SIN Vol. 23 Issue 01 by SIN Newspaper University of Galway

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

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Student Independent News Nuachtán saor in aisce · Vol. 23 Issue 01 · 21 Sept. 2021

Karzan Sabah Ahmed, Shahen Qasm and their daughter Lina. Image courtesy of the Kurdish Irish Society.

€100,000 raised to repatriate remains of NUI Galway car crash victim By Caoimhe Killeen Over €100,000 has been raised on a Go-Fund Me page to bring home the bodies of a former NUI Galway PhD student and his family to their home country of Iraq. Karzan Sabah Ahmed was one of the three victims of a fatal collision just outside of Ballinasloe, County Galway alongside his wife Shahen Qasm and their infant daughter Lina last month. Karzan had just completed his PhD studies in insect ecology in NUI Galway. According to the Independent, Karzan was travelling to Carlow with his family to view a property as he was about to commence a post at Carlow IT. A Go-Fund me page was established in the wake of the accident by Dr John Carey, a former colleague of Karzan’s. The page was set up to bring the bodies of the family to their hometown of Erbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

The page states “You would have not met two nicer people, who loved Ireland and touched the lives of those they met. Many of us didn’t get to meet Lina, and she never got to meet her family in Iraq. The shortness of her life is particularly difficult to understand. The least we can do is try and get them home so that they can find some peace.” Dr Carey stated in a tweet that he was “overwhelmed” at the massive surge of support shown towards the Go-Fund me campaign. “We have been overwhelmed at the response to our campaign to raise funds for our friends. People are simply amazing. We will continue to raise funds for a while as every cent will be utilized to help the families of Karzan and Shahen,” he wrote. NUI Galway President Ciarán Ó hOgartaigh has described Karzan’s loss as a “shocking tragedy.”

Speaking to SIN, he stated “We mark with great sadness and great regret, the passing of our NUI Galway PhD student Karzan Sabah Ahmed, his wife Shahen Qasm and their baby Lina. I know our entire university community was very upset by this shocking tragedy on our roads, and we are particularly moved to be opening a new academic year with that sadness in mind.” President Ó hOgartaigh also added that his passing was one of the saddest events he could recall in his time as an academic. “We know that when people who are kind and gentle come among us, that even though they may be gone, they are always with us. We would particularly like to mark Karzan’s contribution to us not only as a researcher, but as a colleague and a friend, and we are very saddened by his passing.”

News · Nuacht

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

A huge thanks to our team! Valerie McHugh Editor

Editorial By Valerie McHugh Hello everyone, welcome back to another year of SIN! Volume 23; can you believe it? I am honoured to have taken up the role as editor in chief for this year and I have been constantly in awe of SIN’s dedicated volunteers and talented writers. This issue is jam packed with current affairs, fun fashion pieces and an array of health and lifestyle tips that will certainly leave you feeling enlightened. Our sports section is as busy as ever and there is also a brand new addition to our paper this year. ‘Cainte’ is our dedicated Irish section in this paper where all of our fantastic Irish writers can shine. Every week it will also contain a helpful word bank of useful Irish words so that you can sharpen your vocabulary and learn something new! A special word of thanks to everybody who has contributed to Issue 1, I could not be prouder of SIN’s volunteers, the content they produced and our amazing new re-design. If you want to get involved in SIN, email me at editor.sin@gmail.com and I will get back to you. But for now, enjoy issue 1!

@NuigSin @sin_news Student Independent News, NUI Galway

Darragh Nolan

Deputy Editor, News Co-editor, Opinion Co-editor

Caitlin Murphy

Caoimhe Killeen

Eimear Nig Oireachtaigh

Anastasia Burton

Darren Casserly

David Cendon Garcia

Katie Barragry

Ethne Tierney

Aine Fogarty

News Co-editor

Features Editor

Opinion Co-editor

Arts & Fashion Editor

Ewelina Szybinska

Health & Lifestyle Editor

SU Says... By Róisín Nic Lochlainn SU President

Starting college is one of the most exciting times of someone's life. Meeting friends that you'll have for life, starting a degree that you'll love (hopefully!), getting to experience living away from home for the first time. Doing your food shopping by yourself, paying your own bills. Our advice is to make the most of it, the time will absolutely fly by. Sit at the front of your lecture hall, talk to the person beside you, sign up to that society. If you don't like your course, or something goes wrong, it is not the end of the world, and there are always options and so many supports are available to you in the college as well as through the Students' Union - everything will work itself out. It might feel, at first, like you've been thrown in the deep end, but it gets

Cainte Editor (Irish)

Sports Editor

Online Editor

Special thanks to Katie Austin easier! That changes, and it's important to not burn yourself out in the first couple of months. If you ever find yourself needing any sort of support at all, the Students' Union is always here to help - we are your representative body, elected by you, to represent and to defend your rights. On that note, I would also advise as many students as possible to get involved with the SU, run for class rep, organise protests, make sure that your voice and your issues are heard. If you're angry about the housing crisis that students across the island are facing, get involved with the Students' Union. If you're angry at how classes are being delivered or how timetables are being delayed, go to your Students' Union. Whether you have an issue or need advice on finances, housing, sexual health, deferring, repeating - whatever it might be! there are more supports available to you through the SU than you might think, so use it. Ádh mór oraibh go léir and we cannot wait to meet everyone in person.

An bhfuil rud éigin le rá agat? Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir.

Editor: Valerie McHugh – editor.sin@gmail.com

Find us online: www.sin.ie

News · Nuacht

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

INSIDE this issue... News

Virtual graduations cause online backlash 5

Ecosia: The search engine that plants trees 14

NUI Galway Students’ Union urge caution in booking student accommodation following a surge in accommodation scams

NUI Galway courses see rapid increase in points in CAO 2021 offers

New Irish Language Strategy to revive NUI Galway’s bilingual campus status unveiled

NUI Galway contribution to landmark climate report

NUI Galway researchers develop a revolutionary way to treat sport-related tendon injuries

Features Get your daily caffeine hit in style

Dine in Galway: High Café, 2 High Street, Galway

Do remote internships lack value for students? 21

Erasmus Diary

Sexualisation in sport or functionality: Why German gymnasts made headlines with their unusual competition attire 25

How to make your student accommodation feel like home

Opinion Returning to in-person learning: Campus changes

Rationalising the Crises of Our Time

My experience travelling during the pandemic

Should we limit video game use among the youth?

Arts & Fashion What’s on this September?

Miss Galway Pamela Uba makes history as the first ever black ‘Miss Ireland’

Top 6 movies to understand what’s going on in Afghanistan 26 Top 5 most promising upcoming video games

What NOT to buy this Autumn

Dave Flynn’s Irish Memory Orchestra

Health & Lifestyle 34

Tábhacht folláine coirp agus sinn ag filleadh ar an gnáthshaol 36

Healthy, Cheap & Quick College Meals

Exercise: Benefits for the brain

Welcome autumn and cooler weather with these new beauty launches

Project Pan – September Comeback

Small Lifestyle Changes That Can Have A Big Impact

Cainte Tábhacht folláine coirp agus sinn ag filleadh ar an gnáthshaol 36

Sport

Keep faith with Kenny 40

Connacht Rugby season preview

Colour blindness: World Rugby’s landmark initiative and the need for action across sports

Hurling & Gaelic Football Championship reviews

Is Mental Health being taken seriously in sport?

News · Nuacht

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

NUI Galway Students’ Union urge caution in booking student accommodation following a surge in accommodation scams By Caoimhe Killeen News Editor

NUI Galway’s Student Union have issued a series of tips to students seeking accommodation for the new academic year in the wake of a series of accommodation scams. These tips have been released following a surge of reported accommodation scams across the country. According to an article from TheJournal.ie, at least 60 scams have been reported to An Garda Síochána since the beginning of June.

The main tip that the Students’ Union have advised is to ensure that the property fits the needs of all tenants and to look out for and avoid such rental scams. Such scams include the scammer living at the property and showing the viewers around before taking a deposit of money and fleeing with the cash, leaving the renter without a landlord and keys that don’t work. Other tips include taking pictures of the property to highlight any damages such as carpet stains and cigarette burns, avoiding cash payments for deposits, ensuring the

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house is well ventilated and that kitchen and heating appliances are working properly and that the broadband speeds in the area are enough to carry out online learning. “Finding accommodation can be extremely stressful and people tend to rush into it,” states NUI Galway Student’s Union President Róisín Nic Lochlainn. “It is paramount that you follow these guidelines to avoid scams and ensure that the house you live in will be sustainable for you and your friends. Never rush into getting accommodation, be cautious and insist on receipts and any repairs where necessary. This will be where you stay for at least nine months so make sure you have all the necessities before making any commitments.” Cora Clarke, NUI Galway Vice-President and Welfare and Equality Officer also added that the importance of being cautious and aware when renting student accommodation is critical. “Being aware of rental scams and the signs of them can prevent losing money and make a student’s life easier,” stated Clarke. Clarke also called for students to take on personal responsibility in following Covid-19 restrictions as students partially return to campus for the new academic year. “With restrictions easing, it is vital we remain determined to not only take care of ourselves but the community around us as well. “With this newfound freedom that the easing of restrictions is allowing students across the country, it is also important that we highlight personal responsibility not only in relation to the pandemic but also to make sure we are eating properly, exercising, drinking enough water, and getting enough rest,” added Clarke. “After a year and a half of lockdowns it can be tempting to stretch yourself thin to socialize as much as possible. It is important to remember to take care of yourself in all aspects!” A recommended website by the Student’s Union for booking accommodation is www.nuiglaunchpad.ie www.nuiglaunchpad.ie.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

News · Nuacht

Virtual graduations cause online backlash By Valerie McHugh NUI Galway graduates have been expressing their disappointment and anger towards the university after this year’s series of virtual graduations.

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As a student who had spent four years in Galway, it was incredibly frustrating to see an online graduation happen mere days before I returned to campus as a masters student. Described by one graduate as an “insult,” the virtual ceremonies took place after NUI Galway President Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh informed students that he believed it was in the best interest of students and families to hold the graduations online. “Based on the public health advice at this time, we do not anticipate that we could congregate on campus in sufficient numbers to celebrate our Autumn Confer-

ring ceremonies in ways that would be safe – and meaningful – for our graduands, their families and friends, and their lecturers,” Ó hÓgartaigh stated in an email sent to all students earlier in the summer. Psychology Graduate, Cara Ní Chofaigh, who shared her experiences with SIN said that the virtual ceremony was a “disgrace” and that “my poor nana made a trip up from Kerry for it but I honestly feel like she wasted a trip (…) because years of hard work and money were just not acknowledged.” This was echoed amongst other graduates, even from within NUI Galway’s new Oifeach na Gaeilge with SU Officer Eimear Ni Oireachtaigh telling SIN that “As a student who had spent four years in Galway, it was incredibly frustrating to see an online graduation happen mere days before I returned to campus as a masters student. I was prepared to make the most of it, travelling up to Galway for pictures on the Quad, and going out for a meal with my family. However, although my expectations were low, I was still disappointed. “The stream then froze multiple times, and even broke down entirely. I was lucky that my course wasn’t affected, but I can’t imagine how much worse it would have been if this was your one way of celebrating a huge achievement. The university later apologised through email and on social media, but in my personal opinion it just isn’t good enough,” she finished.

In response to the backlash, NUI Galway have told SIN that although it is the personal preference of the college to hold in-person graduations for all graduates, “due to the prevailing public health guidelines, and as the health and safety of our University community is paramount, it has not been possible to host these events during the Covid-19 pandemic.” NUI Galway have offered their sincere “apologies for the disruption to the virtual conferring ceremony on Wednesday 25th August,” and have told SIN that they “are particularly sorry to anyone who did not experience the joy of being publicly recognised for their studies. The technical issue was beyond our control and a link to a recording of the ceremony was made available shortly after the conferring ended.” NUI Galway also confirmed that their IT specialists have launched a review of the issue to ensure that it does not happen again. They concluded by saying “We would like to thank all those who took part in virtual conferring and we wish our graduates every success for the future.” NUI Galway reopened its doors to students and staff on the 6th of September after new Covid-19 guidelines for universities were implemented. Cara Ní Chofaigh, who has re-enrolled in NUI Galway for a masters, concluded by telling SIN that she would be more than happy to attend an in-person celebration should another event be organised for the graduating class in the future now that campus has reopened.

News · Nuacht

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Report highlights importance of consent among teens By Darragh Nolan Deputy Editor

An overwhelming majority of Irish teenagers believe sexual consent is vitally important, a new report has found. NUI Galway’s Active* Consent programme surveyed 613 post-primary students aged 15-17 on a variety of issues related to sexual consent. 93% of females and 79% of males agreed that consent is always required for sexual activity, while 98% of respondents agreed it is okay to say “no” to sex. Based at NUI Galway, the Active* Consent programme works to provide young people with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and practice sexual consent. It focuses on schools, colleges and sporting organisations in particular. This report concludes a two year development process for the Active* Consent programme and will see the introduction of a number of new resources for pupils, teachers and parents. The new resources will include sexual consent workshops, seminars for parents and guardians and eLearning tools aimed at increasing young people’s understanding of sexual media, body image and pornography. “Our resources aim to build consent com-

petence, which means having the knowledge and skills that enable you to confidently communicate your own boundaries while respecting those of others,” said Active* Consent programme co-lead Dr Siobhan O’Higgins. “We have worked with schools across the country to pilot a new consent workshop that supports not just teenagers, but also their parents and teachers,” she added. “We worked with young people to design it, and now, based on piloting with 1,000 of their peers, the Active* Consent workshop is available to schools around the country.” The pilot scheme for the sexual consent workshop proved to have huge influence on students. 92% of participants came away saying they felt prepared to deal with sexual consent, compared to just 61% before taking part. The launch of the Active* Consent programme’s report featured contributions from the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon. He said the findings indicated progress was being made in a complex area. “The Active* Consent programme indicates that we are making progress in confronting what is not only a complicated issue, but an extremely important one for developing positive relationships and reducing sexual harassment.

“The programme will equip secondary school students with self-confidence to speak up if there is something happening that they are not comfortable with. In a perfect world

92% of participants came away saying they felt prepared to deal with sexual consent, compared to just 61% before taking part.

”

we would like to think attitudes towards sexual harassment are changing but evidence shows us we have a long way to go.” The Active* Consent programme is supported by the Galway-based charity Lifes2Good, an organisation focusing on women and children in vulnerable situations. The programme is also an awardee of Rethink Ireland’s Arts to Impact fund. Active* Consent utilises drama in some of its work with young people. Additional information on the Active* Consent programme is available via the NUI Galway website or email at activeconsent@nuigalway.ie activeconsent@nuigalway.ie.

NUI Galway courses see rapid increase in points in CAO 2021 offers By Caoimhe Killeen CAO points for undergraduate courses at NUI Galway have risen significantly following this year’s Round One Offers. Points for courses rose across the four colleges on campus as NUI Galway made 3,859 offers to prospective students with 3,500 expected to start this month as first year students. A massive 65 out of 69 programmes offered at undergraduate level saw an increase in points. Around 30 programmes had an increase of more than fifty points. Five programmes rose by more than eighty points this year - Arts with Creative Writing from 330 to 421 points, Arts with Journalism from 400 to 484 points, Computer Science & Information Technology from 403 to 495 points, Mechanical Engineering from 454 to 541 points and Podiatry from 443 points to 531 points. Health, wellbeing, and other science programmes also continue to be in high demand following points increases in recent years. The most notable increase was that of Biomedical Science which rose from 556 points to a record 613 points. Arts, Commerce, Science and Engineering also saw an increase in points, with Arts rising

from 300 to 327 points for the first time. Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, President of NUI Galway has congratulated the class of 2021 for demonstrating “remarkable resilience amid the significant challenges of the pandemic and its impact on education.” President Ó hÓgartaigh also stated that “Our focus in NUI Galway is on safely and sustainably optimising the experience for students, on campus, for the academic year ahead. The health, wellbeing and safety of our staff, students and the wider Galway community is our top priority.” Clodagh McGivern, Vice President of NUI Galway’s Student Union and Education Officer also offered her congratulations to incoming first year students. “We’re delighted to have students back on campus and we’re looking forward to meeting all of the new students who accepted their courses in NUI Galway” she stated. However, McGivern was also shocked to see how much CAO points increased by this year despite record breaking results from Leaving Cert students. “It was extremely tough to see students left devastated as their courses increased by a significant amount” stated McGivern. “It was shocking to see some students score the highest points possible, still miss out on

their course due to demand leaving places to be filled by random selection. I can’t imagine how upsetting this was for those students as they literally could not have done any better or achieved any more than they did. McGivern also pointed out that students residing in Northern Ireland could only achieve a maximum of 600 points in their own system as the “CAO is a system that is essentially built to discriminate against them as they can’t attend some courses even though they achieved the highest grade they were able to.” The points inflation, despite approximately 4,600 additional college places being provided for, also showed the inaccessibility of third-level education in Ireland, according to McGivern. “Third level education was already inaccessible to many students due to the costs associated with it and the points are just another prohibiting factor. The inflation in points and the way students are feeling because of it is ludicrous, it’s just another thing that shows Ireland is no place for young people anymore. “Hopefully, by next year points will have stabilized if there is an ‘across the board’ approach to how students are examined. Regardless, the government need to examine how they treat the young population in all aspects” McGivern finished.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

News · Nuacht

New Irish Language Strategy to revive NUI Galway’s bilingual campus status unveiled By Vera O’Brien NUI Galway have officially launched their new Irish Language Strategy to reinforce the bilingual status of the campus. The five-year plan (2021-25) aims to redevelop and strengthen the bilingual culture through operational policies and commits to promoting the Irish language within university life. The strategy was developed by the newly established Irish Language Strategic Committee chaired by President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh. The Committee members discussed their main objectives with the participation of internal and external members to the University, including thestudent voice. The strategy will focus on several principal areas such as Space and Resources, Administrative and Management Structures, Academic Affairs, the use of Irish in the University, and The Community. Further development of the Irish Language Residence Scheme will aid the Irish speaking community by providing Irish language speakers reserved places in student residences at NUI Galway to encourage the language.

Furthermore, language hubs for the Irish language will become readily available on Galway campus, and discussions will continue to propose the construction of a new building for the Irish language community on campus. Recently, it was announced by the University that Eimear Ni Oireachtaigh is to become the new Irish Language Officer of NUI Galway Student’s Union, whose responsibilities will include implementing the new policy to provide customer services through the medium of Irish and establishing a plan of action whereby the Irish language is officially recognised as a skill set in recruitment processes. The University’s vision for driving the Irish language forward was presented in the University’s plan to design and implement a new art scheme which will focus on the placement of the Irish language across campus. Committee members will also investigate providing the option of offering interdisciplinary modules through Irish, and providing the option to those who wish to teach through Irish. The network of University Gaeltacht Centres will make the most of the opportunities arising from the State’s 20-Year Plan for the Irish Language and the amendment to the Official Languages Act.

Dr Máire Geoghegan Quinn, newly appointed Chair of the University’s Governing Authority stated that “The Irish language has always had a particular advantage here at NUI Galway in terms of location and community. It was understood from the outset that it was in the interests of our language, the Gaeltacht and our University to foster and strengthen this relationship between us, which was done.” The University is determined to promote university education through the medium of Irish and to provide the student body the opportunity to develop that connection with the Irish language, as well as the connection to Gaeltacht communities. Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, NUI Galway Deputy President and Registrar, said: “Recognising the unique and influential role our university plays in our region’s society and economy, we plan to work with businesses, organisations and networks across the west of Ireland to ensure that our university is positively serving our region.” A full implementation plan is to be developed, and the Deputy President and Registrar will monitor the progress of the plan. A Strategy for the Irish Language 2021-25 can be read in full at: http://www.nuigalway.ie/ gaeilgebheo/. gaeilgebheo/

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News · Nuacht

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

NUI Galway contribution to landmark climate report By Darragh Nolan The NUI Galway-based Irish Centre for HighEnd Computing (ICHEC) has contributed to a significant new report on climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its landmark AR6 report, the organisation’s sixth assessment report on researcher’s understanding of the Earth’s climate and how it is changing. The report features ICHEC’s global climate simulations, which uses computers to complete projections of what the global climate will look like in the future. The simulations are carried out using the EC-Earth model, developed by a European

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Using over 1,500 terabytes of data and millions of lines of code, the EC-Earth model’s simulation has provided a very real look at exactly what our planet will look like in the not too distant future.

consortium which includes ICHEC. The model uses existing data to predict the future state of the global climate. The projection data produced by the simulations allows researchers and scientists to better understand the physical state of the climate and determine the impact of climate change on the environment and global society. ICHEC’s YouTube channel features a number of visualisations of the impact climate change has had in the past and will continue to have in the future from the 20th century all the way up to projections as far as the year 2100. The videos show the effects of rising global temperatures, increased levels of precipitation and increasing September sea ice fraction. Using over 1,500 terabytes of data and millions of lines of code, the EC-Earth model’s simulation has provided a very real look at exactly what our planet will look like in the not too distant future. The inclusion of these simulations in the IPCC’s report places Ireland among the leaders on global climate change research. The report states that humanity’s actions are directly leading to rapidly changing conditions in the environment, stating that “it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.”

“Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred,” the report continues. ICHEC’s simulations comprised Ireland’s contribution to an international Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). This project allows scientists across the globe to share climate models with each other and compare simulations Carried out in collaboration with Met Éireann and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Met Éireann and the Marine Institute, ICHEC’s work has secured Ireland’s position for future ground-breaking global climate studies. “This research ensures Ireland remains at the forefront of global climate change research and continues its involvement with future Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects and IPCC reports,” said ICHEC Director Professor JC Desplat. Our climate projections, combined with those of the international community, will inform global climate policy over the coming years. Requirements for participation in CMIP include an internationally respected model, access to a powerful supercomputer and substantial data storage resources. ICHEC currently meets these criteria in its ability to participate in projects of this scale.” More information on ICHEC is available via the organisation’s website, ichec.ie.

News · Nuacht

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

A BIG WELCOME BACK TO ALL NUIG STUDENTS FROM DOMINO’S WE ARE OPEN 12 NOON TO MIDNIGHT SUNDAY TO THURSDAY AND 12 NOON TO 2AM FRIDAY/SATURDAY

NUI Galway researchers develop a revolutionary way to treat sport-related tendon injuries

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By Ethne Tierney Researchers at the CÚRAM Research Centre for Medical Devices based at NUI Galway have developed an implantable stimulator device that combined with body power, can help repair tendon injuries particularly in athletes. This innovative device is cost-effective, relatively easy to implant, and has the potential to pave the way for new methods to treat these types of injuries. The results were published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials this August. The study investigated whether electrical therapy, coupled with exercise, would help to speed up the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases such as tendon damage or ruptures. It showed that tendon repair can be controlled through electrical stimulation from an implantable device that is powered by body movement such as walking. CÚRAM Research Centre focuses on developing diagnostic devices, biomedical implants, cell-device, and drug-device combination products to address unmet clinical needs. Dr Marc Fernandez, who carried out the principal research of the study at CÚRAM, said: “Successful treatment of tendon damage and disease represents a critical medical challenge […] We presented an implantable, electrically active device capable of controlling tendon regeneration and healing.” Lead researcher on the study, CÚRAM Investigator Dr Manus Biggs, also added: “This unique strategy of combining a device which is powered through body-movement, and which can induce accelerated tendon healing is expected to significantly impact the field of regenerative devices, specifically in the area of sports or trauma associated injuries.” The research was funded by Science Foundation Ireland. In February 2021, they announced a reinvestment of €46million, demonstrating the Government’s strong commitment to the MedTech industry in Ireland as well as supporting the continuation of substantial academic, industry and clinical collaborations that are central to CÚRAM’s work. Set up in 2015, CÚRAM is now a world-leading Irish Medical Device R&D Centre based out of NUI Galway. While led by NUI Galway, CÚRAM’s partner institutes include University College Dublin(UCD), University College Cork (UCC), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University of Limerick (UL), Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI), Dublin City University (DCU), Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) and the National Institute Bioprocessing Research and Training.

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Features · Gné-altanna

Get your daily caffeine hit in style By Sophia Hadef Galway is the hip city of Ireland. The City of Tribes has a strong bohemian street cred, thanks to its great communities shaping the style and atmosphere. Sometimes chic, sometimes rock and even goth. Galway has a great number of microbreweries, thrift stores, vegan restaurants, and tattoo parlours. And everyone can find what they’re looking for. Here are my top 5 cafes in town. Check them out, you won’t regret the experience.

The Secret Garden, 4 William Street West

This gorgeous and cosy cafe is located on the outskirts of Galway. It is the perfect place if you want to relax, and get a perfect and rare tea. You will also find some yummy treats such as homemade cakes and pastries, they are also vegan friendly. They are open until late and if you love cats like me, you will be the happiest you can be in one of their warm seats.

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Kindf_olk. The Cornstore, Unit 10, Middle St This new cafe shop is situated just next to the delicious Hazel Mountain Chocolate and the amazing Charlie Byrnes bookshop. It has everything to charm you and you will get the best coffee in town in the most hipster cup ever. You can also find mens’ clothes and shoes, and decorate your home with their sustainable, ethical and eco-friendly lifestyle items.

Plámás, Dominick Street

Plámás is a new cafe in town located just next to Taylor’s Bar. It’s a small and very stylish cafe and if I say so myself, it may be the gothest one in Galway city. You will love tasting their succulent coffee and finding the best gifts such as cool tote bags and photographs. They’re ready to make you cool.

Ré Coffee + Design, 137 Upper Salthill Rd

Do you prefer to stay by the Salthill prom but have a coffee in style? Ré is your place. Just next to the great O’Connor’s Famous Pub, they have speciality coffee and the tastiest wines in town. Their gift store is also difficult to resist as they sell gorgeous Irish candles, cards and many more delightful items. It’s definitely my favourite spot in Salthill.

Álainn, Blackrock, Salthill (right beside the diving tower)

Álainn is a lovely little orange van serving organic coffee from the Burren mountains by Anam Coffee. They also serve the most delicious Superfood bowls. Eat healthy and tasty food while you’re walking along the prom. The sea breeze will make you enjoy your drink and treat even more. It’s sunny? Rainy? Stormy? You’re in Galway so it doesn’t matter. Go visit one of these pretty places and enjoy the craic.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Features · Gné-altanna

Dine in Galway: High Café, 2 High Street, Galway High Café is a highly recommended hidden gem for dining out in Galway By Caroline Giles After a difficult time for the hospitality industry and with little space to accommodate outdoor dining, when High Café reopened for indoor diners I was excited to revisit this hidden Galway gem. Nestled upstairs between Sonny Molloy’s and the Bunch of Grapes, High Café is off the beaten track whilst still holding a central location. Having previously dined here for lunch, post-pandemic I opted for a dinner reservation. Arriving early on a Wednesday evening, my guest and I were greeted warmly by a member of staff and shown to our seat. I am a stickler for corner seat so when I called to reserve I requested such and was not disappointed. Snug in the corner by a window we had an ideal view of the bustling Galway street below. It can be difficult to get the ambience right in restaurants however High Café, with its dimmed lighting, and tealight candles does an excellent job of making guests feel relaxed. The music playing was a mixture of modern and classical played at the perfect level allowing for conversations to flow easily and unstrained. A quirk of this restaurant is the décor, it’s walls boast a merge of beautiful Mediterranean tilework alongside interesting Irish artwork and historical artefacts which combined, make for stimulating viewing. The menu at High Café offers an eclectic mix of dishes such as Galway Bay Smoked Salmon, Vegetarian Tagine, and Marinated Lamb Skewers. The restaurant describes its

menu as serving the best dishes from both Irish and Mediterranean landscapes with a notably large influence from Morocco. The inclusion of pizzas, pasta and a kids menu makes High Café accessible to even the fussiest of eaters amongst us. Opting for the two-course set menu, for starters we went for the Garlic Prawns and Mussels Gratin and Garlic Bread with Cheese. The prawn and mussel combination in a creamy, lightly spiced, the tomato sauce was rich but not overpowering whilst the garlic bread was fluffy with just the right amount of cheese. For our main courses we both chose skewers with my guest going for the Mixed Skewer Platter whilst I chose the Chicken Marinated Skewer. Both items are served with couscous, green beans, carrot, spinach and garlic potato whilst offering a choice between chips, boiled rice, or pitta bread, garlic butter or green peppercorn sauce as sides. The skewers were cooked well, juicy and tender whilst the vegetables were flavourful and perfectly seasoned. We struggled to finish due to the generous portion size. Although there were tasty dessert options on offer including Chocolate Cake and Banoffee Pie, my party felt too pleasantly full so declined dessert. Uncommon for Galway restaurants and a feature worth highlighting is that High Café does not serve alcohol on the premises. Patrons are welcome to visit the bar downstairs to order drinks to bring upstairs. Otherwise, guests are welcome to bring along their bottle of wine at no additional corkage

The High Café gets the ambience just right fee. Soft drinks and coffees are available onsite. An unfortunate downside to High Café is that there is no wheelchair accessibility. Food is available for delivery on Deliveroo or collection, however, I encourage people to visit the restaurant in person to get the real authentic experience. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 12.30 to 10 pm offering a variety of value and set menus throughout the day, served to the highest standard by friendly staff, High Café is a highly recommended hidden gem for dining out in Galway.

Vegetarian Tagine at The High Café

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Features · Gné-altanna

Erasmus Diary By Saoirse Higgins

“

So, hello and welcome back, everyone. It’s the start of a new college year and things are beginning to return to normal. From the title, you have probably figured out that I am on Erasmus. I won’t lie, it’s very different to what I’ve been doing for the past year and a half. I’m currently sat in a café in Stockholm, Sweden with no mask and people bustling around me. Vastly different to my life six months ago where the closest I came to a café was passing a Starbucks as I picked up my weekly grocery shop. If you’re planning to go on Erasmus or are on Erasmus currently, I hope this diary can give you some tips or relatable content. I promise I’ll try not to just make it about showing off. My journey here began nearly three weeks ago as I boarded my plane to Stockholm at the one and only Dublin Airport. From there, things have been busy. Moving to a new country and a new university for several months requires a lot of sorting of technicalities. Getting a university card, a travel pass, curtains (yes, I got changed in the bathroom for a whole week because I was paranoid), working out how the metro works (we genuinely need one of these at home. It’s so good). However, once these technicalities are sorted, the fun parts also begin. Making friends, sight-seeing and travelling the country. Stockholm has a lot to offer, I’ve been busy seeing the Old Town, museums and, of course, some pubs. There’s a museum called the Vasa Museum here, it’s about a boat from the 17th century that they were able to salvage from the seabed in almost perfect condition. It’s very cool but, wow, they do not stop talking about it here. There are so many great things here already but, unfortunately, Erasmus does have some downsides. One of which is how expensive it is here in comparison to Ireland. Everything is so pricey, from the food to the alcohol to home appliances. If you’re going on Erasmus, I would genuinely recommend saving a good bit of money first. The second, and the biggest, is the homesickness. It kicks in quicker than you think. My first week went fine, I was busy and enjoying the thrill of a new city. During the second week, my lovely boyfriend came to visit me, and we had a great time. This week, I’m stuck in the middle of classes and deadlines are coming up already which makes me miss my friends and boyfriend more than ever, even

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Mature student diary by Aoife Burke Hello world! Well, hello NUI Galway anyway! My name is Aoife Burke, I am a third year English and Journalism student at NUI Galway currently serving a placement at Flirt FM. I am not sure yet where I will be on placement after Christmas, it could be a newspaper or maybe another radio station. I have just finished my third day of placement and I have learned loads. My editing skills are still a little sketchy and I tend to get into a kerfuffle with the computer from time to time, but we are all here to learn. One thing I learnt this week was that reading the news in a facemask is not a good idea! I am in my late 30s and I can honestly say I wouldn’t have been able for this at 21. So, if you are 21 and reading this, trust me, you guys are doing great! I have gotten pretty good at packing my stuff neatly and I have even started bringing in my own lunch. Better late than never! I also have a weekend job working as a care assistant which I adore, so I am really busy at the moment. It’s a relief I don’t have exams this year, however I do miss English essays (honestly, I love writing them) and there is a niggling worry at the back of my mind that I will have forgotten the P.E.A.R method etc. by the time I get to final year. Finger’s crossed for me I don’t! Anyway, that’s all my news. Until next time - Aoife

I’m currently sat in a café in Stockholm, Sweden with no mask and people bustling around me. Vastly different to my life six months ago where the closest I came to a café was passing a Starbucks as I picked up my weekly grocery shop. if it hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen them. Seeing the freshers’ activities start this week has made me especially miss Galway. However, I know this too will pass, although of course I will still miss everybody. I’m heading on my first trip this weekend, to Estonia. We’re taking the ferry, which worked out to be ridiculously cheap somehow. Although the sea sickness might mean you won’t be seeing me in an pictures. That’s my journey so far. I’m planning on structuring these diaries with a theme every week, however I thought I’d give you an introduction this time. I’m looking forward to writing these and if you made it this far, thank you for reading. Have a good week and I’ll see you next time.

Saoirse on her Erasmus

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Features · Gné-altanna

Ecosia By Anastasia Burton Features Editor

Ecosia is a search engine which gained popularity because of its’ promise to put 80% or more of its profits towards nonprofit organizations that focus on reforestation. Ecosia had promised to maintain full financial transparency and publishes its monthly financial reports to build a trust with its users. This search engine originally delivered a variation of search results from Yahoo! and technologies from Bing and Wikipedia. All advertisements provided by the search engine were delivered by Yahoo! as part of their revenue sharing agreement with the company which changed now that Ecosias’ search results are provided by Bing to improve the engines algorithms. Ecosia is currently available on mobile for Android and IOS devices as well as PCS and Macs which makes it widely accessible. Launched on December 7th, 2009 at Un climate talks in Copenhagen, Ecosia supported various tree-planting programs. Until December of 2010 all profits made at Ecosia went towards WWF Germany which protected the Juruena National Park in the Amazon basin. To aide in protecting this area, employees at Ecosia created financial plans with timber companies and local communities. This led to them raising 250,000 euro in 2011. Ecosia had donated to Plant a Billion Trees program from July 2013 until September 2014. This program was managed by The Nature Conservancy which wanted to restore the Brazilian Atlantic Forest by planting a million trees by 2015. In 2015 Ecosia had also helped fund the reforestation program in Burkina Faso which was part of the Great Green Wall project supported by African Union and the World Bank in efforts to prevent desertification. By 2015 Ecosia has 2.5 million active uses which helped plant more than 2 million trees. In January of 2020, Ecosia had donated all its profits towards Reforest Now, which was a local NGO that not only plants to restore the forest but also “make the area more resilient against future fires.” It was reported that the profits made were used to plant 26,446 trees. The advertisements shown next to search results on Ecosia pay them each time that a user is directed to the sponsored link. Each search on Ecosia raises half a cent on average according to the FAQ on Ecosia’s website. Another interesting statistic is that it takes 0.22 euro and 0.8 seconds to plant a tree! The founder of Ecosia, Christian Kroll, used 80% of his profits and 47.1% of his income on advertising to support reforestation projects. Ecosia is involved with reforestation in 16 countries around the world: Peru, Nicaragua, Colombia, Haiti, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Madagascar, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Indonesia. In 2018, Ecosia had offered RWE AG 1 million euro to buy Hamback Forest from German energy to save it from reforestation for lignite mining. However, looking at the success Ecosia has achieved, according to Finely Amelia Smith, a former Animator/ Editor at Journal of Visual Experiments (2014-2017) Ecosia is losing in comparison to Google. Smith says that the fact that Ecosia use Bing rather than Google means that they are wasting resources with each search, “Microsoft still doesn’t use 100% renewable energy, they’re at 40% and lower in some places around the world. Google, however, is entirely run on renewables.” While Trudie Carter the Social Media Manager at Ecosia has argued that their search engine actually does beat Google in its strive to be more environmentally friendly saying “each search with Ecosia actually removes 1 kg of CO2 from the air, which makes Ecosia a carbon-negative search engine”, “On average, these trees will each remove 50 kg of CO2 during an expected 15 year lifetime.” I have been using Ecosia for a little over six months now and found that although the search engine is slightly behind Google in its efficient search results, it is still a good search engine. It delivers the information I need and takes me to the sites I want to visit. Of course, it also comes guilt free since I feel as though I am helping make a difference without leaving my house.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

The search engine that plants trees

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Features · Gné-altanna

According to Ecosia*, as of September 2021

133,949,151

trees have been planted

with planting taking place in over

9,000

locations around the world. A new tree is planted every

1.3

seconds, on average.

*https://info.ecosia.org/

Opinion · Tuairim

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Returning to in-person learning: Campus changes By Darragh Nolan The prospect of returning to campus was very much a two-sided affair. On one hand, there was the excitement of being back after so long, seeing the inside of lecture halls again and catching up with friends. On the other, seeing thousands of students once

again congregating in the same area came loaded with anxiety considering all we’ve been through since March 2020. With recent times so often filled with negativity, setbacks, and restrictions, this seemingly safe and successful return to campus has been a refreshing moment of positivity. As ever, we wait to see the impact this change will have on the spread of Covid-19. For now, the university has adapted to the ‘new normal’ in impressive fashion, though one or two kinks may need ironing out as we learn to live on a COVID-friendly campus.

Socially distant

Perhaps the biggest question the university faced before students came back to NUI Galway; was how could it be done in a socially distant manner? For returning students, think back to those hellish treks in and out of class along the concourse, hundreds of others wading through the same sea of people as you. No such problems in the post-Covid college. Previously busy areas like the

concourse are now pleasantly occupied, if not at times eerily quiet. Adjustments made to timetables and individual halls and classrooms have largely ensured that students and lecturers can distance themselves safely. The sight of a quiet Smokey’s at lunchtime, a spaced out Sult and a more relaxed

due to weather was a timely reminder that while using our many wonderful green spaces for people to socialise, we’re inching ever closer to wintertime. Students will need somewhere to go when the outdoors are a no-go. Social distancing keeps us safe, but it can also limit the amount of people that can take

transition from one class to another are jarring. Importantly though, they’re all signs that in-person university life can be socially distant.

refuge from the cold. A lack of social space for students was a problem at NUI Galway long before the pandemic. There will have to be somewhere for everybody to go once the weather deteriorates.

Weather dependent

Emerging from the winter lockdown into the spring months, the important distinction between the safety of indoor and outdoor contact was hammered home by public health officials. The use of outdoor space on campus has had varying degrees of success. There was a great buzz outside áras na Mac Léinn as groups occupied the rows of benches and the adorable inflatable ottomans under a gazebo affectionately dubbed ‘Hub Amach’. Just one problem; this is Galway. To borrow a university slogan, “Here is where it rains”. A lot. Week one was thankfully bookended by a few days of uncharacteristic September sunshine. On the flipside, in-person Socs Day was postponed following thunderstorms and a weather warning. Such a big event getting pushed back

Adjustment period

As the university welcomes us into a hugely changed campus environment, there will be a natural adjustment period. The in-class experience has thus far worked quite well, as has the re-opening of the various food outlets. One example being communal spaces used to prepare takeaway teas and coffees. Everyone is still taking from the same sachets of sugar, grabbing the same stirring rods, and touching the same lids. Catching Covid-19 from surfaces might still be possible. It’s a learning curve for us as we get used to what is expected of us upon returning. To do so the powers that be need to engage, analyse and re-adjust to ensure that we retain the measures that do work, discard those that don’t, and add new ones as needed.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Opinion · Tuairim

Rationalising the Crises of Our Time by Orlaith Nic Cába By the time Millennials began to grow up in the 90s, there seemed to be a set path for them: grow up, choose a career, get married, watch other people suffer at the hands of crises, get promoted, raise the next generation who will rinse and repeat this whole process. However, by the time a large swath of this generation was graduating college, the economic meltdown of 2008 was in full swing and ravaging this supposed promise. And then there’s me, Generation Z, along with most of the undergraduate population reading this. For years I have been shaping these views I hold that I will be sharing with you today. We grew up in the 2000s to (largely) Gen X parents, who got absolutely rocked by the financial crisis. By 2016, I was old enough to begin to become politically aware. So as I walked the dogs through my village I’d look up at every second lamppost to see a posterboard, plastered with a smug face and the slogan “Keep the recovery going.” “Keep the recovery going.” “What recovery?” I think this was the beginning of my disillusionment from the future. The defining difference between Millennials and Gen Z isn’t the internet, it isn’t phones, and it certainly isn’t TikTok; I believe that it’s the fact that Millennials saw a future of economic growth which got replaced by an underemployed gig economy, while Gen Z never saw a promising future to begin with between being maturing in the aforementioned gig economy, a rapidly deteriorating climate crisis, and now a global pandemic during our college years which is only serving to exacerbate every social, economic and political divide which was already at breaking point to begin with. And for Millennials the brave response to their seemingly inevitable neoliberal suburban nightmare was, I believe, cynical sarcasm. However this response has grown to seem weak and cowardly to Gen Z. Instead, the brave response has become unbridled sincerity, deep affection rather than retreating disaffection. Those who are ashamed of their beliefs cloak themselves in what I view as so-called “irony” while the growing masses embrace their complex understandings of gender and sexuality, delve into the world of political ideology and champion their thoughts online. And this is where I return to my own disillusionment. Am I cowardly for seeing an unrepresentative political process and economic system totally incapable at dealing with the housing and ecological crises at hand and not believing it can be equitably reformed? I certainly don’t believe so, as this isn’t characteristic of the previously derided cynical sarcasm: This is an authentic and open response to the present situation. This isn’t a belief which submits itself to the inevitability of these failing systems or masks it’s true intents and motivations, it’s a belief coloured by an optimism that if we believe we can change it, we will without the corrupting hands of those presently oppressing systems. I know I’m not alone in this belief. When your future appears to barely exist and you know where to point the finger, these ideas are inevitable. But when we begin to discuss this disillusionment out loud, and what we can (and cannot) do about it, we get called “radical” and dragged into countless intellectually dishonest debates filled with false equivalencies and baseless accusations. These people often call themselves “centrists” or “moderates.” I believe you should ignore this reactionary opposition to our honest, proud, brave stance. We must reassure ourselves that change is possible if we want it, and change will only come if we do it. Politicians and figureheads, political parties and governments will never achieve what we seek, we must begin to build our future ourselves, built on our belief that we can be liberated through our own direct action. And this movement isn’t exclusive to us young people, despite how I’ve introduced this: it can, will, and does span generations of people (and must if we hope to succeed).

Mutual aid networks, revolutionary street art, squatting, establishing popular assemblies to rule our own communities directly and collectives organising in solidarity to spread our message and support fellow revolutionary movements are all inevitable future actions if we want actual change. Maybe it’s the major disillusionment talking, but I think that if we don’t band together as the powerful block we are and don’t simply demand change from a government which does not care with laws which do not help, but create it with our own ground-level movements, we will watch as the world succumbs to greed and ecological apocalypse instead of flourish into a new epoch under our new declaration of independence.

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Opinion · Tuairim

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

My experience travelling during the pandemic By Anastasia Burton

“

I realise that travelling during Covid- 19 might not a great idea, and I must admit I did it once before non-essential travel was lifted. I did it to see my family in my home country of Ukraine. I don’t think people realise how lonely it is to be a foreigner during a strict lockdown with no family by your side and nobody to take care of your elders back home. Ukraine is not a country that could comfortably go into a lockdown as it simply does not have the healthcare and social care that Ireland does. I went back for two weeks, and I have to say it felt great to be able to go home. It’s so strange being in an airport for the first time since Covid began and to be honest I was a little scared. This was before I was fully vaccinated, so I had to pay 130 euro for a PCR test and then pay for insurance to be able to visit home and be protected against large medical bills, if by chance I became sick while visiting. The flight was also a little off-putting as there was only one seat between me and the person in my row which didn’t make me feel super safe considering that the number of cases was still quite high at that point and time. Wearing a mask on a two and a half hour flight was torture but it was all worth it to see my family in the end. This was my only travel since lockdown began and I had forgotten what it’s like to be in the air. I was forced to come back due to some personal health issues and my father’s

Wearing a mask on a two and a half hour flight was torture but it was all worth it to see my family in the end.

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health, which was a large concern for me, so I did feel as though my trip was justified. My second trip was quite recent, and it was to Venice, Italy. At this point, I had both of my vaccines and restrictions were fully eased. I must say that the journey back from Italy was a little concerning as we were not checked for our EU certificates upon arriving, just our passports. It seemed that due to the easing of restrictions social distancing was a little neglected too. In Italy the Covid-19 restrictions were, in my view, loose. In Venice there are no roads and no road transportation which meant every long-fetched journey was done by boat buses. I gave them the nickname “sardine box” as it was incredible shocking how little people cared for social distancing. At one point I was face to face with some lady I did not know and at least three other people who were squished alongside me. It was frightening to see so many people on one little boat squished together during a worldwide pandemic and a rush of foreign tourists hungry for travel. I still have no idea how we avoided getting Covid-19 during that trip, it seemed pretty much impossible. Although travelling restrictions have eased, I do feel as though we still need to be super careful and aware of our surroundings. A new train of the virus is spreading and not everyone is vaccinated. If you do choose to travel, make sure to follow all of the travel guidelines before and after you arrive to make sure you are at no way a risk to those around you.

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Opinion · Tuairim

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

The beauty of the blow-ins:

Galway’s youth culture and fashion By Alanna Phelan

Should we limit video game use among the youth? By David Cendón Garcia Opinion Editor

The Chinese government have decided to limit online video game use to three hours per week for those under 18, addressing concerns of mental and physical addiction to what they refer to as “spiritual opium”. According to China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), those under 18 will now need to register with their identity cards before logging onto games such as Fortnite or League of Legends, at which time a countdown of three hours will begin. This is meant to only affect online video games and will only address violations on a company level, not individual gamers. The ruling comes at the tail end of recent crackdowns on video games, not only from within China. For example, there have been global efforts to regulate the so-called loot boxes in video games due to their resemblance to the gambling industry, implementing tactics that can be seen to make gambling enthusiasts out of children. Loot boxes are an online video game feature that, for a price, allows players to enter into what I would describe as a lottery of in-game prizes, such as a special sword or outfit, that may or may not be worth the price a gamer paid to enter. In other words, if I paid five euros to enter this lottery, I could maybe receive something worth those 5 euros, but I might not. This can be viewed as gambling and promotes the continued participation of its players, including children, with the hope that they might one day receive a valuable item. These accusations are being backed by concerned parents whose children have spent hundreds of euros on gaming mechanics that don’t necessarily reward the customer with anything of value. Such concerns are quite well-founded and not without precedent, but the question is whether China’s ruling will really promote healthy social interaction in a time when human contact is being restricted and discouraged. Recent studies found that during the Covid-19 pandemic, video games, especially online ones, helped adults and children communicate and socialize with others in their community and around the world. While Gen Z has the biggest percentage of gamers, the gaming community has seen a surprising number of adults turn towards gaming to cope with the lack of human contact, validating online gaming as a proper form of social interaction. This recent influx has been reflected and felt in the billion-dollar industry that is gaming, growing a staggering 39% during the pandemic and reaching a global market value of 155.89bn US dollars in 2020, according to Statista. There are of course serious issues that society must first contend with as video gaming becomes more and more mainstream, including but not limited to potential issues with eyesight, and overall detachment from physical interaction. The question I pose is this: is there an advantage in limiting online video game usage when it has proved to be such a useful tool in combating solitude? You tell me.

One of the reasons visitors from around the globe continue to visit this little coastal city is, naturally, the people - Galway is as well-known for its easygoing residents as it is for its temperamental weather. But an integral visual ingredient to our hospitality is our acceptance and assimilation of just about any clothing, style, or trend. While walking down Shop Street or sitting out on the Spanish Arch, you are just as likely to see weekend tourists with their Marc Jacobs crossbody bags and Ray Bans, as you are gaggles of teens straight out of a 2000’s punk music video covered with safety pins and anarchy patches. You could point to the obvious reasons for the eagerness to display

this contrasting trendiness and diversity when out on the town: Galway has a long, honorable history intertwined with a sense of pride in having its best-shod foot forward. For example, Ladies Day at the Galway Races is waited for in anticipation by journalists, bloggers, and spectators alike, eager to see the ‘crème de la crème’ of Irish chicness, beauty, and ingenuity from across the country. As well as producing local designers, from world-renowned milliner Philip Treacy to up-and-coming shoe designer Barbara Bennet, the City of The Tribes also has an eclectic look that is irrevocably its own. Take the Aran jumpers of every size and colour that keep out the bitter Atlantic wind, or the vintage stores like Public Romance and Planet Retro populated with a never-ending stream of young adults. The locals migh call these young adults “blow-ins,” seeking education or new opportunities, eager for stylistic change and experimentation in a city full of strangers; these are the fundamentals of the Galway look. Just don’t forget the umbrella - every resident’s staple piece. The vibrancy and laissez-faire attitude of the city is a marker of its fashion as well. Wear a Baja hoodie anywhere else in the country and jokes about either Galway or Electric Picnic are inevitable. But our “come as you are” approach is the crucial ingredient to this city’s boundless self-expression and individuality, especially when it comes to the clothing we are comfortable wearing in public. As someone who has worn a full Edwardian lingerie dress and a turn-of-the-century picture hat out and about (no it wasn’t cosplay, why do you ask?) I can tell you the difference first-hand. On Grafton Street, I got sideways “is she for real?” smirks and sideways glances, meanwhile on Quay Street, my outfit was met with either compliments or utter indifference. There is a sort of unspoken understanding in Galway that we respect originality rather than mock it, even if it isn’t to our personal taste. In this writer’s opinion, it is in large part thanks to the youth of the city, who constantly provide us with new ideas and trends while praising their peers for doing the same, viewing fashion as a unique and powerful form of individual expression rather than a childish competition - who’s best dressed? Who cares! Not us. And when you’re a “blow-in”, that kind of acceptance can be magical.

Opinion · Tuairim

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Do remote internships lack value for students? By Katie Barragry COVID-19 has changed the world of work for most professionals and many of these changes are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Sometimes it is difficult to remember a time when Zoom and Microsoft Teams weren’t tools of high importance in the workplace. Meetings have mostly moved online, emails are more important than ever before and traditional offices have been swapped for desks in kitchens, sitting rooms and converted garages. Employees have made significant changes in terms of work and the same can be said for student interns as many internships are also moving online. As university students, work placements play a significant role in our overall degree. Not only is a student internship a great addition to our CVs, but it also provides an insight into a particular area of work, allowing us to develop skills as professionals along the way. Many students have not been permitted to work in the office during the pandemic which poses many difficulties as a newcomer. For every little question you might have, it involves

going out of your way to make a phone call or write an email to a colleague. The last thing you want to do in a new role is feel that you are bothering your superiors. As an intern, you may also be working with people that you’ve only met through a screen. Missing the in-person collaborative aspect of the job can make one feel isolated and out of touch with the company and fellow colleagues. Team meetings have been replaced by phone and video calls and it often may be difficult to feel part of the working team as you’re not seeing your colleagues face-to-face every day. Like other professionals working from home, student interns might also have difficulty separating work and leisure while remote working. Gone are the days of a casual coffee break and a chat with your colleagues in the canteen, and this lack of social interaction can really affect employees. It goes without saying that there are positive aspects to remote working including additional flexibility and fewer transport costs, but I believe students are missing out on a great opportunity with remote internships. The workplace certainly isn’t what it used to be, but it is the way forward for many companies. However, at the end of the day an internship is an invaluable experience for

a student and should be undertaken in a positive manner. With many office jobs moving online, having an introduction to this type of work may be exactly what you need before choosing a future career in that field. If you have an internship coming up, I really urge you to make the most of it. Your new colleagues are there to help and guide

Gone are the days of a casual coffee break and a chat with your colleagues in the canteen, and this lack of social interaction can really affect employees.

”

you so don’t be afraid to ask questions, develop your skillset and get involved in the company in the best way you can. An online internship can be difficult, but try your very best to take advantage of this opportunity.

Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

What’s on this September? By Ethne Tierney

Arts & Fashion Editor

Town Hall Theatre Medicine

2nd - 18th Sep Galway International Arts Festival and Landmark Productions are partnering once more to bring to the stage a new play by Enda Walsh. Medicine is a dark and frequently absurdist work that shatters the boundary between cast and audience: actors are interrupted by crew members, technical mechanics happen on stage, and performance becomes a kind of therapy. Medicine is a devastatingly funny and moving meditation on how, for decades, we have treated those we call mentally ill.

Medicine This production features a sensational cast – Clare Barrett, Aoife Duffin and Domhnall Gleeson, accompanied by Sean Carpio – as Enda Walsh once again shines a light on the darkest corners of our collective stories

Bringing It All Back Home Special Aimee Banks 17th Sep

Award-wining vocalist Aimee Banks is a 19 year old soprano from Galway. Aimee currently holds a number of vocal titles and recently was named the most “Promising Performer and Bursary” at The Irene Sandford Competition 2020 with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She was a recipient of an Eimear Noonan Music Bursary Award in 2020 and is the current Overall Junior Vocalist at Sligo Feis Ceoil 2019. Aimee has recently returned from performing with the National Opera Studio in London. This in-person concert will also be livestreamed.

The 4 of Us (Acoustic Show) 18th Sep

Blending contemporary roots with rock, the award-winning band was formed by brothers Brendan and Declan Murphy from the border

town of Newry. Unable to tour during lockdown, thousands have enjoyed logging on to Facebook Live to see them perform tunes from 2016’s career highlight SUGAR ISLAND right back to their 1989 debut SONGS FOR THE TEMPTED, which first put them on the pop map with MARY, as well as their latest lockdown inspired radio hit WAITING GAME.

Immortal

22nd - 24th Sep An original musical Immortal is the next chapter of Irish folklore. The story is set between the mythological land of Tír na Nóg, rural Galway during the Irish civil war and modern day Galway. It is created by Galway’s Morgan Brothers Luke and Jake, and features 12 new original songs that strive to bring our rich local history and Celtic traditions to a modern audience. An era after her Dad has left Tír na Nóg, Plur sets off on a perilous journey to find him. With the help of Choppy, a grouchy swan, Plur crosses the sea to the magical land she has heard spoken about only in stories: Ireland. But when she arrives, she learns that trouble is brewing. The year is 1921 and the struggle for Irish Independence is about to take a bitter turn. As Plur falls into step with a bunch of young rebels intent on storming Renmore Barracks, there is only one question on her mind: will she manage to find her Dad, and bring him home before it is too late?

Julie Jay: Julie Really Love Me 25th Sep

Julie Jay is a comic who has taken the comedy world by storm in recent months and already has many impressive accolades under her belt, including winning the Forbidden Fruit Comedy Search 2017 and performing at major festivals. She has also supported the biggest names in comedy, including Neil Delamere, Ardal O’Hanlon, Alison Spittle, has been resident support act for Tommy Tiernan on his Paddy Crazy Horse Tour and most recently has MC’d the 2019 series of the Tommy Tiernan Show. Her new show Julie Really Love Me explores her quest for validation, being childless in the state of Gilead, classroom antics, and guards. Yes, lots and lots of guards.

Kevin McGahern 25th Sep

Cavan man, Kevin McGahern began performing stand up in 2009 and since then has become a well-known face of Irish television and comedy. Kevin was the host of RTÉ’s celebrated show,

Republic of Telly for 10 seasons and went on to present documentaries such as Kevin McGahern’s Fast & Furious and Kevin McGahern’s America for the broadcaster. He played the character of Sim Card in the popular RTÉ2 television series, The Hardy Bucks which is now available on Netflix.

Neil Delamere – Pick n Mix 26th Sep

Some old, some new, and plenty of messing with award-winning comedian Neil Delamere.

Paddy Casey 28th Sep

Having been at the forefront of the Irish music scene since his multi-platinum selling debut album Amen (So Be It), Paddy Casey’s career has taken him all over the globe touring with acts like The Pretenders, R.E.M, Ian Brown, Blondie and Tracy Chapman to name a few. Closer to home he has played all over Ireland, including a sold out Dublin Castle, RDS and a record-breaking week long run in The Olympia Theatre, alongside special guest spots with U2, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan and more.

Gala Concert 30th Sep

The Gala 40th season concert brings together artists who have made a special mark on Music for Galway’s history over the past four decades and promises to be a spectacular return to live events after the pandemic.

Roisin Dubh Sorcha Richardson Fri, 24 Sept 2021, 20:00

Irish singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson has been cultivating a cult fanbase for several years with the release of songs such as Ruin Your Night, Petrol Station and Can’t We Pretend are evocative vignettes of a moment in time which find the poetry in introspection, with a tangible nod to key influences such as Sharon Van Etten, Arcade Fire, Phoebe Bridgers and Julia Jacklin.

John Spillane

Sun, 26 Sept 2021, 20:00 John Spillane at the Róisín Dubh

Julie Jay

NUI GALWAY STUDENTS’ UNION ENTS PRESENTS CUIREANN COMHALTAS NA MAC LÉINN

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Pictiúrlann faoin aer saor in aisce 7pm Thursday 23rd of September • Outside the Engineering Building (Weather Permitting) Book your FREE ticket now on Eventbrite. Vote on our socials to pick what we watch. @nuigsu

NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.su.nuigalway.ie

Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

Miss Galway Pamela Uba makes history as the first ever black ‘Miss Ireland’ By Ethne Tierney Galwegian Pamela Uba was crowned Miss Ireland 2021 on Sunday September 5th, making her the first black woman to win the beauty pageant. Pamela Uba, a medical scientist of South African descent, was crowned Miss Ireland 2021 on Sunday September 5th at an outdoor show and ceremony at Lakeside Manor, Co Cavan. Uba hopes to use her Miss Ireland title to represent a more diverse island on the world stage, and she excelled throughout the competitive selection process which tested her skills in debating, public speaking, sports, modelling, and social media. Each finalist was also tasked with raising muchneeded awareness and funds for their chosen charities. “Pamela was a joy from the very start and put her heart and soul into her Miss Ireland

journey” said Brendan Marc Scully, Director of Miss Ireland. “She won the most amount of Miss Ireland challenges coming first in the debating challenge as well as the sports challenge. She was also outstanding in the talent challenge, and the charity challenge. I am so delighted she will represent Ireland this year and I think she has a very bright future ahead” Pamela was crowned by three former Miss Ireland’s; Lauren McDonagh, Aoife O Sullivan & Rebecca Maguire. The Medical Scientist was crowned Miss Galway just three days before the country went into lockdown in 2020 and then spent the majority of her reign as Miss Galway working on the front line at Galway University Hospital. Pamela grew up in direct provision after moving to Ireland with her family from South Africa when she was just eight years old. Now, a

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very proud Irish Citizen and a graduate of Trinity College with a master’s degree in clinical chemistry, she will receive a lucrative agency contract and a host of prizes including jewellery, gowns, a professional photo shoot, beauty and hair products and then go on to represent Ireland in the 70th ‘Miss World’ festival taking place in the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico in December 2021.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

A very proud Irish Citizen and a graduate of Trinity College with a master’s degree in clinical chemistry, she will receive a lucrative agency contract and go on to represent Ireland in the 70th ‘Miss World’ festival in December 2021.

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Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

The option to wear unitards has always been there, but they aren’t present in most international competitions

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L–R: Pauline Schaefer, Kim Bui of Germany and Elisabeth Seitz of Germany in their unitards at the Tokyo Olymics. Image: REUTERS/Mike Blake via Alamy

Sexualisation in sport or functionality: Why German gymnasts made headlines with their unusual competition attire By Ethne Tierney The German women’s gymnastics team made headlines this summer during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualifiers with their attire choice, unitards covering their legs, as the German Gymnastics Federation has branded it against “sexualization.” The team also wore the unitards during their podium training at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre on Thursday after debuting them in April at the European championships in Basel, Switzerland. The suits, which the team wore in their qualifications at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, cover the legs to the ankle and are in contrast to the high-cut leotards worn by many other female gymnasts at the Olympics. Their outfits are, according to the German Gymnastics Federation, a statement “against sexualization in gymnastics.” Many media outlets and fans have applauded this initiative, but is sexualisation the real reason why female gymnasts wear short leotards? Or is it a performance based preference? This Olympic cycle’s Code of Points for women’s artistic gymnastics , the rule book that determines how gymnasts will be judged, has stated the following regarding attire requirements: “They must wear a correct sportive non transparent leotard or unitard (one piece leotard with full length legs-hip to ankle), which must be of elegant design. She may wear complete leg coverings of the same colour as that

of the leotard; under or on top of the leotard.” The option to wear unitards has always been there, but they aren’t present in most international competitions because until now they simply haven’t been popular enough. I believe that sexualisation has little to do with short leotards, which have been the norm since the 1930’s, a time where revealing clothing was seen as sinful and often disrespectful. These societal views did not affect gymnastics , mainly because without tight fitted clothes there would have been no gymnastics at all, as it was hard for the gymnast to perform some skills with loose skirts, dresses or pants; especially in asymmetric bars where some skills require thigh grip or at least friction to control the momentum of different swings and landings. Having exposed legs helped judges too, especially those looking at the execution and artistry of the routines. Judges evaluating these elements have to pay attention to body positioning and alignment, something hard to do with certain kind of clothes. In the past legless leotards where not desirable but necessary as tailors didn’t have the elastic fitted materials we have today. Times, however, have changed. Legging appeared and evolved to the point where some are completely seamless, comfortable and hug our silhouette like a second skin. It makes sense that unitards are making a comeback with these fashion advances, and it brings with them more options for

gymnasts and make the sport more inclusive. Women and girls with an interest in modest dressing can feel more comfortable participating in the sport whether this is for religious, self-image, or medical reasons. Once elastic material and sowing techniques allowed for unitards to be effective and comfortable, why did it take so long to see them in international competitions? And why did we only see one country perform in these? The answer, I believe, is quite simple: Short leotards have evolved to be something that characterises a gymnast, there is a tradition and a culture that makes gymnasts be proud of wearing them. Countless little girls have at some point dreamt of wearing a beautiful sparkly leotard, just because of how aesthetically pleasing they are. Leotards haven’t changed much in many years, and the reason for this is that many can’t see the problem with them. In a sport that combines strength and power with elegance and beauty, leotard is not only a costume, it’s also a symbol. I believe that it’s safe to say legless leotards are not going anywhere any time soon in the world of gymnastics, and not because of anything to do with sexualisation. It is rather a matter of freedom of moment, good grip, aesthetics and the artistic demands of the sport. The comeback of the unitard offers nevertheless more inclusion, more choices and more control over a gymnast’s own body, something definitely worth celebrating.

Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Top 6 movies to understand what’s going on in Afghanistan By Ethne Tierney

Hava, Maryam, Ayesha (2019)

Rock the Kasbah (2015)

Since the religious and political fundamentalist group swept into Kabul after the government collapsed the on August 15th, the political and social situation of Afghanistan is back in the public eye. The country’s tumultuous history is extremely complex and hard to understand. Films have the power of showing us the big picture of a socio-political conflict while depicting the effect of these on individuals. This is why this issue we are listing some top tier films set in Afghanistan that may help you understand what is going on in the country. From The Breadwinner to The Kite Runner, here is a selection of compelling stories that show the struggles in the middle east from different perspectives.

‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ (2007)

Kandahar (2001)

The Breadwinner (2017)

The award-winning Irish studio cartoon film is far from childish. “The Breadwinner,” based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, is about a determined young girl who takes on the appearance of a boy to support her family when his dad is sent to prison by the Taliban. With Angelina Jolie as executive producer, the film received an Oscar nomination for best animated feature.

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The latest film by Afghan director Sahraa Karimi premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2019. It narrates the parallel stories of three women, all living in Kabul but in different social contexts, with their pregnancy in their own way. The filmmaker has since fled Afghanistan and is now in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Tom Hanks plays Charlie Wilson, a US Congressman who played a key role during the Reagan administration when the US did support the Mujahideen, the anti-Soviet resistance fighters — who went on to form fundamentalist groups such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

The Kite Runner (2007)

Another best-selling novel adaptation by Khaled Hosseini and directed by German-Swiss filmmaker Marc Forster, The Kite Runner creates a contrast by featuring universal mundane problems such as acceptance, redemption and relationships along with Afghanistan’s tumultuous past, covering the fall of the monarchy, the Soviet military intervention, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees and the Taliban regime.

The country’s tumultuous history is extremely complex and hard to understand. Films have the power of showing us the big picture of a socio-political conflict while depicting the effect of these on individuals.

Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, and Bill Murray all star in this comedy about a has-been rock manager that finds himself stuck in Kabul, where he discovers Salima, a young Afghan girl with an extraordinary voice and manages to convince the producer of Afghanistan’s version of American Idol let her participate in the show.

This film by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, one of Iran’s great directors, depicts the life of an Afghan-Canadian woman who returns to the middle east to save her sister from taking her own life. Kandahar didn’t get much attention when it premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. It was only when a western country was affected by the troubles in the 9/11 attacks that the film earned more international attention.

‘In This World’ (2002)

This documentary-style movie about two Afghan refugees travelling from a refugee camp in Pakistan to London was directed by Michael Winterbottom, and had non-professional actors performing fictionalized versions of themselves. It won the Golden Bear award at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival and the BAFTA for the best non-English film.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

Top 5 most promising upcoming video games By James Walsh

5. Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Every year, as the holiday season approaches there are new, ‘must play’ games coming out every week. It can be overwhelming and if you’re anything like me you want to play all of them, of course with busy schedules and the price of new games that simply isn’t feasible. To help ease the struggle of deciding what to play I have compiled a list of what I believe will be some of the best games coming out between now and the end of 2021. You won’t see FIFA or Call of Duty in this list because we all know they will likely be great and they get more than enough exposure in my view. This list is about the games that maybe you haven’t even heard of.

Release Date: December 7th, 2021 Sysems Available: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, PC

Michael Scott’s favourite game. This parkour survival game sees you thrust into yet another post-apocalyptic world fighting for survival in an open world filled with zombies. With the team of writers that worked on The Witcher 3 involved in this I am hopeful the promise of branching storylines will be fulfilled.

1. Age of Empires IV

This one is for the PC gamers. With the last iteration of this title being released in 2005 it has been a long time coming. If you have ever played these games in the past you know there’s a lot to get excited about. Especially considering the developers are looking to the more successful Age of Empires II for inspiration. With eight civilizations to choose from at launch there are enough options to keep aspiring conquerors busy. There will also be four campaigns to choose from, two of the more interesting of these include taking control of the Mongols and The Rise of Moscow. With up to 8-player multiplayer available, controlling hundreds of soldiers, naval and land combat and the opportunity to fight the English, what more could you want from an RTS?

Release Date: October 28th, 2021 Systems Available: PC (available for free download via Xbox Game Pass)

2. Back 4 Blood

Substituting words with numbers is something that should be left in the past but the Left 4 Dead franchise shouldn’t be. This sees players take on a wide variety of zombies in a post-apocalyptic world. Nothing new there but the draw here is the co-op play, teaming up with friends online. At this time there is no split screen co-op available but the developers know how keen players are to see this feature and will likely add it in a future update. It may not be the most polished or original game but it will be one of the most fun.

Release Date: October 12th, 2021 Systems Available: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X, PC

3. Halo: Infinite

I know I said I wasn’t going to mention any of the big titles here but after a decade of good, if underwhelming releases I’m not so sure Halo is the big franchise it used to be. I’m expecting that to change after this drops. 343 Industries are venturing into the games as a service model which has been so successful in recent years with games such as Destiny, Fortnite, Apex etc.. and the developer has stated that this will likely be the only Halo release we will see for the next decade so expectations are high. The campaign mode will once again see players take control of Master Chief. Unlike previous games the story will be less linear with an open world and day/night cycle.

Release Date: December 8, 2021 Systems Available: Xbox One, Series S, Series X, PC (Available on Xbox Game Pass)

4. Death Loop

The catch with this game is you can choose to play as a saboteur and protect the time loops partygoers, jumping into a random players game your aim is to stop the assassin. The best thing about this game is that by the time this issue of SIN is released this game will be too. So jump in, early reviews are good and are suggesting the less you know before playing the better.

Release Date: September 14th, 2021 Systems Available: PC, PS5 (timed exclusive)

GET INVOLVED Ways to get involved with your SU this year Bealaí le páirt a ghlacadh i do Chomhaltas i mbliana

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Take the Charity Challenge Glac páirt sa Dúshlán Carthanachta Join the Welfare Crew Glac páirt sa Chriú Leasa

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Run for Election Seas sa Toghchán

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Become a Class Rep Bí i d’Ionadaí Ranga

Join the Event Crew Glac páirt sa Chriú Siamsaíochta

Join Coiste Gaeilge Glac páirt i gCoiste na Gaeilge Contact studentsunion@nuigalway.ie for more info Déan teagmháil le studentsunion@nuigalway.ie le tuilleadh eolais a fháil @nuigsu

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Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

What NOT to buy this Autumn Brands, items and trends that are not worth buying By Ethne Tierney Fashion is a way to express ourselves, to feel confident in what we wear, and in some cases it’s a form of art. But fashion is also an industry, one that every season looks for consumers to renew their wardrobes and change their clothes for trendier items nonetheless. This is why before purchasing any fashion products we need to ask ourselves: is this worth buying? Am I actually going to get my money’s worth out of this piece, or will it just sit in my wardrobe until I decide to give it away? This issue, I am reviewing some trends that I don’t think are not worth the hype, or ones that don’t have practical uses apart from their nice appearance.

“Logomania”

Logomania is what designers and fashion experts are calling the trend of wearing logo prints this season. This is supposed to be a hot new trend, but one can’t help but wonder how this is a new thing. Logo prints take very little imagination to design, and they are often quite over-priced. At the end of the day, is it not free publicity designers

are getting by wearing a big fat logo for the world to see? Brands like “Supreme”, “Gucci” and many other have been using a logo that they don’t need to redesign, or add any details or intricate designs to for a while now. The problem with this trend is that it’s not a matter of fashion, is a matter of status. People don’t necessarily buy a Gucci belt because it’s an outstandingly good belt, it’s because if they wear it the world will know they can afford it. In the way, they spent a lot of money on an item that is worth a lot less and they become walking billboards for prestigious brands. This Autumn, look at quality, style, craft and originality when shopping, not for lazy designs that will leave your bank account in red numbers!

Sequins and sparkles (again)

Sequin season seems to start a little earlier every year. In the months leading to Christmas, all women’s clothing shops are covered in sequins, sparkles and glitzy details. And although we love a sparkly look that makes you feel fun and fabulous, the

chances are you have some items from other years that you can make good use of. Designers should look into taking at least 50% of the sequins used for their autumn/ winter women’s collections, and send them over to the men’s fashion department. For autumn/winter in particular, men just get the same few boring and plain items year after year. There’s an idea!

Cropped Jacket and Tops

Cropped jackets and top are back in for this season. And yes, they have a very flattering silhouette that works well in most body types. The problem here is that WE LIVE IN IRELAND. That cold air that enters your midriff won’t do you any favours in the winter months, especially bearing in mind that this is the area where all your internal organs are, making it more sensitive to cold. If this trend is something you are still interested in, we recommend wearing it with some underlayers tucked into your bottoms to protect you from the cold.

’90s Revival

How many 90’s revivals does a decade need? Casual, distressed and edgy, we get why the nineties

were such an inspiration for fashion in the recent years. That being said, a designer’s job is to create NEW trends and create original pieces of clothing. Since 2009, we have had a 90’s “revival” every year. Sure, fashion is cyclic and it recycles itself every 20 years, but the 2010’s have gone through every recent decade at least twice. How about something more creative?

Aviator sunglasses

Aviator glasses can look really edgy and cool in the three or four models that have a facial structure for them, but let’s face it, they are too big for most of people’s heads. This makes them look less flattering than expected in most people, but it makes them impractical too as they don’t always stay in place and have a tendency to fall of our faces quite easily, especially cheaper pairs.

Style on a Budget: September Fashion Wardrobe Must-Haves By Chloe Richardson Through the lens of young eyes, there’s a sense of timelessness that is still being associated with fashion, and what people are wearing these days. With colder weather quickly approaching, it’s always essential to revise your closet and rediscover what musthaves need to stay for September. There is a powerful recognition of expression and individuality that can be applied through what we choose to wear. For starters, an unfailing leather oversized jacket has in recent years been a staple in any outfit of mine. Another benefit of recycling vintage trends is the opportunity to source fashion through a sustainable avenue. Charity shops and second hand stores often have an abundance of timeless pieces, that are kind to your wallet, and the planet.

In a time where what we wear, says more than what we say, I have found that communicating through outfits sends out an important message to others. ‘Look at me! I am unfailingly paying great attention to trends. A functioning member of civil society. This old man sweater I’m wearing has seen more of the world than I have!’ – It’s a conversation within itself. We’ve moved out of the age of a fitted wardrobe, and into one of two sizes too big. Many factors go into determining if an article of clothing is worth the spending. For me, it is quality of material, style, and how I feel when I wear it. Because at the end of the day, what’s most important is a sense of self, and comfort in what we choose to wear. So, with second hand statement jackets, and vintage sweaters that have endured the test of time covered,

we can move into what people are wearing out. In any ordinary year, things might be different, but transitioning into a year of rebirth and celebration, it only makes sense that what we wear reflects that. Before divulging into specifics, it is first important to determine what ‘feel’ is being projected. Determine what you want to say, and how. Without having to retire to a single interpretation of our most concealed self, it is possible to own a handful of general must-haves for this season. The beauty behind this is, it is possible to shift and reshape with a few essential items. Depending on what style you have curtailed to your own individuality, the possibilities to expand upon that are endless. In my opinion, wide leg pants are a staple in any wardrobe. Not only are they flattering, but they

are fun. In recent months there has been a noticeable resurgence in colourful prints, and patterns that look like they’re born out of 1978. In approaching months, I see that still being relevant but possibly toned down, with an added sense of grounding. A colour pallet of neutrals, sage, burgundy, brown, deep orange, and off white, with this aura of modest avant-garde, it allows us to test the boundaries of fashion, while standing in a moment of comfort and accessibility. A fun contradiction. Basic crop tops, white button up shirts, neutral turtlenecks, quality denim jeans, white pants, and oversized jackets are easy to find, and easy to build upon. These few staple items allow you to have what you need to asses and create a style that is true to self, and reflective of who you are.

Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

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Without the need for sheet music, the notion of disability is said to recede

Dave Flynn’s Irish Memory Orchestra By Ethne Tierney Dave Flynn’s Irish Memory Orchestra is inviting applications from musicians aged 10 – 24 that are either full-sighted, blind and visually-impaired to participate in the 2021/22 IMO Youth Orchestra & Choir programme: ‘Vision and Memory’. This new cross-genre orchestra is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland’s Young Ensemble Scheme and will meet in Galway City from 12th-16th April 2022. Musicians performing at an intermediate to advanced level should submit a video audition online by Friday 24 September. Following an audition process, a large number of young full-sighted, blind and visually-impaired instrumentalists and singers will be selected to rehearse and perform alongside core members of the Irish Memory Orchestra and professional blind and visually-impaired musicians. All members will work towards a performance of Dave Flynn’s The Vision Symphony, in Galway on Easter Saturday, 16th April 2022. The performance will be conducted by Bjorn Bantock and will also include the world premiere of a new collaborative work composed by young blind/visually-impaired composers. All of the musicians involved in the programme will perform from memory. Without the need for sheet music, the notion of disability is said to recede and enables each member of the orchestra to contribute equally. The most outstanding applicants will be selected as Youth Orchestra section leaders, and will work alongside professional members of the Irish Memory Orchestra to mentor their section.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Healthy, Cheap & Quick College Meals By Alice O’Donnell I like to think over my four years of being a college student (four years?!? When did that happen?!) I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks on how to cook healthy, cheap, (and most importantly because I really am not a domestic goddess and cannot stand spending any longer in the kitchen cooking than necessary), quick meals. Below are my go-to staples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast

For me, there’s no going wrong with a lovely bowl of overnight oats. I discovered the wonders of overnight oats in first year, and three years on they’re still my staple meal in the morning. They’re incredibly easy

necessary, but it helps to trap all the moisture and yummy taste in the vegetables, so I would recommend it anyway! While that’s in the oven, just quickly cook some turkey burgers by covering them in a pan. Within twenty minutes, you’ll end up with a super healthy, quick and cheap meal that can last a few days. Admittedly, a bit heavy for summer heat waves, but it sure is a blessing during autumn and winter months.

Dinner

Okay. I will admit. This is a very college-esque meal, but I’ve recently rediscovered the wonders of eggs. In first year, scrambled eggs would be my go-to meal. I’ve now moved up in the world to fried. When I’m in a bit of a rush and don’t feel like cooking a ton, I just whack some brown bread in the toaster, mash up an avocado as I’m waiting for oil to heat in the pan, and then fry two eggs. It really is such a handy little

I’ve stuck to the same, fool-proof recipe of a mashed banana, a cup of oats, dash of milk, sprinkle of cocoa powder and chia seeds all mixed, and then topped with sweet honey to negate the slightly bitterness of the cocoa powder. It results in this rich, sweet, chocolate dish, which to be honest tastes more like a desert than a breakfast!

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to make, wonderfully cheap and great if you’re in a rush and don’t necessarily have the time to sit and pour yourself a soggy bowl of cereal. I’m afraid I’m not the most adventurous cook, so I’ve stuck to the same, fool-proof recipe of a mashed banana, a cup of oats, dash of milk, sprinkle of cocoa powder and chia seeds all mixed, and then topped with sweet honey to negate the slightly bitterness of the cocoa powder. It results in this rich, sweet, chocolate dish, which to be honest tastes more like a desert than a breakfast! However, there’s so many different flavours and recipes out there, from tiramisu to pumpkin pie to strawberry and cream, the possibilities are limitless. When I first tried the recipe out, peering down into the coffee cup I’d nabbed from my landlord, I was dubious. But after the first cautious mouthful, I was hooked. Overnight oats taste like dessert, yet not only are they wonderfully cheap (every ingredient can be bought for less than a euro each in most places), but they’re so filling and healthy too. Honestly, if you have any take aways from this article, please do your bank, your tummy and yourself a favour and try overnight oats.

Lunch

Over lockdown, I became slightly obsessed with a tray bake recipe my flatmates used a lot. It involved peeling and chopping a variety of vegetables (carrots, potatoes and parsnips were among our favourites, but feel free to mix and match!), spreading them out over a tray and sprinkling with oil. Our oven is pretty banjacked, so we always cover the tray with tin foil to stop the vegetables from burning. If you live in a semi-decent home with working appliances, this stage isn’t

meal to be able to resort too. The brown bread has all that lovely fibre in; the avocado chock-a-block with nutrients and good fats (I really do swear my skin has gotten so much better since I started introducing an avocado semi-regularly into my life), and the eggs are buzzing with yummy protein. Fried eggs over a blanket of avocado, topping toasted brown bread really is the best. The meal is wonderfully quick to make (5 minutes cooking and five minutes clean up), it’s healthy and, despite tasting very boujie, it really is so cheap to make.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála

Exercise: Benefits for the brain By Rachel Garvey The Covid-19 pandemic has stolen a generous fraction from our lives. It halted the times where we were supposed to be exploring new places and making memories with our friends and family, but as we look a little deeper, we realise that it may have challenged our mental health in ways we never thought of. The long periods we spent indoors alone because of lockdown, isolation and trying to keep others safe may have had a negative impact on our mental health in some ways. Being away from people has taught us to come up with ways in which we can keep our mind busy; exercise being one. The HelpGuide organisation is one of many useful platforms that outline just how important exercise is for our health in terms of depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD, PTSD and trauma, saying that “Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety and ADHD. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better and boosts your overall mood”. In terms of being a fitness fanatic, this isn’t always necessary.

You just need motivation. Here’s what they have outlined.

Exercise and depression:

A recent study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. Exercise promotes all kinds of changes in the brain; neural growth, reduced inflammation and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. Above all, it can serve as a distraction from your busy mind.

Exercise and anxiety:

As a fellow sufferer of anxiety, I’ve practiced various grounding techniques when I suffer under the hands of a panic or anxiety. HelpGuide, along with many other tools, explain how to use some of those grounding techniques where you focus on yourself; notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, the rhythm of your breathing or the feeling of wind on your skin. Isn’t it better to pay attention to where you are and what you’re doing as opposed to zoning out?

Exercise and stress:

Students are finally back to college now and with this new beginning comes a lot of stress, not just in regards to places opening back up again, but assessments and studying and the thought of future exams. Stress comes in various forms; tense muscles, headaches, insomnia, stomach ache and a tightness in the chest, combine a number of them and you’ll unknowingly create a vicious cycle between your mind and body. Exercising can break this cycle and releases endorphins in the brain and since the body and mind are closely linked, when your body feels better the mind may follow along. Each and every one of us has been affected by the pandemic in one way or another and with the knowledge we have of ourselves and how we feel on the inside, we need to take that knowledge and apply it to something that may make us feel better. Apply it to something that’ll not only put us on the path to a healthier mindset, but to a path where we feel happy within ourselves for the future to come.

Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Welcome autumn and cooler weather with these new beauty launches By Isabel Filby Autumn is always a bittersweet time. It means summer is over, colder weather is coming and more and more rain, but it also means cosy days by the fire, hot drinks and apple-scented everything. Personally, my favourite thing about autumn is finally being able to wear more makeup, without feeling like you’re going to sweat it of before you even leave the house. Autumn always brings around new beauty launches, from makeup, to nail polish and skincare. Here are some of the ones I’m most excited for this year. Glow Recipe is bringing out a new ‘Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum’. With all the mask wearing, everyone’s skin had to suffer. Guava and a blend of vitamin C ingredients includes tranexamic and ferulic acids. The brightening serum work synergistically to reduce the look of dark spots. It is said to be non-sticky, super gentle on the skin, with a fresh and fruity scent. Most importantly, with 5 stable Vitamin C’s this serum can treat and even prevents dark spots. I already love their Pineapple Vitamin C brightening serum so I’m super excited to give this one a try.

10:00-17:00 27/09/21

Donate to the Hygiene Bank today Donate hygiene, personal care and household cleaning products to those in need. Help us to end Hygiene Poverty.

AN BANC SLÁINTEACHAIS

Tabhair rud éigin don Bhanc Sláinteachais inniu Tabhair táirgí sláinteachais, cúraim phearsanta agus glantacháin tí dóibh siúd atá i ngátar. Déanaimis ár gcion féin le deireadh a chur leis an tearcrochtain sláinteachais.

@nuigsu

NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.su.nuigalway.ie

Youth to the People (YTTP) is releasing a new gentle ‘Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant’, that is pore-clearing. It holds brightening benefits of chemical exfoliation, with minimal risk of irritation. Along with AHA, BHA, and PHA acids, the leave-on formula includes kale, green tea,

I love how YTTP is all about sustainable, professional skincare, using consciouslysourced, nutrient-dense superfood blends and pairing them with clinical vegan actives. and licorice root. This helps to support the skin barrier - not strip it. I love how YTTP is all about sustainable, professional skincare, using consciously-sourced, nutrient-dense superfood blends and pairing them with clinical vegan actives. Their Superberry Hydrating mask is one of my favourite facemasks already and you just can’t help but support a business that does their best to give back to the people and the planet. Rare Beauty is launching their very first mascara. The ‘Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara’ is created for every lash type and pairs a weightless, easy to build formula with a universal eye-hugging brush to lift, lengthen, curl, and volumize every lash from every angle. I’m often hesitant about celebrity makeup brands, but this brand, created by Selena Gomez, pleasantly surprised me so far. The liquid and cream blushes are absolutely gorgeous, and the Glossy lip balm is amazing, so I have very high hopes for this Mascara. Urban Decay has released yet another Naked eyeshadow palette, and while one might think how many can they do before they get boring, they haven’t gotten there quite yet and I am just as obsessed with this one as all the others. The ‘Naked Cyber’ palette includes 12 new shades in the most stunning different finishes: matte, satin, duo chrome, glitter, and shimmer. While the shades may not be traditionally fall themed (red and orange), they are beautiful pastels that give off alien/fairy vibes, which shouldn’t work but somehow do. OPI’s Fall 2021 nail polish collection is one of my favourites in a long time. Inspired by Downtown LA, the collection comes as a normal lacquer, a high shine one and a gel. The colours range from various shades of pinks and purple, to several blues and metallics and of course a traditional cherry red. Some of the shades are so unique that I have nothing like them (and believe me that is saying something) and I cannot wait to get my hands on them.

”

Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Project Pan – September Comeback By Anastasia Burton Hello, my fellow make-up lovers, and welcome back to my Project Pan beauty bag where I tell you about the products I am currently using in my everyday make-up. Project panning is a great way of using up old products and learning self-control. I don’t think anybody wants to be a make-up hoarder, trust me. Not only will project planning and decluttering used products give you satisfaction from seeing yourself using make-up you own, but you will also notice how much money you are saving on unnecessary goods! So, let’s look at what’s going on in my beauty bag this month!

Clinique High Impact Mascara – 1/4 used

This mascara is pleasant, nice, has a comfy wand and good pigmentation. It doesn’t do a whole lot to elongate my lashes in my view, but it does add a very natural colour. All-natural mascara type products are in right now so if you are looking for a mascara that is durable, this may be the one for you.

Essence Million Nude Faces – 2 out of 10 shades hit pan

“

This palette is very cute, the packaging is travel friendly and the product is better than you think. For an eyeshadow that cost about 10 euro it performs wonderfully. I have hit pan on two of the shades and am

This concealer is a God sent. I struggle with Zombie eyebags, and this is my magic wand to make it look like I sleep a solid 8 hours, even though I don’t. It’s very cheap and accessible, which is always a plus as I do love a bargain. close to hitting another. The only downside is the shimmers, I feel they’re a little cheap looking and don’t sit well on the eye.

Smashbox Ablaze Pallete – no pans yet (6 eyeshadow shades and 2 highlighters)

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation – 1/3 used

This is my go-to foundation if I am looking for coverage and durability. It may not be the best foundation in the world, but it is affordable, and it gets the job done. I have done multiple wear tests and it is best to re-apply after 6 hours if you need it as I think that it does tend to set into fine lines and look a little oily.

Catrice 3D Brow – Tip Of The Iceberg

I had finally used up the previous brow product that I raved about in the past and moved on to this beauty. I have to say it’s fantastic, very creamy, very affordable and accessible in every pharmacy and Primark. I usually take forever to use up brow products so you may see this more often.

Carter Beauty Steadfast Liquid Liner Pen – Still Miles To Go I do love a steady liquid liner pen which gives me a bold wing, and this liner is everything I dreamed of. It’s pigmented, comfortable and loaded with products which means it won’t run out after a couple of heavy uses.

That’s it for this Project Pan review! Hopefully I will make a bigger dent next time you see me!

DISABILITY Rights Clinic Clinic um Chearta Míchumais

This palette is excellent for Autumn, and it is exactly why I keep reaching for it. My favorite shade is torch, but I must admit this palette is quite old and I’m struggling to hit pan.

Catrice Liquid Camouflage – ½ used up

4pm-6pm • Every Monday on Zoom For more information contact su.disability@oegaillimh.ie NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.su.nuigalway.ie

@nuigsu

Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Small Lifestyle Changes That Can Have A Big Impact By Megan Reynolds Overhauling your life can be a tempting option, especially after the last year and a half of lockdowns. However, it’s not only large changes that can make a difference in your day-to-day. Smaller, more sustainable changes in habit often lead to the biggest changes in lifestyle, as they are easier to stay consistent with and build off of. Although each of us lead different daily lifestyles, there are common themes of action that have consistently been shown to create a positive impact on a person’s overall wellbeing. Below are some ideas on lifestyle changes that, though they may be small, can have a hugely positive effect.

Don’t check social media first thing in the morning

The temptation to grab our phones and check social media can be irresistible fight when we wake up. Especially if we use our phones as an alarm. However, getting an information overload right when we wake up can sometimes be too much for our brains. It can lead us to getting distracted and wasting time scrolling instead of prioritizing our tasks for the day. Consider instead taking the morning off social media for as long as possible. Try journaling your thoughts and objectives for the day, make yourself your favourite breakfast or even just head for a morning walk before school or college. If you want to take it one step further, invest in an actual alarm clock instead of having to look at your phone at all.

Consider working in short, timed periods

Whether it’s a bunch of readings you need to get through or an assignment that’s almost due, it can be hard for your brain to stay active and alert for long periods.

Allocating your work into short time periods with consistent breaks can help you focus easier and get through your work faster. The Pomodoro Method recommends working in intervals of 25 minutes, with a 5-minute break between each. Giving yourself these consistent breaks can mean that the standard of your work can also improve as your brain doesn’t lose focus and can stay engaged. It’s important to keep your breaks as a reward to yourself; get up and stretch your legs or even grab a coffee.

Connect with others

It’s not always possible for us to see our families and friends in person these days, which can create feelings of isolation and loneliness. During this time especially, it’s so important to keep in contact with those we care about so that these feelings don’t become overwhelming. Zoom game nights can be a great way to connect with others. If you don’t feel up too much talking and would rather just enjoy watching a movie on Netflix with someone virtually, Teleparty is a Google Chrome extension that lets you do just that. Alternativel y, i f you and your friend both have Disney+ accounts, you can stream something together straight from the app.

Curate your perfect playlists

We all know the feeling of dread that comes with having to get up for a 9am lecture or a morning work shift – especially if you were up late the night before. Having a positive, mood-boosting playlist is one way to get yourself in gear. You can also create playlists for just about anything; instrumental music to help you study, upbeat music for going out or coffee shop chill if you’re going on a morning walk. With tasks that you just can’t get the energy to do, a playlist of music you love is great motivation.

How to make your student accommodation feel like home By: Isabel Filby Bare walls in horrible colours and worn out furniture is often the typical image of student accommodation. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes you might be facing loud wallpaper and interior knickknacks that look like the example rooms at IKEA, making absolutely no cohesive sense. You even might be lucky and have the dream accommodation you always wanted, but that is rather unlikely. No matter what you’re faced with on move-in day, don’t despair there is always a way to fix it. Whether you can easily go home and visit your friends and family or you are an international student who can only go home for holidays, it helps if your room at university feels like a second home. There have been countless articles and journals published on why feeling at home is important: it helps your mental health, allows you to relax and gives you a safe space where you can retreat to when you need it. Something about coming back from university and unlocking the door, kicking off your shoes and walking into a place that truly feels like home helps leave all stress from the outside world behind. As an international student myself, if there is one thing I know how to do, it is making any place feel like home. There are so many ways to do so, from traditional decoration to more mental ways. For me personally, a place finally feels like home once I have hung up all of my polaroids. Something about a wall full of pictures that remind me of places I have been, people I have met, my friends and family, or most importantly my dog make me realise that this is my new home. Obviously, it doesn’t have to be polaroids. Any pictures can help or even posters. For example, your favourite movies will do. What’s important is that it is something that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash when you look at them. Another easy way is getting different lighting. Whether that is just a different bulb (I prefer warm bulbs,) fairy lights, galaxy projectors, or even just a new beside table lamp they can make a huge difference. If you have a slight green thumb, plants and flowers are also lovely to brighten up a room. If you’re more like me who can’t even keep a cactus alive, there are some surprisingly realistic looking fake plants and flowers out there. The most obvious (and cheapest way) is one that is often overlooked and it’s just simply moving around and rearranging the furniture. You don’t need to be a feng-shui expert but just moving the desk closer to a window and the bed away from the door can make the room feel completely new. Student accommodations tend to always smell stuffy no matter how long you leave the windows open and an easy fix is some yummy candles or incense. My personal favourite are either citrus or apple scents, nothing like year round Christmas. Quality bedding also makes rooms so much cosier, it doesn’t need to be pricey, but some nice bedding, a few throw blankets and fuzzy pillows and all of a sudden it gets ten times harder to get out of bed in the morning. And if all of this doesn’t help, make yourself a nice cup of tea or hot cocoa, put on your favourite jammies, get cosy, throw on your comfort movie and remember no matter how many miles you are from home, your loved ones are only one phone call away.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála

Unused lab coats and goggles taking up space in your house?

DONATE THEM TODAY!

Recycle lab coats and goggles by donating them to NUIG Science & Engineering students! Drop boxes will be in Alice Perry Engineering building and Arts/Science Concourse Mon 13th to Sat 25th Sept More info email su.scienceengineering@oegaillimh.ie @nuigsu

NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.su.nuigalway.ie

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Tábhacht folláine coirp agus sinn ag filleadh ar an gnáthshaol Tá laethanta gruama na bliana acadúla seo chaite thart agus anois ba cheart dúinn buntáiste a bhreith as ath-oscailt na gcumann chun sláinte intinne agus folláine coirp a neartú.

Le Ciarán O’Donoghue Gan aon agó beidh sé fíor-dheacair ar roinnt daoine óga dul i dtaithí leis an spórt arís tar éis na pandéime. Tá an t-ádh dearg orainn mar mhic léinn go bhfuil teacht againn ar réimse leathan imeachtaí ach caithfear ceistiú an bhfuil na deiseanna cuí ar fáil do dhaltaí bunscoile agus meánscoile? Ar an drochuair, tá fadhb an mhurtaill ag fás as cuimse le blianta beaga anuas. De réir suirbhé ‘Eurostar’ tá an dara ráta is airde ag Éire le 26% den daonra fásta agus céatadán níos airde fós i measc na haoise óig. Bhí an caid i gcónaí mar chuid lárnach de mo shaol agus mé ag fás aníos sa Ríocht ach is iomaí duine nach bhfuil aon suim acu in imeachaí an CLG. Ba chóir dúinn inspioráid a ghlacadh as éachtaí ár laochra oilimpeacha agus parailimpeacha chun réimse leathan spóirt a chur ar fáil i ngach ceantar. Ní raibh bád ag na hÉireannaigh ag na cluichí 2012 i Londain ach naoi mbliana níos déanaí fágadh príomhchathair na Seapáine le bonn óir agus cré-umha. Caithfear ard-chréidúint a thabhairt do choiste Rámhaíochta na hÉireann as na struchtúirí cearta a chur i bhfeidhm timpeall na tíre chun freastal ar riachtanais seaimpiní Oilimpeacha taobh leo siúd a bhíonn páirteach don chraic agus cairdeas amháin.

Uaireanta tógtar an spórt ró-dháiríre agus na hiomaitheoirí fós mar pháistí. Tá feachtaisí ar nós ‘Silent Sidelines’ curtha i bhfeidhm ag roinnt eagraíochtaí chun brú ó thuismitheoirí agus bainisteoirí a laghdú. Labhair peileadóir an Mhí, Vikki Wall faoin íde béil le déanaí mar is iomaí ainm a ghlaodh uirthi agus í ag imirt. Chuir an peileadóir meáchan uirthi agus í ag staidéar don Ardteist, fírinne a léiríonn impleachtaí an chórais oideachais ar shaol an duine óig. Cúpla bliain níos déanaí, tá craobh na hÉireann díreach buailte ag Wall agus í mar cheann de na peileadóirí is fearr sa tír. Níl ach dornán daoine a leanfadh leis an spórt tar éis na n-eachtraí maslú faoi raimhre seo ní mór dúinn ar fad a bheith tuisceanach agus sinn ar na bpáireaceanna imeartha nó sna ardáin. Mar fhocal scoir, ní féidir a shéanadh ach go bhfuil gaol láidir idir caighdeán mhaireachtála agus an tsláinte. Is straitéis bunaithe sa Fhrainc agus curtha i bhfeidhm ar fud na cruinne í ‘Cathracha 15 nóiméad’ a chabhraíonn leis an gcothromaíocht oibre is saoil. Déantar iarracht príomháiseanna sóisialta agus oibre a lonnú laistigh de shiúlóid 15 nóiméad. Tógtar ón mbrú tráchta in éineacht le béim a chur ar fholláine coirp. Tá plean chun an stratéis a fhorbairt i mBaile Átha Cliath sna blianta atá romhainn. Sin ráite, caithfear gnólachtaí is fostaithe a mhealladh i dtreo bailte chun strus saoil na cathracha a ísliú. Cabhróidh an cianoibre

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Bosca Foclóra Folláine coirp

Physcial health

Ar an drochuair

Unfortunately

Gan aon agó / Gan síol amhras

Without doubt

Is iomaí duine

There are many people

Chun freastal ar riachtanaisí

To meet the needs

Íde beil

Verbal abuse

Dornán daoine

A handful of people

Maslú faoi raimhre

Fat shaming

Ní féidir a shéanadh

There is no denying

Cothromaíocht oibre is saoil.

Work-life balance

An cianoibre

Remote working

Caighdeán maireachtála

Standard of living

Áit a bhfuil toil tá bealach

Where there’s a will there’s a way

Murtall

Obesity

leis seo mar is léir go bhfuil daoine ag baint buntáiste as na hathruithe sa saol oibre. Gan siol amhras, tá bailte na hÉireann in ann freastal ar riachtanais comhlachtaí idirnáisiúnta chomh maith le caighdeán maireachtála níos fearr a thairiscint d’fhostaithe. Mar shampla tá ‘Liebherr’, ceann de na comhlachtaí innealtóireachta is mó ar domhan lonnaithe i gCill Áirne agus baineann siad leas as cuan beag san Fhianait mar ionad easpórtála. Mar a deirtear, áit a bhfuil toil tá bealach agus seasann fírinne an tseanfhocail dúinne sa Chumann Gaelach. Coinnígí súil ar na meáin shóisialta mar beimid ag eagrú fuilleach imeachtaí chun craic, comhluadar agus cairdeas a spreagadh trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Focail atá de dhíth agus muid ar ais ag an ollscoil Orientation

ionduchtú

Undergrad (person)

fochéimí

Postgrad (person)

iarchéimí

International student

mac léinn idirnáisiúnta

Guided tour

turas treoraithe

Housemate

comrádaí tí

Rent

cíos

Student life

saol an mhic léinn

Lecturer

léachtóir

Tutorial

rang teagaisc

Events

imeachtaí

Labs

saotharlanna

Library

leabharlann

Placement

socrúchán oibre

Fees

táillí

Photo by Morgan McKnight on Unsplash

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Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

POP UP

POP UP CMLOÉG FREE STUFF!

• Rudaí Álainn Bags • Reusable facemasks for every student provided by NUI Galway • Flirt FM Wall Planners

Aula Maxima, The Quadrangle, OÉ Gaillimh

eid

• Mhasc

– Wear a M und a So

P •N á Bí i Do

10:00-15:00 Monday20th September 10:00-15:00 Tuesday 21th September 10:00-18:00 Wednesday 22nd September LATE OPENING 10:00-15:00 Thursday 23rd September 10:00-15:00 Friday 24th September 10:00-15:00 Saturday 25th September

hce – Cuir

@nuigsu

NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.su.nuigalway.ie

Sport · Spóirt

Connacht Rugby season preview By Darren Casserly For Connacht, this season is about building on the foundations coach Andy Friend has laid since taking over the team in 2018. It has been a barren few years for the team following their breakthrough pro 14 title win in 2016. Last season’s finish of second in their group was their best in the last five years. This relative success was emphasized by the inclusion of Gavin Thornbury, Jack Carty, and Alex Wotton on the pro 14 team of the year. While Covid-19 did play a part in the outcome of last season and teams were able to keep the virus out of their camps with it to different degrees of success. The final was still between Leinster and Munster so it was not a season you could write off by any means. Connacht still had a good year and only the covid enforced smaller playoffs stopped them from progressing from their pool. The post-season rainbow cup results are something that could be taken with a pinch of salt and won’t have much impact on how any of the teams do this season. On the transfer front, the only major departure was the loss of long-time lock Quinn Roux to Toulon. Coming into the club was the returning Alex Wotton from Munster, Tongan second-row Leva Fifita as well as Ireland Under 20 prop Sam Illo from the Leinster academy. This team has been strengthened in the offseason and have kept a hold of the players that looked to be on an upward trajectory. Albeit, this preseason did not look great for Connacht as they had losses against Worcester Warriors and London Irish 53-39, 47-14 respectively. While it is preseason, and the results don’t ultimately matter, it can be an indication of where potential problems lie. These games still indicate the same defensive fragilities that haunted Connacht last seasons and relegated them to the concession of the second most points in their pool. We will know more about this team after the opening game of the season against Cardiff Blues who finished last season in a similar vein to Connacht with an identical record. This opener in Cardiff could indicate if this team is showing the same upward trajectory it showed over the last season. Last year these teams won one game against each other last season with resounding wins for each team. It can be a difficult task to try and predict what the season will look like for the team after only a couple of preseason games, but the off-season signings looked good and the squad has remained largely the same from last year so a finish in the play-off spots, but no further would show an improved year for this Connacht outfit.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Colour blindness: World Rugby’s landmark initiative and the need for action across sports By Darragh Nolan Colour blindness or colour vision deficiency (CVD) affects 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women around the world. That’s roughly 285 million people in total. The condition can range from a mild form of the more common red-green colour blindness, making it difficult to distinguish between shades of red and green. Rarer forms limit an individual’s colour spectrum exclusively to duller shades of blue and grey. Participation in and viewership of sports can be difficult for those 285 million. For someone with red-green colour blindness, watching a team wearing red face off against a team in green, against the green background of a pitch especially, is a nightmare. Two similar dark kits or two similar light ones can be equally confusing. The general rule of thumb, to avoid such problems, is for one team to don white or an adjacent light colour, while the opposition goes for a dark alternative. To mark World Colour Blind Awareness Day on September 6, World Rugby launched a new set of guidelines aimed at making rugby accessible to colour blind people, from grassroots all the way up to the top of the professional game. The organisation has identified several key areas ranging from kit clashes to visual information for fans in stadiums. The problem extends beyond fan viewership though. Former Scotland back Chris Paterson contributed to the World Rugby announcement and detailed his own struggles with CVD on the pitch. It is a welcome change for the sport in the aftermath of the red of the Lions clashing with the green of the Springboks during the summer test series. World Rugby’s landmark initiative is a huge step forward in the battle for the sport and so too does it highlight the need for action across the board.

GAA

It’s nigh-on impossible for colour blind fans to distinguish between opposing sides when, for example, Cork take on Limerick as they did in this year’s All-Ireland hurling final. The traditional red of Cork and green of Limerick The problem is worse still when you consider statistically, at least two or three players on each panel have the condition. The Cork-Limerick fixture is an almost yearly dilemma for roughly 300,000 colour blind people on the island of Ireland. It’s always disappointing turning on the TV intent on taking in an otherwise great game of hurling, only to be let down by the GAA’s inaction on colour clashes.

Other tied, including Galway-Wexford and Mayo-Kerry, have seen both teams change into their change strips in recent years to avoid confusion It makes the clash between the Rebels and the Treaty a glaring one. Many an email to Croke Park down through the years on the issue from your friendly neighbourhood SIN writer have fallen on deaf ears, but it’s not for the want of trying.

Soccer

The Premier League faced some criticism during several games throughout the 2020/21 campaign, including the biggest game of the year when Liverpool took on rivals Manchester United at Anfield.

Photo by Stanislav Kondratiev from Pexels The away side could have opted for their black-and-white striped third kit but instead donned a green strip that ignited debate among colour blind people on social media. England’s topflight swears by a computer model used to generate kit matchups. The programme is given every team’s jersey options each season and produces matchups for the season that avoid clashes. The computer is far from perfect. It regularly puts the claret and blue of sides like West Ham and Aston Villa up against the dark change strips of the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool. This officially avoids a clash but for a viewer with CVD, distinguishing can still be tough. UEFA by contrast identified the importance of dark vs light ahead of the Euros. Games throughout the tournament generally featured one team in white and the other in a dark shade. Progress is at last being made to support people with CVD in sport but there remains a great deal of work to do.

Sport · Spóirt

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Hurling Championship review By Darren Casserly

Sports Editor It is impossible to talk about this years’ Hurling Championship without first talking about Limerick’s domination of the sport over the last few years. With three wins in four years, they are now reaching Kilkenny level of dominance and looks set to continue for a few years at the least. The All-Ireland final was over before it began with Limerick showing their greatness and playing Cork off the pitch after a tight opening 20 minutes. It was a onesided affair that we hadn’t seen in an All-Ireland final for some time, and one must think who is there

to stop them and looking around the country my conclusion would be no one. That is provided Limerick keep up their high standards and no other county improves beyond belief. Cork was probably the surprise package of the championship, with them finally making it to their first All-Ireland final since 2013 this coming after taking a step back last year and not making it to the quarter finals. It was progress for the rebels, but you must feel that no one can get close to Limerick any time soon and the All-Ireland final defeat showed just that. For other counties it was more of a mixed bag, with Galway having their worst year in over a decade after not making it to the All-Ireland quarter finals. However,

with the departure of manager Shane O’Neill and the retirement of arguably the greatest hurler of all-time in Joe Canning it will be a very different Galway we will see next year for better or worse. It was a good year for the likes of Dublin who beat Galway in the Leinster championship and also Kilkenny who were a whisker away from the All-Ireland final. It was however, like most years’ a disappointing one for most of the counties. The departure of the likes of Liam Sheedy at Tipperary and Davy Fitzgerald at Wexford indicating a change for these counties after poor seasons. Although, Tipperary feel like a team that could turns things around quickly and be right in contention again.

The question on everyone’s mind for next year’s championship is who is there to beat this great Limerick team? The number one challenger has to be Galway, who did beat them in the league this year. While league and championship are different in effort and intensity levels the tribesmen have shown that it can be done if they get the right man in next year. Other than that, you have Waterford and Tipperary who did well against them in the league but neither of them gave them much of a game in the championship. Overall, it is hard to look past Limerick for next years’ championship, but from a Galway perspective you just have to hope that a new manager can breathe life into this team and challenge Limerick’s dominance next year.

Gaelic Football Championship review By Darren Casserly The curse is real. It has to be, no team can lose this many finals in a row and six of them in the last ten years. That was my first thought in reviewing this year’s football championship. It was heartbreak for Mayo, but at least Dublin didn’t win it again. Tyrone were deserving winners on the day, but the story is still Mayo. This year’s championship was the first in about six years’ whe re the ove r whel m i ng favorite didn’t win it all and we can go into the winter hoping that next year will be just as open. It is a challenge to try and review an entire championship right after it is finished, and I am sure that we’ll gain a new perspective of it after a couple of weeks. As of this moment it is one of the most exciting championships we’ve had for a number of years and the semi-finals will go down in history as great footballing spectacles. Like most years’ this championship will be a disappointing campaign for most and a good one for the few, most of all Tyrone who were able to overcome a Covid-19 outbreak in the camp before the semi-final and they can feel proud in being the unlikely winners, but also the deserving ones.

Mayo can also be proud of their achievements this year when not many people thought they could reach the final again. Especially overcoming the impossible hurdle which for them has been Dublin these last few years, and still the Sam Maguire eludes them. Can they come back next year? I would never count them out and it has to happen for them sometime. The likes of Dublin and Kerry will be disappointed to have fallen in the semis, but they feel like they’re on different trajectories, with Dublin not being what they use to be with the lack of bench depth really affecting them and for Kerry the development of their young core of David Clifford and Sean O’Shea. Galway will be disappointed with their year, a poor league resulting in their relegation and giving up a lead to Mayo in the Connacht final means that it has been nothing but a disaster for Padraig Joyce’s time as manager. Will another year under Joyce change anything? Probably not, but they haven’t even made it to a semi-final since winning it in 2001 and its unlikely a new manager will change that in the next couple of years’ so why not give him another chance. For next year, it’s hard to look past this years’ semi-finalist as the four favorites for it, Dublin

will come back and will be hungrier than they have been for a long time. Kerry and Mayo are teams that will improve, and Tyrone have shown they can do it on the biggest stage. It’s

going to be an open race and it’s hard to predict the winner, but I have to go with Kerry with their exciting mix of incredibly talented young players and the intelligent experienced veterans.

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Sport · Spóirt

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Keep faith with Kenny By Tom Molloy

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Sunday January 7, 1990 was the day that Mr Alex Ferguson was supposed to be removed from his position as manager of Manchester United. Ferguson had been appointed just over three years earlier to replace Ron Atkinson, who had left the Red Devils in the relegation play-off position after thirteen games of the 1986-87 First Division season. Ferguson’s first game after his appointment was a 2-0 league defeat at Oxford United. Things certainly did not change overnight at Old Trafford. Fergie’s starting XI that day contained three Dubliners, Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath, and All-Ireland medal-winner Kevin Moran. Fergie’s United of the period 1986-1992 were described as many things, most notably “dull” and “bland” but also “methodical” and “hard-working”. Retrospectively, though, the one word that comes to mind is “inconsistent”. In these six seasons, United’s league finishes went 11th, 2nd, 11th, 13th, 6th, and 2nd again. Clearly Ferguson was doing something right. He just wasn’t doing everything right and the lack of a spark at Old Trafford had fans frustrated. In addition to this, between the Oxford defeat in 1986 and the Forest FA Cup tie in 1990, Ferguson had recruited 16 players (at a cost of approx. £13 million) and offloaded 18 (incl. McGrath and Scotsman Gordon Strachan). Overhauling a squad is a luxury not afforded to national team managers. Going into the FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest, United had not won a league game in eight. Their last win coming on November 18, a 3-1 victory at Luton Town and, during this period, the Old Trafford faithful unfurled a banner which read ““Three years of excuses and it’s still crap... ta-ra Fergie”. The Forest game was to be Fergie’s last stand. The Guardian described the first half at the City

Successive Irish managers haven’t helped with their constant belittling of their own squads. At least Stephen Kenny likes his players, that’s a good start already. The criticism of Kenny amongst some Irish fans and pundits is hard to bear at times. Ground as “tightly contested and dour to the naked eye... [it] made dreary watching on television’’. United’s winner came early in the second half, scored by twenty-year-old Mark Robins. Ferguson’s faith in youth looked like it was beginning to pay dividends. The Guardian wrote of Fergie after the game, “‘for the moment, the harbingers of doom will give their manager a break.’’. United went on to win the FA Cup that season as the Class of ’91 waited on the wings. Ferguson guided United to 13 league titles and presided over the emergence of such football luminaries as David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Alan Hansen in 1995 said of Fergie’s faith in his young players, “you can’t win anything with kids”. How wrong he was. 24 weekends later, the Republic of Ireland national team defeated Romania to reach the quarterfinals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. McGrath and Moran started, Frank Stapleton an unused substitute. The national team has never quite reached those heights and the cautious, dull football employed by Jack Charlton in order to reach that peak became the blueprint for future Ireland sides. “We haven’t got the players to play actual football”, people will tell you. “We’re not Brazil.” The Ireland team has underachieved to an almost unbelievable degree in

the decades since. Absolutely remarkable when you consider the world-class players available. Roy Keane, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Shay Given, Richard Dunne. People have accused the English of being dangerously pragmatic, but the Irish have a made an Olympic sport out of pragmatism. Successive Irish managers haven’t helped with their constant belittling of their own squads. At least Stephen Kenny likes his players, that’s a good start already. The criticism of Kenny amongst some Irish fans and pundits is hard to bear at times. People just openly revealing their own ignorance without any persuasion. The footballing philosophy of playing two banks of four and instructing players to chase a hoofed ball into the corners on rain-soaked turf is not something to long for. It’s something that has gone the way of the dodo in other countries. Playing with wing-backs or three forwards or the ‘keeper playing a short ball to his centre-half is not going to kill anyone. Football is something to be enjoyed. Ignore the harbingers of doom once again. There are some serious young footballers emerging from Ireland right now. They deserve the chance to play proper football for their country, and Stephen Kenny deserves the chance to give it to them.

Vol. 23 #01 21 Sept. 2021

Sport · Spóirt

Is Mental Health being taken seriously in sport? By Michael Bolton Following Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles pulling out of their respective events due to mental health concerns, it raises the question about mental health concerns among athletes. Their decisions to remove themselves from the spotlight and put their mental health before their careers made headlines across the world. While both women received praise for being open about their mental health, it also showed why so much more must be done to protect athletes’ mental health. For Naomi Osaka, it showed how mental health targets everyone, including those highly successful in life. The four-time Grand Slam winner withdrew from the French Open in May. Since then, Osaka has revealed she suffers with anxiety when speaking to the press. Osaka also admitted she has suffered bouts of depression since her victory over Serena Williams in 2018. Both admissions raise serious concerns regarding the culture that surrounds successful athletes. While interacting with the media is part of the life of an athlete, the behaviour towards some media outlets must change. The media must accept that some athletes may want to take a step back and look after themselves from time to time. Osaka’s admission of depression after her victory over Serena Williams also raises questions over the progression of athletes. After defeating one of the greatest athletes of all time, it was obvious Osaka’s life would never be the same. While Osaka will obviously be proud of her success through her career, the pressure that comes with success is immense. The progress of athletes must be monitored outside the sporting arena, as well as on the court. After her recent loss in the US Open, Osaka revealed her emotions following the loss. “I feel like for me recently, when I win, I don’t feel happy; I feel more like a relief,” And then when I lose, I feel very sad”.

This admission showed how damaging the highs and lows of professional sport can be. Simone Biles, arguably the most successful Olympic Gymnast of all time took some time out from the Olympics to deal with her own mental health difficulties. Specifically, Biles had suffered from the ‘twisties’, a mental block that gymnasts suffer while perfecting their routine in the air. While she received criticism, Biles believed it was best for not just herself, but also her team for her to miss a week of the Olympics. Biles showed incredible bravery and courage to remove herself from what should be one of the greatest moments in her life. In Bile’s last Olympic games before retirement, her main focus was returning home safe, despite the fact she won a bronze medal for her country. This shows how dangerous mental health issues can be. Biles has overcome many obstacles in her career to achieve success, but mental health has proven to be challenging for everyone across the world. Biles removing herself from the biggest stage shows the importance of self-care at the most important moments of our lives. Despite the successful careers of both athletes, a huge success is to open a conversation regarding mental health among athletes. To spread the message “It’s OK not to be OK” at the biggest sporting event of the year is hugely significant to those struggling across the world. However, there is still a long way to go to help those struggling, especially in sports. Until the day depression is viewed the same as a knee injury, people may be left behind. Athletes such as Tyson Fury have shown in the past with the correct support, mental health difficulties can be overcome. From alcohol and drug abuse, to becoming world champion, Fury’s journey has shown that there are always better days ahead.

Simone Biles pictured at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Photo: Agência Brasil Fotografias via Wikimedia Commons

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