SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL. 21 Issue 01. 10 SEPT 2019

Student Independent News

WINNER: BEST NEWSPAPER AT THE NATIONAL STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS 2019

Students still paying €100 Sports Centre levy as talks continue over disputed interest rate

By Mark Lynch The Students’ Union are still in talks with the University over the students’ contribution to the construction of the Sports Centre, as they claim that the University are, from this year, charging each student €100 more than they should be.

Last year, SIN revealed that an interest rate was being applied to the students’ contribution towards the construction of the Sports Centre and redevelopment of Áras na Mac Léinn, without the Student’s Union having ever agreed to it. After a referendum in 2003, the Students’ Union agreed that each student would pay €100 every year, encompassed within the €224 student levy, to go towards repaying the cost of the construction of the Sports Centre and the redevelopment of Áras na Mac Léinn. That €100 yearly contribution to those construction costs from each student has been collected by the University since 2007, amassing over €17 million over that period. The Students’ Union are now citing documents referring to that figure of €17 million as the total amount students would pay for these construction costs, meaning the collection of €100 from each student should cease.

Students’ Union President, Clare Austick, says, “There are references in certain documents relating to the cost of the Sports Centre that say students would pay

€17 million. From this point now, the part we agreed to pay, the €17 million, is already collected”. The Students’ Union say that the only reason students are still being charged the €100 each every year is because the University applied a 5% interest rate to this student contribution. While the University maintain that this interest rate was standard practice with this kind of deal, Ms. Austick insists it was never an agreed term of the arrangement. “Students didn’t agree to it, students didn’t know an interest rate was being applied, it wasn’t mentioned in the motion that was passed (in 2003) and previous Students’ Union Presidents don’t remember it being mentioned either”.

Director of Management Accounting for NUI Galway, John Gaffney, says the University’s position is that this is “absolutely standard practice”. He explains why it was brought in; “This (the construction cost) was being paid in advance. The building was coming first and the money was coming subsequently.

Effectively, the University was bankrolling the building by paying the money up front. There’s a risk that goes with this as well and a cost that goes with that risk”. He adds, “The basis for the interest rate was that money was being borrowed on future income due to come in. The interest rate was to recognise the cost of that money and bringing that money forward, over a period of time”. On top of this, he says the University

doesn’t recognise the figure of €17 million as ever having been agreed, “I have never seen a documentation that says €17 million was what the students were going to pay”. The referendum that was passed in 2003 makes no mention of an exact amount students were due to pay, with the University keen to highlight two particular conditions that were explicitly included in said referendum. Those conditions are that the added fee to the student levy, to cover these costs, will not exceed €100 per year and that this added fee will be payable for a period no longer than 18 years.

Mr. Gaffney continued, “If that figure of €17 million was concrete, it would have been in the referendum”.

The student levy for this academic year will still be €224, although the Students’ Union claim it should be €124, as €17 million has already been collected and what’s left is only the disputed interest rate. The Executive Committee have met with Mr. Gaffney and the NUI Galway Bursar, Sharon Bailey, to continue discussions into the matter. Clare Austick has revealed to SIN that the Bursar offered to lower the interest rate from 5% to 1.704%. This would reduce the amount of years that students would pay the €100. Ms. Austick, however, has said she won’t be accepting any reduction in the interest rate and will only agree to a complete dismissal of it. “Our position is that there definitely wasn’t an interest rate agreed. Even if it’s a

smaller percentage interest rate, it’s still an interest rate”. Sharon Bailey has informed SIN of the reasoning behind the lower figure of 1.704%, “Based on representations made by the Students’ Union President in 2019 regarding the 5%, the Bursar proposed to amend the rate going forward. The lower rate reflects market conditions and is a better representation of the current cost of borrowing”. John Gaffney believes “5% wouldn’t have been unreasonable at the time (of the referendum)”, however acknowledges that the markets have changed.

The Students’ Union are eager to make students aware of this matter and have included a breakdown of the €224 student levy in the Students’ Union Diary for this year, which makes reference to the €100 student contribution to the Sports Centre construction cost. If the student payment period of 18 years is realised in full, students will continue to pay this €100 until 2025. However, the Bursar has told SIN that, “The debt on the Sports Centre is about €9m outstanding today. Based on current estimates, this debt will be fully paid by 2023. The University will continue to collect all outstanding debts on the construction of the Sports Centre”. This €9 million is due to be paid in full by students, with that €100 each, for as long as it takes.

The Students’ Union President is hopeful they can prevent this, as talks continue into the academic year.

James Hardiman Library secures INSIDE: Tuam vigil – one year on €15 million funding boost

By Paddy Henry NUI Galway has secured funding to the sum of €15 million under the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructural Fund (HESIF) for the redevelopment of the James Hardiman Library, it has been announced this week.

The additional funding, announced by Minister for Education, Joe McHugh TD, as part of Project Ireland 2040, aims to redevelop, reconceptualise and fundamentally transform the James Hardiman Building, through the creation of a new Library and Learning Commons, aimed at embracing modern approaches to teaching and learning.

SIN understands that the €15 million sum given by the government will be matched by the University bringing the total invested into the library’s redevelopment to €30 million.

President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh has welcomed the news stating, “I am delighted to welcome this very substantial support

for NUI Galway’s library redevelopment, which is a strong endorsement for teaching and learning at this University. This development will have a distinctively transformative impact on the learning experience of our students at NUI Galway’’.

Professor O’hÓgartaigh outlined the importance of an up-to-date library, fit for the needs of the modern student, adding; “Renewing higher education for the needs of our time and our place demands new types of space that allow deeper forms of engagement and new forms of connection between teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. This investment provides an opportunity to reconceive the library as an inclusive, accessible centre for active learning, a place of shared curiosity and for the co-development of knowledge and understanding in the world and for the world’’.

The condition of the James Hardiman Library came under scrutiny in the past, with students voicing their dissatisfaction with the facility.

Continued on page 2…

A poster at the site of the Tuam mother and baby home, where a vigil was held last month. See Page 5

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

INSIDE

Sult “Hopeful and Confident” Planning Permission for Outdoor Canopy Will Be Upheld Following Appeal by Local Rowing Club 4 Students told to use grant money to pay rent costs 5 STEM Subjects prove popular again, CAO figures reveal 6 Active Consent Programme to tour Ireland with original play “The Kinds of Sex You Might Have At College” 7 ERASMUS DIARY 8 Owen Jones assault demonstrates growing viciousness of far-right 9 Student survival guide: How to make your money go further 10 Three NUI Galway Students Chosen to Volunteer Abroad in EIL Scholarship 12–13 Farewell Carbon! 14 NUI Galway Awarded Green Flag Campus Award 15 Hooves heels & gambling; good combination? 16 Is the repeat exam fee fair? 17 SIN’s Freshers Special: Top Tips and What to Expect 18 Styled by the Show: Killing Eve 20 The Autumn/Winter Trend Forecast 2019 21 Back to College Closet Essentials 22 Back-To-College Health & Fitness Guide: How to Stay in Shape This Semester 23 What’s on in Galway 24 Film Hits and Misses of Summer 2019 25 Electric Picnic 2019: A weekend well spent in Stradbally 26 Tipp triumphant in another thrilling race for Liam McCarthy Cup 28 Five-in-a-row celebrations put on hold as Kingdom battle Dubs to riveting draw 29 SIN Crossword Competition – WIN FREE PIZZA! 31

EDITOR: Mark Lynch 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

Hello everyone, welcome to the first issue of SIN this year. My name is Mark Lynch and I’ll be your editor for the year. Taking over as editor in the best student paper in the country, as voted in the 2019 National Student Media Awards, from Áine Kenny, who was voted ‘Best Editor’ at the same awards, is a mammoth task, but one I’m relishing more and more each day. SIN broke some fantastic stories last year and has been improving year on year since I began studying here in 2015. Even on our front page, we get an update on the groundbreaking discovery made by SIN at the end of last year, regarding the interest rate on the Sports Centre levy.

We also report on the announcement of library funding, which SIN can take some credit for, after revealing the lack of investment in Issue 5 last year.

All that said, this is a new year. There are new stories to be discovered, new stories to be written and new stories to be read by you, our wonderful readership.

This issue showcases just that. As a reader of SIN for a few years now, it’s really not surprising that the quality of writing in the paper this year is so extraordinary.

Read on and prepare to be staggered at the variety of content from each section.

There’s something in here for everyone, from across news, features, opinion, lifestyle and fashion, arts and entertainment, and sport. For the sheer punch that this issue packs, in terms of the wide plethora of excellent writing, I have the writers to

thank. It is their work, coming from their brains, that makes this paper what it is.

Agus go raibh míle maith agaibh to our sub-editors as well. This is an entirely new team of sub-editors, except for the wonderful Sarah Gill, and they’ve done a ton of work to get the paper up to standard. It’s difficult running a paper without the team having ever met in person – that I can assure you, as I’m sure the sub-editors can as well. The fact it’s come together is down to them in no small part. A special thanks must also go to Áine, who has made the transition to editor so much easier, as has the graphic designer, Shannon, who makes the paper look so amazing every issue.

In today’s world, too many people see journalism in the wrong light. It’s not the fault of the audience and it’s not a fault of the media outlets. It’s a lack of communication. We are here to report on the world the way it should be done, with complete fairness and a bit of common sense. Of course, we focus mainly on student matters, but the same principle applies, even in the smaller world of NUI Galway. As editor this year, I can guarantee that’s the way it will continue to be.

In the wider world, we see too often that media outlets prioritise speed of publishing over accuracy. They prioritise safe opinions and views over the voice that needs to be heard. Here in NUI Galway, it’s your voice, the students’ voice, that needs to be heard. That’s

part of our job at SIN. The other part is informing you on the issues that matter to your life as students, providing reflective commentary on proceedings both national and international, across the broad spectrum of topics that we cover every issue, advice on how to thrive as a person, make you think, make you question, make you part of the “us” that wants a better world. As I alluded to, media and the general public can have a tenuous relationship at times. When entire outlets are resigned to the reputation of “fake news”, while others thrive simply because they twist facts and aim to mislead you, it’s understandable there would be a level of mistrust there. It can seem like it’s “us v them”, us being the media and them being the public, or vice versa. The truth is, there’s an “us” that wants this world to be better and we exist in both media and the general public.

If you’d like to get involved with us, please do not hesitate to contact me at editor.sin@gmail.com, I’ll only be delighted to be talking to you. From reading this issue yourself, you’ll find something that you’re interested in and you could probably write about. If you can’t find something, then we could do with you to fill that gap. In the meantime, sit back, relax and keep reading.

James Hardiman Library secures €15 million funding boost Continued from page 1…

A 2014 feasibility study on the library found that it would cost an estimated €25 million to adequately transform the building.

Last November, SIN reported on the sub-standard conditions of the college library, revealing that the James Hardiman Library was the only University Library in Ireland not to have seen major investment in the previous ten years.

In this piece, University Librarian John Cox called for increased investment in the library, telling SIN; ‘“Students at NUI Galway deserve a much more modern library building and it’s my top priority to continue advocating for this.”

In the 2018 annual LIbQual survey, which assesses the quality of library services among their users, NUI Galway ranked as the only University in the Society of College, National and University Libraries group (SCONUL), with a score indicating less than minimal satisfaction. 85% of comments made about the library’s physical condition in the survey were negative.

One student described the condition of the library to The Irish Times as; ‘’shocking’’ and ‘’unacceptable’’. Another labelled it “Cramped, inflexible and uncomfortable’’.

The current building was constructed in 1973, with the most recent major redevelopment taking place in 1999.

Following the announcement of the investment SIN spoke once again to John Cox who welcomed the news stating; “I can’t recall the last time I was so excited! The quest for funding to transform our library building has been a long one, involving advocacy and support from a great number of people, and it’s fantastic at last to have an opportunity to create a facility of which we can all be proud. The Students’ Union played a great part too, including a strong feature in SIN last November, which was subsequently published in the Irish Times and provided the basis for a very effective local campaign.

Huge credit to all at the SU, but especially to Éibhlin Seoighthe and Áine Kenny”.

Cox outlined his hope that long awaited investment in the James Hardiman Library would go a long way in

catapulting the University into the 21st century, saying, “We have a lot of catching up to do but there is real potential to do more than that, creating something very special to reflect the ambition and support across the campus”.

The cash injection will be used for both basic improvements in air conditioning, new carpets, furniture and electrical power availability throughout the building as well as more major technological developments, revealed Cox, who told us, ‘‘There is a lot of scope for new developments, including better facilities for collaboration, a far more versatile layout, lots of technology to enhance the learning experience and creative spaces to build on the current Makerspace. We will also be making sure that students and other users have access to expert help to achieve whatever they want in the transformed building. It’s going to be vital to involve students and staff fully in the planning and development of new spaces to create a special building and I’m looking forward to getting started on it!’’

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September 10 2019

DEPUTY AND NEWS EDITORIAL

By Paddy Henry Hi everybody, welcome back to NUI Galway and to our new first year students, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you.

You’re going to love it here!

I’m Paddy Henry, this year’s News and Deputy editor. We have a jam-packed news section for our first issue of the year. Mark Lynch talks to NUIG Student’s Union President Clare Austick about the controversial interest rate on the Sports Centre Levy, while one year on from the Tuam mother and baby home scandal, Stevie Buckley reports from recent commemorations that took place at the site. Also in this issue, I have a report on the announcement that NUIG’s James Hardiman Library is set to receive some long-awaited government investment and Conor Brummell brings us the story of a programme touring Ireland teaching about the importance of consent through a play. And, if that isn’t enough for you we have even more stories for you inside, including comment on the controversial remarks made by Minister of State, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, that students should use their SUSI grant to help cover accommodation costs, an increase in first year students picking STEM courses and the dispute between the Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club and Sult over the development of a canopy at the back of the bar.

SIN are always looking for volunteers, so if you have a story for us or want to get involved please don’t be afraid to drop me an email at deputy.sined@gmail.com . You can also join the SIN Team Facebook group to be the first to find out about upcoming articles. It really is a great thing to get involved in and we’d be delighted to have you.

FEATURES EDITORIAL

By Shauna McHugh Hello all, and welcome to Issue One of Sin 2019/20! As editor of the features section for the year, I can’t wait to bring you personal insights and refreshing angles on all the latest news from NUI Galway.

This week, our wonderful writers are hitting the ground running with excellent stories you won’t want to miss. Head to page 10 for a deeper look at the recent attack on journalist Owen Jones, and what it signifies in our ever-divided society.

On the topic of sad news, we’ll also bid farewell to Carbon, as the renowned Galway nightclub is set to be converted into a Wetherspoons pub. What can we expect from this new pub, and how should we cope now that such a popular venue is forever gone? Read on to find out!

Meanwhile, if you feel like you’re constantly reaching into your pocket at college, fear not!

Our wise contributors have got your back, with tips and tricks on how you can make a measly student income stretch further.

This year, we’re also bringing back the student diaries! Our talented writers will be bringing you their own personal updates each issue, as students from all walks of life share their experiences as students of NUI Galway.

Expect to read about challenging new adventures in Canada in the Erasmus Diary, and

one man’s dreams of a second chance in our Mature Student Diary. Meanwhile, our Final Year Diary offers a humorous account of the trials and tribulations of one woman’s last year in NUIG. We also talk to three students who had the summer of their lives thanks to the EIL Explore Scholarship.

Thank you to all of the dedicated, hard-working contributors who have helped to make the Features Section one that I’m very proud to present to you all. I hope all you readers will enjoy our writers’ works as much as I did.

Lastly, thank you for picking up this issue of SIN! Look out for lots more to come in Issue Two.

OPINION EDITORIAL

By Anastasia Burton Hi, my name is Anastasia Sytnyk and I am the opinion editor of the SIN paper! I mainly go

by Anastasia Burton, which is my licensed author name.

I am a second-year BA with Journalism student and drama enthusiast. In the opinion section of the paper, you will find articles of any kind on every topic, such as what you think about certain topics on NUI Galway development, cultural differences, global concerns, and opinions on international affairs.

My goal is to deliver to you the juiciest and most attention gripping opinion articles!

Student voices and opinions are often ignored or silenced and we think that is beyond unfair. It’s time to get your voice out there! Do you want to talk about sexuality? Go for it! The housing crisis and how you feel about how it’s being dealt with? Fire away!

We want to open your mind to other people’s opinions as well as your own, and who knows you might even discover that you have changed your opinion just by reading what someone else has written! Isn’t that a very fun way of connecting with fellow NUI Galway students? Our opinions are what bring us together or push us apart, which is the best example of a love-hate dynamic. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Aren’t you already turning the pages to find out more about the CAO fireball and advice for your first year in college? Or maybe you’re curious about Donald Trump’s postponed trip to Greenland? Go right ahead and enjoy the content!

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tial items every college student needs for a cute and functional Galway-appropriate wardrobe.

If you’re looking to stay in shape during the new semester, look no further than Aoife Burke’s health and fitness guide for maintaining a balanced diet and hitting your food pyramid quotas. An appropriate piece for when you hit that stage in the semester where all you want is a spice bag every night of the week!

Elsewhere, Amanda Leeson’s Styled by the Show article centres on fashion’s favourite assassin, Villanelle, one of the main characters in Killing Eve. Her style is as layered and interesting as Villanelle herself, so we’ve included pieces that can help you steal her aesthetic for yourself, all on a student budget of course! We also have a feature on the best K-Beauty products to add to your skincare arsenal, and a commentary on the rise of the celebrity makeup brand. It’s all here in our first SIN issue of the semester, so happy reading (and shopping)!

SPORTS EDITORIAL

By Darren Casserly Hello everyone and welcome to the first issue of this years SIN. It has been quite the summer of sport from an Irish sporting

perspective with Shane Lowry winning the British open and strangely enough, an Irishman, Eoin Morgan, captaining the English cricket team to World Cup glory. Also, Liverpool missing out on the Premier League title despite managing to get 97 points, but coming back and winning the Champions League, was one of the standout stories of the summer.

From a Galway perspective, it was a summer to forget, with both the football and hurling teams crashing out early in the Championship, despite showing some promise, while Galway United are currently sitting in their lowest position in the league ever.

There is plenty to look forward to in this issue, as David Raleigh previews what looks to be another exciting season in the premier league. Darragh Nolan details where it all when wrong for the Galway hurlers in his review of the Hurling Championship and Darragh also looks back at a thrilling All-Ireland Final draw between Kerry and Dublin in the Football Championship and previews who will triumph in the replay. Owen Kennedy looks into Irelands chances of success in his preview of the upcoming rugby world cup. Finally, I give you a season update for a disappointing season, but not one without a few rays of light, for Galway United.

I would also like to add that that if you have any articles that you feel could be printed or if you just want to write for SIN, you can email me at sport.sined@gmail.com

LIFESTYLE AND FASHION EDITORIAL

By Catherine Taylor Hello everyone and welcome back to a new semester with SIN! I’m Catherine, your fashion and lifestyle editor for the coming year. The new college semester can be both a challenging and exciting time, for everyone from incoming first year students to final years. With that in mind, this issue is filled with the all the tips and tricks you need to put your best proverbial foot forward this coming semester.

Firstly, Michelle McClair has gifted us with a fabulous Autumn/Winter trend forecast, detailing all the latest fads (and style staples) fashionistas can look forward to seeing this coming season. On a similar note, Fiona Lee takes us through the five essen-

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4 N E WS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Sult “Hopeful and Confident” Planning Permission for Outdoor Canopy Will Be Upheld Following Appeal by Local Rowing Club

An architectural drawing of what the potential canopy structure at the back of Sult would look like

By Mark Lynch Sult has had planning permission granted for an outdoor canopy structure by Galway City Council, although that decision has since been met with an appeal to An Bórd Pleanála by the Corrib Rowing and

application with all of the required certification and documentation. Galway City Council granted permission, but their decision was then the subject of an appeal from the Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club. They claim their right of access to the boat club gates at the back of Sult is restricted and

Sult did, however, place planters at the back of its terrace area to separate its space from the walkway, back in the summer of 2016, which are central to one of the complaints. Mr. Williams continued, “They claimed we had removed the planters and that we had arranged furniture out in the right of access. In fact, they’re so heavy, they’d have to be completely emptied to be moved. They’re not easily moveable items and we don’t have the storage space to hide them away, if we did move them” Yachting Club. Sult, however, remain “hopeful and confident” the original decision will be upheld.

Sult originally applied for planning permission for an outdoor canopy structure on the riverside terrace area, at the back of the building, earlier in the year. They had already gone through checks by the University’s own Building and Estates Office, which included engineers’ reports, safety reports and ground surveys.

The Building and Estates Office then stated, in writing, that they were happy not to object to the planning application. Sult then submitted the

that the planning permission wasn’t correctly advertised. On top of these complaints, according to the Connacht Tribune, the club feels “that some of its elderly members feel intimidated by the drinkers who use the facility”.

Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club do have a right of access at the back of Sult, which is currently separated from the bar’s terrace area by planters. CEO of Sult, Gareth Williams, is keen to emphasise that the right of access is available for all members of the public, “It is a right of access, but it’s a right of access for all people, students, staff, visitors and members

of the club. It’s not an exclusion zone or an area that’s exclusively for the use of any group of people”.

Sult did, however, place planters at the back of its terrace area to separate its space from the walkway, back in the summer of 2016, which are central to one of the complaints. Mr. Williams continued, “They claimed we had removed the planters and that we had arranged furniture out in the right of access. In fact, they’re so heavy, they’d have to be completely emptied to be moved. They’re not easily moveable items and we don’t have the storage space to hide them away, if we did move them”. As evidence of this, the club submitted photos to An Bórd Pleanála, but according to Mr. Williams, these photos “were clearly taken about 10 years ago. They furnished photos of students sitting on metal furniture, sitting in the walkway and blocking the gates to the boat club. I don’t remember ever seeing this furniture before, none of the staff here remember it. The time stamp has been removed from the photograph, so you can’t see the date and time it was taken, as you can on the photos where the planters appear”.

As well as the planters, Mr. Williams says Sult “have taken steps to mark out the pathway, by putting up signage, just to remind people that the gate is in use and the pathway is in use”. While he acknowledges that, on occasion, students will take it upon themselves to move furniture into the right of access, he claims this is always dealt with hastily by staff.

“Occasionally, on the sunniest of days, people will drag a stool out to sit by the river, but bar management will always, straight away, be out to ask them to remove it”.

Regarding the complaint about the advertising of the planning permission, Mr. Williams believes the council

will dismiss it, because, “As part of the (planning application) process, the Council send somebody to check our signage, photograph the signage and keep it on record at Galway City Council’s office. They have clear evidence that it was advertised, both in newspaper publications and also our entrance and exit, as well as on the main road, where the University would advertise its planning applications”.

Mr. Williams also feels the implication that students would intimidate the older members of the club, should the canopy structure invite more human traffic to the area, is “grossly unfair”, adding, “It’s a misrepresentation of how students, staff and other users of Sult behave towards anybody, never mind members of the club, who are their neighbours. It’s not my experience of them, my experience has always been positive”.

After the objection by the Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club was lodged, the original applicants (Sult) are given the opportunity to respond. Explaining where they’ll go from here, Mr. Williams explains, “We responded and I received confirmation from An Bórd Pleanála of our response, thanking us for that. They don’t commit to an earlier date on their decision because we responded quickly”. It’s likely a decision will be made in November, but Mr. Williams tells SIN that Sult are “hopeful and confident that the original decision will be upheld, because we followed the letter of the law, we did everything that was asked and required of us with the planning application”.

Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club were contacted by SIN for a response, but had not responded at the time of going to print.

The right of access at the back of Sult, currently separated from the outdoor area by planters

N UAC HT

September 10 2019

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TUAM VIGIL – one year on

Students told to use grant money to pay rent costs

By Stevie Buckley

By Paddy Henry

Sunday 25th of August 2019 marked a year since the original march to the site of the Tuam mother and baby home, to ask for the bodies of 796 babies and young children, who are thought to have died there, to be exhumed from the home’s septic tanks.

To commemorate this, people reconvened to partake in a vigil and discuss what has changed and what has remained the same in the span of the year.

People who arrived at the site were greeted with pairs of baby shoes tied to the railings of the site, which is now a playground.

A reference to the Baby Shoes Remember movement, which involved people tying baby shoes to railings of churches and other religious institutions with black ribbon in commemoration of those who died.

The site was decorated with signs engraved with slogans such as ‘excavate now’ and ‘bury our babies with dignity’, as well as baby clothes and paper lilies for every child who is thought to have died there. Bigger paper lilies also

adorned the site, to symbolise mothers who had lost their children. The lilies were located inside cordons, which outlined where the home’s septic tanks are thought to have been.

Speakers at the event included Catherine Corless, the woman who searched through all the death and burial records and found that 796 death records had no burial records, as well as survivors of the mother and baby home at the site.

Campaigners spoke about test excavations that took place last year when workers on the site found septic tanks, with bones in them, as well as a blue baby shoe. They also talked of lived experiences of those who were born at the home, their emotive testimonies moving some people to tears.

Survivors shared anecdotes of their time in the home. One speaker noted the sound of a dog barking during the vigil, recalling how he had never seen a dog prior to leaving the home, at the age of five.

Another speaker noted a white butterfly flying across the site, suggesting that it signified change.

She was hopeful that developments would be made in the investigation.

Some people performed songs and recited poems that they had written about the trauma they had endured at the mother and baby home. Emotions ran high and tears were shed, compounding the sadness of those who were already upset from prior speeches.

Catherine Corless called on the organisations involved to make progress on the investigation stating; “This is a call for the Irish State, the church, and the Bon Secours order to listen to the families and the survivors, and to do something about this.”

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Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has come under fire after suggesting that students receiving the Student Universal Support Ireland Grant (SUSI) should use the funding to help finance rising accommodation costs.

The controversial remark was made to the Irish Independent last week, where the Dun Laoghaire TD was commenting on the increasing cost of on-campus accommodation in Irish universities.

Deputy O’Connor expressed her dissatisfaction at this trend, stating, “I am very disappointed that student accommodation was put up in our universities and higher education institutes’’.

The Higher Education Minister continued by saying that, ‘’There are SUSI Grants available, up to 48% of our student population avails of student grants.

So, make sure now that you log on to the SUSI application and make sure that you have filled out the application’’.

The remark provoked an angry reaction from Union of Students Ireland President, Lorna Fitzpatrick, who responded, “This might have been possible years ago, but the reality is that the grant is not enough to support students anymore. SUSI was cut in 2011 and there has been little to no improvement since then. The cost of living has risen but the support has not. The figures speak for themselves.”

Opposition parties took aim at Deputy O’Connor following the declaration.

In a statement released on the party’s official website, Sinn Féin’s Education spokesperson, Donnchadh Ó ’Laoghaire TD, remarked, “This comment from the Minister shows just how arrogant and out of touch Fine Gael are with the costs facing third level students. The SUSI grant will not come close to meeting accommodation costs, in the context of 11.5pc increases in many university-owned and on-campus housing schemes. It would leave students nothing for day-to-day living, which is what a maintenance grant is supposed to be for”.

The Minister’s comments came only days after her colleague, Minister for Education Joe McHugh TD, found himself in hot water, for suggesting that families struggling to cover the costs of sending their children to University, should consider more affordable, regional options.

The introduction of legislation, which caps rent increases in purpose-built student accommodation at four percent per annum, was rolled out on August 8th.

However, campaigners have accused owners of student accommodation of hiking prices prior to the introduction of the new law. Trinity College Dublin President Laura Beston told The Irish Times, “They knew this was coming down the line and we’ve seen huge increases in some instances.” Beston cited last year’s 18% rent increase at Cúirt na Coiribe as one such example.

6 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

NUI Galway Researchers Key in Major Implant Device Breakthrough

By Mark Lynch

One such foreign body response is fibrosis, a process whereby a dense fibrous capsule surrounds the implanted device, which can cause device failure, or impede its function. Implantable medical devices have various failure rates that can be attributed to fibrosis, ranging from 30% to 50% for implantable pacemakers or 30% for mammoplasty prosthetics. In the case of bio-sensors or drug/ cell delivery devices, the dense fibrous capsule, which can build up around the implanted device, can seriously impede its function, with consequences for the patient and costs to the health care system.

A radical new vision for medical devices to address this problem was published in the internationally respected journal, Science Robotics. The study was led by researchers from NUI Galway, MIT and the SFI research centre AMBER, among others. The research describes the use of soft robotics to modify the body’s response to implanted devices. Soft robots are flexible devices that can be implanted into the body.

The transatlantic partnership of scientists have created a tiny mechanically actuated soft robotic

Researchers from the National University of Ireland Galway, as well as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and AMBER, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research, have announced a significant breakthrough in soft robotics. It could help patients requiring in-situ (implanted) medical devices such as breast implants, pacemakers, neural probes, glucose biosensors and drug and cell delivery devices.

The implantable medical devices market is currently estimated at approximately US$100 billion, with significant growth potential into the future, as new technologies for drug delivery and health monitoring are developed. These devices are not without problems, caused in part by the body’s own protection responses. These complex and unpredictable foreign body responses impair device function and drastically limit the longterm performance and therapeutic efficacy of these devices.

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feel the ideas described in this paper could transform future medical devices and how they interact with the body. We are very excited to develop this technology further and to partner with people interested in the potential of soft robotics, to better integrate devices for longer use and superior patient outcomes. It’s fantastic to build and continue the collaboration with the Dolan and Roche labs and to develop a trans-Atlantic network of soft roboticists.”

The first author of the study, Dr Eimear Dolan, Lecturer of Biomedical Engineering at NUI Galway and former researcher in the Roche and Duffy labs at MIT and NUI Galway, said: “We are very excited to publish this study as it describes an innovative approach to modulate the foreign body response using soft robotics. I recently received a Science Foundation Ireland Royal Society University Research Fellowship, to bring this technology forward, with a focus on Type 1 diabetes. It is a privilege to work with such a talented multi-disciplinary team and I look forward to continuing working together.”

STEM Subjects prove popular again, CAO figures reveal

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device, known as a dynamic soft reservoir (DSR).

It’s been shown to significantly reduce the build-up of the fibrous capsule, by manipulating the environment at the interface between the device and the body. The device uses mechanical oscillation to modulate how cells respond around the implant.

In a bio-inspired design, the DSR can change its shape at a microscope scale through an actuating membrane.

Professor Ellen Roche, senior co-author of the study and Assistant Professor at MIT, and a former researcher at NUI Galway, who won international acclaim in 2017 for her work in creating a soft robotic sleeve to help patients with heart failure, said, “This study demonstrates how mechanical perturbations of an implant can modulate the host foreign body response. This has vast potential for a range of clinical applications and will hopefully lead to many future collaborative studies between our teams.”

Professor Garry Duffy, Professor in Anatomy at NUI Galway and AMBER Principal Investigator, and a senior co-author of the study, added, “We

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Courses in STEM areas (Science Technology, Engineering and Maths) have proved increasingly popular among incoming students at NUI Galway, according to figures released recently.

Demand for courses in STEM areas, such as Civil Engineering, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Biopharmaceutical Chemistry and Energy Systems Engineering saw points increases on last years CAO figures, with points in all Engineering subjects increasing.

Subjects in the Biosciences field, such as Biomedical Science and Biomedical Engineering, also proved popular among the Leaving Cert class of 2019, with points rising significantly in both courses.

CAO figures from 2018 show that the increasing demand for STEM subjects is nothing new, with points for courses in the area rising in previous years as well.

NUI Galway’s Student Recruitment and Outreach Manager, Sarah Geraghty said: “NUI Galway has seen significant increases in CAO points reflecting a continued growth in interest in the University and its programmes. The number of courses commanding in excess of 500 CAO points at NUI Galway has almost doubled since last year.

This year’s choices indicate an increased interest in careers in the technology and innovation sector, with MedTech courses proving particularly popular”.

There is also positive news for NUI Galway’s new programmes, including Government and Law with Human Rights, which both proved popular among

incoming first year students. On these increases, Geraghty added that interest in these areas proves that there is ‘‘demand for courses leading to careers where graduates can have a powerful and positive impact on the world around them.”

Arts courses also remained in high demand, particularly in the areas of Psychology, Music, Journalism, English and Media Studies, Creative Writing and Drama, Theatre and Performance.

All Law related subjects also saw increased levels of interest.

The rising demand for courses across a variety of areas follows a national trend towards Level 8 degrees. The number of Level 8 courses listed on the CAO increased by 4,707 on 2018’s figures, while the statistics also show more women applied to the CAO in 2019 than their male counterparts.

There was also an increase in the number of prospective students who had listed a level 8 course as their first preference, with over 70,000 opting to do so.

Ireland proved a more popular destination for International students this year, with numbers up on 2018. There was a decrease in applications from the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, however.

The figures show that NUI Galway have bucked the trend with the popularity of their journalism courses this year. Preferences for journalism courses dropped by a 40%, in 2019 with a 54% drop in the number of students listing a Journalism course as their first choice at a national level.

Courses in the areas of Primary Teaching and Midwifery also decreased in demand at a national level.

N UAC HT

September 10 2019

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Active Consent Programme to tour Ireland with original play “The Kinds of Sex You Might Have At College”

By Conor Brummell The Active Consent Programme is a collaboration between NUI Galway’s School of Psychology and Drama and Theatre Studies, and they will be touring Ireland this September and October with a play entitled The Kinds of Sex You Might Have At College. This play is an innovative new production performed

by NUI Galway Alumni actors and aims to reach large audiences of students around Ireland to promote positive and active consent.

The Kinds of Sex You Might Have At College is to turn the Consent Programme’s core messages into a live theatrical event, that will bring audiences through sketches that dramatize sexual scenarios you might encounter throughout your life at college. It is a play about what you want, how you want it, if you want it and what happens when you don’t. It will tackle experiences from across all genders, sexualities and relationships.

The play will combine humour, satire and drama to try and share diverse

experiences to audiences. It will use participatory methods to engage audiences, as it aims to equip those who watch the play with a deeper understanding of consent that they can apply to future intimate experiences, when and if they have them. Those who choose to view the play should be advised that the performance contains language of a sexual nature and themes of sexual violence.

The play is directed by Dr Charlotte McIvor, Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies, who says “This groundbreaking theatre was created with young people for young people.

We hope it empowers audiences to critically examine their own attitudes about sexuality and the way they communicate with partners concerning consent.

“We approach the subject unflinchingly in our treatment of assault, harassment and rape, but also with humour and optimism. We hope our audiences leave better informed and prepared to act in terms of calling out unacceptable behaviours and attitudes and pursuing more mutually pleasur-

able and consensual sexual practices if they want to.”

The four-person cast featuring Alice Keane, Michael Foley, Fiona Buckley

and Gavin Friel, graduates of NUI Galway’s BA and MA programmes in Drama and Theatre Studies, will put on three free performances in NUI

Galway on Thursday the 12 September (5PM) and Friday 13 September (1PM and 5PM). Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

The cast of The Kinds of Sex You Might Have At College, a new original play from the Active Consent programme at NUI Galway, from left: Alice Keane, Michael Foley, Fiona Buckley, and Gavin Friel. Photo: Aengus McMahon

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8 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

ERASMUS DIARY

By Fiona Lee Welcome back everyone to the first issue of SIN ’19/20!

I’m excited to keep writing for this lovely paper, even if I am a few miles further west from campus this time around. As a part of my course (Arts with Journalism), I will be spending this semester in Canada, studying a variety of modules at the University of Ottawa. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Ottawa, it’s about an hour-long flight from Toronto, if that helps at all.

When I first found out I’d be doing this in February or March of this year, I couldn’t have been more delighted and relieved. Studying abroad has been something I always imagined would be part of my university experience and I’m so grateful I got the opportunity to do so. I never expected to find myself in Canada, but it seems to be a popular spot for Irish people at the moment, so great!

However, I won’t pretend it has been nothing but a dream. Getting organised through emails with NUIG and University of Ottawa, organising accommodation from abroad, even packing, were all stressful. It was hard to get excited, what with all the nerves surrounding moving away from all I know, away from my friends and boyfriend, and hoping I hadn’t missed any important details along the way. I didn’t even feel like I was really leaving until I had already left, and even then it’s weird to think I won’t be going back home for the entirety of the semester, which suddenly feels much longer.

Now that I’m here, though, the anticipation and feelings of uncertainty are gone and I’m nothing but excited for what is ahead of me. I’m settled in my accommodation in Byward Market (lovely spot) and am throwing myself into student life here in Ottawa. After all, four months is not very long, so I have no time for hesitation!

I don’t have many exciting or adventurous tales to tell as of yet as my main goal for the last two days has been figuring out where I am in this new spot of the world, settling into my new home and trying to meet a few people! It’s great to arrive a bit earlier (at the time of writing this article my classes don’t start for another week) but there are still social activities going on for new students. I’m slowly finding the balance between my social life and getting my life in order.

I did feel a bit shy initially, at the first ‘Internationals Meet Up’ event, but really there was no need to be!

I shook it off, joined a table of Swedish and Austrian students, and it couldn’t have been nicer. Everyone, especially other international students, are eager to meet people, make connections and make friends, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and find people you can have fun with during your stint abroad. If you find someone a wee bit disinterested who doesn’t want to talk to you, just move on and keep looking, don’t be discouraged! Doesn’t matter how loud or quiet, outgoing or introverted you are, you’ll find people you like.

I think that’s all for now, I’ll update you next issue!

Thanks for reading.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Mature Student Column

By Jody Moylan Writing in 1904, English art critic Clive Bell said “the undergraduate years are the most important, the most ‘formative’ to use an up to date expression, in a man’s life”. While his was certainly a man’s world in 1904, and his ‘up to date expression’ is now very old indeed, the sentiment remains the same. The undergraduate years for any young person are formative. But what if you’re a mature student? Can you be re-formed, or formed again, having been — as I have — some twenty years away from academic education? The truth is most of us think we can, or hope to be at least. It is our great second chance, a chance most of us matures never thought we’d get.

My own first chance came in 1998, when I began an Arts degree at NUI Maynooth. Looking back now, I can see certain similarities with the

torical with age, but because being an adult of a certain age allows you the ability to see the dynamics of society play out over an extended period. One can begin to understand why movements are formed, for example; what shapes them, and how they’ve been influenced.

To this end, experience of the outside world, too, can have one questioning what happened before. I spent four years in America in the midnoughties, visiting old Irish districts in Cleveland and New York in that time. I remember reading a great book in Chicago called ‘The Jungle’ by Upton Sinclair. It told a late nineteenth century tale of a Lithuanian man and wife in the ‘land of opportunity’ whose hopes of a better life were crushed underfoot by the relentless and heavy wheel of capitalism. The Jungle is really the story of the underclasses of the world, the uneducated, fighting against the system.

campus here at NUIG, and the old campus on the town side of Maynooth, which was made up of nice old green patches, with great oaks and ash trees spotted about. In 1998, though, the course just wasn’t for me, and I really struggled that year. I just couldn’t get myself motivated. I was the walking cliché of the uncertain leaving cert graduate; not knowing what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go. I have often thought it was a pity I left Maynooth after just one year, but I never regretted it.

Although I have changed considerably in two decades as an adult in the world, I must respect that I was an adult then too, and my decision was not taken lightly.

The great irony is that what I have come back to do is exactly what I was doing all those years ago, for I studied history and sociology at Maynooth before doing so again here in Galway. I came back to it not because I regretted leaving it; rather I became interested in history and society by being out there in the world. I’ve become increasingly interested in history, for example, not because I am literally becoming more his-

Written by an American, about a LithuanianAmerican community, it was the story of Irish emigration too; something my class here at NUIG covered in year one of our degree programme. The story of how envelopes of money sent back home from the Irish diaspora disguised a reality of overbearing working conditions, abuse, and racism.

One of my very favourite things on the grounds of our campus has a direct connotation with this chapter of Ireland’s own dark past: the sculpture of the Royal Coat of Arms at the back of the Quadrangle. While it is a symbol of the foundation of the university by Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1845, it is also the symbol of overbearing and cruel rule, the cause of emigration, and oppression. Obviously, in this sense, I like the sculpture not because of its regal connection, but because of the tangible sense of history you get just by being there beside it. More than anything else, when we compare ourselves to our less fortunate ancestors, it makes us think about the great power of education, our good fortune in receiving it, at whatever age, and its ability to positively shape us and for some, just maybe, re-form us.

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Owen Jones assault demonstrates growing viciousness of far-right

By Daniel Brennan The rise of far right, anti-immigrant rhetoric across the world in recent years has been astonishing – with the election of Donald Trump in the US inspiring the alt-right online, the Brexit saga in Britain, as well as the rise of far-right figures to positions of power in Italy and Brazil, they are no longer just a funny footnote at the bottom of the election results that no one pays any real attention to; they are a real threat.

British journalist Owen Jones has been one of the far right’s harshest critics for several years as one of the biggest anti-fascist personalities online, using his articles in the Guardian as well as his YouTube channel and Twitter page to spread awareness of the hateful politics of the far right.

His assault a few weeks ago, as he left a London pub – an attack he believed to be politically and homophobically motivated, as Jones is openly gay – demonstrated again that the far-right threat isn’t just a bunch of keyboard warriors trying to own the libs on twitter. Groups like the EDL are not afraid to try to silence those that oppose their white nationalist and fascist views with the use of violence, be it against members of the media like Jones, or more generally against members of marginalised groups in society, a point he was not afraid to make himself when asked about the incident.

Jones said, when speaking to The Guardian, that he’s, “Just a symptom of a wider phenomenon, an emboldened, increasingly violent far right”.

He was very quick to avoid victimising himself in a BBC News interview days after the attack, instead shining the light further on the prominence of far-right violence against the most vulnerable in society across the world: “I’m a white guy with a media platform. There are people out there – members of minorities in particular - who are being targeted and physically attacked. There is an increasingly violent far right in British society and abroad”.

Owen also put blame at the feet of the media for legitimising far-right fascist views as acceptable by giving hateful politicians air-time in spite of how racist, homophobic and disgusting their views may be, and indeed how dangerous allowing the broadcast of their backwards ideals to millions may be.

This far right violence has manifested itself within Ireland recently, as Ireland has among the highest percentage of hate crimes against minorities reported in the EU. Statistics taken from various reports by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) in the past few years demonstrate some frightening trends: for instance, a 2017 study revealed that Ireland had the highest rate of hate crimes against people of an African ethnic back-

Final Year Diary

By Sadhbh Hendrick So this is Final Year And what have you done Another Summer over And a new Semester just begun And so this is Final Year I hope you have fun (unlikely) The near and the dear one The old and the young

Ah yes, the last hurrah. The final countdown.

The final curtain. The final straw? Hahahaha help. So here we are now and I just cannot get my head around how quickly the first three years have gone by. We all hear the same cliché’s; College flies, College is the best time of your life etc., etc. Not going to lie, the only thing that was flying whilst trekking across the Quincentennial Bridge for a 9am was my umbrella (RIP, gone but never forgotten). It may not have felt like the best of times on those bloodbathspec fights for a seat with a plug in the library during study week. Or during exams. Or doing assignments. Or during week 10 when absolutely everything seems to be due at the exact same time. All that aside, and I can confirm that those college clichés actually do ring true.

Moving in to Corrib Village feels like yesterday. This whole new life felt worlds apart from school. I don’t need to list it all, we all went through the same rigmarole; the 44 obsession, the exemplary BOGOFF attendance, and not so exemplary 9am attendance, signing up to societies with names you didn’t quite understand but hey, free pizza! 110 new Instagram followers and 300 new Snapchat adds. Of course it takes a while to find your feet and your pals, but once

you do, first year really is fantastic (even if it is the first time you come face to face with tea towels so disgusting they must have been toxic). Second and third year weren’t all that shabby either.

Once of the best things about college is definitely the fact that college life itself is whatever you make it. It doesn’t matter what your preference is, a studious experience, a sociable one, an adventurous one, whatever, you are in charge. Heading into final year, that is one of the most prominent thoughts I have. When else can we stop by the library, gym (meh, I try), a few lectures, the entirety of Quay Street and S’macs all in the space of a few hours? All to be repeated the next night?

Or when else will I be in a building where all at once, the Baking Society are putting Paul Hollywood to shame, the Organic Gardening Society are channeling Diarmuid Gavin, Trad Soc are, and I quote, “Keepin’ it reel, jigiddy jigiddy”, Potter Soc are casting spells and the Lit and Deb are putting the world to rights, one Thursday at a time?

As I head in to Final Year, my singular aim is to just MAKE THE MOST OF IT! It will zoom by, it won’t be all sunshine and lollipops but sure look, we’ll give it a lash and see what happens.

I’ll keep track of all the trials and tribulations that come along with the year and hopefully this diary will either be #relatable or #insightful.

GRMA, Sadhbh x

Owen Jones. Image: The Guardian

ground, with 21% of those surveyed for the study stating that they had been physically assaulted six or more times within the five-year period leading up to the survey - compared to an average of 9% across the EU. Another FRA study from 2014 found that 13% of transgender people surveyed had been sexually or physically assaulted, the second-highest rate in the EU. These trends are already scary as is, but the farright in Ireland has itself inspired hate crimes in recent months. Gemma O’Doherty has gained notoriety as an online “journalist”, spouting amongst other insane far-right conspiracies, openly racist rhetoric across her social media channels in a similar fashion to the likes of the infamous Alex Jones.

Days after a tweet where O’Doherty called for her followers in a Facebook Live video to “burn any hijabs (they) see”, two young Muslim girls were assaulted in Dundrum, having their hijabs ripped off by their attackers in a shocking video that went viral across social media.

The threat of far-right violence is very real, not only in Britain, where Owen Jones was attacked, or indeed in America, following the recent spate of politically and racially motivated mass shootings; the threat is very real at home too.

10 N E WS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

WORK vs. COLLEGE

STUDENT SURVIVAL GUIDE: How to make your money go further

Roisin Mc Manus Moving to college, while having many wonderful advantages, can cause some difficulties in the process. The cost alone unfortunately turns many young people away from the various opportunities a third-level education can give us. There are so many costs included in being a college student, that it can be quite overwhelming, particularly for incoming students who are not as familiar with it. It is therefore not surprising that more and more students are forced to prioritise work over their studies nowadays.

Recent studies have found that 55% of college students skip lectures to work instead. With rent prices soaring to new heights year after year, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for students and their families to pay for accommodation. This is evident in this research from the Irish League of Credit Unions, as findings also included that 15% cut down on food to afford living costs, 40% cut down on social outings, and 34% expect to be in debt after college.

The results of these studies are quite alarming, and I hope that the government will take notice of the numerous difficulties facing young students. Welleducated citizens are essential to keep a country going, yet due to the rate at which rents are soaring now, among other problems students are facing, we are unfortunately going to be losing many bright young minds due to the sheer cost of education.

Many young students living away from home for the first time have been taught very little about budgeting and managing money. There are so many changes when transitioning from second level to third-level education and money tends to be one of the major causes of stress. Typically, we are so overwhelmed with living on our own and in many ways, becoming our own bosses, that we may not always make the best decisions when it comes to spending money. For this reason, we need to be taught more in

school about how to manage money.

Our whole lives leading up to college, most of us students knew very little about paying bills and the importance of weekly/monthly budgeting. This is a recipe for disaster in college when our funds are so tight.

Personally, I travel over and back home to Cavan every weekend for work, and I know I’m not the only student doing so. Many students nationwide go home every weekend for work. It is not always ideal to do this but most of us realistically can’t go without work.

Working in college is a complete necessity for me in order to pay my way through college. I’m apprehensive for final year however, as I know how important it is for me to get a good degree and I’m sure there will be times where I will struggle to balance work and my college workload.

I consider myself okay at budgeting now but when I first started college, I really hadn’t a clue. There are many ways I cut down on costs in college now. For example, every month I do a big shop and get it delivered to my house. Before buying everything, I plan what meals I can make, the ingredients needed to make them and put them all in my basket. Then I think about snacks and lunches to bring with me to college during the day and put them in too. I find that buying food in college really adds up over the week, so by having food at home to bring in with me, this stops me getting tempted during the day.

Planning out what I eat in advance also helps me eat a bit healthier, so that’s a good thing too. Of course, not everything is included in this monthly shop, like when I want sweets, I tend to buy them on the spot. I buy milk and other foods with short expiry dates as I go as well. However, I find that doing this monthly shop works well for me to keep my costs down. It’s also more sustainable to bring food with me so there’s another plus.

It’s a fairly easy habit, but every small change helps during the struggle to be thoughtful with money in college!

By Sinéad Walsh Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor has come under fire recently for her insensitive advice to students that they should use their SUSI grant to cover the cost of increasing rents. Students have faced enormous rent hikes year-onyear, which notably have not been paralleled with an increase in financial aid given under the SUSI grant service; leaving students with less income than ever before to pay the day to day living expenses of university life.

September seems to be a month of endless fees, bills and payments with most of us left scrambling to pull enough cash together to cover it. Don’t lose all hope, however, as there are lots of ways to be smart with your money and make it go that bit further.

Mind Your Money While counting your pennies isn’t exactly fun, college life really does help you to hone your budgeting skills.

Possibly the best way to balance your spending and avoid splashing your cash too early is to physically write down a budget for yourself or keep it on your phone for easy access. This means you can allocate your money to pay the things you really need to first and avoid overspending the moment you receive your monthly, or weekly income. There are plenty of budgeting calculators and apps available online such as www.consumerhelp. ie/budgeting-calculators so find the one that works best for you or visit

savethestudent.org/money/studentbudgeting and download their student budget spreadsheet.

If you are having budgeting or other financial difficulties, assistance is also available from the Budgeting / Financial Advice area of the Accommodation and Welfare Office, located on the first floor of Áras Uí Chathail.

Smart Savings There are plenty of ways to remain frugal while making the most of your time in university and even going out doesn’t have to break the bank. Apps such as Unidays are jam-packed with student deals and discount codes, while Uniphi is your one-stop-shop for all the cheapest nights out in Galway, with discounted tickets to Galway’s best nightclubs and even some free entry passes available if you’re quick enough to nab them.

Another great way to save money on meals is to share cooking with some of your housemates or friends and split the cost of your ingredients.

This can also be an enjoyable way to spend a much-needed study break or chance to catch up with your friends and housemates.

Eating out while on campus can be one of the biggest culprits for blowing your budget, so why not limit yourself to eating out only once per week to really treat yourself and make a good old-fashioned packed lunch to keep you going during the day? You can also save money on your coffee with a reusable cup at many coffee outlets on campus, including the SU Shop, who offer a discounted price for keep-cups.

Books galore As September rolls on and your reading list continues to grow, you may be beginning to panic, but don’t worry – no one expects you to fork out hundreds for textbooks and reading materials. The majority of the books you’ll need are available in the library, either as physical copies or e-books which you can use from the comfort of your own cosy (if over-priced) bedroom. You can explore the list of titles and where to find them on library.­ nuigalway.ie.

For the few textbooks you may decide you need your own copies of, why not reach out on social media and try to get hold of a copy second-hand?

Chances are, a book someone needed in first year has since been tucked away on a dusty shelf and they may be glad to make a few bob passing it on to another student. There are also loads of sites online where e-books are available to download for free or for a reduced price, so it’s wise to shop around before trekking to the bookstore.

NUI Galway’s Support Services Due to SUSI’s stringent eligibility criteria, not all students are able to avail of this maintenance grant, but if you are going through financial difficulty, there is help available. An alternative financial support service, the Financial Aid Fund, is targeted to tackle disadvantage by providing funding for living expenses and is open for online applications from Monday, 16th September. More information on the Financial Aid Fund is available at nuigalway.ie/studentservices.

It’s A Small World (At Disney)

By Shauna McHugh I’m writing this article from my tiny apartment in Paris, with half packed suitcases scattered around me. In just a few days, I’ll haul said cases to the airport, thus ending one of the best summers of my life.

I’m finally returning home to Ireland, after four months of working in the literal happiest place on Earth - Disneyland Paris. While I can confirm that it’s impossible to not feel the joy as a guest at Disney, working there had its up and downs. While the general magical atmosphere of the park had an impact, my happiness was due in large amount to my university, miles and miles away back in Galway. Believe it or not, after

three years of studying in NUIG, I made one of my closest friends from the college while we were both worlds away from the campus, in beautiful Paris.

I met this friend halfway through my summer, while I was working full time as a waitress in Disneyland’s Annette’s Diner. Two months had passed, during which I had made my best effort to integrate with the French, and while they were all lovely, I was terribly homesick, and missed the ease of conversation when befriending new people through English.

Then suddenly, in late June, it all changed. I had noticed a new girl working at the restaurant. With a nametag that read ‘Xara’, I assumed she was foreign, and so wrote her off as yet another

co-worker that I would eventually have to stutter through awkward French small talk with, and thought nothing more of it.

By a stroke of pure luck, it was another colleague who pulled me over to her one day, and said “This is the other Irish girl”. ‘Other?’, I thought. Could there really be more of us, confused English speakers who were navigating the big city of Paris and trying not to die in the 40 degree heat?

And so it was that Xara Louise and I began talking, and minutes into our first conversation, I could already feel the homesickness dissipating. Upon discovering that we were both NUIG students, we quickly bonded over all the crazy things we missed about Galway.

I bemoaned the absence of Boojum in my Parisian life, she missed the bants from her regular nights out at the Roisín Dubh. We both mourned the fact that going on the sesh seemed to be impossible in France, where we all sophisticatedly sipped on wine over dinner and returned home at a sensible hour.

Over the next few weeks, we became inseparable. We took on all the rollercoasters of Disney, even the ones she was scared of (I was courage personified throughout, I swear), we found our new favourite places to eat in Paris, and watched the fireworks together during the French national holiday.

Xara’s contract finished before mine, and it was a sad day when we parted and she left Paris. We have stayed in touch

since, however, and I’m already looking forward to catching up with her once we’re both back in Galway.

While working in Paris was a wonderful experience, it was also lonely and overwhelming at times. To have met someone who understood exactly what that was like was a blessing. I am so thankful for the support network that being a student at NUIG has provided.

This experience has taught me that you never know when the wider community that NUIG connects us to may come in need. I’m so lucky that Xara and I bonded over shared memories of NUIG, as she made my summer in Paris an unforgettable experience. (And we can always wait until we’re back home to have a decent sesh).

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Three NUI Galway Students Chosen to Volunteer Abroad in EIL Scholarship

By Mark Lynch Aoife Hughes, Lorraine Flaherty and Gemma Lynch were chosen to take part in volunteering projects in different parts of the world for 2 months, as part of EIL Explore, through the ALIVE programme here at NUI Galway. EIL is an Irish non-profit organisation that provides study abroad, language training, community service and other educational and cultural immersion activities for over 2,500 people annually. The deadline for applicants this coming year is the 5th December, with interviews during study week.

For some insight into what you might be in for if you’re selected, here are their stories from their unique adventures, from escaping to the mountains in Vietnam, to crossing crocodile-infested waters on a little canoe, to delving deep into the Amazon rainforest.

Lorraine Flaherty Lorraine Flaherty, a third year zoology student, used to be the type of person who stayed in her comfort zone. During her 8 weeks in the stunning little Mexican village of La Ventanillia, in Oaxaca, not one minute was spent in her comfort zone. She had heard about the programme before, because her friend had taught in Vietnam the previous year and had inspired her to apply. Lorraine says that being an animal lover played an important part in the decision, “My project was very animal-based, I love animals and since I do zoology in college, we talked about it and agreed I’d go to Mexico”.

Lorraine headed for Mexico without speaking a word of Spanish. She was nervous about this at first, although it didn’t hamper her as much as she feared, “I used a lot of action with my hands when talking and it really worked. The girl I was with, Annie, helped translate for me as well, so it was actually fine, we managed”. She also found some of the locals to be particularly helpful, “The kids loved us, they were around us all the time. They all wanted to learn English, so they’d help me with my Spanish and I helped them with their English.

They were so patient, I actually found them more helpful than the adults”.

If she was expecting to stay in her comfort zone when she arrived, Lorraine was in for a surprise, “I was told I’d be working with turtles, but I was

actually working with crocodiles, which was way better”. I simply had to ask for more detail. “There were researchers there, at the time that we were there, which was very lucky, because we got to weigh the crocodiles and measure them. Then, at night, we’d go out on canoes and we’d have to shine a light out to find their eyes and capture them, it was amazing”.

If you’re thinking that not every day could be that exciting, you’d actually be wrong. Lorraine explained that even getting to work involved an element of danger, “We got up at 7 and then we had to get a little canoe over to the island, through the water that was surrounded by crocodiles, but it only took a few minutes to get across”.

When she arrived on the island, Lorraine was also given a surprise about the actual work she was doing, “We were told we’d be working in the kitchen a lot and I barely worked in the kitchen. It was completely different (to what I expected). We were mainly doing manual work, helping to feed the animals, gardening and raking”. However, it seemed even the mundane was transformed into the extraordinary, “We’d be raking and you’d be only about 5 metres away from a giant crocodile, it was very cool. Then, when the researchers came, we got to work with the crocodiles”. Crocodiles weren’t the

only animals that Lorraine was able to build a rapport with, “There was this monkey, a spider monkey, who I absolutely fell in love with. I had to make time for this monkey, to talk to him, so that was part of my daily schedule as well, 100%”.

All this said, it’s not a holiday and the eco-tourism cabins, which Lorraine lived in for her stay, exemplify this. Despite a crab infestation and then a snake infestation, as well as the constant presence of fruit bats

and insects, she feels the experience has helped her grow, “I think for the first few days, it was crazy, but over time, I got used to it and was able to adjust”. She also had to adjust to new cultures, which was helped by sharing this living space with other people, “I definitely learned a lot about Mexican culture, because the 3 other volunteers – even though their English wasn’t great – we could have Google Translate out and they could explain a lot. We’d tell them about Ireland and they’d tell

us about Mexico”. All this, while sat on a peaceful beach, with weekends free to explore nearby villages.

So would Lorraine, who was previously stuck in her comfort zone, recommend diving headfirst into the adventures that the EIL Explore scholarship provides? “My friend helped push me out of that comfort zone and I’m so grateful she did. I’ve done things I never expected to do and my memories of that will be with me forever.

I’d love for somebody else to experience that, so just go for it!”

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Gemma Lynch Gemma Lynch spent 2 months teaching English in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was quite a logical move for Gemma, whose previous volunteering and teaching experience included mentor programmes with Donegal Youth Council, teaching English at a summer camp in Italy and work experience in primary schools. At the same time, as Gemma put it, this was “a completely new challenge, a completely new experience”. Having lived abroad before, this wasn’t totally new to her, but she still notes the differences, “We were just thrown into it.

(We had to) make our own curriculum, teach our own subjects, so it was quite difficult”.

Going in blind also has unique difficulties when you consider that Gemma was teaching the kids a foreign language, “You had to get a feel for what the children were capable of, their level of English. What I found was that there was a big range, even in the one class. One child mightn’t know their colours and another might be having a full conversation”. The range in language level was replicated by the range of ages in her class, 7-12. “It was difficult getting every child’s attention and making sure they receive the same education, but there were 2 of us in the classroom and there were only about

15-20 children, so it wasn’t too bad”.

While the children themselves may have provided their own challenge, it was also a challenge to teach with the tools Gemma was given. “There was a normal school and then there was my school, which was basically a community hall. The facilities weren’t great, we had 2 A1 whiteboards, books and crayons, no projector, computer or anything like that”.

Outside of the classroom was where Gemma had most of her adventures.

Living in a volunteer house with people of countless nationalities, it was a hotbed of culture compared to what she was used to, “In Ireland, I just didn’t get that experience of dealing with people of different cultures.

It was a good mix”. She particularly got on with an American girl, Zayna, who’s Muslim and whose parents hail from Pakistan. They taught twice a day for 4 days during the week, meaning Gemma could spend the weekends exploring Vietnam and in Zayna, she had the perfect travel buddy. “Vietnam is so diverse, like, some weekends we went into the mountains, which were really rural and you had little towns with ethnic tribes, who you’d stay with, in their B&B’s”. Run exclusively by the women of the towns, these trips gave a completely alterna-

tive view of Vietnam compared to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

They also gave Gemma a break from the pollution, which she says, is a major problem, “It’s tough to deal with. I had to walk to school with a mask every day, because if I didn’t, I’d get a sore throat. In the mornings you could see the smog everywhere”.

That said, Gemma is keen to stress it’s not something we can get on our high horse about, “Be mindful that we have the same problems at home with pollution. You’re looking at this beautiful mountain, but then there’s a bag of rubbish on the side of the road. I see that in Donegal too”. The pollution wasn’t the only thing that reminded her of home, while she trekked around the glorious countryside, “When I was travelling up the mountains, I was thinking, this could be Donegal, if it wasn’t 36 degrees right now”.

Having been afforded this opportunity by EIL, Gemma has this advice for any potential applicants, “You need a strong volunteering background, but definitely apply. It’s something different. You might go travelling to Vietnam, but you’re not going to see the culture or the people properly unless you actually live there and immerse yourself. That’s what this programme is about”.

Aoife Hughes Aoife Hughes spent her 8 weeks in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. She informs me Quito is a whopping 2,800 metres above sea level. For context, Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, is 1,038 metres above sea level. “It’s also very hot, with relentless sun. It rained 5 days while I was there and I was there for 8 weeks”. Although the environment and volunteering have always been strong passions of Aoife’s, the actual scholarship wasn’t something she had even known about, before one life-changing evening last year. “Before I applied for it, I didn’t know anything about it. I saw it at the bottom of a student email one Friday and the deadline was the following Tuesday, so I had to get to work”. She does advise that future volunteers are slightly more organised than she was, when it comes to applying.

The process of getting to Ecuador was a long one, starting with an application form, with a volunteering reference required. Next was a shortlist by NUI Galway, which she was on, then a short-list by EIL, which she was also on. It’s really only at this point that it’s even decided where the volunteers will end up going for their 2 months, as it’s important to note that each location has a different type of project. “It was very much a dialogue between EIL and the volunteers. They talked to us about our interests and passions, where we thought would suit us and they made their own suggestion as well”. However, even going into that dialogue, Aoife already had her mind made up, she

wanted to volunteer on an organic farm in Ecuador. “I went up to them and said how much I wanted to do this project, that I have a farming background, and how amazing the country is and they said, “You’ve really researched this, off you go!”

While research gives you some idea of what to expect when you get there, Aoife maintains there is still room for manoeuvre, “You have a general idea of what it’ll be, but not in terms of exact tasks, which I think is probably better, because if you go over expecting to do this, this, and this and nothing more, then you’re quite rigid and can’t really adapt.

And adapt she did, as she assimilated into this new lifestyle, “When you go somewhere and you’re not a tourist, you’re living there, experiencing it as a local, it really changes how you view the place”. EIL paid for accommodation for the volunteers, which, for Aoife, meant temporary adoption by a family of Colombians in the Ecuadorian capital, “They could teach me about their Colombian heritage, but also about the culture of Quito, so it was a really interesting mix. I’d chat to them about their culture, their experiences, my experiences and how they were similar and different. It was a really useful way to learn”.

Working from 8-4 on the farm, with plenty of physical labour, then learning all about both Colombian and Ecuadorian ways of living in the evenings, was a hectic but rewarding

schedule for Aoife and one she’s learned a lot from. Coming back to Ireland, she thinks, “You bring back a heightened sense of compassion for other people and an understanding that, just because someone’s from a different place, doesn’t mean they’re any more or less worthy of your time. It’s not about where you’re from, every person deserves equal treatment”. However, as a student of environmental science, as well as a patron of biodiversity, Aoife is keen to stress the impact that going to Ecuador had on her attitude to the flora and fauna as well as the human aspect.

Key to this was her visit to the Amazon during her last few days in South America. “I probably brought back an understanding of the importance of biodiversity, how much we need to protect and why we need to protect. Like, I was on one side of the Amazon and the next week, the other side was on fire.

Understanding what we could lose is something I picked up there”.

What would Aoife say to anyone reading this and thinking of applying for themselves? “Do it, don’t have fear.

When I told people that I was going to South America for 8 weeks they were all saying how dangerous it would be and then I went over and all I met was the most genuinely kind, open-hearted, amazing people and the most incredible places”. She also has an important message for applicants to go in without judgement, “When you go in with fear, you go with a closed mind and you see what you expect. Walk without fear!”

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Farewell Carbon!

By Rachel Garvey Recently, Galway has suffered a loss of one of its most iconic nightclubs, which has been welcoming in young students for the past nine years. For nearly a decade, Carbon has created unbreakable bonds among the employees that have worked there as promotors, bouncers and bar staff and unforgettable memories that will forever be remembered by Galway residents and NUI Galway students, who have experienced the nightclub’s addictive atmosphere.

Carbon was an integral part of Galway’s nightlife and with the business now having closed its doors, Galway has lost a very important part of itself, a part which can never be replaced, but which will be remembered in years to come when people share their own personal anecdotes of their fun times in Carbon. The premises officially closed its doors on August 21st 2019.

SIN conducted an interview with one of Carbon’s former promotors, Luke Tannian, to get some inside information on Carbon’s closure as well as what he is expecting from Carbon’s replacement; “Galway’s nightlife scene will change dramatically as first year college students and people at the end of Leaving cert cycle will now have to find a different place to go because Carbon was known as everyone’s first nightclub.

Everyone in Galway has a story about Carbon

because it was their first nightclub where they got in, it was a well known spot for new college students in NUIG and younger students who attended secondary school, who were in their final year, about to complete their Leaving Cert.”

Carbon’s replacement, Wetherspoons is hoping to impress Galway residents and hopefully fill the void that Carbon has left. JD Wetherspoon, which has already opened seven outlets across Ireland, is set to purchase the venue with plans for a 4,000 sq. ft. pub with a 1900 sq. ft. beer garden.

Luke also shared some thoughts with SIN about Wetherspoons and what his expectations are for the new establishment saying; “I expect it to be a pre-drinks pub more than anything else. I’m hopeful that it will be a good place for young people to go before a night out. From my experience, Carbon always had the cheap drinks and cheap food and was a fun place to go, so it will cause a dramatic change to Galway’s nightlife”.

Reflecting on all he will miss after Carbon’s closure, Luke shared a personal anecdote about his final night there.

“During my last night in Carbon I was called in to work on the floor and clear any empty glasses and clean up around the place. There was a group of girls hanging around and one of them came up to me and said, in the drunkest

Photo: Carbon Nightclub Galway Facebook Page voice I’ve ever heard, that she wanted to marry me! Her friend came over and took her away and apologised to me!”

Luke’s story is one of many that he will always remember from his time in Carbon,

as well as many other people who will revisit their own old memories of the popular venue.

Galway has indeed suffered a great loss, but the memories and good times in Carbon will forever live on.

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NUI Galway Awarded Green Flag Campus Award University secures An Taisce’s prestigious international Green Flag accreditation NUI Galway was recently awarded the internationally recognised Green Flag

by An Taisce’s Green-Campus programme on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education. The internationally recognised ‘Green Flag’ award was announced following a rigorous assessment process.

The Green-Campus Programme is an international environmental education and award scheme that promotes long-term, whole college action for the environment that empowers both students and staff to create a more balanced campus community and to reduce environmental impacts and associated costs. The Green Flag Award is the result of many years of hard work undertaken to promote best practice in sustainability across five themes which include energy, waste, travel, biodiversity and water.

Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at NUI Galway Lorraine Rushe said: “This award is hugely important to the University as it recognises the engagement by staff and students and the vast effort and hard work that is ongoing in the thematic areas. Each theme poses its own unique challenges but is essential to ensuring that our campus achieves environmental, social and economic sustainability, which will

benefit us now and into the future. Attaining the ‘An Taisce Green Campus Flag’ will act as a visual sign of the Universities commitment to sustainability and its achievements to date.”

Campus projects in the area of sustainability include: • A 34% reduction in energy since 2006, a metric audited and validated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). This exceeds the SEAI national target of a 33% reduction by 2020, which has resulted in a refreshed target of 40% reduction by 2020. This has been achieved through a range of measures, including a combined heat and power plant, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels, air to water heat pumps, the introduction of biomass boilers and the implementation of LED high efficient lighting systems across campus.

• Subscribing to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan in 2018 and introducing a pollinator-friendly planting scheme throughout the campus.

• The introduction of composting stacks, bird boxes and insect hotels to the Biodiversity Trail and other locations across campus, in addition to the establishment of herb beds and two new fruit gardens, which are used by staff and students and in campus restaurants.

• Reducing the impact of transport through the University’s park and ride shuttle bus service on campus coupled with the cycle-to-work scheme and the installation of 14 electric car-charging points across campus.

• A curriculum focus on sustainability with 230 modules across all Colleges that contain an element on, or a focus on, sustainability.

• Ensuring all disposable cups across outlets on campus are biodegradable.

NUI Galway set up a Community and University Sustainability Project in 2015 under the direction of the Registrar and Deputy President, which launched its Sustainability Strategy in 2017. The Green Campus Committee work very closely with the Community and University Sustainability Project (CUSP) team and their work involves spreading information to the wider University audience on issues varying from energy and greenhouse gas emissions to biodiversity, health and wellbeing, the built environment, research and learning and governance and leadership.

Registrar and Deputy President of NUI Galway and Chair of the Community and University Sustainability Project, Pro-

fessor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, said: “NUI Galway recognises that we all have a role to play in building a sustainable society and universities have a particular responsibility to promote sustainability through education, knowledge exchange, research, corporate social responsibility and shaping future agendas. A sustainable campus is one which maintains a green and healthy environment, promotes the use of resources efficiently and instils in graduates and staff the importance of tackling environmental challenges.”

Professor Ó Dochartaigh concluded: “This achievement would not be possible without the commitment of the campus community. The buildings and estates team, academics, administrators and students and staff across the campus have all played an important role in achieving the Green Flag. NUI Galway will continue to promote sustainability beyond the Green Campus programme and incorporate it into all aspects of University life as this is of utmost importance to the implementation of our Sustainability Strategy”.

Michael John O’Mahony, Director of the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, congratulated the NUI Galway Green-Campus Committee on their programme. “The commitment of the Green Campus committee and the wider campus community in NUI Galway is evident by the number, range and impact of activities being undertaken. Furthermore, the structures are in place to have sustainability at the core of how NUI Galway operates. The work in the areas of renewable energy and biodiversity are examples of best practice.

The teamwork of staff, students and contractors in the Green Campus efforts are to be applauded. We are delighted to officially recognise the efforts of all at NUI Galway and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”

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CAO point epidemic!

By Anastasia Burton This year, the CAO points system did something new, for the first time in 33 years. Unfortunately for students looking to get into college in 2019, this is not good news.

Points for this year’s Level 8 courses have broken the rule of going in intervals of five. This year it has become a possibility to have a course worth 303 CAO points, rather than 300 or 305.

Why is this such a big deal, you ask?

Well, it’s not sensational news or a dramatic change, but it would mean that students who received 300 points on the dot were 3 points short from getting into university, which would be a significant blow for the students, since it is practically impossible to get 303 points on the dot.

Why did they change the system now?

Getting into college and doing the Leaving Cert is difficult enough, without the stress of missing out by three or two points!

However, another part of this news is that, for the first time in years, there is a course worth more than 600 points! This goes against the entire system of the 600 limit CAO point system and the rule was broken by none other than UCD’s BSc Economics and Finance with a whopping 601 points!

It’s ridiculous how, instead of helping students get to university, the system ends up making it harder and causing a lot more panic and anxiety for students sitting the Leaving Certificate. Of course, universities have to limit the amount of course offers, due to the overcrowding issues most universities are having, however, that does not mean making it close to impossible to get one’s first choice!

This is something that will affect students’ performance, whether it be in a positive or negative way. My opinion is that it will mainly put more pressure on Leaving Cert students and make them fear university. I am curious about what will happen next year with the CAO point system. Will they pull another curve ball or will they go back to the previous scheme? Will grades have to be changed once again from H1s and O1s to something different, or will they change the limit of achievable points?

In my opinion, this change could also be limiting students in their Level 8 options and instead, will make them focus more on level 7 courses to get into their Level 8. In a way, this could be a great idea, as it could prepare students for assignments and university-style education. This change would provide for a smoother transition from secondary to university, which, in the long run, will be very beneficial for students, since they would deal with less stress upon the transition.

So, in conclusion, points have always been the cause of stress and panic, as well as confusion and frustration, but in my opinion, this change has been the gasoline on top of the already burning fire. One can only hope that next year, they will straighten things out, or at the very least find new ways of dealing with the ever-stressing sixth years!

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Hooves, heels & gambling; good combination?

By Rachel Garvey There are two types of people that live in Galway; the ones who attend Galway’s Race Week every year and the ones who have never attended Race Week. I am one of those few people who have never attended Race Week. I’m really not bothered though, I feel like I’m not missing much anyway.

Yes, I did grow up with horses and was a showjumper by the age of nine, but when it comes to horse racing, I turn my head the other way. Why do I turn my head the other way? I do it because, in my own mind, I see animal abuse, abuse that is encouraged by the gambling that happens during these so-called horse racing events. Betting big money on a horse that is sure to cross that finish line faster than all the others is a literal recipe for disaster. And who is to blame when that horse doesn’t come in first place? They will blame the horse for not performing as well as they expected it to, but they are wrong.

The blame should rest squarely on the shoulders of the person who placed the bet, they are the reason why money is lost. A horse can only perform to the best of their ability, no more no less. We need to take into account that they are living beings just like us.

If we are allowed stamp our heels and well-polished shoes in anger or annoyance for losing money on a bet that we have put on these beautiful animals, then they should be allowed stamp their hooves and pull back their ears in that same anger and annoyance for being looked upon as if they are merely used for our entertainment.

These events are taken way too seriously, if you ask me. Of course, seeing all the ladies dressed up in their fancy dresses and hats is nice, as well as seeing the men dressed in their pristine suits and shoes, but some people overlook all that for one thing; alcohol. I’ve seen it all, walking up Galway’s Shop Street after work at 11pm and being the only sober person surrounded by a sea of drunk individuals.

Then again, we all have to take the good with the bad; the good being that Race Week attracts a lot of tourists and tourists bring in those sweet dolla’ bills. The bad being that we deal with a sea of intoxicated people and try not to drown when we are around them, but we somehow manage to keep afloat. Race Week is honestly taken way too seriously, especially when it comes to excessive drinking and gambling, Race Week shouldn’t be used as an excuse for those addictions!

I’ll leave you with this final thought: while we enter in through the gates to Galway’s Racecourse and there’s a crowd of people all around you, dressed to impress, intoxicated, their hands filled with betting tickets, just take a moment to stop and think. All this is just to see a poor horse being whipped and pushed to their limit to make it to that finish line before all the rest, all so their betters and riders will gain money. Try putting yourself in their hooves, having the roles reversed so you can see and feel what they go through for your entertainment and your addiction. They are supposed to be the animals, animals that need to be treated right. So, why are we acting like animals and not them?

These events are taken way too seriously, if you ask me.

Of course, seeing all the ladies dressed up in their fancy dresses and hats is nice, as well as seeing the men dressed in their pristine suits and shoes, but some people overlook all that for one thing; alcohol. I’ve seen it all, walking up Galway’s Shop Street after work at 11pm and being the only sober person surrounded by a sea of drunk individuals.

The land is always greener on the other side

By Stevie Buckley Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, has been embroiled in yet another farcical controversy – he has cancelled (or “postponed”) a proposed diplomatic visit to Denmark.

The reason why? He made a bid to buy Greenland and the Danish Prime Minister called his attempt “absurd”. Has he finally gone mad, as a spokesperson for the Danish People’s Party has said, or has he been mad all along? Has this been the straw that broke the camel’s back for the Danish people?

Trump’s latest child-like hissy fit has caused ripples around the world, especially in Denmark and the Danish territory of Greenland, with it being covered on almost every journalistic outlet. He has postponed his visit to Denmark (“postponed” was his word and not mine, I doubt he’ll be going to Denmark before he has gotten his way in the Greenland purchase, but, of course, I could be wrong) and called Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen “nasty”, just because she told, what most of the world thinks, is the truth about his frankly hilarious bid to buy Greenland, because who wouldn’t use Ms. Frederiksen’s words?

This has also brought out Trump’s sheer indecisiveness, with him calling Ms. Frederiksen a “wonderful woman” two days later, when he was talking about a diplomatic call Frederiksen made to him. That call was probably Denmark’s frantic attempt to repair the damage that Trump caused, with Trump possibly trying to repair the damage he caused too. However, I’d say Greenland wouldn’t be happy with the apologetic nature of this call, all they want to have to do with the US is probably the naval base that is already there.

One of the funniest parts of this is that Greenland is an autonomous region of Denmark – it is a self-governing island and thus isn’t entirely under the control of the Danish political system. Trump didn’t give the government or general public of Greenland a say in this joke. He asked the Danish politicians about this, and I’m pretty sure that the Danish government can’t make decisions for an autonomous region. He should have gotten Greenland’s say in this, not the say of a small European country which has little control over the island.

For example, let’s bring this a little closer to home. If the DUP and Sinn Féin had made an agreement and Stormont was sitting in Northern Ireland, this whole situation would be like Trump asking Boris Johnson to accept his monetary offer

for Northern Ireland, without giving Arlene Foster, Michelle O’Neill, or any other member of Stormont a say in the prospective purchase. However, I am willing to bet that Trump wouldn’t call Johnson “nasty” if he called the idea “absurd” (which I doubt he would) – they both share sickeningly right-wing political ideas and, frankly, get along like a house on fire.

Trump seems to think this whole thing is a joke (which, if it is, and I doubt it, it has gone too far), with an image he tweeted of a huge gold Trump Tower photoshopped onto a picture of a quaint village, captioned “I promise not to do this to Greenland!” going viral with, you guessed it, various online news sources from around the world linking to the tweet. I’d say Trump is happy with the coverage the tweet is getting but it’s the wrong type of coverage, with people from around the world laughing at how naïve he is.

So the moral of this story (which is frankly ridiculous and really should not have happened) is that people can definitely go too far and when you are a public figure, this can cause an international backlash. As that meme that went around a while ago might say: “This is Donald. Donald makes himself an international laughing stock every week or so. Don’t be like Donald.”

TUAIRIM

September 10 2019

Is the repeat exam fee fair?

Flex Culture

By Sophie Kavanagh

By Niamh Casey

A repeat exam is, undoubtedly, every student’s nightmare. Not only a summer cut short, but an irritating dread looming over you throughout. Not to mention the €295 fee. There is much conflict as to whether this fee is fair. For the trying student, I struggle to encourage the implementation of the fee. As we all know, anyone can be subject to a bad day in an exam, no matter how prepared you are.

You cannot control a splitting headache, or stomach pain, that then hinders your performance.

Perhaps €295 for this completely uncontrolled circumstance is quite harsh. Student life, as we all know, is expensive enough as it is and €295 is not a cheap sum. I’m sure it’s not readily available for most people, making it an additional financial stress. I think for the genuine, legitimate fail, where every effort was made to avoid it, the fee is a very bitter pill to swallow. It can feel belittling, a scold or punishment, for something that your ability, at the time, couldn’t help, despite your every attempt and could ultimately lead to discouragement and low self-esteem.

But what does it mean for the non-tryer student? Here is where I see the benefit of the fee as an incentive. As mentioned above, the repeat exam is undesirably detrimental to the students summer, so inevitably, it may kick-start some (albeit, indirect) enthusiasm into their studies, if only to pass, which is all that is required, as well as the potential burnt hole in their wallet. So for

the students who fail uncaringly, I do believe the fee is an asset into forcing them to take the exams more seriously. Although, there is only so much action a college can take to ensure their students strive and excel in their course, such as a repeat fee. The student has to take the responsibility for their education and if a push is needed, this is the perfect one.

What is the solution? How do we find a fair balance between the two basic types of fails, the legit fail and the uncaring fail? I think we would struggle to find one that suits every single type of fail, but, coming off the back of personal experience and thought, I believe one distribution of financial grace should be granted per student, per fail. One opportunity for benefit of the doubt. It is vital in college, where you’re constantly in a state of growth and development, that your efforts, no matter how big or small, successful or unsuccessful, are not torn down. Although this solution seems favourable towards the legitimate fails, and it probably is, it is giving way to those who genuinely want to learn and improve, minus the punishment, thereby also giving the uncaring fails the chance to change into the student type behind the legitimate fails to put the work in.

The repeat exams are a stressful time, and I can say with confidence, academic epiphany or not, the whole experience will be enough to ensure that, for their next exams, students will indeed put time into their studies, so as to not have a ‘repeat’ experience.

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Ask yourself, how many times a day would you see someone wearing a branded hoodie, or see a post online, be it Facebook or Instagram, where someone is on a luxurious holiday? If you were to count, the number would probably be quite high. This new “flex culture” has become very prevalent nowadays, which spurs the question; is it a healthy form of self-expression?

Some would question whether it’s self-expression at all. Can wearing a brand, created by someone else, be counted as self-expression? And what does another tropical holiday really say about a person?

17

from each other. Different brands display different personalities. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it isn’t or that it’s not a healthy form of self-expression. The author Fay Weldon said, “The desire for self-expression afflicts people when they feel there is something of themselves which is not getting through to the outside world” and, for many, the way they want to express themselves to the outside world is by wearing certain brands that they like, or by going to different countries around the world and sharing the experience online. If it genuinely makes them feel good doing so, then it is certainly not unhealthy.

The feeling that “flexing” or showing off brands and wealth is bad comes from an attitude deeply rooted into our society, that showing off is something that should be avoided at all costs. It is very similar to believing that you have no right to be upset or give out

Photo by Nad Hemnani on Unsplash To many, wearing brands is unnecessarily pricey for something that seems so generic, especially when places like Penneys and New Look often replicate the same thing for a much more affordable price.

The “flexing” of brands, from clothes to makeup, has become synonymous with materialism, and most world religions will tell you to be humble and not to show off wealth. Parents tell children not to be show-offs and it is agreed that asking about another person’s salary or annual income is rude and should never be done, so “flexing” and “flex culture” is centered around something that has been avoided by previous generations beyond millennials.

However, like many things, opinions on showing off wealth and things that people have worked hard for, have changed. Attitudes toward money have become less taboo. Nowadays brands can definitely show someone’s personality. Just take Gucci and Chanel as two examples, both are very expressive, yet very distinct

because other people have it worse. The same belief applies to thinking that “flexing” is unhealthy, people think you shouldn’t do it because there are people that aren’t as fortunate as you.

Thinking that flex culture is unhealthy, or unacceptable, is only true when you assume that the person “flexing” is doing it in a malicious way. If someone intentionally tries to make another person feel bad by showing off their branded clothing and makeup, or by posting holiday photos, then that is a horrible and unhealthy thing for both people involved. However, it is crucial to realise that “flexing” shouldn’t always be perceived as negative, with harmful intentions. If someone wears a brand or posts about a holiday, it’s probably not the intention for you or anyone else to feel bad. If you see flexing as unhealthy, then you are choosing to see it that way. So if it affects your selfesteem, maybe changing the way you view this new culture will help, rather than seeing the bad in it.

18 OPI NIO N

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

SIN’S FRESHERS SPECIAL:

Top Tips and What to Expect Things every First Year should know

By Alice O’Donnell

Water bottles in room Seriously, this is my golden rule.

It doesn’t sound like much, but the relief in waking up with a, er, slight headache in the morning, and need only stretch out your arm to grab some water is indescribable. No matter if you’re staying in digs or Corrib, sometimes serious dehydration is preferable to the prospect of having to face your flatmates. I keep two bottles on the go, and refill them when needed, so there’s always at least one full at any time. A lifesaver, I promise you.

Timetable on phone Despite my phone being glued to my hand 24/7, it took me a good few months to transfer my timetable to my phone. Instead, every time I needed to check my timetable, I had to rummage through my backpack to grab my planner. It was only when I saw a girl unlock her iPhone to view her timetable wallpaper, did I realise that there existed such a 21st Century hack. Better yet, you can type up your

timetable, meaning that any changes in Semester 2 can be simply edited in.

Umbrella There are a lot of lovely things about Galway, but most of the time, the weather is not one of them. It rains – a lot. There will be many times in the next year when you’ll see friends’ Instagram stories involving sunny afternoons in Dublin, while you sit soaked to the skin on a steaming bus. While, unfortunately, you cannot control the weather, you can control how wet you get. An umbrella is brilliant, as the mini ones fit in the bottom of your bag and don’t add much weight- yet provide a shelter in any sudden downpour. Dunnes, M&S and Debenhams all sell collapsible umbrellas for €15 or less.

The SU Shop The Students’ Union shop, located under the library, opposite the Bialann cafeteria, is one of the handiest places on campus to know about.

Open from 8am to 9pm weekdays, it is like that one aunt you can turn to,

no matter how bad things get. From pens to sweets to shampoo, no matter what emergency you might have, the SU Shop can help. It also sells Terry’s Chocolate Oranges for the cheapest price I’ve even seen, which is a massive plus.

Side door into Arts Millennium Building Maybe it’s only me that took an insane amount of time to realise that there’s a side door on the Arts Millennium Building. Okay, maybe not one of the most revolutionary things, but it is handy to know. If you use the University entrance on the Lower Newcastle Road, it’s on the left-hand side of the Arts Millennium Building.

I can’t tell you how many mornings I walked through heavy rain (with an umbrella!), passing such an obvious entrance. Save yourself the hassle.

Temple Café I discovered the Temple Café shamefully late into the year. Located next to Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop (check that out too!), it seems unassuming from the outside, yet inside is a

quirky fun café. Reasonably priced, its menu is full of a mix of healthy options and boasts an impressive selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes and treats. As if that’s not all good enough, the café gives part of their profit to charities like COPE and the Galway Simon Community, so you’ll not just be helping your healthy, but the community too.

What’s not to love?

The Bridge It was only when researching this article that I discovered it is in fact called the Salmon Weir Bridge, and not just The Bridge. This bridge links NUI Galway to the city, and, no matter what hour you’re on it, is always packed full of a mixture of students, locals and tourists. The most impressive thing about the bridge is how, despite the fact the paths are clearly only wide enough for single file, people will still walk side by side. In what suddenly becomes a gauntlet run, for the next 100 metres or so, you have to dodge shoulders while trying not to get clipped by cars. An extreme sport in itself.

Smokey’s Pigeon Yes, he/she really does exist. The stumpy pigeon seems ageless (I haven’t talked to anyone who can remember NUI Galway without the pigeon) and, at this stage, is fully integrated into Galway lore. For the first month of college, I assumed it was a stuffed toy or something, but no, the Smokey’s pigeon is a breathing, flying pigeon who graces Smokey’s Café, in the concourse. I firmly believe you can’t call yourself a student of NUI Galway if you haven’t tried taking a photo of the Smokey’s pigeon pecking around at least once.

Enjoy!

First year is intense in a lot of ways, but it’s also full of great times. You meet so many new people, grow up so much and will have so much fun.

Although obviously it’s important to keep up with study, experiencing the social aspect of NUI Galway is also just as vital. Join clubs and societies, participate in classes, explore Galway.

There’s so much on offer here, you only have to reach out and take it.

First year of college: life lessons and more to come

By Sinéad Walsh It’s difficult for me to believe; my first year of college is already over.

After endless hours of study and stress to get to where I wanted to be, the past year in Galway seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye.

A whirlwind of cherished memories, of good and bad days, of learning new things and the life lessons that inevitably come along with my introduction to freedom.

Living Away from Home I always expected to have this one down to a tee. Since my sister moved out three years ago, I’d imagined what it would be like having my own apartment, housemates and total independence. The idea always excited me, so I fell into step with this quite quickly, ushering my family out on the first day, with the promise that I could manage everything on my own. As apprehensive as I was the first few weeks, preparing myself for some conflict within the walls of 158, it

fortunately never arose (despite a few passive aggressive comments about dirty dishes) and I am lucky enough to have found two incredible and lifelong friends.

But living away from home has its own challenges and lessons; there is no one to pick you up from town when you get caught in the rain and are soaked to the skin, there’s no parent to console you when you leave an exam disappointed and deflated, and there’s no dish of steaming curry on the table waiting to warm you from the inside out after a long day. You must remember to pack your own umbrella, to take your own dinner out of the freezer and be your own comforter. Providing for yourself and relying on your own routine can be incredibly liberating, but there can be bad days too.

College Friends are Friends for Life I recall being told this growing up, that those I would befriend in college would (hopefully) be the ones to someday be at my wedding, the

ones who would see me through the very worst and very best and the ones with whom I would make the fondest memories. I found this to be so true, and although I have been fortunate enough to make great friends at home also, there is something strikingly different about those friends I’ve made in college.

Suddenly, friendships require much more responsibility, they no longer rely on the convenience of sitting next to someone in the classroom but finding the time to meet up and laugh even when you’re both drowning in assignments. College friendships are built on drunken chats and late-night cups of tea, on long walks in the dark and feverish early mornings. They’re sometimes found in the most unexpected places; the girl you asked for directions from on the first day, chance meetings, mutual friends and sometimes, the sheer good luck of sharing the same apartment.

In a large college such as NUI Galway, its every square foot brimming with diverse and interesting people,

there are often times when you meet and connect with someone one day and may not bump into them again for several weeks. So, I began to learn early on that if I found someone I wanted to stick with, I had to get their Snapchat that first meeting, or risk losing them in the sea of other bubbling freshers’ faces not to reencounter them for months to come.

For the first time, and possibly only time in your life, you’re surrounded by dozens of people who all have a vested interest in the very same things you do, whether in your course or in clubs and societies; whoever you surround yourself with is likely a reflection of your own interests and this provides you with endless opportunities to connect with people and make friends, you merely have to assemble the courage to strike up that initial conversation.

The Balance Balancing college life is less of a twoway struggle and more of a five or six-sided one with each element of your life fighting for your atten-

tion; assignments, study, keeping fit, work, friends, family, socialising… it can all be very difficult to manage.

Everyone else always seems to have their life more together, more organised than you do, adding increased pressure to your already overflowing agenda. But lesson learned; no one has it completely together.

Even those who appear to have their heads firmly wedged in the books year-round can be found drowning their sorrows with a few pints.

I won’t pretend to have mastered this practice even slightly. In fact, I’m probably at the bottom of the league table on this one. But having spent two strenuous years abiding by rigid schedules and crippling workloads, I allowed myself to tip the balance in the other direction this time.

I’m still learning how to get it all right, and probably never will, but hopefully the next few years will bring as precious lessons as this year has and I will continue to grow and use the mistakes of the past as a benchmark.

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

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

STYLED BY THE SHOW:

Killing Eve

By Amanda Leeson

BBC America’s gripping spy thriller, Killing Eve, is set to return to our screens for a third season. The Emmy-nominated show centres on a cat-and-mouse game between the world’s most stylish (yet deadly) female assassin Villanelle and MI5 agent, Eve Polastri.

Jodie Comers’ character explores multiple identities throughout the show, which are rooted in her outfits.

Villanelle is able to remain untraceable through her constant change of appearance, including hair changes and voice impersonations.

Villanelle’s overly dramatic, intriguing and flamboyant personality makes her wardrobe even more suited to the character. We see her mix very feminine, romantic style dresses with military boots. This is a combination that shouldn’t really work, but somehow the character pulls it off.

The look may not be totally acceptable for day-to-day life, but you could take a nod from Villanelle’s style by pairing a girly, flowy dress with a biker jacket and of course the essential part of her outfit: military boots, to give the look a little more attitude.

In contrast to these outfits, Villanelle can be seen sporting heavily tailored suits, that is, when she’s not in disguise on her assassination missions. The characters personal style seems to take inspiration from men’s fashion but by adding feminine touches in subtle ways. Her style is given a softer, more casual feel, particularly through use of colour and the delicate gold

Villanelle-style boots, €39.99 from New Look

jewellery she wears.

Although a full suit might not be appropriate for running between lectures, you could mix and match the suit pieces to make them work for your wardrobe. Pairing a tailored blazer with some skinny jeans and Villanelle’s signature boots, or dressing down some tailored trousers with a graphic t-shirt and some trainers could be a way of bringing the fashionista’s flare to your own style.

Lastly, we can’t forget Villanelle’s iconic superhero pyjamas look from season two. This is probably one of the easiest Villanelle looks to recreate: grab yourself some pyjamas with your favourite superhero print on them and you’re good to go. Wearing them a couple of sizes too small is optional.

The character provides witty dialogue, crazy stunt moves and, most importantly, weird yet wonderful outfits that she manages to make effortlessly cool. We all want to bring a bit more Villanelle into our own lives. In her own words, “Sorry, baby x”

Biker jacket, €46.99 from ASOS

Pink skirt, €25.43 from Dolls Kill

The Rise of the Celebrity Makeup Brand

By Catherine Taylor 15 year-old ‘Stranger Things’ star, Millie Bobby Brown has just launched her own makeup and skincare line, Florence

By Mills. Named for her grandmother Florence, the actress’s new venture is an affordable line of cosmetics aimed at her Gen-Z audience, cleverly marketed as vegan and cruelty-free. Born in 2004, it could easily boggle the mind that such a young person has already acquired a dedicated following willing to spend money on her products, but this is the Instagram age. We live in a world where influencers rule the internet and celebrity makeup brands dominate the beauty industry. From Kylie

Skin to Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics to Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, celebrities are often the most trusted beauty influencers for young people, both in Ireland and abroad.

When asked why she felt the need to create a cosmetics line suitable for tween consumers, Brown stated: ‘I wanted to come into the space because there was a gap in the market for young people.

There are multiple different products I’ve put on that weren’t good for me.

Some of those were anti-aging, and I was 10 years old.’ Coming fresh off the news that 88% of Irish Gen-Z girls consider makeup and beauty to be a top priority in their lives, it’s no surprise that influencers like Brown (who has nearly 30

million Instagram followers and a net worth of $4 million, prior to Florence’s launch) are making a grab for such a prolific and profitable industry.

However, it’s easy to see why beauty experts are sceptical of these celebrityendorsed beauty brands. Whilst many customers remain loyal to more ‘traditional’ makeup brands such as MAC and Nars, cosmetic companies like Huda Kattan’s bestselling Huda Beauty are making their own way in the beauty world, thanks to the viral appeal of social media. So where does this leave the traditionalists? Some would argue that celebrity makeup brands scrimp on quality and overinflate on price, which in many cases is a valid point. Recently,

Kylie Jenner, who is the world’s youngest billionaire at 21, faced major criticism for launching her new line of skincare products, Kylie Skin. The line features a facial scrub infused with real walnut extract, which dermatologists condemned almost immediately for the ‘micro-tears’ and potential, irreversible damage the product could do to the skin.

In an industry (and culture) where looks are of paramount importance, it can be easy to succumb to the pressure to look a certain way. However, what constitutes beauty has become more diverse in recent years, helped along by brands such as Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, which is characterised by its commitment to inclusivity. Launched

in 2017, Fenty Beauty seems to be one of a few celebrity-made makeup brands that is (somewhat) worth the hype.

The Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear foundation, €34 at Boots, is a much raved-about full-coverage foundation hailed for the diverse number of shades it carries. It should be noted, therefore, that sometimes the promise of diversity is the best marketing strategy for an up-and-coming beauty line. In an oversaturated makeup and skincare market, even a 15 year old actress can find a niche. Therefore, it’s important that we, as consumers, are careful with how (and where) we spend our hardearned money.

FAIS EAN

September 10 2019

7

NÓS MAIRE ACHTÁLA

The Autumn/Winter Trend Forecast 2019

By Michelle McClair

Men’s utility jacket - €35.99 from Bershka

Wine Boots - €19 from Primark

Mom jeans - €39.99 from Bershka

As Autumn and Winter approach, students returning to college are provided with a great excuse to go out and buy a few new pieces for their wardrobes.

What are the prominent trends seen in this year’s A/W collections? And more importantly, how can we incorporate these new trends into our wardrobes without breaking the bank?

Autumn/Winter trends for 2019 borrow from those of decades passed. Primark’s new line focuses on grunge styles from the 90’s, with flannel, plaid, corduroy and chunky boots holding centre stage for Autumn 2019.

Other lines, such as Bershka, focus on denim, metallics and faux fur, reminiscent of the 70’s and 80’s.

Midi skirts are trending far more than the usual mid-thigh Autumn styles, decorated with floral prints, as seen in the Marc Jacobs and Prada Autumn/ Winter shows, whereas jackets with long hems and belts to accentuate the waist dominated most of the collections in 2019.

The denim trend provides an easy way to look trendy on campus, and with a pair of heels and a nice top, it can be easily transformed into a simple outfit for a night out in a push for time. These ‘Mom’ style jeans from Bershka are perfect for early college mornings and late nights out and can be paired with a denim jacket for a trendy 80’s, double denim feel.

With a large range of coat and jacket trends being displayed in Autumn/Winter collections for 2019, it’s not hard to stay warm and trendy. Battle the Galway breeze with a warm teddy coat, and pair it easily with trousers, a skirt, or with some high waisted khakis. Finally, add some trendy boots for a warm and cosy going out look.

Floral patterns seem to be a big trend this season, appearing mainly in midi skirts and dresses. Skirts like this one (from New Look) with a pair of thick sole-lace boots (similar to those seen in Penneys) and

Men’s Corduroy jacket - €39.99 from H&M

a graphic tee feed into the grungy 90’s looks seen in Autumn and Winter collections for 2019.

Autumn/Winter accessory trends include paperboy hats, which are perfect for protecting students from the constant drizzle in Galway, and belts to accentuate the waist. Trends for bags include tiny bags, great for holding the essentials on a night out, and large bags, perfect for transporting books and laptops around campus, while still staying in style.

Men’s fashion trends for Autumn/Winter are centred mainly around denim, as well as textured materials like corduroy and leather. The long-hemmed coat features heavily in Autumn collections, as well as neutral tan shades. This jacket from Bershka is trendy as well as affordable, and most importantly warm. Layer over a graphic hoodie and with a pair of jeans, or swap out the hoodie for a shirt on a night out.

With such a wide selection of trends to pick from, Autumn/Winter 2019 looks promising for affordable and college friendly fashion.

Metallic t-shirt - €15.99 from Bershka

Floral skirt - €24.99 from New Look

21

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

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Back to College Closet Essentials

By Fiona Lee

whilst wearing it from now on will be overwhelming. Make this outfit even more economically sound and decision-free by finding that magical quality in a dress. No need to find a top or pants to match it with! Just your trusty handbag, little black boots and you’re set for the night.

Welcome back everyone! Packing your clothes for a new semester can be a bit of a nightmare - wondering what to bring, what not to bring, is two suitcases too much or far from enough? Settle down and read on as there are some essentials that you can always rely on, and if you have these packed and ready to go, you’ll do just fine here in Galway.

Jeans & A Nice Top Have one or two pairs of jeans that you can rely on to get you through the week. Perfect for lectures, a food shop, or drinks with your pals (but don’t forget the nice top). I would recommend Topshop jeans, as they are incredibly comfortable and everyone of any size and shape will find something they love there. However, Penneys would definitely get you what you need if you’re on more of a budget!

Fleece Pyjamas Nice, wooly ones from Penneys, preferably, in order to truly tap into the timeless student trend. They generally come in a variety of Disney themes, but I was lucky enough to pick up a Harry Potter set that will never go out of fashion. These are paired nicely with a laptop and an unfinished, nearly overdue assignment or a takeaway and hungover housemates, but don’t forget the cup of tea to tie it all together!

A Statement Rain Jacket

The ‘Often Complimented’ Piece Once you discover the one item of clothing that everyone thinks is cute enough to comment on, it will be worn on 90% of nights out. It has been approved officially by all the girls you met in the bathroom in the Róisín, and even a few of your friends at pre-drinks; the confidence you radiate

Fleece pyjamas - €10 from Primark

While we all want to be incredibly put together as we dash into our early lectures, the ‘morning person’ vibe is a bit dismantled when you have to shake your hair out like a wet dog and your cute outfit is hidden by a bulky coat. This is the reality of Galway in Semester 1! Get the rainy day look by finding that bright, colourful, statement rain coat that you’ll want to throw on every day. Make sure it is actually water-proof though… there is such a thing as practical fashion!

Sports bra - €35.99 from Lifestyle Sports

Raincoat - €20.74 from ASOS

Sports Gear When the weather gets cold, the last thing we want to do is move from our cosy, hopefully heated houses and get moving. However, to combat the winter blues that can catch us all out, it’s incredibly important to stay active and keep up fitness this time of year, whatever your goal or current level may be! Encourage yourself to go running, do a gym session or even go to the Kingfisher Halls for a solid session of Ultimate Frisbee or Badminton (depending what you’re into). Buying yourself a cute sports bra and comfy leggings will help in this regard. These also go well with sitting around the house, doing nothing but eating food and watching Netflix; incredibly versatile!

Mesh leggings - €8 from Primark

September 10 2019

FAIS EAN

7

NÓ S MAIRE ACHTÁLA

TREND SPOTLIGHT:

K-Beauty

By Catherine Taylor

Korean skincare and makeup products (referred to under the umbrella term of ‘K-Beauty’) are having a major beauty moment. K-Beauty products are derived from the world’s ‘skincare capital’ South Korea, where procedures such as skin-whitening and plastic surgery are as common as the use of fake tan in Ireland.

So, what is K-Beauty? The phenomenon consists of products that promise to rejuvenate dull skin, eliminate pores and tackle under-eye bags with ease. Sound familiar? Sceptics of the beauty world would argue that K-Beauty is no more than the latest fad, whilst others swear by the active ingredients contained in the pretty, pretty packaging.

Speaking of packaging, it’s almost a given in K-Beauty marketing that a product’s packaging be cute and kitschy, almost as appealing to the consumer as the contents itself. Think of California-based makeup brand Benefit’s packaging, now think pinker. You get the idea.

So which K-Beauty brands are worth the hype, and where can you get your hands on them? Read on to find out, because, being a bit of a K-Beauty buff myself, I’ve tested the lot.

1. Innisfree – available at YesStyle.com This skincare brand has a funny little connection to Ireland, originating in its name. Yes, Innisfree is named after that Innisfree. You know, the one from W.B. Yeats’ famed poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’, which details his desire to escape urban life in favour of an idyllic island.

It’s fitting, then, that Innisfree takes pride in sourcing only all-natural ingredients from Jeju, an island off-the-coast of South Korea. According to the brand, Jeju island is a ‘unique eco-system with unparalleled resources to nurture beautiful skin,’ so, naturally, all products are green and cruelty-free.

While Innisfree has many standout products, perhaps the most popular is their Green Tea Seed Serum. As the name suggests, this dewy-look serum contains naturally sourced green tea which can help to combat breakouts and act as an effective cleanser for acneprone skin. It’s also super hydrating, without leaving any sticky residue, so you can apply your makeup flawlessly after use. A win/win. €16.70, YesStyle.com

specialises in both skincare and makeup products to suit all ages and skin types.

2. Tony Moly – available at BeautyBay.com

The holy-grail of kitschy K-Beauty packaging, Tony Moly cosmetics are famed for both their product design and fruity fragrances. In fact, so committed to aesthetic is the brand, that the name ‘Tony Moly’ literally means ‘putting style into packaging.’

Tony Moly was launched in 2006 in South Korea before gaining popularity further afield.

Now, the company has a flagship store for the K-Beauty enthusiasts of New York City, and is sold on many European cosmetic sites such as Beauty Bay. Select products can also be found in Irish stores, so next time you feel like perusing the makeup section of your local T.K. Maxx, make sure to keep a look out.

In terms of product recommendations, To ny M o l y ’s Timeless Ferment Snail Toner should be the next skincare product you invest in. At over €50, it’s not the cheapest toner out there, but beauty buffs attest that you reap the benefits of its hydrating formula. It’s an anti-ageing gel that works best on drier skin. €52, BeautyBay.com

3. Etude House – available at KoreanKosmetics.co.uk & YesStyle.com

This next brand is very well known in the K-Beauty community. Famous for its cult product, the Wonder Pore Deep Foaming Cleanser, Etude House is an essential brand for the K-Beauty newcomer. Characterised by its hypergirly and pretty pink packaging, the company

The abovenamed cleanser is one of South Korea’s most popular beauty exports. Wonder Pore has been around for years and with good reason: it’s a dream alcohol-infused cleanser for those with oily complexions. Alternatively, the brand’s Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam is just as reliable a product for removing dead skin cells and impurities.

Finally, Etude House’s famed eyeshadows are a m u s t- h ave fo r t h e makeup mavens of the world. The Look At My Eyes individual shadows are specially formulated to provide pigmentation and to last all day. They are an affordable alternative to the more expensive offerings on the market: at around €5 per shadow, Etude House’s cutely packaged eye products are essential to the beauty-obsessed college student. Happy online shopping everyone!

23

Back-To-College Health & Fitness Guide: How to Stay in Shape This Semester

by Aoife Burke For those of you starting first year, as I am, or even returning years, healthy eating and exercise might be the furthest thing from your minds. However, eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting regular exercise can help you study better in the long run and give you lots more energy. What’s also important is getting the recommended 8 hours sleep a night. Sure, nights in the pub are fun, but are the hangovers really worth it? Here is a step-by-step guide to living a healthy lifestyle while in college.

HEALTHY EATING: Google the food pyramid and print it out. Remember, fruits and veg need to be consumed in the highest quantity, as they are the most nutritious and healthy foods you can possibly eat. Recommended 5-7 servings a day. Next, 3-5 servings a day of wholemeal cereals, breads, potatoes, pasta and rice are essential. Next, 3 servings of milk, yogurt and cheese are important in order to keep your bones and teeth healthy. Above this, two servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts are a must – unless you’re a vegetarian of course! In very small amounts, you should consume some fats and oils. Lastly, at the very top of the pyramid are items such as chocolate, sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks. These should not be consumed every day and preferably in limited amounts to reduce weight gain, bloating and tooth decay.

SLEEP: I dont mean nodding off in the library or during early-morning lectures. If this happens, you might need to start going to bed earlier. Try not to drink coffee or cola late at night, as the caffeine will keep you awake. It isn’t recommended to eat heavy meals late at night either. Keep a regular sleep/wake cycle. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every morning and evening if possible. Avoid sleeping-in too often, and limit naps to 15 minutes in the early afternoon. If you find yourself getting drowsy, do something to wake yourself up, until it is time for bed. Expose yourself to light as the brain makes more melatonin (this makes you sleepy) when it’s dark.

Open the curtains during the day, even if you’re having a duvet day. At night-time, you need to do the opposite. Avoid bright screens 1-2 hours before bed. Limit late-night tv, no matter how tempting Netflix is! If you have to get up during the night, have a small bedside lamp or flashlight to limit exposure to light.

EXERCISE DURING THE DAY: It will allow you to feel more awake during the day and to sleep better at night. The exercise routine helping you to sleep at night might take a few months to kick in, so be patient with it. Exercise speeds up your metabolism, elevates body temperature and stimulates hormones such as cortisol. Try to finish intense workouts at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Low-impact workouts, such as yoga or gentle stretching, can help promote sleep.

These are the main points. Its important to avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bed. Don’t drink too many fluids, you will need the bathroom often at night. Avoid sugary food and refined carbs before bed.

Try fruit and yogurt instead. Finally, ensure that your new room is a quiet and restful enviornment. Sweet dreams!

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

Nothing but Netflix

By Sarah Gill I’m confident in the assumption that the majority of you spent your summer thriving in the States, working away earning some coins or just generally being productive. Some of us, on the other hand, spent the summer months binging Netflix.

(Who had a better time? Probably you). Nevertheless, now that you’re back in college you’ll need to start bulking up your ‘To Watch’ list. Here are some of the shows that are well worth catching up on.

Working Moms Having just released its third season, this Canadian sitcom will simultaneously have you wanting a baby and thanking God that you don’t. Centered around a group of new mothers who have just returned to work after maternity leave, the show moves between hilariously dark humour and heartfelt emotional revelations. While a lot of the show adopts a tongue-incheek tone, there are moments where topics such as abortion, postpartum depression and the everyday challenges of motherhood are dealt with in a candid and realistic way.

Trinkets With season one coming in at ten episodes of half an hour each, Trinkets is made up of three teenage girls who attend kleptomaniacs anonymous, a fantastic musical soundtrack and seriously aesthetically pleasing camera work. The girls, who couldn’t be more different, form an unlikely bond through their mutual affliction and grow as characters throughout the season.

Derry Girls Are you even Irish if you haven’t already watched the first two seasons of Derry Girls twice? Since it’s been added to Netflix, its appeal and popularity have both flourished.

Set in the ‘90s during the Northern Ireland troubles, the programme follows the shenanigans of a group of girls (and one boy) as they navigate the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. While it’s an incredibly hilarious show, you’ll be surprised at just how poignant it can be.

Big Mouth We all love a good animated sitcom and Big Mouth certainly takes the cake. Dealing with the ins and outs of puberty, a group of kids are guided through their adolescence by a designated hormone monster; an omnipresent confidant offering their two cents when it comes to the changing body and the opposite sex. It’s a whole lot more than just some cheap laughs, Big Mouth also tastefully touches on depression, body positivity and divorce.

Grace and Frankie With a sixth season set for release in 2020, you better start binge-watching Grace and Frankie as soon as possible! Starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as a pair of polar-opposite friends brought together when their husbands announce that they are leaving them to be together, Grace and Frankie help each other recover from their heart ache and form an incredible bond in the process. From starting their own sex toy business to drinking oceans of wine, the duo make for some hilarious viewing.

Album Review: Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’ is a masterful slice of storytelling, heart-breaking pop heaven

By Catherine Taylor On August 23rd Taylor Swift released her seventh studio album, ‘Lover.’ The aptly titled album is the longest of Swift’s career, coming in at 18 tracks, and here’s the thing: it’s not a drag. In fact, it’s probably her best work.

Lover takes the Swiftian method of storytelling that made Taylor a household name (see 2012’s critically-acclaimed album RED) and places it in the synth-pop setting of 2014’s bestselling release, 1989. The album opens with I Forgot That You Existed, an ode to the darkness that characterised Swift’s reputation era: ‘it isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference,’ she states with a lyrical shrug of her shoulders.

Fan-favourite track Cruel Summer is a triumph and deserves the hype it has received since the album’s release.

Many question what exactly Swift was thinking when she released ME!

Photo by Makaiyla Willis on Flickr

WHAT’S ON IN GALWAY

By Sarah Gill Chances are, you’ve spent the final weeks of summer pining to return to Gaillimh and be united with the sweet student lifestyle you left behind. Late nights and early mornings, the student sleeping pattern is an acquired taste, but we power through. With mornings spent in lecture halls and long evenings in the library, it’s highly likely you’ll need to blow off some steam and take some time for yourself. Here are some of the top events taking place around the city in the coming fortnight.

Refuge: The End at Electric Tuesday 10 September

After three years of hugely suc-

cessful club nights that have brought some of the best DJs in the game to Galway, Refuge will host its final gig in the city for the foreseeable. To say goodbye and God bless, they’re going out with a bang. DART, George Feely and Mossy will be playing back to back all night long on the main floor of electric. The Garden and Factory will be hopping too, so prepare yourself for a sweat fest.

Restart! The Launch at Electric Wednesday 11 September

Giving Wednesdays the restart they deserve, Electric is returning with three rooms dedicated to house, techno and a bit of everything else too. Showcasing the finest young local talent

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

each week, the inaugural event will feature Hannah Hession, Fionn O’Higgins, Sarah Harding and Rookie. Extreme fist pumping counts as a cardio workout…

I think.

SU Vintage Clothes Fair

Friday 13 September We’re all well aware that fast fashion is fast becoming a thing of the past, with huge numbers of people avoiding brands that engage in unethical or non-environmental practices. If your wardrobe is calling out for a revamp, there’s no better way to do it than swinging by the SU clothing fair, where you’ll find the finest vintage gems to suit all shapes and sizes.

as Lover’s first single, especially when Cruel Summer is peak Taylor Swift pop magic. Produced by St. Vincent, this should-have-been-a-single track delicately balances masterful storytelling, an inescapable hook and a dramatic bridge: ‘And I scream for whatever it’s worth / “I love you,” ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?’ is a glaring highlight.

Swift’s vocals are on top form on this record. 1989 co-producer Jack Antonoff collaborates with the songstress once again on Lover, seamlessly blending electro-pop synths with her levelled timbre. There’s an expertly delivered growl on the aforementioned Cruel Summer, a Taylor first. The song Lover itself is as good a wedding song as any, with a moving vocal performance. False God and Afterglow also showcase Swift’s voice at its best. While the former, a sensual saxophone track that sounds like it could be a song by The 1975, is sung primarily in her lower register, the latter is a powerful ballad, sung delicately at first, before a breath-taking climax in the final chorus.

Whilst starting off strong, Lover inevitably lags slightly in the middle. I Think He Knows and London Boy are both catchy, if forgettable, tracks about Swift’s long-time love Joe Alwyn. In fact, it’s impossible to ignore Swift’s unapologetic love for the British actor on this record: approximately half of Lover is believed to be about their threeyear relationship. Cornelia Street and

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince are two obvious Joe-centric stand-out tracks. Cornelia Street is an unflinchingly honest look at the potential heartbreak that comes with a new relationship: ‘I hope I never lose you / hope it never ends / I’d never walk Cornelia Street again,’ whilst Miss Americana takes a familiar high-school setting and demonstrates a clever allegory for the state of America’s current political climate: ‘American glory faded before me / Now I’m feeling hopeless, ripped up my prom dress.’

Finally, Swift offers up every ounce of emotional vulnerability that she can muster in two of the album’s best tracks, Death By A Thousand Cuts and Soon You’ll Get Better. Death is so raw in its execution that the final line cuts just like All Too Well did on RED: ‘I take the long way home / I ask the traffic lights if it’ll be alright they say “I don’t know”,’ Swift sings morosely. Soon You’ll Get Better details her mother Andrea’s cancer battle, combining Taylor’s signature country sound with simple yet powerful lyrics and haunting backing vocals from the Dixie Chicks.

Overall, Lover is exactly what Swift intended it to be: a record that is shamelessly, adoringly in love with the idea of love, in all of its forms.

With its masterful production, Swift has placed herself firmly in the toptier of pop songwriters. She’s still got it, so the only question that remains is: where to next?

TUESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER — MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER Silent Disco Every Tuesday

If you haven’t already danced like a maniac in the Róisín Dubh of a Tuesday, you know what you’re doing the minute you finish reading this issue of SIN. Attending a silent disco is something that should be on everyone’s bucket list and the Róisín offers the cream of the crop. There are two channels playing the best tunes, but make sure to stretch before heading off! Headphones on, world out, as they say.

SU Freshers’ Fair Tuesday 17 September

Good tunes, great food and a whole heap of freebies will be

on offer at the Freshers’ Fair in Áras na Mac Léinn. There’ll even be giant inflatable games and plenty of competitions circulating throughout the afternoon. Confirmed exhibitors include DNA Nightclub, Easons, Bus Éireann and much, much more.

Saint Sister at the Róisín Dubh Saturday 21 September

There’s no better way to spend a Saturday evening that soaking up the haunting vocals of this electro-folk duo from up North. Saint Sister create an electrifying atmosphere and their music evokes real emotions. A performance in such an intimate venue is definitely not to be missed.

C U LT ÚR

September 10 2019

7

SIAMSAÍO CHT

25

Film Hits and Misses of Summer 2019

By Alice O’Donnell

Miss – Pikachu Detective

W

Before you light the torches and sharpen the pitchforks, let me explain myself. I know, I know, Detective Pikachu was one of the hottest anticipated releases this summer. A movie based off our childhood? Where do I sign up? However, I left the theatre more than a little disappointed. While the Pokémon themselves were amazing to see on screen, other elements of the film fell drastically short. The plot wove confusingly around, almost tying itself in knots, with major twists making little sense (I mean, *spoiler* how the heck do you not recognise your own parent’s voice?!) A film where live action Pokémon are one of the more realistic elements? It goes on the Miss list for me I’m afraid.

ith over 100mm of rain falling in the month of August alone, unfortunately, this summer was one better spent in the cinema. And boy, did the film industry supply. With a mix from Disney remakes to real life documentaries to superhero films, we saw it all.

And with every hit, there was a regrettable miss.

So, what were the very best, and worst, films of summer 2019?

LIVE ACTION Hit – Aladdin With Disney ramping up production of their remakes, we were treated to not only one, but three childhood classics this summer. Aladdin was undoubtedly top of the list, combining a mixture of the classic animated film with new material such as a feminist re-imagining of Jasmine and freshly added songs. The actors are excellently cast - Will Smith shines as the genie, not replacing, but enhancing Robin Williams’ original character. While not exactly pioneering, it cheered up a rainy afternoon, and, based off the box-office returns, was a hit with young and old.

SUPERHERO Hit – Avengers: Endgame Whether you’re a die-hard Marvel fan or not, it seemed to have been a rite of summer passage to have seen this movie. And the box office reflects this, with the film fast becoming the highest-grossing film ever made (finally knocking Avatar of the top spot). The film breaks away from its previously comfortable trope and brings surprising depth and humour to the

final chapter of the Avengers franchise. From its realistic portrayal of PTSD, to that moment at the end I know even you shed a secret tear at; this film pulls, tugs, and damn-near does a jig on the heartstrings.

Miss – Dark Phoenix It would be impossible to discuss cinematic flops and not mention Dark Phoenix. It’s ranking of 26th of the biggest box office flops of all time is, regrettably, one of the most impressive things about the film. Characters seemed not to have aged, despite nearly two decades passing (although it’s not too much of a complaint that Michael Fassbender as Magneto is still as fine as ever).The plot is a loose occurrence of events, and characters, who are so ingrained in the X-Men history, are seemingly unnecessarily killed. The film did not have issues, it was the issue - and seems a sad and disappointing way to end this near-decade old X-Men franchise.

HORROR Hit – Us Jordan Peele can do no wrong in the horror genre.

After such major success with Get Out, it was inevitable that his latest release, Us, would be a

box-office smash in the opening nights, making over $50 million in its first week alone. However, it stood alone against Peele’s previous works, and attracted thousands of viewers for its own merit.

The film itself is surprisingly more complex than its predecessor, addressing issues not only of race, but of classism, free will and the American dream (pointed at in the title itself). While providing jump scares and goring deaths for those hardcore horror fans, it is also deeply unnerving, and wow, let’s not even talk about that twist at the end. Making over $250 million against its $20 million budget, Us, is certainly one of the major hits of 2019.

Miss – Child’s Play Oh dear. The webs have been dusted off this tired franchise, and Chucky is once again presented as the evil, homicide doll. The film itself, which was a modest success in the box office, isn’t the worst remake. Humour is drawn on often, and the new theme of technology is now majorly involved.

However, the plot is, at best, a mashup of previous cult classics, and leaves you with a sense you’ve seen it all before. While the film is moderately enjoyable, it feels more like a Black Mirror episode rather than the attempt of a reboot to the franchise, and unfortunately does not quite justify the fact it was made in the first place.

NUI GALWAY

VOLUNTEERING

Fair

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

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

CREATIVE CORNER ELECTRIC PICNIC 2019: Irish Summer!

A weekend well spent in Stradbally

By Burton

Ah, Irish Summer!

Sometimes you start mid-September, Others you don’t show up at all, Mostly we see you in June during the exam season before you disappear for weeks!

Here in Galway, you taunt us most, Come here mid-March and leave two weeks later not to be seen again till July, Then you drown us all like rats and give us cloudy heat for days!

Uneven tans and t-shirt-coat-umbrella patterns are seen across the land, Only the Irish Summer laughs…

Tourists look at us wide-eyed, “How are those people walking around in t-shirts and shorts while it rains and blows?”

We look upon them as ungrateful fools, Unaware of the luck that had been bestowed on them, Any sunshine is welcome even if it only lasts a while, But after a while, the rainy heat and long sleepless nights become a bore,

By August the Summer has ceased and Autumn is born, Now the rain makes sense and the pattern is slightly changed, Farewell Irish Summer and we shall see you back again in December, February, April, Possibly May, Definitely June, Debatably July, Unlikely but not impossibly August!

60,000 FESTIVAL-GOERS descended upon Stradbally, Co. Laois the weekend before last for three action-packed days of fun, music and warm cans in a field. The line-up for the annual festival was one of the best in years, with many major names making an appearance in the midlands.

On Friday night, fans saw David Keenan play a beautiful set with his band called the Unholy Ghosts. Despite the size of the stage, Keenan made his gig feel as intimate as it would have been in The Olympia Theatre. It was also the Dublin singer’s 27th birthday, which made this gig even more special. Billie Eilish was on soon after, and despite it being the singer’s first time in Ireland, she blew Electric Picnic out of the park.

Fans went crazy for the 17-year-old American native as she opened with her hit single Bad Guy, especially when she asked them to create a mosh pit in the middle of the field.

Dermot Kennedy was soulful and powerful. His set began with an inspirational message recorded

by Michael D. Higgins, which faded out into the Irish singer singing An Evening I will Not Forget. His

felt like, “the whole thing showed up to sing with him.” Hozier played an absolute killer of a gig, with most of his set being from his new album. Dinner and Diatribes saw the stage burst into flames, and at one-point Hozier projected an animation about the Housing Crisis behind him on the big screen.

To finish, Hozier paraded around stage with an LGBTQ flag to show his support to the community in true Hozier fashion during Take Me to Church.

The weekend was not all about the main stage.

For those who ventured into areas such as Salty Dog, The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow and The Electric Arena, they got to witness brilliant bands such as Inhaler, Somebody’s Child, Powpig, Pillow Queens, The Academic, Sam Fender and Sea Girls.

Maverick Sabre played on Saturday to a packed-out tent, and the singer received thunderous support from fans, even when he messed up his last song by singing the second verse first. Charli XCX was one of the best parties of the weekend, even though the pop singer referred to Stradbally as Dublin… twice.

Bonnie Tyler was a big draw for the weekend, with a lot of people swarming to the Electric Ireland

however, and a rainbow appeared to help close their set. Freya Ridings played a stunning set in the Electric Arena, with the Castles singer performing

songs from her recently released debut album. The 1975 and The Strokes headlined later that evening, bringing Saturday evening to a close.

Jess Glynn and Razorlight played one after the other on Sunday afternoon from four o’clock, kicking off what was an evening of amazing musicians.

Kodaline played a smashing gig, full of all their old, chart-friendly songs. Fans screamed lyrics to Follow Your Fire, which kicked off their set, and the crowd was only delighted to hear classics such as High Hopes, Brand New Day, All I Want and Head Held High.

To close the festival, Florence and The Machine graced the main stage.

Jumping and twirling around the stage, she looked like a powerful goddess - and she certainly had the crowd in the palm of her hands on the night. Highlights of her set included her telling the crowd to put their phones away and to ‘trust her, despite it making them feel uncomfortable’ and talking about the perils of toxic masculinity before the song Patricia. Singing hit songs such as Dog Days Are Over, Shake It Out and You’ve Got The Love, she finished out the festival out in true Florence style; leaving fans feeling hopeful and inspired at the end of a long three days.

Hozier played an absolute killer of a gig, with most of his set being from his new album. Dinner and Diatribes saw the stage burst into flames, and at one-point Hozier projected an animation about the Housing Crisis behind him on the big screen. To finish, Hozier paraded around stage with an LGBTQ flag to show his support to the community in true Hozier fashion during Take Me to Church. hit songs such as Lost, Outnumbered and Power Over Me had the whole of Stradbally screaming the lyrics back to him. He later shared a post on social media, comparing the first year he performed at the festival to his gig on the Friday night, saying that he

Throwback Stage to hear the singer. You could hear people singing Total Eclipse of the Heart from all over. Years and Years had a big bop on the main stage on Saturday, and nothing could stop them - not even the rain. The sun wasn’t away for long,

Where have all the likes gone?

By Rachel Garvey Instagram has brought in a new change to their platform; a new change that has removed the user’s ability to access how many likes they’re getting on their posts. However, not every user on Instagram is experiencing this new modification. It is only in several countries that Instagram users are subject to this new ideology. Countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand are all experiencing the new change of not being able to access likes, apart from their own likes, but users are having to click into their actual post where the likes are, in order to see how many people have liked their post. This new ideology was brought into action because Instagram wants their social media audience to focus on the content they post, not how many likes they receive on a particular post.

In today’s generation, social media popularity overrules the lives of many young adults and they base that popularity on how many likes they get. By removing the ability to see likes,

Instagram hopes that it will make their users feel less pressure around the content they post on the social media app.

The change brought both negative and positive impacts with many people and celebrities taking to social media to express their opinions on the new change. Most users reacted with “no-one wanted this change”, meaning they were completely against this new revolution.

However, it’s not the fact that they didn’t want this change, but that Instagram thought this new change would be a good one, one where it released a lot of pressure on individuals who rely too much on their popularity and who need to focus more on the people they know and who care about them, not the strangers who like their posts, just because the picture is good. One like from a stranger is nothing compared to your loved ones and the attention you get from them, which is being pushed behind the curtain due to people becoming so infatuated with likes from people they don’t even know. Pop star, Troye Sivan reacted positively to this new change by commenting, “Holy s*** Instagram removed

like numbers h a l l e l u j a h” followed by the comment, “Bout to post w no thought or consequence like it’s 2013 go crazy go stupid ahhhh”.

Troye, being a well-known pop star, is a sterling example of how users should r e a c t to Instagram’s new trial for changes. People are dwelling too much on the likes they receive, checking their Instagram account every few minutes when a notification comes in about a new like on their recent post. It becomes an addiction and an unhealthy one too. Negative repercussions that Instagram has on its user’s mental health can be traced back to the overwhelming weight it places on popularity.

Unlike Troye, who is seeing the lighter side to this, most celebrities, models and musicians use the platform to promote themselves, their brands and their music and their likes are very integral to that. The bigger their social media following is and the number of likes on their posts determine their popularity status on social media platforms and we need to stop learning from that particular example and start thinking about our own lives, not compare it to other’s lives. People need to learn that posting a selfie of themselves or with friends should be a way of making a memory, not a way of earning likes. The smile in that selfie and the memory itself should be worth way more than your popularity and your mental health.

28 SPORT Rugby World Cup 2019 - What does Japan have in store for the greatest of rugby tournaments?

By Owen Kennedy It’s fair to say that the road to this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan has been tumultuous for the Irish. Our 2018 season was fantastic, with us winning the Six Nations grand slam and finally beating the All-Blacks at home on November 19th. Everything seemed to be going our way. And then it seems like everything has just come tumbling down at a record pace.

Our 2019 Six Nations campaign was nothing short of disastrous, with us ending up third after embarrassing losses to both England and Wales, not to mention a very poor performance against Italy, which we were lucky to have won. The nerves of Irish fans haven’t settled following these past three World Cup warm-up friendlies, where we faced a record loss against England. However, Ireland seemed to have woken up from whatever slumber they were under and put the pedal to the metal when we faced Wales, where they put on a champion’s performance. However, many Irish fans are rightfully nervous about our upcoming performance in Japan, so what can we expect from the boys in green?

Starting off, we’ve been fortunate with the pool we’ve been given, facing off against Scotland, hosts Japan, Russia and Samoa. This is a relatively easy group, with Scotland posing the biggest threat to us in this pool. Our opening game with Scotland, September 22nd, will be our most testing game in the pool, but I have faith we’ll pull through in this game.

Coming out of the pools, we’re facing either New Zealand or South Africa in the quarter finals, which is really undesirable for us. Both teams are two of the three favourites to go on and win the Webb Ellis Cup, the other being England. It’s honestly a lot more desirable for us and the rest of the tournament to play against New Zealand over the Springboks.

New Zealand’s team can’t absorb as many losses to their squad as South Africa can, giving us a chance to have a whittled down All-Blacks squad or to take out a few of their team ourselves. New Zealand also don’t have a solidified starting 15, unlike every other team going into this competition. It’s unlikely for us to win our quarter final game, god forbid we ever make it past one, but maybe we’ll have a bit of divine intervention for once.

The big question is who’s going to win it, however. I have no doubt in my mind that South Africa will be the champions this year.

After winning the Rugby Championship earlier this year, South Africa have proved themselves to be lethal on the pitch. They’re a lot more aware and switched on than any other team going into this tournament. They are a very physical squad, capable of running the ball efficiently, hard and fast. It’s probably going to be New Zealand they face off in the final but considering New Zealand, as mentioned previously, don’t have a solidified starting 15 or the ability to take big hits to their squad, South Africa are the big favourites to win it.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 01

Tipp triumphant in another thrilling race for Liam McCarthy Cup

By Darragh Nolan The Hurling Championships of recent years have been increasingly defined by an unprecedented level of parity. There’s hardly a puck of a ball between the top counties and 2019 was no different. It’s become nigh-on impossible to predict and there were plenty of shocks along the way.

A disappointing year for last year’s beaten finalists and 2017 champions Galway saw them crash out of Leinster at the round robin stage.

Lacklustre performances against Carlow and Wexford and a crushing loss at the hands of Dublin spelled doom for the Tribesmen.

There is reason for optimism next year though, with talismanic forward Joe Canning hopefully returning from injury. A run in the Club Championship also kept St. Thomas’ men, such as captain David Burke, out of the team for a period. The big question mark is, of course, the manager selected to replace the outgoing Micheál Donoghue.

Adding to the surprise factor this season was the ending of a 15-year provincial crown drought for Wexford, 2018 semi-finalists Clare failing to get out of Munster and reigning champions Limerick falling to Kilkenny in the semi-final.

The story of the season is, of course, the remarkable return of

Liam Sheedy to lead Tipperary to Liam McCarthy once more. He joins Galway’s Cyril Farrell as one of two managers to win championships either side of taking a break from the game.

This group of Tipp players looked down and out. They dropped out of the Munster round-robin without a win in 2018 and this generation didn’t seem to have another run left in them. Sheedy’s insertion served as a rallying cry which led them to ultimate glory.

The Premier were remarkable from back to front. The defensive tenacity and aggression from Cathal Barrett, Padraic Maher and co. led to turnover of possession from seemingly impossible situations. In attack, Séamus Callanan was as unstoppable as ever, scoring a goal in every game in the championship. Jason Forde was a model of consistency from frees. Tipperary averaged 30 points a game, in spite of the crushing loss of ‘Bonner’ Maher to injury.

In a year full of positives for the victorious Tipp, Noel McGrath stands out amongst them all. An inspired decision by Sheedy to move him from the forward line to midfield made McGrath the key that unlocked defences throughout the year. It’s hard to ignore the scoring exploits of Callanan, but McGrath is my Hurler of the Year.

It was a joy to watch McGrath operate in a creative role from the middle of the field. An inspiring season from a wonderful player four years removed from a cancer diagnosis.

The run to All-Ireland success was not without obstacles. A second half demolition orchestrated by Limerick in the Munster Final raised its share of questions for the eventual champions. They entered a semi-final against a red-hot Wexford side having lost by 12 points, shipping 2-26.

Those questions were answered resoundingly at Croke Park on July 28. 10 different scorers combined for 1-28 and the win after John McGrath was sent off early on in the second half.

The day previous Kilkenny and Limerick did battle and produced another unexpected result. The Cats had been leaky at the back against Cork in the quarter-final and Limerick were coming off that frightening dismantling of Tipperary.

Legendary manager Brian Cody came up with another in a long list of tactical masterclasses. The famed conveyor belt of hurling talent sprung out full-back Huw Lawlor and impressive forward talents John Donnelly and Adrian Mullen this year.

An injection of youth, combined with the continued excellence of the

old guard, led by T.J Reid, saw them put the Treaty to the sword. There may be little to separate those at the top tier of hurling, but it was once again the bitter rivals Tipperary and Kilkenny battling it out on All-Ireland Final day.

The game will be remembered largely for Richie Hogan’s straight red, but Tipp were deserved winners. They proved against Wexford that a team reduced to 14 men is still dangerous. The advantage was utilised to full effect and the Cats had no response in a downtrodden performance.

Looking ahead, it’s difficult to pick a winner in 2020. Beaten semifinalists and reigning provincial champions Limerick and Wexford will be back. The latter’s chances may rest on retaining Davy Fitzgerald. Kilkenny’s young stars will have another year under their belts. Patrick Horgan and Cork are always a danger. The depth of talent for the Banner ought to see Clare back again.

Hopefully Galway can return to form and compete for a fourth Leinster crown.

Six potential suitors for Liam McCarthy next year without even mentioning the holders Tipperary.

Championship 2019 was thrill-aminute appointment viewing. The 2020 edition promises to be even better.

Galway United season update

By Darren Casserly For Galway United supporters, it has been a frustrating two years. From seeing a team who, on paper, should have been a mid-table side, get relegated in 2017 from the Premier Division, to a team that should have at least been challenging for promotion, fall apart last year. Going into the 2019 season, it felt like a massive step back in ambitions for a team who, a few months previous, was reportedly on the brink of being bought by a Saudi Arabian millionaire. It has felt somewhat of a free fall, seeing huge changes in the squad season to season, with only two players remaining from the 2017 season - a huge problem for any squad.

There has been a trend of huge turnover of players at the club year on year and continued into this season, with Alan Murphy being appointed

permanent manager. This coincided with the departure of 13 first team players, which created, at least from a fan’s perspective, a culture of mercenaries, who only stay at a club for a season or two before moving on to the next club and care little, if anything, for the club. However, one of the differences in the recruitment this season, in comparison with others, was that the majority of players were unknown quantities, such as Shane Doherty and Ivan Gamarra, from the USA and Argentina, respectively. These signings did not inspire much hope in the Galway faithful for promotion this season. The opening results, losing 3-2 to league favourites Shelbourne and a 4-0 trouncing of Wexford, gave fans more hope for the coming season. This hope, however, was not transferred into wins, as successive defeats restored many fans pessimism for the season.

These inconsistent and disappointing results ensured that, for the most part, this season has been a write off and looking back, it’s hard to see how it could have turned out any different. There has, however, been a change of fortunes over the last couple of months, both on and off the pitch for Galway. Off the pitch, there’s the renewed support of the Comer brothers, who have the clubs main sponsor since 2014, and along with this, they have made a 40-acre site in Athenry, which they intend to develop into a training facility available to Galway. On the pitch, there has been a stark improvement in results, following the signing of several new players, including Killian Brouder, who has been a been a key player in the Limerick defence. The team as a whole has improved dramatically and it seems that Murphy has finally fig-

ured out his starting eleven, and this has shown in three victories on the bounce for the first time this season. The victory against a heavily favoured Cork City side particularly being the undoubted highlight of the season, a 1-0 win that didn’t even show off the dominance of the performance from the Tribesmen, that could have easily been 3 or 4 nil.

There is undoubted potential in the side that Alan Murphy has put together and the improvements that some of the players have made this season, most notably Donal Higgins and Conor Melody, who were key factors in the victory over Cork. Next for the Tribesmen this season will be a tie at home to Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup, which will surely test the character of Alan Murphy’s side and give an indication of where this team is.

SPÓIRT

September 10 2019

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Five-in-a-row celebrations put on hold as Kingdom battle Dubs to riveting draw

By Darragh Nolan It was an All-Ireland Final for the ages, as old rivals Dublin and Kerry played out a draw.

Kerry were the better side early doors, but failed to capitalise on a period during which Dublin went over 10 minutes without a score.

Kerry had early success kicking into star David Clifford, but the 20-year-old corner forward failed to convert on his first two attempts, perhaps an indication that the pressure of a first senior decider was weighing on the youngster.

The Kingdom could have solidified their early dominance had Paul Geaney converted from the penalty spot. That, along with several poor wides from his teammates, could come back to haunt him.

Scores came much easier for Dublin, with Dean Rock as consistent as ever over free kicks. Movement off the ball and the ability for runners to

come free at pace saw Dublin take the advantage, through a wonderfully worked Jack McCaffrey goal.

So often does an early goal set the Dubs on their way to a dominant victory, but Kerry kept in touch. Despite going in down 1-09 to 0-07 at half-time, there was a glimmer of hope for the green and gold.

The high ball into Clifford may not have been leading to scores, but it put Jonny Cooper in a world of trouble, including the penalty incident.

Already on a yellow card, another foul on Clifford saw Cooper given his marching orders just before the break.

The second half saw Kerry press the man advantage. The Dublin full back line were exposed routinely, particularly under the high ball. Paul Geaney failed to score, but his playmaking from a deeper role set up several points for his side.

The game roared into life when Kerry clawed

Premier League Preview

By David Raleigh As we sit back to watch another exhilarating season of Premier league football, many questions loom. Can Manchester City retain their title or can European Champions Liverpool go one more step beyond last season and pick up their first league title since 1990? Or will any of the remaining “Big 6” clubs close the gap and stifle City and Liverpool’s dominance?

The opening rounds of this year’s league seem to point to the fact that any title challenge will be another 2-horse race, contested by the same two teams who ran clear last season, Manchester City and Liverpool. Manchester City, who are without doubt one of the best teams of the Premier league era, look absolutely unbeatable again this season.

City have collected 49 points out of the last 51 all while playing some breath-taking football. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne seems to be back in the form of his life from an injury hit 2018/19 campaign, while Raheem Sterling’s potency in front of goal has propelled him to being a certainty on the City team sheet each week. The only concern surrounding City regards the massive hole in the heart of the defence, left by the departure of Vincent Kompany. City have already leaked goals this season and may miss the influence of their former captain to marshal their defence.

Coming into this season as European champions, Liverpool will be brimming with confidence that they can push City all the way again. Jurgen Klopp’s side have made Anfield an absolute fortress, where they now stand 42 games unbeaten. As evident in that second half blitz against Arsenal, when this Liverpool team are allowed to move up through the gears, they look unplayable. The only concern for Liverpool is the lack of strength in depth in the squad when compared to Manchester City. The options Pep Guardiola has, to be able to bring on a Riyad Mahrez or a Gabriel Jesus if things need to be changed, is something Jurgen Klopp is not blessed with. Liverpool’s front trio of Mane, Firmino and Salah have all played more than 50 games each since the start of last season. With the demands of playing in this league, plus any potential cup runs, you can’t help but feel that any more injuries to key players may cost Liverpool some vital points in the race for the league this season.

It was evident the rest of the chasing pack needed to make massive strides over the summer in order to bridge the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool. From the opening few weeks of the season, it still appears that this gulf is still vast. Despite the 2-2 draw, Manchester City completely outplayed Spurs in the second game of the season. Pep Guardiolas side managed to have a 30-3 shot count in their favour against a Spurs side who many saw as the most likely outside team to challenge the top two for the league this season. Mauricio Pochettino’s men, who were Champions league finalists no less than 3 months ago, seem to be in disarray at the moment. As well as somehow coming out of the Etihad with a draw, they fell over the line against Villa and failed to break Newcastle down. It is evident that there is unrest among the squad, with the futures of Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen needing to be resolved. Across North London, Unai Emery’s Arsenal side seem to be building nicely.

The 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield still showed the work needed to be done but Arsenal looked good in parts of the game and can take a lot of positives from it. New signing Nicolas Pepe was impressive, while the unpredictable David Luiz shows that there is work to be done to resolve their defence.

Manchester United’s blistering opening day win at home to Chelsea papered over some cracks. The recent draw to Wolves and the loss to Crystal Palace highlights that Solskjaer will need another 3 or 4 transfer windows to rebuild this United team. Harry Maguire’s arrival has brought a degree of solidity to the defence, but up front, United look extremely light. Solskjaer has done well to get rid of Lukaku and Sanchez, who clearly didn’t want to be at Old Trafford anymore, but still needs time to make this squad his own. Similarly to his United counterpart, Chelsea’s Frank Lampard will need time to rebuild his team. Turning to youth seems to have been a breath of fresh air for Chelsea, with Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham impressing. This season will be a steep learning curve for Lampard. While the recent transfer ban has somewhat reduced the immediate pressure on him, a top 6 finish for this Chelsea team would be a massive achievement.

back to within two, but it was goal scorer McCaffrey leading Dublin on once more, scoring three magnificent points to restore the five-point lead.

Killian Spillane’s goal gave Kerry a second wind. Tommy Walsh, in his first final in a decade, made a huge difference and picked a fine score of his own. Peter Keane’s charges took an improbable lead into added time. Dublin pressed on with fresh legs as Kerry tired.

Dublin’s experience shone through in the latter stages. Leading men Con O’Callaghan, Paul Mannion and Ciarán Kilkenny had been quiet for the majority of the contest but saw more possession in the seven minutes of injury time. Dean Rock had a chance to snatch it from a difficult free. Another potential winner from Cormac Costello was ruled out by Hawkeye.

Rock and McCaffrey scored 1-13 between them.

They answered the call while many of their teammates were kept out of the game by excellent Kerry defending. Rock has been severely underrated in recent years. He’s so much more than just a free taker, he’s a leader on the pitch and a cool head able to find a way to score in the most difficult of situations.

For Kerry, the late inclusion of Jack Barry in centre field proved a stroke of genius, as he marked reigning Footballer of the Year Brian

Fenton out of the game. Between kickouts and turnovers, Barry repeatedly won the ball and broke up Dublin’s usual free flowing attack.

Questions will be asked in preparation for the replay. Have the underdogs left it behind them?

Will Dublin find another gear? Kerry have shown they can stand up to their mighty rivals and the experience will be vital for such a young group.

As many positives as they can take from the game, Kerry can hardly hope for such luck again.

They hung on for a draw against a 14-man Dublin side. The exploits of O’Callaghan, Mannion and Kilkenny all year long have made it hard pick a Footballer of the Year between them. They scored the remaining 0-03 between them. Kerry’s inexperienced backline will find it difficult to keep them to a score that low again.

It’s all to play for once again on September 14.

Dublin remain on the brink of a historic five-in-arow that could cement their place in GAA annals as the greatest football team of all time. Kerry have proven that they’re capable of spoiling the party.

Dublin’s forwards will surely reach another level, as they so often do in the biggest moments.

If Kerry can put in a similar defensive shift in the replay it’s anyone’s game. The big question heading in; how will Dublin look with 15 men?

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September 10 2019

31

SIN CROSSWORD COMPETITION Crossword Clues

1ST PRIZE

ACROSS

Win 2 free tickets to the SU Comedy Hypnotist, as seen on Page 30

1 – Type of animal known to inhabit Smokey’s Café (6) 4 – River that flows through campus (6) 9 – English rapper with his own Channel 4 show: Big

____ (7) 10 – International movement against sexual harassment (2,3) 11 – Not hers, but ____ (3)

12 – Valuable companion on the walk to college (9) 13 – Nickname for Co. Meath (6) 15 – Chemical element with the symbol Co (6) 19 – Landmasses mostly dictated by tectonic plates (9) 21 – Flightless bird (3) 22 – Voice-activated virtual assistant (5) 23 – Current Chelsea FC manager (7) 24 – Electro-folk duo set to play in the Róisín Dubh on September 21st: Saint ____ (6) 25 – If you can’t hear your lecturer, you should probably sit ____ (7)

DOWN

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1 – Marvel film released in 2018: Black ____ (7) 2 – Greek-style kebab (5) 3 – Alternative name for porridge, commonly used in the US (7) 5 – Give it some energy, give it some ____ (5) 6 – Maternity hospital affiliated with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and DCU (7) 7 – “Any way the wind ____ doesn’t really matter to me… to me” – one for Queen fans (5) 8 – First woman in Europe to graduate with an engineering degree, now has a building named after her: Alice ____ (5) 14 – New York-based baseball team (7) 16 – Ideal, perfect for the situation (7) 17 – Comes along after lightning (7) 18 – Student accommodation adjacent to a hotel on the northside of Galway City (5) 19 – A student’s reason to get up for 9am on a Monday morning (5) 20 – Synonym for furious (5) 21 – These happen in December, May and hopefully not August (5)

Win 3 free pizzas all for yourself from Sult* All you need to do is complete the crossword, then take a photo of the completed crossword page.

Send your photo in an email to editor.sin@gmail.com, with the subject “Crossword Competition Entry”, before Saturday the 14th of September at 5pm.

Winners to be selected at random and will be announced from our Facebook page, Student Independent News, NUI Galway, on Monday September 16th.

*The pizzas are redeemable at Sult up until, and including, Monday September 23rd

September

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