and lecture notes, get together with a few people from your course to study, whether it’s for exams or just in general. At least then you can split up the reading list and share notes.

Missing a lecture here and there is inevitable, you might be sick or have an emergency, and in that case it’s helpful to have a friend you can ask to send over notes from a lecture. Most lecturers upload their slides to Blackboard, but in the event that they don’t it’s always helpful to know someone who went.

While it might be tempting to head home in between lectures if you’ve got a couple of hours to kill, try to hold off. Instead, maybe head to the library or the reading room for an hour or two,

try to get a start on those midterm assignments, it means you won’t be spending your evenings trying to write up essays or assignments.

By making your day in college a small bit longer it means less time walking to and from college and more free time when your day is over. Personally, if I have a four-hour break between lectures I tend to go home, make food, and nap, and by the time I have to head back in for that last lecture I’m wrecked.

Also if it’s cold and raining, the odds are I’m taking lecture notes from home.

It’s not all doom and gloom though; if you stay on top of your college work you’ll make it through the semester with ease. As long as you keep showing up and participating it’s honestly not as bad as it’s made out to be.

Congratulations to all our readers. Hopefully you’re happy with your results and if not there is always time to turn things around.

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

By Darren Casserly Now that we’re in midway through the semester the workload is increasing again. I really missed not having four assignments due in a week. I could have done with a couple more months of no assignments, but what’s the point of being in college if we’re not here to learn.

On a completely different, but at the same time, similar topic, (unofficial) rag week is coming up shortly so get your hands on a Donegal jersey and get ready to queue up outside Hole in the Wall at nine in the morning because its going to be a busy one.

As someone from Galway, I’m familiar to RAG week and ever since NUIG has cut ties with it, it seems to have gotten bigger and bigger, since people aren’t donating to any of the charities anymore which means more money for drink. It is a pity, but to be honest I’m a fan of RAG week and it’s great craic. It also means that its almost pointless going into lectures that week unless you want a one-on-one session in an empty lecture hall.

By the time that this article is published, exam results will have been out for a couple of weeks, but being in first year the first set of exam results really

Dear past me...

By Stevie Buckley

Dear past me, There are a lot of things I’d say I need to tell you about your future, and I’d like to tell you some of them now.

Speak to people who are doing the courses you want to do. I can tell you right now that you are going to hate what you think you’re going to love, and love what you think you’ll hate. This is all based on an Open Day, where lecturers gave you a misinterpretation of what the course would be like, so you’d be better off talking to students. You’re going to switch courses within a month of starting and be unhappy again by the end of semester one in second year, so give some consideration to

what you really want to do.

Don’t stress out too much if you’re sick for a few days at a time over the course of the Leaving Cert cycle. Things will sort themselves out towards the end of sixth year and you will get better results than you ever anticipated, even if it wasn’t the (frankly unachievable for someone in your situation) figure you had in your head.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that oncampus accommodation will be the best thing for you solely because you don’t like crowds and it won’t be far to walk to college. You’re going to get the crowds that your housemates bring in anyway, and it’s not fun when they’re being drunk and disorderly while you’re trying to sleep.

You aren’t going to suddenly turn into a social butterfly on the first day of orientation, despite what you hoped. You will find it hard to make friends, but you will. There are more societies than you anticipated, and you will find at least one friend in each of the ones you go to. You may also drift away from some friends that you thought you’d keep forever during your time in university but that’s natural and your new friends will more than make up for that.

Campus is absolutely nothing like school, the size alone is enough to daunt you. It’s spread over a huge area and it’s hard to get from place to place in ten minutes. Just a piece of advice, if you want to make it between the Cairnes Building and the Arts Millennium

brought me back to Leaving Cert. A couple of the differences were instead of going into your school and getting them all at once, you’re left constantly refreshing Blackboard after you hear the results are out and then just relief that you won’t have to come back to repeat it in the summer (for the Christmas exams at least).

Now that we are in February it’s a new season as well, which means spring cleaning for some people at least.

I’m not one for doing much cleaning but I’m hearing a lot of people talking about the new Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and about how magic tidying up is.

After about five minutes of the first episode I turned it off when she started talking about clothes that spark joy and if not just throw them away. I just thought to myself, ‘when has sorting through clothes ever sparked joy in me’? If that was necessary, I would be left with very little clothes. It seems like a very convoluted method to do a simple job, and something for someone with a bit too much time on their hands.

The rule that I eventually followed was if you haven’t worn it in a year you throw it out. No need to go searching your feelings to see if you’ll throw a pair of jeans away. Now all I need to do is organise the rest of my life which will definitely be easy, and finally get down and start doing some work again to start semester two off right, just a couple of months late!

Building in ten minutes, you’ll need to practice your running skills and get a good pair of running shoes.

Instead of having a class of about twenty, you can have up to 200 in a lecture in university. This is good because it means that you are extremely unlikely to be singled out, but horrible because you have to multiply that annoying person eating crisps behind you in English class by ten. Oh the horrors!

I hope that this was useful to you and that you learned something new. Take some of these points into consideration, future you will thank you for that.

Yours sincerely, Present me.

N UAC HT

February 12 2019

AE le Teresa May: “Dheamhan athrú atá tagtha ar an scéal”

Le Quinton Beck Tar éis do Pharlaimint na Breataine vóta a thabhairt ar son socruithe nua a dhéanamh leis an Eoraip maidir leis an teorainn in Éirinn, tá an freagra le cloisteáil sa mBruiséil: “dheamhan athrú atá tagtha ar an scéal”.

Chuir príomh-aire na Breataine, Teresa May, glaoch ar Uachtarán Chomhairle an Aontais, Donald Tusk, Dé Céadaoin ag iarraidh air dul i mbun idirbheartaíochta arís chun teacht ar shocrú nua maidir leis an teorainn in Éirinn.

I vóta a tugadh i bParlaimint na Breataine inné, bhí 317 ar son agus 301 in aghaidh socruithe nua a dhéanamh agus an “cúlstop” a bhaint den chomhaontú. Tugadh le fios go mbeadh tromlach ar fáil don rialtas i leith chomhaontais nua gan chúlstop a choinneodh Tuaisceart Éireann in ionannas leis an Aontas Eorpach, rud nach raibh ar fáil dó i leith an chomhaontais a chuir Teresa May chun vótála níos túisce i mí Eanáir.

Tá an Ríocht Aontaithe in ainm is a bheith ag imeacht den Aontas Eorpach ag 23:00 GMT ar an naoú lá is fiche de mhí an Mhárta den bhliain seo. Mura nglactar le comhaontas i bParlaimint an Ríocht Aontaithe agus i bParlaimint gach uile bhaill den Aontas Eorpach, tá an baol ann go n-imeoidh an Bhreatain as an Aontas gan aon réiteach maidir le cúrsaí imirce, eitilte, cumarsáide, iompair, agus eile, baol a thugtar “imeacht gan socrú” air.

Tar éis toradh an vóta sa Pharlaimint a dheimhniú, thug May an plean nua le fios.

“Séard atá i gceist agam” arsa sise, “ná athrú suntasach a bheadh ina cheangal de réir dlí.”

“Beidh orainn súil a chaitheamh ar an gcomhaontas tarraingthe amach arís, rud a bhfuil sé ar eolas agam nach bhfuil mórán dúile ag ár bpáirtithe Eorpacha chuige,” arsa sise.

Dúirt urlabhraí dá cuid: “Tá bealach ar aghaidh os ar gcomhair más rud é go n-éireoidh linn athruithe a bhaint amach maidir leis an gcúlstop.”

Bhí Teresa May gnóthach agus í ag cur glaoigh ar pholaiteoirí áirithe chun iarracht a dhéanamh an tAontas Eorpach a thabhairt chun an bhoird idirbheartaíochta arís. Ach tá dealramh ar an scéal nár éirigh léi an port a athrú.

“Is cuid den socrú tarraingthe amach é an cúlstop, agus níl aon dul siar ar an socrú tarraingthe amach,” arsa urlabhraí de chuid Uachtarán Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh, Donald Tusk, Dé Máirt.

Fuair an Taoiseach Leo Varadkar glaoch ón Uasal May freisin, agus dúirt sé go raibh an scéal is déanaí “ag cur leis an ngá le cúlstop a bheadh daingean de réir dlí agus praiticiúil le cur i bhfeidhm.”

“Ní féidir aon athrú a dhéanamh ar an gcúlstop,” arsa Héilin Nic an tSaoi, Aire na hEorpa de chuid rialtas na hÉireann.

“Seasann muidne le hÉireann.” arsa Guy Verhofstadt, urlabhraí i gcúrsaí Breatimeachta de chuid Pharlaimint na hEorpa. “Níl aon tromlach ar fáil chun an comhaontas tarraingthe amach a athoscailt nó a mhaolú” arsa seisean.

Agus na comharthaí ar an scéal go bhfuil an Bhreatain ag dul i dtreo imeacht gan socrú, tá polaiteoirí áirithe faoi amhras.

Tháinig Jeremy Corbyn, ceannaire an fhreasúra i bParlaimint na Breataine, agus an príomh-aire Teresa May le chéile maidin Chéadaoin chun an Bhreatimeacht a phlé.

Dúirt Corbyn go raibh an cruinniú “dáiríre” agus go raibh May “ag éisteacht”. Ach fós féin “Is é an rud deireanach a dúirt mé léi gan imeacht gan socrú a phlé sa Pharlaimint arís”

arsa Corbyn, “toisc é a bheith do-ghlactha – níl sé ciallmhar ná dáiríre mar bhealach ar aghaidh” arsa seisean.

Scríobh May ar twitter, “Is é an t-aon bhealach chun imeacht gan socrú a sheachaint vóta a thabhairt ar son socruithe.”

Deir daoine áirithe go bhfuil contúirt ag baint le cur chuige May. Agus í ag iarraidh freastal ar na baill dá páirtí féin atá ar son imeacht níos uileghabhálaí, is féidir go bhfuil na deighiltí atá ann i sochaí Bhreatain an lae inniu á dtreisiú aici agus trioblóid á tuar aici don Pháirtí Coimeádach féin.

“Má tharlaíonn rudaí uafásacha” arsa tachta Pharlaimint na Breataine Oliver Letwin maidir le himeacht gan socrú, “ní mhaithfear go ceann i bhfad é” arsa seisean, ag tagairt don Pháirtí Coimeádach.

Dúirt Simon Coveney go mbeadh “breithiúnas na staire dian” i leith an té a ligeadh do “theoranta agus deighiltí an ama atá thart” a theacht ar ais.

“Tá rudaí ann atá níos tábhachtaí ná na caidrimh eacnamaíochta agus seo sampla díobh siúd,” arsa seisean.

Thug an Cómhanach le fios go raibh seasamh na Breataine ar nós, “tabhair dhomh an rud atá uaim nó cuirfead mé féin an fhuinneog amach.”

Dúirt Nigel Dodds, ceannaire an DUP i Londain, go raibh an méid a dúirt an Cómhanach “místuama ar fad agus thar a bheith contúirteach.”

Ar deireadh thiar thall, bíodh is nach bhfuil an tAontas Eorpach sásta athruithe a chur i bhfeidhm ar an gcomhaontas tarraingthe amach (atá 585 leathanach ar fad), tugadh le fios go bhfuil polaiteoirí de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh sásta athruithe a dhéanamh ar an dearbhú maidir leis an gceangal a bheas idir an tAontas agus an Bhreatain sa todhchaí. Ach ní cáipéis í sin atá ina ceangal de réir dlí, rud a ndúirt May go raibh sí á iarraidh.

Tá luach an phuint tar éis titim i margaí Mheiriceá i bhfianaise eagla gur imeacht gan socrú atá i ndán don Ríocht Aontaithe anois.

Levelling up in the world: NUI Galway video game society

By Owen Kennedy The Video Game Society is one of the lesser known societies in NUI Galway. Set up only in the last five years, the society has remained underground somewhat but continues to grow from strength to strength. Auditor Dara Joyce leads the society today.

What got you interested in the society in the first place?

The society naturally caught my interest on Socs Day in first year. I only planned on going to one night and maybe become a regular member. However, the night I arrived the society was holding their EGM and seeing the former auditor describe them got me really interested in them, but I was afraid how much time it would take out. I picked the role of OCM because I wanted to help the society but picked a less strenuous role so I could focus on my studies. This year as auditor, I decided to take on the role because the society helped me so much my first year to

make close friends, and I wanted to give that chance to others.

ing our weekly meetings, as the game creates so much energy and hype between all of us.

What’s made you stick with the society for so long?

What’s the worst part of the society, if any?

I didn’t know anyone at all when I joined in first year but eventually, I made friends within the society who have stayed with me since I joined the society. I could see the role I was having on people when I was OCM and wanted to keep the society growing and expanding. I really enjoy the work auditor gives me to do and it’s a really good feeling helping people within the society.

I don’t really thing there’s a ‘worst part’. The biggest problem we have relates to the nature of it. A lot of the stuff we use for our meetings is from our own members. This includes consoles, games and monitors. We have a budget which we use for equipment like extra HDMI cables and extension leads but it doesn’t really allow us to expand as much as we’d like.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you whilst within the society?

The nature of video games allows for funny stuff to happen constantly when playing with other people. In terms of some of my best memories with in the society, it’d have to be a toss-up between the Socs Ball in first year or just playing Super Smash Bros dur-

What’s good advice for someone who wants to get involved in the society?

Best advice is to have a general passion and knowledge for video games. We’re accepting of everyone but if you don’t know anything about games there’s a likelihood you won’t enjoy yourself that much on the nights. That being said, everyone is always welcome to join us and we’ll facilitate all needs to the best of our ability.

7

GNÉ -ALTANNA

9

ERASMUS DIARIES

By Anne Rieger I thought about just giving a little life update and maybe I’ll do that next time, but I was just talking to a friend, and he basically said that he has never met someone as German as me. And by that he meant my organisation and my efficiency.

Now, I love living here, because not everything is organised, some things go wrong and that is fantastic, but there are a few very embarrassingly efficient things I do on a daily basis. And what do you do with very embarrassing things? Right – you share them with your university. So, feel free to laugh about me, but maybe you find that some of my little quirks would fit your life as well.

A big topic for me lately have been weekly plans.

Every week I write down a new schedule, for university, for work. So far so good, you will say that this is not too bad. But my weekly schedules go further. They are colour coordinated, green for university, red for work and blue for free-time. My to-do list is also parted in these categories, with the different tasks written in the pastel tones of the latter colours. Sometimes I even put in when I eat or when I go to bed, and honestly, I am not very proud of it, but without these plans I would forget half of everything I need to do – like writing columns (in light blue, because societies count as free time). Even my pub nights and my dates with my boyfriend have their right in these plans – in blue of course.

I mostly study literature, which means that all I do is read books all year. With a job and with college, a reading list of six per module seems almost possible to achieve (that is, if you still want to see a bit of blue in your schedule). So I came up with a way to combine all that – I just listen to audiobooks on my way to work.

Or while I cook. Or clean. Or even when I get dressed in the morning.

I told a friend about this behaviour last week and he just laughed at me and said that this is officially the most German thing he has ever heard, but then I recommended that he listen to Christopher Lee reading Frankenstein. Guess who almost had an accident the other day cycling with his earphones in. (I might or might not also have missed a lecture last week, just because I couldn’t stop listening to good old Christopher faking a European accent as young Victor Frankenstein – it is on Spotify, big recommendation).

But there you go now, those are the two things I just can’t get rid of and I also don’t want to. My room is a mess and my backpack could really do with a little tidying, but at least I always know where I have to be, and I’ll go there while doing something for university.

10 OPI N IO N

I studied arts, now what?

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

Are mothers people too?

By Laura Varley On a recent appearance on the Ellen Show, Anne Hathaway revealed she intends to abstain from alcohol for the duration of her son’s childhood.

She declared; “I’m going to stop drinking while my son is living in my house, just because I don’t totally love the way I do it, and he’s getting to an age where he really does need me all the time.”

She expressed her mortification at the idea that her child would see his mother either drunk or hungover, believing long-term sobriety to be a rational response to this fear. However, should mothers really give up drinking for their children?

There are a plethora of justifiable reasons for abstaining from alcohol. Addiction issues, health and preference are all reasonable considerations when consuming alcoholic beverages, but in Anne Hathaway’s case it seems, the actress may be taking the matter too far. She claims it would be irresponsible for her son to see his mother inebriated, but why does one have to be drunk or hungover? Why is it not an option to drink in moderation and teach children about the responsible consumption of alcohol? By demonising alcohol and disregarding the notion of careful drinking, we create this idea that all forms of alcohol consumption are unhealthy. The failure to teach children how to behave responsibly around alcohol increases their risk of developing an unhealthy relationship with drinking.

Hathaway’s comments are reminiscent of remarks made by both the late Peaches Geldof and her mother Paula Yates. Yates was a regular feature on daytime chat-shows espousing tips on parenting and the role of mothers. An active member of an attachment-parenting group, Yates re-popularised the image of mothers as models of perfection.

Attachment parenting (AP) is a philosophy that suggests good mothers do not work outside the

By Olivia Hanna With the start of my final semester my mind has turned both to maintaining my good grades and to life after final exams. At the end of May, I, and my fellow classmates, will be going from undergrads to unemployed: a prospect I don’t think anyone is taking lightly.

On 29 January I had a few hours in between lectures so I wandered down the Bailey Allen Hall to the jobs fair in search of potential job prospects to ease my concern about life after college. After a nervous wander around the hall I left disappointed.

My best prospect was as a customer service representative which I could do regardless of my degree in my arts subjects: journalism, sociology and politics, and philosophy.

The rest of the stalls were for those getting degrees in science, technology, engineering, business, and finance. I love my subjects, but when I left, I felt like I had chosen the wrong ones and that after college I would become unemployable.

I know this isn’t entirely true, but I know that my feelings are shared by others in my courses. The future is scary and as far as finding a career, I feel absolutely helpless. Yes, there are employability courses, but quite frankly I do not even feel like I’m employable at all. I don’t believe that the courses I’ve taken have prepared me for any career in the field. Journalism is the best prospect I have, but every time I turn on the news more and more journalists are getting fired from their jobs, and newspapers around the country are closing their doors.

It makes me angry to think that people in other courses are having an easier time preparing for their careers. Companies are lining up to hire them whereas I feel completely left to my own devices.

Getting a master’s degree is my next clear option, but I’m at a point where I don’t even know what to study. I plan on taking a year off to decide what to pursue, but it’s hard to be optimistic given the lack of support I feel we’ve received. I know that at 22 I’m not supposed to have everything figured out, but I wish I didn’t feel as lost as I do now.

The college definitely can’t do anything to guarantee me a job or discover my life’s “passion”, but I do wish there some programs directed at employability specifically for arts students. I also wish that there were classes throughout the three years that introduced us to how our subjects are practiced, instead of just the theory.

College is on an academic pedestal soaring above the rest of the world. It would help with the transition if once in a while it could touch back down to Earth. Moreover, I’d like to feel as if the College of Arts were more supportive of us as we make our way into the world. As it stands I feel like a cog in the machine of academia that will just get spat out at the end.

home, put themselves above their children and don’t partake in any toxins, including pain medication given in childbirth.

Participants of AP are often led to believe only motherhood gives meaning and purpose to a woman’s life. The burden of this unrealistic expectation placed on women leads to guilt for appeasing their own wishes rather than those of their children.

This nauseating ideology that women should sacrifice their sense of self, lest they be called an unfit mother, is a serious threat to feminism. It brings to mind the hypocritical nature of the celebrities who promote such unrealistic lifestyles.

Both Yates and Geldof died of an overdose whilst their children played at their feet. Though Anne Hathaway’s scenario is far less extreme, her hypocrisy is valid nonetheless. She claims it would be morally wrong for her son to see her drunk or hungover, yet when he is older he can read all about her drunken escapades on the internet. Whilst she criticises extreme lifestyle choices and those who engage in them, she gleefully accepted an Oscar for a film in which she lost 25 pounds and admittedly became ill.

Many have asked why don’t the fathers have to abstain from alcohol too? But the real question is why should anyone have to? In a world where gender equality has evolved into a frequently discussed topic, is it right to force our choices on our partners?

The question about male participation is asked under the guise of equality, yet by its very nature it threatens the right of men to choose their own lifestyle. Somewhere along the line people forgot that unity doesn’t mean symbioses.

Ultimately, Anne Hathaway has the right to parent as she sees fit, but it is potentially dangerous to ignore the ramifications of her words. As a celebrity her influence is far-reaching and her failure to differentiate between healthy, socially conscious drinking and excessive alcohol consumption, has the power to negatively impact the thousands who look to her with admiration.

The vilification of violent video games cannot be justified

By Daniel Brennan Regardless of whether or not you’ve ever owned a games console in your life, you’ll definitely have heard of and played a Grand Theft Auto game at some point. Each time a new GTA comes out, it’s almost like a cultural event. For instance, back in 2013 when Grand Theft Auto V was released, I went to a midnight launch of the game after pre-ordering it months before, just so I could get home and play it as soon as possible. That game is the third best-selling game of all time, and the highest-grossing entertainment property of all time, bringing in $6 billion in revenue for Rockstar Games.

The most identifiable feature of the GTA series, and also of other iconic series such as Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption and Battlefield is the inherent violence included in all of them. Obviously, this leads to many people, including the US President Donald Trump last year in one of his many random rambling speeches, to create the link between violence in the virtual world where the main objective is “shoot the bad guys”, with real-world violence like school shootings.

I’m sure if your childhood was anything like mine, at some point a parent of yours walked into the room when you were playing one of those games, shocked that video games could include such things, muttering about how they’ll ruin your brain and make you a demented psychopath when you grow up... but speaking from personal experience as well as looking at the cold hard scientific facts: that simply isn’t the case.

There have been multiple studies over the past decade and a half looking at whether or not playing violent video games really does have an impact on both children and adults’ real-life actions. According to Psychology Today, opinions among psychologists are deeply divided, and ultimately the answer is inconclusive. But again, that unclear result after decades of studies may lead to the conclusion that the wrong questions and measures may have been used to measure “aggression”.

However, a study conducted by the University of York in 2018, published on the reputable Science Daily website claims that playing violent video games has no impact in “priming” players to behave in certain ways outside of the virtual world. Their

study had a sample size of 3,000 participants, albeit all adults, and through a series of tests, they found that the actions and behaviours the participants were made to use in several games did not translate in any way to the real world, and speaking from personal experience, I can only agree.

I’ve been playing video games in one form or another since I was about 3 years old. I’ve been playing more “violent” games for nigh on a decade now too. Shockingly, I’ve never had the urge to pick up an actual gun and go on a rampage in the streets, or indeed to start stealing people’s cars and driving on the pavement. Every person I know that plays games regularly is the exact same, because they’re normal people enjoying a medium of entertainment.

After watching Die Hard, you don’t have the urge to throw random people off a skyscraper just because you saw John McClane do it on the screen. In my opinion, saying video games cause real-world tragedies like Columbine or Sandy Hook to me is hogwash, and covers up the very real issue of gun control in America, or indeed the problem of undiagnosed mental health issues elsewhere in the world.

SHAG Week 2019

Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance Week 2019

An tSeachtain um Fheasacht agus Threoir ar an tSláinte Ghnéis, 2019 Saturday 9th of February / Dé Sathairn, an 9 Feabhra 2pm-6pm

2pm-6pm Not Consent Exhibition and SHAG Week Launch in O’Donoghue Centre

Monday 11th of February / Dé Luain, an 11 Feabhra 1pm-3pm 5pm-7pm

Mental Health Mondays at Smokey’s Café FREE STI Clinic in the Student Health Unit. Phone 091 492 604 for appointment

Tuesday 12th of February / Dé Máirt, an 12 Feabhra 8.10am-8.50am 10am-1.30pm 1pm-2pm 6pm-9pm 9pm

Mindfulness for Beginners Class in AC201 Disclosure Training with Galway Rape Crisis Centre. FULLY BOOKED Just Read - Social Reading Space in Group Study Room 1, 1st Floor of Library NUIG Premiere Screening of “The Meeting” in D’Arcy Thompson Theatre Free ticketed event. Register on EventBrite for tickets Sex Toy Bingo at Sult. FREE Event in the Corrib Room

Wednesday 13th of February / Dé Céadaoin, an 13 Feabhra

11am-3pm COPE Galway Violence in Relationships Information Table at Smokey’s Café 1.10pm-1.50pm Mindfulness Shared Practice in AC201

Thursday 14th of February / Déardaoin, an 14 Feabhra 10am 5pm-7pm 8pm

Valentine’s Day Chocolates and Roses – FREE while stocks last from the SU! FREE STI Clinic in the Student Health Unit. Phone 091 492 604 for appointment The Dirty Circus at Sult - Comedy, Burlesque, Cabaret and Sauciness!

FREE event in the main bar

ALL WEEK

Free Condoms from the SU and SU Engineering Desk

More information from su.welfare@nuigalway.ie • Tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ó su.welfare@nuigalway.ie www.su.nuiga www. ww w.su.nuiga su.nuigalway su.nuiga lway.ie lway.i lway .ie

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12 O PI N IO N

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

Do people complain too much? And SHE lived happily ever after

By Niamh Casey Complaining is something everyone is guilty of.

Complaints can be about anything, from the trivial things to larger problems, but is it too much? Is complaining overdone and have people lost sight of things to be grateful of? Many would think so.

Complaining and being able to have a ‘rant’ to your friend is an essential part of friendship. It shows that you trust someone enough to be able to confide in them. However, there is a stage when it becomes too

Researchers have proved that complaining and listening to someone complain negatively affects both people’s moods. much. If all someone does is complain when you see them, then meeting with them can become tiresome.

There is a point where complaining becomes the only element to a conversation, and that is when it becomes a problem. It’s a golden rule is that too much of anything is bad for you and complaining is no exception.

However, one might argue that everyone has a right to express their feelings, which is also true.

Complaining is an excellent outlet. It helps to halve and possibly even solve the problem, simply by voicing

your concerns to someone. Even if the sole reason of venting to a friend is to receive validation rather than a solution, many would still agree that they felt better after. Shared complaints often bring people closer and help people to connect. It really is staggering once you think about how much of people’s lives can revolve heavily around this one form of expression. Is this bad?

It shows how easy it is to forget to be happy about the positive aspects of life and just focus on the negatives. Realising this fact would really make one believe that people do complain too much. Researchers have proved that complaining and listening to someone complain negatively affects both people’s moods.

This is really no surprise, especially when there is no real solution to the complaint. The true extent of the impact complaining has on a person’s mental health is really an important question many researchers are working on. Especially since most people, including myself, would seem to complain more than they should. Most people would likely admit that.

The key to complaining is balance. By not letting venting and complaints become the only conversations you have with people, the positives in life may become easier to see. Complaining is a part of life, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it needs to be rationed. Mindfulness and meditation can be a great place to start and may be an alternative way of dealing with built up worries. The root of complaints is often a result of a stressful life. Dealing with stress in a more efficient way may be the solution to a complaint free life! But sometimes, many would agree, there is no cure like a vent to a friend.

By Molly Fitzpatrick Since our Disney princess days, it’s been drilled into us that a happily ever after always includes a prince.

But let’s face it, the OG Disney princesses weren’t exactly feminist icons and were probably happy to leave their lives behind to live in the kingdom and wait on Prince Charming’s hand and foot. Perhaps that didn’t seem so bad to five-year-old me, but now unsurprisingly I’ve some bigger fish to fry, and Prince Charming is no longer the be all and end all.

I no longer dream of the classic Disney ending that us nineties babies grew up on, now my own career, aspirations and goals cross my mind far more often than whether or not I’ll find the right man. Now I’m more of a current day Disney princess, like Merida from Disney’s Brave or Frozen’s Elsa. Merida isn’t waiting for a man to come along, nor does she need romance to make her complete.

She’s fierce, doesn’t conform to the gender stereotypes being forced upon her by her mother and she chooses to remain happily single, and doesn’t put it down to there being something wrong with her.

In Brave and many of the other more recent Disney princess films, singleness isn’t seen as a flaw, it’s not something a girl should be trying to get rid of, and in fact is something many of them (and us!) choose.

Despite having to deal with the dreaded ‘have you met any nice boys?’ or ‘any fellas?’ from your mom when you visit home, single life isn’t so bad.

As an introvert there’s nothing I enjoy more than coming home, taking off my make-up, putting my

hair up in a messy bun, putting on my fluffy pjs and hibernating in front of Netflix. Now, imagine having to argue with someone over what to watch, and chances are unless they are a 16-year-old girl in the body of a 22-year-old male, they aren’t going to watch the new episode of Riverdale with you.

Being single gives you freedom, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, without having to worry about your other half. You can go on a girl’s night out without having to worry he’ll ‘coincidently’ show up in the same pub with lads, he probably checked your snap maps (a little too similar to everyone’s most recent Netflix addiction ‘YOU’ if you ask me). You don’t have to worry about him getting jealous of your guy friends and you don’t have to worry about that girl who likes every Instagram he posts. When you’re single you can arrive home at ten in the morning after a night of dancing and won’t have to listen to anyone whine about how you spend to much time with your friends and not enough with them.

When you’re single you don’t have to share your family size bag of crisps with anyone, no one’s there to judge you for staying in bed watching true crime documentaries for three days straight and you don’t have to be a tag along and pretend you like his friends. That being said I’ve been single for all 22 years of my time on planet earth, so perhaps I’m a little naïve to how great life can be in a relationship.

That said, I do sleep soundly knowing the duvet won’t be pulled off me in the middle of the night.

Alexa… play Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’.

TUAIRIM

February 12 2019

13

RTÉ Prime Time’s transgender The library ‘debate’ was a disgrace versus home

By Daniel Brennan A recent edition of RTÉ’s flagship current affairs programme, Prime Time, featured a debate about transgender issues where for the sake of “balance”, the comedy television writer Graham Linehan of Father Ted and The IT Crowd fame, was invited onto the show following the writer’s recent history of being openly anti-trans on Twitter and other sites over the past few years.

In a debate about transgender issues and rights, a subject much of the general pub-

“RTÉ knew Graham Linehan was controversial, so ignored their duty to fairly represent information by showing him as an ‘expert’ and allowing him to speak on an issue where he has, in the past, been so vitriolic that the police were called to investigate him twice. By platforming Linehan, RTÉ has sent the message that they value an attempt at relevance over the trans community of Ireland.”

lic might know little or nothing about, RTÉ saw it fitting to bring on a comedy writer as an “expert” on transgender issues, just so they could have more Twitter interactions rather than a proper, scientifically-backed discussion that could have done wonders in informing the public more about transgender issues.

Even further still, the concept of having a political-style debate in the first place when it comes to transgender rights has come under severe scrutiny. I spoke with GiGSoc, NUI Galway’s LGBTQI+ society, about how RTÉ handled the show in general, as well as their facilitation of Graham Linehan’s appearance on the programme.

“Trans rights are human rights, and human rights are not up for debate. The representation of trans people on the show was extremely lacking; they did not showcase a depth or breath of knowledge as regards the trans experience. It should have been a platform to let trans people speak... when representation in the media is so lacking, it should be trans people informing other people, as opposed to cisgender people either willfully or ineptly misrepresenting a group that is regularly and consistently discriminated against.

The counter-argument consisted of one premise: trans people should not exist. This should never be considered a debate... RTÉ has a duty as our national broadcaster to represent all its citizens with compassion and honesty. They failed.”

“RTÉ prioritised sensationalist views over representing the trans community.

The trans community had an online petition against Linehan’s appearance, however RTÉ decided to include him in the show anyway. They knew Graham Linehan was controversial, so ignored their duty to fairly represent information by showing him as an ‘expert’ and allowing him to speak on an issue where he has, in the past, been so vitriolic about [it that] the police were called

to investigate him twice. By platforming Linehan, RTÉ has sent the message that they value an attempt at relevance over the trans community of Ireland.”

The response to Linehan’s appearance and general toxic behaviour before and after was huge. GiGSoc, along with the NUI Galway Students’ Union, protested his appearance on NUI Galway’s campus on the day of the show’s broadcast, while activists also protested outside RTÉ.

The most notable achievement was a charity livestream by Youtuber ‘hbomberguy’, who held a near 60-hour Donkey Kong 64 stream to raise money for the UK-based transgender charity Mermaids, which had been targeted online by Linehan and his followers. The stream raised over $340,000 for the charity, and had trended worldwide on Twitter after activists like Owen Jones and most notably US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had both appeared on and shared the stream on social media - most definitely one massive positive stemming from Linehan’s behaviour.

RTÉ’s decision to continue with having Linehan on the show deserves to be criticised heavily – despite all of the emails, all of the calls and the protests, they still decided that actively hurting trans people on national television was worth it just for “balance” and angry tweets just to boost the show’s social media stats.

Following some of the awful things said by right wing activists brought onto RTÉ current affairs programming during the recent gay marriage and abortion referendums, as well as with Peter Casey during the recent Presidential elections, I had hoped that they had learned their lesson. Sadly, to me, their current objective with their current affairs programming in general isn’t to inform us, but instead to pander to dangerous views all for the sake of some numbers they can show to advertisers to fill their own pockets.

It’s the little things about travelling

By Rachel Garvey As students, we are learning more and more about the world we live in everyday through our chosen subjects. These chosen subjects give us the inspiration to go out and travel around the world, to discover hidden adventures around every new corner. Travelling alone or with friends can give you the confidence to step out of your comfort zone and experience things which you thought were scary but turned out to be quite enjoyable.

I was terrified to travel to Dublin alone the first time I visited my boyfriend. The thought of travelling alone made me anxious, and Dublin always had unexpected surprises around every corner. The crowds and the people who always tried to ask you for something were two of the many things I wanted to avoid. I soon became accustomed to it all after nearly three years of travelling there. I gained confidence to face the crowds, they no longer made me coil back in fear.

I was able to compose myself in a calm fashion while I was squashed up against strangers on the LUAS instead of having silent panic attacks and clenching my fists so hard that my hands would start to hurt.

It doesn’t matter whether you are travelling to a county in Ireland or to a completely different country abroad, but any sort of small adventure can be considered travelling. These small adventures of travelling broaden our horizons and even the shortest travel journey can help us learn things that we have never come across before, like bringing extra food for someone who is always hungry (I know from experience).

As students, money can sometimes be a bit of a setback for us when it comes to travelling.

However, travelling doesn’t necessarily mean that it is always expensive. There are cheap ways of travelling that involve hiking and cycling, it doesn’t always have to be vehicle based. Hiking up the side of a mountain and motivating yourself to reach the top can be

considered travelling in some way, that itself teaches you how to present yourself with challenges and see them through until you are successful. Cycling through acres of forest and miles of road can also be considered travelling as it teaches us to make decisions with the paths we choose to take and to also keep pedalling even if our legs are worn out, giving up will never get you to where you are heading towards.

It’s up to us to take the wheel and go in the direction we want to go, it is our choice to go out into the big bad world and experience it through discovering new different places through different means of travelling.

We should never let someone else choose the path for us, we choose it and we are entitled to go on this journey and experience new things as we wish. Travelling anywhere is an experience that can be big or small, but no matter how big or how small, we always learn something new about ourselves along the way.

By Rachel Garvey Do you know that feeling when you wake up on a Monday morning, the warmth and familiarity of your bed begging you to stay and to not disrupt the warmth that radiates under the covers? It’s a good feeling, but then once slip into the half awake and half-asleep stage your mind wanders a little to that pending essay that is due in a couple of days. Before you know it, you’re up letting the cold air embrace your skin and your duvet is left lying there, crying out for you to come back as you get ready to pay a visit to the library in college. It’s an awful feeling isn’t it?

I have always been the student to complete her college work in the library, seeing other students stress over their pending work makes me feel like I’m not alone. It’s almost as if being in the same work space with other hardworking students alleviates your stress a little more. I think it’s the fact that we are surrounded by books and the sound of turning pages and fingertips tapping away at laptop keyboards that get us in the zone to work on assignments.

Then there’s the temptation to check your phone every so often to see who’s in college or who’s still in the warmth of their bed, followed by the occasional contemplation of “is college really worth it?” Nonetheless, we gently put our phone down, as to not make noise, and continue with our work. We get into this comfortable routine in the library of setting up laptops, taking out necessary notepads and books, browsing the shelves for the books we need but can’t find and, of course, occasionally checking up on social media.

That is a routine we can deal with daily. I have tried both at home and the library in terms of where is best to get work done, the library won! While conducting my little experiment at home I found there were far too many distractions. I learned that writing an essay in your room has the distraction of your bed and the temptation to jump in and fall asleep under the duvet, the sitting room has the TV, it just stares at you and awaits to be turned on, the kitchen has the fridge and the fridge is the biggest distraction of all. Shelves upon shelves of delicious food call out to get your attention while you are sitting at the kitchen table with your head in your hands, stressing over your ongoing essay. The cries of “eat us” are too much for you, so you break concentration and grab anything edible and before you know it, you’re in the sitting room with your feet up on the chair and stuffing your cheeks with sweets while watching Netflix. I will admit I am guilty as charged for doing that on more than one occasion.

At least in the library there is no fridge to go to, no TV to sit in front of and no bed to crawl into and fall asleep in.

So, there you have it, if you want to get work done then please go to the library where distractions only bring you towards checking your phone every so often and not binge watching the new Ted Bundy series on Netflix. Home is great and all, but there is a reason why home is home and the library is the library.

Leeds University Library. Photo: Michael D Beckwith via Flickr

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

‘Diet Prada’ and the need to protect novice designers

By Martha Brennan

EVENTS

PLANNER 11-15 FEB //2019 sultnuigalway

MONDAY

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OPEN MIC AUDITIONS

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8PM • CORRIB ROOM

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13 AJAX V REAL MADRID 8PM • BIG SCREEN

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Auditions for THEE X FACTOR FACTOR • 8pm

FRIDAY

THURSDAY

Music Night

6pm

DIRTY CIRCUS 9pm MAIN BAR

GET YOUR SU CARD TO UNLOCK

EXCLUSIVE DRINKS PROMOTIONS

The fashion industry today is a cut-throat environment. It’s a land of winner-takes-all mentality, and a place where trends can be copied in less than a second due to the presence of social media. Highend brands are not simply using models anymore, they are using ‘influencing’ personalities – paying those with a large number of followers an unfathomable amount of money to get images of their clothes circulating around the world.

In today’s setting, it is harder than ever for young designers to get their names out there, and if they share their creations without a trademark – they are up for grabs to the entire internet at a click of a button. Aspiring designers, who have spent countless hours earning their degrees, perfecting their skills, and working all hours as interns, can get discouraged by the current environment, especially when some big-name brands seem to be blatantly stealing their hard work, with no way to stop them.

Hence, the meteoric rise of the Instagram account, ‘Diet Prada’, is not surprising. The amateur account acts as an unofficial online watchdog, calling out designers who are copying other designers’ work. With over 1.1 million followers, including big names such Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid, the account is constantly gaining momentum, exposing unfaithful designers for the whole internet to see. People send in images of copy-cat work, and the public does the rest. The account was originally run anonymously, until founders and freelance designers Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyle started to publicly speak out last year.

The need for the public shaming is viable according to many members of the fashion industry. Some high-profile cases exposed by the page include an incident involving Kim Kardashian whose children’s clothing line was accused by the page of being a copy of work by French designer Vetements.

Kardashian spoke out publicly following the accusation, claiming the designs were ‘homages’ not copies.

Last year, Vivienne Westwood was criticized by a Vogue journalist for what seemed like a rip-off of work by young British designers Rottingdean Bazaar and Louise Gray. Westwood apologized following the article. Last summer, Gucci was also accused of stealing work. This time the claim came via Instagram from Olympic runner Diane Dixon, Gucci also described the work as a ‘homage’.

Some may remember the viral exposé of Moschino last year at New York fashion week by Norwegian designer Edda Gimnes. Gimnes put up a photo of her designs against images of the Moschino runway on Instagram. The young designer had shown her designs to the fashion house during a job interview, and the work was seemingly copied for fashion week.

“Today I woke up extremely disappointed and to a full inbox of people who know my work and saw yesterday’s Moschino collection,” Gimnes wrote online.

“I understand we are in an industry that carries inspiration from each other and as it is said, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. But it is disheartening to see, after having a meeting with someone from Moschino in New York in November last year, showing this person absolutely ALL my work and my original sketchbooks and ideas.”

Big-name brands seem to be blatantly stealing the hard work of aspiring designers. Hence the meteoric rise of the Instagram account, ‘Diet Prada’, which acts as an unofficial online watchdog, calling out designers who are copying other designers’ work.

“Seeing the Moschino show yesterday makes me so sad and I feel so hurt that someone has, the way it looks to me, unquestionably used my SS16 and SS17 collections as inspiration without granting me any credit.”

SIN spoke to NCAD graduates Caoimhe Hill and Louise Kavanagh about the contentious topic.

Caoimhe is currently working as fashion intern with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s high-end brand The Row in New York.

“Fashion repeats all the time and people get inspired by things easily so it’s inevitable that there will be similarities in fashion, but the big brands should be responsible for encouraging talent and new thinking with jobs, internships and not promoting this ‘devil wears prada’ mentality of everyone in it for ourselves,” she explained.

Louise, who works with Vince Camuto in New York added that: “Fashion is exactly like politics.

The bigger the company the more power they have against smaller people, the more they can get away with things. Think of Trump as a fashion brand, and think of Diet Prada as what he calls fake news.”

“The only other thing I would say is to get a more professional watchdog,” Caoimhe added. “I don’t know if that can really apply to the creative industry, because it’s a skill that everyone learns and builds upon and there’s specific garments you base it off. In college we are told that everything has been done before, so basically you take what’s out there and improve on it. So, copying is inevitable” Because of this trickiness surrounding the idea of a professional watchdog for the industry, consumers are the ones who can make a difference.

Shoppers can avoid funding cheap knockoffs by trying to shop vintage, shopping on sites such as Etsy, or buy buying from smaller independent stores.

You can find Diet Prada online via Instagram.

FAIS EAN

February 12 2019

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How to dress for spring when it still feels like winter

By Michelle McClair

As brands unveil to us their spring collections, and models walk the catwalk in airy, bright spring clothing, we can’t help but glare out our windows at the sub-zero weather conditions. One question comes to all of our minds: “how can I dress for spring when it still feels like winter?”

With Irish weather being predictably cold, its important to stay as warm as possible while maintaining a bright spring look. Here are three ways to battle the elements while still looking bomb.

Layering Nothing in this world could ruin the spring vibe you’re going for more than a big parka coat. With the weather being as cold as it is, its so difficult to avoid the temptation of a cosy coat. How do you stay warm without it? The answer is simple – layering. With neon’s and bright colours being big on catwalks worldwide, Bershka have released a large selection of bright coloured turtlenecks in their spring line. Put a spin on the dark winter turtlenecks, and layer it with a print shirt for an alternative look.

Trade out the heavy parka for a lighter waist length jacket, like this one from Bershka, which stays in season by sticking to a bright neutral colour (similar to looks seen in the Burberry and Tom Ford spring collection shows), while still keeping you warm.

Dress smart Spring is the time we like to bust out the skirts, but with the weather threatening to freeze us to death, its frankly brave to wear a skirt without incredibly heavy tights. Opt for brighter coloured skirts.

We’re seeing a lot of mixed pattern in brands’ spring collection shows at the moment. Topshop have a collection of bright coloured skirts, like this one in living coral, which is the colour of the year for fashion brands worldwide.

You can pair this with darker tights and still maintain the spring look you’re aiming for with the bright colours. Alternatively, you could opt for a midi skirt like this one from Topshop, or even a bright coloured pinafore, as these provide more heat. Penney’s and New Look have a selection of pinafores in numerous colours, so your selection is not limited.

Don’t be afraid to incorporate some of your winter wardrobe Let’s face it, we don’t have the funds to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, especially when the weather outside suits your winter wardrobe and the warmth it provides. Make use of those woolly winter jumpers. Pair your dark knits with brighter skirts and trousers, like these beige coloured windowpane check trousers from Topshop. If you are

in the market for new jumpers, stay on trend by leaning towards pale blues and pinks, with a mix of block colours, which are bang on trend and perfect for brightening up your spring wardrobe. Don’t distance yourself from pattern knits either, they can add a vintage aspect to your outfit. New Look has a selection of items in these colours. As for footwear, don’t put your winter boots away yet. A brighter coloured boot heel can fit perfectly into your spring wardrobe, and if

you want to get more use out of your Doc Martins, pair them with a bright outfit for an edgier look. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

It is hard to stay warm and look stylish with the Irish weather system, but hopefully with these tips, warmth and style can go hand in hand. The main point here is keeping your wardrobe colourful, as it will transition your mind from winter to spring, and the bright colours will prepare you for your summer.

Above, left: Midi skirt, €60 at Topshop Above, right: Polo neck, €12.99 at Bershka

Far left: Jacket, €39.99 at Bershka Left: Trousers, €52 at Topshop Below, left: Skirt, €40 at Topshop Below: Jumper,€15 at New Look

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

Living her best life:

Retro Flame

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

By Amy McMahon Erika Fox is a fiery force to be reckoned with, although you may know her better as her blogger alter ego Retro Flame.

This NUI Galway alum is dominating the fashion blogger scene with her chic looks and envious life in New York’s Upper East Side.

In the true spirit of blogging, let’s begin with an OOTD. Fox has a following of 138k on Instagram, so it might be worth jotting down a style note or two. I’ve recreated out one of her many, many effortless chic ensembles on a student budget.

A simple black polo neck is the starting point (Stradivarius, €12.99).

Fox wore H&M jeans on the day so it’s only fitting to add in H&M jeans now.

These are the ‘vintage slim ankle jeans’ (€27.99) and appear to be the lovechild of the mom jean and straight leg. The denim breaks up the otherwise allblack outfit. Pop on a black coat, knee length as seen on Instagram (H&M, €34.99).

Forever photographed in her Celine chunky shades, opt for a cheaper pair from Zara (€15.95). Another essential accessory is Fox’s classic crossbody YSL bag. Get it without the hefty price tag from ASOS (€16.59) as a clutch or a similar style from Stradivarius (€19.99).

Finish off the look with Topshop’s Ella boots (€52), just like the pair worn by Retro Flame.

Although Fox’s outfits do contain high-street pieces, she is a massive fan of designer buys. In a number of YouTube videos and blog posts she gushes about designer exchange shops and buying vintage items. Dublin’s Siopaella is the next best thing to her go-to New York shopping spots. Equally Ebay is worth a try too.

Her most worn designer items are her vintage Dior saddle bag and Balenciaga court heels. You’re welcome in

advance because I have found dupes for both pricey purchases. Mango have recreated a croc saddle bag inspired by the Dior design, available from ASOS (€41.46). You can own your own pair of Balenciagas for €49.95. The only catch is they’re actually from Zara (and without the golden B hardware). Other than

that, they’re a perfect dupe and even real leather.

Now dressed to impress you can take on the Upper East Side. Fox enjoys a leisurely iced americano in her spare time.

For any coffee connoisseurs in search of a good cuppa, try the Jungle Café, 56 Central and the Coffee Club.

You can also find this blogger destressing in Central Park, taking in the views and strolling about. An evening in Eyre Square with a good book might be a good substitute, or hop on a bus to Salthill. Either would clear your head when assignments start to pile up and exams are looming.

Makeup-wise, this Kerry golden girl is a big fan of Rimmel foundations, in particular ‘Match Perfection’ (Boots, €10.49). In a recent Instagram story Fox raved about the drugstore beauty buy for its long-lasting high coverage formula. It also contains SPF 20 and boasts 24-hour moisture hydration. What’s not to love?

Fox later shared her go-to shadows from the Charlotte Tilbury ‘Stars in Your Eyes’ palette which retails for €72 from Feel Unique. Instead, try Maybelline’s Burgundy Bar eyeshadow palette (Boots, €14.99). Virtually the very same shades, however you may have to wet your brush before applying for a true colour pay-off.

All-in-all this cailín is an admirable lady. Dead set on moving to New York, she followed her dreams and is loving every minute of it. If her Instagram posts don’t make you go on a J1 – nothing will!

FAIS EAN

February 12 2019

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Natural ways to glow like J Lo

By Ciara Brennan

Photo: Audrey M Jackson on Unsplash

GLOWY SKIN: although it’s not a new phenomenon, it’s never been as popular as it is right now. We all desire that dewy sun-kissed glow but unfortunately our pasty Irish skin doesn’t radiate as naturally as most of us wish it would. But fear not, with a few simple changes to our diet and lifestyles we can all naturally glow like J Lo every day of the week.

A true glow starts from within, be good to your body and it will beam from the inside out.

A healthy diet is the essential key for unlocking the secrets to a dewy complexion. Start with getting in your five a day. I know it’s easier said than done but your skin will really reap the benefits. Try incorporating morning juices into your routine, not only will you be hitting the target of at least two or three of your five a day, you will also have a reason to use that Nutribullet you bought yourself last year on sale.

Fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C are the money makers, so pack your diet with foods such as broccoli, peppers, spinach and citrus fruits to detox and purify your skin.

This next step could not be any simpler, drink more water. If you were to take any healthy steps in your life today the most important thing to do is drink water. Drink it as if it was going out of fashion. Water detoxifies, improves complexion, hydrates, plumps, clears and illuminates your skin. It is recommended that we should be drinking about two litres or eight glasses of water a day, so get drinking.

A daily skincare routine could not be more important to improve your skins glow. Start with exfoliation. Your skin sheds hundreds of dead skin cells every day and it is crucial to prevent their build up on our skins surface. An exfoliator that is rich in glycolic acid is the magic trick for that extra glow. Exfoliate at least twice a week to unclog pores and keep skin smooth. Next step is cleansing and toning, night and morning for the best results. The main ingredients for that natural

radiance are using moisturizer and a daily SPF. Find a moisturizer that’s suited to your own specific skin type and it will hold that water-rich glow.

The addition of an SPF to your daily skin routine will protect your skin against the harsh sun rays and keep your skin youthful and plump, the perfect canvas for a healthy glow. If you’re looking for that little bit extra, try a daily serum with your moisturizer, they are more concentrated than creams and absorb deeper into the skin. Hydrating and brightening facemasks are also a good addition to your skincare routine.

Any good glow needs time to develop and the best way to achieve this is getting the right amount of beauty sleep. It is estimated that we should get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. When we sleep our skin repairs itself, and cutting this time short dims our skin’s radiance. Rest is extremely important for achieving a healthy glow, but exercise is just as important too. 30 minutes of exercise a day will send oxygen through blood vessels on your face, stimulating the natural pigmentation in your cheeks and keeping a healthy glow.

SOLO TRAVEL: it’s good for the soul

By Olivia Hanna The first I ever travelled alone was to London. I had been there once before with family, but on my own I was going to the city through a very different lens. I booked my hostel dorm (a co-ed room for four people), booked my flight on none other than Ryan Air, packed my bags, and jetted off.

I arrived in London in the dead of night both a little excited and terrified.

I walked alone through cobbled back alleys searching for my hostel that was nestled somewhere deep in Kensington.

I will never forget the feeling of aloneness, of fright, and of exhilaration that night. I had never before been as alone as I was in that moment. The freedom was overwhelming and I felt so strange having only myself to rely on.

Since that first trip I’ve travelled on my own only two other times to Rome and Copenhagen. During all three trips I stumbled across the same challenges: what to do during meal times, and feeling safe.

Without a companion deciding what to do for meals is a surprisingly intense task. One night in London I was sat in front of wall as I ate my way through a

large platter of cured meats. The next night I resigned myself to a feast of vending machine Skittles because in a city so big the amount of options was crippling.

In Rome I ended having one of the best meals of my life in a tiny restaurant tucked away in a quiet piazza. For 25 euros I got wine, soda, a pasta dish, a meat dish, and a dessert: all incredibly delicious. I don’t think I’d ever be able to find my way back there since there wasn’t anything distinct about its location.

In the future I would definitely research restaurants so there would be some direction for meals instead of eating Skittles or going hungry.

The same is true for activities. I generally like to arrive somewhere and then decide what to do, but I’ve found that when travelling alone it is important to have at least a loose itinerary so you don’t spend your days just wandering.

Wandering around can be nice for a few hours, but not for a few days. Try to book day trips to places outside of the city you’re travelling in, and plan on going to museums or boat trips at specific times.

Structure is key!

While solo jet-setting does have its perks, it can also be dangerous especially

if you’re a woman and even more so if you’re five feet tall like me. Be aware of your surroundings, make sure your money and important valuables are stored in a safe place, and listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. One night in London

after a trip to a museum I was looking for a cab. I approached a black cab and he directed me to a creepy looking van parked a few feet ahead. I elected to cross the street and went into a Starbucks. I hate to imagine what might have happened had I gone into the van.

Despite the potential dangers, travelling alone has given me amazing memories and even greater self-confidence. I suggest that everyone travel alone at least once in their lifetime, you won’t regret it.

Just Read

Ag Lorg Laochra Léimh

Do you need anything more than a good book? The key to happiness is finding a good book and reading it.

Níl dada níos fearr ná leabhar maith.

Is iomaí duine a fhaigheann sonas i leabhar a aimsiú agus a léamh.

Join the SU Education Officer for books and more in Group Study Room 1 on the First Floor of the Library, 1pm-2pm every Tuesday.

Tar le chéile le hOifigeach Oideachais an Chomhaltais i gcomhair leabhar agus tuilleadh i Seomra Group Study1, Áras Uí Argadáin ó 1 i.n. go 2 i.n. gach Máirt.

More information from su.education@nuigalway.ie

Tuilleadh eolais le fáil ó su.education@nuigalway.ie

www.su.nuigalway.ie

faceboo acebook.com/NUIGalwayS wa tudent wayS tude sUnion

twitter.com/NUIG m m/NUIG SU

February 12 2019

FAIS EAN

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NÓ S MAIRE ACHTÁLA

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Styled by the show:

By Liz Hunt Procrastinating assignments? Afraid to update your blackboard for examination results? Look no further, it’s time to relive or live through the 90s to an era of slip dresses, miniskirts and mom jeans.

Friends the tv show not only provides us with relatable content which encapsulates the struggles of dealing with adult life, it also presents us with an array of inspirational outfits that transcend the test of time to this day.

Rachel and Monica both still manage to hold a special place in my heart when it comes to fashion.

Even after all this time they have managed to leave an everlasting impression on my wardrobe. They have subconsciously shaped my own personal style through the years.

I have recreated and took inspiration from the most iconic outfits that aired on the show, including the plaid skirt, white sweater and white knee-high socks worn by Rachel. Plaid skirts are one of my favourite pieces and can be complimented with a

subtle colour such as a grey or black top or sweater, ensuring the skirt is the centre piece. This allows the skirt to get the appreciation it deserves.

Skirts aren’t your scene? Don’t worry, plaid trousers are here to the rescue, they are just as fashionable, and Rachel’s proves this by wearing a pair of red plaid trousers and a white tee. Styling this with a denim jacket or blazer can enhance your look to make you seem sophisticated yet edgy. If you are having trouble choosing a colour to match your plaid trousers, try focusing on one colour that appears in your trousers or skirt and style it accordingly.

Alongside plaid skirts and trousers, a staple piece of clothing in my wardrobe would have to be a pair of mom jeans. Monica and Rachel wore them throughout the show. Whether you own a pair or have admired them on others, I’m sure you can admit they are a classic. The number of ways you can style mom jeans is infinite. If you are stuck for time in the mornings to style an outfit together, mom jeans will be your best friend. They will ensure your top, whether it’s cropped or oversized, will be complimented by the jeans.

White sneakers for me are a must-have, especially when it comes to mom jeans. It draws attention to the cut of your jeans and instantly transforms you into a fashionista.

Another piece of clothing that tends to feature throughout the show is overalls. Although they are not as widely appreciated as mom jeans, they are a must have for every wardrobe. Overalls can be a controversial item of clothing. You may either adore them or try to avoid them at all costs. If you

are looking to be convinced into appreciating them just as much as I do, I advise you look at Monica’s iconic red t-shirt overall look.

You may be swayed to overlook your previous preconceptions and may just become an overall enthusiast! Monica’s choice was aestheticly appealing to watch on the show. Just like mom jeans, they can be styled with several different tops. When

it’s cold and you need to wrap up in a sweatshirt, overalls will adapt to your preferences and will still manage to look stylish. There is little preparation required in throwing on a pair of overalls over your favourite tee shirts and sweaters!

Overall Friends is undoubtably an inspirational show for outfit ideas and has been for decades, and I hope it will continue to be so in the future.

Valentines

SPECIALS Red Velvet Cake €2.50

{ Raspberry & Coconut Cake €2.50

{ Valentine Smoothie €3.20/€4.25 Kale, Lemongrass, Banana, Mango

{ Valentine Milkshake €2.95/€3.50 Bubblegum Flavour

{ Champagne & Strawberry Doughnut €2.00

MENTAL HEALTH MONDAYS Luan na Meabhairshláinte Starting on 28th January • Runs until 8th April Look out for the Welfare Crew on campus every Monday 1-3pm!

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C U LT ÚR

February 12 2019

7

SIAMSAÍOCHT

21

Why are superheroes more popular than ever?

By Áine Kenny While we all eagerly wait for Avengers: Endgame to land on our cinema screens in April, I can’t help wonder why we are so fascinated and partial to superheroes nowadays. Comic books have been part of the mass media since the 1930’s, but the main urban legend who was a predecessor to the superheroes was Spring-Heeled Jack, the Victorian’s version of Slenderman. Many penny dreadfuls featured Jack, this devil-like creature who had clawed hands, the power to jump higher than any man and spit blue flame. Perhaps he was the first antihero?

When I was a child, I remember my grandparents showing me old videos of the Fleischer Superman cartoons from the 1940’s. What I now realise is that this animation style was ingenious. Fleischer invented rotoscoping, a technique which involves animating on top of film footage, giving a new fluidity to cartoons. Check out the series on Youtube, it is in the public domain now. One of my favourite scenes is where Superman folds up an airplane like it’s a tin of sardines… a nod to Popeye, one of Fleischer’s other famous cartoons!

Moving onto the latter part of 1900’s, who can forget the hilariously badly animated cartoon Spiderman from the 1960’s? For some reason, this particular characterisation of Spiderman was shown on RTE’s children’s programming in the early noughties (cue mumbles about the cost of the TV license). At least we got some brilliant memes from that show.

However, the turn of the century also heralded the new age of superhero media: the superhero cinematic universes. A clever marketing strategy on behalf of Marvel and Disney, fan loyalty has never been so rewarding. Now, instead of having individual superhero films all safely confined into their own neat franchises, we see a conglomerate swallowing up characters one by one, in order to encapsulate them into one unified, phased storyline.

I don’t like seeing a concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few studios, but the results that Disney has produced are epic. We now have storylines spanning decades, careful planning of interconnecting galaxies and characters, and perhaps for the first time, a more comic book like approach to mak-

ing superhero films. Heroes transcend time, space and comic book universes in print, and so why not in film?

But does the clever marketing strategy of the cinematic universes explain pop culture’s obsession with all things Marvel and DC? I don’t think so. Perhaps the beginning of this new age of superhero media was Toby Maguire’s Spiderman in 2002. While Toby had the face of a forty year old, he nonetheless pulled off the role (although I am more of a Tom Holland fan myself). Scoring 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing $821.7 million in the US box office, Peter Parker was a hit.

But why?

I believe that the advent of new technologies such as smart phones and social media is crucial to the ever-increasing popularity of the superhero genre in a few ways. Firstly, the world just seems to be a crueller place nowadays. While some parts of society have always had it tough, we were partially shielded from the worst atrocities by careful media coverage and more government censorship.

Nowadays, anyone can post anything online, from ISIS beheading videos to government secrets, which may have been

kept out of the traditional mainstream media back in the 20th century. All of this has undoubtedly lead to a more worried and divided population. We need something to look forward to, figures to look up to. Superheroes fill this void.

In a time of growing political apathy, superheroes are a comfort. Many people look to them as a unifying force (a force that should be in our elected leaders, but I digress).

Most heroes’ origin stories are never great: neglectful parents, poverty, and difference mar the childhoods of most.

But these people kept fighting, and this endears us to them.

Back to the technology theme, social media plays another role too. For example, the release of a new trailer is a massive online event, fans furiously commenting underneath a thirty-second clip, with theories springing up on Reddit.

Even the Marvel actors occupy a superhero-like space in popular culture, just look at Robert Downey Junior. From the brink of career death, the immensely talented yet troubled actor fought his way from jail and addiction to being one of the most-loved and successful actors

across the globe. It is safe to say Downey Jr encapsulates everything about Iron Man, Stan Lee said so himself.

The way in which the actors engage with fans on social media also transcends the boundaries of most films. Mark Ruffalo tweets Hulk memes, Tom Holland has a running joke with fans that he will accidentally leak major plot spoilers; Chris Hemsworth has Thor banter on Instagram. And the fans love this. To me, this seems to make the cinematic universe one that is for everyone: actors, production team and fans alike.

In any case, it is clear that superhero films aren’t going away any time soon.

And for those who insist they are for children, maybe start watching Captain America and think about how the themes of government and governance, duty and honour are analysed by the Russo Brothers.

People claim there are “too many films now” and that they are too interconnected to understand, but no one is saying that about the Greek tragedies. And to me, the superhero films of today are the Greek tragedies of tomorrow; they exert the same type of cultural influence.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Review

Disney’s live action reboots

By Ameya Godse

By Amy Blaney

‘Can you ever forgive me?’ were the words used by Lee Israel, posing as Dorothy Parker, in one of her many forged letters. That is also where this splendid biography gets its title from.

Melissa McCarthy absolutely nails her role as Lee Israel in the film. The film opens with Lee as a struggling alcoholic writer who is almost broke.

She finds it tough to pay rent and can’t afford a veterinarian for her cat’s treatment (who she absolutely adores). Suffering from alcoholism and severe writer’s block, the movie brilliantly shows Lee’s desperation of trying to write a new book, while she’s getting burdened under a canopy of personal and financial woes.

As monetary issues get severe, she is forced to sell quite a lot of her personal belongings. One such item in her possession is a letter by legendary actress Katherine Hepburn. She sells the handwritten letter for $175 to Anna, the owner of a local bookstore.

Meanwhile, she befriends Jack Hock, an animated drug dealer who would go on to play an integral role in her life. Lee is shown as a reserved, rude and foul-mouthed loner who doesn’t open up to people very easily. Their complicated friendship unfolds beautifully in the movie.

While conducting research on Fanny Brice, who happens to be the subject of her next book, Lee stumbles upon old letters by Fanny and steals them. She then goes on to sell the letters to Anna but isn’t offered a very high price because of the content inside the letters. This gives her the idea to edit and forge letters from

various famous personalities, including Sir Noel Coward. Things go smoothly from there on for Lee, who conveniently sells hundreds of fake and forged letters to collectors, demanding a high price in return.

On the personal front, Anna develops a liking for Lee. She is shown as a fan of Lee’s work and wants Lee to review an article she had written. Anna shows her romantic side for Lee over a fancy dinner but is shunned by Lee. As days pass, the circle of collectors realises that there’s something funny going on with the letters. One such collector to whom Lee sold to before tells her that the FBI had approached him to be a witness if they charged Lee with forgery. Things start going downhill from there on, but this is where the brilliant Jack Hock comes to her rescue and takes charge of selling the fake letters. He also gives her an insane idea of copying original letters from archives, keeping the originals with herself, and replacing the original ones with the replica.

Inspired by the hunger to make more money, she sets off to forge and play a riskier game. While she is away, her pet cat passes away under the care of Jack. Upon learning of her cat’s death, Lee decides to end her friendship with Jack.

Ultimately, this game is ended by the FBI and Lee is issued summons by the court. She confesses to her crimes but says that she isn’t guilty for her actions.

The court orders her a five-year probation, community service and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. What makes this movie absolutely brilliant is the reflection of character that has been pulled off by McCarthy. The “dark knight” of the movie undoubtedly is Richard Grant who plays Jack Hock. The movie has already been nominated for 2 Academy awards – for best actress and best supporting actor. It’s undoubtedly one of the finest movies and is a must watch. Highly recommended.

Disney remakes are popular nowadays, from Alice in Wonderland to the recent Beauty and the Beast remake. Disney have managed to stumble onto a goldmine by brushing off original movies and bringing them into the world of live action.

For the most part Disney do a very good job of translating the old stories into a live action visual style, all of them are seeking to tell old stories with a modern spin. These remakes tend to do the same but with more updates to the characters to please modern audiences. Cinderella, for example, is more intelligent and book smart than the original, and Maleficent is a more sympathetic character in her film rather than her menacing self in Sleeping Beauty. All these updates seek to add more depth and layers to the characters in the interest of pleasing the crowd.

Disney’s first live action remake dates back to 1996 with the production of 101 Dalmatians. The film was focused on the fur loving character of Cruella de Vil, with Glenn Close taking the lead role. The film was a box office success which spawned a sequel four years later, which was a flop.

Disney have now announced the live action film Cruella which will follow 101 Dalmatians. The live action reboot will star Emma Stone as Cruella and will focus on the fur-mad villain set against a 1980’s backdrop. While the news of the film has generated excitement, a lot of Disney fans have argued that Glenn Close’s portrayal as Cruella in the 1996 remake was so perfect that it would be madness to mess with it.

Another adaptation coming in 2019 is the 2002 animated movie Lilo and Stitch.

The story is based around a bond between a lonely young girl and an alien named Stitch.

The original film’s selling point was watch-

ing the mischief created by Stitch and the sympathy it fostered for the human leads.

In a live action remake, I am curious to see how Disney recreate these emotions and humour without tampering with the originality of the characters.

2016’s The Jungle Book and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast gained box office success and has set the ball rolling for its stream of remakes for 2019 in glistening live action.

Perhaps the biggest anticipation for 2019’s remakes is The Lion King. The teaser trailer seems to be a shot-for-shot remake of the original which has been highly criticised.

Donald Glover will play Simba, Beyoncé will play his love interest Nala and Chiwetel Ejiofor will play his uncle Scar. Hopefully what it gains in realism, it doesn’t lose in emotion.

Other Disney live action remakes expected in 2019 include Dumbo in March and Aladdin in May, in which Will Smith will replace the iconic Robin Williams as the genie. According to the director, Guy Ritchie, Smith’s updated Genie will be more self-aware while still having a bit of an ego. The iconic character of Jasmine will be revamped with new independence and leadership qualities, making her character more in tune with modern day society.

Disney’s live action technology allows an audience to take a trip back into their childhoods and witness their favourite memories once again. However, Disney is now tasked with creating a truly nostalgic experience for cinema goers. In theory, Disney Studios is playing with its audiences’ sentimentality. An emotional attachment is formed in the original film which is hard to duplicate, and even harder to enhance. But there is no doubt that there will be an audience waiting to purchase tickets to fan-favourite reboots, whether it be driven by intrigue, nostalgia or a passion for Disney.

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

CREATIVE CORNER ATTACHMENT

By Fionnula Simpson I hear the last pill played over my lips with a whisper breath We both hear each other in the oldest way.

We are both white bone-ful and self-shed conscious We both crave the holding above all other elements.

What is light, then, if not a merging breath?

If we had been given to each other in ancient sanction, We would have been fulfilled enough.

Mental me is intimately detached from physical you, but better to have no mental self at all.

Fingers on my face and arms around my waist, I have never felt more than this.

We don’t wonder over stars and things while we are with each other.

A serene acceptance, I can’t help sighing, it can be the kindest force.

The Fleeting Butterfly

By Nithu Krish O beautiful butterfly, you lit up my life with your illuminating shades O beautiful butterfly, a single flutter of your wings could shake my life O beautiful butterfly, you captivate me with your every glance and every ­movement But in the end, I could not grasp you in my hand and you simply flew away my beautiful butterfly

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

Glass: A superhero movie with a difference

By Conor Brummell Glass, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is the sequel to the 2017 box office phenomena Split and the final movie in the Eastrail 177 trilogy, which started with the movie Unbreakable in the year 2000. Glass combines the main characters from the previous instalments as it follows the story of Elijiah Price/Mr Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Kevin Wendell Crumb/The Horde (James McAvoy) as they all end up in a psychiatric unit called Raven Hill Memorial.

This is where Dr Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), a psychiatrist who specialises in treating people who believe they have superhuman powers, has three days to cure those she believes to have normal reasons for their abnormal behaviours.

The film itself is fast-paced and energetic from the get-go, as the movie carries on directly where Split concluded. Bruce Willis’ character, along with his son Joseph (Spencer Clark Trent), is on a mission to hunt down James McAvoy’s horde of personalities, more specifically ‘The Beast’, who has kidnapped four cheerleaders with the aim of killing and eating them for being impure.

After an impressive fight scene in an abandoned warehouse, David Dunn and The Horde are captured and locked up in the mental hospital. It is here that the movie lives up to its thriller/horror premise, as Sarah Paulson

The film itself is fast-paced and energetic from the get-go, as the movie carries on directly where Split concluded. Bruce Willis’ character, along with his son Joseph (Spencer Clark Trent), is on a mission to hunt down James McAvoy’s horde of personalities, more specifically ‘The Beast’, who has kidnapped four cheerleaders with the aim of killing and eating them for being impure. attempts to deduce the reasons for James McAvoy’s split personalities, Bruce Willis’ superhuman strength and Samuel L. Jackson’s unusual bone deficiency in which his bones break much like glass.

The movie itself is generally entertaining, at times tense, with spectacular performances from Sarah Paulson, James McAvoy, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. However, the movie is not without its faults. Ana Jay Taylor (who reprises the role of Casey Cooke from Split) disappointingly wasn’t given much of a storyline, despite her appealing to Sarah Paulson for most of the movie that James McAvoy was actually a good person, and that it was ‘The Horde’, in particular three personalities ‘Dennis’, ‘Patricia’ and ‘The Beast’ that were causing his criminal rampage around the city.

The movie, visually, was also fabulously shot and for anyone with a keen eye for videography and photography, this movie is a must-see.

Glass also relied too heavily on James McAvoy’s performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb, and it must be said that he was the movie’s

saving grace. Polishing up his performance from Split, we got to meet many more of the personalities that we hadn’t been introduced to thus far. Such personalities as ‘Jade’, the ‘Irish duo’ and ‘Hedwig’ added comedic relief whereas others intensified the experience (‘Patricia’ and ‘Dennis’) whilst others, such as ‘Kevin’, added a tragic backstory in which we felt sympathy for the character.

The only real negative I have about the movie is that the pace from start to finish hyped the ending up to having a big pay-off.

You almost were waiting on that pay-off to come about, rather than watching the movie.

Instead, we received a well-thought out twist, that was intended to be a jaw-dropping ‘omygosh’ moment for all those engrossed in the movie. However, it felt more like a cop out – like when you run out of time when writing an essay. Despite this, the movie does leave you feeling satisfied and for that reason and that reason alone, it is one I would recommend to anyone looking for a night at the cinema.

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C U LT ÚR

February 12 2019

7

SIAMSAÍO CHT

Moonlight: a review

By Harry King Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which came out in 2016 and won an Academy Award (just about) for best motion picture, follows a young African American called Chiron on his journey to manhood.

This unconventional coming of age tale is told in three segments and is flooded with symbolism, beautiful cinematography and stellar acting performances across the board. It depicts a journey of a young man growing up in Miami and his quest for identity. Chiron is played by three different actors and labelled three different names; Little, Chiron and Black, perhaps to represent the confusion of identity and the struggle he faces growing up in an environment stricken by drugs, bullies and poverty.

Moonlight is not a traditional coming of age film, it doesn’t try to tell us anything we don’t already know. It redefines the genre with a masterclass of camera work and a conflicting, diverse soundtrack.

In the first stage of his life Little meets Juan (Mahershala Ali) when running away from bullies. Juan, a neighborhood drug dealer, with his partner (Janelle Monae) give Little a meal and offer him advice and answer any questions he has, urging him to lead a good life. The expressive silence used by Little (Alex Hibbert) translates beautifully across the screen without much dialogue.

During his teenage years Chiron (Ashton Sanders) has different struggles. His Mum (Naomi Harris) is addicted to drugs, he’s still dealing with school bullies and is also confused about his sexuality. Moonlight has received widespread praise from critics because it tackles a wide range of social issues in a very simple way, head on. Jenkins utilizes conflicting images and music to come away from a traditional path of a movie.

When Chiron becomes an adult, his new life is highlighted as he re-encounters a childhood friend and his mother. In this gripping emotional sequence, we, as an audience, come to the harsh realization of how the environment you grow up in can shape who you are. Throughout the film the common stereotype is challenged through many different forms of symbolism, from the breeze to classical music.

Jenkins doesn’t just tell Chiron’s story, he structures it in a way that we feel his story too.

We are given perspective into the life of another. You don’t have to grow up in the hood of Miami to relate to the characters. The setting is authentic, but the struggle to find out who you really are is universal. A range of simple techniques such as panning the camera back and forth between characters in a scene depict their relationship in a very artistic way.

Whilst the film’s emotional depth is gripping and has the capacity to break your heart, it has many uplifting and inspiring moments too and in my humble opinion is well worth a watch.

Mahershala Ali has a powerhouse performance, complemented by three extremely gifted actors who play Chiron. Moonlight attracted a lot of attention at the Oscars two years ago when La

It has been more than two years since the film came out but what I saw is still fresh in my mind. Sing Street, directed by Ireland’s own John Carney is a sweet, relatable and more than anything else, a fun coming of age film.

Whether you are in school, college or have crossed that stage of your life, there is something for you to identify with.

Very often, films fail to engage us because we do not connect with the characters we see on screen.

This is where Sing Street shows that it is different, as it gives us a host of people that we will instantly identify with. And when this connection happens with a film, we are in for the ride and willing to go wherever the director wants us to go.

As a foreign student studying in Ireland, this film is the answer I give people when they ask about my favourite films from this country. Yes, the film is set in Dublin but the emotions

Selfie Dysmorphia

By Sophie Kavanagh

La Land was infamously called out first. I urge you not to get caught up in all of that. This film deserves credit not just because of what it says, but the way it says it.

A look back at Sing Street

By Nithu Krish

25

on display here will work for people from India, Vietnam or even Greenland.

I am quite sure that all of us have looked at a girl/guy and done something that wouldn’t be thought of as being too bright. It is the way the world works, and the film brings that out beautifully from an Irish point of view.

Another aspect of the film that works wonders is the soundtrack. Be it the songs from the band in the film or the ones that reflect the era in which the film is set, they are selected with real care.

Director Carney is known for his great taste when it comes to music and it really shows here.

‘Rio’ by Duran Duran and ‘In Between Days’ by The Cure are the true highlights of the soundtrack.

The cinematography shows us beauty, even in surroundings that don’t have too much to offer.

This offsets the rougher elements that are present in the film. If you are someone who looks at this film and questions the plausibility of it all, then I feel that the movie hasn’t connected with you.

That is fine as there is no piece of art in this world that will please everyone. I would like to implore you to watch Sing Street. This not only gives you an introduction to the cinema of Ireland, it gives you a sense of fun and nostalgia (depending on your age) as well.

The tagline for the film reads, “Boy meets girl, girl unimpressed. Boy starts band.” If that makes you want to watch the film, then you and I are sure to be good friends.

The use of Instagram filters is forcing people to be discontented with reality because Instagram is granting us the opportunity to alter it in our photos. Instagram expects that we need/want filters, the feature allowing you to do so appears as an assumption as opposed to an option before you post a picture.

I believe that the psychology of this is something that needs to be strongly addressed by Instagram. The reality is, we don’t all have the glowy hue on our skin that ‘Lark’ provides us with, nor the bronzy ‘Slumber’ tan. We have acne, blemishes, and by use of Instagram filters we are denormalizing these incredibly normal things. Young, impressionable adolescents are exposed to so much artificialness because of it, which has been proven to have a strong correlation to the rising numbers of depression and anxiety in young people today.

Photo editing is a controversial and subjective act, some may find it completely dishonest and deceiving whilst others view it as a skill.

In fact, famous Youtuber and makeup guru James Charles would even go as far as saying he believes it is ‘just as much an art form as actual makeup itself ’. In this instance he is speaking specifically about the use of Facetune, an application that can be downloaded on iPhone or android to edit and touch up photos to its users’ preference.

I believe James’ statement is circumstantial.

Everyone can appreciate the aesthetics of a beautiful photograph. However, whether it be the sun shining luminous rays on Eyre Square, or a human being, smiling, showcasing their natural human qualities and features. Both type of photograph can be beautiful, but which one would be detrimental to societal norms if it were to be edited? I think the answer is obvious.

Facetune can erase blemishes, smooth skin and whiten teeth. But how much is too much, where is the line drawn? Do we draw the line at one tiny pimple being edited from one’s forehead? How does this make a young girl struggling with acne feel about herself, if the norm being portrayed by Instagram is to have completely clear, smooth skin? It would be absolutely detrimental to anyone suffering with acne’s confidence and self-esteem.

However, the sad reality is that editing will forever be part of our photo sharing lives. Technology like this simply can’t be reversed or taken away. We would never go back to washing all our clothes by hand despite having the technology of a washing machine to make it easier and better. The same principle applies.

The best thing that can be done for this photoediting and face-tuning era is management. By this I mean educating the public on the truths of photo editing with full transparency. Applications like Facetune should enforce a logo on the photos that are edited by the app to advertise the photo has gone through Facetune first, before having been posted.

I hope that in 2019, new rules and attitudes can be implemented into the world of photo editing among businesses and society especially.

No one deserves to feel as though they need to edit their photos in order to fit in with what society today believes “beauty” is. After all, the world would be a very boring place if we were all the same. Beauty is authenticity.

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

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

And if you don’t know, now you know: Lizzo

By Sarah Gill Whether you know Lizzo for her new track ‘Juice’, her guest judging on RuPaul’s Drag Race or her recent collaboration with Khloe Kardashian’s ‘Good American’ campaign, the signer/rapper deserves all the notoriety in the world.

Lizzo, born Melissa Jefferson, was born into an extremely musical family.

A career in performance was always

in the pipeline, picking up the flute at 12 years of age and studying music all the way up to college. The only thing standing in the way of a future of fame was herself. The way Lizzo saw herself had been tarnished from years of absorbing how the media treated plus-sized women of colour.

After the death of her father, Lizzo experienced some of the worst months of her life. Feelings of loneli-

ness, shame and a belief that she was not good enough circled above Lizzo’s head until she realised that you will always look how you look. That you just have to accept it, be okay with it and learn to love it. It was this epiphany that made Lizzo who she is today.

The painful process of discovering yourself is something that everyone has, or will, go through and it is Lizzo’s openness and self-assurance that is so

image credit Andy Witchger

I say I love myself, and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s so brave. She’s so political.’

For what?

All I said is ‘I love myself, b****!’

inspiring. The artist has been hailed as a “body positive icon” by Vogue and has loved herself openly and unashamedly in the limelight. In a recent interview with Allison P. Davis for The Cut, Lizzo revealed that ‘body-positive’ “is not a label [she] wanted to put on [herself]. It’s just [her] existence.

All these hashtags to convince people that the way you look is fine. Isn’t that f ****** crazy? I say I love myself, and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s so brave. She’s so political.’ For what? All I said is ‘I love myself, b****!’”

Regardless, Lizzo embraces the title and is adamant that she will empower, inspire and include all people through her music and through her actions.

Lizzo encourages her fans to saturate the media with as much positivity, love and self-celebration as possible so that one day we, as a society, can disassemble the preconceived ideals that have been ingrained in our psyche by the media without us even knowing.

Unlearning the toxicity that has been force fed to us for so long is something Lizzo wants to encourage through her music and platform.

2016 saw the release of Coconut Oil, the EP which earned Lizzo her slot in the spotlight. This six-track album built up a foundation of strength around the

singer, containing not even a hint of vulnerability. The stand out track of the EP has to be ‘Good As Hell’, a selfcare anthem in which Lizzo takes on the role of an older sister, giving some solid life advice. This song encourages the listener to “boss up and change your life”, which is advice everyone, at some point in their lives, will need to hear. Growing as a human is personal, you have to do it by yourself.

Flash forward to present day, where Lizzo has just announced the release of her new album Cuz I Love You (April 2019) as well as having a North American tour and an appearance at Coachella in the pipeline! If you haven’t heard her latest tune ‘Juice’, you need to get out from under that rock. This feel-good single is so uplifting you can’t help but have a private little bop on your walk to college.

Lizzo sings, “If I’m shinin’, everybody gonna shine”, which reigns true to her impact on society. She has empowered so many people to shine just as bright as her.

From touring with HAIM and Florence + the Machine to recording with Prince and conspiring with Missy Elliot, Lizzo has a firm grasp on her throne. Activist, LGBTQ ally, mentor, rapper, flautist, singer. An inspiration.

THE TED BUNDY TAPES: do we glorify serial killers?

By Michelle McClair With the emergence of The Ted Bundy Tapes, along with the release of the trailer for the latest movie about Bundy’s life featuring Zac Efron, we can’t help but ask, is the new material released about Bundy insensitive? Do we glorify serial killers for our own entertainment?

Serial killers have always fascinated our society, whether its Theodore Bundy, Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer. We unintentionally glorify them by discussing the gruesome details of their cases, discuss their possible mental health issues, and use words like “intelligent” and “charismatic” to describe them, when the words we should be using are “evil” and “disgusting”. How does this effect the families of their victims, especially in the unique case of Ted Bundy?

The Ted Bundy Tapes, which were released on Netflix on 24 January raised a lot of questions regarding whether we glorify killers. From the outset, Bundy is portrayed as a charismatic, intelligent and handsome man. Maybe these words do aptly describe Bundy, he was handsome, he was smart, and he was attractive, but using positive words to describe such an evil man is giving him praise that he does not deserve.

Perhaps the most shocking praise that Bundy received in the documentary was from the judge on his very own case. After handing down the death penalty, the judge compliments Bundy on his skills as a lawyer, “You’d have made a great lawyer. I’d have loved to have you practice in front of me.” Consider the fact that the family members of the two young women killed in the Chi Omega murders were in the courtroom. What message does this praise send to the families of Bundy’s victims? The judge spoke to Bundy as though he was the victim of these crimes.

The Ted Bundy Tapes show us that Bundy was put on a pedestal far before we started making documentaries and movies about his life. His trials were well documented in the media and were some of the first to be aired on TV. Many speakers in the documentary mention the words “crime drama.”

What’s more disturbing is that most of the people in the courtroom were women, fascinated

by Bundy and his crimes. In a very cringe-worthy and insensitive moment, one of the women who was in the courtroom remarks, “Every time he turns around I kind of get that feeling ‘oh no, he’s gonna’ get me next’.” This young woman seems to relish in the idea that she might be next, as she smiles and laughs at the prospect. These women focused on Bundy’s good looks as opposed to his gruesome crimes. This is peak glorification, and it leaves nobody to wonder where our conflicted thoughts on Bundy originate from.

The announcement of Zac Efron’s role in the movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile only adds insult to injury.

In the trailer we see that the movie will document Bundy’s life from his role as a step-father to Elizabeth Kloepfer’s daughter, to his antics of manipulating, raping, and brutally murdering young women, and disposing of their bodies in the woods.

The trailer opens with a romantic scene between Bundy and Kloepfer and follows with scenes of

Bundy interacting with Kloepfer’s daughter. In one strange scene, Zac Efron takes off his shirt to show us all his ripped physique, which is clearly necessary and appropriate for his role as a notorious serial killer. Gruesome images are accompanied by music which is reminiscent of an action comedy movie… an upbeat guitar track certainly fits the mood of kidnapping, sexual assault, and death… not.

However, it might make more sense to approach this trailer and documentary from a cinematic and artistic perspective. Bundy was, at the end of the day, an unlikely suspect to the crimes he committed. The trailer is supposed to be off putting, it is supposed to raise negative emotions in the viewer and make them feel a sense of unease. Seeing such a despicable person engaging in normal everyday activities turns our stomach because he is not supposed to be normal.

The fact of the matter is that Bundy was a manipulator, he could portray himself to others as a seemingly normal and even respectable person.

We must see Bundy taking part in everyday life as a normal person to understand that anyone can be a killer, that everyone has their dark secrets and that Bundy was a truly evil and sick individual.

When we take all these aspects of Bundy’s case into account, along with their adaptations, we can conclude that Bundy was an evil person who deserves no praise. However, the fact that Ted Bundy was well educated and handsome are huge factors in his case, and ultimately the reason for all the shock and even glorification surrounding him. These adaptations are not meant to be malicious, or offend the families of his victims, nor send a negative message to their viewers about Bundy, they are made to display to us the realities and complexities of serial killers.

SPÓIRT

February 12 2019

27

NUI Galway Boat Club are delighted to welcome their new Head Coach, Ciro Prisco to the club.

Born in Naples, Ciro is a former Italian international athlete and more recently the Lightweight Coach and Novices Coach for Newcastle University. Amongst his coaching accolades are winning the Victor Ludorum at the British Universities and College Championship in 2016 and 2018, the Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in the 2017, as well as qualifying innumerable crews for the regatta in the last four years and representing Great Britain as rowing coach at the 2017 and 2018 Under 23 World Championship.

We have no doubt Ciro will continue to develop and strive for excellence at NUIC BC and will bring invaluable expertise and passion to all our crews.

Wishing Ciro every success and a big “benvenuto” or céad míle fáilte to our lovely city, Galway

What a win for our Sigerson football team, 1-8 to 1-7 winners over UUJ in the Sigerson Quarter final. One step closer to another final. Full Match report to follow.

Well done to the senior hurlers who qualified for the quarter final of the Fitzgibbon cup. Jeff Lynskey’s side were defeated in Cork to UCC 1-19 to 0-15. Nevertheless, NUI Galway qualified on scoring difference as UCD failed to overcome UL by 9pts.

Huge congratulations to recent scholarship student and alumna Aoife Hanrahan for winning the award of best senior female, at the Canoeing Ireland Awards Gala for 2018.

New Year, New Gear. The handball club were presented with their new jerseys by Bank of Ireland recently. The club have a team of 11 competing at the Irish Collegiate 4-Wall Singles Championship which will take place in the coming weeks.

Superb win for the NUI Galway ladies senior hockey team. NUI Galway defeated Raphoe Hockey Club in the Irish Hockey trophy quarter final. The game ended 3-3 at full-time and our girls won this epic tie on shuttles 3-1. Kate Langan, Katie Codyre and Rachel Heskin scored from play and Kate Langan, Meghan Forde and Meadhbh Corcoran from shuttles.

New Year, New Gear. The handball club were presented with their new jerseys by Bank of Ireland recently. The club have a team of 11 competing at the Irish Collegiate 4-Wall Singles Championship which will take place in the coming weeks.

Congrats to the girls who beat DCU 4-1 recently in Dublin. Goals from Alison McGonagle, Sadhbh Doyle, Elle O’Flaherty and Rachel Fitzmaurice. Shout out to all the American students who made their NUI Galway debuts today, onto Belfast they go for the All-Irelands.

Former Olympian David Gillick visited NUI Galway recently and spoke to a large audience about many aspects of sport. He spoke about a practical approach and highlighted some tips, advice and exercises that could help balance one’s lifestyle. Gillick spoke openly and honestly about his journey around mental health and his personal struggles. He highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to wellbeing.

Pictured is NUI Galway senior ladies footballer Siobhan Divilly at a recent photo shoot for the launch of the All-Ireland senior ladies O’ Connor cup.

28 SPORT

SIN Vol. 20 Issue 09

Heartbreak and triumph at Superbowl LIII

Photo: SAB0TEUR

By Markus Krug

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On paper, Super Bowl LIII was a straightforward affair. The New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams in a showcase of two great defensive units

by a score of 13-3. New England wide receiver Julian Edelman was voted the Super Bowl MVP after he had caught 10 passes for 141 yards.

The game made history as the lowest scoring Super Bowl of all time and was only decided

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when the Patriots offense was able to put together a great drive late in the fourth quarter. The drive consisted of several beautiful passes by already legendary New England quarterback Tom Brady and was capped off by a 2 – yard touchdown run by running back Sony Michel. Over the whole duration of the game, the Rams could not get their lauded offense going and often seemed tentative, overwhelmed by the Patriots’ defensive play calling and intimidated by the significance of the moment.

After New England had scored the only touchdown of the night, it seemed that the Rams would finally come to life, when young quarterback Jared Goff put together a string of well-timed passes to lead his team towards the opposing end zone.

Only minutes later Goff crowned a disappointing performance by throwing an ill-advised pass off balance and off his back foot, that got promptly intercepted and gave the Patriots the opportunity to take enough time off the clock to comfortably cruise towards victory in the end.

Tom Brady had struggled throughout the early stages of the game; throwing an interception on his very first pass attempt of the night. Overall, he posted the less than thrilling numbers of 21 completions on 35 pass attempts, while throwing for 262 yards and one interception. Nonetheless the win cemented his spot as one of the greatest football players of all time, while winning him his sixth Super Bowl and putting him into the history books as the player with the most Super Bowl wins in history.

But beyond the pure stats, numbers and performances, the Super Bowl is a collection of much more personal stories and moments, packed into a giant, overblown, well-marketed and yet strangely touching event. These stories of heartbreak and triumph are most definitely part of the reason why the stat driven marketing machinery of the NFL still manages to fascinate hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

When the final whistle blew, there were two extremes clashing on the field at the same time. Half of the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta erupted in joy, while red, white and blue confetti was shot into the air. The players and coaches, surrounded by a gigantic mob of journalists, cameraman and photographers hugged each other over and over again, most of them with tears of joy in their eyes.

The press would later rightfully praise their mentality and spirit, winning the title after losing last year’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles, only to come back this year and take the trophy back to Boston. At the same time veterans and legends like Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady postponed their respective retirement at least for the moment.

On the other side of the extreme, a world had just collapsed. The players of the losing Los Angeles Rams were standing around in small groups, looking almost lost on the field. Some of them had sunk to the ground, but all of them had the same empty look in their eyes. They were staring at the confetti, the hugs, and later at the presentation of the Lombardi trophy to the winners and it seemed like they could not believe that their big chance had come and gone.

This was the time to start processing what had just happened. Some of them were openly crying in the middle of the field; some of them took to social media soon after, thanking the fans for their support and vowing redemption in the future. Some of them, like shooting star head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff would have to face the journalists’ questions in the press conference soon thereafter, trying to find answers and putting into words what had just happened.

But already, in this moment of sheer disappointment, there were comparisons being drawn between the Patriots’ comeback after their Super Bowl defeat last year and a potential comeback of the Rams in 2020. The many young up and comers on the Rams roster can comfort themselves with a new goal and a visual reminder of what that way back to glory could look like.

They are now where the Patriots were last year. And while they do not have the history of continuous success that the Patriots have, a similar way back into the spotlight seems possible. Many great victories were born from moments of bitter defeat. History proves that often a team needs that extra bit of motivation that comes from such an epic collapse to go all the way soon thereafter. This is most certainly what some of the Rams players were imagining amidst their apathy right after the final whistle.

And so maybe, in the falling confetti of Atlanta, lied the beginning of the rise of another great dynasty in American Football.

SPÓIRT

February 12 2019

29

Should Mick McCarthy utilise the granny SPORTS OPINON: GAA ticket rule or focus on home grown talents?

By Darren Casserly Love it or hate it, the granny rule has played a key role in the Irish national team set up for decades. From Ray Houghton putting the ball in the back of the English net, to dreaming of a team of Gary Breens, there have been many great moments of Irish football history provided by ‘plastic paddys’. However, with the latest debacle over the uncertainty over Declan Rice’s future, would it be better to focus on Irish born players?

The main complaint about players like Declan Rice using this Granny rule is that they play with Ireland through the underage sides only to defect to England when it comes to senior level. This means

Photo: Danny Molyneux

that at underage level Ireland is spending time and resources on players that are not fully committed to the country, instead of Irish-born players whose sole focus is playing for their national team.

Albeit this is a double-edged sword, as this has also been heavily utilised in our favour. From current internationals James McClean and Shane Duffy coming through the Northern Ireland youth set-up, we have undoubtly also received the benefits of players defecting at senior level.

I think that without players like Shane Duffy or even future stars like Michael Obafembi, who declared for Ireland over England and Nigeria, we would be a lot worse off competitively and quality wise. However, Mick McCarthy must be careful that it does not turn into an England B team, with players with no tangible allegiance to Ireland playing to further their careers.

The potential calling up of Will Keane, a player who rejected us at underage and whose career has been disturbed due to injuries, consequently declaring for Ireland as his last hope of playing international football exemplifies this.

His brother Michael who lined out underage for Ireland even said in the past: “I always wanted to play for England but when I was younger, I was not at the level required, so I thought it best to go and get some experience at international level.”

This shows how little he cared about the country.

Many would share the opinion of some other famous ‘plastic paddy’ players. Amongst these is Kevin Kilbane, who’d rather Ireland “be ranked 150th in the world and never qualify again than have someone

who has played but needs time to think whether they should play for us again”. For many foreign-born Irish players like Kilbane, there is a sense of pride playing for Ireland, which many other players do not have.

This chasing not only reflects badly on the senior national team, but also the once-great underage set up. Under Brian Kerr’s stewardship, winning the under 16 and 18 European championships in 1998, the underage set up was once revered.

However, nowadays the underage set up consists of many English-born players, playing primarily with lower league clubs. This may change now under the management of Stephen Kenny who will undoubtedly push more home-grown players, even hinting at a call up to Dublin born Troy Parrott and Cork’s Adam Idah who are doing well at underage level for Tottenham and Norwich respectively.

One thing McCarthy will have to assess carefully is the glaring weaknesses in the team and how the granny rule could help the team. Currently the options upfront are few and far between with Shane Long the pick of the bunch, who, even though he is a hard worker and one of the most experienced players in the squad, is not a reliable goal scorer.

Ireland is crying out for a striker, which the likes of English born Patrick Bamford could help solve.

Mick McCarthy will have to chase some players if he wants to improve the squad, but spending so much time developing players that aren’t committed is a warning for the future. The hope in the long run would be that Ireland can develop home-grown talents and stop relying on foreign born players to give us any hope of qualifying for a major tournament.

Crokes and Corofin favourites to advance but underdogs keen to cause upsets

By Mark Lynch A unique pairing of semi-finals is on the horizon in the AIB All-Ireland Club Senior Football Championship, with two relative underdogs attempting to break through to the echelon of All-Ireland winners. They find themselves up against two dynasties of the championship, but it’d be naïve to assume both semi-finals are foregone conclusions.

Both taking place on Saturday 16 February, Gaoth Dobhair make the trip down to Carrick-onShannon to face holders Corofin, while star-studded Dr Crokes meet Mullinalaghta in Semple Stadium.

History would heavily suggest the Munster and Connacht champions will meet in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day, but the champions of Leinster and Ulster will undoubtedly have something to say about that.

Starting with the clash of the Crokes with Mullinalaghta in Tipperary, on paper, the Longford champions have a huge task. They’ve never been to this stage of the competition before, having won their first ever Leinster championship back in December. It can be a danger that parishes starved of success take their foot off the pedal after a ground-breaking win such as that experienced

by Mickey Graham’s men.

However, they’re off the back of three county titles in a row and will be eager to make the most of the chance they finally have, after breaking through Leinster.

Their opponents were beaten in the Kerry ­Senior ­Championship for the first time since October 2015, but still managed to navigate their way with relative ease.

What will terrify the Longford men is how freeflowing the Crokes became once they got out of Kerry. Their almost professional ruthlessness came to the fore in the Munster Championship, racking up an aggregate winning margin of 46 points across the three games, including a 5-20 to 1-11 demolition of Cork champions St Finbarr’s, with all 5-20 coming from play.

Their squad has also developed to the point where they can afford to introduce Colm Cooper from the bench with 15 minutes to go, without very much impeding their first 45 minutes. Mullinalaghta’s main hope will be drawn from their heroic toppling of Kilmacud Crokes in the Leinster final, but this seems like it’ll be one Crokes too far.

The other semi-final is an intriguing prospect, with yet again a free-flowing team in rich form going up against a team in their first ever AllIreland Semi-Final. Galway champions Corofin will go in as favourites, but if there is to be an upset across the two semi-finals, it’s more likely to be in this one.

The Westerners have won six county titles in a row now and captured two All-Ireland titles in that period, which is an intimidating

prospect. But, Gaoth Dobhair are coming in buoyed from their maiden Ulster win and with a young team that won’t have any regard for reputation. It’s also worth remembering they have 2 All-Ireland medals worth of experience to go along with that youth in the form of the McGee brothers, with veteran Kevin Cassidy shining at full forward too.

They’ve proved throughout their run here that they’re able to punish teams with goals, while also keeping a solid and structured defence. They’ll be difficult to break down, but if there’s a team to do it, Corofin are probably that team. They boast a forward line to be feared. Add in the steel that comes with their incredible success at this stage of the competition and the Donegal champions have their work cut out for them.

The neutrals are a tad spoiled this year, because regardless of who progresses, there’ll be two fascinating semi-finals and an encapsulating final. Even if the kingpins of Corofin and Crokes navigate their way past the tricky ties this weekend, they’ll be setting up a highly exciting final, but don’t be surprised if there’s an upset in Carrickon-Shannon this Saturday afternoon.

price hike is unacceptable

By Danny Keown

The GAA have confirmed a number of ticket price increases for the 2019 season. The prices came into effect immediately starting with the Allianz League.

There has been a good bit of confusion around what this will mean for the average supporter travelling to games between January and August.

Tickets for Division 1 and 2 in the football and Division 1A and 1B in the hurling will now cost €20. That’s an increase of €5. Even when pre-purchased, the price rises from €12 to €15 - which is also the price for students and OAP’s.

For the lower divisions, prices are unchanged. Juveniles (U16) will still get into league matches for free – except where matches are all-ticket. Then, they’ll have to pay €5.

The least popular hike will come in the All-Ireland series. If you want a ticket to the All-Ireland final, you must now pay a minimum of €90. If you fancy a spot on the hill, they’ve gone up a fiver to €45. Semi-final stand prices increase to €50, and to €35 for the terraces.

They haven’t touched the quarter-final prices, but there are increases in the earlier rounds of the qualifiers.

Admission to the All-Ireland football qualifiers will increase from €15 to €20 for Rounds 1, 2 and 3 and there’ll be a rise from €20 to €25 for Round 4.

The GAA confirmed these changes in a press release following Central Council’s meeting at Croke Park.

They said that it will “make a firm commitment to distribute all additional revenue back out into the Association at club and county level.”

The unfortunate truth about the decision to increase the ticket prices has highlighted the disconnect that exists between the association and the average GAA member.

There has always been a big gap between the average, local members of the GAA and Croke Park and this will join the long list of catastrophes associated with the GAA. From the Newbridge or nowhere campaign to the Liam Miller Páirc Uí Chaoimh fiasco, it seems the GAA’s only end goal is money.

The problem with the GAA is that they don’t often see what everyone else sees. They didn’t see that denying the memorial match of a cancer victim at Pairc Ui Chaoimh was an issue, so they denied the game.

They didn’t see that referring to their own rules and seeking legal advice to justify their denial was an issue and you’d probably bet that they don’t see an issue in dragging this situation out even further when they had the perfect chance to do the right thing and just move the game to Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

All the evidence is there for them. There is flexibility within their rules to allow this, there was overwhelming support for the game to be moved and it was the right thing to do.

But if you don’t see that you’re wrong, how can you ever be expected to make things right?

It is the same type of sentiment that is being brought about by this increase in prices.

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February 12 2019

31

Fitzmaurice and Broderick lead NUI Galway to Purcell Cup semi-finals

New running group offers sanctuary and solidarity for asylum seekers in Galway

Purcell Cup round four: NUI Galway 3 – 15 St Pats DCU 1 – 9

By Graham Gillespie

By Michael O Connor

The Sanctuary Runners, who are a running club that aim to have locals and people in Direct Provision run together and get to know each other, held their first run in Galway on Saturday 9 February at the Knocknacarra Parkrun.

Founded initially in Cork by journalist Graham Clifford, Sanctuary Runners are now also in Dublin, Limerick and

A brace of goals from Castlegar’s Chloe Broderick, and a solid defensive performance from the NUI Galway defence led

by Roscommon’s Rachel Fitzmaurice, secured reigning champions NUI Galway a place in the last four of the Purcell Cup. The last round game against St Pats DCU was played in DCU on Monday 28 January in bitterly cold conditions.

Going into the game on the back of defeat against championship favourites DIT the week previous, nothing other than a win would save the Galway college’s season. Fielding a side missing several regulars, NUI Galway were looking at several players who had lined out with Galway in the National League win over Tipperary the previous Saturday.

Chloe Broderick started the scoring in the first minute with a floated effort over the bar before Mountbellew’s Molly Mannion added a second NUI Galway score soon after. Top scorer Carrie Dolan and Aoife Donohue added a brace each by the tenth minute as the visitors surged 0 – 6 to 0 – 1 clear. Hard work by Broderick ended up with the corner forward

getting the ball over the St Pats DCU line and quick scores from play by Donohue (2) and Dolan (1) left NUI Galway 1 – 9 to 0-1 clear by the end of the first quarter.

St Pats DCU gradually came more into the game and only superb defending by NUI Galway denied them at least one goal as they hit three unanswered scores before Aoife Donohue scored a superb solo goal to leave NUI Galway 2 – 9 to 0 – 4 ahead after 25 minutes of action. Chloe Broderick took a superb pass from Carrie Dolan and finished it into the net for NUI Galway’s third and final goal of the game. St Pats DCU rallied with the last two scores of the half to go in 3 – 9 to 0 – 6 ahead at the break.

The rate of scoring decreased markedly in the second half as the cold weather and the realisation that short of a collapse, NUI Galway were on their way to the knockout stages. Carrie Dolan opened the second half scoring in the 37th minutes followed by two St Pats DCU scores. Emma Helebert, Rachel Fitzmaurice and the impressive Grace Teehan led the way in the backs for the Galway college.

1 – 2 in five minutes from the home side narrowed the margin to eight points midway through the second half. Then,

in a low scoring final quarter, NUI Galway emptied the bench and finished with the last four scores of the game as the home side were held scoreless.

Best for NUI Galway who played CIT in the Purcell Cup semi-final on February 9 were Ciara Helebert in goal, Rachel Fitzmaurice, Laura Ward, Emma Helebert, Grace Teehan, Niamh Horan, Sarah Spellman, Carrie Dolan, Chloe Broderick and Aoife Donohue.

NUI Galway: Ciara Helebert (Gort), Rachel Fitzmaurice (Athleague, Roscommon), Laura Ward (Sarsfields), Niamh Black (Oranmore), Ciara Donohue (Mullagh), Emma Helebert (Ballindeereen), Grace Teehan (Birr), Niamh Horan (Killimor), Sarah Spellman (Sarsfields), Molly Mannion (Mountbellew Moylough)(0 – 1), Maria Cooney (Sarsfields)(0 – 1), Carrie Dolan (Clarinbridge) (0 – 8), Rachel Hannify (Oranmore), Aoife Donohue (Mullagh) (1 – 4), Chloe Broderick (Castlegar)(2 – 1).

Subs: Aine Cleary (Shannon Rovers, Tipperary), Orlaith Murray (Moneygall, Tipperary), Corina McMahon (Corofin, Clare), Sarah Redmond (Eire-og, Ennis), Niamh Treacy (Eyrecourt).

Champions League round of 16 preview

By Paul O’Malley The Champions League is back, and SIN have taken a look at all the fixtures and given our verdict on what might happen in the Round of 16.

SCHALKE V MANCHESTER CITY Schalke have been unimpressive in the Bundesliga this season and are currently sitting in 12th place. They made it through a relatively easy group along with Porto, overcoming Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow.

Manchester City are sitting second in the Premier League, boasting a team of superstars.

It’s hard to look beyond them for this tie.

Prediction: Manchester City win

ATLETICO MADRID V JUVENTUS Two recent unsuccessful finalists go head to head in one of the Round of 16’s stand out fixtures. Simeone has assembled an army of warriors prepared to give it all for their team and the brilliance of Antoine Griezmann cannot be ignored. Juventus, however, are very dangerous over two legs and have ‘Mr Champions League’ Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks.

Prediction: Juventus win

MANCHESTER UNITED V PSG When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the Man United job, the PSG tie was almost seen as foregone conclusion given the Norwegian’s lack of experience at this level. However, an impressive run of eight wins in a row in all competitions has seen United reenter the race for the top four and the mood is good around the United camp.

PSG’s star man Neymar is a doubt due to a metatarsal injury but in Kylian Mbappe

and Edinson Cavani, PSG possess two of Europe’s outstanding forwards and they can overcome this Man United team.

Prediction: PSG win

only lost twice in the league this season. Roma, on the other hand, are fifth in Serie A and fell to a heavy 7-1 defeat in the Coppa Italia to Fiorentina recently.

Prediction: Porto win

TOTTENHAM V BORUSSIA DORTMUND Tottenham Hotspur go into this tie without forward Harry Kane and midfielder Dele Alli, two key pieces to Mauricio Pochettino’s puzzle. Despite a depleted side rattled with injuries throughout the season, Spurs have found themselves in the top four. Dortmund, on the other hand, are top of the Bundesliga, six points clear of Bayern in second. Under new coach Lucien Favre, they have played some fantastic football, and a fit Marco Reus, in tandem with a rejuvenated Mario Gotze and hotshot young talent Jadon Sancho, spells trouble for any team.

Prediction: Dortmund win

AJAX V REAL MADRID This will prove an excellent warm up for Frenkie De Jong ahead of his €75 million move to Barcelona this summer. Ajax have a squad with talented younger players such as Mathias De Ligt and Kasper Dolberg and experienced heads such as Daley Blind and Klaas Jan Huntelaar, unfortunate to be trailing in the Eredivisie to an excellent PSV team. Real Madrid have had a rocky season. They find themselves 10 points behind Barcelona and despite excellent recent form in the competition, could find themselves on the wrong end of a shock here.

Prediction: Ajax win

LYON V BARCELONA Lyon proved a thorn in Man City’s side during the group stage, beating them at the Etihad and holding them to a draw in France. Former Man United forward Memphis Depay has turned a new leaf at the club, but Barcelona are playing comfortable football through talisman Lionel Messi. They topped a tough group, remaining unbeaten and have plenty of quality throughout the team.

Prediction: Barcelona win

ROMA V PORTO This is the tie a lot of viewers from outside the cities of Rome and Porto will skim over but there is a lot of interesting battles taking place all over the pitch.

Form will prove the difference here, Porto are top of their league and have

now in Galway. Alison Dunne of the Galway Sanctuary Runners explained that the group allows people to come together.

“This initiative is about respect and solidarity. Life in Direct Provision can be so difficult, so restrictive and limiting.

This is a way for Irish people to reach out that hand of friendship in a positive way and show they care,” she said.

Furthermore, Sanctuary Runners have collaborated with the Parkrun

LIVERPOOL V BAYERN MUNICH The standout game for the round of 16 sees Jurgen Klopp come up against Munich for the first time since his spell as Dortmund manager. Liverpool have been excellent this season after investing heavily in their defence with the purchases of Allison Becker and Virgil Van Dijk. Van Dijk is suspended for the first leg, yet Danny Murphy has described this as “beneficial” ahead of the away leg in Germany. Bayern Munich are without Thomas Muller through suspension. They have settled in well under Niko Kovac and have looked sharp since they returned from their winter break.

Liverpool possess a lethal forward line however, and they should have enough to take the game over two legs.

Prediction: Liverpool win

Photo: Clare Keogh Waterford, with hopes of setting up clubs next in Sligo, Tralee, Portlaoise and Longford.

In Galway, there are currently 356 people housed in the city’s two Direct Provision centres – the Eglington Centre in Salthill and the Great Western House in Eyre Square – according to the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA).

NUI Galway Professor in Human Rights Law, Siobhan Mullally, ran with the Sanctuary Runners in the Cork City marathon, so there has been a Galway influence on the project from the start.

“A lot of Irish people might want to get to know people in Direct Provision, asylum seekers or refugees, but they probably feel they have no way of actually connecting with somebody in a Direct Provision centre. This is a positive, healthy way to get people in Direct Provision and Irish people running together,” Clifford said to SIN. Clifford also said that he hopes to eventually have Sanctuary Runners wherever there are Direct Provision centres in Ireland.

“I’m getting contacted by people all over the place,” he said of the feedback Sanctuary Runners have received.

At first, the project found success in Cork with 200 Sanctuary Runners completing the Cork City Marathon last year.

The running group was also extremely diverse, as Clifford explains.

“About 50 of those (marathon runners) were from five Direct Provision centres across Cork city and county.

Then the rest were Irish people or people from Britain or France or Norway. We had 40 different nationalities running in the Cork City Marathon.”

Since then, Sanctuary Runners have gone from strength to strength and are

movement, which are timed 5k runs that are accessible to all.

“They’re very friendly. You don’t have to be a runner, some people walk, some people jog, and there are four Parkruns in Galway,” explained Clifford.

The project has garnered global attention, being featured in Runner’s World magazine.

“On the back of that we’ve been contacted by people from Brighton in the UK, Italy and San Diego, California looking to try and do a similar project there,” said Clifford.

“The basic concept is something that could work in any of the developed world really, because I suppose there’s similar issues with migration in all developed countries at the moment.”

Generally, Clifford also said that it is easy and free to get involved.

“If students want to get involved just email sanctuaryrunnersgalway@gmail. com, and all they have to do is say they want to get involved. Then just show up at the Parkrun and we give them one of our blue running tops that we got made and get stuck in.”

“It’s not a charity, so there’s no need for money at any stage. Nobody is ever asked to fundraise. You also don’t have to sign any membership.”

The less accomplished runners amongst you also have nothing to fear, as Clifford said the running is only “secondary.”

“It could be tiddlywinks for all I care.

The running is just a vehicle to get people together, chatting and getting to know each other in a very equal kind of way, so that the legal status of somebody, be they an Irish citizen, an asylum seeker or refugee, disappears and it’s just people running together as people.”

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OFFICERS

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✓President ✓Vice President / Education Officer ✓Vice President / Welfare and Equality Officer

Nominations Open: Nominations Close:

10:00am Thursday 14th February 2019 5:00pm Thursday 21st February 2019

Election Day: Thursday 7th March 2019 www.su.nuigalway.ie

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www.su.nuigalway.ie

facebook.com/NUIGalwayStudentsUnion

twitter.com/NUIGSU