The University Times, Volume 3, Issue 7 by Ronan Costello

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The University Times Irish Student Newspaper of the Year Special supplement inside:

THE TRINITY YEAR Reviewing the year in news, issues and the SU’s performance

Inside Theta Omicron: Interview with frat President

The University Times

Magazine

TRINITY TODAY Special alumni report inside with news and features

Carnival/Global Bass/Lamenting the loss of Tallafornia/Say no to emigration/Bodytonic

A Holi Jolly Time: Trinity students celebrate with the Indian Society

»» President Jack O’Connor has his say on the frat fallout

UT News Feature Rory O’Donovan Features Editor AT THE end of February The University Times published an online article entitled ‘Introducing Trinity’s Frat Pack’, that detailed the establishment of a fraternity by Trinity students. Campus reacted almost instantaneously and the comment sections of The University Times coverage were inundated with heated debate amongst students who had very distinct views on the subject. Many highlighted the inherent elitist and sexist nature of fraternities. They warned of the negative im-

moral values and essentially a harmless social collective. Another section of students, although not as vocal about their views on online forums, declared themselves indifferent and decidedly unaffected by the establishment of a fraternity – they probably wouldn’t join it, but they wouldn’t have it closed down either. A number of themes emerged in the following days – some named as connected with the society went to great lengths to distance themselves from it; a Facebook group – ‘No Frat Boys in Trinity’ was created; CSC and SU represent-

The Theta Omicron charter of membership has been the subject of much discussion in the past couple of weeks.

pact an association between Trinity and such organisations could have. Others defended fraternities, claiming they were largely a positive thing – philanthropic, based in

atives spoke out against it – or at least against any affiliation with the college; rumour and speculation was widespread. As claim and counter-claim flew between commentators, UT

journalists and students, a picture of the fraternity’s charter emerged, with the names of the fraternity’s newest members on it. Photographs of the celebratory chartering dinner soon followed, with a group shot betraying the identities of those involved. Intrigue amongst the student body surged once more as prominent and popular students were identified as initiated members. Many wondered why these seemingly intelligent and affable young men would happily defend their allegiance with a body that was being cast in such a negative light. What attracted these people to the idea of a fraternity? Whilst rumour and speculation were doing their worst, none of it can be justified without an insider perspective. In an exclusive interview with The University Times Jack Cantillon, Dave Whelan and Cormac McGuinness relived their experience of the fraternity and why they left. Nevertheless, the most important account would come from an existing member. Jack O’Connor, President of Theta Omicron, the newest chapter of Zeta Psi, granted permission for an interview

on St. Patrick’s Day. Before talking to O’Connor, UT interviewed those who were involved with the fraternity but had subsequently opted out of being initiated as full members. Cormac McGuinness told UT that he ‘foolishly went along with it at the start, as I was curious to see what the fraternity was all about and wanted to make an informed decision about whether or not to be a part of it rather than reject it out of hand’. Eventually McGuinness says he began to question some of the

fraternity’s policies and he ultimately decided it wasn’t for him. ‘Some of the problems I had with it,’ he said, ‘were the risk of hazing, the exclusivity, the secrecy and the attitude towards women. Once I realised the full extent of these problems, I knew I wanted nothing more to do with the fraternity.’ Initially worried about upsetting friends in the fraternity, McGuiness eventually decided he couldn’t remain part of the group and was the first to leave. He told Jack of his decision and ‘they were all very understanding

about it and didn’t give me any hassle’. Whelan and Cantillon are perhaps the most infamous of the former ‘members’. Like McGuinness, their involvement was decidedly casual and Cantillon told me he saw it as just ‘a few lads having a few pints’. As the group sought to become part of the fraternity body, Cantillon and Whelan both decided to leave. ‘Jack spoke passionately at a meeting explaining to the lads why we wanted to leave,’ Whelan told The University Times. ‘I told them I

viewed fraternities as elitist, sexist and not something I wanted to be a part of,’ Cantillon said. ‘To be honest, in hindsight, I probably should have removed myself from the group straight away rather than just being inactive before eventually leaving’. When the two were questioned about the Trinity Cancer Society’s Naked Calendar photograph, which featured them alongside other fraternity members, Whelan told me he had planned to be in another picture but the Cancer

Society told him there had been a change of plan. He knew that others in the shoot were from the fraternity, but didn’t see it as a ‘fraternity picture’, just a collection of prominent students. Cantillon said he was asked by a Cancer Soc committee member to be in the calendar and agreed ‘seeing no harm as it was just a social group of no consequence’. During the interview with Jack O’Connor he confirmed that the photograph had been organised continued on page 2

SU Council to vote on USI referendum Fees preferendum to be decided this week »» If the vote is passed, USI affiliation referendum will be held next year Leanna Byrne News Editor

TODAY, TUESDAY March 20, Student Union Council will decide whether or not they wish to have a referendum on TCDSU’s membership with USI at the same time as the class rep elections in the next academic year. The question has been revised to simply ask students: “Do you want TCDSU to disaffiliate from USI?” At the end of the Michaelmas term, Student Union President Ryan Bartlett called for a referendum to be held on whether the SU should disaffiliate with the Union of Students in Ireland, the national representative body for most universities and institutes of technology in the country. During an extensive interview with The University Times Bartlett highlighted how he was no longer convinced that

the USI represent the views of Trinity students and that a referendum was necessary to decide whether it was appropriate to continue participating in and paying for USI-organised campaigns. Bartlett was dissatisfied following the “Stop Fees, Save the Grant” campaign, the national protest which was held on November 16, and

However, pages of signatures went missing. In addition, there were problems with the wording of the referendum. Originally the referendum was to ask: “Do you vote that TCDSU disaffiliate with USI and replace it with a 6 euro national campaign levy?”. Due to the fact that the wording was asking two questions in one, the signa-

SU President Ryan Bartlett says that new leadership in USI may improve the organisation.

a failed occupation which Bartlett felt was not representative Trinity students views. The referendum has proven difficult to get off the ground. 250 signatures were required to mandate the SU to hold the referendum.

tures gathered for this particular wording of the referendum had to be scrapped. The decision to hold a referendum was a much debated issue amongst students. President of the Graduate Students’ Union Mary O’Connor was also critical of

Bartlett’s move. According to O’Connor, Bartlett had not consulted the postgraduate representatives, positing that running a referendum story on the front page of the UT without discussing it with her was “wrong”. Tonight, Bartlett will be putting “a referendum to take place at the same time as the class rep elections 2012 with the question “Do you want TCDSU to disaffiliate from USI?’” before SU Council. This would ensure that the SU would be able to bypass another collection of signatures and that “the wording to which the signatures were attached would have no effect due to a fault in the language”. When questioned on whether the SU President was disappointed that the referendum had not happened this year Bartlett told The University Times “I don’t really mind. For me, I

Online record for www.universitytimes.ie For the month of Feb 10 - March 10, the UT website received over 140,000 page views. Thanks to all our online readers.

just wish that people can express their opinion and vote. It has to be when the people are informed and can make a comprehensive decision.” Yet, Bartlett also said there would be “other things going on between now and then” and that a “change from USI might come” which students would have to be able to consider before making their vote. Candidates running for positions in USI will be at Council to try and persuade TCD to give them their block vote. Bartlett was optimistic that a new leadership might be beneficial for Trinity students. “One of the candidates is trying to do things other than marches. They want to put forward other messages. We have to wait and see if people follow through with their promises.”

Ronan Costello Editor ON TUESDAY, Wednesday and Thursday this week, Trinity students will get the chance to vote in a fees preferendum. Students will be asked how they would like to see taught third level education to be funded. Students will be given a list of six options and must rank them in order of preference. The list of options are a graduate tax, one hundred percent exchequer funded, one hundred percent upfront fees, student contribution, student loan scheme or none of the above. The result of the preferendum will then bind the vote of the TCDSU block that will attend USI Congress in early April, at which USI is to

create its new policy on fees. USI’s current policy is that the Exchequer (i.e. the taxpayer) should bear the entire cost of tuition fees for Irish/EU students through progressive taxation. This policy has been reaffirmed by votes at USI Congress on a number of occasions, most recently in 2009. USI say that the decision to revise the fees policy came as a result of the Minister’s commitment to increase the student contribution charge to €3,000 by 2015. USI Congress happens once a year and all major policy decisions are made at it. Elections for USI’s officer board are also held at Congress. Trinity sends 18 delegates to this conference, correlating to the number

The University Times

Editor: Ronan Costello Deputy Editor: Rónán Burtenshaw Volume 3, Issue 7

of students in the college, who are elected by SU council. These delegates will be asked to vote on behalf of Trinity Students as to what USI’s position on fees should be. Traditionally, the other constituent organisations in USI take a more liberal stance on the fee issue than Trinity. If this bears itself out again and Trinity students opt for a more moderate funding option, then Trinity’s preferred option may not be the one that becomes policy. SU President Ryan Bartlett said that the preferendum was an opportunity for students to have their voice heard on a hugely important issue on which there hasn’t been a general vote in years.

This newspaper is produced with the financial support of Trinity College Students’ Union. It is editorially independent and claims no special rights or privileges.

Tuesday, March 20 2012 | The University Times

TIMESNEWS Contents

TIMESFEATURES Rory O’Donovan asks whether anyone pays attention to the promises sabbatical officers make Rónán Burtenshaw talks to Helena Sheehan about the Occupy University movement

A week in the life of Trinity’s Twitterati Alex Towers

Fiona Hyde

Rachel Barry

@alxtowers

@acowardhyding

@rachelbarry

Got an email from a friend in New York: “Went to a concert on Sat with an Irish band who wear bags over their faces. Unreal.

Someone changed the sign in the library from ‘Please switch off your mobile phones’ to ‘Ease with your hos’

How on earth is Kevin Myers still allowed to publish such inciteful material in a national newspaper?

TIMESOPINION

Rob Farhat tackles the economics of emigration, a subject all too close to many of this year’s graduating class A Canadian former SU Officer gives his account of student protests

TIMESSPORTS DUAFC lose out to the superior Santry Rebels in American Football DU Fencing retain the Frank Russell intervarsity trophy for the fifth year in a row Matt Rye, Fionn Ó’Deá and Jack Leahy discuss the prospect of Stephen Ireland returning to the national side

The University Times

Magazine

Eoin Hennessy talks to MC Caballa about the transnational phenomenon that is global bass Luke O’Connell eulogises the end of Tallafornia David Wall comes down against the supposed inevitability of emigration The Culture section features the best student writing on film, fashion and theatre

Credits

EDITOR Ronan Costello DEPUTY EDITOR Rónán Burtenshaw NEWS EDITOR Leanna Byrne FEATURES EDITOR Rory O’Donovan OPINION EDITOR Hannah Cogan SPORTS EDITOR Matthew Rye DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR Jack Leahy DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR Tomás Sullivan DEPUTY OPINION EDITOR Max Sullivan PHOTO EDITORS George Voronov & Joseph Noonan Magazine Editor Tommy Gavin Magazine Deputy Editor Luke O’Connell CULTURE EDITOR David Doyle CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dargan Crowley-LOng WEB EDITORS Peter Twomey & Melanie Giedlin

Steph Fleming

@robfarhat

@stephanenny

Really glad this fees preferendum is happening, but if Trinity votes for 100% exchequer funded fees we deserve our shit ranking.

‘Re: means testing - you can’t make kids of people who over-borrowed suffer for parents’ mistakes. Already happening with the grant

John Devine @amnsiac

Aoibhín Murphy casts a critical eye on relaity TV and concludes that it’s porn without all the sex

In light of all the discussion about gender and sexism lately, Max Sullivan asks what do people thing about men

Rob Farhat

@universitytimes Down again?!? Ease up on the juicy reporting will you? Your servers will thank you.

Fraternity President speaks to UT on allegations of sexism and elitism continued from front page rather haphazardly and that he believed (but can’t be sure, as he wasn’t President at the time) that the tagline – ‘all shall soon be revealed’ – was in fact added by the Cancer Society. The thoughts of the former members may shed light on their individual involvement. Despite this, what was at the core of the group as a whole? In an attempt to allow the fraternity to speak for itself, the UT met with and interviewed their president – Jack O’Connor. The interview ensures that O’Connor’s words would not be twisted or portray him in a certain way. This is simply a presentation of his opinions to our readers. Some might think him and the fraternity ridiculous; others might find the idea attractive. Either way, it is only fair that he is given the opportunity to win praise or invite ridicule through his own words.

What is a fraternity? It is based on the idea of “brotherhood”, but it is pretty much just making sure that you all look out for each other. As a group you become very close and as an individual you get an incredible amount of value out of it – you learn leadership skills, make great friends and it’s a fantastic networking tool. It also has a fundraising capacity that is taken very seriously. I think a lot of people have watched Old School, or Beta House and have a slightly skewed version of fraternities in mind. As a group, we’re a very mixed bunch – we’re not all ‘jocks’ or all ‘geeks’, there is a broad spectrum of people. As for the drinking side, sure we would have a few drinks together socially, but to suggest drinking is at the heart of what we do is simply false.

We have pledges who don’t drink at all.

What attracted you to fraternities? Last year I was new to college and my course was quite small. I thought of a fraternity as a good way to meet new people, I never really thought of it as something overtly serious. I just thought as a group we’d hang out together, maybe wear the same t-shirt occasionally, and have a laugh. All we’ve done so far this year is go out together and raise money for cancer soc.

What do you think attracted everyone else? I think the networking aspect attracted a lot of people. The networking opportunities are impressive. I’ve got new and very good friends now in America and the UK. I’ve got friends in Scotland and Oxford who I could stay with if I was visiting - everyone looks after each other. When I went to visit America in January, I lost my phone and everyone was unbelievably helpful. We wouldn’t use the term ‘brotherhood’ with people here – they’re just ‘the guys’, but the bond is a close one.

Were you expecting the reaction that the fraternity received? There was a time a while ago when we did think about how people would react. People don’t like new things. I didn’t expect the reaction to be so big or aggressive. We never saw ourselves as ‘we are great’ or ‘we’re better than you’. People are saying you need to be rich and good-looking to join – well, that’s just not true – I’m neither! I knew some people would like the idea of fraternities and some wouldn’t, but we weren’t in the public eye, so it didn’t really

concern us that much.

Why do you think some people left? When people started saying they wanted to leave because they perceived that some people would see their involvement negatively, I told them I didn’t think people would take it too seriously and, well, that didn’t turn out to be true … Some left because they felt their views differed from some of those expressed by the fraternity, it’s a simple as that.

Were those names added to the charter because you ‘needed the numbers’? Technically we did need a certain amount of numbers, we had deadlines to meet and so we sent off the names … there were some members whose involvement was dwindling, but the charter was a provisional thing, you’re not a member until you’ve been initiated, so I didn’t see it as being a serious issue. I added Bennett on the spur of the moment simply because I really wanted him to be a part of it and I thought he wouldn’t have a problem with it, but obviously he did and that’s fair enough and it was an error on my part.

What does initiation involve? Can you comment on claims that skulls, swords and coffins are involved in the initiation ceremony? Unfortunately there are aspects of the fraternity that I cannot discuss (it …) and this is one of them.

What do you say to claims that fraternities are sexist?

The University Times

I can of course see where

THE TRINITY YEAR Special Supplement Inside

people are coming from, because only men can join. But I see it as the same as saying a ‘girls night out’, or a ‘lads night in’ is sexist. Sometimes we feel like spending time with the opposite sex, sometimes we feel like time with the girls, or with the lads. As far as I’m concerned, if we’re not affiliated with college, it doesn’t matter – it’s not a public issue. We have never tried to be recognised by college, not that we don’t want to be – it would be nice – but we don’t need to be. Zeta Psi are fine with us not being affiliated. If the issue of our affiliation arose, I can understand that people don’t want college policies misrepresenting them. But I have been approached by six or seven different girls who have asked for help in establishing a sorority, so I don’t know if everyone feels the same way. The way I approached it when the thought first came to mind was – is it a cult? Is it sacrilegious? That just isn’t the case … it’s just hanging out with the lads, looking after each other, having a bit of fun together and raising some money for charity.

There is an initiation fee, just to cover costs, but it’s very reasonable.

What do you say claims that fraternities are elitist?

Some have certainly made useful connections already. There is an impressive network of members – tens of thousands living – from all manner of disciplines and they are all very happy to be put in touch to see how they can be of help to each other. As the principles underlying all of the chapters are the same, I have found I get on with the crowds in America, Oxford and St. Andrews really well, it turns out we’re all very similar people.

I can only speak about the values of Zeta Psi – being respectful and so on – and I certainly don’t see them as representing an elitist body. Members are chosen, essentially, on evidence of them being ‘a good guy’. It’s not that we’re passing judgment, it’s pretty much as simple as ‘do I want to be friends with this person?’ Everyone in our group gets on incredibly well, even though we’re a pretty mixed bunch. The suggestion that you have to be ‘financially privileged’ to join is ridiculous – our group consists of people from very different financial backgrounds.

Is it true you received a number of messages from people asking to join the fraternity following recent publicity? I think there were very few who would openly say they wanted to join, but yes, I did get some private requests. I think the people who commented on the articles are the ones who feel very passionately about it either way, but a lot of people joked about it – I had friends who joked ‘oh, I can’t be seen with you anymore’. Whilst I think I did get a few strange looks in the days after it all came out, I am yet to have anyone say anything negative to my face. From some of the messages I got it’s clear there are those who like the idea.

Would I be correct in saying some have already benefitted from the networking aspect of the fraternity?

Where do you currently stand on affiliation with college?

We aren’t affiliated, we have never tried to become affiliated and it is not an issue for us. The fraternity has

been very flexible and understanding about the challenges we have faced and are happy with us to function as we are.

Has that allowed you to attract students from other colleges? Whilst all of our initiated members are Trinity students, we do have people interested from other colleges and, as we aren’t affiliated with Trinity, we will not refuse them on the grounds that they are not a Trinity student. Decisions on this and other things will be made as planning begins for next year.

What are the plans for next year? We are looking at renting a house together. It would certainly operate as HQ as we’d probably have all of our meetings there but sadly it probably won’t be a mansion, playing host to constant parties, as some might imagine. We are going to look into doing bigger and better charity events. I think we have a unique opportunity to create a positive perception of fraternities in Ireland. We have a luxury in a way of not having other fraternities to compete with, so we can simply concentrate on staying true to our core values. We don’t want to impose on anyone’s life, we don’t want to affect anyone’s life negatively. If we have a party, you’re all invited. I think we are a pretty relaxed bunch and don’t take ourselves too seriously. posted on the page – calling them “inciteful [sic]”. This was particularly the case for those that were “directed at individuals”.

The University Times | March 20 2012

TIMESNEWS Indian Society celebrate Holi in Front Square

New political magazine to launch Saoirse O’Reilly Staff Writer THE TRINITY Agora is newest magazine to become part of Trinity’s colourful array of publications will be. It is the first magazine intended to be a platform for political discussion and debate based on an analysis of international and domestic politics. The Agora is the first magazine intended to be a platform for political discussion and debate based on an analysis of international and domestic politics. Although politically based, it will reach out to students across all curriculums in the college. Agora Trinity stated that “It helps to project the views and opinions of students about stories that make the headlines in the global media.”

‘The Agora’ is the chief marketplace in Athens, the centre of the city’s civic life. The definition literally is “a popular political assembly.” The creators liked the symbolism behind the name Agora; “The Trinity Agora is like the Front Square where any type of events from Indian Holi to graduations are held and carry different meanings.” The magazine was born after consideration that Trinity lacks a platform for political debate. Initially, it was founded by Catalina de la Sota and David Schenck. The first new recruits were Emma Tobin and Brian Higgins. After working on the project for about two weeks the creaters got word that a similar concept was being built by a team of JS students: Alex Canepa, Omar Farooq and

Philip Engels. The decision was made to merge the two ideas together to create this political publication. Agora’s writing guidelines maintain that “The Trinity Agora offers a level of analysis that is more nuanced than that of a daily newspaper, yet more accessible than that of a footnoted academic review.” The magazine does not have one line of thought; it encourages “new, authentic, personal prospectives and ideas.” It is not only a chance for students to comment on politics from a different angle, but Agora encourages lecturers and members of the wider community to contribute. Agora’s website went live on Monday, February 20. Following the huge success of the website, Trinity Agora is seeking submissions

for their written publication. The deadline for this is Wednesday, March 28. Those articles that are well researched and present a rounded picture of the topic will be published by the magazine. The publication is intended to be released on a monthly basis. Prospective writers shoud bear in mind that articles should fall into one of the eight sections; Ireland, Europe, The Americas, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Global and Opinion. Submission guidelines can be found on the website, but articles are expected to range from 750 to 1,400 words and can be sent to agoratrinity@ gmail.com. Although it is not a necessity, Agora encourages their writers to mimic the style of the articles in The Economist. The

Agora follows The Economist’s attitude “to try to tell the world about the world, to persuade the expert and reach the amateur, with an injection of opinion and argument.” Owen Bennett, Trinity’s newly elected Communications Officer for the year 2012/2013 eagerly awaits the written publication. He noted that “There has been an explosion of interest in student journalism, with so many people using Trinity’s publications to get their opinions heard.” He thinks that Agora has a “Huge potential to create big presence on campus next year, as there was a gap in the market for a political magazine.” The student body seems relieved that this hiatus in coverage has finally closed.

Nevin and Logue compete for USI Presidency

DU Filmmakers’ equipment stolen Leanna Byrne News Editor THE FILMMAKERS Society has estimated a loss of €3,000 following the theft of a camera and five lenses during the filming of Trinity Ent’s Trinity Ball Promo video. On the morning of Saturday February 18, Trinity Ents had been filming the Trinity Ball Promo video for over 24 hours. During the filming of their final shot, outside the front arch, one of the equipment bags was taken from behind them. “So you can imagine us, we’re all standing there looking at the shot being taken,” Ents Officer Chris O’Connor told The University Times. “The bag had been moved out of the way and it was left behind them. It’s classic cartoon scenario, we’re all looking this way and it gets robbed from behind while we’re still there!” When Trinity Ents were wrapping up their filming the individual in charge of equipment presumed that somebody else had taken the bag up. However, it was soon discovered that the bag was gone. The incident was reported that morning

first to the campus security office and then to Gardaí in Pearse Street Garda Station and college security. However, there was no evidence in the CCTV footage to link the robbery to anyone. “We thought that there was CCTV footage of it. I was delighted when I heard that they had,” said O’Connor. “They said at 12:24 that there was a guy in a white shirt seen picking

claim to come through. “We don’t foresee any problems with the insurance claim,” said McGee. “We ask people to be vigilant, and problems are very rare.” Nevertheless, there has been some dispute between Trinity Ents and Filmmakers in relation to the amount that has been lost. One member of Filmmakers estimated that the loss

SU Ents Officer Chris O’Connor disputes the valuation put on the Filmmakers’ equipment.

up the bag. We went down to review the tape and as soon as we saw the tape it was Plunkett [the Ents Secretary] picking up the bag to move it. He’s the one who moved it behind the camera.” There has also been an insurance claim put in for the equipment in the hopes that the Filmmakers can retrieve some of their loses. Kevin McGee, the Filmmakers’ current Treasurer expected the insurance

was up to €3,000 because the camera and lenses were very expensive. O’Connor, however, did not agree with this estimate claiming that “it was about two grand.” O’Connor hopes that the insurance claim comes through for Filmmakers. “It’s just really annoying. All we needed was one lens and there happened to be a camera in that bag as well. Unfortunate that it happened.”

START set to overhaul services James Hagan Senior Staff Writer DITSU President Ciarán Nevin. Jack Leahy Deputy News Editor DUBLIN INSTITUTE of Technology Students’ Union President Ciarán Nevin and University College Dublin student John Logue will contest the presidency of the Union of Students’ in Ireland, it has been announced. Logue, a 23-year old final year BCL Law student, held the position of Eastern Area Officer in the 2010/2011 academic year before being promoted to Deputy President following the resignation of former TCDSU President Conan Ó Broin. Nevin is in his second successive term as President of DITSU, having also held the role in the 2010/2011 academic

year. Logue’s extensive manifesto is centred around campaigns. noting that the now traditional protest march has become ‘jaded’ and promising to transform the national student representative body into a political lobbying group: ‘The national protest march has become jaded and demands huge time and resources from students’ unions with very little in return,’ he declares. ‘If elected, [I] will recast the USI as the most effective political lobbying group in the country’. Other manifesto points include collaboration with the National Union of Students UK, claims to having secured 5,000 graduate employment

places on the ‘JobBridge’ scheme and helping to prepare universities for any possible ‘technological university’ amalgamation that may take place in the future. Nevin has not yet made his election manifesto available, but his first post of the year on his blog on ditsu.ie makes reference to the importance of USI reform: ‘Each year, DITSU pays a large amount of money to be part of this national students union. This gives us a voice at Government level. It is essential that USI is structured to best represent our needs.’ Nevin has been actively involved in student politics for a number of years,

and fiercely contested the USI’s decision to issue a statement in support of the ICTU One-day strike in November 2009 at a meeting of DITSU governing council to which then USI President Peter Mannion and Deputy President Dan O’Neil were invited. Two-year Carlow IT SU President Kate Acheson and NUI Maynooth SU President will contest the position of Campaigns Officer. The latter was involved in a protest outside the office of Fine Gael TD Anthony Lawlor in December whereby he became the face of a number of student activists. Lawlor refused to allow him entry to his constituency office unless he undertook to vote against an increase in

Photo: Ronan Costello

fees and cuts to the student grant. Waterford IT SU welfare officer Denise McCarthy is the only candidate for the USI role, and UCC Education Officer Cat O’Driscoll (Academic Affairs & Quality Assurance Officer) and Peader De Bluit (Irish Language Officer) are also uncontested. UCC LGBT Rights Officer Laura Harmon and Justyn McKay are the two candidates for the role of Equality & Citizenship Officer Individual students’ unions will send delegations to USI national congress on the 2nd-5th April, where the 2012/13 officers will be elected.

ON WEDNESDAY the 14th of March, a “town hall” style meeting to discuss plans to change administration practices in college was held in the Joly Theatre in the Hamilton Building. The meeting was organised by the START task force, which has been set up this year in an effort to make administrative services in Trinity more efficient. Wednesday’s meeting was specifically designed as a contact point to explain proposed changes to students, the task force releasing a statement in advance of it regarding attendance which read “We are asking the GSU and SU reps to selfselect from across the student body, with a view to facilitating broad engagement.” The meeting lasted two hours and was split into

two halves. In the first, the student representatives were given a run through of what the proposed changes would entail. Dr. David Loyd, Bursar of the college, indicated that the task force hoped to streamline the entire administrative system which supports the academic and service-orientated pursuits of Trinity. Earlier in the year, that task force had launched a website where class reps could post comments detailing what they liked and disliked about support services in Trinity. A common theme of complaint which emerged during that process was frustration among students due to lack of clarity regarding which office on campus offered which service. When asked whether this was a good day for students, Student’s Union President Ryan Bartlett made this statement: “From

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discussions with members of the review group it seems most of their recommendations are things that will make the college more efficient. Something I have been strongly advocating this year, hopefully we will see that these efficiencies as well as saving money without having to cut standards or services will mean a better service in some areas. The creation of an academic registry seems to be the first test of this, but certainly the idea that a student should only have to go to get an answer from college is fantastic. Bringing in customer service training and comments facilities for services would be encouraging but more importantly it would help drive a focus of user orientated services, which for the most part means a greater focus on the needs of students.”

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Send app cat ons v a ema to Owen Bennett at app cat ons@un vers tyt mes e Dead ne for rece pt of app cat ons Wednesday March 28th

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She insisted, while acknowledging that abortion “is not a black or white issue”, that the vast majority of the Irish people support legalisation of abortion in scenarios such as rape, incest and where the life of the mother is threatened. “It is extremely important that we address the massive grey area that is the X case now” she said, referring to the confusion that resonates twenty years after the Supreme Court deemed it lawful to terminate a pregnancy when there is “a real and substantive risk” to the mother’s life, including the risk of suicide. The twentieth anniversary comes shortly after the European Court of Human Rights judged that Ireland had breached the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of the third plaintiff in the case of A, B and C v Ireland, due to the lack of clarity surrounding whether or not she could have access to abortion in a situation where she believed that her pregnancy was life threatening.

action taken against the SU by the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child at a time when the SU frequently passed on information on abortion to expectant mothers. Bacik credited their legal triumph to their representative, Mary Robinson. While insisting that the tide of opinion is turning, Bacik blamed the lack

dissatisfaction with the progress being made on the issue. They also appeared anxious about the findings, of the government-ordered expert group, whose recommendations on abortion legislation are due in June. Bacik claimed that the otherwise “isolated” Labour Party could work together with the UAL on the issue of

Senator Bacik spoke of the ‘culture of silence, fear and hypocrisy surrounding abortion in Ireland. Senator Bacik reiterated much of what Ahern had said and spoke of the “culture of silence, fear and hypocrisy surrounding abortion in Ireland.” She claimed that she was “weary that after 23 years of campaigning, [the country is] still stuck on life-saving abortion”. Bacik, as president of TCDSU in 1989, was involved in legal

of forward legal momentum on “the cowardice of the legislature, and the intimidatory tactics of the anti-choice movement”. The floor was opened to questions, sparking debate from left and right alike. Members of the United Left Alliance (UAL), who had been handing out material outside the event, expressed

abortion and that the adversarial status quo is in the interests of neither party. Despite the obvious heavy pro-choice presence, a sole “pro-life” campaigner, who took exception to being labelled as “anti-choice” by Bacik, took the floor. He cited research claiming that women who had had an abortion were more likely to commit suicide than those who hadn’t. Ahern, a psychologist by trade, dismissed the research as “a myth and a scare tactic”. When told by the event’s host that he had made his point, he responded saying that he was “not satisfied with the answer”. Albeit in front of a crowd heavily weighted towards one side of the argument, both of the evening’s speakers referenced the “groundswell of support” gathering for the pro-life campaign and exercised a cautious optimism that momentum for the pro-choice movement is gathering.

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College circum vents HEA moratorium on promotions as friction intensifies between the two bodies over staff reductions

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Speak , scribed increase” devaluing learnt that the as “socio “would propose the College s- ductin in teaching underberock graduate education. “a series Moun buy-outs 27 senior group to credit d-off” took place y’s Snow rsity Times and into Black from the acathe temporary demics controversia “spen individuals with Unive in any reliefwhich on Trinit ting a ski trip to established Academics in the time spent lly proBlack rock havoc cidents ing to The ire denied Trinity practice. moted during annua l Alpes resort College s, repor two former have always had Trinthe public secon the higher grade”. Club’s Thetoquestion the startof at Les Deux of the Dub-s Mr Magu of the event ports tween access tor promotions who is inWhen asked prior to a faone from cility that allows members embargo will if this was in UCD, in acknowlthe weekvolved in replacement teaching knowledge he students, receive back-pay Snow Sport theminto contravention h which use money from one from of the Employat their new central ing the University g, as well as term. is of research ofgrants the Frenc importance which they higher pay grade. lin. Colalthough ity and ment Control to compensate etlegethat that follow framework does at least were stayinstudents, inIt is clear for comp a A member Higher Education The Employmen Clubfor a system callednot have p2 t edged portion of their the teaching were ensuring of the Capoeira Trinit y Authority repor t: to see that Alpes whoother Ronan workload. framework issued t Control spokesperso ed Coste Society impresses depe nden police This on leave Les Deux those teaching portion n said RAG Week ble, onlookers during llo could to thesabbatical Editor or because would then ernment in 2008 by the gov- “primary concern that their The UniGreno who Freshers’ Week. twice ley-Long. -Elect or of rebe search passed on to to reduce staff near grants are n Crow Photo: Dargan five The Promoted: have told a contract lecturnumbers in the stitutions meet was that inreplaced by Crowley-Long : Darga spend resort, thosethe 300+ strong sources Times that The twenty-seven er, who is paid public Mr both with comparable per module they Week. Photo prohibits recruitment service staff numbers reduction in and the qualiLAST waste the www.univ intended academics to receive where fications. Personal Chair versity replace. THURmonfor RAG of around 6%” including disciand pro- agreed Willia ms contingent mous motions except ersitytim the pay bump culmination Professor S O’Mara rs get pied were staywith the Departmen DUSSC The most SDAY saw the that Mr to be anony his students, are facing This practice in University (Psychology) es.ie trip investical Office proved circumstan special ap- of Education ts ate group ms, has been ms beCTimes’ of two Professor email of e that from the C Sabba intens separ ey. used O’Sullivan the DUSS and Willia Dr tigation S ces. in Frolov (Mathematics finance. the past to (Computer Science to realis r in the Willia y hearings e a celecti Conor t i c s weeks nts’ Union Professor J Parnell were The College claims Both theproduced That the senior ) and Statistics) ing their . He also paigning. TSU Dr P Gallagher known as “relief” give what’s ing. specific Stude impress (Natural Sciences) but failed al trip evidence of plinar appea the pro- will academics (Physics) instances e don camby Promotions process to academDean follow Triniwould he’s a ledge” receive back-payme the extern Dr P Geoghegan(H to notify Officer i nWhen c l u d Retur hotelwhere ics. This would andfessors for the releJunior the trip. andthe istories and Humanities) Associate Professor nts for g cause ks that “I hateTrinit y. name :” field. a ning other senior Ashle mean that it ivant staff commenced the time spent rsity contestants Dr C Gobl (Linguistic, d from iour on ing this inis demics nounced throwying used when an a swast acaCooke at the higher pay fine relatin of the remar Dr D Coghlan were before afterreplaced - anThe Unive ms, behav academic wish- ejecte se “From even hate the embargo Dr A Harkin (PharmacySpeech and Communicati (Business tedrsity a €2,000 by conc k B esr es to engage in came into force grade is sure to provoke the on Sciences) the wall revea led the tractrmes When After receiv Dr S Connon (Chemistry)Studies) him of ges, he repor his ty. I don’t Trinit y becau to lecturers and Pharmaceutic B l a result Mr Willia d on The Unive ms a large-scale re- genda ita was Dr E Heffernan ire who were and so are not of the Departmen al Sciences) ho-not in spoke to article was (Law) search project Dr T Connor (Medicine) dama downBartle was daubeof a of the subject out of had beatethat enoug h say I hate t of Educaformation, ry Ryan Mr Willia Dr J Lalor (Nursing or go on other kapossessionfloor government moratorium to the tion, who were PhD. n , ttto €50 note this shit I not intelligent whispers Times that the asked n back Dr A Corvin (Medicine) and Midwifery) third of us... forms of sabbatical, reported to be untai This took a scare ch thick Dr L Leeson (Linguistic, is not of the . eat I’m he said Times under invesnecessarily investigating The Irish Times to m o g theten RON ly a two-in Dr S Duffy (Histories ptly an inby “a group”. He desaid “I it.” He then Speech and Communicati c*nt.” for personal reasons whether tel ying if he was potential breachdication ed that with of Dr A McLysaght reported in Tommy President-elbecom get into stupid UCD be- written intend poorer buyine TCDS wallet, and prom July of this year r. Displa (Genetics on Sciences) teaching, but Dear Editor, Dr I Rozas (Chemistry)and Humanities) or to im- would marke Gavin to name t in the again n. He claim matter” a of us that you Alpes, prove their ability that the promo- es of the embargo. Dr B O’Kelly (Engineering) and Microbiology) ect and and U for break fast” Deput night to a group paint seem to open nal “I’m just too many tigatio emen pints punishable tions Dr Deux O’Con to J carry y Wickham is the The , the would apparent g nor Editor Chris perso door college out involv the Dr had (Social Sciences ika be a to their job. ce M Ó Siochrú (Histories lower in name only. did not respond had m Ski Trip to Les this in being so. mind standards. it has become ptyin the group During aper went and Philosophy) senten a swast This will nied any the assau lt on l- “this is “already However, in a e come and Humanities) dial Any Dr F O’Toole (Social expan- In recent hours article regarding The Trinity the from- did video of one of light. With erce he had memo obtained to a request for comment. sion in The process involved no doubt this newsp received a custo this area would Senior Lecturer an A some in a negative the Ents rankthem outsidimme spend-off, nt, and vanda In a poll and that comment on this” that is in anyway Dr J Stout (Natural Sciences and Philosophy) editor , a Comm ed fore in at- to by cause seem on publishing group of us annoyance taining research has Wilrace to undermine in smokDr P Carmody Sciences) y stude should anything suit against surfac y, er reference a France. College’s print, the Greens, sity stude of 1,248 unive refuse past Elaine grants in Dr S Tresize (Drama, said he Paul Quinn (Natural Sciences) squea diatel year Trinito position clear, asserin which you from Conor ad- Trinitin the hotel. follows. An application is as tions take a libel claim fol- to in UCD, €50 un- to Mr Willia ms Film and Music) that to make our a king the trip, esteemed senior McDa A third Dr V Timonen be forced to email a collab nts conducted r- Paul Goga ing that it the assau ltelected strong evidence student be in the days y an email ism if he was e, is made ingid to we would like (Social Work and acfor a grant to we will indeed you have extremely follow ing orativ nt was group . risk of Ents Office from the udents@ be a rty (who was are appointed Social Policy) Dr S Waldren a specified body; ademics using When asked n by Colleg I no regrets that “everyone that dent media e effort by in mously ty stude Trip. Visibl names. Forvotes. We liams (Natural Sciences) the at least untrue be published note, r by 141as a on YouTu these could be in part infaigatio quipp stunaming any ce. the Ski , thus we suggest d trinity ucdst , picto four of am, d only king g give acros I private ” by invest undergradu preceden due try, email entere compaed clothe dress der remar the publishers any such claims or indeed The ate said “if €20 note pa- lowin it has emerg s the counrespect, ed “With all nies, funds or under false males themselves. the best strongly Mont Clare ated and semi-state enti- students .com. This ens legal in the most Willia ms tte teaching her wear, Mr it.” parlia bour The four before making dignity, integrity and characterlightly. Hence we justthisoff ed that enjoyed ties. This could cigare perience. from have as she and exHotel, pay- inebri al under “fucked gmail above, threat an arti- Mr know about unour La- fuck menta ry be a company College not to be taken , in order to prevent much and slandering support her room e room-mates was the Merrion per, in therm don’t like Pfizer language, that he case of and this is There you . tured greate Squar an for “in the are, medico-pha Depu venue however, states in barm some inare 100% seriousany such article is withdrawn the river” Well-placed rma- centivestwo femal a e, than amonamong stude r ing a debat ty Stagg” for the and from ceutical grants, the group rs ingcount that to hire contract ski Quinnphone down he states action duror recommend portraying does lectur8pm specu It appea the Irish g those polled nts 2009) that e in the Dáil the Environmen bodies like ers with slept. [his] tion was why, , who €50 to fasten any further. postgraduat ss cle tal Protection Leanna Byrne ive light.” asked Times for off leaking in lae degrees. kept tuitio being taken The victim . to impre Agency, depen named, only When a negat the and down those Economic be boots count the with dent. Staff Reporter suchtoqualificafrom them”. Nikolai was trying trying to In- the the table as chairmn fees resort iresearch Institute and Social tion can benot wish continued to TCD, UCD, Students that “I lots were room as the When a Oireachtas her exper used re- However, s... I was an mind the members from Yours Sincerely, balguard research Council or the Irish ordinators spoke asofmodule it’s clear that on and NUIG DCU, UCC, my friend impressionssorted and secur ity Comm of of the comTheco-Unior appointed not all MEMbErS of for the Huone the students ittee first UL thatEducation and Additional took part manities and Trinity College’s mittee that students’ €77 and sports clubs “Four were glean ence with examopinion UCD students matters that by Unive Science. paid Social Sciences iners. approached was the sports clubs in the Trinity and Times. arose in the poll, coord voiced their con- annually to the Sports Depart- are happy with this.” ed If for their respective case, it into In the course AGM were the Ronan Costello versity ly is UCD’s tor, Tom rsity Times inated cern over lack of researching evidentfields. came ment to fund election of the College Another group News Editor go up. Students Ediby votersnot enoug h of student repthis story, the If this application them sports was to voice their officers on the Tribune of paper sociat ion ly tweet Lowe, and quick are seen as a for stude resentation on should be represented facilities opinion was while i is sucspoke DUCAC . in soft ed to cessful, committees committe. target. some nt the room up Ladies the of A those hit money officialmy and ly. There was Hockey not ty Times with The Unive ason account. to the UT Twitte hired other decision-ma the is deposited Sinn Féin Club who examined as, contract THIS woke me and much movement perceived to have students is with central rsi- low and other king proctes for College authori- lecturers to do asleep in regards reps yEAr’S cohort of class media esses in the ly asked Lowe was prom r replacemen of sports scholarshipthe subject to the positions The Students’ national are also bestude g me tup litical consequenc no great po- ties, often was told to expect Sports Departteaching. While pickin outlets candida ed upon Union Presto eave pton the commitwith conditions s and how tee, average by their discidown es.” Ó broin ment’s annual count ry. a sigroom, across nt when comp the count nificant raise atpective and athletes seemed figures AGM last Thurs- ident has a seat on the Sport awareness of them could leaving ing me the dents in the student explained that there is a “per- tached to its use. The Principal plines varied, it was ally ared with be in- discouraged day. throw to be registration Department’s him leanin All pros election are call possible to in throu The result ception that students Investigator , as only average the cost Treasury Com- creased. Sports Departmen bed, gener itself, with stugh the the (P.I.) is then al don’t vote sponsible s from they on mittee at present. ndum Trinity’s athletes t tested re-election the uncon- jor cutbacksfee as well as ma- whereas committee members ittee. polled 6% of individual in were bedoorway, g riously re- ing paid Comm questioned those This is to ata significant each intend in student suptyping for the funds. per module to of the Chairs the refere Provosti ensured to stress futhe decision tempt colleg number have the take part A man them, any weigh P.I. keen around to hockey to regard inform ensure to to the g still making e the As vote for team scrap chief was that students’ Committee, Cyril port services in the upcoming of pensioners vote. ted and a mere that their “insignatory or leader is €3,000. process levy were ation s ofnts on important Governtention with gettin . Ciaran Nolan which accounts Smyth, as the illion b-Rotbem budget, which that number by dividing The stude of way. There thatit. came issues such This merits contrast Editor announcement for rough- plan” this year is to draft a will be delivered ment TD’s have told us explic- the team applying for the ntee as ly 60% the of stude the the Gerry Adam 4% think the allocation his €3.5mFoun- Trigou SU was taskedReferendum produced a grant. yearly with the Research on December that would itly that they college Sports Departmen remaining dramaguara wasthe of funds that Some research some best Taoise s would be lion salaries of the 7th. that “the deal for the are afraid of the funding by the nts in each r a yes early incover t’s file and standard”.“improve pro- and raised delayed applause Sports Departmen on by the grants are €5milLecoc Professors the night lted politicians tar- not for to is allocated geting pensioners.” Speaking to the total numb polled, (€108 – 138k), best hands in protest. t currently 14% thoug ach. the purposes cover the ating neithe gathering of q’sthat Associate Profeshas in place. Although During his NA FAIL and was defauas Seb ately. It is estimated appropriof buyingones reThere were further camp nts the SU is advoc If students reject new class reps Luke Acheson presentation to a levy to from them. ager ht that out teaching; sors (€79 - 105k) each result multiplied er of the Chris stude the Act- Departmen no FIAN not the only at their that the in concerns ed was electthe class reps they are used paying The and then . aign manthat O’Con ing Head of the none or Senior Lecby would candidates posts last the AGM in relation Ó smaller, weekend in balbriggan,training broin revealed , so that then it’s Secretary of to come disappointa no vote. t has a budget were Sports Departes with point ing a late stage,”nor (right camp largely overhead for turers (€70 – 89k) to dationJohn the Commitinitia l that nts to that was proposal offere vote or impor tant disap Coon colleg of ment, finian the aigne be who over g Union ) this back cap comp celeb Michelle they €2.3 Mc Stude ding purof standing “It’s may ing million ndum Students r of poses such as Tanner, argued Dannydown ateysuchcamp n that rates with aratively on the number tee, Susannah Cass as the a year. ach and a desirable Taoised er stude in Ireland offic- Grath, the Independent Follow ow came tookfurnts signin as Union ty presiequipment and be asked to replace. that students Costello Vice orial Buil times.ie aign the the refere an unfor of clubs that “We have an let O’Keefenem. “Give Dub- travel. largnt 23% lin TD had told have were tunat our nose.” n Camp week, exist in DUCAC. Chairman and James Sweeny ers outlined the severe Nick Sparr Academic contracts Ronan ad hoc say,” that stude ittee with However, the aignpaid s’ Mem represente populations fore the s teams down USI that he reUSI Presiddon’t know. role in committees a central Trigoub-rot rsity Manager Ireland Depu also anment, Butoffbeblows ceived Comm FounMembers were majority ity e b-Rot as the new Treasurer. the stairs millio in were that students Trin-Editor - . skin spillUnion allow SU of the larger nem told The d accur News will be Graduate said Trigou result this was not 584 phone in Plunk €8.5 have College are once again ent Coun has res and s@unive mond should g that the Planning tallied Ó Broin to grants Unints’ of The Gary SU ibute The ately. Irish calls acceptable to disnot the the Club expect versity ett ntee would the the pleased specificalation in cleare representat said into 48 , detrim to take in the Stude necontr RedTimes. “There stude the stude with the cap, it s couldhave the members. ion to reelection be toing to The news, sayin ives this year r guara d theing the dent ConanMcCu llagh nts on ersity Time ety budget for 2011. hours when it was announced cessitate some form of replace- ly broken down by task. ent of his hotel intent Times to come prefer stating referendumtant ITY Found to contr ibute havin finallevy be a formal committee should that there was Eoin blaney, and al are nt now ther bad average hurdleinclud. The no longe cost ation g to be Found of conthat “One University centre old- TRIN that medical fund- nounced his Eamo Paddy Contact: by The Univ chin, nts how impor nation y years, ise member of the “no formal access Cormac Doherty, Mark Harris, Top of the list was the THE could leave and constnts carted ical Soci cards for over- ment teaching to be paid-for er contracts can be as little and Provo twent Lynch struc- for new n of the this poll Enda Kenn n Gilmo votes post in the d tion the centre DU Sailing Club, a prom now al- 70s ture with the thing that ds the ambufigure stude al when votes they dation Eoin Kerrigan, off in most inevitable after nise clubs”. However, re to as on using the grant would be ability to three lines claimed had to oversti- costs ofwould shows y towar e const ructio an being to stude ruc- sign his to 2066,. what lance. cil to tell y, Philosoph neged Aoife Orga raise provide cut. have y as to ng long. the o’reilly, chairHe in money, them put the Sports Departmen that guidance and ing donat e. leade settin the ten earne The said y is be the to electe Newer union reliev- tracts begun that ersit intent ion any mone When asked By 10pm runni count years stude ng for Labour r is g back libera l st. be nts’ will d. Photo to reach a deci- man of the executive commit- Sinead rodger and Elizabeth dent registration charge, stu- if students are serious that ing the academic nt Centr that they ed. s that are more detailed connt centre of work r Trinit rrassi t “only could com- the pare €7mil lion for stude votof their teachwilly bestuderedin stude report on what stage.” has figure The Univ much which best candithoug ht to be a guitar : Darga ing the were askedTrinit about , a forme ow is bare, it’s embaprom ised Shannon. Six but no waited Stude began to is expected to and the struct ion. y Foundationpacke a late has been done” sion where everyone’s happy. tee Chairman Prof Cyril division of workload d with nts Sparr n Crow projec been referendum the Party higher for licked other Pavilion Ó Broin be raised from protecting their interests then ing duties for a specific forthe date for long-a be requi nts way colleg waslted itat such Smyth Club if they ation also held leav- picke and that there anxio tenTrinTrinit ley-Long Centr claimed that ach to will nor a banjo Luce Hall fulse, and is estabthe Labouis dura- lished. €1500 to €3000. years now, being would acin the willin members were tion. us hopeshould be a for- The attitude that the Sports noUnion forwawho t with Taoise d. than in 23% DUCAC “cands that clear to The Found itment at a ng on the to the Student of gwhat Cónán o’broin, a similarly proactive attitude a centra nts’ ng. The bea the have defau Detheir student, rd.Stude elected mal representat partment are older gener r on tol rea levy compared of Irish stude - tions. through the prom ises with anthe pay current decisi unendTrigou b- weary is buildi required. comm After this mic cion aboun meeti taking is: we want not fund any kind of club” Trinity College ion system in plank estimates faces of The disma However, a Executive Com- USI Deputy President said of be its Provostk Prenits mit y on acade nts, zero”. aruct additi back its Comm ittee ai ingly nts enthuSuspibutation to Enda of const place for Club and mittee. position of Sabba notional diviviews this initia l that onaln€2may €69are ent 20%. the scale of the business had given added ty’sleftmani Patric John Hegarto practice as beneficial Speaking about I would representat ives. your money, not your input. there “are not enough funds sion of tasks was year, withthat said,“Try surpr to re- the gathered was obviolast ts Kenny’s ing ent Nikol const ructio stude ates being Found financial crisor waspresthe Profes the scale of Another point of last ity siastic articulated byPlann president to g - cost of every spread around”. for the Ned yearestim sis and its implication office of James Sweeney us, he audience ise, mentu is becau imagine that the cuts which SU Presid assumed that of this festo. that that Micheál with ct of in- turned to tual ty nowber 21st for twenyears Officer Darra years. se the Costello, until Profes ow sayin to cut m headi sor the moof the GAA students should student body and the ted the The passin se this s for stuabout the final brady made year, said gh ed two their drink re- nal The m then club was glad split the a confliEntshadthe uni- Universities CEo of the IrishDecem Nick Sparr dents had yet Prender- glot strapp less becau have come the Labour much lower Martin v- nege st had depar refere versity as a whole. partic decision not solicit have financ days. This ng into the fisor ndum to dawn on most expect in the budget, Ó tor Provo to be electhe ularly owing to Geno ’ Association would Party polls il- RotneCollege would in half. Howe s as being consulted ckey ially ents It believes offer derga studentstage. “Stud broin that ed Treasurer, among thatedwere of the student annoy at a Direc said that he had job was borne t. Profes of the Luce ation would ly in favou out very strong than the in the September 23rd, counted. stial votes resultsign jected with the stuto €3.5m the practice ing body until afand those lion body. remarking in ed at , as itwith a the been told by this propo result, dents was met expands the were ittee meet2010, meet- the Found Chris out thetmas nation students Vice-Provos r of the club’s as Chair terest Patric that’s levy re€7mil lion ng €7mil a Governmen In mean knowledge with at the plann and was with free an ing the indee with Comm beatin ed gast prom weekly interview of k over sal the ago t fees, pay t oireachtas of ittee Kearn TD newsletter that ed by d have lecturers who had acted only 13% al average, with The €270 ised gigs prom ised in July that tort from Tanner, a simple reg Prend ed,” said illion euro ruc- missi a Planning inform 2399 “Thanks to the the clear entered this Prender- to University Times begin to has finish teach students, said that and counts Committee. Public Ac- the million would ergast by ey him to saying “We’re financial College would capac receiv considerin Ronan not gast Planning Comm venue the €22m of const by er, at lads who got 1599 on Ó broin said improves the the hired professiona - won’t be favourite race as the eing the they 1721 figure that ity for 700 with me elected ruction Monday, thatCoste lion. Of cover the cost it would from the Departmenneed to cut standing of g Servic reduce the llo said Hall In a discussion the more people that “the government is ls. Do stuon p2 for Taoisethe best candi Thus, the the third count Kearn “So the News Editor may the College as e of overse ing that Profes to but Colm ter const ndum dents go to the to be raised be ing last t of EducaStudent with roisín des- tion’s budget. we have on the a re- Shortall, perate for money needed six SU votes Continued not see eering ey’s savvy search university, b-Rot nem differ b-Rot nem. in the refere ach, comp date vious es Charge. This ence and not in charg . with health centre favourite illion was n was to financial comT.D., about pay “jokents. Know and if stuand tell the doctor brings funds they’l l geme 28% in ly incred the in the mitee the more is obn- Trigou candiodds-on thoug ht Trigounts vote on for acdents don’t put and stude electionmillio tion, €10m into the institution ademic staff he how to treat the one a Sunda ared tant ation could nts arranranha sway we makup a fight the pendent/Mi ergast is date”, Continued and €5 the remai a- under write STUD his patients?” outlined a theand helps in nt-centric st, it’s The Pi- to stude larger than to stude ibly impory Indeing sure money stude registration fee Continued on our efforts to the FoundENT college, students, with sor Prend stated on p3 be want n then d Provo LEADERS Found is handed out nts and p3 will definitely pay.” rise in the league oretical factor ing Lansdowne llward Brown was outra that if €3.5 Students’ Union by electe millio ng waswereto be did not fairly.” Reilly “fuck ationthat LecocthemDanmay ged last have to that’s up by the tables. raised in strong , whom ually opinion week by adweird”. feed q This meeti voting Fine Gael Nikolai Trigoub-rot President “noteevent claimFounding raise the ticle be picked it called In spite of the might While ing d douch intent ions.” ly in their an Continued on Students are poll. the Piran der to that the ing that and was eighhave to.intense nem also students’ proa p2 ebag” it did the Plann menti likely to find inquired about party in is still seen as dayar- to the hand that Speci would ha He tests, DUCAC Lecocq mock stood for Electi Thurs ng on this . In comthe level of inwant tion. LeCoc on not the lead the port blames the had good news on ently veryal on theon agreed said that ise had - bite volvement subje but “shoc Piran medic servedq lack for for fallac he b-Rot students that is for of he SUThen, students have ked This proms and it had been a refer- appar ed mer ha y, early. followed with 34%, that avail of supFianna was The PresidTrigouct of for- while al condition, having a stated by the on these committees the failure Labour Fáil on Ronan Coste that that Pavilion bar. is “clear nha nonet that Lecoc closely piece” st called entiale candi would The PiraSebas nt journ date Small events to delive their , saying Provo with teen monthlast October ly and heless tiencolleg q scribeit could only that “no concrete - condi are being organised next-highest 30%, with by issues, Lecocq. that r on stude News Editor llo hole who an absolute as arrangeme - last, the The named decisions” be detion. d as Piran in conjuncas late comm asson that the the surro Febru nt and said are In ever ha in “bully tion made “with for based are Electi nem want with with with cial, nts when students first prefer polling party Entertainments acts which ing”. “I assholes. unds himself on Spea public Fianna enting that edited The Univean interv iew endum to stude to agree to are present or officer Darragh Fáil at ence MCD are apolo A giant 8% ing misce will shoot IT WAS Lecocq. asshole LeCoc was publis by John Engle be put rsity Times that “decisions Editor: Tom Lowe nts Genockey. Plans around black would have already “I would gy,” said orbited announced llaneous votes be- polls,lower than for karaoke and to prom sure dent , , of the q said that ring stude been made in day editor in ruary and hed on 14 Deputy Editor: by small expect that This newspaper a for Michelle of The ary, requi article Tommy Gavin Febthe headlthat The Street yester- ing the near future inence Fiann candidates indepen- feel it’s clear that national in the near future silent disco er sue is produced with Tanner, acting was the part Volume 2, Issue offensive on all SU featured profil with 13%. financial support head of the Department , includ were the stude very strong s are an apolo Piran ha to isRyan ine 1 most The Editor, the ideas mentioned. some of to es his of Trinity College - beatina Fáil trails gy in the of Sport Phone: 01 646 ly about nts Fianna Ball, with this year’s Trinitto B, Glass Sheridan, most profilcandidates. While Students’ Union. with medical him, and that 8431 g only what Katy The University next er, Bitche It is editorially Bell X1 y Wolve es were condi the Green 10%, gover Fáil have Email: info@unive Times, ty, Seb ond open be pendent indegiven Sinn tion within done judge Lecoc billin s and nmen to s, rsitytimes.ie 6 claims With is Trinity College Féin ParJenna public secd to q said not g on in no special rights the bound Toro, Devli expect dent grant t. They cut privileges. Alex Metri ire, the or The poll and Other. Mike Skinn the ticket. The article discussion. s of satDublin 2 the editorthat he “woul article stud also demo went Piranha er’s on Seb istration s, raised the Minutes, c, Starsm ith, n, strates lineup that that of The shocked Website: www.unive Lecoc to a level that includ act tops a regThe Lecocq on to say the next issue an apolo rsitytimes.ie tentiveness of politic n- nothing fee hugely and and Royse The Kanyu Simia n and manymany who read q ated a “has gener es Jessie issue” gy in Tree Mobile comp to tackle did ven. J, it ed amongst al at- unem Disco dents, munk, gone beyondeemed it to Best know graduate societal letely warra ploym with 73% have stuProfessor , Chip- and n for their will be Fight incredibly ostracism for ntsatire and d the bound “At the ent. secon Green Like voting saying s Natio d , albums, first are undec , of whom they Protest, Streets’s Rubberban Apes and nal Stude sassination.into character of ality and abrasive persohis we 24% The The dits. “I who failed said that partient the myth ided, dispe with the popularity peake a great also missp The public as- baggery.” general douch n- assholes, lling ation lineup,” think it’s one might of youth release d athy. elled his sues wouldto tackle these s Grand SU Ents also came Lecocq’s friendesecond said TCDof the In voter apsay.” first and Don’t Come name “A s on concluding its the ballot pay the price isin 2004. Genockey. Officer Darra issue.” acter criticiin for harsh The Green Classifying. Lecocq, for Free” synopsis Since gh has box, and at The sm. The char- that Party fared that tremely Lecocq headliner, “There’s a falsely Current released then the band he was Piran ha said article huge stated as a poorly ex- and this is the case.it’s clear SU Presid three album a “douc that Lecoc with with way down with talent all Nikolai from campaign in the other Stude Trinit y hebag poll the leased the latest q’s tion” the moment s, for 4% intending Trigoub-Rot ent, it’s the list. manager around said the nts’ of conce them, and the best to I think and that only two being renem article the count Unions was ponly 3% vote been he was dents think Critically and finger lineup in wrong weeks ry with Trinit is “what is years s crosse acclaimed ago. ley that John of stu- vote registering stude have comm will be Continued d stude y”. would for the Gormnts happy and nts The ercial ly on p2 with and partie last few mont to ble Taoisebe the most there’s successful, Street capasomething it. I think hs s that spect have appar ach, as stude top of the s have reach for every don’t in

The University Tim es

e Tal an t’s nag t’s Ca O’Flaity Ca 7

TRINITY SENATOR Ivanna Bacik joined founder of Choice Ireland Sinéad Ahern last Wednesday in Trinity’s Jonathan Swift Theatre for a discussion marking twenty years since ‘the X case’, the defining abortion case in Irish legal history. The discussion was hosted by the Trinity branch of Labour Youth, a “pro-choice party” as Bacik noted, though the floor was opened to opposing views at the discussion’s conclusion. Ahern began proceedings with a “game” for those in attendance, asking them to rank the progressiveness of Ireland’s abortion laws among countries ranging from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to Finland and Poland. Having tallied the raised hands of her audience, Ahern claimed that “Ireland is more restrictive than all of them”, more restrictive she claimed than “countries who stone women for wearing short skirts”.

The Drugs Surve y Half of us take drugs. We talk to users and abusers on p5

Broadsheet Positions

No p ev ous expe ence w h he newspape s necessa y bu cand da es a e expec ed o have s ong w ng sk s you a e n e es ed n app y ng o any o he pos ons s ed be ow p ease ema app ca ons@ un ve s y mes e w h a b e ou ne o why you dese ve he pos on The nc us on o a samp e o any p ev ous wo k s encou aged bu no demanded App ca ons c ose on Wednesday Ma ch 28 h App ca ons a e now open o nex yea s s aff pos ons n The Un ve y T me As he w nne o S uden Newspape o he Yea o he p ev ous wo yea s The Un ve y T me offe s a an as c p a o m o hose w sh ng o pu sue a ca ee n med a hone he w ng sk s o s mp y vo ce he op n ons

The University Times 15

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ed stude there one.” the nts Irish and Colleg be punis nts’ needs rethe Green ently come Further UK to see will e faces Party as down the tion day. hed come worthy Continued not being lineup of consi a projec Every opinio elecon p2 shows derati lowing n poll their inglor on folThe gov that ted deﬁ more politic students in gover ious time ernment nment cit of €80 ised than are and that Fáil. with Fiann ever their voices provid a heard -100 mil Balanc will be in this es 90% lion by election.” ing Trin of Colleg 2015 due ity Colleg e’s fun Choosi to gov e’s boo ding. ng the ernment ks will Provos cuts. be difﬁ t Colm Kea wh cul o can do t. Profes rney: Profes it is sim sor pler. Financ of Econom sor Interna tion e Ministe ics, r 1991-9 and Senior al Business; for 3. Adviser to the merly Profes Austra sor lian Tre of Financ e, asurer and

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Richard Neal, Nick Rahall and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. In the packed Exam Hall, Pelosi gave a keynote address, following speeches from President of the Philosophical Society, Eoin Ó’Liatháin; Linda Hogan, Professor of Ecumenics and Vice-Provost of Trinity College; Lawrence Donnelly, Chairman of Democrats Abroad Ireland; and Seanad member Katherine Zappone, known for her work as a gay rights and social justice campaigner. All speakers dealt with the theme “E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many, One”, exploring the relationship between the United States and Ireland and the values of republicanism and democracy. Pelosi praised the

Philosophical Society for pursuing her shared ideal of freedom of speech, labeling the society and others like it “marketplaces for ideas”. She stressed the need for debate and discourse in functioning democratic societies, and discussed how it takes time to build a forum in which political adversaries are opponents, not enemies, in which people can work towards the common good. “The Phil represents a quest for truth and debates that are provocative and penetrating and with a respect for the written and spoken word,” she said. “I’m told the Irish and Trinity College are custodians of the written and spoken word, and famously witty and wise.”

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MINORITY LEADER of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Trinity College last week. Pelosi, the first woman to hold the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 2007 to 2011, and the highest-ranking woman in American history, spent her day meeting with government figures, attending Dáil proceedings, touring Trinity College with her hosts from the University Philosophical Society, and finally giving an address at the Phil’s Inaugural Address that evening. Accompanying Speaker Pelosi on her visit were Congressmen George Miller, Ed Markey, Keith Ellison, Mike Doyle, Jerry Costello, Cormac Shine Senior Staff Writer

Pelosi addressed many other issues in her wideranging speech, referencing John F. Kennedy, Mary Robinson, the Founding Fathers of the USA and many others, and discussing the campaigns she has championed for much of her career: she spoke of her work on healthcare reform as the proudest achievement of her career, stressing that healthcare should be a right for the many, not a privilege for the few. This tied in with her take on the phrase E Pluribus Unum, a key part of the American philosophy – that liberty and justice be provided for all in a nation forged from many different backgrounds. Leader Pelosi also spoke about the role of women in democratic society, and said

how the increased participation of women in society would lead to a more cohesive and democratic one. “In our society, there are many questions that can be answered with the same question. How can we best grow our economy? How do we best strengthen our national security? How do we improve our government? The answer to all these questions is to expand the leadership of women in both the private and public sectors.” After her speech, Leader Pelosi was presented with the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage by President Ó’Liatháin, the Society’s highest honour, previously awarded to figures such as John Hume, Salman Rushdie and Jimmy Wales.

Pelosi honoured by the Phil Above: Leader Pelosi admires her medal. Above right: Leader Pelosi being led out of the Dining Hall by her husband, Paul Pelosi. Middle right: Leader Pelosi with Lawrence Donnelly of Democrats Abroad. Below: Leader Pelosi with Phil President Eoin Ó’Liatháin and Vice Provost Linda Hogan. Photos: George Voronov

TIMESNEWS Tuesday, March 20 2012 | The University Times

Tuesday, March 20 2012 | The University Times

TIMESFEATURES

What is “going for coffee”? Jack Cantillon wonders why “going for coffee” is the accepted way to make those tentative first steps with someone

I If she brings you to the Buttery though, there’s still hope. The Buttery offers some sheltered enclaves for some serious DMC’ing

DON’T LIKE COFFEE. I never have, I never will. Though every once in a blue moon after much trepidation and a confidence-building process which takes several months, I ask to meet up with a girl for coffee. I drink a soft drink, she drinks a water and sometimes we throw caution to the wind altogether and both order muffins but we never, ever, order coffee. Yet we’re both “going for coffee” together. Café Sol, Costa, Insomnia, you see it every day. A couple sitting there not having coffee but “having” coffee. What’s going on? How does it happen? And does anyone ever actually ever drink coffee? Let’s sit down and not have a coffee and find out. What is “going for coffee”? This is the question that has bamboozled a generations of men. The girl tells us it means nothing. Yet, her friends go mad. “Did you SEE who had coffee with each other in KC Peaches earlier?” It’s like the Tapas Menu of dating. If it’s good, you never get enough. If it’s bad, you’re out of there without much damage done. It’s not a date but you’ve both organised to meet up and be in each other’s company. It stands alone, an island of limbo between date and friendly chat with either party not brave enough to declare it either or, still feeling out the merits of one’s coffee small talk to see if they may progress to level two, a “quick bite to eat”. I have “gone for coffee” once or

twice before but I must confess, I’ve thought I was “going for coffee” when I actually wasn’t, more times than I care to admit. It’s vital that you spot the signs of a mutual coffee liaison. Location. If he’s bringing you to the Arts Block or Hamilton Café, I’m sorry love, but he’s just not that into you. If she brings you to the Buttery though, there’s still hope. The Buttery offers some sheltered enclaves for some serious DMC’ing - crucial to such encounters. The basement of Costa is another well-trodden coffee havin’ path. Nicely hidden and spread out, also this vastly overpriced establishment means you won’t be spotted by the same amount of Trinit y

head’s than in too-small Café Sol or too-far away Insomnia. Method of transport. Okay, I know you’re going to walk but it’s all about how you walk there. It’s all about the effort put in, the longer the walk the more they want to be seen with you and have the gossip mongers in a frenzy. If you say you’ll meet at the café, you’re fecked, that’s a meeting there sunshine. If you meet up in the Arts Block, there’s hope - although you don’t want them to turn up dragging along the dreaded third wheel. If you

meet up outside your lecture, you’re in, you can start dreaming of that bi-annual trip to the Welfare Office. Once there though, what happens when you “go for coffee”. After a period of intensive research I can report the following. It begins with the boy making a feigned effort to pay for her coffee, she’s refuses, he mentally does a somersault of delight. They sit down. He spins his phone on the table top relentlessly to assert his virility. She flicks back a few strands of hair every few minutes, to, in her eyes, completely transform her look. He maintains eye contact, as he read in the “The Game” it was key to impressing women. She’s freaked out by how intensely he’s looking at her and avoids eye contact completely. He takes advantage of this and

stares at her chest and guesses her bra size. They talk about their course, “open-up” with a bitch about their mates and discuss animatedly that viral video with a cat in it that’s so hilarious and they can’t believe they’ve both seen. They finish their drinks, sit a bit longer, run out of things to say, mention again how hilarious the cat video is, text someone so they get a text back then pretend they have to go. They walk out of the coffee shop and discuss what they’ve left to do that day. Both frantically search their dull, dull lives for anything interesting they could pretend to have on that evening. They both blank and mention a trip to gym to remind them, in case they were in any doubt, of how physically well they’re looking/have the potential to look but this year’s been like so stressful I just haven’t had the time. That night they link a cat video to each other. They don’t message it to each other, oh no, they stick it on each other’s wall’s for the whole world to see. You see, they had coffee today… Who are we kidding, they didn’t have coffee. He had Coke, and she had a hot chocolate with marshmallows.

‘Trinity Life’ - People say that College is the best time of your life - so try capturing that image! The Alumni Office has recently launched their 2012 Photography and Video competition that is open to all students, staff and alumni of Trinity. The theme is “Trinity Life” which gives you the artistic license to submit images or videos that capture the character and spirit of the College. Prizes include vouchers, much sought-after Trinity Ball tickets and an iPad! Find out more by visiting www.tcd.ie/alumni/competitions. Closing date is 30th March 2012.

How to revive the Classics Tomás Sullivan Deputy Features Editor

I e f i L y t y i h n i p Tr togra

o o h p e 2 n d o 1 i i t v & mpeti 20 co

Prizes from the Alumni Office include iPads and Trinity Ball tickets! FOR MORE INFO:

www.tcd.ie/alumni/competitions DEADLINE: 30TH MARCH 2012

RECENTLY CAME ACROSS a New York Times article entitled, “Do the Classics have a Future?” by Mary Beard, a Classics professor. I promptly shared the article around to my fellow Classics students with a smile on my face, before I’d even read it. Such a title links in with the long running ‘deadened arts degree’ joke that everyone, especially arts students, partake of at some point. But questioning the future of a subject seems quite extreme. No other humanities course has to grapple with claims of uselessness to the same degree. Learners of Ancient Greek and Latin usually receive the following response when they relay this fact to people, ‘Why would you learn that, it’s a dead language?’ But debates about direct usefulness are quite foolish when talking about any humanities degree. They all involve a vast amount of reading and writing about art, rather than learning how to create it. History of Art students aren’t necessarily artists for example. Let’s put aside the ineffable truism of ‘it’s all about doing something that you enjoy/love’. If you are going to do a course based on scholarship, Classics is an excellent bet. You can study drama, philosophy, poetry and history, as well as stunning architecture and visual art. The multidisciplinary nature of the way we approach the Classics is enough to ensure its continuing existence, aside from the fact that the Classics alone offer the study of rhetoric and oratory. Great classicists include high achievers in diverse

fields: Wilde, Gladstone, Freud as well Robert Millikan and Anthony Leggett, both noble winning physicists. Beard’s article, however, states that the survival of the discipline depends on society believing that to have a number of people, however small, who learn Latin and Greek, is alright by them. This translates as: the Classics will survive if society pays the salaries of Classics professors and teachers. A rather disappointing plan for the revival of a flagging subject. It does little more than re-establish the Ivory Tower stereotype which she laments earlier in her article. This is a problem facing scholars everywhere: an inability to think creatively and to reimagine the teaching of Arts and Humanities instead of bemoaning the death of their disciplines and budget cuts. I’d like to quote something the Classics department here says in their obituary of John Victor Luce, one of our most distinguished professors: ‘One of John’s most important, but in some ways least recognised, legacies is his role in introducing to Trinity the study of the Classical world in translation.’ Students who study Classics in translation far outnumber those taking up Latin, Ancient Greek, or both put together. Moreover, there is a growing trend in academia, spearheaded by the likes of Cambridge Professor of Greek Paul Cartledge, to popularize ancient Greco-Roman culture. If the Classics are to survive in any real, tangible sense, they must be split wide open for all to partake of.Classics’ scholars should welcome the growing number of classically themed movies, novels set in Greece and Rome and

new versions of Greek drama by Irish playwrights like Seamus Heaney and Marina Carr. We need competent translators. But we also need great poets to put the Odyssey into verse and recreate the original experience of it, actors to perform Greek drama, philosophers to rethink the ideas of Plato and Socrates. Unlike other scholarly humanities courses, Classics isn’t mirrored by a practical arts course. For example, in Trinity, English Literature is mirrored by Creative Writing, Drama Studies complemented a Bachelor in Acting while Film and Philosophy students have corresponding societies where they can become practitioners of what they’re studying. What would truly restore the Classics to their former glory would be a course that teaches the recreation of the Classics, not just its study. Young translators should be encouraged to showcase their renditions and consider entertainment value in addition to accuracy. All students deserve the opportunity to perform tragedy, philosophise in the tradition of Plato, write and deliver their own rhetoric, and learn to use Homeric metres in Greek, Latin or English. Hell, with technology as it is we could produce classically themed art. Yet even as I advocate ways to aid the evolution of the subject, I’m aware that most current Classics students, myself included, are not complaining. I am delighted to have the opportunity to read about the debauchery of Greek gods and Roman Emperors, to laugh at the foul humor of Aristophanes and to try to imagine a world the existed 2,000 years ago.

Old Habits Die Hard Rory O’Donovan catches up with the subjects of a piece UT ran last year on drug habits. For them, quitting may be the hardest thing to do

AST YEAR THE University Times published an expansive feature on the drug habits of Trinity students. Many seemed shocked by the results of our investigation, but countless more weren’t surprised at all. By means of a survey, we established that over half of Trinity students had sampled some form of recreational drugs. Alongside the statistics and policy debates, I endeavoured to analyse the relationship between students and drugs at an individual level. I was keen to find students with varied experiences of the highs and lows of substance abuse, in order to paint a more detailed picture of the personal decisions behind the stats. As part of last year’s feature, I spoke to four Trinity students about their different experiences with drugs. Matthew* was an experienced and regular user of class A substances. When I last interviewed him on the topic, he concluded by affirming ‘just because the drugs I take are illegal, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are any more harmful. I am happy in the belief that I can handle what I take’. Martha* first sampled legal highs and satisfied that she could handle them and, indeed, enjoy them, she moved onto occasionally taking illegal pills. But after a particularly gruesome ‘come-down’, which she described as being ‘like waking up from a nightmare and that feeling of horror not going away’, Martha began to think that taking pills was ‘not worth it’. Luke* told me of how he had always dabbled in smoking cannabis, but his habit escalated and one day ‘a friend asked me when the last night I hadn’t smoked weed was … and I honestly couldn’t remember’. Luke then began on a turbulent but ultimately successful journey to quitting. Finally I met John*, who I hope will forgive me for saying represents the archetypal happy-go-lucky stoner. John only spoke of the benefits he had found in smoking weed and dismissed the negative side effects. That was 18 months ago and I recently found myself wondering how they were all doing. Was Matthew still hard at it? Had Martha and Luke resisted the temptation

The lesson I think I’ve learnt is take drugs if you want to, but keep it between you and those friends who appreciate it … eventually everyone else will just try and make you feel guilty about it

to go back to their old ways? Was John still high? I decided it was time I caught up with them … ‘I admitted to a friend of mine, who doesn’t take drugs, that I was “Matthew” in the last article,’ Matthew tells me when we meet. ‘She told me she thought that, on the most part, I sounded like an idiot!’ Matthew laughed as he told me this – evidently he was unperturbed by the slur. ‘Seeing my beliefs in print I could appreciate how some might see them, I’m sure some people read it – maybe those who’ve had bad experiences with drugs – and thought “God, he’s naïve”, but I can only talk about my experiences, and they’ve been overwhelmingly positive.’ I asked Matthew if he still thought his lifestyle then was no more dangerous than that of a heavy smoker or drinker. ‘It’s like I said back then and I still know people now … who drink and smoke regularly and I look at them and think about the danger they put themselves in … I know there are risks involved in drugs, but there are risks involved in other things that people do, but because they aren’t illegal, people don’t draw as much attention to the dangers or at least don’t pay attention to them in the same way’. What I really wanted to know was whether Matthew was taking as many drugs as often as he was when we last met. ‘No, I certainly don’t take them as regularly as I did then. But I still take them, it’s more the occasional binge now compared with what was, admittedly, a habit – not an addiction, but certainly a habit.’ Why had his habits changed? I probed. ‘A combination of reasons. I spent a lot of time with my family last summer and obviously I couldn’t indulge as much. When I came back at the beginning of this year I discovered a lot of my drug-taking friends were the same – it was sort of a collective move towards toning it down a bit.’ In the course of a heated debate I insisted that surely a major factor had to be that he and his friends had inwardly concluded that the negative effects of regular drug use on their lifestyle was detrimental and needed to be curbed. Matthew passionately disagreed – ‘No it really wasn’t that I don’t think, well, at least not for me. I simply felt that I was doing it excessively and needed to prove to some of my concerned friends that I wasn’t addicted or anything like that. I still enjoy it like I did; I just don’t give as much time to it these days’.

When I last spoke to Martha about her drug habits she hadn’t gone as far as saying she would never do pills again, but she certainly wasn’t in any rush to. Her graphic depiction of the seemingly terrifying experience of a bad come-down stuck in my memory; I asked her whether it had put her off for good. ‘No,’ she said, ‘I was off them for about a year after that Trinity Ball night, but I have taken them since. I talked about it a lot with my friends who take pills and eventually agreed with them that it had to have been a once off. I think once you’ve taken them before and perhaps been off them for a while, you’re faced with a tough decision on nights out. All of your friends might be on them and you might say “no, I don’t want any and I’m going to have just as good a night anyway” – but you know that just isn’t true’. What about that awful come-down? ‘I think after a year or so the memory of how bad it was had become hazy. I get awful hangovers anyway and there were mornings when, from just drinking the night before, I was in a far worse state than friends who had taken pills’. I asked Martha whether she worried about having another similar bad experience. ‘Look, it’s a game of chance. People will say to you “oh no, these ones don’t give you a come-down” but a lot of the time they don’t know what they’re talking about. I know it could happen again, but I feel I’m better prepared for it. I’m now more aware of the effects they have on me, particularly the next day. I know it’s the chemicals making me feel like I do. Not freaking out about why I’m in the state I’m in makes it less overwhelming. I think I’m more in control’. Whilst feeling more in control surely makes the experience more enjoyable, Martha is quick to point out that the depressing effect of the drug is still evident. ‘That chemically enhanced sense of having the best night of your life is great, but when the reality is you’re in some hovel in Ranelagh dancing in a stranger’s sitting room at eight in the morning and that reality suddenly becomes clear … There is a soul destroying moment when it all wears off and you have to make that long journey home on a bus full of people on their way to work. Some people revel in that, but it just depresses me’. I asked Martha whether having a close group of friends who also indulged in pills made it much easier to take them. ‘I think maybe in the beginning yes, but now I feel

that the older you get, the more you all get used to what people are and aren’t into. These days, I don’t hide it from my friends who don’t take them. I’ll be honest with them – “we ended it up getting pills last night” – I think, because you all realise it’s fairly pointless, you get past the stage when friends are saying to friends “I’m disappointed in you”’. What about encouraging friends, who haven’t sampled them, to give them a try, is that wrong? ‘Well I don’t like to feel I’m advocating them, but when it’s a close friend you do just want to say “go on, try it, it’s great!” because you want them to experience how you’re feeling’. I wondered aloud whether Martha had ever done pills regularly and, having confirmed that she hadn’t, she said this was a big factor in feeling in control. ‘Say for instance I take pills one night, I have never, in the following days, felt a need to do more. I enjoy it and take them when the opportunity arises, but I’m not at the stage that some people say is their reason for not taking drugs – the stage when “you can’t enjoy a night-out without them”. Sure, I know people who have lost track of themselves, who do it all the time and are in a group that do it all the time and I can see the danger but, having taken them for a while now, I’m fairly confident I won’t ever be like that’. Would she ever stop taking them for good? ‘I think I will definitely stop at a certain age. There are only very specific environments where that water-drinking, manic-eyed, overly talkative and affectionate behaviour is socially acceptable. Even now sometimes the sight of my friends chewing their jaws off on the dance floor makes me want to stop immediately’. ‘I started smoking weed again,’ Luke admits with a guilty grin before I even have time to ask. ‘I loved how long I went without it and I still look back and shudder about how long I went smoking every day … but one night I just gave in and since then I have smoked occasionally.’ I suppose I was a little shocked. Luke seemed to be very much anti-smoking during our last interview. He had told me a tale of the significant negative impact he felt smoking weed regularly had had on his life. Had his views totally changed? ‘No, not totally,’ Luke replied, ‘I still appreciate how dangerous it is – well, for me at least – as a drug. I know how easily I could start smoking frequently again, but I feel I’m in control of it now. I was off it completely for nearly a year and since then I think only twice have

There is a soul destroying moment when it all wears off and you have to make that long journey home on a bus full of people on their way to work. Some people revel in that, but it just depresses me

I smoked more than a couple of times in a month’. I told Luke that recovering addicts of a variety of vices might suggest this was a dangerous route to take. ‘Sure,’ he conceded, ‘but, looking back now I don’t know if I was totally addicted – I’m not sure whether it was just a serious habit, or whether I just needed it at the time. I know there can be serious harmful consequences, but I now only associate them with smoking too often’. Luke tells me he now meets old ‘stoner friends’, who have gone through vaguely similar changes in habit. ‘We meet up every so often, have a smoke, order pizza, laugh a bit and fall asleep watching a film. It’s all fairly tame these days,’ he laughs. ‘One thing I have stuck to is not smoking during the day, which I think would be a risky step backwards. I’m still wary of weed, but I’m happy with it being an occasional treat’. John agreed with me when I told him he looked healthier than when I had last interviewed him. I wondered whether he now led a different lifestyle and whether there was a place for weed in it. John laughed and answered with a smile ‘there will always be a place for weed in my life!’ John proceeded to tell me how a family member had discovered how often he was smoking and serious conversations had ensued. ‘At first it really annoyed me, when friends and family started weighing in with their opinions – it’s my life, right? But I suppose’, he smirked grudgingly, ‘they were only saying these things to me because they cared’. I told John another interviewee had confessed that their drug-habits had changed because friends had voiced concerns. Did he think this was a natural progression for those who take drugs as a student? ‘Maybe, yeah. In my experience the older you get – or the longer it has been going on for – the less your friends laugh it off or ignore it. As soon as one person starts saying “I think John is smoking too much weed” everyone else starts to see it differently. Suddenly people were saying they were “worried” about me, they began asking me why I smoked’. Did he answer them? I asked. ‘Yeah I was honest with them all. At first I pretty much said “thanks for your concern, but I do it because it’s great and because I find it helps me to function, to be stress-free, to be happy; and I will continue to do it”’. But as more people got involved and less people seemed to be on his side, he conceded. ‘I told them I would go a

week without smoking and I did. It doesn’t sound like much but – not that I admitted it at the time – it was pretty hard. I knew then for sure, maybe I always had, that I was addicted, that I needed it, but I still don’t really see a problem with that. I’m addicted to something that I think only improves my life’. Following the week without it, John said the pressure from those around him decreased substantially and, though he never told any of them he was quitting for good, it seems a lot of them thought he had. ‘It was funny, weeks afterwards I bumped into a group of friends and they all started congratulating me – I didn’t have the heart to tell them I was stoned! I’m far subtler now about it, I don’t advertise it like I used to. I still think smoking weed is largely a positive thing but I’ve learnt that that is just my view and it perhaps isn’t the view of the majority’. So how often does John smoke now? ‘Probably a little less than before, but not much. Say if I go home for the weekend, I can last without it, so that’s probably a good thing that has come out of it. But when I’m back at college it’s still every couple of days or so. I think in college a lot of non-drug users can find the habits of others intriguing or amusing at first, but then they find it depressing, even boring. There is genuine concern there I know, but a part of me thinks there is a little jealousy involved – that I have this fun habit, but I am equally as active and successful in all the conventional ways’. I told John I struggled to agree with him about others being jealous; I even told him I thought that it was an overtly arrogant stance. He laughed off the criticism, ‘I think that’s what I’m learning … to appreciate that certain beliefs I have about weed are just my opinion and shouldn’t be imposed on others – or perhaps shouldn’t even be voiced! The lesson I think I’ve learnt is take drugs if you want to, but keep it between you and those friends who appreciate it … eventually everyone else will just try and make you feel guilty about it’. * All of those interviewed either are, or were, Trinity College students but, for a whole host of obvious reasons, any other personal details have been changed to ensure anonymity.

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the ta ils of n of de Inblicatio Sunday her pu rrein the p, and ot assault t, he had co SSC tri en r stu of the DU nts.” depend with the ot he the tors de d them Irish stu the perpet ra o- sponde o had been on One of They roug h. wh e of s m s e. hi On m nt t being de p. acated at durta lly lef ct im l sk i tri masturb tears.” The vi m- acciden e in the room re- pa ra lle ag uire also in on er e fact C co Mr M lef t me that th e DUSS lpfu l bi le ph assault. He lat d to that th up on ledged he ise the added apolog ends know na me showed the re very al and ing ed and ee we his s fri de d that

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Unqualified lecturers on the rise

The U n i v e r s i t y T i m e s

rn at hi or te m itt Rónán Burtensh TY Ti ut her ion tu vict im while or. In his th phone indica from his aled aw IV ERSI roug ho e nt ribut e s reve Deputy News A UN e aspe her co ofcts th ey th d from the do had re- th et rators were Editor gation ha som of the ified practice saying “th a group one vesti qual jeere perp of trou , blin ry g, s, is how SSC ever.th group. e, the ph m Robert embers 30 stu dent is sto is par- d about th to This A Universit y that m absenc sk i trip ts on the DUfath fro cebook and ticu larly theh Timesee a ca ll n 25 inreligh sot ofsoun inve te Sout casewe ar Busisti- prexpa .com/u St uden interv iews wi gation into the betw ceived n ink recent yearth inits first ye g stug” the iva nsio practiceniofofusniversit is conuire, a trip, in ole s. our ing tin mes, de Blackroc um inve rese wh s stiga arch ytimes tion granal or Dean gation Mag and Compu tended sk i University Ti our of ts to buy schoolacad toeseni Juni kstownled us Th or teaching has sti at havi Mon emic Dublin out The s gh revealed who t desc gd an inve ed in- ness who had the be iopathic”, a wor, CBC“ma wrou ea kin ing trend of a al leg rked increase ductribe ge. Sp Cogllege ryoc dent scribed vi lle deva luin s- ” in teac nt An und bek Colle p as “s mes, series of place erhing ou graduate educ buy- ’s Snow into “a which took Blackroc University Ti the grou a “spend-off” k ation. and M Tr inityouts from p pora ry relie e tritem oc any rt in i ng sk Academics in voc on toanesta blish haColl cidents f ux Alpes reso b- ing to Th uire denied nual reporti o former Blackr ined prac Trinity rt tice. ents, have always had ag tw Club’s The e Du s De the sta rts ege from Tr in poto at Le access rs of th or ts Mr M ge of the ev owl- tween pr ior toquestion of who a fais incilit y that allow s, one membe ackn the weekvolved in replacement teac ow Sp m UCD, ey s theminto which knowled student he use hingiversity Sn money from one fro ench well as cent ng the term. is of at research ofgran theralFrimp which th lin Un although ity and orta nce. followi ying, as th st Colts sta t ar at to compensate in e lea th doesdnot It is clelege ca for the teaching ub were ity students, comp e lle athave as systCl edged em for in port ion of thei re ring rt: p2 en t Alpee to se that Rona ux thos poeira Society r work loadpo lice weensuLe her Tr eek repo De edn Co de pe nd whootleav . This impresses onlo teaching port e ist RAG W thesabbsatica ulod coell to on okers during Fres ion wou ld then l enoble, use of Editowh -Long. The Un tw ice r-Eolect or hers’ Week. Phot be sear ar granGr or beca repassed on to e g ve told Crowley nech o: Dargan a cont ract ts str rt, areon ces ha at fiv end Da rgan 0+ so repl Crow ur th lectu sp aced o: re 30 ed: The twenty-se ley-L so e rot by ong er, thos who is paid per e thethwith Mr Times theble bo nded eek. Ph com ven academics module they para and LA ST waste th www.u where ficat qua lims inte ous versity r RAG W replace. cluding sciin.gent TH URm ions to receive niversit oncont s, in stayr Willia t pied fo di SD ym nt M t the ge re cu AY on ng de pay rs at we ci lm DUSSC The an th ce stu bum saw th fa ytimes.ie p ersit inm This practice p atos Univ ion Psycholog the trip s, are e ica l Offi s bete grou ai l to be at his y at has y) of es’ of bb been inve tw Sa in sepa ra eye. sused in the past DUSSCTimre o Willia m so the em Dr S Frolov (Mat alise th the Willia m hear ings from eir tigat ion tens n (Compute theprod Union uced Conor hema al SU i c s week d to re th to t s th r ts’ s Scien give we tics) evid es en ce p wha ence and Statistics) pa pr t’s tri ud Dr P Gallagher of known as “reli ig ning. T a celect io ing. Bo ificteinsta ge”. He Stm but fa ile uld appear in plinar y an following atural Sciences) rnal nces (Physics) ef” to academ- spec e d n ca tif y im ini’s a led l byre ProDe wo the ex l und Re Dr P Geoghega Officer i nW c he s to no g cause he at “I hate Tr ics. This wou e hotewhe andfesso na me Junior rs n(Histories and the trip. m thothe aturnin ld mea n that As ey in ntesta nt th tifroand r seni field. Humanities) inity. Dr C Gobl (Ling iversity it is ctedics viour on wing this in nounce thhl used when an Cook-e ofgthe co ,000 fine relat uistic, Speech r a swas or acaremarks even hate Tr “From:” af terepl The Unillia ms, beha r receiv ing iversity academic wish eje dem d thro and Communicatio eswere ll conDr A Harkin (Pha an- of a €2 aced er rtedn’t cause waby e c ksuBlts ss Studies) - gend es to engage in n Sciences) reveal rmacy and Phar tracart m W hen Af te him lecturerson the ty. I do B l a re Mr W e Un he repo inity be ed , to Tr a ed Dr E Heffernan mace s larg s who e es to ub utica te e-sc hi were th wa ok ry) ale l Sciences) da gh ha s at doan ion, Th r Willia ms wn ita wato re- kaposs (Law) search project da mag wasessio had of the ho not in te out of I say I nt enou Times sp format ry Ry e ar ticle M n or Dr J Lalor (Nur of no ge Ba be th or a d , flo PhD s go lli ... rtl at ) sn at . on en sing et other t took a €50 eat this shit forms of sabb thick e thisird ba es aske not inte whisper p of us sa id th ckn tthaei scare der inve ou Dr L Leeson (Ling and Midwifery) of thThis atica o-inch ) ssar ily n N ly twnece ly I’m to it.” He then D c*nt.” he en by “a grou He de- Tim if he was un to mco id “I uistic, Speech teRO anot that an inth of for persona l reas l, whether te dica and Communicatio Dr A McLysagh llet, sa t” and prompt tion Tommy l wi Presiden bebu splaying yimng imed e TCDS nd Humanities) get in poo wr itt again Diteac ons or to impid UC na me”. you intend t (Genetics and r.rer n Sciences) d wa Editor, Gavin hing as He cla t-e prove their abil Microbiology) marke st a stu at ter” t beDr B O’Kelly (Eng any to wou up of us that t in the shable, but Dear es, s d an U for brea kf Deputy pa inldt seem to open “I’m ju Connor lecpit ntan tigat ion. personal m ity to carr y out ineering) punithe e nigh went too m y involvemen Deux AlpO’ arent to a gro g Editor door Dr M Ó Sioch i n ris their job. ce to lower astika is become app ha . ring th d is a Ski Trip to Les r en an t y Ch t on the cienc e group, ady had has so ity min stan rú it nt p is ul pe es th sw Du in (Hist d ed be lre rs and dard Trin co se sa a pa ories Th ni Philo this in s. m and Humanitie Any sophy) is wi ll g the ra de m eimfro Dr F O’Toole (Soc expa n- In recent hou arding The e- di video of one of m merce , the as d va ndal- “th that he had “a on this” stodial mm e light. With s) is news r received sion in The process invo no doub nkthem ial Sciences and this an article reg A some end-off t in a negativ theway is in any area wou ld seem by a cu outside fore th In a po and a Co Dr J Stout (Nat Philosophy) Ents ra t cause e edito on publishing group of us an il- sp ity student, an taining research lved in at- to underm anything that against com men id he has r ok ice. ural in Quinn, D, surfaced ce to at , sm reference a pr int, th m Conor W Greens noya nce to sit y stu ll of 1,248 un refuse in clear, should grants is as in Fran ine Coll Dr S Tresize (Dra Sciences) sa l suit past El ar Tr in di sqely ueak €50 Paul in which you ciences) , cla follows. p, de ive e our position fol- to ma, tion ad- Tr in UC e ai l fro un- to the ird ye ege’s asserto take a libe e hotel. illia ms tin nt Film ne s s l ai mak ed that An th ys W ul and g s to appl a r este da Mus M co A Dr V Timonen icati eme M e a cD ng the tri e eleenc nducte r- Paul Go im ing that it on is made d assa collabo g d to student an em m the emai s@ ism in th ked if he wa ge, indeed be forc e extremely strong evid cted inai or acwe would like (Social Work and ic) for a grant to e in th followi adem ics are d of Ents nt was seni was ga rty p. beg a lished we will Social Policy) Dr S Waldren a specified bod . Visibly YouTub Offino ms fro ty ucdstudent W hen as tion by Colle I no regrets that “everyon , usin dent m rative effor t by in mously t that you hav ing any names. Forvorisk (who ty studeappo (Natural Scien certeby atou tes. thed gr untrue be pub least y; thes Sk i Tr ip ofinte a on we sugges ly lia We ced ga , e e in ni ces) coul e. qu stu ur pi thus as ng d 14 d enc fo be ers, 1 ced te private compa- in part indeed nam bygive undergr thed on “if I am r investi ess tri wing th try, it ha ia across the co - due resp ipped “With faemai l, enterete ed to remarki emselves.” the publish er false pre The M h claims or €20 no nies, funds or students males adua pa- lo riated and clo ea r, Mr dr ai l.com. Th is ens legal de Willia ms sa id ” ngly ect, in s emer un- pa th al l the best ing any suc ont Cl character und Hence we stro sem i-state enti her teacehing the m ged bour and exThe four just before mak ineb gm Mr reat enjoyed derw ar aret te rli tly. integrity and out it. ties. th cig sh th e ity, un peri ligh from am os n This ab e, ence off at ha as tidign this ed Ho al t unt en take coul ov . ar our ow ck m d be a compan te payta ry College r room er to preven is not to be -mates slandering suppor ve much gr La- fuck yo was the Mer rion peSq in ther tes that he “fu er”. tured ab the case of an “in don’t kn y r,uaandl, like Pfizer for la ng ua Therhe ed drawn, in ord ous and this e are, how u Depu t ea ale room medico-pharm ve ge, n in , rman inn sta group are 100% seri any such article is with the riv ty St Wel l-plac a reba than am among stu ter ing a de a- cent ivestwo fem ever, some inand fro nue for thin ceut ical gran i Qu s actio rtray ing the that e gcoun e down to hire dents ars ts, or ong thos bate in agg” durm 8p recommend he state po pt. cont ract lectu fat sten sk It appe is] phon o does y, 20 th to her. the Env ironmen bodies like ers with sle rm [h .” tio cle th e wh e furt 09 wh ht po , e n €5 Iri ) any sp Dá wa lle postgrad that ke sh ec0ul ct imdegr d il in tal Protection s lea press asked tive lig being taken The viuate pt tuiti med, ees. Agency, Econ depend Times and th for off the only those with W hen the coun king downboots.aing to im g to a nega be na on fees omic and Soci ta en e Infro n a resort sh toqua was try al t wisuch research Inst s try in - rihe the Oi ble as chairm ex pe TCD, UC t. St udents that “I lots we t room as the Wm ly, rlifica heule itute or the Irish tion can benousede asofmod reachtas an ds... I wa fro re sorte Yours Sincere ba guard co-Uniresearch Cou ordinators sp and N UI D, DCU, UCC, m on Educ my frien impres Com m of d and secul-rit y orok ncil for the appointe ot all thd The one sio itt at G fir r UL exam Huio Add ed to st n ition man ou ch iner ok an al mat ters ities and Soci “F s. oa ence wi m th opinion UCD students d Scien ee by Un ns were gleaappr pa rt in at was lubs al Scie that Trinity and Ti es. ce. If aros ive po nces th Rona ne e ty ll, rs e case in the AGM for n d their respectiv ity rsi co In the cour vese ordina the ly is no e into UCD’s tor, To Times were the New Costello e fields. of em ca ming ted by election of the Co t enough , it ev identm go up. Students Ed s Editor this stor y, the If this applicati th researchile was officers on of pape voters. sociatio llege Tribune ly twee Lowe, and qu iare seen as a for stude heir DUC AC on is sucwhe to i r spok in n with soft target. A ted to th cessful, the mon ickcom mitte. Ther the some of those my room nt hit on The Un asme up ty Tim e ey is deposited accoun hired as cont e was THIS key not muc Sinn Fé woke iversies and perceived to have students is with cent ral ract and t. Lowe UT Tw itter h movement in yEA r’S coho lecturers to asleep, in are ot he College rt of no grea low rega do m wa ject ly e up repl rds ed clas auth r t s al m as to acem pos ia reps the oristu g so ke litic ent posi ties, in was told to expe al consequences teaching. Whi pi de d ou tions on the com beoften with cond to eave promptnt wh nationa l aver tlets by down le ck ct .” ow co mita ro thei ac ition e ag sigun tee, r om th m ro s nific atand expl try e ss ant i, athletes seem ained that ther Ó broin tached to its use. plines varied, count . lea raise in the the de en compa red e fig ures wingdisc lly ed to be regi it was e is The Principa l throposs student cept in- discoura in thro ving him lea genera nts, as The re wi ible f, d, to strat ion fee as ged ion that students a “per- Investigator (P.I.) average the cost ug e be ni m itsel on ly 6% th stuthwere well as maent tested re-e with the uncon- jor cutb don’t vote spon is then rethey on ittee. polled individu su lts from riously h the door wa ng ferendu stress whereas a sign beof thos ing paid per mod lection of the acks in stud sible for the Com m each inte y, fu ty pi al s the re ifica to e ve fund ent rd nt Cha ed man to ule co num s. irsupto A th ber lle we P.I. arou port serv ices in is €3,000. of pensioners em, an nd to vote nd ge we the chief sign ig hted format ng any scrapsde-nts sti ll ha the Com mitt As rega bem was keen getting in the upcomin Nolan d ator y or leader vote. Governfo io ee, Cyri l bud re th by divi in- Smy th, e stu of with -Rot Ciaran Editor g ment TD’s illion numbe Thm of way. Th n tetheatit. ca get, which will the team appl at Gerr a mere 4% th r as the announ ding This mer its have told Tr igoub s tasked dum. r ch e ng €3.5m ying be er of an wa en th cont ar cem deliv for hi us e ar e a produced stu rast ent se fer expl ered s SU wa with ice Re on December de itly that they the best y Adams woul in k college the reemaini dr e Foun Some research the grant. yearly sala ries em a delayed appl ionamagu yes Re ans 7th. that “th deal for the r sthso are afra id of by the nts in each d be Taoi inco of the Professo on by th ause o- and raise grants are thve d rly polit ici ither a e €5m illLe tarto teea e nide geting pension Spea king to the tota l nu rs polled, d hands in prot (€108 – 138k best t 14% th seach. FA IL cocq’s ting ne re cover th t ul ers.” Dur ing his not for the purposes of buy s ghfa gathering of as Seb mber est. and m s the ought nts rejec advoca at cawapa ing- sors (€79 ), Associate Profesnew class reps Luke Acheson a lev y to from them. ager FI AN NA the on ly ones st out teaching; of the each re ul Ch student If stude ig n e SU is nt- th m at their training presentation to the class reps - 105k) or Seni atris la was electthey are used paying t su lt, so tiplied by ca ndid that none s ed Secretar Co come ,” or Th or a no vote. osal then it’s no sappcaoi andda thtio or LecÓ sma ller, weekend in balb for turers (€70 genn broin revealed - g th e O’ enn.John ppm nt in were no porta nt posts ts oian sta ates wo es y was to th itial di (ri larg to ul at at wi op te in m rigg sa ely lat – that gh 89k) th en g an, vo th over a di Co co fini t) who Unio e tee, Susa nna of the Com mit- of Stud head in an Mc pose lle co ce they may n Grat h, the pur- be aske duatm pr e back pa ig ner “It ning im g- ac d be a desirab offered ng this lebr ild of St ud iDa’snnydownonateysuchca m iven that ents in Irela s such as equ h Cass as the er stude mpa ratively es w Independent d to replace. referen h and 23 Followi Spar row ca m to ok rle stello nts sig , as Union es nd offic- lin ipment and Vice ers outl orial Bu times.ie r Cha irma n Dub- travel. la nt m. “Gpa ig n te e the with fu an un re let O’Ke r nose.” ith Ca m stude % don’t TaoiseTD Ronan Co r puty pr ined the seve week and James Swe Nick Academic cont However, the -Refotene fore al represen popu lations rges’ Mem lows thams. skBu npa USI Pr know. intoff ou m illion that pa ig sity nateubsp m m ittee thdo wnun- wefortu re blows ceiv had told USI that he reito Mid ag ment, racts in Trin eny that stud . as the new majority ity la nd De were also an ted ion the SU of the larger id Tr igo ed 584 phone er ning Co un at toe Fo thee sta News Ed - .5 ha ribute wi ll be an Graduat tions@univer Treasurer. The s resairs ents shou ld in PlIre College are not Core su- lts Thebe€8 mond sa esident Ga ry un kettn Ó Broin to rets’ illUn ta ined es and grants wou ld Irish stu accurately. calls in 48 Club to take expect hou tion ha ute the Plan ws, saying th gu - representat to ,SU ntcleared ding the specifica ludeen e te detrimthe ofStth McCulnt ion arthan ne- ly brok Redhote me lli id to the nt it could be to cove cessitate rs whe nt Cona in the de sity Tim ne ives : elec Founda clu l de co ve d er n te rib nt som stu en Th th bud en la this it ct in rta was in ha dow e Ti s to pr get gh e form e re year l t de y ta on ann s, n nm for n of ef fin Un g fe by task. oldof replacean IN IT Y are Top of the nt no oun 2011 arrd es that er Ea coto hitio average Cormac Doherty to cont the ther ba uld no long coha tiodnaPa ndpo e Univer s ch cewnt re enin ced his Society stviofng um ty yehu er cont racts can unda ddy Ly Con le red. Theallevfusnd- noun in s howreim be Forte list was the now . that medical cards for ced ment teaching to be “One th iversity TH E TR a prom ise co , Mark Har ris, anve in the na n of this po ey lea Enda Ke mon Gi lmor votes po d nch afan e centan be as little ed by Th ilosophical er tw tion ofwo stude, nt al wh ure ca rds the amat d te paid-for thre vo ens th code thul over- using al- 70s wou bufig dation Eoin Kerr igan ing th offllin nsnt truct io to st2066 la nc asd on ll sh e truc- sig n hi stu nny, as to ge had em to Provosti-ing costs ld be cut. He the grant mon e te te an ey towa , Aoife o’reilly, most inev itable raise in the Org terisbeingerelsi t to the cons nt re. ty Ph ion., settinginity donaTh ked whBy come.- ci l ve belib leader ten nt ea rnesll bedpuha said that ing the Labo to ing intent ows is that at ey, reliev- trac lines long. Newer ne stu- if stud Sinead rod e stu g for thto be coun any mon dent regi runn yes’ con- illion to gueral d 10 Tr t Ce arun hen as sinde is wi t. at they niv ected. the ba strat n vo ul ger s W as re de en m ts er te be th acad .” Ph at pm U are nt ion and rr tco Tr in d. ll emic ge mor char th stu e rm ot ce Elizabet h is wo e ge, which prot ents are serious about wi of their teacho: Darg deta iled but€7no stant ity best ca thought to be ur much hi ion for stude a fo ing th oin, of rk anld theck a guTh w thise bage s embapromch Shannon. Six ited St ud bega n to pa ll str uction. Foundationpacked re dum in fig ures we expected to be stu ired ita r lic ing duties for ecting their inte iseadlatfoe Trreinha division of work an Crow r , it’ nts is ndidate leavgher fo , Spar wiroth an colle the Pa other Pavi lion was at su ng-awa ity so hed be requdents- waÓ Bre projec ked no tion raised from a specific dura referenaskeatd wi if th r e n ye - s been ll ey ce Ha rests then tion load is estalobley-Lo r the ach to fure Club mem for xiou €1500 to rty ls ra a simi y fo , who talwith no ion picked the Tr in Founda ent Cent wo e ac faulted it be that thte ar in the wi lli at a Lu ng Ta lishe in Un s larly €300 . th e ng an t de nt bers s ul 23 rw Th . ba ho d. g cle an 0. proa to Th d ts’ d de ve % nd were Cón ar nj g. a pe ctive be ar án o’broin, pa of ha o d. in olde Labour es of wh centnratol re- s now,timatwi elected USI the St ud - cuou g on attit ude is udeen Irish stu oise- tions m itmen a in StTh compa through the prom ise unendiTr igoth buyild lev ay be a thstu required. ubei- r we dism e face Af ter th th ct Deputy Presiden r genera rren decisio icion ab Trinity College plan . ar However, a its com m ittee meetin th its m it to ry zero”. anth de Executive Com ions of red to ayem ic - k es s had Suyspbu acad adeditioct ion ymof €69 e enposit en is initial t said that of Sa of cons la i ng ly notiona l diviback t tioty ost JoPr n ’slef t itst Provtri - the scale Enda Ke nts, mittee. last - the ga 20%. busines na l €2 es Com adtru bb s s toon ar, wi practice as bene views this sion of task Spea king abou I would t wa da ded constru hn He sa id,“T esident Ni ko at students enthusFo surp Pa ck of the fina ncia mso anr ife at nny’s thered be ar s en pres re s Profes given the of gato s was articulat anning 21st of last ye esid obtviouat heatwa t the scale of stic Pr that ficia l for the imag in es ity iaun th r- al ty l cristoe. offi yeearestim inyegars Offipr costyeof everey th sis and its imp James Sweeney audien rise, mentu ed byPl is beca SU Pr Thecepa th s, with ict of-in- turned r student bod saying e that th Ned Costello, til of ofthisrted th Micheá cer , Da assumed lit the nowsa id licat ions for stu- the cuts which students shou ce rem head sor the mouse the of the GAA twoeny and the cas.us Th itefodr tw ssingtu Ents to thei CEo of the IrishDecembe ck Spar row l M is nege un year rrag a confl to cut s bear club endersp depa refere unild em then dent in La expe e Pr nd s les ve was lic ar ha d d d m to vh na tn vers s th r pa str had Ni t Univ ct g bo nt ul so uc ha tin ity um fin r glad ve e ha ha dr in l Ro we yet rti Ge ersit as da the ur or t d h so to daw n on mos re in an Pr a to be electcu co ies’ Associati pe no budget, Ó broi whole. It belie lowe ys. Th is g into the fiPa ks as ovostia polls m er dwestu “Stu nlaow ceuld lo e ap ckhe . cia rlyin llege wo llyde - sig ey as ha lf. Ho eet- dergas vost. Profes of the Luwo n woul ge ed Treasure .5m ilon at a Direct t said that of the student n that the ves Septemb anno de was bo l votes ly in fa e out very str rty a job off ris than th r among stu in the co jectethdat an ngntstabo r, remarking he had been thos r practice expa undatio m illion to €3 at’s and Co €7m illion in body. m er 23rd, 2010 rne out until afresu lt,tere dyy re vour dents resu lt, asstitwith yede at ongwere e na Chthetm unted. Pa told by in is prni nds ethpl the Fo Vice-Pro the as Chai m ittee , th lev g €7 d was mee of th th tio club In m tri d op kno tro at an wi an ’s th ea er na in wled wi ck id be ga o wee ise os inte y th nt ov de ge of lecturers the ing of the oireachtas kly newsletter m issin l th om rview with The a Government TD in July at st ag aleby 23ed-,” sapr rmed d acted ng Com Prende averag Kear ne ed have free fees, an ing Pr that th entere on ly ised illion eu m m ittee ceived Pub cia l that “Tha gin to pa ish the prom Planni ge info gast ha trucwho en re 99 Univ lic e, Co d rd gi y e €270 nks an Acbe fin lle teac ersit de gs sa t coun to t ng mill s fin h y n’ rg Co the at wo hi id to Times Ó broi stud cle ion wou ld need ca e ni ts Com mittee. ve the €22m of cons by er, at a ast lads who got m to be 13% consider y, na pacit y 15 ar favo this race as th nue wi n Co would no - wo nstruct ion ha the fig ure th n said ll Plan ondaRo eing th to cut standing ents, improves the me elected ing Se uld reduce th that they for 700 on that “the gove lion. Of cover the cost the best th Ke ur ite bu e Th 99 on the third by 1721 for o In a discussion o d sa id Ha arge of overse ing that Profes ra ised the more peop g last M neNe that itstellan of the College may p2 rnment is des- from the Department of Edu e St ud rv ices ter co ca nd us, th ar ne m ws t Co endum Taoi inued no nem. “S s to be with co le Ed as eded to be in ch fer ot id we have on the y’s nt ow ite ot cae e a t un rois pera wa Ch ito reent re ne se six tion -R in lm Co to nc ín n te sear t. e r ’s e ar Shor sa for bud re s io ch universit y, SU t ge money and if tall, T.D., abou vv y ele get. fina ncia l com ents. Kn ds-on favour t Tr igoub-R with 28 seach, com ate viously eering votes . 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The University Times | Tuesday, March 20 2012

TIMESFEATURES

You can’t take your eyes off it Lucy Byrne examines watching television as a bonding experience

ELEVISION HAS A bad reputation. It’s widely considered to be a brain-dead activity, something that is taking over our lives, ruining free-time by creating a society of apathy that is lacking in creativity or communication. Nietzsche said that the modern attitude to leisure time as time to ‘relax’ after work would eventually destroy the intellectual mind, making people think that intellectual pursuits were ‘work’ activities, and thus not something they wanted to do after a hard day at the factory / school / office. Television’s presence in modern life is extensive, as research carried out by Paul C. Adams in his essay ‘Television as Gathering Place’, has found; ‘Watching television is the greatest single use of “free time”... not only in post-industrial societies such as the U.S., but also in industrial and many preindustrial societies.’ In 2011, Official Nielson figures showed that Irish people watched an average of three hours, thirty-seven minutes a day. That’s a lot of TV. One of the most widespread fears regarding television, is the view that watching it is an anti-social activity. It is well known that the TV must be turned off for family meals, and it is considered a little odd to have the TV on in the background on a romantic date. To an extent, this is fair enough - there are certain occasions when you do not need to hear Ryan Tubridy’s voice in your ear. Having said that, there’s something to be said for television’s presence in the room in certain social situations. Sure, Nietzsche had a point about leisure activities, and it is

true that television has its negative aspects. On the other hand, he also said that men ought to whip their women, and died alone and insane. Maybe, if he had spent a little more time chilling out with friends and family in front of the TV, he’d have had a little more to talk about with the people around him, rather than just writing away angrily in his room all the time. And maybe, if he’d had the opportunity to observe social norms as they are presented to us through interaction within television programmes, he would have been able to get a girlfriend without feeling the need to whip her to keep her in line. Maybe not, but anything’s possible. My point is that television is a much more useful and necessary social tool than we give it credit for. I believe that television is a bonding device in modern society that allows for more successful interaction and communication in almost every social dynamic, be it within the family, peers, colleagues or couples. In fact, I would argue that many of the social situations we find ourselves in today would not be possible without the mediating device of the television. Television not only provides a talking point for other situations, but the activity of watching it itself allows for a time of communal experience without great effort on the part of those involved. This is also true of films, naturally. Think only of the dreaded First Date situation. Where would all these young budding couples be without the wonderful opportunity for shared experience afforded them through the cinema? We’d all be stuck at home alone like

Stand Up at the International

HAVE NEVER BEEN a massive fan of local, non-famous stand-up comedy. It’s silly to think now, but the thought of paying to see comedians that were not already on the TV for being comic geniuses just didn’t appeal to me. For me, stand-up comedy conjured up dreaded scenarios in my mind of being that one person in the audience that is summoned up on stage to be the comedian’s source of material for a while. (An act of laziness on the comedian’s part because everyone else in the crowd laughs even harder, relieved that it’s not them up there.) However having previously been a stand-up comedy virgin, this fear wasn’t based on past personal experience. It’s a truth universally recognised that – despite the odd gem – Irish television is pretty cringe worthy. I think I vaguely assumed Irish stand-up comedy was going to be of similar below-par quality. How wrong I was. Last Friday I found myself being dragged to the International Bar on Wicklow Street for an evening of comedy. The venue was completely packed so clearly I was alone in my prejudices against small time stand up. During the two hour show there were three comedians – all of whom, I admitted somewhat sheepishly to my friends, I found genuinely funny. It was hosted by Aidan Bishop (Des Bishop’s brother – although I’m sure he hates being known as that) who got the crowd going and broke the ice with a few jokes about women drivers. (Standard.) To be fair to him though, he didn’t drag anyone up on stage so my fear was not realised. I know that humour is subjective but I can confidently bet that no matter what your cup of tea is – there was a joke in there for everybody. Irish jokes, English jokes, childhood/ adolescence anecdotes, sexual stories/ puns; the list goes on….. It was the atmosphere that made the evening a memorable one though. Jokes regarding the recession did come

up, but not too much, and a few of the comedians praised the audience for coming out, despite the gloominess that’s in the air, for a few laughs. By the end of the evening I noticed among the crowd that strangers would turn to one another when a joke scored a reaction from the crowd – giving each other a knowing nod and chuckle. It felt slightly like we were in the poor sector of the Titanic – having the craic despite the fact that we’re on a sinking ship. All in all the mood of the crowd was a satisfied one. I noticed there were a lot of couples in the audience. Another string in the stand-up comedians bow – it’s a perfect first date idea. It has the advantage of not being as scary and intense as going for dinner and worrying that you will laugh unattractively, spraying bits of food everywhere. It’s also a much better activity than the pointless act of going to the cinema on a first date-where you pay to sit in the dark for two hours without speaking. It may even help you sift out any immediate irreconcilable differences. (If your date is weeping with laughter over a joke that leaves you stony facedyou know it’s doomed). So, if you are a stand-up comedy virgin like I was, hit the International Bar on Wicklow Street some night – at ten euro in or eight euro with the flash of a student card – everybody’s laughing.

Alyson Henry

Nietzsche, that’s where. It has been proven that the activity of watching television – or in this case, films – is especially useful for male viewers, as it allows for a level of intimacy with another person that they are comfortable experiencing. This is discussed by Nancy M. Hopkins and Ann C. Mullis in the academic article ‘Family Perceptions of Television Habits’, where they claim that, ‘By focusing primary attention on the television, a simultaneous activity involving interaction can take place with the co-viewers. Touching is acceptable under those circumstances, while otherwise it may not be.’ In other words, no first moves would ever have been made were it not for the beauty of the screen. Thanks, TV. Socially, it would be difficult to imagine life without television as a reference point. Friendships within school, the office or college, can often circle comfortably around the shared experience of watching a comedy together, or of watching a great movie in the cinema. It is possible now to quote television amongst your peers without even registering that it’s a quote – they have become so integral to communication, especially, I would imagine, in groups in their teens and twenties. I for one cannot imagine being able to find a single group of friends in Trinity who wouldn’t have automatic reference points (i.e. quotes) that immediately imply a shared meaning from a film or television. I can say almost anything from Father Ted – as can all of Ireland, surely – without ever having to explain myself; ‘I’m putting you on my list of enemies Tony’.

For my particular group of friends, shouting ‘Father!’ and running theatrically away, would not suggest a sudden case of insanity, but instead bring to mind The IT Crowd, and through that, our trip to Morocco, where the joke was first formed. Thus one can see the associations brought about through the shared experience of television. Comedy in particular, as I think I have suggested, immediately creates a positive association. Standing around and discussing Peep Show is essentially modern day social code for ‘I have a great sense of humour, and so do you, this is great.’ It is also very important to consider the role of television within the family unit. Television is especially useful in today’s modern world, where parents can often be too tired after a hard day’s work to do anything energetic with their children. According to Hopkins and Mullins; ‘Joint television viewing requires little parental planning or input, unlike playing games or reading to children.’ Thus, although perhaps it is not as actively interactive as other options, it is also more realistically achievable, and provides a means of relaxation alongside familial bonding. It is also ideal for those parent / children relationships that may be a little more awkward and formal than others. Think of all those awful, austere fathers one reads about in old Dickensian-style novels. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if those fathers and sons had been able to sit down together and watch the rugby, or maybe even an old episode of Fawlty Towers? Look, for example, at The Royle Family. This

highlights the importance of television in family relations two-fold. Not only do the characters of the family within the show base their entire lives together around television, but they are also in a show that is itself ideal for family viewing (it’s so, like, meta). Where on earth would Jim, Denise and the rest of the gang be without television? Certainly not sitting around together anyway. The incredible amount of time they spend together as a family is only made possible through the comforting background presence of television in the room. It allows for a natural flow of conversation that can end in a lapse filled by whatever is on the screen, rather than an awkward silence. This, although clearly presented in its most extreme form, is also true of real families spending time together. Having the television provides a safety net for the conversation – if there is a lull, or a lack of anything to talk about, one can watch, or discuss, what is on the screen. It’s a perfect third presence in the room – one that never stops talking, or get’s awkward, or goes to the loo and leaves you alone together with nothing to say – it’s brilliant. Now I am aware that it could be said that family viewing is unlikely, that children are generally watching the most inappropriate things they can find, off alone in their rooms, avoiding communication, but it was found by the Irish Broadcasting Commission that in 2005, the show that had the greatest number of viewers between the ages of 4 and 17 on an Irish channel was The Late Late Toy Show. Now

if that isn’t a family bonding experience, I don’t know what is. Certainly, there is the problem of what is being watched and where, but studies - such as those carried out in the article mentioned above – have shown that; ‘Careful and judicious use of television may suit the emerging lifestyle of dual-career couples and their children, especially if programmes are carefully chosen for co-viewing and attention is paid to the need for discussion during and following viewing.’ Thus I would like to conclude that television, far from being a negative aspect of today’s modern world, is a positive means of sharing and communicating with those around you. It is a very necessary social adhesive in today’s society where most technological developments only encourage further anti-social behaviour – innovations such as mp3s, kindles and loneplayer video games. Instead of the old Irish tradition of a storyteller, we have television, a teller of endless tales about anything you like, with pictures to accompany them. Instead of the old English tradition of reading aloud after dinner, or perhaps listening to the young lady of the house play a little Chopin in the evening, we are free not to be bored out of our minds, and watch TV together instead. Not only that, but we can stay at home and wear snuggies while doing it! Sure, television is slowly turning our brains to mush and requires less energy than sleeping – but at least it’s doing it to all of us together.

TCD Surf Club: It’s not just a sport, it’s a way of life, man Ciarán O’Callaghan reports on the Irish Surfing Intervarsities Q. Why is an article on the Irish Universities Surfing Intervarsity Competition not in the sports section of the UT? A. Surfing is not just a sport, it is a raison d’être - a clichéd way of life. The Surf Intervarsity this year ratified this mantra. Radical.

778; THE YEAR J.J. Rousseau died. It was also the year Captain Cook’s third expedition took him to Hawai’i (he called them the Sarnie Islands in honour of some “lord”… so original). Subsequently, the first known report on surfing came into existence. Cook observed and recorded that “a diversion most common is upon the water where there is very great sea, and surf breaking on the shore… the great art is to guide the plank [board] so as always to keep it in a proper direction on top of the swell…” He concluded: “The above diversion is only intended as an amusement, not a tyral of skill… they seem to feel a great pleasure in the motion which this exercise gives.” I bet if Rousseau tried out a spot of surfing he would have taken great pleasure from it – Surfing Contract Theory anyone? It’s a pity he was Swiss and the sea would have been tough to find – Confessions would have been so much more gnarly.

The 2012 Surf Intervarsity, held in the scenic & serene Strandhill in Co. Sligo on 3rd and 4th of March, was second-to-none. I can safely say that all of the attendees from all of the institutions whether they competed or not - had a remarkable time. Surfing (and all it entails) is synonymous to contentedness. The more one surfs the more one feels content. Fact. This year at Strandhill there was frolicking and frivolity out of the water - whilst the amphibians amongst us did the same in the water. However, if surfing is to be treated as a sport, or a ‘tyral of skill’, Trinity have a lot to claim. The TCD Surf Club came third this year. A great accomplishment considering that the colleges which finished first and second are both situated a stones-throw-away from the nearest swell. Bronze will do more than suffice. It was truly a team effort. Though individuals must be mentioned. Ruth Hunter battled the ferocious onshore winds and bitter, bitter cold to finish 2nd in the Female Longboard competition – a heroine if ever there was one. Ronan McGuire, “business man” of the year, thwarted his two other “competitors” on his barge of an SUP (Stand-Up-Paddleboard) to take the glory of gold in his

event – an expected win. Both Paddy Ryan and Freddie Honohan displayed radical manoeuvres on their bodyboards in their heats – both finishing 3rd. The judges did change their mind with Freddie’s position – he was down as a qualifying second however they crossed it out and put third. They’re reasoning? “N.A.”. Corrupt judges did nothing to perturb the Masters student – Freddie continued to bring-the-buzz to the trip after his event. The Men’s Open competitors fared okay (considering some of the competition was semi-pro/professional). Callum Swift (Captain of the Club) took a break from topping up his tan to finish fifth in his heat. Niall Rogers on the other hand – with the club’s hopes and dreams resting on his shoulders – chose to paddle and splash around for twenty minutes instead; it was as ‘alt’ and as ‘scenester’ as one can get. Respect. I can testify that the conditions were extremely tough. When one strolls down to the sea one can only be consumed by the extremely rational thought: “What in Poseidon’s name am I doing!?” Imagine strolling into icy-cold water wearing a rubbery garment and holding a glass plank with walls of heavy grey water breaking in front of you.

Then you have to start paddling through these walls. Ice-cream headache? Ben and Jerries can take a hike. Never mind all of the physical surfing malarkey. The post-surf (not as pretentiously French as après-ski) was where all the fun was had. A few comments from new club members surmise just how great-a-trip it was. Gary Beardsley, an extremely intelligent and amicable first-year engineering student said: “It was sweet. It was intense. The weather was emotional but that didn’t stop the gnarly times – everyone was there to get ‘maoi-dy’ and shite. There were lads getting barrelled on the Friday when we arrived and I was watching them – it was gnarly. The locals were sweet and all too.” Hugh Macken, another first year erudite stated: “I had a great time – I study Geography and I just love getting to know nature and all that craic. Some of the rocks on the beach were huge – but that didn’t stop me throwing them around. There was fun to be had everywhere.” Enthusiasm for surf-culture does not just exist in the water. Strandhill is an undeniably spiritual place. Old Ben Bulben watches over the sea – bringing in the swell. The swell transubstantiates into waves. The resulting running peaks of white (grey)

gold are illuminated by the sun whilst the resident seals pop up intermittently. These scenes are only heightened by the relentless hospitality of the locals with their welcoming ways. TCD students were entirely respectful to their surroundings – no damage was done to any infrastructure or local environment. Surfers know Karma will get you; skiers should take a leaf. Surfing is the fastest growing “sport” in Ireland. It should be considered a sport – but it should also be considered a way-of-life, a calling, a religion if you must. This year’s trip was a great success all round for TCD. In a sporting sense the club exceeded expectations. In a raison d’être sense it did more. The two aforementioned first-year students are now complete converts to the one true faith – the church of the ocean and the synagogue of the sea. Cook realised that surfing was more than just a competitive “exercise” back in the eighteenth century. In saying that, the way TCD Surf Club is progressing, next year only a first place finish will suffice. Ladies and gentlemen, all are encouraged to attend the next trip to Lahinch; Häagen-Dazs headaches are bythe-by.

Tuesday,March 20 2012 | The University Times

TIMESOPINION

LETTERS to the Editor

Letters should be posted to “The Editor, The University Times, House 6, Trinity College” or sent by email to letters@universitytimes.ie We cannot guarantee that all letters will be published. Letters may be edited for length and/or style.

Suggested questions for the fraternity members This was a comment under the story “Frat Pack - The Charter’s Names Explained” on www.universitytimes.ie. “Some Questions that I think require answering: 1. Have any of these gentlemen ever attended a bilderberg meeting? 2. Have any of those named ever been to a meeting at the bohemian grove complex in California? 3. Where were these gentlemen on November 22nd 1963? 4. Are any of those named associated in any way with the trilateral commission? I believe several of these men have links to building 7 in the WTC. Can they elaborate? I think it is in the publics interest that the UT, having begun this investigation, really get to the bottom of these questions once and for all. They must be hiding something…” From “Alex Jones”.

Minister Phil Hogan is under pressure from those who oppose the household charge.

Time to protest for our homes Manus Lenihan News Editor, Trinity News

Lessons from Canada A Daniel Brown

he air was tense. Students were stomping their feet, anxious to move forwards. It was a near blizzard, with temperatures well-below freezing. Nobody wanted to be kept standing still. But which way? The police had barred the entrance to Spring Garden Road, the main shopping street connecting Dalhousie, Halifax’s largest university, to the ocean. The students were caught in the intersection, threatened by the attempt to funnel their momentum onto a side road. While the organisers at the front were in the midst of negotiating with the police, the crowd slowly began to shuffle forward. The mass of nearly three thousand students, representing seven of the provinces’ universities, began to inch towards the row of police cars. They had threatened the organisers with arrest, but were unprepared to manage the enormous crowd, now moving in unison. Frustration was palpable. The blue paint, streaked as a hand print across my face, was beginning to freeze. Suddenly the police backed out. The crowd lurched forwards. Students bound for the legislature flooded onto the road way to the thunder of “Whose streets? Our streets!” This was the scene on February 2nd, 2011, in the eastcoast Canadian city of Halifax. The province of Nova Scotia faces the second highest tuition fees in the country, at $5,731 for a year of an undergraduate arts, $365 more than the national average. Student interest groups exist at both a provincial and national scale, but in Nova Scotia this day of action had been called in response to a provincially-funded report released months previous, dubbed the “O’Neil Report.” Written by a former bank executive its recommendations gave the province justification to raise tuition fees and reduce funding for universities. Cuts to post-secondary education have swept this country. We don’t face dire, reactive cuts in the face of economic turmoil, but instead a steady drip that is

quickly eroding the accessibility and quality of our universities. This is an insidious trend, not the result of well-planned policy or thorough national debate, but of a particular pay-for-service neoliberal worldview. This fight isn’t just about the need to reduce tuition. It’s a broader push to protect Canada’s proud system of public services.

Spurred to Action I got involved in the student movement in 2010, when I was elected to a position on the executive of the King’s Students’ Union. Those days are a blur. Things moved fast, there was a constant urgency in the air. As I thought back the details of my training were shaky - so I tracked down Rebecca Rose. Rebecca is a major organiser and employee with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a provincial and national student’s union that advocates on students’ issues. The CFS is one of two national organisations, and one of many provincial ones. It brings together students’ unions from across the country, representing over half a million students at 80 universities and colleges. Not only does it address tuition and student debt, but it brings often-overlooked issues of poverty and human rights to our national dialogue. I asked Rebecca about the state of the post-secondary system in Canada. “Scattered, unplanned, and generally underfunded,” she replied. The student movement’s first goal is to reduce, or eliminate, tuition fees. But there are also systemic problems facing students: provinces organise the operating grants, she explained, but coherent direction needs to come from the federal level. We returned then to that momentous day, when we overwhelmed the police in the streets of Halifax. “One of the most important days of my life,” she smiled. Rebecca was at the head of the crowd, negotiating with police. Her mum stood behind her as she was told that she was going to be arrested. The real value of such a demonstration, however, was not necessarily in

scaring the government but rather in that we empowered thousands of young people, breaking down engrained stereotypes that young people are lazy and apathetic. Since then, Canada has undergone a national day of action, which took place on February 1st this year. But the student movement still faces uphill battle when it comes to raising awareness for our concerns. The most radical action to take place this year has been in the province of Québec – where yearly fees set to increase 75% over 5 years. As of March 18th stopthehike.ca, the English-language website for the Québec mobilisation, reported that 134 students’ unions, representing over 166,500 students, are on an openended strike. This was precipitated by two years of marches, petitions, public relations and letter writing. A one-day strike on November 10th 2011 took 200,000 students out of classes, and put 30,000 students in the streets of Montreal. These tactics proved successful in 2005, when student protests defeated proposed provincial funding cuts. The engagement, education, and empowerment of young people that I see in Nova Scotia is only a stage in the development of a larger movement. Smaller actions, dialogue with officials, and collaboration between affected parties may not reduce fees immediately, but maintaining bonds is so crucial to being able to mobilise when real threats arise. These relations have been long-established in Québec, and as such they are able to mobilise on a scale that we in Nova Scotia can hardly dream of. Fee increases here are similar, but don’t inspire the same reaction. Faced with poor media coverage, the issues of this mobilisation are being communicated online. Little red squares are our symbols of solidarity, and you can see that message is being picking it up. They now dot every major Canadian city. Daniel Brown is a Canadian student organiser based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is a former Vice President External of the University of King’s College Students’ Union.

t a packed national meeting of the Household Charge campaign in mid-January someone joked “We are the ninety-eight percent.” This referred to the fact that at that time, only 2% of those liable had registered for the Household Charge. We wondered what this figure might look like two months down the road, how the battle between hope and fear would play itself out. Would people cave in to the charge or would they stand with us? At the time of writing- Friday, March 16th- we have arrived at that point and non-payment stands at over 85%. Non-registration has held strong because an extraordinary campaign has developed. Since January, between 15,000 and 20,000 people have attended public meetings in every county in this state. Many individual meetings saw attendances of 200, 300 and even 700 in one case. Whatever the numbers, people have gone forth from these meetings to organise. Many thousands of new activists, who were just grumbling at the telly three

months ago, are dropping leaflets, knocking on doors and putting up posters. To illustrate the significance of the non-registration figures, in August 1990 the BBC reported with horror that one-in-five people in the UK had not paid their poll tax. Three months later, Thatcher had resigned and all three contenders for her succession had promised to abolish the charge. In other words, even if there is a dramatic collapse in non-registration for the Household Charge and dozens of percentiles flee to the side of the government, the campaign will be in a very strong position. This is unlikely, however. The threats of “penalties” which the government is bringing to bear in its billboards will be offset by a National Rally on Saturday 24th which will demonstrate the massive strength of the campaign. A further protest on the 31st, the deadline for registration, should drive the message home and bring us over the line of illegality in spectacular fashion. On that day Fine Gael’s Ard Fheis takes place

in the Convention Centre on North Wall quay. NAMA owns this building- we own its debts. On that day another €3.1 billion belonging to us goes into Anglo and Irish Nationwide. March 31st also marks 22 years to the day since up to 250,000 people flooded the streets of London in protest at the Poll Tax. We’ve had some solid protests already but the success of these has been founded on the work this campaign has done on the doorsteps, as people brave the cold to convince their neighbours to stand by them. We’re not just building a campaign, we’re giving people strength, hope and unity where for three years there has been only apathy and disempowerment. Any alternative to destructive cutback policies is rejected by the government because the dominant narrative insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that rich people and multinationals will start investing again as long as we don’t make things uncomfortable for them. The majority in society, meanwhile, those who provide products and services, who actually create wealth, are reduced to passivity, at best, and at worst, to the role of sacrificial

victims. There’s no need to go into any working or middle class community and tell people that private investment has fallen by €33 billion in a few short years, and shows no sign of picking up. Everyone knows it. Jobs are scarce, pay is low, prices are high and the role of government seems to boil down to cutbacks, tax hikes and blackmail- if we don’t cut you, the markets will punish us. This new tax, relying as it does on people voluntarily registering, gives us an opportunity to fight back. One Trinity College Labour Youth member has reassured me that while at the moment the Household Charge is an unjust flat tax, €100 for a millionaire and a pensioner alike, it will soon turn into a “progressive” graduated property tax. Plans for this “progressive” tax were revealed in December. The lowest rate will be €188. Yes, it’s almost twice as much, but don’t worry- it’s progressive. Houses around the average price range should be charged €900, according to the Commission on Taxation. The Economic and Social Research Institute expects water charges costing €500 if the government gets its foot in the door with the household charge.

It’s so progressive, you won’t be able to put food on the table. This is not about “broadening the tax base,” as journalists like Stephen Collins have argued. It’s about deepening an already extremely narrow tax base. What Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain have in common, as Vincente Navarro has pointed out, is that their taxation systems rely so heavily on labour and consumption- that the working class pays far more than its share. Moreover, owning a home is not an indicator of privilege in this country. For tens of thousands of people it’s the opposite: owning a home means you’re in debt. For the rest, it means you’ve paid through the nose in stamp duty. The government is learning the hard way that you can’t draw blood from a stone. We’re stepping out over the line on March 31st in full confidence, with the majority of the people of this country behind us. We’re going to deal a crippling blow to the austerity agenda across Europe and begin developing an organised, mass resistance. Don’t be on the losing side. Join us.

GOP race is a Game of Thrones

The vicious war in the Republican primaries may be all Obama needs to reclaim the White House this September as GOP candidates look set to fight until summer Eye on America

Conor Murphy

he American conservative kings are fighting for the throne. Romney, Gingrich, Santorum and Ron Paul. They are scraping tooth and nail for the chance to try to win against Obama in this year’s national election as members of a party increasingly disenchanted and disconnected from America’s political administration. What we face in the next month is perhaps more important than the actual presidential election. Who American Republicans choose and how they choose them will ultimately decide their chances in the national elections this fall. If they are going in the direction suggested by the last week, then Obama might have a much easier campaign than his performance might be seen to deserve. The prizefight recently has

been the bloody brawl between Romney and Santorum; the businessman and the social conservative respectively, the two faces of the republican coin. Whilst Gingrich enjoyed some success as the very powerful right wing wild-card candidate, his comments that said poor children don’t know how to work since their parents are obviously lazy exemplify a quick, impolitic temperament, and his campaign was shown to be disorganized when he failed to register in certain states. Santorum and Ron Paul have been picking up the scraps. Ron Paul is a terribly interesting septegenarian year old and by far the least likely to get voted. His policies focus on freedom. It leads to a really interesting mix of the only openly pro-gay marriage candidate in the race (including

Obama) and a completely non-interventionist foreign policy that plays well in a country exhausted after two long wars of foreign intervention. But then the kicker, he also wouldn’t have an education or health service, because a large government infringes your freedom, He is simply too fringe to get the number one role in the Republican party. Santorum, by contrast, is the most formulaic ‘Republican’ candidate of the race; a classically good-looking man in his late forties, pushing social and Christian conservatism. This has set well with the traditional core of the Republican party as the campaign has pushed on and he has gone from strength to strength again in the last week, almost equaling the money force that is Mitt Romney. Romney has won the big states by a veritable blitzkrieg of wealth-fed PR through TV, radios, and papers. It has worked, but it is a mathematical impossibility to buy all fifty states like

that, even with a venture capitalist’s fortune at your disposal. In smaller states, with fewer voters and less money to spend, Romney has been a failure. As Santorum continues to take the small states, the more donations he gets and the more he can come out swinging in the big states with an advertising onslaught of his own, a serious problem for Romney. What really matters here is the question of who can actually face down Obama. America has always been based on three basic blocs, Republicans and Democrats who will always vote the same way, and then the chunk in the middle who decide the election. The real weakness in Obama’s armour is the economy, specifically the relatively slow regrowth of it, which won’t sit well with independent, middle-class voters. As Romney repeats ad nauseam, he’s a business man first, so he could possibly make real head way on this issue, and his voting

numbers reflect that possibility. Santorum seems to have only the most generic republican economic policy there, though generic rhetoric works everywhere, and some voters seem genuinely impressed by his economic platform. Whether his religious politics hold steady under the glaring liberal criticism is another matter. Obama has ‘victories’ in leaving Afghanistan, liberating Lybia and killing Osama Bin Laden and the distinct advantage of an incumbent. In a two and a half centuries, only nine presidents have lost re-election attempts. The millstone around the necks of Santorum and Romney will feel heavier and heavier as they frantically try to drown each other out through an incredibly tight primary season. Come September, they may have done Obama’s work for him and guaranteed him another four years in office.

The University Times | Tuesday, March 20 2012

TIMESOPINION

Final Year Plight: The economics of emigration Economise This Rob Farhat Editor of the Student Economic Review 2011 This is my last article for The University Times, so I thought I might focus on what myself and many other final year students will be doing next year: emigrating. Before I get lambasted for being heartless and/or unpatriotic, I should stress that given that this is an economics-based column, I’ll deal purely with the economics of emigration, and for the purposes of this article I’ll ignore the more social and cultural aspects of

migration, though that’s not to say that they’re not important. Ireland has a long history of its inhabitants emigrating to the UK, the United States, Australia, and elsewhere in search of a better life, and the wave of emigration since the financial crisis of 2008 is no different. From an economic point of view, the primary motive behind a person’s decision to migrate is better employment prospects: you leave a country

where demand for labour is low (as is the case in Ireland with an unemployment rate of more than 14%) to a country where demand for labour is higher. So who gains and who loses from this phenomenon? Well, the emigrants in question presumably gain – we assume that the average migrant has calculated that he/ she has better job prospects abroad and wouldn’t emigrate otherwise. From an economic point of view, the

home country gains from having fewer unemployed citizens to worry about and less unemployment benefit to pay. And the receiving country gains from its job vacancies being filled, as well as receiving more tax revenue and in many developed countries’ cases: ameliorating the ageing population problem. In that case, does anyone actually lose? Some will argue that the workers of the receiving countries do, as immigrants flood in to “take their jobs”. This misnomer is what economists refer to as the ‘lump of labour fallacy’ – the misconceived notion that there is a fixed amount of work to go around and hence adding to the workforce will only take jobs away from everybody else. It is called a ‘fallacy’ because it is completely baseless, and

a rare example of something that most economists agree on. By the same flawed logic, the increasing entrance of women into the workforce should have taken jobs away from men. Extra workers generate more demand, which creates extra jobs. Besides, common sense dictates that migrants tend to move to places where job vacancies are more abundant. Where receiver country workers may lose out is in their wages, as immigrants tend to be willing to work for lower pay, and the extra labour supply lowers the wage levels firms are willing to pay for everyone. While this may entail that workers in industries that immigrants flock to receive lower pay, it will also lower said firms’ costs, and as long as there is sufficient competition between firms,

everyone will benefit from lower prices. So the reduction in wages will be lower in real terms (i.e. adjusted to the price level) than in nominal terms. Everyone benefits from lower prices, and to protest against immigrants’ effect on pay would merely be to protect the interests of a small group of workers at the expense of everyone else. Furthermore, all parties stand to gain in terms of the skills migrants can both learn and offer. An emigrant can gain valuable skills working for a foreignbased company which he/ she would not have the opportunity to at home. But it works both ways – advanced economies’ high level firms increasingly compete for the skills of foreign workers. Nowhere is this dichotomy more apparent right now than in Silicon Valley, where

Manila’s “Smokey Mountain”: The city’s poorest live on this dump, looking for items to recycle

almost a third of workers are from India or China alone. So how does all of this apply to an Irish student looking to find work after finishing college? For those who can find a job here: great. But with a distinct lack of work in almost all industries in Ireland, it makes perfect economic sense to look for employment elsewhere. Staying put and enduring long-term unemployment would merely mean losing the skills they’ve learned during their years in college, winding up less employable when the Irish jobs market does eventually pick up. What I haven’t mentioned so far, is that the best thing for the Irish economy (or any other country in a similar predicament) would be for those who can’t find a job here to look for them elsewhere, and then come back

Where is our language of responsibility? Derwin Brennan

When is hand-out charity OK? Confronted with extreme poverty in the form of children begging on the street, one is forced to question the “walk on and ignore” attitude we adopt in Ireland

Dave Byrne

spent New Years 2011 in Manila, the Philippines, with, appropriately enough – the Phil. While I definitely brought home pretty fond memories, I can’t say the experience left me looking to travel back to that particular destination soon. The food was vile, we didn’t find the cheap clothes paradise we felt entitled to, and I just don’t have the focus to remember not to drink the tap water. Maybe it’s just that I didn’t get an ‘authentic’ Filipino experience; I spent most of it in hotel conference rooms with people who debate philosophy for fun. The outrageously cheeky 20 USD charge they spring on you at the airport just to leave the country didn’t help. In any case, that was probably my last time in the Philippines. If there is one thing that keeps my mind on Manila however, it’s a moral conundrum we repeatedly faced that I jcan’t get my head around. Over the course of our stay, we travelled in a taxis to get from A to B in Metro Manila. This included a journey in an unmarked taxi , where ‘de ladz’ did not accept my submission that getting into an unmarked taxi was pretty high up on a list of 100 Things You Don’t Do in a Foreign Country, and were genuinely charmed by our driver’s use of the phrase ‘you want bigcarbigcar!’. The conundrum was this: every other time we stopped at a traffic lights we were met with children who seemed to be aged between four and twelve, dressed in rags, knocking on our windows and looking for change. Our drivers would tell us to lock our doors. We would. The kids would knock on the windows. At this point we would look in

any other direction, keep a straight face, and wait for the light to go green. I don’t think I’ve ever been confronted with a real-life situation where I’ve been so conflicted and had such polar voices in my head on what the ‘right’ thing to do is. A rational man bathed in Irish cynicism would tell me I had better not roll down that window. That rational man calmly explains a few things. First, I give this kid money, it might just go to some scumbag crack-smoking father, and the kid is in fact worse off because the more money he gets, the more incentive there is for his parents to

reason is true, and this is a kidnap capital, and I am an item of economic value in that business, I probably shouldn’t roll down a window for anyone I don’t know, even if they seem to be an innocent child. On the other hand a part of my brain that can yell a bit louder consistently who says things like “this is a child, you priviliged git, just give him some of the money you’re not even spending” and “who cares if his parents are on drugs if he can just run down the street and feed himself with even a fraction of your cash” and “this is all of your moral convictions and self-assurances that you are

You’ve finally got that goober Trócaire middleman with the clipboard out of the way and you’re at the frontline of Battlefield Altruism keep him begging on the street. It might go to that slightly older youth across the road, who might be extorting a whole group of these kids for his own profit. Second, Manila seems like the kind of place where they would definitely have shelters and food services for the homeless and needy. It’s not anarchy, it’s a reasonably functioning democracy – the only reason there would be kids on the street is for some nefarious agenda not in the actual interest of those children. Third, and I’m totally happy to admit that this is shameful reasoning, and quite possibly purely the result of some kind of firstworld molly-coddled mind-set, if my second

a good person rolled into a ball and presented to you in a package of charitable opportunity; you’ve finally got that goober Trócaire middleman with the clipboard out of the way and you’re at the frontline of Battlefield Altruism – give him the money.” It’s possible that I over-think things but to one degree or another, a lot of people must have those considerations in mind. In every case I saw though, the windows were not rolled down and wwe never gave those kids any of our money. I’m really not sure if my rational thought did actually win out or if, sitting in a group with a local who clearly thought it was not worth it and others who

weren’t making any moves, I just went with the crowd and shied away from the awkwardness of disobeying the instructions we had been given. I would like to believe it was the former. It’s also stupidly frustrating that it’s impossible to tell whether you’ve generated a rational argument or just a rationalisation for a bad thing you’ve done. Surely at some point Darwin or Jesus or whoever it was would have pulled the plug on our brains being able to run away from us like that. It speaks on the complexity of human beings that something so superficially correct can be so easily picked apart with cynical rationality in a pretty casual way. It’s the same thing when people tell you Irish charities spend most of their money on admin costs – there’s just not enough transparently black and white choices out there. Ultimately its up for the individual in that position to decide what to do; there seems to be no right answer forthcoming for me in any case. As an aside, I think it’s fair to say that casual donations could never be given with a realistic view to sorting out the actual cause of the circumstance. The point at which, in any city, an issue like this gets resolved is probably the point at which some critical mass of normal, local people start not just caring but stomping up and down and shouting until someone does something. Until then, we’re faced with an impossible, irrational dilema. And your choice will always, always make you feel guilty.

when the economy does eventually pick up, bringing the new skills they’ve learned with them. Everybody wins. To reiterate, this article has purely focused on the economic benefits of emigrating. There are of course numerous social causes and effects of migration, some of which are positive while others aren’t. But from a purely economic point of view, if those who can’t find work in one country freely migrate to where they can, we would live in a world of far lower unemployment and a better distribution of skills. The Irish have benefited from this aspect of economics for generations, and there’s no shame in continuing to do so today.

mnesty International Ireland have released a video campaigning for universal access to healthcare in Ireland featuring a host of celebrities presenting ironic arguments against healthcare (What are you? Communist?) and suggesting that the government get a move on with its promised healthcare reform. Claiming a right to healthcare, or indeed many rights, is unobjectionable in today’s Ireland. When asked if everyone should have access to government-guaranteed healthcare, only the hard-hearted amongst us would deny such a right. There is no doubt that we are well versed in claiming our rights but fall silent with respect to our personal, civic and collective responsibilities. In the aforementioned video, members of the Irish glitterati lambasted governments for apparently dragging their heels on healthcare but fell silent on demanding the ordinary voter change their behaviour. We live in a country where the largest party gets elected on promises to minimise tax rises and people balk at the prospect of having to pay any more taxes to support the state (see the protests against the new household charge.) We are quick to claim a right to public goods such as healthcare but do not countenance that we might have to make sacrifices for those. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights tells us that “everyone has duties to the community” but when it comes to fulfilling that responsibility, we lose the power of voice. It is very easy for celebrities, or anyone really, to demand that more be provided by the government. But heaven forbid we ever suggest that we have to make sacrifice to realise the collective rights we publically pledge allegiance to. I do not recall Karl Spain barracking the people for voting for tax cutting parties that starve health systems and other public services of revenue and demanding they change their ways. I don’t see Eleanor Tiernan pleading with the government to repeal the artists tax-emptions so that revenue can pay for services for others: “I know it might mean I have less disposable income, maybe I’ll have to go out less but I just

can’t take tax breaks when there are people spending two years on waiting lists.” It seems that sacrifice is for someone else to make. What we need is a renewed discussion about our responsibilities in a democracy and the sacrifices we may have to make to make a vision come through. What we do not need is more well intentioned spokespeople telling us rights can come from some abstract known as the government without any work done by us, the voters, in a democracy. The language of modern politics is replete with calls for rights but are losing the sense of responsibility that makes those rights possible. Mary Ann Glendon in her book Rights Talk tells us that it is unwise to dismiss political language as just words. When Vaclav Havel gained a platform in 1989 to address the world one of his first major speeches was on “the mysterious power of words in human history.” When we stay silent on our duties to one another, we make it seem as though we live in a world where rights can come without responsibilities where we can hoard for ourselves but expect someone else to make sacrifices for the common good. It’s a bit rich that artists, who often pay the least tax, are the fastest to call on others to provide the public good. Bono turns dewy-eyed at the mere mention of famine in Africa but U2 refuses to pay the bulk of his taxes in Ireland, taxes that pay for things like social welfare and health care. When we reinforce the idea that rights can come from somewhere other than ourselves, we lose our ability to live in a society that provides for those rights. In France we see many wealthy asking the government to raise taxes on them “Pour La France”. In Ireland, such a thing seems unimaginable. If we are serious in our talk that rights such as access to healthcare and education should be high quality and universally available, we are remiss if we fail to remember that we have a duty to make that happen. If you do believe that others have rights and want to do something about it, talk about our responsibilities to one another. It’s not enough to ask as Homer Simpson once did “can’t somebody else do it?” Sometimes you have to do it yourself.

Tuesday, March 20 2012 | The University Times

TIMESOPINION

Marginal Opinions

Seán McGrenaghan

The value of criticism in Trinity

R Jason Russell, right, posing with Invisible Children colleagues. Russell co-founded the Invisible Children charity and narrated the Kony 2012 video.

Kony 2012 capitulates under scrutiny Conor Murphy

n Monday it was a cause, by Tuesday it became a meme, by Thursday it had been attacked, and by Friday it was a joke. By the end of this week it will probably be an embarrassing memory that the whole Internet swears it had nothing to do with it. Though some of the criticism was just populist backlash, some of it is also quite true. What’s more important to note is that calling a small charity dodgy, overpaid, misleading, emotionally manipulative and blinkered is a bit like calling politicians all of those things: not automatically true, but you’re definitely working off good odds. Charities have always manipulated information to get publicity for their personal crusades. The most prominent problem with Invisible Children seems to be that they’re good at it. What a lot of people have actually spent time talking about is their financial statements - a complete misdirection of focus. The charity

needs more outside inspection of their finances, or but they aren’t a particularly egregious example. Wages near a hundred thousand for each of the two directors is actually standard for charities and smaller than nearly all famous Irish charities of similar size. Their mission statement is so vague that there will always be complaints on where they spend their money but the real issues lie with their viral campaign. Their half an hour documentary video is one of the most cynical pieces of charity advertising that has ever been witnessed. Anyone who didn’t have a questionable feeling after watching the documentary should upgrade their cynicism. The very few times the video ever dabbles in facts, it immediately swerves into hyperbolic misleading nonsense. It talks about the 30,000 child soldiers that Kony affected, completing glossing over the fact that 30,000 is a guesstimate of the child soldiers taken over the whole third of a century the Lord’s Resistance Army has been active, his current numbers are supposedly in the hundreds – adults primarily, not children.

The video continually hits every emotional manipulation button it can; it has a white nine year old pleading the case, dead siblings, and, disturbingly, a few clueless Americans telling a slum child-soldier Jacob that they “will stop” Kony, which holds an immaturity worrying in people running a 15 million dollar a year charity. However a more pressing issue is raised while watching the video, a complete confusion over what the charity actually want. Their stated aim in the video is to make Kony famous. They say that the ground

Ugandan armed forces need expertise from the American army to track him down, but that the Ugandan forces already have that help, so the aim of this massive international campaign is literally to have nothing change. They also have a slightly gung-ho attitude about war and the infamous photo of them posing with rocket launchers (above) is reminiscent of the film “Tropic Thunder”. Many articles critiquing the video also focus on the fact that Kony and his army are probably in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are most definitely not in Northern Uganda which it ignores (it does note that they are moving into other countries but it is as important to note they have actually left Uganda). Northern Uganda is portrayed as a near -warzone, and while there is sporadic violence it would be like calling northern Ireland a warzone during the nineties, and definitely insulting to people who want to change

the image of a developing and improving country. Insinuating that the killing of Kony will cure any of Uganda’s problems is quite similar to the sadistic joy people took in Bin Laden’s death - as if it would suddenly cure terrorism. There seem to be about a dozen more important issues in Ugandan domestic policy, but they won’t generate headlines. These Americans saw a broken country and gave us the villain they could put on a poster, because a ‘slowly improving situation’ doesn’t have the same ring to it as ‘Kony 2012’. Invisible Children are not the foremost problem. They’re the extreme of the charities that fight (and need to) tooth and nail for our focus. The emotional arms race gets more and more vicious because in this information age our compassion fatigue is becoming more and more acute. The fact that the most widely-spread and viral charity campaign ever is also one of the most misleading is not a coincidence. Decent charities don’t ask a cute white nine year old for the solution to Uganda’s problems, they ask Ugandan men and

women with qualifications in development and public policy. These people don’t talk about cowboys and Indians, white guilt and the US army; they talk about sanitation, economics, drug prices and the ineptitude of African politics. The correct reaction to this charade is not to go back to not knowing where Ugandais, thankful we were saved from embarrassing video shares on Facebook. It is to look for more wholesome charities, ones who’s stated aims are clear and realistic. Share their stories, share WHO reports on disease control, investigate trade problems, and do so with intellectual honesty. Invisible Children is a charity comprised of normal people like you and me, misinformed, emotionally manipulative; egotistical, normal people. The real issue is the fact that you, me and all the mediasoaked westerners will only pay attention if things are packaged up with the Hollywood appeal of a toddler with an AK, because we’re all tired of diseased villagers and uneducated teens.

Left: Joseph Kony

Israel, Ireland and economic ingenuity Donal Kennedy Since the financial crisis of 2008 has swept through open-market economies, it is generally accepted that the economy of Israel has managed to relatively avoid the brunt of its destabilising effects and instead has faced troubles resulting from internal social disparity and the effects of the lingering geopolitical insecurity. Since its accession to the OECD in 2010, the dynamic of Israel’s economy has become all the more relevant to the European Union, and its members. Domestically, the Israeli unemployment rate stood at 5.6% in the final quarter of 2011, signifying a 32-year low in the State’s history, only lower once, in 1978 when it stood at 4.3% among the active labour force. Among the cohort of the population which has always upwardly skewed the unemployment list is the Haredim community, labelled as “Israel’s Welfare Kings” by Evan R. Goldstein of the Wall Street Journal, and who attract the ire of secular Israelis who resent their preferential treatment: exemption from military

service and receipt of government stipends to attend religious schools. With this population expected to triple in size in 50 years due to an inordinately high birthrate, economists have questioned Israel’s sustainability as pre-eminent leaders in a number of key economic fields. Amongst this so-called “Ultra Orthodox” community, employment has increased by 7% in two years and most of this increase was in the private sector, which is promising for a country buttressed by a turgid public sector, but challenges remain. On the exports front, there was a 2.7% decrease in 2011, due to decreased demand from The United States. Manufacturers have thus increased targeting of Israel’s second exporting partner, India, in a hope to gain access to Asia’s booming region. Despite ephemeral drops in exports and popular protests at the rising cost of living, investors see Israel as having as a strong future, led by innovation in high-tech industry. In fact, in a March 2012 study by Morgan Stanley (MS), when market analysts attempted to predict the likely next group of global acquisitions by IBM, a third of these foreseen imminent

acquisitions were Israeli. Globes, one of Israel’s financial newspapers, recently reported that IBM has spent close to $30 billion in less than 10 years buying Israeli technological companies, 85% of them in software.. There are three distinct but interdependent factors which have cumulatively assisted Israel’s ascension as a field leader in cutting-edge technology, and particularly as a cat-

in Israel for 30 years”. The “brain” of the first PC, the 8088 processor was developed there as was the latest innovation, the Intel Centrino mobile technology. Israel is quite unarguably the Silicon Valley of the Mediterranean. Secondly, Israel’s ability to lure start-up entrepreneurs in the field of computer development is second to none. Start up venture capital in Israel is 20 times

Ireland has a long way to go before it proficiently utilises its diaspora in the way Israel currently does egory leader in the sphere of software development. The first is the arrival of approximately 100,000 engineers and scientists in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union who immigrated in the name of Aliyah to the State of Israel. Intel, the largest private sector employer in Israel, with seven centres and close to 7,000 employees claims “the future has been developed

greater than that of Europe. Or put by Microsoft’s European chairperson Jan Muhlfeit, in an article for the Wall Street Journal (Online) that is $7 per capita in Europe compared with $140 in Israel. Tel Aviv was named Europe’s “Tech-hub” in 2011. Thirdly, it is in the field of Diaspora philanthropy however, that Israel has truly a great deal to show Ireland’s leaders, both

business and political, as they seek out generous Irish natives who have excelled abroad in their sphere of expertise, in the hope of copper-fastening Ireland’s export-led recovery while simultaneously incentivising inward investment. This stream of finance founded many of Israel’s institutions in tits early days and it continues to be a most reliable source of revenue, not only from the eight million Jews outside of Israel’s borders but also from those who see state bonds as a wise investment. With an Irish Diaspora of more than 70 million, including 800,000 Irishborn people living abroad, this means of attracting the rich emigrant is an attractive scheme. Since Israel’s introduction of so called “Diaspora Bonds” in 1951, other countries for which such a project is both needed and viable have been looking to Israel’s bond system as an ideal model. At the first Global Irish Economic Forum held in Farmleigh in September 2009, one of the “specific initiatives” proposed by participants was to “create [a] new bond system aimed in part at the global Irish and modelled on the Israeli bond system. Revenue generated to be invested in specific

landmark infrastructure projects”. The report from the Forum also called for a greater utilisation of the Diaspora and diplomatic allies, modelled on the Israeli approach. However, as with practically every other of the 36 Irish “specific initiatives” and the “medium-term objectives”, they remain mere aspirations. Despite facing economic challenges which are hardly similar, Israel and Ireland have in common one major priority: their respective governments focus on high-tech development as a means of furthering sustainable economic growth. However, Ireland has a long way to go before it proficiently utilises its diaspora in the way Israel currently does. One notable infrastructural achievement of Israel’s bonds, among many, has been the building of desalination plants and wastewater recycling in a country two-thirds arid, the result - Israel is on track to be the top regional exporter of water by 2014.

obert Hutchins, who was born in Brooklyn in 1899, was a man in a hurry. After graduating at the top of his class in Yale Law School, he was immediately invited to join the faculty and became Dean before his twenty-eighth birthday. He famously argued that, “There is only one justification for universities…they must be centres of criticism” and that sentence, above all his academic treatises, remains his most important message. Universities are incredibly special places. Any institution that has the capacity to take an eighteen year old, Abercrombie-clad, BESS student and make an investment banker out of them must be of some value. However, it is the culture of mass participation that makes the idea of a university viable. Without a vocal body of staff and students, universities are meaningless. Trinity is, in this sense, a great university. Anyone who was lucky enough to spend their first year in Trinity Hall could not help but smile if they were to cast their mind back to that August when they first applied for accommodation. Tucked away in the online description of Trinity Hall is one of the greatest liberties that the College authorities have ever taken with the truth: “Trinity Hall is a community of scholars.” I am sure there is not a warden on the entire complex who could say that line with a straight face. A fleeting scope around this year’s Hall Ball may just disprove the “community of scholars” theory. It might even be a stretch to claim that the term is applicable to the undergraduate side of the college as a whole. Few of us would claim to be scholars in the traditional sense, but that does not stop the people of this university from being a vibrant example of the sort of engaged, critically aware community that a great university requires. Trinity is a modern university. The core of our education does not emanate from lecture theatres or libraries, but from the very atmosphere of critical thought that surrounds us. It may not be of the purely academic variety that Robert Hutchins envisaged one hundred years ago, but it is infinitely more valuable in preparing us to succeed in the modern world. Trinity is unique in providing a microcosm of society and a practice ground for those with ambition to organise and lead. The enclosed walls provide the capacity to pursue the future career path that each student truly wants, within a small and protective environment. Each writer in this publication can be a seasoned hack or political analyst; each society auditor can be a CEO and each club promoter can be a burgeoning entrepreneur. Within the walls of Trinity, success is magnified and failures are forgotten quickly, which encourages people to pursue the sort of ambitions that might be considered too risky in the outside world. This is not to suggest that Trinity is a place that mollycoddles wannabe leaders. As the recent ‘Frat-Pack’ story proved, prominent members of the college community are subjected to the same rigour of media-scrutiny that prominent members of wider society are. In fact, the close-knit nature of the College can make criticism all the more pointed and scrutiny all the more inescapable. Jack Cantillon and Dave Whelan ended up with a certain amount of egg on their faces last month but, whatever the truth of the matter may be, egg can be cleaned and lessons can be learned. The subject matter of the story will be irrelevant by next year. Frats will not work in Trinity but that is beside the point. There was much good in the story. A controversy arose, it was enthusiastically covered by this publication and an engaging dialogue ensued across the entire student body. People were actively discussing the merits and demerits of an important issue. They were challenging and deciphering the motives of those involved in the story, as well as of those who told it. Above all, every participant was actively contributing to a discussion on the values of the university and defining what they believed Trinity should stand for. The story will not harm Cantillon and Whelan in the long term. The memory of a university is short and the experience can only stand to them in the future. In fact, the story was not really about them. They were mere conduits for the sort of impassioned and informed critique that is only found in a great university, where we challenge the information that is given to us, the manner in which it is given and the motives of those who give it to us. Last month, we did that well. Universities must, indeed, be centres of criticism, and great universities must be centres of great criticism. Last month, the students of Trinity proved why this is a great university.

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The University Times

The University Times | Tuesday, March 20 2012

TIMESOPINION

The University Times S

THE END OF VOL. 3, THE FUTURE FOR STUDENT MEDIA AND FAITH IN THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

even issues in one academic year. That’s how many editions of The University Times we produce per volume. It’s not a lot. Indeed, with a little more effort and lot more money, another two, maybe three, could be produced. But in that sentence is the reason why you don’t see more hard copies of UT in a year. Money. It’s true that UT is in a privileged position in comparison to our friendly competitors, Trinity News. The Students’ Union generously underwrites the cost of each issue and we get whatever advertising we can to mitigate that cost. This year we’ve stretched the generousity of the SU by producing numerous, expensive supplements. That our readers seem to have enjoyed them is justification enough for producing them. But were we to suggest producing two or three more full editions per year, we would be swiftly put in our place. Trinity News used to produce twelve issues per year. One every fortnight, like clockwork. That was when advertising revenue was reasonably easily obtained. Deals could be struck with generous patrons such as the Irish Times, who would then cover most of the printing costs for the year. But now the Irish Times has trouble enough of its own and is in no way inclined to put

aside several thousand euro per year to subsidise a loss making venture. So, the vital question for student newspapers is: if the Irish Times can barely sustain itself, what chance do we have? Very little, is the answer. Without increased subsidies from College bodies, newspapers like Trinity News, with its illustrious history, will face the same financial difficulties each and every year. And each year they will get worse and worse. It’s hardly revelatory to say that the print news media is in decline. But whereas large national newspapers can still get by on advertising revenue, student newspapers (worthy vanity projects that they are) are surely going to capitulate to increasing printing costs and reduced revenue. However, our meagre revenue streams and non-profit mindsets may also be our salvation. Mainstream newspapers were reluctant to embrace digital media because they didn’t see how they could make the same money from it as they were making from print advertisements. To this day, newspaper sites make a fraction of what their print counterparts reaped in their heyday. But this shouldn’t be a concern for student newspapers. If a few euro can be made from selling ads on a site, great, but

that isn’t the priority of a student newspaper that is re-positioning itself as an online news source. In this respect, the University Times has performed well over the past couple of years. With the transition to a simple Wordpress site, UT’s website was easily and frequently updated with content. In the past month alone, the site has received over 140,000 page views and our best stories are being broken online, because they simply can’t wait for the next newspaper to go into production. There again we see the increasing redundancy of student newspapers. How much news can a newspaper which comes out every three weeks have, that its website hasn’t already covered? It may not be long before UT and TN are online-only vanity projects. UT’s news stories have been the subject of much discussion of late. Legitimate complaints were made in the aftermath of the frat story being posted online. One simple error undermined what should have been a larger debate about what kind of culture we want to encourage in Trinity. This error was forgiven by some readers when the charter of membership surfaced a week after the original story broke. However, the retraction and correction of the story remain

online and will continue to do so. In the Facebook wars that broke out during this furore, a couple of seemingly serious people made a worrying suggestion. They contended that the University Times should not bother itself with stories that attract the large number of readers that the frat story or the Alchemy story had done. The fact that UT is a free sheet newspaper and therefore, as has been acknowledged above, not subject to the commercial pressures of mainstream newspapers seemed to be a perfectly reasonable justification for it to produce a gentle community newsletter every once in a while, shovelling out re-written press releases. Never daring to tread on anyone’s toes, or risk causing offence. Pandering to the various interest groups around college, both student-led and in College authority. Maybe this contention sprung form their experience of the national press. Investigative journalism is an expensive and risky business at the national level. Libel suits and the time it takes to put a story together have all but killed it off. Wherever this notion stems from, we truly hope that UT never becomes the soulless pamphlet that these commentators would see it become. Of course, the stories we break are insignificant on any larger scale,

but on a local level we strive to do what a healthy national press should be doing. Namely holding interest groups to account. Moreover, the UT team has not grown because we’ve tread lightly in College. It has grown because students who want to become journalists see it as a place where they can learn some of their trade. For representatives of these college interest groups to suggest that UT kneel in contrition and give up its only mission is disingenuous at best. There are over 16,000 students in this university, most of them pass through here without attempting a climb of the greasy SU or society poles. However, as they may have paid membership to a society and have certainly paid a levy to the SU, they deserve to know if either organisation is up to no good. They also deserve to know if College is acting in their best interests, making the best use of their money and generally performing as it should be. For three years now, the University Times has served this purpose as best it can. It does so because the thousands of students who keep their head below the parapet want to read these stories. Indeed, deserve to read these stories. I hope my successor sees things the same way. Good luck to you, Owen.

What do you think of men? In light of the controversy over Midnight promotions and the subsequent furore over the fraternity, Max Sullivan asks people who deal with gender issues what they think of men In 1981, a writer for Status Magazine, a publication aimed at women, asked a number of prominent males what they thought of women. Some responses were forward-thinking. Others were, you know, of their time. Here, subjects and objects have been reversed, as women, but also some men, answer the question “what do you think of men?” “People judge you based on what you wear. If you dress like a slut, people will think you’re a slut.” I heard a father say this to his preteen daughter as she roller-bladed, and he walked, into a Spar in Dublin’s city centre. Having come from the Siren Magazine launch, Trinity might have seemed to have a less objectionable environment for women. Then again, similar sentiments were expressed by some Midnight representatives during the scandal over their “If you’re not up for it, don’t cum” advertisement for the nightclub, Alchemy. And even closer to home, Trinity students recently set up a necessarily sexist and elitist organisation variously referred to as “Theta Omicron”, “The Dynasty” or simply “the frat”. So, I couldn’t help but deviate from Status’ simple formula: some of the interviewed also gave their thoughts on the Zeta Psi chapter.

Senator David Norris The question is too general. A few billion men on the planet - they are all pretty various I should imagine. The same is true of women.

Louisa Miller, TCDSU Welfare Officer I generally take one person at a time

and make a judgement based on the knowledge I know about them, whether it be a man or woman. Both men and women have brought joy and misery to my life, in small ways and in large ways. Both men and women have shown to me time and time again how generous and helpful people can be. In relation to the Fraternity I think that any organisation that actively excludes a whole gender is one based on discrimination and inequality. It is extremely disappointing to see such an organisation come to light in a University renowned for being so progressive and historically active in promoting equality and access. I think it’s a shame to see that we are going backwards.

Senator Ivana Bacik That’s a very interesting question! My answer of course is that I love men and indeed some of my very best friends are men. I would be concerned about any emergence on the Trinity campus of the sort of sexist and elitist culture that can be generated by certain fraternity groups on American college campuses.

Rachel Barry, TCDSU Education Officer Whenever I think of men, I usually think of my father, who is a great role model in my life. I admire his passion for his work, his huge work rate, his appreciation of scholarship and his loyalty to his family - not qualities which I think are necessarily ‘masculine’, but rather those which I try and aspire to in my own

life. I think that sums up my position on this question really - it’s very hard to tell someone ‘what I think about men’ because I don’t think that you can have an opinion on a ‘gender’ when what makes someone who they are is not their gender (or gender identity/presentation) but rather their personal qualities. An organisation that has discrimination of any form as one of its core values has no place in Trinity College. Obviously the fraternity comes within this, as the constitution of Zeta Psi prevents women from joining. I have listened to both sides of the argument, but I’m unconvinced by the assertions that the fraternity is an opportunity to do philanthropic work, etc: If TCD students want to do philanthropic work, or make new friends, then there are plenty of opportunities in college to do so. The creation of a sorority would not mitigate the harm done in creating this divisive culture - in fact, we have seen the harm that a ‘separate but equal’ notion can have in the Black Civil Rights movement. I have nothing against the people involved on a personal level, but I am disappointed that they have set up a divisive society in a college that prides itself on equality and inclusivity; and still more disappointed at the amount of people that don’t see the harm that these kinds of societies create.

Nicola Byrne, Founder of 11890 Directory Inquiries I think I can give you a different answer every day depending on the mood I’m in but what I’ve worked out, at least what I think I’ve worked out, is that men in general don’t

want to be burdened with all the crap that women want to off-load on a daily basis, that’s something you should keep for your girl friends or therapist. So if you want good relationships with all the men in your life, the best thing to do is to be present in their company and enjoy good conversation and have fun! However you define fun is your business!

Matthew Corbally, Auditor, DU Gender Equality Society If I was to pick one thing I loved/hated about men in Ireland, it would be the particular kind of black humour and irrelevant banter that is popular among Irish Men, and the prohibition of any serious discussion of feelings and emotional problems that exist within male culture.

Jean Sutton, Co-Editor, Siren What do I think of men? I have never really considered that question before. I suppose I don’t think of them, at least not in such an abstract manner. Men are my father, brother, uncles, cousins, classmates, coworkers and friends. Some are my antagonists. Most don’t belong under the same umbrella. In relation to the ‘fraternity’ I don’t have any comment to make. I doubt the young men involved expect my approval or care about my condemnation.

Fiona Hyde, Co-Editor, Siren All men are bastards.

Illustrated are Ivana Bacik (above), David Norris (above left) and Fiona Hyde (below left). Illustrations by Kerstina Mortensen (mortenk@tcd.ie).

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TIMESOPINION

Tuesday, March 20 2012 | The University Times

TIMESSPORTS The Final Trinity Player Irish youth football systems put Coming to terms with rejection is one of the hardest things that a young person with aspirations must overcome. In the final edition of this column, The Trinity Player discusses his departure from the English Football League, and highlights the difficulty involved in turning your focus away from professional sport.

“FANCY GOING to the dogs tonight mate?” asked one of our senior players at the club as he tried to console me after I received unexpected news that my contract would not be renewed, meaning that I was effectively no longer affiliated to the club. I was numb with shock and disappointment and I can tell you now, a trip to watch a bunch of greyhounds was the last thing on my mind. Although, I do appreciate he was just trying to cheer me up. My last season at the club was a roller coaster of emotions to put it mildly. I had experienced the highs of making five appearances in the English Premiership including my debut against Liverpool and the lows of not being able to impose myself on the team on a regular basis and enjoy a sustained career in football. The club were relegated that season and there were numerous players’ heads on the chopping board including myself, who would go onto pastures new. It was a turbulent season with the management changing three times. One minute you may be in with a shout, the next you are yesterday’s news. That’s football. It’s opinionated and there are a number of variables why your face doesn’t fit. As an old Manager said to me, “the conveyer belt is always running”. In my own situation, I suspected the worst when a number of players started returning from injury and I with others were ultimately pushed towards the back of the pecking order. As a 21 and a half year old, this was difficult to take. After leaving the club you experience a period of isolation and dejection. You know in your heart you have given it your very best shot, but this was not meant to be at that time. I slowly but surely gathered my thoughts and then commenced on my next journey. I sought advice on my next move because I was in complete limbo land, as you would expect. The assistance some of the mentors and senior players gave me was valuable. They were of the opinion that it didn’t matter what country you played your football in. If you were playing well enough, then another club (in the UK) would be interested sooner or later. This rings true for the League of Ireland who provided no less than eight former players for one of Trappatoni’s recent squads. I trialled with a couple of clubs in England, but I felt the best decision for me personally was to setup base again in Ireland with a League of Ireland team. I also had another issue in that I arrived back in Ireland with a blank slate in terms of my education and CV. I took the decision as a 17-year-old to venture over to the UK without completing my formal education…The Leaving Cert. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was not going to decline an offer to become a professional footballer. However, I was mentally prepared that I would need to start my education again if things did not materialise in football. I applied for a Post Leaving Cert course in Computer Skills and managed to get in as a ‘mature student’ at 21. For this I was extremely grateful to the college principal and I felt appreciated again. It was a strange feeling stepping into a classroom again, but it was completely necessary. Subsequently, I was offered a position in a large Insurance company in their IT department after my course, so things were looking better for me. During this period I also played League of Ireland and in the Northern Ireland league, so felt I was getting the best of both worlds. I began to settle in well to my newly found employment and started to visualise what other paths this could lead me to. My head had started to turn in terms of what I wanted outside football and I became interested in furthering my education. I distinctly remember a day looking in the front gates of Trinity College in awe of the place, but had pretty much convinced myself that an institution with such stature would never accept me.

connection to Trinity College starts. I discovered that I would be eligible to enrol on one of the evening Degree courses at Trinity and to be honest; this was a massive opportunity which I gladly embraced with open arms. The duration of the course was to be five years and I knew the moment I set foot in the College, my football would need to be sacrificed as I was also working during the day. It is one of the best decisions I ever made and my graduation day for the B.Sc in Information Systems Degree five years later would rival any day I’ve ever had. It was the just the culmination of hard work and endeavour that satisfied me. Someone from Trinity was telling me the last day a rampant rumour was spreading around the college that the mystery writer of these Trinity Player articles was the great ‘Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’! I nearly fell off my seat with hysterical laughter when I heard that one. Ok, I’m not in any way as famous as some of you may have hoped so apologies if that were the perception given! However in truth, I am more like one of you guys. My name is Rory Ginty, a former Professional Footballer with Crystal Palace FC between 1994-1998 and I am now a proud Trinity Graduate. I have managed to carve out a career in the ever changing IT industry since then. Fifteen years ago I thought I would ply my trade in stadiums up and down the UK as a career. Fifteen years from now? Who knows, life is an adventure. I have very fond memories of my time as a footballer which give me a chuckle occasionally starting with the dressing room favourite - Putting deep heat in someone’s jocks whilst he was in the shower and the roars of pain after - A Lad training in the nip as punishment for poor crossing in training Some lads coming into training with bronze tans in the middle of winter after a few sunbed sessions - One of our Managers giving out to everyone in the dressing room for not reading broadsheet papers instead of the Sun - The wannabe wags hanging off the arms of some of our players - Lads feigning injury - The bling.…I could go on. Some footballers live in a world that is a complete removal from reality. Other notable highlights apart from the absolute privilege I had of existing in this environment were the o p - portunities to play top class football. Quite simply, that was everything for me. I also played against Ruud Gullit in a friendly and that was just awe inspiring to see this giant of a man move so gracefully around the pitch and manipulate the football with such ease. On the other hand, this is a tough ruthless business and it is sad to see so many kids shown the exit door with little else to fall back on after. How would I advise a kid now? It totally depends on circumstances; every kid’s background is different. There are a lot of things you need to weigh up including where they are going to and what stage of life they are at. Personally, I would not change anything about the route I decided to take. However, I knew that if football did not work out as planned, I had to be prepared to start afresh. These opportunities don’t come along very often so it really comes down to how badly you want it. I would say an ideal route is via the League of Ireland where a large number of Irish players have managed to unearth successful careers in England and travelled over at a more mature age. Anyway, I have enjoyed writing these articles for the University Times and reliving a few memories. Many thanks to Jack Leahy and his crew for facilitating my monthly contribution to the paper. If you want to give me any feedback on the articles written over the past 6 months or indeed would like to contact me for any advice similar to my experience, please feel free anytime to drop me a line at rvginty@gmail.com

That’s footbal. It’s opinionated and there are a number of variables where your face doesn’t fit.

Quite honestly, I found the readjustment from Full time to Part time football difficult because it was not my whole life anymore and I reached a stage where I had split interests between either persevering with my football or to enhance my future career prospects by taking on an Undergraduate Degree by nights. Here’s where my

All the very best in the upcoming exams. Rory

under surveillance With the consummate ease that continetal countries like Spain and Italy produce world class footballing talent, sports writer Jack Leahy questions why Irish and English clubs fail to do this, and casts his eye over some of the potential superstars that Dublin has to offer. CLUTCHING TIGHTLY to my approved Garda vetting form, I stood alone on the sideline of an uneven pitch, squinting to make out a proud mother celebrate her child’s every hurried touch of the ball. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how I’ve spent an awful lot of time over the last six weeks as I prepare to make some statements on youth soccer in Dublin that are informed by observation and statistics. In the light of England’s crisis of youth footballing culture and the various recommendations put forward in light of Spain’s rise to the top of the world, I decided to see what values and styles were being promoted in Ireland’s youth leagues and what type of player was being sidelined by the coaches. I realise that this is just a Dublin survey, but as long as studying English Literature and History is my major occupation then this is all I’ll be able to do. I attended six games in total, three of which I believe are worthy of further analysis. One was an U12s game between primary school teams on the north side of the city, one was an U14s game on the south east coast, and the third was an U16s game on the west side. U12s - Big kids don’t cry because they win When I arrived at this game, I was surprised to find that this game of little people

was to be played on the same pitch used for adult teams. It was almost as wide as it was long, which I noted would give an immediate and probably unbeatable advantage to the bigger team. The coach of the visibly weaker team muttered something to me about watching out for ‘route one’ football and gestured in the direction of an U12 who was almost as tall as I am. The game begins with the traditional kick-off and proceeds with the nontraditional surge forward from the centre circle to the edge of the penalty area, the ‘big lad’ in possession the whole time. His cocky toebog trickled wide, with the goalkeeper - half the height of the goal he is defending looking relieved. The physically imposing away side quickly stamp their mark on the game, creating another similar chance through a long pass along the ground from the centre of defense. ‘Big lad’ sprints onto the ball and is only stopped by his own hesitancy, which sees him try to round the keeper too late. Attempts from the physically weaker home side to clear the ball prove futile, as the huge pitch sees them hand the ball back to the opposition every time. The first goal arrives after four passes, the second after two, and the third brings an end to a solo run from inside the player’s own half. Who scored it? You’re of course correct, the ‘big lad’. This stuff almost writes itself. Meanwhile, the home side string together 12 passes but can’t force their way into the opposition third because they can only maintain possession when it doesn’t involve getting too close to their rough opposition. Incredibly, the league forbids sliding tackles, and a player from the home side is shown a yellow card - that’s right, an eleven-year old shown a card - for a near perfect sliding tackle. The only tackle permitted is the standing tackle, a form of

dispossession that favours the physical over the technical and disallows for fair contest of the ball at this age of varying development. Incredibly, the referee persists on awarding foul throws against eleven year-olds. Basic stop-watch calculations result in a 74-36 percentage split in terms of home and away possession, yet the home team are left to reflect on a 4-0 defeat for their troubles. Afterwards, the manager-cum-teacher explains to me that the pitch issue is not an isolated one: ‘’You see that all over the country. Football is popular enough that clubs ad schools have a load of teams, but a lot of them only have one or two pitches to share between lots of age groups. We usually play on a much smaller pitch appropriate to the age group; the step-up required in fitness, physicality, and game style just proves impossible from game to game’. U14s: 8-10-2 Arriving to a game already underway to see a packed midfield was no surprise in that a lot of youth games tend to consist of ballfollowing rather than tactics. To learn that both teams of 13-year olds had chosen to line up 4-5-1 was pretty shocking. The standard formation in the game is 4-4-2 and that’s what kids have been brought up on for years. Very few underage coaches employ the deceptively intricate 4-3-3 and rightly so, but I can imagine no reason at all why two sides would need to line up so defensively. I make a note to ask the coach afterwards. The step up in age means that we have fewer outstanding big lads. It has to be presumed that neither side budgeted for the other reproducing its formation, as the game quickly descends into long balls aimed in the direction of the lone front man, a tactic that falls foul to the existence of a

quasi-holding midfielder regardless of who is in possession. A dire first half is brought to a close, and I hope to some deity or other than one of the coaches will seize the initiative at half time, change a few things around, and open up the game. Not a hope; we return to the same impotent long-ball game probing resulting in absolutely nothing. 15 minutes into the second half and we haven’t had as much as a shot on goal. Screw asking the coach after the game - I have a history essay to write; I’m out of here. I find out later on via the club’s Twitter that the game finished in a ‘tight 0-0 draw’. Inspirational. U16s: A bit of hope, but just a bit I decide to introduce myself to the home coach before the game, with the away coach nowhere to be seen. He’s immediately keen to gush about how his side will play, telling me that: ‘While we’re 6th or 7th in the league, we love to pass the ball. I think that’s important. The kids love Barcelona and while we’ll never play like them, it’s nice to uphold that spirit’. Admirable. The issue, however, is that this aspiring Guardiola sets his midfield up with two wingers and two deep-lying central midfielders, with both distributing from the centre of the park á la modern-day Paul Scholes rather than acting as a link between play á la Xavi. This leads to a lot of lost possession against an opposition playing 4-4-2 but set up to attack. It is nice to see a football team set up to play the game, but it’s hard to imagine how these guys don’t get disheartened by putting together 10 passes in their own half before losing it in the midfield and conceding 3 goals in the first half. I muse that an unwillingness to play fast, exciting football and have a mid-

fielder surge forward must be why we produce Glen Whelans and Keith Fahys while other countries produce Andres Iniestas and Javier Pastores. The game, which ends in a 4-0 defeat for pseudo-tiki-takis, is summed up by the fourth goal, which comes from a counter-attack after possession was regained from a long ball from the centre of the pitch towards a winger. I’m not making any claims to having undertaken a thorough study of underage teams in Ireland, or even Dublin. Nonetheless, I believe the above findings of randomly-selected football clubs represent something. Draw your own conclusions, but mine is that football culture in Ireland is not one that encourages the beautiful side of the beautiful game. The kids are alright, but the coaching and tactics aren’t. Much has been said recently in the media about the level of coaching expertise in youth academies in Britain, compared to similar existing set-ups in Spain and Italy. This has been brought to light because of Barcelona’s dominance in Europe and their domestic transfer policy. Allegedly, the Barcelona organisation will never take steps to import players, particularly South Amercican players, while they have a player of the same standard and position at the club. This policy has lead to a resurgence in homegrown talent coming out of Spanish clubs, not just Barcelona. A byproduct of this is the increased depths of the domestic talent pool that national coaches have to choose from. Spain don’t have just the best 1st XI, but also the best 2nd and 3rd XI, and by a substantial amount. It seems British and Irish clubs will never get the blend right until they start to teach youngsters more efficiently from the ground up.

Trinity students find sailing groove Matthew Rye Sports Editor

TRINITY STUDENTS Diana Kissane and Saskia Tidey were in sailing action for the Junior World Championships in Takapuna, New Zealand in January. The pair teamed up in September of this year and competed against a host of other countries in the seaside settlement near Auckland in New Zealand. The Championships took place over six days of racing in generally favourable sailing conditions. There were some choppy waves around, but the wind was strong and there was nothing but sunny skies for the duration of the week’s sailing. Of course, the standard of competition was incredibly high, as was to be expected with an international competition such as this. Kissane and Tidey got off to a rough start in New Zealand, eventually being disqualified from the second day’s racing for breaching the international sailing rules starting procedures. However, the managed to dig deep and make the best of their sailing ability, climbing their way up the leader-board to claim a sixth place finish at the end of the final day, brushing off much heavy competition in the interim. Speaking to The University Times, Diana Kissane was upbeat about both the re-

Trinity students Diana Kissane and Saskia Tidey in action at the Junior World Sailing Championships in New Zealand sulting finish and about the level of experience gained by both her and her teammate. “It was an incredible experience and a great first outing for the team. Despite how tough it was, we’re both very glad we went.” Kissane also alluded to the ever-expanding sailing schedule that the team faces and the prospect of returning to Dublin Bay to practice. “We’ve got a

packed schedule ahead of us now and we’ve jumped back into reality by having to train in chilly Dublin Bay.” When asked about her longterm goals, Kissane said she hopes to someday represent Ireland on the international circuit. “Long term goals would involve hopefully representing Ireland on the senior circuit or in a number of events.”

The sailing team will continue their season well into the summer. Long-term international prospects being all too few and far between in Trinity, it’s good to see two young people fighting for the opportunity to represent their country one day. Ireland have traditionally had substantial exploits at sailing at an international level, so should either of

these potential superstars make it, they will be entering one of the sports at which a considerable amount of resources are already disposed.

The University Times | Tuesday, March 20 2012

TIMESSPORTS

EVERYTHING FOR THE MOTHERLAND? Fionn O’Dea, Jack Leahy and Matthew Rye discuss their views on the Stephen Ireland debate, which has resurfaced following qualification to the European Championships in June. The question being asked is a simple one: Should Stephen Ireland go to Poland/Ukraine?

Fionn O’Dea Sports Writer

THE MOTTO of the Irish soccer team (and government for that matter) may as well have been “beggars can’t be choosers” for quite some time now. Since Jack Charlton first invoked the Granny Rule in the eighties, we have taken what we can get from other countries, ranging from the sublime (Houghton, Aldrige, Townsend) to the forgettable (Joe ‘Who?’ Lapira). Therefore, when a genuine talent from these shores emerges, it is difficult not to get excited about it, take the reaction to James McClean’s recent début for example. It is even more difficult for the country to shun such a talent. What makes it easier is when that talent shuns his country. A year after Stephen Ireland’s début in green, he togged out as his country’s soccer team took to the field in Croke Park for the first time. His goal late in the first half against the Welsh that day gave Ireland a famous victory. Only months previously, he had played an equally crucial role in a far less happy memory for Irish fans as his 94th minute winner rescued us from a humiliating 1-1 draw against San Marino. His departure from the squad in September 2007 in a blaze of lies signalled a period of exile from which he vowed he would never return. His recent comments in the launch edition of The Sun on Sunday, however, indicated that a return is possible. While not close to Saipan levels, the issue of a potential return splits Irish fans who have, during his absence, sung “Ohh Stephen Ireland. He used to be Irish but he’s English now”. I cannot warm to the idea of someone who left the team amid a series of mistruths, vowing never to return; deciding that he wants in once the good times return. The team that Ireland left, the team that needed him, is gone. The team that Cyprus hammered, that San Marino humbled, and that Steve Staunton left languishing in sub-mediocrity has been replaced by a team that has reached successive play-offs for major championships. Though it may be cynical, you can’t but assume that to some degree our improved fortunes have coaxed Ireland out of his formally seemingly perpetual absence. It is not simply a grudge that makes me cautious about welcoming Ireland back into the international frame. There is no denying the exile of Roy Keane, much like Ireland, was to a large degree self-imposed. His return was almost unanimously viewed as a positive step though, on balance, I can’t quite regard a potential Stephen Ireland return in the same way. Some

might say that we could use Ireland’s creativity in our woefully unsexy midfield. However, our lack of creativity is not the result of the players at out disposal but rather of the conservative system employed by Trapattoni. Of late we have seen players emerging that could fill the creative void in midfield should the manager choose to adopt a system that would accommodate them. There has been general concern that potential up-and-comers have found it difficult to come by game time under Trapattoni. Without doubt, Ireland’s inclusion would stutter the progress of Seamus Coleman, James McClean, and James McCarthy, as well as the likes of midfielders Robbie Brady and Conor Clifford, on the books at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. There is a tendency for Irish fans to want what we can’t have, elevating absentees to almost heroic stature. Andy Reid’s continued absence under el Trap had Eamon Dunphy moaning that the exclusion “happening to the one player we need to solve our problems on the field”. Though I was as baffled as everyone else as to Reid’s absence, I was equally perplexed at the widespread notion at the time that he was our Messiah in waiting. Ireland, while talented, is no Messiah either. He is currently a member of a squad struggling in 15th place in the Premier League. He has not delivered on his promise at Manchester City and I do not believe that the benefits of his inclusion in a squad that has managed nicely without him outweigh the upheaval that could be caused by his return. The average national squad consists of 25-odd players. Not many would argue that Ireland is not one of the 25 best Irish players out there. I’ll never say never, there’s a chance that someday I’ll change my mind. But for now, Ireland is still the player who Trapattoni felt would not look him in the eye when the two met for clear the air talks. Beggars can’t be choosers... Maybe just this once.

Jack Leahy Sports Writer

I ABSOLUTELY believe that Giovanni Trappatoni should pick up the phone and offer Stephen Ireland the performancepending opportunity to represent his country at Euro 2012. Football is at its worst when the back pages dominated by concerns that politicise, detract from, or undermine the presence of twenty-two players on a pitch competing for a ball. With a major tournament fast approaching, Trap should be prioritising the compilation of the most talented group of footballers born in or entitled to represent the Republic of Ireland, a group to which there can be no doubt that Ireland belongs. When Ireland lied about the death of his maternal grandmother to earn compassionate leave from a squad to face the Czech Republic in 2007, he was not trying to get out of a commitment that he did not want to fulfil. Rather, his false excuse amounts to a poorlyexecuted attempt to keep from public conversation the news that his girlfriend had suffered a miscarriage. His motivations are understandable but his execution was that of a misguided young man. Since then, Ireland has been cast as the Cromwellian, Guinness-denying, tricolour-burning enemy of the Republic, excommunicated from the national team in part by his own stupid comments and in part by a disproportionate hatred levelled in his direction by the Irish public. He’s not perfect, but the time has come for a mutual disregard of bygones. What Ireland has always lacked is a mentor, a valuable subrole of a manager that Mark Hughes, Sven Goran Eriksson, Alan Pardrew and Alex McLeish have never been able to perform. While Trappatoni would admittedly have little contact time with the Corkman even if he was a regular fixture in the national squad, it is a job that could easily be semi-delegated to his two most senior players and Ireland’s Villa team-mates Shay Given and Richard Dunne. It’s a job whose deadline is fast encroaching but can nonetheless be completed in time for the Euro 2012 Championships

in Poland and Ukraine. At his best, Ireland is an extraordinary talent. In 2008 he was one of the top performers in the league as Manchester City began to invest in talent to supplement what talent already existed in the team. While he has admittedly fallen from those dizzy heights, he has shown the kind of form in flashes this season that could easily turn into game-changing performances with the right head-down attitude and encouragement. Trap favours his settled powerhouse midfield of Andrews and Whelan, but Ireland could, if performances merited, play a massive role from the bench in the likely event that Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta hold up to the challenge of the Andrews-Whelan axis. Let’s not forget how well Villa played in the three weeks in which the spine of its team was composed of Given, Dunne, Ireland, and Keane. Of course I do not expect Trapattoni to arrive at Ireland’s door somewhere in Birmingham, fall to his knees and kiss his feet; both sides need to make concessions of pride for a decision that benefits the quality of the Irish team to be reached. Ireland has to realise that he has, in many ways, dug his own grave, and cannot hide behind his immaturity and lack of mentor for the rest of his career. This is, however, not beyond him, having issued an apology regarding ‘Grannygate’ that many seem to forget out of convenience. A public display of deference to the great big Italian and a full admission that he made some terrible decisions over the last five years would be enough for the levelheaded fan. No doubt that there will be plenty, however, of those who will never forgive. Stephen Ireland is an idiot and I’m not afraid to admit that. However, if he can find within himself the form that took him to the top of his game in 2008/09 and the humility to issue a public apology to the nation and his team-mates, he should be on the plane to Poland and Ukraine.

Matthew Rye Sports Editor NO PLAYER is bigger than the team. No matter what circumstances surround the situation, this little piece of reality seems to have been played with by any individual with a disproportionate ego-to-talent ration. That list consists of a multitude of incredible players, including two-time offender Carlos Tevez, and the irrepressible Roy Keane. But no matter what the individual, the conclusion is always the same. No player can win a game by themselves, Stephen Ireland is no exception. The circumstances surrounding Ireland’s departure are indeed unfortunate. Rumours emanating at the time of the incident included a rather distasteful anecdote about the removal of his recently acquired hair implants. The manager at the time, Steve Staunton , who didn’t handle the situation impeccably, refused to discipline any of the Irish alleged culprits, leaving to Ireland’s refusal to play. As previously stated, these are just rumours that have no factual basis, but they woul explain a large amount about Stephen’s Ireland’s dramatic exodus. Alas I digress, but return to the issue at hand. Stephen Ireland is a brilliant footballer, up to the standard, though probably not quite as disciplined, as John Giles or Liam Brady. His natural ability to see passes or the runs of team-mates before they happen is something that cannot be taught. This is the type of creativity and guile that is distinctly lacking in the current Irish midfiled axis. The type of quality that Irish midfield has not been graced with since the emergence of Roy Keane. Sadly, the comparisons with Roy Keane do not end there. Like Ireland, Keane had a disagreement with an Ireland manager which culminated in him returning from Saipan and missing out on, ironciallly, the last major tournament that Ireland qualified for. Like Keane, he has the opportunity for redemption, but unlike Keane, only if he chooses so. Nobody is going to beg Stephen Ireland back, and nor should they. Someone who walks out on the national team, a team which thousands of prospective footballers would give anything to play for, isn’t going to be somebody who contributes to the long-term success of the team. They aren’t going to toil, to graft, to give every stride for their country. It’s a question of core values, and seemingly, this is where Stephen Ireland comes short. You may criticise the current midfield pairing of Barry Andrews and

Keith Fahey for their shortcomings in the areas of creativity and flair, but there is very little arugment against the fact that they don’t give 100 per cent to every game. They both work tirelessly, they both defend well, they communicate and galvanise. They show promise in the area of breaking up attacks, something which will be all too necessary against the passand-move tactics of Spain and Italy. For the most part, things are in Stephen Ireland’s hands. Should he want to return to the Irish set-up, there will most certainly those who believe that Ireland should be welcomed back a la The Prodigal Son. However, could anybody really blame Trappatoni were he to not not pick Ireland, and instead choose an array of midfielders including Fahey, Andrews, Glen Whelan and perhaps James McCarthy? Apart from the fact that Ireland more-or-less vowed not to be part of Irish set-up again, he imply doesn’t fit the system that Trap has put in place. Jack Charlton once said of Liam Brady, “He’s one of the best players in the world, but he doesn’t fit my system” Brady was effectively excluded from the international competitions that Ireland qualified for under Charlton’s tenure. Does Ireland not fit the same description? He’s a fantastic passer of the ball, and has a penchent for goalscoring. But passing is only about 50 per cent of the game. Even less when Spain are your opponents. Maybe he doesn’t fit the system, maybe he’ll upset the trustworthy dynamic that Trappatoni has worked hard to implement since his arrival at the Irish base. I have no doubt that Stephen Ireland somewhat regrets his actions in the incidents which ultimately led to his departure from the squad. I also think that, despite Trappatoni’s system, Ireland would be a certainty to board the plane to Poland if it were based on ability. Trappatoni was hired by the FAI to improve the progress Ireland was making in international competitions. Should Trap feel that bringing Stephen Ireland will increase Ireland’s already slim chances of progressing from the group stage, then that should be the end of the debate. We’re not trying to solve the Middle East here. This isn’t a politically volatile situation, this is a case of a footballer who became too big for his boots. My argument is that despite his predicament, Trappatoni might feel that you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken. Ultimately, it’s the manager’s decision, and nobody can criticise Trap for the decision he makes, as he has arguably taken Ireland futher than anyone could have anticipated.

Premier League race will go down to the wire. Again. Matthew Rye Armchair Footballer PROBABLY ONE of the reasons that the Premier League is renowned and respected leagues in the world is to do with the amount of surprises that the League tosses up. Whether it’s Fernando Torres’ lack of goalscoring form, or Blackburn overcoming Manchester United at Old Trafford, the Prem never fails to surprise even the most loyal of its followers year after year. However, last weekend a surprise of the worse kind hit the footballing world as Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba collapsed during a match against Spurs, suffering from cardiac arrest. While he still remains in a critical condition, we wish to send out our prayers to his friends and family. It’s to the current champions and league leaders that we first focus on. Since back-to-back losses to Newcastle United and the aforementioned Blackburn Rovers, Sir Alex Furguson’s side have dropped only two points in thier last ten games, coming from a miraculous 3-3 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The return of the evergreen Paul Scholes and a goal-scoring vein of form for the talismanic Wayne Rooney, has galvanised the side, who now sit pretty at the top of the table, four points ahead of noisy neighbours Manchester City, having played one more game. The latest of their wins coming in a 5-0 drubbing of Wolverhampton Wanderers this past weekend. City have failed to match United’s pace, losing four of their last away games and falling 1-0 victims to Brendan Rogers’ giant-killing Swansea side last weekend. The drop in form for City seems to be directly correlated with how close Carlos Tevez is to returning for Roberto Mancini’s team. The Argentine striker has returned to Manchester following his unofficial sabbatical, and hopes to integrate himself into the

starting line-up at the City of Manchester stadium. Balotelli’s luck seems to be running out as well, coming under fire recently for his antics again. The advantage in the race for the Title has undoubtadly shifted towards the red half of Manchester, and pundits point to City’s challenging upcoming run of games in order to stop United from claiming their 20th title. City next face in-form Chelsea at home. AVB was unceremoniously sacked from his job at Stamford Bridge, leading to a raft of potential candidates opening themelves up for the position. None of these however may hold a candle next to Roberto DiMatteo (RDM?) whose appearance in Chelsea’s hot seat appears to have encouraged a rich vein of form in the Chelsea Old Guard. Drogba, Lampard and Terry have become kindred spirits in recent weeks, securing them access to a FA Cup semi-final and a quarterfinal draw against Benfica in The UEFA Champion’s League. In the League, they;ve stabilized their posiiton in 5th and look to close in on the Champions League qualifying positions held by both North London clubs. Harry’s Spurs have experienced somewhat of a lull in recent weeks, losing three games on the bounce to Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton. The once substantial gap between Spurs and rivals Arsenal has been closed to a miserly 1 point. Pundits must question whether the England manager’s vacancy is affecting the morale of the Spurs team, as the performances have taken a real hit in recent months. While Capello’s successor is to be determined, it seems the vacancy will unsettle theSpurs players and fans alike until the situation is resolved. Arsene Wenger’s gunners seemed to have picked up the slack from Tottenham’s slump in form, winning four on the run, including a Thomas Vermaelen injury time winner against Newcastle. The competition for the European football spots this season seem to be heating up, with Arsenal,

Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool all punching it out for a top four finish. While things at both ends of the table appearing to be tightnening up, several in-form teams seem to be making there way progressively up the table. Fulham, West Bromich Albion and Sunderland have all enjoyed recent successes against big clubs and currently looking to secure top-half of the table finishes. Fulham’s new signing from Russia, Pavel Pogrebnyak, has scored five goals in three starts and looks to have all the attributes to survive in the English game. Similarly, Sunderland’s promising young Irish youngster James McLean looks to have settled down well into the new O’Neill set-up, and Sunderland’s climb up the table shows no signs of slowing down. Closer to the bottom of the table, it’s becoming clearer who’s going to be fighting for spaces in the Premier League next season. Wolves, Wigan and Queen’s Park Rangers currently sit in the relegation places, but they’re very little to separate them from Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers above them. Aston Villa look in slightly better position, but are still not fully safe. Wolves look completely lost at sea, following back-to-back hammerings from Fulham and Manchester United. New manager Terry Connor seems to have had a baptism of fire of sorts, and they’ve struggled to score enough golas in recent weeks, which could lead to their downfall. Wigan are playing some of their best football of the season so far, but haven’t been able to convert it into enough points. They’ve failed to win at home since December, and have the toughest fixture run-in of any club in the bottom half. With a title race set to be decided by the Manchester derby on April 30th, and a relegation battle for the ages to enjoy, the typical dramatic conclusion to the season shows no signs of slowing up.

Manchester’s Managers: Alex Ferguson’s (above) and Roberto Mancini’s teams comprise the two horse race for the Premier League title.

UTsports Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Inside

Should Stephen Ireland be on the plane to the Euros?

Twitter: @Sports_UT

DUAFC lose out to top-ranked Dublin Rebels in Santry Melanie Giedlin Multimedia Editor

AGAINST BRACING cold and formidable opponents on March 10, Trinity America Football played their first home game of the IAFL 2012 season against the Dubli Rebels. Ultimately losing 52-18, Trinity fought hard to bring down the #1 ranked team i the League. After having lost the previous game 58-8 in Limerick against the Universit of Limerick Vikings, Trinity was out to prove that they could pick themselves up. The Rebels would prove to be a challenge in a game marked by tough hits and an even tougher offensive line. In the first, Rebels quarterback Andrew Dennehy and wide receiver Gary Sommerville were able to pull off two touchdowns, giving their team a lead early on and adding a safety to make the score 16-0. The first quarter saw Trinity only in possession once, though 2011 IAFL MVP Rob McDowell scored a key touchdown to give Trinity their first 6 points. With the Rebels leading in the second quarter the Trinity defensive line kicked it into top gear, and with only 2 minutes left on the clock it was key that they keep pushing back the Rebels notoriously strong offense. After the Rebels nearly completed a pass in the end zone, a major altercation happens on the field when Trinity ball carrier Tato Treviño is tackled. As this is happening on the 40-yard line, the altercation escalates and most of the players on the field rush in to defend their teammates and calm the situation down. In the aftermath, Rebels Defensive Tackle Fillipo Bertoli is dismissed from the game and the refs rule a foul and a personal foul against the Rebels and a personal foul against Trinity. After a tense halftime, the Rebels gained yardage as their pass plays brought them to Trinity’s 25 yard-line, and after a fumbled interception by Trinity captain and linebacker David Barker on 3rd down, Rebels receiver Sommerville scores another touchdown. Realizing that the game is on the line, the Trinity defense pulled it together and their somewhat slow footwork turned into a series of impressive blocks

by their tackles, in particular the cohesion between their linebackers in forming a solid line against the Rebels offense. In possession after another Rebels touchdown, explosive tight end Alex Gurnee powered through the Rebels defense and received a pass from quarterback Dan Flynn, to be taken down by a Rebels’ tackle. Adept at covering the back corner of the field, Gurnee showed that with Flynn he could help Trinity recover in the 3rd quarter. The Rebels struggled as Trinity boxed them in on the 3rd down and Rebels receiver fumbled a pass. In the 4th quarter, Trinity offense brought out their main weapon McDowell who brought the score to 38-18 after a streak down the field, and tried to gain yardage through deep passes. With aggression running high, there were an increased number of both penalties being called as well as injuries, and Trinity suffered from the loss of a few key players in their defense, especially linebacker Stephen Carton, who had earlier in the game returned an interception for a touchdown. However, through Rebels may have had size on their side, Trinity used smart game play and a cohesive defensive line to outmaneuver their opponents nearing the end of the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, with 2 minutes left and Trinity in possession an incomplete pass to Gurnee and the take down of running back Josh Megan near the 15 yard line rattled Trinity, and the Rebels caught an interception to make a return and cement the final score at 52-18. Though losing to the Rebels and suffering from weaker than usual pass plays, Trinity retained what defines the Trinity football program: a commitment to focus, intensity, and concrete leadership both on and off the field. As coach Darren O’Toole noted after the game, Trinity had started off the season facing both the first and second ranked teams in the country; these first few games were hurdles that gave Trinity the chance to improve. Judging by a post-Patrick’s Day 19-16 victory against the Carrickfergus Knights on March 18, Trinity is only getting started and is ready to take on whatever the season throws their way.

Dublin Rebels Quarterback Andrew Dennehy fights off opposition from the Trinity Defensive Line to unleash a long pass downfield. Dennehy’s arm was one of the many weapons used by the powerful Rebels offense. Photo Ben McQuillan

Basketball Ladies fall in numbers leads to valiant defeat against UCC Rebecca O’Keeffe Sports Writer

NORMALLY WHEN a team reaches a semifinal they increase training sessions or do something to ensure they have every chance of winning the game. What does Trinity ladies basketball team do upon reaching the semi against UCC? Forfeit. What team cannot get enough players to play a Varsity League semi-final despite getting ten to fifteen people at training every week? Some players, unhappy with the forfeit, decided to contact UCC and revoke the forfeit hoping that that was even possible. Thus ensued the scramble to convince their team mates to miss classes for just one day and trek down to Cork in oder to take part in the semi-final. The night before the game was due to be played, five players, now dubbed ‘The Cork 5’ for obvious reasons, were

eventually confirmed and in the absence of the head coach a replacement coach was recruited so that the Ladies basketball team could take part in their semi-final. So the next day they travelled down to UCC with every variable that possibly could go against them, falling against their favour. Now is probably appropriate to mention that UCC are last year’s Varsity winners, boasting an impressive scoring record as well as a typically hard-working defence. While TCD were the clear underdogs, they got off to a great start, even with the full court pressure put on by UCC’s point guard. Not only were UCC were unable to penetrate the zone defence put up by TCD but they were also losing the rebounding battle, in which Trinity seemed to want the win more. TCD took full advantage of this and were able to gain control of the match by setting the game to their own pace by taking smart shots and drives. UCC were clearly

taken aback and their coach even received a technical foul. However, UCC cashed in on the fact that Trinity had no subs and so they pushed the ball as much as they could by running in lay-ups. Matters weren’t helped when TCD started picking up fouls very quickly. The first quarter ended 18-11 in favour of UCC. This probably wasn’t a fair reflection on most of the first-quarter action, as Trinity were unlucky not to convert more of their possession into points. The second quarter saw more fast-breaks from UCC but also more outside shots and drives being converted by TCD and TCD only trailed by 8 at the half. However, early in the third quarter one of TCD’s players picked up her fifth foul and had to sit the remainder of the game out. Undeterred, TCD changed their defence and carried on, even managing to maintain their hold on the rebounds. Even still, this was not enough to stop UCC running the floor and pressing full

court to tire out TCD’s remaining four players. UCC led by 22 after the third. Yet, TCD did not give up determined to narrow the gap in the last quarter. Although fatigue had very much set in at this stage and UCC did not let up at any point during the game. There was too much of a lead to come back and UCC, deserving winners, ended with a final score of 73 to TCD’s 51.

Top Scorers for Trinity S. McGrath

R. O’Keeffe

A. McLaughlin :

Trinity Fencing retain IV title in swashbuckling style Gabriel Beecham DUFC Secretary IN THE most nerve-wracking Intervarsity Fencing Championships in several years, Dublin University Fencing Club has retained the Frank Russell Intervarsity Trophy for the fifth year in a row. The event, which took place over the weekend of 25- 26 February 2012 and featuring 12 different clubs from across the island of Ireland, ended in an extraordinarily close finish between DUFC, University College Dublin Fencing Club and University College Cork Fencing Club. All three colleges tied on match victories, each having won 28 of their 37 matches across the six weapons categories. Moreover, Trinity and UCD were further tied on the same number of individual bouts won minus bouts lost over the course of the weekend. Therefore, the overall title was decided by the raw number of bouts won by each club; DUFC triumphed by a single bout (165 to UCD’s 164). Trinity also won the Women’s Foil and Men’s Sabre events, this year being the first that physical trophies were awarded for the separate weapon competitions in addition to the trophy for the overall competition. For a team with such high expectations to

live up to, and with the vast majority of its members never having fenced before coming to college, the results are a testament to the teamwork, strength and unity of everyone who took part, as well as the many supporters who came to lend their voice on the sidelines. The weekend opened with Men’s Foil on Saturday. The DUFC side, led by club captain Ned Mitchell, came in second place, only losing a single match (against UCD) and coming out with six victories in all, one ahead of UCC who rounded out the top three. The match against UCD was tight and well fenced by both sides, with DUFC eventually losing 5-3. Saturday morning also saw the Men’s Épée event. DUFC’s team, consisting mostly of beginners, fared well until a meeting with University of Ulster saw them lose 5-4 in a close match. Former club captain, Alexander Shindler-Kelly, had travelled from London to make use of his “year of grace”, and returned from an injury to help the team regain lost ground; they did well to place a solid seventh in their weapon category. In Women’s Sabre, the side (led by Student Five Nations fencer Liz Fitzgerald) fought to an extremely close finish, missing out on the top spot by only three bouts, and only losing

one match all day to the eventual winners of the event, UCC. Thus, despite strong performances all around by DUFC, Saturday’s results left Trinity with no outright weapon victories, meaning that there was little room left for error and that it would be for the second day’s competitors to put DUFC back in the running. On Sunday, the Women’s Épée team were able to call on pentathlete and sports scholar Natalya Coyle, who won every bout she played, and former Irish champion Hannah Lowry-O’Reilly. Clodagh McCarthy-Luddy and Ciara Greene gave stunning performances in their first intervarsity appearances, aided in no small measure by fantastic levels of cheering from the piste-side supporters in some very tense matches. The team managed to reach second place in the Women’s Épée category, with UCC taking first place. Fencing action on Sunday culminated in impressive victories by the Women’s Foil and Men’s Sabre teams. The former, comprising Jenny Jennings, Geraldine Davies an intervarsity débutante Alicia Mitchell, won every match they played, including a nailbiting 5-4 victory over a strong UCD team led by Portuguese fencer Joana Ramalho.

They came away with the weapon trophy for Women’s Foil. Men’s Sabre dominated their field from the beginning, beating all the opponents in their category with a series of 5-0, 5-1 and 5-2 victories. Their hardest match was against UCD, but a fantastic performance by David Barker on his intervarsity début brought home the Men’s Sabre trophy. The competition was the biggest that Dublin University Fencing Club has organised since the club moved from Luce Hall to its new home in the Sports Centre in 2007. 43 teams from 12 different third-level institutions took part - among them, first appearances from fledgling clubs at Griffith College Dublin and the Institute of Technology, Carlow. Over the two days, 143 matches comprised of 954 individual bouts were fought, using 11 electronic fencing pistes set up in the Sports Centre’s Main Hall and Ancillary Hall. This year marks the 35th occasion on which Trinity has won the Irish Intervarsity Fencing Championships in the competition’s 58-year history. Following a number of years of UCD dominance in the middle of the last decade, DUFC wrestled the trophy back from UCD in Cork in 2008, before defending the crown in Coleraine, DCU, Galway, and now on home turf in Trinity.

Fencing Teams Men’s Foil: Ned Mitchell Declan Gibbons Li Dong Conor Traynor

Women’s Foil: Jenny Jennings Geraldine Davies Alicia Mitchell

Men’s Épée: Alexander Shindler-Kelly Vincent Roch Etienne Richard Niall O’Brien Riccardo Savona

Women’s Épée: Natalya Coyle Hannah LowryO’Reilly Clodagh McCarthy Luddy Ciara Greene

Men’s Sabre: Jack McHugh Chris Mills David Barker Aran Nolan Tadhg Garton

Women’s Sabre: Liz Fitzgerald Helen Naddy Claire Bargeles Ciara O’Connor