SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL. 21 Issue 08. 04 FEB 2020

Student Independent News

WINNER: BEST NEWSPAPER AT THE NATIONAL STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS 2019

IT’S A NO!

Students vote against Union’s reform proposals

By Paddy Henry (deputy.sined@gmail.com) Proposals on the restructuring of roles within the Students’ Union have been rejected by the student body following a referendum on January 23rd.

Students were asked whether they agreed with a motion put forward by the SU Council on the 25th of November last year, which was to create a new part-time Equality Office to work on the SU Executive Council, in place of various other part-time positions which would have been abolished.

Among the part-time roles that would have fallen under the axe in the proposed merger were the Mature Students Officer, the SU Council Chairperson, the International Students Officer, Gender and LGBT Rights Officer, Disabilities Officer, and the Ethnic Minorities Officer.

Also proposed was the renaming of the Club’s Captain to the Clubs Officer.

The proposal was rejected by 59% of the valid poll of 887. 525 voted against the motion, with 2 spoiled votes and 362 in favour.

Speaking to SIN, Students’ Union President Clare Austick, who was in favour of a yes vote in the referendum, welcomed the high voter turnout on the day, ”We’re pleased with the turnout, having over 800 people vote in the referendum was phenomenal”, she said. “We are, of course, disappointed with the result, but we are more happy with the strong turnout,” she continued.

The high turnout in the referendum was unprecedented, with the previous SU vote, the election for the part time position of Gender and LGBT Rights Officer, drawing a valid poll of just 48 votes.

Ms Austick highlighted historic low turnouts as the reason behind the positioning of just one ballot box on campus and pledged that on account of the high turnout, more ballot boxes will be positioned around campus for the next vote. Clare commented, “I suppose the reason was that in previous byelections held, we had such a poor turnout and we didn’t expect turnout to be this high, we were trying to merge resources. In future elections, we will go back to having numerous ballot boxes on campus”, she stated.

The SU President also outlined the importance of increased awareness of the role of the part-time officers as crucial to increasing awareness of the work that they do, telling SIN: “Students are happy with the current structure and we need to make students more aware of the roles they do by holding election events, making sure people are interested and aware of the work that they do”.

SU Council Chairperson Scott Green campaigned for a no vote in the referendum and echoed the President’s sentiments on voter turnout, “It was good to see people get out to vote, especially considering the turnout in the recent by-elections” he stated.

Scott explained he has campaigned for a no vote in the referendum due to the fact that the creation of a part-time equality officer to replace five separate officers had failed previously and would have been “too much” on a part time officer, commenting, “A lot of my reasoning against the equality officer coming back was that it was a case that we have only had the Ethnic Minorities Officer, the Gender and LGBT Rights Officer and other similar roles for only about a year and a half in total. They haven’t been given a chance to develop as officers and establish themselves as representatives in the Union”, he argued. “I didn’t think it worked before, where we found it was too much work for one person”, he added.

The SU President dismissed rumours that the proposed merger of the part-time roles was due to funding problems within the Union, stating the referendum was called purely on the advice of Council and the Constitutional reform Working Group and was “by no means a budgetary requirement”. However, sources have suggested to SIN that the multitude of by-elections and referenda held in the college have proven costly, but not to the point where student services are impacted.

The Students’ Union have also announced that nominations for full-time Officer roles will open on Wednesday 19th February, while nominations for Part-Time positions and for the position of SU Council Chairperson will open on the 26th of February and the 5th of March respectively.

NUI Galway celebrates 15th year of Teddy Bear Hospital. SEE MORE ON PAGE 8.

NUI Galway PhD Student awarded €13,505 in damages due to delay in final viva exam

By Conor Brummell A PhD student in NUI Galway has been awarded €13,505 after he took action against the University due to a delay in the scheduling of his final viva exam.

Isaac Burke from Castlebar, County Mayo brought legal action against the University when the delay in scheduling postponed his graduation and damaged his employment prospects as a result.

The case was overseen by Judge Raymond Groarke at the Galway Circuit Civil Court, and Burke won the case on the basis that there was a breach of contract between Burke and NUI Galway when his final exam was delayed.

According to NUI Galway’s Postgraduate Guidelines and Regulations, a viva exam is an oral exam which must be held within two months after a PhD student submits their thesis. The Court heard evidence of Mr Burke’s ‘hurt’ and ‘confusion’, when Dr Emil Skoldberg failed in his duty as lead supervisor to schedule Mr Burke’s examination with an external examiner, after he submitted his thesis on January 31, 2017.

Mr Burke told the Court that he had become increasingly concerned about the lack of communication from Dr Skoldberg, whom he had enjoyed a good relationship with throughout the course of his PhD. Dr Skoldberg gave evidence at the hearing, admitting that he had failed in his duty as supervisor and had not opened emails sent by Mr Burke due to “personal difficulties”.

Under cross-examination, Dr Emil Skoldberg

told the court that the fact he hadn’t arranged Mr Burke’s viva exam was “weighing” on him. “I should have been able to do it. I should have gotten over the hump”, he said.

He also told the court that when he met Mr Burke in the corridor in June 2017, he was “embarrassed” that he had not organised the exam. Dr Skoldberg recalled that Burke had been understanding and said he would not mind, as long as he could graduate in the Autumn.

However, the lecturer took a six-month long sabbatical on July 1st, 2017 without making the necessary prior arrangements with relation to the PhD student’s circumstances. Mr. Burke had not heard from his supervisor in months and was at his “wit’s end”. He told the court that he broke down in front of his mother due to the anxieties relating to his PhD. Martina Burke, Mr Burke’s mother, then told the court that she proceeded to contact the head of the department, Professor Graham Ellis. A difficult conversation between the two ended in an argument where Mr Eilis told Martina that Mr Burke needed a ‘kick in the ass’ for not raising his problems with the department sooner.

A ‘viva’ exam was then arranged for November 2017, following efforts made by Professor Ellis.

However, Burke did not accept this offer, and to this day has not completed his exam and thus not been conferred with his doctorate.

Judge Groarke found in favour of Mr Burke and awarded damages relating to loss of earnings due to breach of contract.

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

INSIDE

Special: GENERAL ELECTION 2020 4–5 University plays host to national Leaders’ Debate 4 Accommodation, University funding, healthcare and climate the key issues for the student voter ahead of GE 2020 5 NUI Galway Researchers Seek Participants for Multiple Sclerosis Study 6 NUI Galway’s Employability Awards: what are they, and how can you take part? 7 NUI Galway celebrates 15th Anniversary of Teddy Bear Hospital 8 Mature Student Diary 9 ROPES Literary Journal: Fresh new literature for a worthy cause 10 My experience as a CÉIM Leader 11 Dry January: is it worth it? 12 Is the Hub the best place to chill on campus? 14 Election 2020: Who will be the next Taoiseach? 15 Do you talk to your Mother with that mouth? 16 The Night We Met; Has social media ruined those intimate moments? 17 The Spring 2020 Hair Trends We’re Wearing Right Now 18 ‘At the end of the day, I am me’ — Nikkie Tutorials’ transgender revelation and why it matters 19 The New Valentine’s Day: How Galentine’s Day Became a Celebration of Female Friendship 20 Women and the Hollywood Dream 22 What’s on in Galway – February 4 - 17 23 Album Review: Mac Miller – Circles 24 Movie moments that have brought us to tears 25 Super Bowl 54 preview – A casual guide to Chiefs v 49ers 26 Return of the Mac fills the UFC with intrigue 27 Killer Inside: Aaron Hernandez’ harrowing fall from NFL star to life in prison 28 Kobe Bryant’s immeasurable legacy will live forever 29 Competition: WIN €25 SU CARD CREDIT* 31

Hello, readers, and welcome to the next issue of SIN (and February, weirdly)! Congratulations on making it through the longest month in human history. I promise it’ll get better from here on out, especially seeing as you’ve already started reading another wonderful issue of SIN. 32 pages packed to the rafters with fantastic articles by students and for students.

The entire team can be extremely proud of this issue, as everyone who contributed has done a stellar job.

We’re just 4 days away from our General Election, which is always a fascinating time to observe as the electorate, and it’s as fascinating to engage as the media. It is the job of the politicians to come around to everyone and either make sure you know they’ve been doing a great job and should keep that job, or make sure you know that the other fella has been doing an awful job and they should take his place.

As the media, it is our job to help you get a balanced and fair look at

An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat?

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

Find us online:

www.sin.ie

tion are running for public office.

The word ‘public’ in this context means that they answer to the public, the regular people of Ireland. That includes students, and it includes you. There are around 20,000 students here in NUI Galway. That’s without taking into account the other third level institutions in the city, or county. Students have a voice, and this Saturday is your time to use it.

NUI Galway accommodation company doubles turnover

By Caoimhe Killeen

EDITOR: Mark Lynch editor.sin@gmail.com LAYOUT: Shannon Reeves

all of the people who are so sure they know best how to govern this country. When someone makes as bold a claim as that, they might well be worth listening to.

A s I re l a n d c l i n g s t o t h e pendulum which swings us intermittently between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, one wonders will we see more of the same from whichever side of Tweedledum and Tweedledee takes over. I arrived on the NUI Galway campus in 2015, so I’ve seen firsthand in the intervening coalition government, which came to power in 2016, how much either party cares about students, and the issues affecting students. Many of them view the student vote as a lost cause, because students won’t turn up on polling day. As someone who voted as a student in 2016, I know they’re wrong. The onus is on all students to exercise their democratic right, and democratic duty, to tell them they’re wrong in a way that words never could.

All the candidates in this elec-

A company responsible for providing student accommodation for NUI Galway has recorded profits of approximately €460,000 – double the amount earned in the year prior.

Atalia Student Residences DAC (Designated Activity Company) is solely owned by NUI Galway, and are responsible for providing the on-campus 764-bed Corrib Village apartment complex, as well as the 429-bed Goldcrest Village to hundreds of students every year.

Accounts that were filed for the year ended August 31st, 2018 with the Companies Registration Office confirm that the NUI Galway-run company made a profit of approximately €463,212, which is a significant increase on the €230,597 that was recorded from the previous year.

The fixed assets in the accounts, including office equipment, plants and machinery, as well as fixtures and fitting, are valued at €1.127 million, with current assets being priced at €6.4 million.

The accounts take into consideration the other services the company provides for NUI Galway. Atalia Student Residences are also in charge of overseeing marketing services for conference services and facilities on behalf of the University.

Both Corrib Village and Goldcrest are also used outside of the academic year as accommodation for conference delegates, with Corrib Village being used as a short-term holiday let for tourists in the summer.

The payable amounts by the company also totalled to 6.4 million, with “cash and cash equivalents” of 5.6 million.

The overall profit for 2018 before tax was applied totalled to €644,109. The total operating profit for the company (after charging deprecation costs) came to a total of €448,169.

The costs included rent paid to NUI Galway for its services, with the figure amounting to just over €2.25 million in 2018.

Additionally, the rent paid by a student for a single en-suite bedroom in Corrib Village for the academic year amounts to €5,775, with the cost for a room in Goldcrest Village amounting €6,500.

Rising costs of accommodation are a long running bone of contention among NUI Galway students, who gained widespread media attention in 2018 for their protests against rent hikes in Cúirt na Coiribe.

Sharon Bailey, Bursar at NUI Galway, states that following the opening of Goldcrest Village in 2018 “Turnover in the University subsidiary company responsible for managing

operations, Atalia Student Residences DAC, increased, however, profits did not, as these new residences were founded through a European investment bank loan which requires significant annual repayments”.

Brandon Walsh, Vice-President of the NUI Galway Students’ Union and Welfare and Equality Officer, criticised developers’ apparent focus on the creation of luxury, costly student accommodation, telling SIN; “This notion by the developers and the people that own these companies of this luxury student accommodation is ridiculous. The rent prices are astronomical. Students need somewhere they can sleep, they can sleep, they can study, they can wash and eat”. He continued, “They don’t need this ridiculous luxury student accommodation, they want somewhere that is suitable, purpose-built for students and affordable. And that’s not what is happening right now, so we really need to push for custom-built accommodation.” He also adds that lobbying is the best way to ensure that these needs are met. “The more that we push and have our voices heard, especially with the upcoming general election, making sure that student voices are pushed to the forefront of everything, and especially in areas like Galway, Cork and Dublin, that are affected hugely by the housing crisis”.

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NEWS EDITORIAL

By Paddy Henry Well lads and lassies, issue 8 is here and we’re fairly flying through the issues at this stage. As always, the latest issue of SIN is packed with all the college news your heart desires. With election fever spreading like wildfire around the country, I have the inside scoop from the recent RTÉ leaders debate hosted by Claire Byrne, with comment form all those involved inside, including the likely Taoiseach apparent Micheál Martin, who spoke to SIN, and rest assured, no brown envelopes were thrown in either direction in getting him to talk!

Also on the election front, (if you can’t tell already, I love elections), is my take on the issues that matter most to students when it comes to us casting our vote in early February. Not quite deviating from polling day, Saoirse Higgins writes on the USI’s criticism of the government amid the confusion surrounding voter registration.

Also inside, away from the election, Caoimhe Killeen reports on the substantial profits amounting to over €400,000 made by the University on accommodation last year. Conor Brummell talks to the people behind NUI Galway’s Employability Award, Aoife Burke speaks to Robert Joyce, a Multiple Sclerosis patient taking part in a landmark study on the disease, and Rachel Garvey gives us the lowdown on the heart-warming story of the 15th anniversary of the Teddy Bear Hospital, which opened its doors to primary school children and their poorly teddy bears from across the city. And if all that isn’t enough, I have a piece on the recent Student Union referendum that took place on campus.

As always, if you want to write for SIN or you think that you have a story that may be of interest, feel free to drop me an email at deputy.sined@gmail.com. We hold meeting every two weeks and they’re a really great way of getting involved too. Our next one takes place on February 17th in AM127, so please come along if you’re interested, there’s free pizza!!

FEATURES EDITORIAL

By Shauna McHugh Hello everyone, Welcome back to another SIN! This is our last issue before Valentine’s Day, and whether you have a hot date lined up for the occasion or not, our content this week is guaranteed to have you feeling some love.

After what seemed like an eternity, January has finally come to an end! This was especially a relief for NUI Galway student Caoimhe Mc Aleenan, who spoke to our own Caoimhe Killeen about her experience with Dry January. Meanwhile, if avoiding the drink isn’t your thing, what would you say to a few cold ones in the Roisin Dubh?

You could save the planet while you’re at it, as Saoirse Higgins outlines in her interview with an innovative second year who has big plans to Rave for the Reef!

As always, the holy trinity of columnists are gracing the pages of SIN this week!

Jody Moylan shares his literary musings

in his latest Mature Student Diary, while a flu-ridden Sadhbh Hendrick still manages to provide plenty of giggles with her Final Year Diary, and Aoife Burke provides the latest trial and tribulations of life as a first year.

Like most of us, the January blues of late probably drove you to plenty of Netflix binges. Our Tara Trevaskis Hoskin has been watching the latest series of ‘Sex Education’ and has plenty of insight on how our own sex education system falls short. Speaking of falling short, few people have done so more spectacularly than politician Paddy Holohan, whose recent comments about Leo Varadkar offended most people who aren’t inclined to racism. Our online editor Daniel Brennan is making an appearance on our IRL pages to provide much needed context on the issue of accepting immigrants into Ireland.

Meanwhile, the lovely ladies of ROPES Literary Journal had an exclusive chat with SIN all about what we can expect from their upcoming publication, which you won’t want to miss!

So even if you’re lonely this Valentines season, at least you’ll find something in the pages ahead to cheer you up. Get to it!

OPINION EDITORIAL

By Anastasia Burton

By Hi guys! Welcome back to my section!

Are you guys finding it easier to get back into the swing of things at uni? I sure damn hope so, because it can be super stressful (not to mention the weather has been awful and not very welcoming). This issue, I would like to thank all the writers who not only contribute to my section, but also to the ones that contributed to the other sections also. It’s always lovely to hear new voices and to see new faces at our meetings, we hope you feel welcome. This issue has been great in terms of interaction and with the success of Issue 7, we are hopeful for issue 8 to be even better!

We have a lot of interesting pieces for you to enjoy this issue, including ones about social influencers and whether we believe they have a benefit on our society or whether they are just fame-hungry puppets.

We also have an opinion piece about The Hub and The Hub Central (written by yours truly) outlining the different positives and negatives of the facilities and how the University can improve.

We have articles about mental health and dealing with anxiety, which is very important to me as the opinion editor to share with you, and of course the author (Rachel Garvey), who was passionate about writing this piece.

Do you guys want to know how to deal with rude people? We have an article outlining just how one can keep a smile plastered on your face just long enough for the rude person to leave!

Valentine’s day is almost here, and this editor is truly spooked by the glitter and teddy bears with the word’s “love” plastered across their chest. Are companies bringing out the Valentine’s stock too soon?

This was just a sneak peek into this issue! I hope you visit our section and give us a read! Love of love, yours truly.

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LIFESTYLE AND FASHION EDITORIAL

By Catherine Taylor Hello again, everyone! We hope you enjoyed the first 2020 issue of SIN and that the inevitable January blues stayed mostly at bay. It’s hard to believe that it’s now February, but we’re already into the second month of the year, so let’s get cracking!

Love is in the air! It’s Valentine’s week and we’ve brought the goods with another fab issue.

If you’re single and ready to mingle, then we’ve got the friends-first feature for you. Tara Trevaskis Hoskin gives us the lowdown on all things Galentine’s Day; the friendship celebration day taking millennials by storm. After all, love means nothing when you don’t have your friends to pick you up after a bad break-up.

Elsewhere, our resident student chef and witty woman, Isabel Dwyer, is back with a new edition of The Foodie Diaries. This issue, Isabel treats us to a vegetarian carbonara recipe that’s guaranteed to satisfy even the most carnivorous of meat-eaters. You can thank us later.

In lifestyle news, Alanna Phelan gives us the lowdown on Nikkie Tutorials’ transgender revelation and why it’s important, while Anastasia Burton gifts us with an essential guide to visiting Rome, Italy on a student budget.

All this and more in the new issue of SIN, and as always, you can contact me at lifestyle.sined@gmail.com if you want to join our writers’ team. Enjoy the issue!

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITORIAL

By Sarah Gill Like clockwork, another issue of SIN filled with an abundance of thought-provoking content has taken the space of the last. The eighth issue of the paper this academic year, I’m pleased to report that the writing team have not lost any momentum as they continue to churn out top-notch pieces on an array of different topics. As always, the Arts and Entertainment section has reviews galore so if you’ve been looking for some sound advice on what to watch, read or listen to - you’ve come to the right place. From Mac Miller and Harry Styles to Sex Education and Behind Closed Doors, you’re bound to have something the enjoy the minute you put down the paper. As well as all that, we’ve got a great piece of the infamous Love Island (don’t lie to yourself, you’ve watched it!) and a list of movies that will get the tears flowing.

Alice O’Donnell pens a spectacular piece on women in Hollywood, holding up a spotlight to the industry following a very interesting quote from James Bond pro-

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ducer Barbara Broccoli. It’s highly likely that any book worms reading this will have devoured Sally Rooney’s Normal People and will therefore be happy to hear it’s set for small screen adaption.

Flick through to have a look see at Harry King’s thoughts and expectations. As always, I’m only delighted to hear from anyone who would like to submit a piece to the Arts and Entertainment section.

Whether it’s a review, a piece of social commentary or something a little more creative - I’d love to have a read. Shoot any questions, concerns or conversation starters to artsentertainment.sined@ gmail.com

SPORTS EDITORIAL

By Darren Casserly Hello once again, everyone, and welcome back to the second SIN issue of 2020. College may just be getting back to normal, but it’s the same high-quality content as always in this issue’s sports section. We have a wide range of topics to look at, with everything from Corofin’s historic three-in-a-row club All-Ireland victory to what is next for Conor McGregor in the octagon.

Firstly, Jonny Browne writes about Saracens’ relegation from the Aviva Premiership and how damaging this will be not just to club rugby in Europe, but what this will do to the image rugby has with sports fans.

Jonny Browne also looks at some of the greatest sporting debuts of all-time following Erling Haaland’s 23-minute hat-trick, including the likes of Wayne Rooney, Julian Savea and Federico Macheda, and I think I know which one Erling Haaland doesn’t want replicate.

In the world of American football, Darragh Nolan discusses the riveting new docuseries Killer inside on Netflix about star football player Aaron Hernandez, who was accused of multiple murders when he had the footballing world at his feet.

Staying in the world of American football, Daniel Brennan looks at what could have happened in the Superbowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in what looks like it’s going to be a new era in the NFL. American sport, and sport in general, lost an icon last week when Kobe Bryant’s death was announced. Darragh Nolan pays tribute to one of basketball’s true greats.

On the topic of MMA, Darragh looks at what the future holds for the new-look Conor McGregor, following his 40-second knockout of future hall of famer Donald Cerrone and what title challenges could be in store for the Irishman.

Finally, Harry King examines where this current Corofin side lines up with the greatest Gaelic teams of all-time after they completed a historic three club All-Irelands in a row against Kilcoo in Croke Park.

As always, a big thanks to the contributors and if you would like to get involved, just email me at sport.sined@ gmail.com

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

SPECIAL:

GENERAL

University plays host to national Leaders’ Debate

By Paddy Henry NUI Galway played host to the who’s who of Irish politics on the 27th of January, as the Bailey Allen Hall welcomed the election special of RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live onto campus.

Leaders from seven political parties, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Féin, Labour, The Green Party, Social Democrats and Solidarity/People Before Profit, were in attendance to make their case to the nation in what is set to be one of the most watched political events of the year.

The event was watched by a studio audience of over 300 randomly selected by polling organisation Red C. This was the second time a major leaders’ debate has been broadcast outside of Dublin, following the University of Limerick’s hosting of a 2016 debate.

President of NUI Galway Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, speaking before the debate, welcomed the hosting of the debate on campus. “NUI Galway is for the public good, belonging to the people and for society. We’re delighted to partner with RTÉ to bring this important debate to Galway. The University is 175 this year, and our city is European Capital of Culture, so it’s fitting that the leaders of our country’s parties will meet here to outline their visions for the future of the nation. We look forward to welcoming them to the West at this important moment of decision-making in our nation’s history.” he said.

While the pundits gave their analysis of the event as a score draw, with many jabs thrown but no knockout blow landed against any of the electoral hopefuls, many declared RTÉ anchor Claire Byrne as the real winner of the debate.

Amid all the drama taking place

Leo Varadkar in Áras na Mac Léinn

7 leaders at their podiums in the Bailey Allen Hall for the Leaders’ Debate. L-R: Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall, Green Party leader Eamonn Ryan, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, and Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin. Credit: Twitter (@ClaireByrneLive) inside the Bailey Allen Hall, tempers flared outside the venue. Student protesters gathered from as early as 4 o’clock in opposition to the closure of the Bailey Allen Hall and Sult, which played host to a special election event on the night.

As the debate drew closer, a protest from a conglomerate of far-left groups, as well as climate action groups, grew more heated. Cries of “Jail them all” and “Leo Out” were audible from inside the Hall as the various leaders made their way into the Bailey Allen for the debate.

Volunteers from NUI Galway took part in the production of the debate itself, with a handful of journalism students working as production assistants – helping with the audience, the leaders themselves, the media and the production as a whole.

After the debate, SIN managed to catch a word with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin about the debate. He spoke of his regret at not getting to talk more extensively on health during the debate, commenting, “I enjoyed the debate, I thought it was punchy, it

covered some issues. I couldn’t believe that we didn’t get to health, which when it comes to people’s concerns is one of their number one issues and I regret that we didn’t get to discuss it because there were a lot of key points to make there, but I enjoyed it and I thought I got a lot of key points across”.

After the event, Director General of RTÉ, Dee Forbes, spoke of the significance of the hosting of the event in Galway. He highlighted the national broadcaster’s commitment to areas outside of Dublin, telling SIN, “We’re

Left-wing protesters outside the barriers at the Leaders’ Debate.

delighted to be here in NUIG today at a really important point in the election.

It’s been great to work with everybody here to put on Claire Byrne Live here tonight. What we’re seeing here is our commitment to working with the regions, coming to Galway to showcase NUIG, working together with RTÉ, the national broadcaster and giving people the topics, they want to hear on the show today, so we’re delighted to be here. We also met with students on the journalism course and on the politics course and it’s great to see all that in action as well”.

Micheál Martin in Áras na Mac Léinn

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February 04 2020

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ELECTION 2020 Accommodation, University funding, healthcare and climate the key issues for the student voter ahead of GE 2020

By Paddy Henry An unprecedented first Saturday election since 1918 raised some eyebrows when the starting gun was pulled on General Election 2020, with Leo Varadkar claiming that the public going to the polls later in the week makes it easier for parents, commuters and students to cast their vote.

Whether the day of the election itself has any bearing on the traditionally low turnout among student voters remains to be seen, but for those in third level education, issues surrounding housing, health and the climate seem more important than the day on which they cast their vote.

With a student population of over 20,000, Galway may prove to be the litmus test on February 8th in determining whether students did indeed

flock to the polls. If they do, their vote has the potential to have a big impact the make-up of the thirty-third Dáil.

Clare Austick, President of NUI Galway’s Students’ Union, spoke to SIN about important issues relating to the student body, citing the importance of breaking the barriers to third-level education to the student electorate. “Many financial barriers are preventing students from accessing higher education and we would definitely call for a reduction to the student contribution charge to support students struggling financially”.

Ms Austick also highlighted the importance of climate change issues for students when it comes to deciding who to vote for and expressed support for the introduction of free public transport for students during term time to combat the climate crisis. She suggested that candidates that put these issues to

Hustings with Galway West and Galway East candidates TONIGHT (4 Feb)

NUI Galway Students’ Union has partnered with One Galway and GMIT Students’ Union to host a hustings on campus TONIGHT 4th February with the Galway West and Galway East candidates 8-9:30pm in the Kirwan theatre. Doors open at 7:30pm. This event is open to staff, students and the wider public. This is your chance to meet the candidates to discuss their party’s policy on housing, healthcare, education, transport, work, direct provision and public services. Tickets available from Eventbrite.

the fore will reap the rewards at the ballot box. “We would encourage increased investment in public transport and to push for public transport to be made free for students during term time”, she commented.

While many will have seen the holding of the election on Saturday as a landmark move in promoting greater enfranchisement, the NUI Galway Students’ Union President expressed her concern over the holding of the vote on a Saturday, highlighting that many students working part-time may struggle to cast their ballot in their home towns on February 8th, “I think it will cause a few difficulties, especially for students working part-time jobs who can’t afford to get home to vote”, she noted.

Student welfare and access to healthcare will also play on the minds of potential student voters according to Brandon Walsh, Welfare and Equality Officer, who cited access to counselling as a key issue ahead of the vote. “Anything that could be done to expand access to mental health services would be great”, he said. “Many people have become more comfortable talking about mental health and availing of counselling, so there is a huge need for expansion. We have a service on campus, but it is not as resourced as it needs to be. Demand for our online counselling service has led to the drop out rate due to anxiety and mental health issues decreasing significantly”, he continued.

Key issues for Galway’s large student population don’t seem to differ depending on University, as, across the city in GMIT, issues around housing, health and funding are just as pertinent to their electorate as they are for their fellow students in NUI Galway.

Aaron Burke, President of GMIT’s Students’ Union, spoke to the SIN about important issues relating to his student body and outlined accommodation as a key issue that will prove decisive if any candidate is to capture the student vote ahead of the election.

“Accommodation is a massive thing”, he said, “We’re surviving on digs in GMIT and we’d be lost if it wasn’t for the local community giving up their homes. That’s a long-term issue. We need student accommodation built at a reasonable price”, he added.

Increases in grant payments and the rising cost of living were also pinpointed as factors in how students will vote, according to Aaron, who called on the next government to increase SUSI Grant funding, “SUSI hasn’t increased since 2012, that’s huge”, he said. “The cost of living has increased, wages have gone up and we have a situation where students who are in the grant need to work on top of it to just about cover costs”, he said.

With a high number of younger candidates running in Galway West, Aaron believes that younger candidates may have any advantage over their older opponents in taking the student vote. “Politics has traditionally been an older person’s game but I think younger voters will know exactly what they want and I think younger candidates will be more aware of what they want”, he said.

USI calls for greater clarity around voter registration

By Saoirse Higgins The Union of Students Ireland (USI) has called for greater clarity around voter registration, demanding that the Government ensure all students registered to vote within the last year be automatically included on the register, Under current legislation, the register of electors is updated on the 15th of February every year and with the date of the General Election set for 8th of February, there has been much confusion around whether those who registered after the 15th of February last year will automatically be able to vote.

Although the time to register has passed with the election in a few days, there has been disquiet over people missing out on the chance to vote.

Speaking to the University Times, USI President Lorna Fitzpatrick argued, “The government needs to take action on this, to ensure that everybody has the chance to have their voice heard.”

President of the Students’ Union here at NUI Galway, Clare Austick, highlights the issues several students have had with voter registration. “Many students were not on the register, which caused a lot of hassle with students trying to register online. Those students had to rush to join the supplementary register otherwise they would not be able to vote in the election”.

The Students’ Union had to push to dispel the miscommunication around registration very quickly to avoid the disenfranchisement of numerous students.

Speaking to SIN, Ms Austick said it is necessary that the government should give more notice to an election; “Everyone, particularly students, need more time to organise their registration especially when the election takes place before the 15th of February”, she said.

Widespread criticism surrounding the decision by the Government to hold the election on a Saturday, the first in over 100 years, was echoed by the Students’ Union, with the President arguing that a Saturday trip to the polls alienates students, “A lot of students have part-time work in the places they then attend college, so if they’re working from 10 until 8 on a Saturday they might not be able to travel 3 hours to Dublin or Cork or wherever it may be”.

However, among the hassle of voter registration, 2,000 students joined the supplementary register in the days leading up to the deadline on January 23rd according to the USI. UCC saw the highest number of students register with 700 students registered on the 22nd alone.

6 NEWS & F E ATU R ES Study finds the use of fitness apps associated with both positive and negative wellness outcomes

By Ellen O’Donoghue Research conducted by NUI Galway has examined the positive and negative impact the use of gamified fitness apps can have on a user’s mental well-being.

The research, carried out by the J.E Cairnes School of Business and Economics, specifically focused on identifying how the social features of fitness apps predict whether the user has a harmonious or obsessive passion for physical exercise and what the resulting implications are for the person’s wellbeing.

Fitness apps are catered to a rewardsoriented platform for users, based on the tracking and analysis of their digital trace data e.g. the number of steps walked per day or calories burned.

The popularity of gamified fitness apps has surged in recent years, with consumers turning to self-tracking and gamification to motivate and sustain physical activity.

In the United States alone, 92 million people use fitness apps contributing to a market income of over $600 million in 2019.

The research, which was led by Dr Eoin Whelan, found that fitness apps can lead to both positive and negative wellbeing outcomes, depending on the person’s social motivation for using the app.

People who use them for reciprocation, which the study defined as giving support and encouragement to other exercisers, are more likely to have a harmonious passion for their exercise, and ultimately lower life stress.

However, people who use the app for social recognition, to receive praise and public endorsements for their exercise, are more likely to develop an obsessive passion for exercise, suffering higher life stress in the long run as a result.

Lead author of the study, Dr Eoin Whelan, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems at NUI Galway, says such apps can be a “Double-edged sword”, stating: “Our study suggests fitness sharing apps can certainly help seed and sustain exercise routines, but there is a danger that some users may develop obsessive tendencies, which need to be avoided”.

Dr Whelan explained the positive and negative impacts that the use of fitness apps has on their users, as he outlined the science behind both the positive and negative connotations associated with their use.

“Fitness app social features which promote self-recognition, such as posting only positive workout data or photos, can be linked to maladaptive perceptions of exercise and burnout in the long run. In contrast, fitness app social features which promote reciprocation, such as giving support and commenting on colleagues’ activities, are likely to lead to adaptive outcomes”.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

NUI Galway Researchers Seek Participants for Multiple Sclerosis Study

By Aoife Burke NUI Galway researchers are currently seeking volunteers to take part in a new Cognitive Occupation-Based programme for people living with Multiple Sclerosis in Ireland, which seeks to understand cognitive issues experienced by sufferers of the disease.

Approximately 50-60% of the 9,000 people in Ireland living with MS have difficulties with cognition, which has a large impact on their quality of life.

The new COB-MS programme, based in NUI Galway, has been developed to address the wide-ranging symptoms and functional difficulties associated with cognition that present in the condition.

Researchers are seeking around 20 candidates in Galway, along with a further 20 in Donegal and 10 in Cork, who suffer from cognitive issues relating to a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.

Among the goals of the programme are to emphasise the ability of sufferers to maintain employment, social activities, manage life at home and self-care; and is focused on rehabilitation through an individualised cognitive intervention that is measured by and taught through an occupational participation perspective.

One such candidate is former student of NUI Galway Robert Joyce, a suffer of MS since his early 20s. He spoke to SIN about living with the condition, “I currently have secondary Progressive MS. I was diagnosed at 23, I am now 51. I’ve had MS for 28 years. I have had relapsing and remitting MS. You would notice the illness for a while then it would get better. After each attack you would experience a little hangover”, he said.

Robert, who had not worked in almost a year due to his illness, is directly employed by the University under a revolutionary Patient and Public Involvement programme, whereby he works as an assistant researcher, the first in the country to be involved in such a scheme. The programme sees the patient getting directly involved in the study from the outset. It is hoped that this method will lead to quicker, more effective results.

Mr Joyce, who previously worked as an accountant, spoke of the personal benefits taking part in the study has had for him. “Prior to working, I was on disability.

I had a blog about my life and was a member of the MS society and was writing. It helps you find your purpose in your day”, he said. “I work one day a week for 7 ½ hours at the university. It means I can interact with people. It can get lonely otherwise and lead to a nega-

tive mindset. It is important to feel part of the wider community as I can feel excluded from normal life. It is great to be part of something fantastic. Improving the knowledge of illness can make research better. It can lead to better therapy”, he added.

While Robert hailed the benefits of the programme, funded by the Health Research Board, he highlighted issues that need to be resolved to better facilitate PPI programmes in the future. He cited accessibility as a key issue that the University needs to address, “University isn’t fully prepared for PPI. The distances are very big, and walking is difficult, so I used a stick. I had to get a mobility chair and there was no place to keep it. I had to find a location for it. The University wasn’t ready for such an issue”.

Dr Sinéad Hynes, primary investigator of the programme, spoke of the potential benefits of this study, stating: “Past research suggests that cognitive intervention and rehabilitation can enhance daily functioning in people with MS. A lot of work has gone into the development of the COB-MS program to ensure that it targets such cognitive activities applied in real-world settings. As a result, we’re hopeful that the program will benefit people living with MS on wide-ranging outcomes.”

Robert, who had not worked in almost a year due to his illness, is directly employed by the University under a revolutionary Patient and Public Involvement programme, whereby he works as an assistant researcher, the first in the country to be involved in such a scheme. “I work one day a week for 7 ½ hours at the university. It means I can interact with people. It is important to feel part of the wider community.”

Robert Joyce. Photographs by (clockwise from below): Zbigniew Zborowski, Ewa Boch, Robert Joyce.

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NUI Galway’s Employability Awards: what are they, and how can you take part?

By Conor Brummell NUI Galway’s Employability Awards are in their third year of the programme this year.

With over 500 people registered and huge interest for the 2019/2020 awards, the programme has grown astronomically in the last two years.

SIN spoke to Grace Mannion, the Employability Project Officer, about the awards’ success and its importance to students who take part each year.

“In our pilot year of 2017/2018, we had 56 do the awards. Last year we had 204 students complete it. This year we already have 80 students who have completed it but have 200 people signed up. We’re hoping to have 200 plus students finish the award”.

When asked why the awards were set up, Grace explained that it was primarily for undergraduate students who don’t have placement as part of their course, “We wanted to consider maybe a part-time job they have at the weekends or summer work they’ve done and help them articulate the skills they’ve gained into a written CV, or verbally for interviews, to help them gain future employment.”

She says the awards aim to support students in the second part of their college lifecycle, as they are preparing to leave college and start in their chosen careers. “We want to help focus students on their journey to entering a career”, she said. Some students leave their CV on the long finger, but as a mandatory part of the awards, we motivate them to prepare a professional CV earlier on so that they are ready for when that time comes”, she added.

Grace outlined the vast skillset the awards promote within students, explaining, “We have a set list

of skills that employers look for when hiring someone and as part of the awards we get students to assess how they would rate themselves on those skills. We then get them to hone which skills they’re good at and zone in on the skills they can improve on.”

“What we aim to do then with those skills is to get the students thinking about how they can articulate those skills to a prospective employer. For example, students don’t equate having a commercial part-time job to having commercial awareness and having problem solving skills. We aim to give them confidence when it comes to future employment.”

Grace continued to say that to complete the award, students must take part in five different elements.

“Three out of the five elements are work-shop based.

They might choose to do a Linked-in workshop, or a workshop on careers decision making. We offer flexibility in the awards so that the students can choose what skills they want to gain as part of the award.”

The final steps then are to take part in an online mock interview and to have an up-to-date corrected CV, which the Employability Office does for every student who takes part.

The awards also aim to help students take control of their own learning and how to recognise learning opportunities within the workplace, to ask questions and shape their own employability prospects.

“We have partnered with lots of people internally who offer training to students which is invaluable.

They range from societies, to Céim, to Digichamp, the Library, Smartlife, the Access Office, Seas Suas and the Mentoring service. They put on lots of wonderful extracurricular programmes to help students get the training they need.”

SIN also spoke to Eilish Murray, a student who is currently on an Internship with the awards.

She spoke about the manageable workload, stating, “The structure of the award allows you to be tipping away with it in semester one, and you can finish in semester two. We encourage people to get most of the hard work done before Christmas so that it’s easy to finish the award before the deadline.”

Eilish encouraged anybody considering taking part in the award to “take the jump” and to immerse themselves in the programme, “Just to take the jump! We have lots of information available for someone who is considering doing the award. I would tell someone to immerse themselves in the process and enjoy it. It’s cliché but the more you put into it, the more you get out of it”, she said.

She also states that students will have more skills than they first thought. “Most people won’t know that the work experience they have could be suitable for the award. They’re surprised when they come in and we tell them that they already have that box ticked, or some other box that they weren’t expecting”, Eilish commented.

Grace also nodded her gratitude to the college for funding the project. “The project has funding for two more years, so it’ll have been around for five years at that stage. A lot of universities in the UK have had employability awards for a while now, and for some reason, students in NUI Galway like the structure of ours and really resonate with it. It is valuable for the students in that sense.”

The deadline for the Employability Awards this year is Friday the 14th of February.

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NUI Galway start-up leading the fight against the Coronavirus Paddy Henry An NUI Galway-based company is leading the charge against the Wuhan Coronavirus epidemic.

Aquila Bioscience have developed natureinspired wipes and masks which could potentially be used catch the contagious virus.

It is hoped that the new technology can be used by front line personnel and civilians at risk of contracting and transmitting the deadly virus.

The NUI Galway start-up has developed a chemical-free strategy, which removes bacteria viruses, fungi and other biological toxins from surfaces in their attempts to combat the virus and their research has seen positive results during lab testing.

The new technology, which has been funded by the European Defence Agency, has been under development for nearly two years and aims to not only remove potential toxins from surfaces, but also trap them within the material, preventing the virus from spreading. The non-toxic material can also be used on human skin and wounds.

Since its outbreak early in the new year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the Coronavirus is believed to have infected almost 5,000 people worldwide having spread to 18 different countries, killing over 100.

Describing the potentially lifesaving innovation, Co-Founder and director of Aquila Bioscience Professor Lokesh Joshi, has compared the new material to Velcro, catching potentially infected cells before they spread: “What we have developed is like a living Velcro at nanoscale.

All cells are coated with proteins and complex carbohydrates. Every cell-to-cell relationship is ruled by interactions between these carbohydrates and proteins. We are tapping into this interaction by infusing our wipes with specific proteins and carbohydrates to which the pathogens bind – and stick”, he explained.

The chemical-free approach is innovative in its own regard, given that most decontamination strategies include artificial chemicals such as bleach and hydrogen peroxide. These solutions destroy the harmful agents, but they are toxic, and unsafe for human consumption. Added to this, the use of such solutions can lead to recurrent infection, while the destructive nature of the chemical means no forensic evidence is left behind.

Aquila Bioscience claim that their new, completely biodegradable innovation can deliver safe and effective decontamination of infections that can be used safely and regularly on sensitive areas of the human body, such as the eyes, nose and skin. Other chemical-based methods, they claim, can cause skin reactions or are completely unsafe.

It is hoped that the Galway-based company, in collaboration with its partners in the Irish Defence Forces, can help in the fight against biothreats. Their collaboration with such organisations has helped spread their influence to a more global scale, having come to the attention of other national and international security and humanitarian agencies, who have expressed strong interest in using the technology to protect first-responders and affected people.

8 NEWS & F E ATU R ES

NUI Galway climate protector returns with Rave for the Reef

By Saoirse Higgins In October 2019, Gary Moscarelli raised €3000 for World Land Trust with his event ‘Rave for the Rainforest’. The charity silent disco was an absolute success with 33 acres of the Amazon Rainforest saved from deforestation.

This time Gary, a second year zoology student in NUI Galway, is joining forces with his girlfriend Louise McDowell to raise awareness for another urgent cause. This new event is aptly called ‘Rave for the Reef’. The silent disco, returning to the Roisín Dubh on the 19th of February, is raising money for the charity Reef Restoration Foundation.

The Reef Restoration Foundation are a charity of researchers that work with the Great Barrier Reef to replant and grow bleach resistant coral. The corals of the Earth are dying and the impact of this on climate change cannot be ignored. The continuous emission of greenhouse gases causes a rise in global surface temperature, which in turn causes a mass bleaching of the corals. If corals are bleached for an extended period, they die. This is what has happened to 50% of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef.

Why should you care about the corals? Well, they are a vital part of our ecosystem. Despite only covering 0.1% of the ocean floor, they host more than one quarter of all marine fish species among other marine animals. They also provide subsistence food, protection from flooding and help sustain the fishing and tourism industries. The loss of the coral will have massive economic, social and health consequences.

With the fires raging in Australia over the past several weeks, it is hard to ignore the effect of climate change. In fact, it was these fires that made Gary and Louise think of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef being deprived of light from the smoke of the fires.

According to UNESCO, the coral reefs in all 29 reef-containing World Heritage sites will cease to exist by the end of the century if we continue to emit greenhouses gases at the rate we are currently. This emphasises the need for charities like the Reef Restoration Foundation. For every €50 raised, a coral will be adopted, and with 400 tickets to sell at €5 a ticket, they hope to raise €2000, saving 40 corals.

The band Rodney also return to play live music, joined with popular Galway band The Turnstiles. After the success of playing at ‘Rave in the Rainforest’, Rodney have since been touring around Ireland playing in different venues.

The night has something for everyone, from live music to the silent disco. Gary and Louise are also hiring bubble machines for the night and encourage people to dress up in ‘sea-themed’ costumes, as they themselves will be.

So, if you want to help save the corals or just have a good night, don’t be afraid to attend ‘Rave in the Reef’ on the 19th of February. Send Gary Moscarelli or Louise McDowell a text for a ticket or message them on their Instagram page ‘raveforthereef_roisindubh’. Only tickets bought from Gary and Louise go towards the charity, so do make sure to buy from them!

With the success of ‘Rave for the Rainforest’, there’s no doubt that ‘Rave for the Reef’ will guarantee a good time for us and our planet.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

NUI Galway celebrates th 15 Anniversary of Teddy Bear Hospital Rachel Garvey On Thursday 16th January 2020, the Bailey Allen Hall opened its doors to welcome in an estimated 1,200 Primary School children from 29 schools across the city for their 15th annual Teddy Bear Hospital event.

The young students were accompanied by their sick teddy bears in need of treatment over a two-day period.

The Teddy Bear Hospital has proven to be a major success over the years for the University, with the Medical Protection Society as their sponsor.

The event, which is also supported by the University’s Sláinte Soc, focuses on promoting all aspects of physical and mental health to those involved, helping children become more comfortable when it comes to being in a hospital environment.

The feedback in the lead up to the event was positive, with numerous individuals expressing how they felt about the annual event.

Ríona Hughes, NUI Galway’s Societies Officer, said: “The award-winning Teddy Bear Hospital is always a joy when students welcome local school children and their teddies onto campus. I would like to congratulate the Sláinte Society and their many volunteers who organise this very popular event each year.”

Clodagh Ryan, a Third Year Medicine Student and co-auditor of Sláinte Soc, also heaped praised on the success of the popular event, stating, “Every year, we strive to treat as many sick teddies from as many different schools as possible and we can’t wait to do it all over again this year!

We hope to provide a fun, relaxed atmosphere so that both children and teddies can feel more comfortable around doctors and hospitals.”

The Teddy Bear Hospital came with a whole host of activities for the children to take part in while looking after their sick teddy bears to help make them feel better.

Upon arrival, a consultation with a teddy bear doctor took place to determine the medical state of the plush patient. Following the examination, the pupil received a “pawscription” and then a referral to either surgery or x-ray, with the “pawscription” containing important information about each teddy bear’s injury or illness and a cure for it, with remedies including eating plenty of fruit, drinking water, or bedrest.

A Teddy Bear Pharmacy was also in full swing, with fresh fruit being handed out to the children and their teddy bears. Not only were the sick teddies getting looked after, but so were the children themselves, enjoying the multitude of activities at the event, including face-painting, colouring and bouncy castles, as the Teddy Bear Hospital closed its doors for another year.

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Mature Student Diary

By Jody Moylan Last week, in the course of tidying my house, two things occurred that may have been incidental; a simple coincidence and nothing more. In the first instance, I found behind my desk a print-out of an essay I’d written last year for an Irish history module on the value, or not, of first-hand accounts as historical sources. I remembered it being an assignment that had interested me, so I sat down to re-read it. Areas covered were those we’d been learning about, like Bureau of Military History statements and old newspaper reports. Also covered was the subject of memoirs, and how seriously we should take these books as evidence of what actually happened. Two books we’d looked at were Gerry Adams’ autobiography Before the Dawn and Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes. Reading the assignment reminded me again that I must pick up a copy of McCourt’s book; a tome I’d borrowed off my sister many years ago, had subsequently lost, and borrowed again off the library for the essay, only to have to return it.

When I went back to tidying up, I faced straightening out a book shelf I hadn’t touched in ages and, lo and behold, I found at the bottom, turned back-to-front, the same old copy of Angela’s Ashes I thought I’d already lost. Suitably surprised, I opened the book and began to

read it, while also picking up the assignment to compare exactly how it had been criticised.

The book began, sure enough, with all the ‘cliché’ that Roy Foster said it had (in a critical essay he’d written). Yes, McCourt does indeed tell us on page one that all you’ve heard before about Ireland was true in the case of himself, and his childhood: ‘... the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred years.’ Foster reminds us that this is how it is going to be, right the way through; enough sentimentality and cliché to sink a coffin ship.

Interestingly, or tellingly, by the time ‘Ashes won the Pulitzer Prize in 1997 it had been ‘flying off the shelves — especially in the US’. Perhaps it was the story of the Irish exodus to America, unfiltered, that struck a chord with so many descendents and ex-pats. Or perhaps, as Foster put it, it was a story distorted and doctored in all sorts of ways in order to appeal to hearts, minds and wallets.

Noted in the criticism is something that might seem unimportant at first glance: rain is incessant throughout McCourt’s memoir.

Something I’d read before struck me about this. It was on the point of The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I could never figure out how Fitzgerald conveyed the atmosphere in his masterpiece. It seemed to me to have been a

Final Year Diary

By Sadhbh Hendrick Dear Diary, I write this whilst battling self-diagnosed Refresher’s Flu. Symptoms include (but are not exclusive to); mild-severe hoarseness, stark reminiscence and appreciation for ease of nasal inhalation, Amber Leaf-esque coughing etc etc. I’ll be better before I get married, as they say. However, given that marriage rates are expected to drop to 70% for our generation (according to Bentley.edu), this provides far less comfort than Boomers may suspect.

After being in attendance at Commerce Ball this week, a serious nod of kudos towards BizSoc is necessary. I can’t speak for any other Ball this year due to my absence but Commerce Ball was a superb event indeed! This brings me nicely to my next point of discussion. Semester 2 Clubs & Socs Days. Whether you are a first or final year, attending these events is never a bad idea. Whilst it may seem like it’s ‘too late’ to be joining in, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Be it week 4 or not, there are nothing but positives to be gained from putting your hand up to join something new for the semester. And sure look, if it’s not for you, you never have to attend again, but I said it last semester and I’ll say it again: When else will you be in a building where all at once, the Baking Society are putting Paul Hollywood to shame, the Organic Gardening Society are channelling 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? Make the most of it kids.

Throughout my entire NUI Galway existence, I have lived in student accommodation. It’s a character-forming process to say the least. You learn to appreciate the decorative ability of mould or squeeze your entire fashion portfolio (ie. Clothes)

into the tiniest of wardrobes. Student accommodation allows you to eventually find entirely uncomfortable suites of furniture to be rather lumbar supportive. You become adept at enduring chilly-extremely chilly states of temperatures.

All in the name of a stronger immune system, they say. Another thing that has come alongside student accommodation living has also been the opportunity to live with students that are here on ‘Study Abroad’ or Erasmus. And whilst that infamous Facebook video may hold true (you know the one, ‘So when I was in Europe!!!!!’), living with students coming to Galway for the first time has been very insightful. It’s an interesting process indeed.

Firstly, they navigate their way into town and over the bridge into college. They find their way to the Quays or the Front Door. They learn to pronounce all the necessary place names and actual names. They make friends and acquaintances, falling for the Galway charm. They hear various renditions of the Irish struggle for independence and even vaguer versions of the history of Gaillimh. This semester is my sixth time watching the experience unfold, yet, each time, it’s as fascinating as the last one. As you hear some questionable pronunciations of seemingly simple words like Donegal or Eyre Square, it evokes a certain pride of place and pride of Galway. Watching a fellow student appreciate the stories, secrets (and seshes) Galway has on offer forces you to appreciate them for yourself all over again. Roll on Galway 2020!

As a parting note, I am deliraaa to inform you all that this week I shall be clicking submit on the joy that is my Final Year Project. The culmination of a lot of hard work all boils down to a simple upload. I’ll try not to be that person that does the boomerang on their Insta story of putting the spiral bound copy through the submission box. We all know the type.

GRMA, Sadhbh x

magical quality that arose with the accumulation of great text. At least I believed that until I read an essay about the book, an essay that pointed out a pattern that seemed incidental — a point of detail and no more; it was always raining in The Great Gatsby, important scene after important scene. It was a detail that was meant to go into the reader’s subconsciousness, but stick there, and shape your feeling towards the book and everything in it. In other words, it was a simple literary trick. Foster in his essay goes on to slice up more of these ‘truths’ in McCourt’s book.

There is, for instance ‘a scene straight out of [ Joyce’s] Portrait of an Artist’. Another, of a doomed love affair ‘is reminiscent of Mícheál Mac Liammóir’s autobiography, All for Hecuba’.

There are also ‘high-flown’ nods to Dostoevsky and Dickens, while the ‘notoriously unreliable’ autobiographies of Sean O’Casey are also reaped. It might be the truth that McCourt’s own bookshelves had heavily influenced his ‘memoir’, but it’s no crime; all a publisher wants is something that reads well and sells even better. Angela’s Ashes sold millions of copies off the back of all those readers believing every word of it. There is much truth to all those Irish clichés, after all. What critics like Roy Foster found so surprising was that each and every one of them could land so perfectly together on one rain-sodden tenement doorstep in Limerick, once-upon-a-time.

In a rave, celebratory review, on its release in 1996, Nuala O’Faolain said the book had given Ireland, in McCourt, ‘our first Dickens’. Though unintended, the comparison with the great fiction writer was, perhaps, apt. But maybe her sentiment was right, for even if the details were fabricated, incidental, and oddly coincidental, it may all have been done for the very worthy intention, lo and behold, of telling a good story.

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10 N E WS & F E ATU R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

ROPES Literary Journal:

Fresh new literature for a worthy cause

By Shauna Mc Hugh Mounting pressure to do well on an assignment is an all too familiar sensation for many of us students, not least of all for the poor souls grasping for their MA. Imagine how much worse that stress would be if this assignment was depended upon to continue a well respected tradition almost three decades long, and to provide funds for a worthy charitable cause? Well, that was exactly the insurmountable dilemma that the seventeen students of NUI Galway’s MA in Literature and Publishing faced at the start of this college year.

Each academic year, this MA class release the ROPES Literary Journal. Now into its 28th year, and at this stage well renowned within the Irish literary

scene, this made putting together the 2020 journal a daunting prospect for deputy editor Gabrielle Reid and editor Emily O’Brien. “ROPES is an almost 30-year-old tradition now, and widely respected.

No class wants to be the year to mess that up”, Gabrielle explains.

Gabrielle says that raising awareness about this project has not always been easy, as they always feel they’re “not reaching enough ears”. A majority of the class hadn’t even heard of the journal before joining their MA course to create it. However, they have received plenty of support across Galway to counteract this. Both Emily and Gabrielle hail Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop for being faithful advertisers with the journal, as are NUI Galway themselves.

Social media has also helped to garner much attention for this project, and Emily says that Twitter is their most active presence online, as it’s “very personable”, thanks to Mal working on the group’s social media. “The Twitter really gives the journal a voice and a personality, and followers get to see the people working behind it”, Gabrielle agrees. The seventeen members of the team may all be women, but there is no shortage of diversity amongst them. They all come from a huge variety of international backgrounds, including France, America, India, Canada, Indonesia and many more. Five of the members are Irish, but no two members of the group are from the same place. They also all vary in age.

While the group are still accepting visual submissions, all of their literary content has now already been chosen. These submissions cover a diverse range of themes, and were created by an even wider variety of writers. According to Gabrielle, “some kick-ass writers have come to the table” for the 28th issue. In particular, Emily has a soft spot for the submissions that make reference to Galway; “I’ll publish any poem or short story with the word Corrib in it basically”, she jokes. “It was definitely a case of quality over quantity in terms of the submissions received”, Emily notes, yet she agrees that they wouldn’t want it any other way.

This year, the group will be launching their journal in conjunction with the Cúirt International Festival of Literature, which takes place in Galway from the 20th-25th April 2020. The ROPES team are giddy with anticipation for this launch, which will be the result of an arduous process to create a journal they can be proud of, after many months of hard work. When first tasked with this project in September, the idea of going to print in March and being launched in April seemed impossible to the team. Yet, now that the submissions are in, their finish line is firmly in sight.

Besides its huge academic significance, another incentive for ROPES to do well is the worthy cause that will benefit from the journal’s success. This year, ROPES will be donating all proceeds from their publication to COPE Galway. After a vote was held amongst the class, it was not difficult to reach a group consensus as to why the women felt that COPE should be the recipients of their donation.

“COPE do great work and are severely underfunded”, explains Emily, “They’ve also recently opened a new facility, and they deal with really relevant subjects for us, such as homelessness, the housing crisis and domestic violence”.

As well as supporting this great cause, anyone who purchases the book is also giving a huge boost to those who need it most within the literary community. “This journal gives a voice to unpublished pieces and authors. It contains a lot of diversity that you can’t always find elsewhere”, enthuses Gabrielle, while Emily says, “It’s great to showcase such a team effort, and to give a platform to writers that have never been published before. Overall, it’s a really wholesome journal”.

It’s not too late to be a part of this wholesome journal either, the group encourages! Visual submissions are still being accepted until the 14th of February. The group are also still appealing for funding towards their project. This can be donated through their Go Fund Me page, or you can support the girls by buying their merchandise. A limited number of ROPES badges are available for sale across campus or through the group’s social media pages.

Following ROPES online will be worthwhile in months to come for many reasons, as the girls tease that they have many exciting things lined up ahead of their launch and in conjunction with their Galway 2020 partnership. To keep up to date with the group, all of their social media handles are @ropeslitjournal.

SEX EDUCATION: Why are Irish students learning more from their screens than their schools?

By Tara Trevaskis Hoskin The Netflix original show Sex Education is back this month with a second season and it has proven popular once again. The show follows the lives of sex therapist Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson) and her teenage son Otis (Asa Butterfield). There are many developments in the plot of season 2 but the general premise remains the same, as Otis and Maeve (Emma Mackey) re-open their own sex clinic in their school. However their business is put into jeopardy when Jean is enlisted by the school to improve the sex education curriculum. It’s undeniable that this is a very funny and charming TV show, however, it is also educational in a way that we have not seen before. The show does not just focus on contraception and heterosexual sex like much of our education did in the Irish school system, it explores topics about body image, consent, sexuality, pleasure and so much more. Sex education has been an extremely controversial topic, especially in Irish society, in the recent past, but is there still a taboo in Ireland around sexual

health and sex education? Has this teenage comedy been breaking stigmas more so than the Irish education system?

Last year, a report was published by the Oireachtas Education Committee, stating that Relationship and Sexuality Education in Ireland was outdated and needed an overhaul. There is legislation in place that ensures all schools must provide some sort of sex education to their students, however, this education may be dictated by the ethos of the school. With the majority of schools across Ireland still having Catholic patronage, many schools have a Catholic ethos.

With the Catholic belief that sex should be saved for marriage and homosexuality is a sin, it is safe to say that not all Irish students have had a comprehensive sex education curriculum. Due to this lack of inclusive sex education, people are less comfortable with openly discussing their sexuality and indeed sexual health.

Without the tools to be open, people are closed off and sex becomes a taboo topic. If we are not equipped with these tools from a young age, it becomes harder to develop them once we get to

university. Without a more comprehensive sex education programme in Irish secondary schools, there will still be a stigma around discussing our sexuality and sexual health. Shows like Sex Education are combating this stigma by giving young people the necessary tools for having healthy and open conversations.

Research from Censuswide and Medicine Direct found that 47% of Irish people have never had an STI check despite being sexually active.

There is a massive stigma around STI’s and as a result people often feel a huge amount of shame around this topic. Sex Education touches on this issue in the first episode of season 2 when the school experiences a chlamydia outbreak.

Towards the end of the episode, the people who contracted it are reminded that an illness is not something shameful and the show highlights the importance of open discourse with our sexual partners. This is not to say that this episode alone has ended the taboo around contracting an STI or even around regular STI screenings, however, it has opened a small conversation or normalized sexual health to some degree.

There is still a long way to go in Ireland around lessening the shame with sexual health, but with the rise in popularity of Sex Education, it is clear that there is more open discourse to come.

As I mentioned before, much of the curriculum in Irish secondary schools focuses on heterosexual relationships, often not even acknowledging that there is more than one sexuality. This creates a taboo around other sexualities, and if they are never discussed there is room for lots of misinformation and misconceptions about them. Sex Education has gay, pansexual, lesbian, bisexual and asexual characters. This diversity is really important, especially for young people, who often don’t receive any education about their sexualities.

By having this representation, the taboo and lack of information around sexuality is broken down and it is important that this representation is also reflected in our education system.

There is still a lot of taboo and shame around sexuality and sexual health in young people in Ireland due to a lack of education, only heightening the need for shows like Sex Education that slowly break this stigma down.

N UAC HT

February 04 2020

7

11

GNÉ -ALTANNA

First Year Diary

This week, our resident first year columnist Aoife Burke breaks down her fitness resolutions for the semester ahead, and provides updates on how to afford an ongoing coffee addiction like her own. As always, she’s juggling it all amidst a packed schedule of English readings and law exams!

Hi guys, It’s me back again! At the time of writing this, we are over a week away from the results being released! I’m hopeful that everyone did well (including me). I did my best anyhow. I have been busy catching up with work and studying hard. I have a lot of additional reading to do this year so I am trying to pace myself and get all of it done on time! I have some exciting news I sadly

there. It’s a women only gym, and it’s like a party with great music and fun instructors!

I’m really loving my English modules this semester, as we are studying Greek theatre and drama. I find I learn a lot from Youtube videos, as well as Blackboard. We have another tort Multiple Choice Quiz in February worth 20% again with negative marking! So I am going to have to really knuckle down for that!

cannot publish yet, but once I can, you guys will be the first to know! I have had to take a couple of days off college in relation to this, however, I will make it up!

My hair costs 100 euro at a time but that’s for everything!

I visit the hairdresser every 3 months for my regular highlights, toner and a trim. I’m planning to get back into fitness in the new decade and rejoin my local gym, as I loved going in

My experience as a CÉIM Leader Being a student leader in the CÉIM peer learning programme was a very positive experience and one of the best things I did while studying at NUI Galway. I would definitely say I got more out of this role than I put in. First you meet the most wonderful people, from people with similar goals and interests to people with very different ones. You meet people in your class you’ve never seen before – which is a blessing in classes with over 100 people. You meet regularly with academics. If you haven’t engaged with academic staff before it definitely makes them seem much more approachable.

As a leader, you get huge rewards – you can visibly see that you are making a difference to the lives of first year students. It’s a safe place where first year students can come to get information they might be afraid to ask their lecturers or even their friends and it’s never just one person that has that question.

Every week you can see students leave the room a little bit more relaxed. Sometimes students just need an hour to have a chat with others in their course and go over essay tips – or thrash out the complexities of referencing. It is also very rewarding to watch the group settle into life at NUI Galway and finally understand something they’ve been struggling with!

The CÉIM leader training is really comprehensive and it sets you up - not just for being a CÉIM leader, but also for any other leadership roles you decide to undertake. The sheer amount of skills you gain is immense. You learn how to facilitate and lead sessions for both small and large groups of people. You also develop other skills that look great on your CV. These include problem solving as you learn how to think quickly on your feet, organizational skills, and communication skills. You’ll find that you gain confidence in communicating with all sorts of people, from first year students and your fellow leaders - to academics and Students’ Union staff. Not only do you gain these skills – you also learn how to highlight them in your CV in a practical and professional manner.

If you’re thinking of applying - my advice as a previous CÉIM leader is to do it! You get so much out of it - new friends, a rewarding was to volunteer your time, and an abundance of new skills.

— Emma Sweeney

I have a real coffee habit going on! I drink at least 2 cups every morning. I cannot function without it anymore! My mum kindly gifted me a coffee machine for Christmas and it takes coffee pods. I really love it, however, I am limited for space. I share my house with four other people, so every corner has something in it! My rent is very low and thank God I have a sound landlord.

I have found budgeting in my

first year of college to be tough, although I am always pleased to see the dinners in the Bialann are very reasonably priced. I keep meaning to buy a keep cup for my coffee, to be kinder to the environment and my own pocket! It’s great that it works out cheaper in the long run to use your own cup around college.

I still am intending to do an English degree. Without sounding too nerdy, I love writing

essays. It’s important to eat well and exercise and get lots of sleep.

I’m still finding Thursdays the toughest day of lectures within the week. By 6pm, I am usually sat with a coffee staring into space, and absolutely zonked.

Perhaps it’s the January blues getting to us all lately, on top of settling into a brand new semester.

Thanks for reading!

Big love, Aoife x

Apply Now

Become a 2020/21 CÉIM Leader Bí i do Cheannaire CÉIM don Bhliain 2020/21 CÉIM leaders support 1st year students to transition to university life, gain a greater understanding of coursework and meet new people.

Eligible students: 1st year Engineering • 1st and 2nd year Geography 1st and 2nd year Political Science & Sociology • 1st and 2nd year Denominated Psychology 1st and 2nd year Psychological Studies • 1st and 2nd year BA Law • 1st and 2nd year Law (BCL) 1st year Law and Business • 2nd year Corporate Law • 1st year Law and Human Rights

What’s in it for you?

Cé na buntáistí a bhainfidh tú as?

• Intensive leadership training • Looks great on your CV • Develop key skills • Meet new people • Support 1st year students • Hoodie and parties for leaders • CÉIM leadership certificate and digital badge • Apply for NUI Galway President’s Award and Employability Award

Closing Date: Monday 10th February • Dáta Deiridh: Dé Luain 10 Feabhra

Find out more and apply Faigh tuilleadh eolais agus déan iarratas

WWW.SU.NUIGALWAY.IE/CEIM CÉIM is based on the proven Peer Assisted Learning model and is a joint initiative of various Schools/Colleges and the Students’ Union. CÉIM is funded by NUI Galway.

Tá CÉIM bunaithe ar Shamhail na Foghlama Piarchuidithe, a bhfuil dea-theist uirthi, agus is comhthionscnamh é idir Scoileanna/Coláistí éagsúla agus Comhaltas na Mac Léinn.

Tá CÉIM maoinithe ag OÉ Gaillimh.

Recruitment Poster Nov 2019 (1).indd 1

19/12/2019 09:55

12 NEWS & F E AT U R ES

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

DRY JANUARY: is it worth it?

By Caoimhe Killeen “Are you coming to Sult? Ah go on, just have one pint!”

It’s a phrase one hears multiple times through their time at university. In a way, it’s unavoidable.

It’s the elephant in the room that needs to be discussed: Ireland has an alcohol problem. It’s kind of become our “brand”, for want of a better word.

It’s become so much of a joke that a couple of years ago, in an episode of ‘Family Guy’ in which Peter Griffin travels to Ireland to find his real dad, the plane lands at Dublin Airport on a runway full of

With that in mind, it’s no wonder various challenges have come about to try and curb binge drinking, the most notable one being “Dry January.” The title itself is self-explanatory. During the month of January, people attempt to go the entire month without drinking alcohol. It’s another spin on the “New Year, new me” trend that people try and adopt to stick to their resolutions. However, this one is becoming increasingly more popular.

“I always see it every year, people putting it up on social media asking, “Are you participating in Dry January?” states Caoimhe Mc Aleenan, a final

A study published by the Lancet found that Irish adolescent girls are among the highest binge drinkers in the world, ranking third with 61% female to 59% males. Yet, according to the WHO (World Health Organisation), the rate of 20 to 24-year-old females who have abstained from drinking in the last twelve months is approximately 24%, in contrast to 9% for males. empty bottles of Heineken. If the writers of Family Guy assume Ireland is a nation full of drunks, it’s not a good sign.

year LLB student in NUI Galway. She decided to take on the challenge of Dry January after seeing it pop up year after year on her social media feeds.

This year, she finally decided to take the plunge.

“I’ve always thought it was interesting, but I’ve never actually done it. But this year, I wanted to do it because I overindulged loads and loads over Christmas. I drank so much alcohol that I thought I might as well do it.”

As with most trends, social media gives a platform on which to boost awareness to causes such as Dry January to university students like Caoimhe.

As she puts it: “Seeing it (on social media) makes you more aware, because loads of people are doing it, and it kind of puts you under pressure to ask yourself “can I do it?”

Yet, the decision to give up drinking alcohol even for a month can seem completely mad altogether, especially among Irish university students. Caoimhe noted that when she did drink on nights out, she “would drink a lot but the older I get, the less I drink. When I was younger, I probably tended to binge drink all the time.

So, I think it was probably easier for me to do Dry January, because I got it out of my system early”. Her experience with binge drinking at a younger age is not uncommon. Out of any age group, statistics show that students tend to suffer the most from binge drinking culture. A study that was published by the Lancet just last year found that Irish adolescent girls are among the highest binge drinkers in the world, ranking third with 61% female to 59% males, just behind the highest rate in Denmark at 70%.

Yet, according to the WHO (World Health Organisation), the rate of 20 to 24-year-old females who have abstained from drinking in the last twelve months is approximately 24%, in contrast to 9% for males. From these facts alone, it seems that girls seem more likely than guys to take part in Dry January.

Peer pressure was definitely not a challenge for Caoimhe, despite being the only one in her friend group participating in Dry January. She’s found many benefits in staying sober, with the best payoff being “that you don’t wake up with a hangover. You don’t feel ill. You can go into college, focus on your lectures and get more work done”. Of course, there are a few cons involved such as still being dragged along to the college bar by friends. “You can still go to the bar, but it’s harder, because you’re surrounded by temptation!”

Despite it all, she has developed a more positive attitude towards alcohol and drinking in general.

“I’ll probably go back to drinking in Febuary, but I don’t think I’ll be going mad on it. I’ll have the one drink and I’ll be grand.”

So, there lies the power in a simple thirty-oneday challenge like Dry January. In the space of a month, it can force someone to take a step back and really notice how overly dependent Irish society is on a pint or two of Guinness. Perhaps overtime, it will evolve into a younger generation of abstainers, or at the very least a generation that is more aware about their drinking habits. Maybe it’s overly optimistic, but as the old saying goes: Never say never!

Paddy Holohan’s comments show the ugly side of “nationalism”

By Daniel Brennan Sinn Féin Councillor Paddy Holohan was recently suspended from the party over a number of offensive comments he made over several episodes of his podcast.

First, he made a number of comments with homophobic and racist undertones aimed at Leo Varadkar; “We need people running the country — and not against Leo — but to me, I want a family man running the country... someone that knows what it’s like to have kids, maybe hopefully boys and girls, so when you’re creating the policies and stuff that’s going to go on, that you’re like, right, it makes sense”, and “He’s so separated not even from society now but he’s so separated from the history of this country... Leo Varadkar’s blood obviously runs to India. His great-grandfather is not part of the history of this country. Now Leo obviously is... he’s an Irish citizen but his passion doesn’t go back to the times when our passion goes back to”.

Speaking from a personal political standpoint – I despise Fine Gael, and all they have done to harm the poor, the disadvantaged, and anyone with the gall to want a roof over their head. Their politics disgust me, and their backwards thinking has caused untold misery to so many... but none of that is any excuse to claim that the reason for any of their awful policies has anything to do with the race and sexuality of Leo Varadkar.

Using Varadkar’s Indian heritage as reasoning for his party’s policies screams one thing to me – white nationalism.

Talking about the purity of a person of colour’s blood compared to “real” Irish

people is a sickening thought, veiled by Holohan under the guise of the Irish definition of nationalism – a very different thing throughout history compared to the white elitism Holohan is echoing.

Through the likes of James Connolly, Padraig Pearse, the Sheehy-Skeffingtons and many other figures, the Irish nationalist movement Holohan seems to be harking back to was never based around any sort of white supremacy. It was based around egalitarianism and enfranchising all citizens, not whatever Paddy Holohan thinks it was in his fantasy world. Holohan’s nationalism is not Irish nationalism, but rather white nationalism sneakily being used under the banner of “real” Irish nationalism.

Holohan’s “family man” comments are equally sickening. The simple question is this – would he have even brought up the topic of family if Varadkar wasn’t a gay man? I think not.

His hollow apology did nothing for me.

Claiming his comments were “misinterpreted” and apologising to anyone who was “offended” by his comments is simply not an apology. Anyone who can read can interpret what his comments aimed at Varadkar were based in – inherent racist and homophobic views. Apart from the blatant racism and homophobia, Holohan’s arguments can be deconstructed simply by looking at all the other Fine Gael politicians around Varadkar – they all hold very similar views to Leo, despite the overwhelming majority of them not coming from a minority in society. Their views come from a place of capitalist greed and monetary privilege, not from their ethnic origin or sexual preference.

Following on from that controversy, which emerged right at the beginning of a general election campaign, further comments were uncovered from Holohan – this time with some very strange comments aimed at women, saying; “There is some f***ing scum women out there as well. And I just want to say to you, there’s a situation that I heard during the week... somebody was underage, the [other] person didn’t know they were underage, the girl pursued the guy. Got whatever she needed, had pictures, had videos, and then said “I want 10 grand”.

And that wasn’t the first person, there was loads of them. What is that kind of situation is that that’s going on in society now? I have two sons. It petrifies me, petrifies me that somebody could turn around and say I’m literally just going to say that you attacked me if you don’t give me 10 grand. And people go, ‘no, that doesn’t happen’. It absolutely, I put my hand on my heart and tell you it does happen. And it is happening out there”.

What’s very clear is that Holohan echoes many online far-right reactionary figures with his statements here.

Paddy Holohan. Image: newstalk.ie

His views clearly do not align with anything Sinn Fein or the Irish nationalist movement strives for... and yet all he is given is a suspension pending an internal party review – whatever that means. In situations like this, when someone quite clearly holds some pretty problematic views *at best* that are at odds with what your party apparently stands for... why not just dismiss him entirely? How hard is it to stand up for what’s right rather than waiting for the media attention to die down before quietly letting him continue to represent the party?

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14 O PI N IO N

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

It’s not a choice

by Rachel Garvey Anxiety. What does that word make you think? Does it make you think about how it’s only just a word, a substitute for feeling worried? Well, in my opinion, you’re wrong, it’s so much more than that. I deal with it daily and so do many others. Actually, we don’t even deal with it, we suffer from it. However, some of us deal with it in the shadows, trying to hide it in the darkness because if it peeks itself out into the light, we are afraid people won’t understand it and that’s the harsh reality of today’s world. A lot of people don’t have the slightest clue of what some of us go through on a daily basis, yet they still tell us “Don’t be worrying yourself, just chill”. Trust me, if we could do that, we would in a heartbeat with no hesitation, but it’s never been that simple. I’m constantly seeing the same mental health post on social media platforms that reads, “We live in a society where if we break a bone everyone rushes to us to sign the cast, but if we tell them we have depression or anxiety they turn and run the other direction and it’s those actions that cause the brain to turn in on itself”. Unfortunately, that’s the sad truth, society doesn’t understand mental health as they should. Instead, they turn their back on it, as if it’s a homeless person on the street who they pretend not to notice.

Anxiety has no on and off button, trust me, I’ve tried finding it and I’ve arrived at the conclusion that I never will find it. I could be in work packing the shelves and all of a sudden I’d grab the nearest shelf for support because I get this overwhelming feeling followed by a miniature panic attack, and you try so hard to breathe and keep yourself composed so no-one will turn their attention towards you, but you feel like a failure anyways for letting it overtake your life. It’s the walking down Shop Street through the endless crowds and clutching the strap of your handbag until your fingers hurt and when you finally get to a clearing in the crowd you feel sweat coating your forehead and all over your body. It’s the thought of doing your food shopping alone, the feeling of walking passed a bus, it’s the little things that remind you of a traumatic time in your past, it’s going to the bar to ask for a drink, it’s everything!

It’s not easy to pretend with friends, as you feel like if they see this side of you, they’ll see weakness, but I’ve learned that it’s not weakness, it’s a strength. That strength gets you out of bed on the days you don’t want to leave it, it helps you slap on a smile when you feel you can’t turn that frown upside down. It’s that little light at the end of the tunnel that pushes through the darkness and tells you it’s going

Photo by Dmitry Ratushny on Unsplash to be okay in the end, even when you think it’ll never be okay. People need to let us worry about it, though, we don’t need to hear everyone telling us to chill, it’s the last thing we need. By telling us that, you are actually downplaying our illness, and yes, it is an illness – an illness you shouldn’t comment on if you know nothing about

it. Look at it this way, if someone had broken their leg, would you tell them to just keep walking on it and it’ll heal in no time, or if someone’s family member is dying, would you tell the person grieving to be happy? No, you wouldn’t, so don’t treat someone with anxiety or depression any different.

You may not be able to see a person’s

anxiety or depression, but don’t think it’s not there.

Talk to someone, don’t suffer in silence. Anxiety is a silent predator.

We feel that suffering in silence is better than having people turn their backs on us. You’re not alone out there, so don’t trick yourself into thinking you are. You can do this.

Valentine’s Day; Yet another Hallmark Holiday

Is the Hub the best place to chill on campus?

By Katie Barragry

The Hub has been around for quite some time and it’s surprising that not all students are aware of it.

The Hub is a place where students can chill with their friends, play board games, pool, foosball and most importantly, COOK! Of course, one can chill at Smokey’s café (If you’re lucky enough to get a seat) and you can microwave your food whenever.

But! The hub has plenty of seating and has an entire kitchen. The facility has three microwaves on its premise and two ovens.

There is free tea and biscuits provided and cooking utensils are also available. The University is known to lack social seating, which helped birth the Hub Central right next to the Smokey’s café. Although Hub Central is very practical and convenient, it does not come equipped with an entire kitchen and massage chair room! Every Sunday, the Hub staff prepare a meal free for everyone to try and enjoy, and staff are there throughout the week Monday-Friday and will answer your queries regarding the Well Crew and campus events.

The reason behind this opinion article is to promote one of the only places on campus which offers social seating, has enough space for large groups and offers free hot beverages and drinkable water. In my opinion, the Hub and Hub Central are the only facilities on campus which take student comfort and wellbeing seriously

There are two types of people in the world; those who adore Valentine’s Day and those who despise it. Just when you thought you were finished seeing Instagram posts of smug couples skiing on their Christmas break and people’s snaps of their latest Pandora piece from their significant other, February 14 th seems to have appeared from nowhere and the “Day of Love” is upon us once more.

Whether you view Valentine’s Day as a historic or religious commemoration, or simply as a traditional celebration of love, you cannot deny that it has become a “Hallmark Holiday”, with businesses squeezing every last cent out of the public, for yet another commercialised holiday. Have the long, winding rows of expensive chocolates and bright red flowers hindered your ability to do your weekly food shop in Tesco in peace? Has the powerful aroma of Dior aftershave nearly knocked you unconscious in Boots? Have you been blinded by the brightly coloured, tacky greeting cards that screech “Be my Valentine?” while you search for a “Bon Voyage” card for a former colleague in Eason? Shops and busi-

nesses are decked out in rose petals, mini Cupids and heart-shaped pink balloons, reminding people of their relationship status, just in case they weren’t already aware.

As February 14th approaches, you can see men beginning to panic, mirroring the Christmas period a few weeks ago. You literally just had the stress of finding herself a Christmas present and now you are expected to get her even more if you want to stay in the good books? Like Christmas and Easter, Valentine’s Day is becoming more commercialised and materialistic every year. What has lead women believe they need to purchase bright red, sexy lingerie at extortionate prices from a local boutique for the day that’s in it? Or that men need to splurge on an enormous bunch of overpriced flowers with the ornate wrapping for their partner?

Why do couples feel the need to buy each other life-sized teddy bears to eternally sit awkwardly in the corner of the spare room? Would a simple box of chocolates and flowers from Supervalu down the road not do the job? Or even a glass of wine and a film by the fire? Evidently not. Of course, businesses are going to continue to milk this holiday, provided consumer

demand for glitzy greeting cards, expensive jewellery and luxurious chocolate remains. As members of the public, we are only feeding into the commercialised rituals of Valentine’s Day and allowing this extravagant phenomenon to grow year after year.

Can we not just see the day as a celebration of love, affection and appreciation for our loved ones?

Excessive commercialism and advertising are mortifying and degrading.

Why are we expected to shower our loved ones in rose petals, spend a fortune on dinner, all washed down with a bottle of Merlot? Should your love not be private, intimate and special?

Of course, write your personalised Valentine’s Card and demonstrate to your partner, your family or your friends that you love and appreciate them. However, the card doesn’t need to cost €7. There is absolutely no need to spend a fortune on a wash, cut and blow-dry for an evening where you will be completely ripped off for a mediocre meal out. You really don’t need to send a bunch of pretty delicate yet, costly flowers to your girlfriend’s office. Don’t buy meaningless gifts just for the sake of it. And please, re-think the man-sized, fluffy pink teddy bear.

Anastasia Burton

and try their best to offer comfort and a “chill zone” for the students at NUI Galway.

However, there are some drawbacks to these facilities. Firstly, they are not overly large, especially Hub Central. These facilities cannot seat that many students (please keep in mind there are over 17k students at NUI Galway). Another drawback is that the location of the Hub, which houses a student kitchen, is quite far from the rest of campus. The Hub Central is quite beneficial to the students that are around the Arts Millennium Building and the Arts Science Concourse for most of their week, however, what about the students in the engineering, business, and medicine buildings? Why can’t the University invest in opening more of the Hub facilities around campus so that students could avail of the privileges without having to cross the entire campus to reach them?

It is important for students to have a place to recollect their energy and motivation, and to recharge and enjoy food they made themselves without having to travel back home and back, without spending money they don’t really have on college restaurants. The students should always come first, and I strongly believe the University needs to continue working towards making NUI Galway a university which cares about their students wellbeing and mental health, as well as giving them a safe space to have tea and play a few games before their next lecture.

TUAIRIM

February 04 2020

15

Election 2020: Who will be the next Taoiseach?

By Aaron Deering In case you haven’t heard, a general election has been called and we’re heading to the polls on February 8th.

Issues such as housing, health and homelessness have been to the fore of this election so far. At the time of writing, the latest Red C Opinion Poll in the Sunday Business Post has Fianna Fáil leading the way on 26%, followed by Fine Gael on 23%.

Sinn Féin are on 19%, Independents are on 14%, the Green Party are up to 8%, Labour are at 4%, the Social Democrats are on 3%, Solidarity/People Before Profit are on 2% and Aontu are on 1%.

Fianna Fáil are widely expected to have a very good election. I’m expecting the party to get close to 60 seats and to be forming the next government. People tend not to admit their intention to vote Fianna Fáil to the pollsters and, realistically, their support sits at about 30%. If Fianna Fáil have momentum behind them heading into the last week of the campaign, then undecided voters may take a punt on the party they cast aside almost a decade ago. I expect them to do very well in urban areas, as the recent by-elections and local elections have shown. The party is also very strong in Munster, with party leader Micheál Martin (Cork SouthCentral) and experienced members of the party such as Michael McGrath (Cork South-Central) and Willie O’Dea (Limerick City) running in the region.

For Fine Gael and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, it’s about clinging onto as many seats as possible. I’m predicting Fine Gael to get 40 seats but possibly even dropping just below it. Fine Gael have been in power for nine years and the consensus is that people want a change of government. Fine Gael have been hurt by recent controversies, such as the RIC commemoration and problems such as homelessness and the trolley crisis have led to a drop in support for the party. I expect the party to struggle to hold onto second seats in four or five-seater constituencies. Leo’s leadership will also be called into question should his party be confined to the opposition benches after February 8th, having been elected Fine Gael leader with the sole focus of winning an election. Fine Gael big hitters Pascal Donohoe and Simon Coveney will be circling, should Fine Gael fall short as expected.

The polls are predicting Sinn Féin to have a successful election, but I don’t see that transpiring. The party is only running 42 candidates in this election, dismissing any idea of Sinn Féin leading any form of government, while Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have both ruled out going into coalition with them. With Sinn Fein in this predicament, I can only see the party taking its seats amongst the opposition benches once again Sinn Féin are always overstated in polls by 4-5% due to the reluctance of their voters to

show up at the ballot box. The only election the Sinners look set to win is the Twitter election, which doesn’t translate to votes, or indeed seats in Dáil Eireann ( just ask the Labour party in Britain). I can’t see the party recovering from its bruising losses in the local elections only 8 months ago.

The Green Party will win between 8-12 seats, with the party being successful in urban areas.

Some sections of the media are predicting the Greens to take up to 15 seats, but I predict they will fall below this due to a lack of support in rural areas. In rural areas, the Green Party has become almost toxic with their stance on the beef farmers, while party leader Eamon Ryan’s comments about carpooling in rural areas went down like a lead balloon. Despite this, the Green Party will have a very good election and have rebuilt themselves since their total wipe-out in 2011.

The one problem potentially facing the party is the high price their support will demand for any potential coalition partner. Environmental issues have taken a back seat in this election compared to the local elections with people caring more about health and homelessness this time around.

The Green Party could still yet end up forming the next government, but the refusal from party candidates such as Saoirse McHugh to go into government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael may prove problematic.

The polls have the Labour Party down as low as 4% after a disastrous few years. However, their recent showing in the local elections has shown that the public warmth towards the party is beginning to make its return, following their spell in government with Fine Gael and subsequent nightmare performance in the 2016 election. One would assume that the party’s real standing among the electorate is closer to 6%. I’m predicting the party to get 8-10 seats and have some say in the formation of the next government. Brendan Howlin has done well to halt the Labour Party’s decline, but I expect his time as leader to come to an end after this election regardless of the result. A new young leader such as Aodhan O Riordain, Ged Nash or Duncan Smith could be waiting in the wings to bring a fresh new emphasis to the party.

Finally, I believe the Social Democrats will gain one seat, but after the election, it will surely be a question of, ‘Where do we go from here?’, for the party. Aontú will do well to hold onto their sitting TD Peader Tobin (Meath West) and will be hoping to continue their establishment of a party. Solidarity/ People Before Profit will struggle to hold onto their existing seats. Independents will once again make up around 30 seats in the next Dail.

Overall, I’m predicting Micheál Martin to be our next Taoiseach with a government being formed by Fianna Fáil, Labour and a few independents and, at a push the Green Party if needed.

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16 OPI NIO N

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?

by Rachel Garvey Rude customer? Ban them from the store!

Rude friend? Give them a slap across the face every once in a while! A rude family member? Disown them! A rude person in general?

Utilise a certain curse word to have them leave you alone! Those are the things we wish we could do to the different rude people who we cross paths with on near enough a daily basis, but sometimes we need to take a step back and re-think our next move. In my opinion, it would be best to approach it in a non-violent way, no-one wants a bad reputation, do they?

Is there ever a time when you’re at work and you’re busy packing a shelf full of stock and a customer asks rather rudely if you have a specific product? You do everything a customer assistant is supposed to do, like double-checking the shelves and then making the long journey to the warehouse to see if the product is anywhere back, and then you return unsuccessful to the customer to hear them say to you “That simply isn’t good enough!”? The temptation to growl at them and give them a piece of your mind is torturous, but you just bite your tongue and slap on a smile that only the people closest to you will understand. I work in retail, so I know too well what it’s like

We all have our bad days and that means moods can be at rock bottom, possibly lower than SpongeBob’s pineapple at the bottom of the deep blue sea. Don’t take it to heart!

to deal with customers like that. My answer to you is: smile and apologise to them in a calm tone, recommend another product they might like. I like to think that method of doing things will not have your job in jeopardy. You got bills to pay, so play nice!

Do you have that one friend that tries to control everyone and everything around them? The one that people pretend to like, and they come with a little added bonus that no-one likes either, which is the no filter side that is quite rude. It’s the side that everyone fears, but we sit through it and keep our mouths shut. My answer to you is: all friends have their rude moments from time to time, we all say rude things out of anger or sadness at times, but it gets to a limit where rude comments are all that leaves their mouth.

We don’t need friends like that, who bring negativity into our lives. It’s okay to cut people out, there are some people who aren’t worth space in our social circle.

Then there are just the people who are rude in general for no reason. They may be having a

bad day, but just because someone is having a bad day doesn’t mean that they should take out their anger on everyone else who they pass. My answer to you is: we all have our bad days and that means our moods will be at a rock bottom stage, possibly lower than SpongeBob’s pineapple at the bottom of the deep blue sea. My answer to you: Don’t take it to heart! We have all been rude to people on our down days, so, we can all empathise. Don’t let their bad mood spread to you. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

To put it bluntly, we would all love to throw a few punches or slaps to the rude people we meet in our lives, but can we not damage our reputation. The best piece of advice I can give you is just nod and smile, show them that you are the bigger person. Don’t give in to their rudeness and give them the reaction they want. Don’t give them that satisfaction because if you just smile and nod and be the bigger person, then you’ve already won and as for them, let them bask in the torturous “glory” of being in the wrong for being rude in the first place.

May contain complaints

Under the influence

By Stevie Buckley

Sadhbh Hendrick

Imagine this – you’re walking into a café to get a cup of coffee. You go up to the cashier and order your usual order and you are informed that the café is out of all milks except cow’s milk. Most people wouldn’t mind this, but when you’re lactose intolerant, like I am, this is a nightmare. It’s either no coffee or black coffee, neither of which seem particularly appealing at the time. Then, when you decide on the black coffee over no coffee, you see a nice slice of cake staring out at you. You say “an americano and…” but remember you’re also coeliac. Disaster. You buy a fruit salad and walk out with your black americano.

There are many other problems with being coeliac and lactose intolerant. One of the biggest ones that I can think of is the “may contain cereals containing gluten” debacle. You look at a packet of dried fruit in a supermarket and it has those dreaded words on the label. No dried mango for me, I guess. It may taste nice, but it wouldn’t be worth the risk of having the unpleasant side effects of eating gluten. Oftentimes, I walk out of the supermarket with half of what I walked in for because of the dreaded “may contain gluten”.

My next two points will be about restaurants. My first point is this – if you go into a restaurant and order something gluten-free (if they have it), the staff will often tell you that it is made in a kitchen which handles gluten products. This means you either have to take the risk of eating something with gluten in it or cancel your order. I often take the risk due to feeling too shy to cancel an order. Thankfully, most kitchens seem to be careful, as I have not yet had a severe reaction by eating at a restaurant that has allergens in their kitchens.

The second point elaborates on something I said in the previous paragraph. Most fast food places don’t have gluten-free options and

smother everything in cheese and/or mayonnaise. This means that people with coeliac disease are even taking a risk if they ask for a cola or any drink. I have only come across one fast food place that does gluten-free options.

Even then, I only eat there very rarely because I try not to risk food reactions.

Now I’ll move onto shops. Unfortunately, the gluten-free sections in most shops are tiny.

A few loaves of bread, rice pasta, some digestives and one type of cereal seems to be the standard. Some shops are better than others, for example having a gluten-free Margherita pizza in the frozen food section or some sweet potato wraps besides the bread, but it’s hopeless trying to get gluten-free food in a lot of shops. It’s like trying to knock down a brick wall with a feather duster.

The shops that have the best selection of gluten-free foods and milk alternatives are often the most expensive. If they have chocolate cake and/or bagels and/or anything else fancier than what I mentioned in the paragraph above, they are likely to price themselves out of the market. I’m not naming any shops in particular, but anyone who is coeliac will probably know who I’m talking about. You could nearly spend your entire student grant on gluten-free food, and a lot of it isn’t even nice. To get anything nice, such as the right type of bread or variety of biscuits for you, you would need to buy a number of different types unless you’re lucky first time around.

Don’t get me started on milk alternatives, own brand and UHT milks aren’t as good as fresh branded alternatives usually, with the possible exception of lactose-free cow’s milk.

To conclude, I would like to say this – before you joke about us, either on your own or with others, please consider that we just don’t want to be unwell, or even die, and that a lot of the time we spend significant time and money avoiding these undesirable situations.

MICHAEL O’ LEARY: Aged 58 KYLIE JENNER: Aged 22 MICHAEL O’ LEARY: Secondary schooling at Clongowes Wood College, Kildare. Undergraduate Business & Economics Degree. KPMG tax trainee.

KYLIE JENNER: Home school secondary education.

MICHAEL O’ LEARY, NET WORTH: $954 million (According to the Irish Times).

KYLIE JENNER, NET WORTH: $1 billion (According to Forbes).

Go compare. Go compare.

I’m not here to comment on the intellectual capabilities or applaud the academic achievements of the above-mentioned familiar names. However, their contrasting educational paths and slightly varying net worth are certainly served to prove a point. Both Kylie Jenner and O’Leary are somewhat marmited characters. The majority of the time, people are either avid fans or passionate haters.

Whichever stance you may take, you would be hard-pressed to give reasons that allow you to consider the pair unsuccessful. Both have led entirely different lives. One, a Cork man with a sharp tongue and an unmatched PR stirring ability. The other, the youngest of one of America’s most recognised families with the most successful lipstick range of our time. To a large extent, O’ Leary carved a lot of his own success with hard work, determination and a slightly inflated sense of self-confidence. Kylie, not so much. Kim Kardashian paved the way for Kylie’s fame. Her momager put all her Communion/Confirmation/ Credit Union savings aside to fund her Lipkit business. What part did Kylie have to play in her success? Her role as an influencer, obviously.

There is no disputing her business capabilities or savviness. Kylie and her 159 million Instagram followers rocketed her business into the megabucks.

How? Note the 159 million followers. One post at a time, the young Jenner uses her reach as an adver-

tising company no other firm has access to. Making waves on Twitter or uploading multi filtered stories on Snapchat allowed Kylie to influence all those guys and gals to order her phenomenal lip kit.

It isn’t ridiculous to consider that perhaps O’Leary is somewhat of an influencer himself. By creating media storms and demanding attention, spinning seemingly horrifying headlines into increased flight bookings, O’Leary influences all of us holiday-crazed souls and drums up his own net worth. I think it’s safe to say, however, O’Leary is not the next James Charles.

What is an influencer really though? How do you define this role? What’s the CAO Code? According to sproutsocial.com, ‘An influencer is someone in your niche or industry with sway over your target audience. Influencers have specialized knowledge, authority or insight into a specific subject. Their pre-existing presence in a niche makes them a useful launching pad for brands in search of credibility.’ So, in reality, an influencer is a selfemployed advertisement that advertises either themselves or the latest BooHoo or PLT ranges.

Influencers create platforms of fans and loyal followers that also serve as a customer base. This loyalty is somewhat fickle, as it takes only one social media spat to destroy a reputation or influencing ability, so it’s best to milk it for all it’s worth when you’re trending for all the right reasons.

The job-title ‘Influencer’ didn’t exist 10 years ago and that in itself is interesting. Social media as a marketing or advertising method has allowed for the birth of a business opportunity never before seen. It is now acceptable (on Love Island at least) to declare your entire employment status as being an influencer. My take on the matter? Hats off to each and every successful influencer! Turning a passion like makeup or beauty into a career or method making ends meet is impressive. So, either get building up those followers and that #Content or else endure the wrath of employers like Michael himself; ‘Get back to work you slacker or you’re fired’.

TUAIRIM

February 04 2020

The Night We Met; Has social media ruined those intimate moments?

by Katie Barragry When I was younger, I was fascinated by couples.

I remember enquiring and analysing how the adults in my life had met each other. How had my parents, with opposing views on absolutely everything ended up together? I clearly didn’t understand the concept of opposites attracting. I certainly didn’t understand love; the joy, the agony associated with it and everything in between. With Valentine’s Day approaching once again, the beginning of relationships continues to captivate me, as does the fateful meetings of millennials in particular.

Lord Huron’s song ‘The Night We Met’ is a track that is more than likely on every millennial’s playlist. It initially rose to fame following its appearance in the television series 13 Reasons Why. The band describes the first encounter as a blessing and “a trail to follow.” This song depicts the importance, distinctness and intimacy of the first meeting of a future lover. ‘The Night We Met’ holds a special place in the hearts of many today because it is moving, emotional and narrates the exhilarating whirlwind of falling in love. What draws many to the tune is the sense of naivety and innocence associated with a first meeting.

However, for a 21st-century song, it is somewhat unrealistic. In all honesty, how often do young people today meet someone on the street and leave with a dinner date the following evening? How often do we fall head over heels in love with “the cute boy next door”, despite finding him absolutely repulsive since playschool? I would have to say not very often. We have all seen Dear John, The Notebook and Love Actually, which undoubtedly include the beautifully memorable first meetings of lovers. Inevitably, the prime question that most couples today will encounter is, “So, how exactly did you two meet? Tell us everything!” It is safe to say that Lord Huron did not include the lyrics, “Yeah, we met on Tinder” in this beloved ballad. As a result of social media, I wonder if modern-day love stories are lacking that something special. Are we missing out on that integral “Night We Met?” Dating apps, social media and consequently, a wider circle of associates have enabled people today to come together in more ways than in the past. First dates, courting and phone calls on the family landline have been replaced with swiping right on Tinder, adding people on Snapchat and being thrown at a mutual associate in a dark, sweaty nightclub. While social concepts have since progressed in recent years, the core idea of love remains the same. However, the method of beginning such relationships has certainly evolved.

It seems like a foreign concept to many young people today that they could meet “the one” on the street on a Wednesday afternoon, at a bar in town or even in one of your secondary school classes and not through the medium of social media. Imagine marrying your soul mate, having studied Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the same English class ten years previously. Or picture meeting the love of your life at the local parish dance, like your grandparents, stewarded by prying, gossiping locals.

Nowadays, it is difficult to imagine meeting someone without having any mutual friends on Facebook. For the most part, those oldfashioned meetings of courtships, dinner dates and getting to know each other little by little have been left in the past and replaced by aimless swiping on Tinder or alternatively, a hardcore Instagram stalk. When you meet that person in real life for the first time, you more than likely have that predisposed attitude to them that so many millennials have today. Not only that, but you also know that spent midterm in Lanzarote in 2013 and are aware that they haven’t posted a photo with another woman in seven months. Ask yourself, where is the special, meaningful and interesting beginning to the relationship? Where is that intriguing excitement of getting to know someone for the first time? What tale do you have to tell your children in the future that doesn’t involve a cheeky text message at 3am or completely ruling someone out based on their Bumble profile? Prejudice and judgement are inherent before a simple greeting is even uttered. Are millennials bypassing a special aspect of love? Are we skipping over that first real encounter when you meet a stranger on the street? Are the youth of today overlooking the value in getting to know someone for the first time on a first date? Are we missing out on the excitement and anticipation that the beginning a relationship provides? Has social media destroyed that first “Night We Met” for us?

Many members of our generation will never understand the nerves involved in asking someone on a date in person. Imagine if they say “No thanks” in person. We hide behind a screen and avoid facing rejection. Discussions in person become optional. Social media is widening our surroundings and associations but is it shrinking our possibilities of true love? Is that first meeting even that important?

I think we are losing that true sense of human contact and that sense of romantic mystery and uncertainty is being dragged away with it.

17

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18 FA SH IO N & L I F EST Y L E An Essential Guide to Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

By Anastasia Burton We all worry about bacteria on everyday items such as our phones, pillowcases or the kitchen sink. But did you know that your own beloved make-up brushes can become riddled with bacteria if not washed regularly? We know it can be tedious to clean your make-up applicators, (especially if you have a lot of them) but we must all take time to care for our tools, in order for them to perform at their best.

Below, we will give instructions as to how you can quickly and efficiently clean your makeup brushes, so that you can apply your makeup bacteria-free and live your best skin life!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: - 1 Basin of lukewarm water - 1 Brush egg (they cost around €1 in Penneys) - 1 bottle of antibacterial soap - 1 Towel or kitchen towels

HOW TO WASH YOUR BRUSHES: • Wet the bristles of the brushes in lukewarm water.

• Put some antibacterial soap on top on the brush egg (if you do not own one of these you can use your hands.

Just place antibacterial soap in your palm and keep rubbing the brush in circular motions until there is no more coloring coming off).

• Clean the brush in circular motions on the brush egg until the water runs clear.

• Dip the brush back in the lukewarm water and then dry on a towel, or even better, by hanging them upside down (pro tip: we hang ours on a shower rail with some hair ties or scrunchies!)

• Leave the brushes out to dry for the rest of the day so that they can dry naturally themselves. If you use a hairdryer in an attempt to dry your brushes quicker, you will destroy the bristles! For this reason, make sure you don’t need to use your brushes on the day you clean them, so you can give them 24 hours to fully dry off.

HOW TO WASH BEAUTY SPONGES: • Submerge your beauty blender in lukewarm water.

• Place some antibacterial soap on top of your beauty sponge and rub it into the blender.

• Keep rubbing until the foundation stain stops being visible, the water runs clear and the beauty blender is completely wet.

• Squeeze the excess water out and leave it to dry overnight.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

The Spring 2020 Hair Trends We’re Wearing Right Now

By Catherine Taylor Spring 2020 is finally here - and while fashionistas have been scouring the internet for the newest sartorial fads to grace the catwalks, many of us ignore one crucial detail of these models’ outfits: their hair!

It’s true that we often overlook the impact that a hairstyle can have on our look. But a simple topknot, Hollywood curls or a sleek ponytail can make a huge difference in portraying our outfit’s overall vibe.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled all the best hairstyle trends to be found on the catwalks (and on Instagram) for Spring 2020.

Gone are the days of wearing our hair long and loose with no effort. So, tie that sh*t up and embrace a change of look this new decade!

BRAIDED TENDRILS: It appears that chokers aren’t the only 90’s trend firmly stuck in our fashion consciousness. The braided tendrils hairstyle basically means tying your hair up in a high bun and leaving braided well, tendrils, around your face as a face-framer (and game-changer). This hairstyle gives off a fresh and funky vibe, so it will probably work for you if you’re an Urban Outfitters fiend, a hipster thrift shopper and/or E-girl type. You’re welcome in advance.

MESSY HAIR, SLEEK ACCESSORIES: Speaking of messy hair, how cool is this juxtaposition between a messy bun and a put-together headband? 2019 was the year of the headband revival, and it looks like hair accessories are still going strong in the new decade. So, dig out your Blair Waldorf headband and some texturising spray, and get to work. To recreate this messy and fabulous low bun, simple blowdry your hair until completely dry. Then, add some texturising spray and pull back into a low bun with pins (the messier, the better). Add your headband and voila: you’re looking effortlessly glamorous with minimal effort.

HAIR CRYSTALS: Designer Bibhu Mohapatra brought the bling to his Spring catwalk, and we’re forever grateful. How amazing are these hair crystals?! Paired with old school Hollywood waves, this crystal embellishment just screams modern glamour. If you’re unwilling to spend time and energy gluing crystals to your hair on a day-to-day basis (which, you probably are), we’ve nailed the best alternative. A simple hair slide with crystal detailing, placed behind the ear on one side, is sure to do the trick. Bonus points if you go all out with the crystals, though.

long-bob for those of you not in the know) is the THE haircut of 2020. Featuring lots of layers and a “curtain fringe,” where your bangs are parted down the middle to frame your face on each side, this look can be maintained at home with minimal effort. You also don’t need to cut your hair into a long bob to achieve the shaggy effect: this cut works equally well with longer hair (see: Elizabeth Olsen’s 70’s inspired ‘do).

Just make sure to use texturising spray that works with your natural hair for maximum messy impact!

DEEP SIDE-PARTINGS: “Hello? The early 2010’s called; they want their parting back.” In a world where the middle-part has become more ubiquitous than the Kardashians on Instagram, Spring 2020 appears to be embracing the side-part once again. Seen at Michael Kors and Tory Burch, the humble side-parting of our teen years brings about a touch of nostalgia that only 20-something’s will recognise. However, there are no sideswept fringes to be found here! Simple, face-framing elegance is the essence of this look, so keep your fringe long, layered and your hair out of your face. Happy styling!

Braided Tendrils

Shaggy Layers

SHAGGY LAYERS: The shaggy lob (that’s

Messy Hair, Sleek Accessories

Hair Crystals

Happy cleaning!

Brush Eggs, £2.39 each, Amazon UK

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette, €13.99, Boots.ie

Deep Side Partings

February 04 2020

FAIS EAN

7

NÓ S MAIRE ACHTÁLA

19

‘At the end of the day, I am me’ — Nikkie Tutorials’ transgender revelation and why it matters

By Alanna Phelan On 13th January, Dutch makeup artist and YouTube beauty guru Nikkie de Jager uploaded a video titled ‘I’m Coming Out’ to her channel NikkieTutorials, announcing to her now over 13 million subscribers that she has in fact been living as a transgender woman for the majority of her life. Starting her channel all the way back in 2008 at the tender age of 14, Nikkie explains that she did not wish her personal struggles with her body and self-image to be the focus of her viewers, wanting her artistry instead to speak for itself.

Discussing her decision to come out on ‘Ellen’ on the 22nd January, Nikkie explained that she was in fact being blackmailed in the weeks leading up to the video’s release. Respectfully refusing to name the culprit, she was threatened with

the online exposure of her supposed ‘lie’ to her fans, who, in the context, could plausibly have misconstrued the situation and denounced the 25-year-old star as being ashamed of her place in the LGBT+ community.

Rather than recoiling in fear of the ever-increasingly toxic ‘cancel culture’ of the internet, Nikkie bravely chose to take back control of her own narrative. Even the pettiest members of the beauty and ‘tea spilling’ communities would be hard pressed to deny the grace and sincerity of her statement.

Looking her viewer square in the eye and smiling as she fights back tears, she declares ‘It is 2020, and it is time for us to understand, accept, hear and respect. The time for you to love yourself and to express yourself the way you truly feel is now.’

She encourages ‘little Nikkies’ watching across the world to accept themselves as she has. Whilst

considerately acknowledging the advantages she has had on her journey, such as her supportive family and friends, she clearly comprehends that the process of transitioning can be far more difficult for some; but she champions their struggles and assures them that ‘it is so worth it’.

In representing a demographic which, despite the enormous progress made in recent years, still struggles with positive representation and legal recognition, Nikkie’s revelation is a step forward for the YouTube community in not just acceptance, but normalisation. While other LGBT+ creators such as Gigi Gorgeous or Contrapoints have found great success on the platform in their respective genres, YouTube regulators and audiences alike still tend to regard content by transgender people as a very niche corner of online entertainment. The tendency to overlook their videos as being aimed solely at the LGBT+ community is not a malicious one, but it is inherently biased. While it is undeniable that having an online community to relate to is an extremely important resource for marginalised groups, the tendency to keep these groups separate from the rest of the public sphere can be a damaging one in the long run.

As an already well-established and recognisable online personality, Nikkie’s statement represents a chance for YouTube audiences moving forward to disregard the need for labels or justifications and simply enjoy a creator’s work, without analysing their gender, sexual orientation or personal choices.

As social media personalities become the increasing entertainment and role models of choice for a younger generation, the promotion of respect, acceptance and normalisation that Nikkie is advocating for is paramount - as she herself tells the viewer, ‘the time is now!’

The Foodie Diaries: Meat-Free Carbonara

By Isabel Dwyer If you’re trying to go meat-less this January but are struggling to maintain protein intake, try this one out. With inspiration taken from Bon Appetit’s Molly Baz, the recipe calls for mushrooms as a substitute for the bacon you’d usually find in a carbonara. Pair those little fungi friends with the eggs that are added in, and you’re onto a protein-heavy winner.

You’ll need a pack of mushrooms, one white onion, five eggs, spaghetti, black pepper, garlic, parmesan and fresh parsley. And I assume you have salt. If you don’t, go sort that out.

There’s no need for fancy mushrooms. The cheap ones are perfect. As for the spaghetti, feel free to swap for another pasta if you prefer. I find spaghetti is one of the cheapest pastas, but not as student predictable as penne. You can skip the parsley, but just know the dish will be much heavier without it, and less colourful too. If you decide to opt in, Masterson’s grocers on Headford Road is, as always, my favourite go-to for fresh herbs. When buying the parmesan, Lidl wins at cheap cheese.

This recipe serves about three and a half people.

Or two big rugby boys.

Start by giving the mushrooms a quick rinse and chop. If they’re large, cut into quarters. For smaller ones, just go halves. Remember that they’ll shrink a lot as they cook and lose water. Get two pots, one for the mushrooms and one for the spaghetti. Make sure to salt the water that you boil the spaghetti in. It should

be salty enough for the taste to be noticeable from the water, but not so salty that it’s gross. Yes, ‘noticeable’ versus ‘gross’. It’s science, people. Bring to a boil and keep an eye on it, you’re looking for al dente.

In the meantime, bring the mushroom pot to a high heat. Once it’s searing hot, add whatever oil you have (I use olive oil) and add the mushrooms. We want them to be golden on all sides, kind of like the ones you get in a really good fry-up. With that in mind, let them take their time in getting brown, giving a stir every once in a while. You can turn down the heat a bit, but not too much. Only enough to kill the fear that the kitchen’s going to catch fire. While that’s all happening, crush a few cloves of garlic and finely dice the onion. Chop up the fresh parsley so that it’s ready to go. Between two bowls, separate the yolks from the whites in four of your eggs. With the last egg, add, without separating, to the bowl of yolks.

You can discard the rest of the egg whites, as we won’t be using them. Unless you want to make a meringue or something. To the egg yolk mixture, add about 25-30 cranks of the pepper crusher and about 100g of parmesan. Mix really well.

At this stage, the mushrooms should be browned off and the spaghetti cooked. Drain the spaghetti, but don’t dispose of the boiling water. Collect it in a glass or jug and keep. Add the onions and garlic to the mushrooms and stir well, making sure the heat is down a bit, so the garlic doesn’t burn. You want the onions to get translucent here. Leave them be, giving an occasional stir. While you wait, you’re going to need to temper the egg mixture. This means warming it up so it doesn’t get a shock and scramble when added to the hot pan.

To do this, simply add a bit of the kept pasta water to the mixture and stir quickly.

It’s ready when it looks more watery. Turn down the heat of the mushroom pot so that it’s barely on, and quickly stir in the egg mixture. Add the spaghetti. You want to constantly move the contents around so that no egg scrambles. Once you have a creamy looking coating, mix in the parsley and it’s ready to go. Add some extra parsley and parmesan on top if you want to go all out.

And throw a slob of spaghetti at the next person who says you need meat for protein.

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

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

TRAVEL JUNKIE:

Rome, Italy

By Anastasia Burton Ah, Rome! A beautiful place filled with breathtaking ruins and rich with history. From the Roman Empire to the Renaissance, the city is still filled with the air of change and culture. If you are planning a trip to this amazing place, here are a few tourist spots you should visit!

1. THE VATICAN MUSEUM: If you love Renaissance paintings and sculptures where the breasts are free, and the male genitalia is always missing - this place is for you! The artwork is phenomenal and there are plenty of floors and exhibitions to explore to last you an entire day. If you get hungry, there are a few cafes and a restaurant in the courtyard, where you are surrounded by surreal works of sculpture and architecture. You can buy an audio tour where you are handed a little Walkman and

given a personal tour of the grand building. Adult tickets are up to eighteen euro, however, if you show your NUI Galway student ID you will only be asked to pay eight euro. Children below the age of six can get in for free and children up to thirteen are admitted for only four euro (you’re welcome).

2. THE VATICAN: The Vatican and the Vatican Museum are quite close to one another. While the museum requires you pay entry, this one is free. Here you will also find breath taking art and the Pieta sculpture. This church is where the Pope leads mass every Sunday. The lines to get inside the Vatican are quite long, so I would recommend going in the evening time at around three to five p.m. to avoid crowds. If you buy the city-bus tour, you will be granted entry by skipping the queue.

3. THE CITY TOUR BUS: This is a MUST in any popular tourist destination you visit. Always purchase a 24hr tour bus ticket and take the entire

tour from start to finish first (which would take around two hours or an hour and a half) and then exit on the stops you wish to explore. The bus takes you to (or close to) the most famous destinations and gives you the option to hopon and hop-off. These buses usually run every twenty minutes, so you won’t be stranded if you decide to wander a little. These buses usually cost up to twenty-five euro (sometimes more) however, if you are a student, you can get the tour for only twelve euro.

4. THE COLOSSEUM: Well, duh! Right? How can you visit Rome without dropping by the Colosseum? This fantastic historic attraction is an unforgettable experience. Although there is not much to see except ruins, it is still fascinating to see what was once a place for people to fight to the death. The Colosseum is a bit far out so I would recommend taking the tour bus there.

5. TREVI FOUNTAIN: The most beautiful 18th century sculpted fountain, it features in films, TV shows and ads all over the world. It is said that an estimate of 3,000 euro is thrown in the fountain each day, due to the belief that it can make wishes come true. The fountain is in a very beautiful part of the city, which is still giving off that “historic” vibe. The fountain can be very crowded due to its popularity, so I wish you luck in getting a good spot beside it!

6. THE ROMAN FORUM: This is another historic ruin site, named as the excavated heart of the Roman empire. If you are a fan of ruins and a nice walk, this spot is definitely for you!

7. SPANISH STEPS: To be very honest, this is just an awesome location for Instagram photos!

I hope that now you can plan your trip to Rome with a bit more knowledge as to what to do and how to save money doing it! Enjoy, Ciao.

THE NEW VALENTINE’S DAY: How Galentine’s Day Became a Celebration of Female Friendship

By Tara Trevaskis Hoskin Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) gave a whole new meaning to February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day, in the sixteenth episode of season 2 of Parks and Recreation, when she created “Galentine’s Day”. Now, more than 10 years on from the season airing, Galentine’s has become a very real holiday for lots of women around the planet. In the show, Leslie started the event to spend time away from the men in the office and, equally, to celebrate the women in her life. To do this, she took her lady friends to brunch, and in true Leslie style, wrote them each a 5,000-word essay about how wonderful they all were. And so, the Galentine’s tradition was born. A day to celebrate our platonic female friendships is something many people get behind, with women now honouring the day annually by going for a meal with their pals, buying them gifts or simply spending some quality time with women they love.

Valentine’s Day is often written off as a fad, now seen as a made-up day for consumerism, but even with this common attitude, the day still places a lot of unnecessary pressure on people. Now, Valentine’s Day reads like Christmas, in that when there is a holiday in which people are expected to be happy, it often has an adverse effect. The stress of proving to someone that you love them through a store-bought card or equally, the reminder that is indeed a mortal sin to be single, can be discouraging during this holiday. Not to mention the societal expectation that if you are in a relationship on Feb 14TH you should be happy, and if not, it is a day to sit in and cry. Galentine’s Day, on the other hand, doesn’t have this pressure; it is about relaxing with the friends that we too often don’t have time for in our busy lives. It also gives us an opportunity to celebrate our friendships, and thank our girls for being sources of support, laughter and of course love in our lives.

Unfortunately, romantic relationships are often deemed more important within our society and friendships are simply there to fill time while we are on the hunt for our “other half.” The tradition of Galentine’s Day disputes this notion and recognises people as full individuals within themselves, with many different types of relationships being crucial to a happy life.

Love means lots of different things, but Valentine’s Day shrinks it into one romantic sense of the word, forgetting about how much we love our dogs, food, friends and even Parks and Recreation. Having more days that encourage celebrating more than just traditional romantic love can’t be a negative thing.

However, this day is about more than just chilling with the girls. The feminist undertones of Galentine’s Day simply cannot be ignored. So often in the media and even in everyday life, we see women pitted against each other and made to view each other as competition rather than as friends. We see it in

our reality tv shows, where girls must prove they’re better than one another to win the perfect guy. We’re looking at you Love Island and The Bachelor. Award shows showcase voting columns over which woman was better dressed, and influencers tell us daily that we can look better if we buy some teeth whitening kit. There are constant messages from the media pitting us up against each other, but on Galentine’s Day, it’s about bringing us women together. It is about reminding us that we are stronger together, and even if our female friendships are not celebrated in a consumerist holiday or by the mainstream media, it does not deem them unworthy. So, this Galentine’s Day, tell your girls you love them, maybe even write them a 5,000-word essay and keep fighting the oppressive forces of competition and patriarchy.

In the wise words of Leslie Knope “You know my code: hoes before bros. Uteruses before duderuses…

Ovaries before brovaries.”

NUI GALWAY STUDENTS’ UNION PRESENTS /CUIREANN COMHALTAS NA MAC LÉINN OÉ GALLIMH:

SEX TOY Biongó Bréagán Gnéis 7pm Thursday 13th of February at SULT 7.i.n Déardaoin 13 Feabhra Tickets €5 on Eventbrite includes a SEXY FREEBIE! All proceeds go to the SU Charities

www.su.nuigalway.ie

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

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

Women and the Hollywood Dream

By Alice O’Donnell With Daniel Craig announcing his retirement from the 007 franchise, naturally, thoughts have moved onto who could be the new face of James Bond. While some critics and fans alike are demanding that a woman be cast in the role, to represent a changing surface of a Hollywood rocked by the MeToo movement and scandals like Harvey Weinstein, the lifelong producer of the franchise, Barbara Broccoli, was quoted in Variety saying, “He can be of any color, but he is male. I believe we should be creating new characters for women – strong female characters.

I’m not particularly

interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that.” With her comments only adding to the vortex surrounding gender representation within the film industry, it must be asked – how are women portrayed on and off the screen?

First, women on screen, while having by far the best representative out of the film industry, still suffer from gender inequality. A study by the University of Southern California, which

Some critics and fans are demanding that a woman be cast as James Bond to represent the changing surface of a Hollywood rocked by the MeToo movement

analysed 900 popular films released over a time period between 2007 and 2016, found that only 12% of all the films had a balanced cast, while only 34 out of the top 100 films Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash had a female lead

CREATIVE CORNER

My Devils Face belongs to a Woman

By Anastasia Burton The devil has many faces, Beautiful, and ugly faces, Beautifully ugly, Terrifyingly beautiful.

My devil was an evil bitch, Some might even say she was a witch, But most importantly she was my woman.

She was a nasty drunk, the violent sort.

She was the devil in disguise as my beloved with the dark eyes, Jet black bob hair, skin white like paper.

Tongue so sharp it would cut through leather, She smoked like a hag, Marlborough red with the thick lines.

I still think about her now, Sitting by the window smoking her cigarette, She would turn to me with a lazy grin, breathing smoke straight to my face.

Kissing her was like kissing the gates of hell, Warm and delightfully bitter, with promise of a broken heart and eternity of glitter.

or co-star. Women were also portrayed differently to men, with 25.6% of the top 2016 films having female nudity, while only 9.2% had male nudity.

While it is important to keep in mind that across all film genres, there are films with strong female characters, from horror (Silence of the Lambs), science fiction (Star Wars franchise) to the historical (Little Women) and that these films should not be forgotten, neither should the expansive list of films where women either do not have a significant role or are left to the archetypal roles of the love interest, the passive maiden, the selfless mother or the evil witch be ignored. Acclaimed actress Meryl Streep has talked about the struggle of breaking past these roles, describing how, in the year she turned forty, she was offered three different witch roles.

Is it any surprise, then, that women are so vastly underrepresented on the screen, while a similar story is occurring behind the camera too? A study done in Towards Data Science entitled, ‘Does Hollywood Still Have a Women Problem?’ found that out of Hollywood films made in 2018, only approximately 6.6% had women directors. While 4 out of the top 15 highest earning Hollywood actors were women, none of the 15 highest earning Hollywood directors were women. The lack of women representation in Hollywood directors was exemplified this year at the Golden Globes, where no women directors were nominated in the category of Best Director, despite the acclaimed works of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ and Marielle Heller’s ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’. A similar story is being told in the film composers’ niche. With the movie composers being dominated by a select number of men, such as Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Klaus Badelt, women composers make just 1.7% out of all composers across nearly 1,500 films, according to the University of Southern California study mentioned previously. While it is important not to devalue the achievements of these men, so too is it important to highlight the lack of women competition in this category.

While it seems the film industry itself is unequal in terms of gender representation, the same can also be said for critics who review films. Actress Jessica Chastain has estimated that 90% of noted film reviewers are male, which, she believes, results in male-centric films being praised and pushed to the public ahead of female orientated films. According to Digital Spy, in 2014, voters who decide the Oscars nominations were, on average, 63 years old and comprised by 76% men and 94% of white ethnicity. Due to an outcry at these figures, Oscars promised to create a more diverse voter board, and swore that by 2020, they would have doubled their women voters. However, despite, in 2017, the Academy Awards including over 700 new voters from 57 different countries and boasting an 359% increase in women voters since 2015, since those 2017 statistics, its diversity growth has stagnated significantly, with only a 3% increase in both in terms of gender and diversity, raising each to 31% and 16% of the Oscar voter board respectfully.

Casting James Bond as a woman would undermine the feminist drive within Hollywood. It would suggest that a woman may only progress while presented under the guise of a male - that in order to be respected by an audience, she must live a role previously left to men. Why not spend the time writing more complex love interest, female characters who have more to their personality and worth than just the male gaze?

It should also be noted that changing the gender of a single character will not drastically overturn the inequality present in Hollywood. More women must be present in every facet of the film industry, from composers to writers to critics. After nearly 200 years of the film industry, and with only a slow and begrudging change to boast about, it seems up to us, the audience, to institute the catalyst of change. Read women critics, watch films with women leads, stream women composers’ music, tweet about films that are directed by women. Despite its seemingly unending power, Hollywood still depends on the audience to survive. And if an audience is speaking loud enough, sooner or later, Hollywood will have to listen.

Harry Styles finds his voice on one of the best albums of 2019 – Fine Line

By Matthew Geraghty There’s no sign that Harry Styles suffered with infamous ‘second album syndrome’ while working on his sophomore record Fine Line. The 25-year-old follows up his 2017 self-titled album by further leaning into the soft-rock riffs he found himself experimenting with at the inception of his solo career. Fine Line veers on the right side of rock for it to be pop enough but also sounds little like anything else you’ll hear on the radio right now, with many experimental undertones.

Styles makes the type of music he likes to listen to. A Fleetwood Mac fanboy at heart, anyone who has listened to his first album, or seen his campaigns for Gucci and his personal style, knows that his aesthetic is 1970s-era California glam-rock, and this translates very much to the music as well.

The album opens with ‘Golden’, a near perfect, sunny, up-tempo re-introduction. Styles is still very much infatuated with his subject before the albums takes multiple twists and turns emerging ultimately, but not exclusively, as a break-up record.

Perhaps the biggest improvement in his songwriting from his first album results from his newfound honesty. This can be seen clearly in ‘Cherry’, an ode to a former lover, to whom he

sings “Don’t you call him what you used to call me”. The song is a standout, marking Styles growth as a lyricist, with the cutting, standstill “Does he take you walking round his parents’ galleries?” a clear nod to former love interest French model Camile Rowe (Cherry- Cheri in French).

Throughout this middle section of the album, a lonely Styles grapples with the realization that the end of the relationship may have been his fault – “there’s no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hand” on ‘Falling’.

Styles has long been a poster boy for modern masculinity, embracing a sort of vague, undefined sexuality and challenging the mainstream concept of what a man can say or do, taking a penchant for painting his nails most recently. During his One Direction days, he was plagued by rumours of a relationship with a fellow member and has also been a longtime LGBTQ+ ally, but Styles’ sense of himself and his masculinity is addressed directly on ‘Falling’, where he reckons with who he is without his lover, “What am I now?” he sings, “What if I’m someone I don’t want around?”. On ‘To be So Lonely’, Styles embraces a more fun, ukulele-style sound as he realizes his mistakes, “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch”. Styles finds a sultry sound on ‘She’, with clear imagery and details making for a

raspy guitar-rock song that invites listeners with a story. It’s moments like this that make it clear that Styles took his time experimenting to find a new sound with this album.

He further experiments on the latter half of the album, swapping the sultry for fun on ‘Sunflower, Vol. 6’ and ‘Canyon Moon’, as both transport the listener to a Malibu beach with their chilled, yet upbeat and happy tones. While he should have kept the ‘Treat People With Kindness’ motto to merchandise, Styles ends the record with the cinematic title track, in the same way that ‘Golden’ sounded like a welcome-back, ‘Fine Line’ could play in a drama movie’s final scene. Styles, having battled with his identity and love-life, seems to find a somewhat neutral ending, acknowledging not to forget the pain but repeats “We’ll be alright” to himself as much as his “temptress” in arguably one of the best songs of 2019, which builds to a very special final minute and a half of orchestral genius.

The best moments of ‘Fine Line’ come when Styles is at his most vulnerable on tracks like ‘Cherry’, ‘Fine Line’ and creative on tracks such as ‘She’ and ‘Sunflower Vol. 6’. Styles shows he’s still taking his time finding his sound, leaning a little less on Bowie and Stevie Nicks for inspiration, but the sound he is finding is something truly special.

C U LT ÚR

February 04 2020

7

SIAMSAÍOCHT

23

Jojo Rabbit – Comedic and filmmaking What’s on in Galway excellence in Nazi Germany – FEBRUARY 4 - 17

By Owen Kennedy

Jojo Rabbit (2019) Directed by Taika Waititi Starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson

By Sarah Gill All work and no play brings the entire NUI Galway student population to the end of their tethers.

Days spent between lecture halls and library pews are worth it in the long run, but we’ve all got to blow off some steam before heads begin to explode. Throughout the next two weeks, there are plenty of events taking place around the city to keep you in good spirits, so take a look at some of the highlights…

Hannah Wants. Image: DNA Nightclub and Venue

Saturday, 8 Feb: Mango X MathMan at Róisín Dubh One of the country’s most respected hip hop acts, chances are Dublin city’s Mango X Mathman have made it onto one or two of your Spotify playlists.

Pushing musical boundaries with their creativ-

close and personal with the people of Galway in DNA Nightclub. Her tune Rhymes is played at just about every pre-drinks from Corrib Village to Dunaras and there’s a reason for her ever-growing popularity. Have a listen, buy some tickets and get down to DNA on the night.

If there is one film I’d give my vote to for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, Jojo Rabbit would win it hands down. This movie is nothing short of a masterpiece, despite the screeching children who claim a film about Nazis is nothing more than poor taste. Everything about this movie works for me, from the acting, to the cinematography, to the comedy and the overall story, this is in contention for my favourite film of the 2010s but is most certainly my favourite film of 2019.

Johannes ‘Jojo’ Betzler, played excellently by 12-year old Roman Griffin Davis, is a Hitler Youth member who finds out his mother, Scarlett Johansson, is hiding a Jewish girl, Thomasin McKenzie, in their attic. He must then question his beliefs, while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend, a fanciful version of Adolf Hitler, comedically portrayed by director/writer Taika Waititi. This film’s portrayal of the Nazis is different from how we’ve seen them being portrayed in a film like Downfall (2004), which itself is a very different kind of movie. The Nazis are seen through the eyes of Jojo, and in the same way children these days look up to someone like Johnny Sexton or Superman, Jojo idolises Hitler to an absurd degree and follows Hitler’s every order like a good little Nazi.

The performances are excellent across the board.

Davis brings one of the best performances from a child actor I’ve seen since Dafne Keen in Logan (2017). Keep an eye on Davis, because this kid is going to be the next big thing when it comes to actors who can give excellent performances (there’s a reason he was nominated for a Golden Globe, after all). Scarlett Johansson, who’s had a killer year already with Avengers-Endgame and Marriage Story, knocks it out of the park with her performance as Rosie Betzler, displaying a heavenly, kind and innocent character whose fate hits you like a truck near the end of the second act. She’s completely deserving of her Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Waititi plays a really funny Hitler. It’s okay if you need a double on what I just said, but he turns into a proper threat when needed at the beginning of the third act. Everyone is giving it 100% effort, but a special mention has to go to Sam Rockwell, who plays the disgraced Captain Klenzendorf and might be the best example of how to ‘show-don’ttell’ when it comes to writing a character.

In conclusion, Jojo Rabbit is an absolute masterpiece. In a perfect world, this film would win every category it’s nominated for at the Oscars. If you haven’t seen this film, don’t even finish this review, go in and see it as blind as you can. It’s my favourite movie of the year and Waititi and the rest of the cast have me on tenterhooks to see what they do next.

10/10

MangoXMathman. Image: thisisgalway.ie ity, they’ve broken new ground on the Irish music scene. Their tune ‘Deep Blue’ has amassed great acclaim and their live shows are sweat-drenched, energetic and highly memorable.

Monday, 10 Feb: Cabal G005 w/ Hammer at Róisín Dubh Fast becoming one of Galway’s most anticipated nights out, Cabal is back in the Róisín for what’s sure to be yet another sold-out show. Joined by Hammer and Brien for an evening of madness, prepare yourself for a night spent between the dancefloor and the newly spruced up beer garden area. Make sure to get tickets - this isn’t one you’ll want to miss.

Friday, 14 Feb: Jason Byrne: Wrecked But Ready Fancy spending Valentine’s Day with Irish comedy legend Jason Byrne? Well, he’s returning to Galway for his latest show, which is a celebration of triumph over adversity, the fact that everybody has their own crap going on and they don’t need to listen to someone else moaning about their problems. Sounds like a Friday night well-spent.

/student e .i n n a e ir e s u visit b et your discount to g

Wednesday, 12 Feb: Valentine Card and Cocktail making class at Massimo Westend watering hole Massimo are sharing the love ahead of V-Day with a choice of two events, both costing 20 quid. The first of which will guide you on how to create a one-of-a-kind handmade card, and the second will show you how to make two elixirs of love to shake up at home. Make sure to get in touch ahead of time to book your space on the night!

Thursday, 13 Feb: Hannah Wants at DNA Nightclub and Venue Bringing her highly sought-after sound to a slightly smaller setting, Hannah Wants will be getting up

Jason Byrne. Image: roisindubh.net

THE BUS ÉIREANN/EXPRESSWAY €10 STUDENT OFFER IS FOR ONLINE TICKET PURCHASES ONLY. ENTER PROMO CODE STUDENT02 AT CHECKOUT TO SAVE €10 ON ANY STUDENT RETURN OR 10 JOURNEY TICKET DEPARTING FROM 1 FEBRUARY UNTIL 29 FEBRUARY 2020 INCLUSIVE. SEE BUSEIREANN.IE/STUDENT FOR FULL TERMS & CONDITIONS.

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

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

novel ALBUM REVIEW: Best-selling Normal People set to Mac Miller – Circles tackle small screen

By Jonny Browne Mac Miller fans were pleasantly surprised on 9th January this year, when Mac Miller’s family released his single ‘Good News’ along with the news of an upcoming posthumous album Circles to be released a week later.

The Pittsburgh native passed away in September 2018 and unlike with the death of XXXTentacion and Lil Peep, his label hasn’t attempted to cash in on his passing with thrown together songs bloated with features to fill up the time. Circles was already recorded before Miller’s death as a sequel to his critically acclaimed album Swimming, with a theme of swimming in circles as the albums reflect each other perfectly.

Circles is littered with eerie lyrics of death and struggles with life, accompanied by melancholic, strip-back instrumentals. It’s a far cry from the days of a younger Miller braggadocios, uplifting tunes like ‘Party on Fifth Ave’ and ‘Donald Trump’ and definitely not your conventional rap album, as Miller sings in his own unique, raspy way to convey so much more emotion than any other artist could.

The album begins with ‘Circles’, a stripped-back song where Mac begins the album as he means to go on. He talks about the many troubles he goes through, including depression, anxiety and drug abuse, as he feels he is living his life in a constant cycle over and over again. This mood is changed with more up-tempo soul beats in ‘Complicated’ and ‘Blue World’. In ‘Blue World’, Miller samples the Four Freshmen’s ‘It’s a blue world!’ from 1950 and actually begins to rap on this song (Miller had

only sung up to this point). He speaks of the ‘devil tryna call him’, which may leave listeners uncomfortable, but this is the main theme of the album.

The leading single ‘Good News’ is my highlight from the album, as Miller dejectedly sings ove r a s i m p l e chord progression weaved into the background, with his voice taking centre stage.

He speaks of how everyone only wants positivity and he has to try to suppress his negative feelings with drugs in the lyric, “No, they don’t like it when I’m down, But when I’m flying, oh”. This is by far one of the toughest songs to listen to for Mac Miller fans, as there is such an intimacy in the track, with Miller losing hope and now that we know his fate, it is very saddening.

The album continues to the halfway point, where Mac does a cover of Arthur Lee’s ‘Everybody’s gotta live’ in the piano ballad of the album. Miller does the song justice, as he performs brilliantly with more intimacy and emotion.

In my opinion, the second half of the album slows down compared to the first half and there aren’t as many highlights, with just more of the same melancholy, stripped-back beats, along

with more lyrics of struggling and loneliness. Songs like ‘That’s on me’ and ‘Hand me downs’ convey his mental health and he eludes to his death again when he says “I’ll let it go” and “don’t

wait around”. The only feature on the album comes on ‘Hand me downs’, from Australian artist Baro Sura on the chorus.

This album is good, really good, and it’s even more upsetting thinking that we will never get to see how Mac would progress from this if he was alive today. The production is second to none and Miller has truly transitioned himself from a radio-friendly pop rapper to a moody, groovy artist.

The album flows so smoothly from one song to another and doesn’t lose the feeling of seclusion and intimacy. I would give it about 8/10.

this Spring

By Harry King

Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel Normal People is going to be produced into a twelvepart series on the BBC. It is due to air in early spring.

The novel - which was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2018, was last year longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and is a New York Times Best Seller - tells a coming of age story about two people falling in love and depicts the agony and joy that comes with it. It is set just after the crash in the late 2000s and is set mainly in Trinity College Dublin with a backdrop of Sligo, as that is where the protagonists attend school.

It’s an unconventional young romance, as it explores themes like social class, friendship, reputation as both opportunities and challenges for a relationship to foster. At school, Connell, a popular athlete, pretends not to know who Marriane, a more private personality, is. When they both move to Trinity College, their retrospective social ranks somewhat switch. Their sexual and romantic relationship, whilst subdued at times, never fully dies. The critically acclaimed book provides a mixed experience for the reader. You are drawn to both characters at different times, you pine for their relationship to blossom, yet the story tears you in different directions. It gives the reader insight into the mind of a reserved character in an unconventional manner. It shows how a relationship that can have obstacles

can be rewarding yet punishing at the same time.

It will be interesting to see how it is adapted to the screen because the book is flooded with detail and intimacy. If it is to be faithful to the novel, it is going to have to take risks in every aspect of the environment Rooney created in her book. The Oscar-nominated Lenny Abrahamson directs whilst Ed Guiney is the producer. Rooney helped write six of the twelve episodes, so her voice will be influential to the small screen adaption. The series will star Daisy Edgar Jones as Marriane and Paul Mescal as Connell.

For the people who love the book, there is an anxious anticipation about this small screen translation. Whilst the book gives its audience the glory of their own interpretation and imagery, the small screen also has its own dynamic to reach out to people. A well-produced and acted TV series should marvel with the plot of a good book. So, there is reason to be optimistic for those who are anxious. Complementing this, TV shows are taking more risks than ever with shows, like Euphoria and Sex Education growing in popularity. This suggests that if executed properly the risk is paying off.

Rooney, who just recently turned twenty-eight, has released two novels in her mid-twenties – Normal People and Conversations with Friends. The Castlebar woman is one of the brightest young models of our time and the hope for many is that she is just getting started.

The series is set to air on BBC this Spring.

So the boy I’d like to couple up with is…

By Sadhbh Hendrick … James Hardiman, because I be working on getting that educ8ion and not a tan. If I was in the infamous villa right now, that might be a different story. Love Island Winter Series 2020. Thoughts? Opinions?

Love/Hate? So anyway, let’s crack on.

Love Island, Series 6, Episode 1. To set the scene, I was comfortably(ish) perched on my faux leather student accommodation spec couch, surrounded by housemate and his fellow scientist friends. Sounds like a scene from the Big Bang Theory. Wasn’t quite like that though, I can confirm.

Since I would be settling down to the first episode in male-only company, I braced myself for the viewing that I suspected. I feel compelled to watch this in silence,

I didn’t expect the same commitment from my viewing companions.

I was wrong to do so. I was the one getting shushed and silenced for offering a hot drop. Wasn’t trying to pull them for a chat. Jeez. It was immediately apparent talking was strictly forbidden, all eyes and ears on the villa. This high level of commitment immediately grabbed my attention.

Phase two; the ad break. This is where all post-scene analysis seemed to take place. Again, unsure of how the male brain would interpret all the goings on, I was pleasantly surprised and bemused by the discussions that followed.

Detailed discussions of each girl and boy were engaged in. Dead things and proper sorts alike.

Phase three; roll the credits.

Further analysis and predictions for the season that awaits us all.

Once more, intrigued. We all had to disclose where our head was at.

Love Island is a big commitment and since we all come from somewhat of a commitment-phobe age, the loyalty to this show is remarkable. I’m loyal, babes.

Since Love Island first graced our screens, I must admit I have always been a fan. Certain things from the show definitely annoy me (slurping from those personalised water bottles), naturally, but the disdain expressed by some of my fellow friends/foes is excessive indeed.

Love Island provides daily entertainment and a completely valid excuse to disengage from any social activity or requirements. It’s fair to say that each season causes a few heads to turn, as another peer joins the army of loyal fans. Be it a coffee break chat or an easy silence filler, Love Island serves us well.

I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket but, at the end of the day, like, it’s muggy to not appreciate the cultural value added to society by the young guys and girls Ian Stirling provides a witty commentary on. We couldn’t get through an article on Love Island without a nod towards Irish girl, presenter and all-round ledge Laura Whitmore. What other show provides us with a whole new array of vocabulary and slang? Love Island might not seem like your type on paper but in reality, it probably is. As we analyse and critique the actions of those young contestants on the hunt for love, Love Island does always spark some interesting conversations about social etiquette and socially acceptable ways of pulling someone for a chat.

Having faced intense criticism for the aftercare of its stars, Love Island isn’t short of being the victim of some harsh headlines.

Similarly, the show poses questions about body image and industry beauty standards, as the cameras favour six packs and lip fillers. It’s more Love Island and less Love Handles apparently.

Nevertheless, the show has provided more Instagram gold than any other show and that itself is reason enough to tune in! So, this season, I am rooting for Shaughna, absolute qween. We’ll just have to see where this season takes us though, one Primark slogan t-shirt at a time cause like, at the end of the day, it is what it is…

C U LT ÚR

February 04 2020

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SIAMSAÍO CHT

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Movie moments that have BOOK REVIEW: Behind Closed brought us to tears Doors by B.A Paris

By Rachel Garvey

A recent post on Twitter by Jim Pickard asked his Twitter audience, “What movie scenes make you cry?”. The post itself went viral, as people shared it and answered what iconic movie scenes made them cry. Answers flooded the comments section from a worldwide audience, with people sending in GIFs and movie scenes that brought them to tears.

Everyone is different, but here are some of my top movie scenes that have reduced me to tears:

1. Five Feet Apart - Will says goodbye to Stella A love story that just wasn’t meant to be, due to an illness keeping them five feet apart from contracting each other’s illnesses. Tears were spilling during the end, where Stella finally got to see her lights with the help of Will, as she wakes up after her surgery. In a heart-breaking speech, we watch Will say goodbye to Stella, how he had no regrets saving her life. As they both press their hands against a glass window in an attempt to touch one another, Will tells Stella to close her eyes as he walks away.

2. The Fault in Our Stars – Gus’s confession and death scene Another tragic love story that reduced its audience to tears, as the world’s most

loved characters shared their pain with us over the screen as they battled with cancer.

Tears normally stop a few minutes after a sad scene ends, but all through Gus confessing that his cancer spread all over his body right through to his death scene, the tears just kept spilling with no sign of them stopping.

3. Charlotte’s Web Charlotte passes away I may not be the biggest fan of spiders - the fear is real - but this movie restored my faith in creepy crawlies. This scene simply pulled at the heartstrings, as Wilbur desperately tried to persuade Charlotte to come back to the barn, but she wasn’t capable of moving.

Tears poured as both best friends, pig and spider, say goodbye to one another.

4. Wonder – Auggie is upset Sad love stories are a weak spot for a lot of people, but there’s something about when a young child is involved that we feel the need to jump through the screen and give them a big hug. Auggie, born with facial differences, brings us on a journey of how he feels when he attends a new school, and being the only “different” kid in the class, he is subjected to mockery by his fellow peers. The need to hug him is real when he is reduced to tears

in a scene where he cries, “Why do I have to be so ugly?” and believes there are no nice people in the world. As he’s such a young child to be crying his heart out over being different, it is truly a scene that everyone should watch.

5. IT Chapter 2 – Eddie’s Death scene and Stan’s Letter I know what you’re thinking, isn’t this a horror? It may be classed as a horror, but the end scene really pulled at my heart strings. You can feel Richie’s pain as he cries over losing his best friend Eddie. We have adapted to watching Richie be the “clown” of the group because of his silly comments and extraordinary sense of humour but seeing him reduced to tears over his friend and secret crush’s death welcomed us in to sympathise with him.

Cut to the end scene where the Loser’s Club read Stan’s suicide letter, the audience was able to get an insight into Stan’s mind and why he took himself off the board. In the voice over during the final moments we here Stan’s voice change to the voice of the Loser’s Club as they share a few bits of advice to watchers, telling people that it’s okay to be a Loser, I know for sure I’d like to be one.

REVIEW: Season 2 of Sex Education

By Saoirse Higgins On the 17th January, the anticipated second season of Sex Education finally hit Netflix. The first season of the show was highly acclaimed on its release in January of last year and has since garnered its own following.

If you were a fan of the first season, the second season will not disappoint. Beginning in typical Sex Education fashion with the school in a frenzy over a chlamydia outbreak, all our favourite characters return along with a few newbies to make things more interesting.

Our old cast of characters - Otis, Eric, Maeve and Jackson - come back with new problems to face them. The show doesn’t

waste time on trying to repeat the first season and takes on new ideas.

The characterisation of Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Jackson (Kedar Williams-Stirling) in this season are ones to note. The show really delves into the flaws and strengths of these characters and it’s good to see a show not afraid to critique its protagonist’s bad behaviour. The actors also give great performances, breathing life into the drama.

Eric’s character - played by Ncuti Gatwa is one of my favourite characters and is well worth mentioning. His character continues to be hilarious with a great performance from Gatwa.

The new characters fit in nicely with the story and never feel forced or unnatural. We are introduced to French exchange student

Rahim, new neighbours for Maeve, and quiz head genius Viv. Each new character is likeable in their own way and the actors certainly give their best performances.

The relationships this new cast forms with our original characters create different dimensions to the characters that we hadn’t seen before, especially Jackson. These new sides shown by the characters are a natural progression from their personas in the first season and it’s refreshing to see how the creators intertwined the new and old characters for the second season.

The first season was a balanced mix of comedy and drama, with more of a tilt towards the comedy side. However, in this new season, the comedy elements remain while the drama heightens. There are several tear-jerker moments in most of the episodes and the show does not shy away from dealing with adult content such as drug misuse, self-harm and abuse.

Most of us can agree that the show is not a completely realistic portrayal of teen life, yet this does not tarnish its relatability. The show creates realistic characters and exaggerates them to create a more entertaining show. This works so well in this context, as the show is fully aware of what it’s doing, and it plays well to the audience.

Sex Education is a refreshing, funny take on the teen experience and is funny for all ages. The second season continues the legacy the first began, and I think surpasses the first season as the creators and actors settle into their roles and bring something interesting to the Netflix table.

By Ewelina Szybinska You know you came across a good psychological thriller when it affects you in some way. Behind Closed Doors makes you think twice about human behaviour. Can you tell when someone is wearing a mask? The book is a page turner and the only way you’ll be able to put it down is after you’re finished.

The book was published in 2016. It has been purchased in 38 territories and translated into many languages. The demand rose and it soon became an international bestseller.

The title caught my attention, as it indicated mystery. Something is hiding behind those closed doors and you’ll be eager to find out the truth. The author carefully organises the book into two: the present and the past. This adds to the suspense you will soon discover. You will be kept alert and all you will want to know is how it ends.

Two lovers, we have all heard of a couple like Jack and Grace.

He is handsome and wealthy; she is enchanting and elegant. The life behind closed doors seems peaceful and dreamy, but what do you do when you’re married to a sadistic psychopath?

Jack Angel, a trustworthy lawyer who is seemingly devoted to his pretty wife Grace, seems to be the perfect man. You will quickly change your mind about this character. As the book progresses, the core of him burns you up so much. You wait to see him fail but success is just engraved.

Soon, Grace falls in love with the sympathy he shows towards her sister Millie, who has Downs Syndrome.

The chapters provoke a rollercoaster of emotions.

Grace must be careful with what she says and does to keep Millie safe, but what exactly is she keeping her safe from?

Bars cover every window. Doors are locked and the gate is closed. And that one room.

Follow Grace and her attempt to escape. It’s all a little harder when you’re kept under 24-hour surveillance without a phone. No passport or any other personal belongings. Compassion develops for the main character and you will find yourself waiting to read that she broke free from the situation she has found herself in.

A dark, disturbing read for curious minds. It reminds us that quite often, things are not what they seem to be. The thrill follows you as you turn each page. It’s a book I have read and re-read.

The million-copy bestseller is a highly recommended book by many newspapers and magazines.

The critics say “This book just has to be huge.... I flew through it in two breathless sittings. Quite simply: astounding” (S. J. I. Holliday, author of Black Wood).

If there’s one book you plan to read, pick up a copy of Behind Closed Doors.

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Super Bowl 54 preview – A casual guide to Chiefs v 49ers

By Daniel Brennan It’s that time of year again, where many sports fans on this side of the Atlantic try to remember the rules of America’s weird kind-of-rugby-but-not-really sport they named similarly to two other sports that have a lot more to do with kicking a football than the American version.... but I digress. Here’s a casual guide to this year’s Super Bowl for the casual fan to help follow along.

The Kansas City Chiefs, under superstar young quarterback Patrick Mahomes, will be the ones to watch for an offensive spark this year. Mahomes has become arguably the best QB in the league over the likes of the ageing Tom Brady and Drew Brees, among others, due to his sheer natural ability – be it launching the ball downfield, extending plays by finding space in the pocket few others could, or as he showed in the AFC Championship game, taking off with the ball himself, breaking tackles on the way to the endzone rushing. Mahomes has it all.

Mahomes’ phenom-like ability is aided by the Chiefs’ speedy young receiving core – Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins are experts in using their blazing speed to break free in the secondary, giving Mahomes an ample number of targets to hit downfield. If they can’t break free, superstar tight end Travis Kelce is another reliable target The only concern for Kansas is their defence, especially their secondary, which has been exposed at times this season. But recently, as a team, they’ve caught fire, and if their offence takes off like it has in both their matchups so far this postseason, then veteran coach Andy Reid may finally have his first Super Bowl ring after decades of heartbreak falling short with the Eagles – and Kansas may have their first Championship in 50 years.

In their way are the San Francisco 49ers, in many ways the polar opposite to the Chiefs, with a rock-solid defence filled with star talent. Half a decade after his peak with the Seahawks, Richard Sherman has rebounded to old form this year to once again become one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks, who could be the key to the 49ers shutting down Patrick Mahomes when he goes deep downfield with his elite coverage. Nick Bosa on the defensive line will be just as key to San Francisco’s efforts in halting Mahomes, because if they can put Mahomes under consistent pressure, then suddenly slinging the ball downfield becomes a whole lot more difficult.

The 49ers aren’t all defence by any means though – quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has finally had an injury-free season to show us what he’s made of, and he’s proven himself to be more than worthy of the starting spot behind centre, shooting the ball downfield to superstar tight end George Kittle, as well as the likes of veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

The San Fran rushing attack will also be worth taking note of – running back Raheem Mostert has emerged as a superstar back this year, bookmarked by him rushing for over 200 yards against the Packers in the NFC Championship game, a performance so dominant that Garoppolo only passed 8 times across the entire game. The Chiefs were successful in shutting down Derrick Henry and the Titans’ all-powerful rushing offence – can they stop Mostert and the 49ers too?

Opposite Andy Reid, 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan also has his own Super Bowl demons to expel –namely his Atlanta Falcons blowing a 28-3 second half lead against the Patriots only a few years ago.

So, prediction time – personally, I give the edge to Kansas City’s high-powered offense. Mahomes’ magic has carried them this far, and if he is in any way on his game, it should be enough to overcome the 49ers. It’s also worth remembering that the Chiefs shut down the Titans’ superstar running back Derrick Henry in the AFC Championship game, and if they can keep that level of run defence up against Mostert and the 49ers front five, they should be pretty much unstoppable.

SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW: What will football look like in the post-Gavin era?

By Darren Casserly A new year means a new season of football to look forward to and, with that, many new questions to ponder. This year looks like it is the beginning of a new era in football – the post-Gavin era. Jim Gavin and his Dublin team dominated the previous decade, becoming the most decorated side in GAA history, winning 5 All-Irelands in a row.

The National Football League (NFL) will be an interesting watch if only to see how new rules the GAA congress introduced will affect the game, and if the first round is any indication, it’s mixed at best. The new mark is the biggest talking point of these new rules, with a Michael Murphy mark against Mayo immediately coming to mind. What was a glorified 20-yard pass into chest gave Murphy what basically was an easy free.

Other things to note about the opening round of fixtures is that Dublin and Kerry seem to be neck and neck not just for the NFL title, but also the Sam Maguire. They put on yet another riveting display in Croke Park that really showed us what we have been missing these past few months, with Kerry’s new young captain David Clifford’s goal being a particular highlight.

Other teams to look out for this campaign are Padraig Joyce’s Galway side, which includes NUI Galway’s Sigerson Cup star Robert Finnerty and they look set to be strengthened by the return of Paul Conroy and Damien Comer. The league campaign could really dictate how Galway’s year will go, so it will be important for new man Joyce and his team to hit the ground running, and they seem to have started well with an opening round victory over a rejuvenated Monaghan side.

Elsewhere, the ever-present Mayo look as dangerous as ever, with new young, exciting prospects like James Carr and NUI Galway’s Tommy Conroy looking impressive against Donegal.

The Michael Murphy-led Donegal are, for the first time in a long time, the new boys in Division One with nothing to prove, and they will want to try and re-establish themselves in the league as soon as possible. In the opening round of fixtures, they drew at home to the aforementioned strong Mayo side, with Michael Murphy yet again instrumental to Donegal play, along with his tally of 8 points. It’s clear that their season lives and dies with the feet of Murphy.

Back to the ‘old boys club’, with Mickey Harte’s Tyrone side, who will look to be contenders again this year. They’ll be boosted by the return of star man Cathal McShane, who turned down a chance to go down under to return to the red hands this season.

Finally, we get to what looks to be the whipping boys of the league in the new boys Meath, who disappointingly fell to Tyrone in the opening round. However, scoring 1-09 against a staunch Tyrone defence is nothing to scoff at and will give them belief going into the next rounds.

The title challengers look to be the everpresent Kerry and Dublin sides. However, I would not dismiss Galway, who could be a dark horse in the league and have accumulated more points than Dublin over the last two years.

In Division 2, it looks like Jack O’Con­ ner’s Kildare seem to be a smart bet to top the table, while Cork could be a sleeping giant in Division 3 after matching Dublin in the championship for 50 minutes last year and showing to be a class above in the opening round against Offaly. Carlow are also are hard to look past in Division 4.

Corofin create history once again as they win their third All Ireland in a row

By Harry King It’s a freezing cold Sunday afternoon in late November in Tuam Stadium. Whilst the spectators can’t feel their fingers, the sun is out, and it is a near perfect day for football. I turn to an elderly Corofin man sitting beside me. He can’t believe what he is watching.

He knew Corofin’s fantastic run for the past two and a half years would come to an end someday, but he didn’t think it would be today. Tuam Stars were by far the better team, playing football at pace and with a swagger. They looked like the team that were two-time reigning All-Ireland Club champions. But, as many great champions do under pressure, Corofin stayed calm and focused on the scoreboard instead of the clock. Thanks to a last minute free, they somehow managed to draw the game, forcing it to go to a replay in the same location next week. I look over to the man beside me again, and he stands up with a smile on his face, a sparkle in his eyes, as he knows his team has been let off the hook in some ways.

He also knows that his team will play better

next week. A sign of a great team is when they don’t play their best and still grind out a result. Tuam were bitterly disappointed and looked like they had lost the game altogether.

The following Sunday, Corofin won their seventh Galway Senior Football Championship in a row. Despite finding themselves down at the interval, a late burst saw them see off Tuam by three points. They went on to secure their third All-Ireland Championship in a row in an early All-Ireland final.

They saw off a very determined Kilcoo side.

The men from Down pushed them hard and came a lot closer to victory than Corofin’s opponents of the previous two years. In a very physical match up in Croke Park, Corofin wrote their names in the history books once again. Kilcoo deserve a lot of credit, they weren’t intimidated at all. Kilcoo is a small town that you would drive through in a matter of minutes. They won their first Ulster Championship this year and played some very attractive football. Their counter attacking punished Corofin, especially in the first half. However, in extra time, Coro-

fin showed they can adapt to whatever they have to do to win a game.

They are now rightly being compared to the greatest teams in the history of football, including the dominant Kerry team of the late seventies and early eighties and the current Dublin team. In terms of their style, they can certainly be compared to Dublin.

Their attacking mindset, running off the shoulder and their kick passing is a pleasure to watch (if your team isn’t playing against them). Both Dublin and Corofin have proved time and time again that they can adapt to whatever is thrown at them. However long both dynasties will last remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, Corofin have created history once again. A lot of credit has been given to their underage structure for the supply of tremendous talent. As I watched them win their third All-Ireland in a row, I thought back to the man smiling beside me in Tuam Stadium. He wasn’t smiling just because of the result, but because he knew that he had once again the pleasure of watching one of the great GAA teams of all time.

SPÓIRT

February 04 2020

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Return of the Mac fills the UFC with intrigue

By Darragh Nolan October 6, 2018. Chaos and controversy. Vengefulness and venom. Revenge and relief were the objectives of Conor McGregor that night.

The task at hand was victory over the undefeated phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov and the reclamation of his UFC lightweight title.

McGregor, however, was too focused on breaking the man in front of him. The problem was that the Dagestani grappler built a stunning 28-0 record predicated on being utterly unbreakable.

Fast forward to January 18, 2020. Mutual respect. Humility. Poise. Preparedness. It felt as if a wiser, matured Conor McGregor came along in the build-up to UFC 246. He insisted it was not the return of the old, but the emergence of the “new and improved”. Perhaps that was the case, not just for the man outside of the cage but the fighter inside it as well.

The 40 second dispatching of future Hall of Famer Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone was certainly reminiscent of the McGregor of years gone by.

An early finish was a hallmark of his rise up the featherweight ranks, capped off by the unforgettable 13 second title win over José Aldo.

That’s not to say this wasn’t a whole new fighter. The unorthodox shoulder strikes, the finish set up by a head kick, the patience exhibited while picking his shots with ‘Cowboy’ on the ground. As much as this reminded me of

the old McGregor, it also brought to mind Georges St-Pierre’s return at UFC 217.

“He might be better!”, Joe Rogan exclaimed on commentary that night. The world was in awe, daring to entertain the seeming impossibility that one of the greatest martial artists of all time could possibly have become even greater in his absence from the octagon.

Admittedly, GSP picked Michael Bisping apart over the course of three rounds while McGregor closed the show in less than a minute.

But the signs were there. He added new elements to his game and used them effectively to put his opponent away. Continued success isn’t just about maintained

Saracens’ relegation a stain on rugby’s reputation

By Jonny Browne A couple of weeks ago, the RFU announced that threetime and defending European champions Saracens are to be relegated to the Championship at the end of this season, due to financial irregularities and salary cap breaches. This action brings to light the years of rulebending which Sarries have gotten away with, as they have climbed to the top of the European game. They signed star players every off-season to build a Harlem Globetrotters-esque squad in order to be successful.

However, this strategy for success is very unfair when you compare them to other English teams, like Exeter, who themselves have been one of the teams of the decade. However, they did this by growing their own academy prospects and making clever signings, as coach Rob Baxter has moulded the squad into one of the most competitive teams in England. In Ireland, our provincial sides heavily rely on the academies, clubs and schools to build a squad and keep a tight limit on foreign players who aren’t eligible to play for Ireland.

Take Leinster, Saracens’ quarter-final opponents for the Champions Cup. Their squad is predominately made up of players who have played in the Leinster Senior Schools Cup or come from the Leinster club system, with only 4 foreign players in the squad, and only 2 of them are ineligible to represent Ireland (Scott Fardy and Joe Tomane). This strategy has led to Leinster winning 4 European titles since 2009 and having one of the most stacked squads in the world, with nearly 2-3 Irish internationals for every position across the field. All these players could probably earn more money across the Irish Sea or in France, but they want to stay in Dublin to play with one of the best teams out there.

This is not to say that Saracens don’t have a good academy structure – they do. They have produced seasoned internationals from the likes of Maro Itoje to Jamie George, Mako Vunipola and Alex Goode, but this amount of talent from the academy was not enough

in the eyes of Sarries owner Nigel Wray, who wanted to build a side that would be unbeatable, and he attracted players by offering huge salaries to the likes of Chris Ashton, Liam Williams, Elliot Daly and Will Skelton.

And you can’t blame the players for taking the money.

A professional rugby career doesn’t last long, and you need to make the most of it while you can.

Teams like Saracens, Toulon, Montpellier and many more are offering players these large wages and thus inflating the salaries of most other players, as clubs need to offer players more to keep them from going to these clubs. This had led to some clubs now struggling to make ends meet. Take Newport-Gwent Dragons, or now known as simply the Dragons. In 2017, the club that has seen Welsh internationals Toby Faletau and Gavin Henson play for them were in such a dire state they had to be taken over by the Welsh Rugby Union and lost ownership of their stadium Rodney Parade.

The hyper-inflation of players wages is not justified.

Rugby doesn’t create enough cash to account for the signings of slightly above average players like Aaron Cruden and Steven Luatua on contracts earning them reportedly over £650,000 a year. In 2018, Leinster only received £600,000 for winning the Heineken Champions Cup, Europe’s ‘Premium’ cup competition, not even enough to pay Johnny Sexton’s yearly salary. Although there are still many other ways clubs can make money, many clubs are still running on a loss, including Saracens, who had to write off £45 million of debt last April.

And now, after the actions of the RFU, this is hopefully a sign to other clubs in England to respect the salary cap. It’s only in place because the RFU doesn’t want clubs to go under and dissolve like you see in other sports, such as football. Traditional football clubs in Britain, like Rangers and Bury, have been liquidated this decade and, for a time, a major number of fans had no team to support. That’s not what rugby needs – rugby needs to gain popularity and local clubs going out of business won’t help.

excellence in MMA, it’s about constant evolution.

It may have looked easy, but this was crucial to Conor McGregor’s plans for 2020 and beyond. He put the world on notice by getting back in the win column. Suddenly,

potential opponents that claimed to have no interest are paying attention. Kamaru Usman wants a piece.

Justin Gaethje is chomping at the bit. Dana White has put the winner of March’s UFC Lightweight Championship bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson on the table.

The world is McGregor’s oyster once more.

Or, as ‘Mystic Mac’ himself put it to Ariel Helwani, “They thought I was toast, but I’m still the bread”. One trait of the old McGregor that is welcome back is the return of the oh-so quotable one-liners.

Aside from all of those tantalising match-ups, one stands out as perhaps the most appealing of all.

Jorge Masvidal has established himself as one of the sport’s biggest stars in McGregor’s off-time. White previously rubbished rumours of the fight being put t o g e t h e r b e c au s e o f Masvidal’s superior size.

But they’re both fighting at welterweight. Both men have to weigh 170 pounds the day before.

M c G re g o r ’s o p e n t o f i g ht i n g ‘Gamebred’ for the ‘BMF’ belt. Masvidal has campaigned for it in the past. Sometimes the fight game presents an opportunity that we never saw coming, one that could pass by in a flash and be lost forever. These two stars have never shined brighter and together, they could make the biggest fight in the history of mixed martial arts, perhaps in all of combat sports.

Taking back the 155-pound belt will always be an option for McGregor. The rubber match with Nate Diaz can happen anytime. Usman may hold the welterweight strap now, but he’s not a compelling figure and again, a chance to win that title isn’t going away.

Pairing Masvidal and McGregor is like catching lightning in a bottle. Now is the time.

‘The Notorious’ vs. ‘Gamebred’ for the right to be called the UFC’s ‘baddest motherf ***er’.

Book it.

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SIN Vol. 21 Issue 08

Killer Inside: Aaron Hernandez’ harrowing fall from NFL star to life in prison

By Darragh Nolan The new Netflix docuseries Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez attempts to shed light on what led the star NFL tight end to be charged with three homicides and receive a life sentence. However, the circumstances surrounding the murder of Hernandez’ friend Odin Lloyd only gets murkier the more one tries to unravel it.

Before all of that, though, was the stardom.

Before Killer Inside was the adoration of millions.

Before the murder was the $40 million contract.

Before life in prison was life in the limelight.

Before all of these, Aaron Hernandez was beloved

by New England Patriots fans and idolised by the Hispanic community.

So, how could someone who supposedly had it all be driven to brutally killing a close personal friend? Even his childhood friends, his family and his legal representatives struggled to grasp just why a famous football player would turn to such atrocity. “It didn’t make sense”, was a recurring answer from many interviewees throughout the series.

Killer Inside doesn’t so much succeed in understanding the mind of Hernandez as much as it

highlights how difficult it is to determine his motive. There were so many contributing factors, any one of which could be used to explain Hernandez’ behaviour.

There was his abusive upbringing, his father’s sudden death when he was just a teen, his unsupportive mother’s actions in the aftermath.

Hernandez suffered everything from early brushes with drugs and criminals to sexual assault.

All of that trauma alone is often an explanation for someone committing such a monstrous crime.

The great irony for Aaron Hernandez was that the very thing that saved him could have been what saw his life fall apart.

Described throughout the series as a supremely dedicated athlete and an exceptionally hard worker, Hernandez’ dedication to football brought him superstardom. But it also brought him severe brain damage as a result of repeated head trauma.

Retired NFL players’ issues with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, are well documented. The 2015 film Concussion, starring Will Smith, brought wider global attention to the problem. Symptoms include erratic behaviour, paranoia, wild mood swings, violent tendencies,

short term memory loss and depression that often leads to suicide.

All of these were characteristic of Aaron Hernandez right up to when he took his own life in 2017.

There is no justifying the crime he committed, but perhaps both he and Odin Lloyd would be alive today if not for the state his brain was left in by the rigours of professional football.

It is a truly conflicting notion. The sport of football is a marvel, a game that exemplifies the values of hard work and mental strength. It rewards intelligence and attention to detail. Football is America’s most popular game and in recent years has become a worldwide spectacle.

That all means very little when considering the damage it has done to the lives of so many former players, and when considering the tragedy of Odin Lloyd and his family. And aside from the physical toll football took on Hernandez, it may have been the culture surrounding it that hurt him most of all.

Homophobia in sports is no secret. Testosterone fuelled environments such as these are far from accommodating athletes to comfortably and safely come out. Aaron Hernandez was one of those athletes. The culture he grew up in pressured him

into silence and self-hatred. He ought to have felt like he could be open about his sexuality and the person he really was.

Instead, he became consumed by it. And despite being acquitted of two other murder charges in March 2017 and being upbeat about appealing the guilty verdict over Lloyd’s killing, he took his own life just days later.

Killer Inside speculates that the suicide had to do with crude, homophobic remarks made in relation to rumours about his sexuality on a radio show following his acquittal, but, considering his past, the CTE and the reality of facing life in prison, Hernandez’ death is just as hard to explain as Odin Lloyd’s.

Ultimately, no one will ever know why Aaron Hernandez killed his friend. We’ll never know why he took his own life. We’ll never know how things would have turned out if he’d made better decisions or if his life experience had been more positive.

What’s undeniable is that it’s time for change.

It’s time to make football a safer sport, so that athletes don’t leave it crippled and suffering from brain damage. It’s time to make all sports safe and supportive for LGBT+ athletes. It’s time for the NFL to evolve.

Greatest debuts of all-time

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2020

Tuesday 24th March ◆ The Galway Bay Hotel ◆

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By Jonny Browne

Federico Macheda, Manchester United vs Aston Villa, Premier League, 2009

Norwegian wonderkid Erling Braut Håland marked his debut for Borussia Dortmund by scoring a 23-minute hat-trick, as Dortmund came from behind to beat FC Augsburg 4-3. The 19 year-old, who had garnered the interest of clubs across Europe, such as Manchester United, PSG and Juventus, has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to perform, but it didn’t seem to affect him on the first run-out, so it got me thinking of other great sporting debuts:

Macheda was a true unknown when he came on to the pitch at Old Trafford as United were in desperate search of a goal, trailing 2-1 at home to a tough Aston Villa side, coached by Martin O’Neill. United needed a win to stay in pole position to win the Premier League title and equal Liverpool’s record 18 top-flight league titles. So, this lanky kid from Rome was tasked with trying to squeeze a goal in to finally get United out of the shadow of Liverpool’s success and he did much more than that. After Cristiano Ronaldo scored an equalizer in the 80th minute United only needed one more to salvage this match and keep clear of the competition as it came to the run-in. In the 93rd minute, Macheda was fed a pass from Ryan Giggs and he turned the hapless Villa defender with a backheel and, while falling, struck the ball sweetly.

Martin Tyler screamed “MACHEDAAAAAAAA!” as the ball flew pass Brad Friedel and into the net for a 3-2 victory. He would back this up with another winner at Sunderland 2 weeks later, as United marched on for an 18th league title. Unfortunately, this would be the peak of Macheda’s footballing career. Failing to keep up his form and goalscoring, he was farmed out on loans to smaller clubs, but he just wasn’t able to replicate the performance he gave that day and now, at only 28, despite being tipped to win awards left, right and centre as he got older, he is playing for Panathinaikos in Greece.

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United vs Fenerbahce, Champions League, 2004 In light of one wonderkid hat-trick, I bring you another one. It’s over 15 years ago now since Wayne Rooney was an 18-year-old who had become the world’s most expensive teenager when he left boyhood club Everton to join Man United for £25 million.

He now had the eyes of the world on him as he stepped out for his debut against Turkish outfit Fenerbahce in the Champions League. He proceeded to score a hattrick in a 6-2 victory for the Red Devils, including an exquisite 25 yard free-kick, as he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League at 18 years and 335 days. This would become just one of many memories Rooney would make at United, as he went on to become the club’s record goal scorer.

Julian Savea, New Zealand vs Ireland, Test match, 2012 Jumping over to rugby now and there aren’t many other debuts that spring to mind as much as when 21-year-old Julian Savea debuted against ourselves in Eden Park in 2012. He began the match by planting European Player of the Year Rob Kearney with a crunching tackle. That obviously had an effect on the Irish team, as he continued to make line breaks and bounce off tackles from anyone who was in his way.

He went on to score a 20-minute hat-trick of tries (notice a theme here with these selections), as the All Blacks spanked Ireland 42-10. Savea has an amazing international record up to this point, scoring 46 tries in 54 caps, a ratio of 0.85 tries per cap.

There are plenty other debuts I can talk about, including French scrum-half Jean-Marc Doussain, who made his international debut on rugby’s biggest stage, the World Cup Final, in 2011. Alvaro Recoba is another, an unknown who made his Inter Milan debut along with R9 Ronaldo and completely showed him up by scoring 2 screamers (well worth a watch on YouTube), as Inter came back to win 2-1 in the San Siro. Debuts are always exciting, as players have nothing to lose at the beginning and have a bit more freedom as they settle into their new squad, and that freedom has led to memorable moments and hopefully will bring many more.

SPÓIRT

February 04 2020

29

Kobe Bryant’s immeasurable legacy will live forever

By Darragh Nolan The tragic loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash shook the sports world, indeed the world at large, to its core.

The day prior to the accident, basketball fans and analysts watched LeBron James pass Kobe for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The public was engaged in heated debate over how the numbers of the two greats matched up.

Those debates seem so small and insignificant in the wake of Kobe’s passing. What matters now is the grief of those impacted by this loss. It’s important that his legacy is honoured now that he’s been taken away so suddenly.

Ever since Kobe announced he was taking his talents to the NBA as a teenager, he had the basketball world’s undivided attention. He never let go of that attention.

Playing for the league’s most popular franchise, the Los Angeles ­Lakers, he was thrust on to the global stage as an 18-year-old. He won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie and that was only the beginning of one of the most marvellous careers in NBA history.

The early years were defined by his partnership with Shaquille O’Neal, when they formed a duo that was

completely unstoppable. The turn of the millennium saw Shaq and Kobe win three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. The historic run served as Kobe’s coming out party. He established himself as one of the most skilful, clutch players ever seen.

The Hall of Fame big man was traded from L.A. in 2004 but Kobe’s loyalty to the city was unwavering. He signed a seven-year extension with the Lakers and endured some difficult years.

Things improved with the return of his old head coach Phil Jackson.

The combination of Kobe and All-Star forward Pau Gasol was reminiscent of the Shaq-Kobe years.

With Jackson back at the helm, Kobe enjoyed a run that included another two rings in 2009 and ‘10, two Finals MVPs and his only league MVP award.

Jackson departed once more, and Bryant’s career somewhat dwindled in its later years.

2013 saw him drag the Lakers to the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs almost single-handedly, until a torn Achilles derailed his season.

Even at his lowest, Kobe provided one of his most iconic moments by making two free throws despite the extent of the injury.

From there, the ­L akers

­franchise languished, mired in a poorly run rebuilding process. Despite the mediocrity of the team around him, Kobe passed his idol Michael Jordan in the all-time scoring list and said goodbye with a 60-point performance in his final NBA game.

In terms of his on-court exploits, Kobe’s achievements are best encapsulated by the two numbers he wore during his 20-year career. In #8, he and Shaq were a dominant force that made four NBA Finals, winning three. In #24, ‘The Black Mamba’ cemented his own legacy, proving he could lead the Lakers to glory without O’Neal by his side.

Playing 10 seasons in each number, Kobe’s career number are effectively split evenly between the two. He scored 16,866 points and was an 8-time All-Star in #8, compared to 16,178 points and 9 All-Star appearances in #24. Either stint alone would see Kobe enter the Hall of Fame and it’s a testament to his greatness that he amassed these number as an individual.

Perhaps the greatest shame in Kobe’s sudden death though, is that we’ll never know what he would have accomplished away from basketball.

In the three-and-a-half years since his retirement, he managed to win an Academy Award for the animated short Dear Basketball. He was coaching his daughters to keep up the Bryant name on the court. Gianna had aspirations to play in the WNBA and there’s no limit on how far she could’ve gone under her father’s tutelage.

We can harp on about everything Kobe Bryant did on the basketball court. We can lament that he was robbed of his opportunity to continue to realise remarkable and wonderful things in his second act.

But none of these things will properly capture what the Kobe Bryant legacy really means.

The words of the man himself capture it best.

“Heroes come and go, but legends are forever”.

That’s what Kobe meant to people. In life, he inspired countless fans around the globe to work as hard as possible, to remain focused in the face of adversity and be the best versions of ourselves.

Kobe Bryant lives forever in the lessons he taught us. The best way to remember him is to approach everything in life with the Mamba Mentality. May he rest in peace.

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SHAGWeek

Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance Week 2020

An tSeachtain um Fheasacht agus Threoir ar an tSláinte Ghnéis, 2020 Monday 10th February / Dé Luain an 10 Feabhra All Day 12pm-2pm 2pm-4pm

Look out for our volunteers giving out free Condoms and Lube across campus “Loving Your Sexual Body” free talk with Anna Keogh in The View Bra Collection at Smokey’s Café with BioMed Soc. Donate old bras to charity.

Tuesday 11th February / Dé Máirt an 11 Feabhra 10am-1.30pm 11am-12pm

Disclosure Training with Galway Rape Crisis Centre in The Space (€10) Abusive Relationships Free Talk with COPE Galway in The View

Wednesday 12th February / Dé Céadaoin an 12 Feabhra 10.30am-4.30pm 11am-4pm

USI & HSE Sexual Health Information at Smokey’s Café AIDS West Rapid HIV Testing in The Space

Thursday 13th February / Déardaoin an 13 Feabhra

2pm-4pm 7pm

Bra Collection at Smokey’s Café with BioMed Soc. Donate old bras to charity Sex Toy Bingo in the Corrib Room at Sult (€5 Tickets via Eventbrite)

Friday 14th February / Dé hAoine an 14 Feabhra 9am-1.30pm

Get your Valentine’s Day Roses & Rolos from the SU Office while stocks last (€1 donation) Cardiac First Responder Course in The Space (€40)

ALL WEEK

Free Condoms from the SU and the SU Engineering Desk

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CO MÓ RTAS

February 04 2020

31

WIN €25 SU CARD CREDIT*

campus (4) 6. Old-timey name for a hooligan or thug (7) 7. An album is made up of many single _____ (5) 8. Nickname for the people of Scotland (5) 13. Hard to believe we’re well into the second one (8) 15. One of the most serious problems facing children and teens in Ireland today (7) 17. _____ Smith was an American singer-songwriter, who died by suicide in 2003 (7) 18. When the regular coffee just won’t cut it (5) 19. Before it was a video-sharing website, TikTok was a 2009 song by _____ (5) 21. Affectionate nickname for the lead actor in Terminator, Predator, and a recent Governor of California (5) 22. First name of Bart’s 4th grade teacher in The Simpsons (4)

ACROSS 1. The Six _____s is rugby’s top European international tournament (6) 4. The spring sees the return of many outdoor _____ (6) 9. This biblical character brought his people the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai (5) 10. One of the greatest Gaelic football clubs Ireland has ever seen, and they’re from just out the road (7) 11. Someone who is known to support Tony Blair is known as a _____ (8) 12. We’ll all be hoping for one on Valentine’s Day (4) 14. Kobe Bryant was _____ by fans of the LA Lakers and the wider basketball community (6) 16. This type of hat has come right back into fashion in the last couple of years (6) 19. Joins your femur to your tibia (4) 20. One of the most popular sports in the US, and just about nowhere else (8) 23. A more unusual term for a party (7) 24. It takes two to _____ (5) 25. A very Irish way of getting the conversation back on track (6) 26. To apprehend someone, usually because of a crime (6)

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