The Submarine VOL 10 NO 1
February 2015
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EDITORIAL Libraries are not just about books, as we all know. They also offer space and quiet, which are valuable commodities in these busy times. But when we say ‘not just about books’ we also mean that the ‘two pillars’ of libraries—that is imagination (fiction) and information (non-fiction)—can be provided in many forms. Thus we have laptops, PCs, iPads, e-readers, audiobooks and so on, as well as print material – whatever effectively carries the content. But these new technologies do have implications for how we read and learn. A fascinating article in New Scientist (30 October 2014), “Goodbye paper: what we miss when we read on screen”, highlights new and ongoing research in this area. Four points (of many) stand out: •
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Because we write much more slowly than we can type, longhand note-taking forces us to work through the ideas as we listen and choose which concepts to jot down. Because of this we retain more when taking notes by Marina Pollock hand. In electronic textbooks, additional features such as embedded links are supposed to help us learn. But some studies suggest they can distract us instead (sound familiar?) Clicking on too many links can make us lose the thread of what it is we are trying to learn. Learning letters by writing them by hand as we did as children produces measurable changes in brain activity compared with typing them. When we know we can look something up later, we are far less likely to remember it. What is more, we tend to recall how to find what we’ve been asked to learn, rather than the information itself.
A balanced approach is required, of course, because digital technology is here to stay. The important thing is to understand the changes that come with it the better to make use of its educational potential. Different skills may be required. Knowledge, or how we use it, might itself be changing. It may well be that recalling where to find a piece of information will become more useful than retaining (or sometimes forgetting) it. The brain likes short cuts because mental energy is expensive. We can certainly be optimistic: new technologies bring terrific opportunities, and, despite what advertising people tell us, they tend to complement existing systems rather than supersede them. People will bring a Kindle on holiday for convenience, but will prefer an actual book when they’re at home. It might well be that students who take handwritten notes in class or lectures do better than those who type away on laptops, and so note-taking will come back into fashion. Laptop users may find ways to deal with distractions, as even now we tend to ignore the ads that surround our emails. Remember too that books were once (and still are) considered dangerous, for they too externalise memory and experience, putting learning beyond the control of authority and so subverting orthodoxy. Equally fiction puts imagination beyond the control of society, often prioritising the personal over the societal and giving tacit approval to behaviours that might otherwise
be frowned upon. And, as New Scientist tells us, Socrates once decried writing for the same reasons we are suspicious of technology: it would, he claimed, erode memories and give the illusion of knowledge rather than the real thing. But if the librarian has one concern (and every generation is allowed to be concerned about the one following it) it’s this—technology has hugely reduced the physical effort required in our lives— accessing food, staying warm or cool, travelling, communicating, maintaining health etc. But it cannot do the same for mental effort, and while it certainly gives us instant access to unlimited information we still need to analyse and synthesise that information in order to form knowledge. It would be a genuine loss if, because of the entertainment value embedded in the technology or because of the prevalence of opinion and assertion that resides in social media, we mistake the tool for the content— and do indeed end up with Socrates’ illusion of knowledge. TMcC, Librarian ______________________________________________________ CONTENTS Paul Murray Visit, Seyilogo Braithwaite.................3 Arts Week..................................................................5 Snakes, Gabriel Chisholm……………...…………..6 Dhá Chorp, review, Nyla Jamieson……………….7 The Benefits of Literature, Valentina Ascencio Munoz……...........................8 Poetrees, Tanya Stokes…………………………….9 The Thrill of It All, review, Mr Swift……………10 SCC Book Club, Blanaid Sheeran………………..11 Stoicism Today, review, Dr Bannister…………...13 Appeal, Gabriel Ejase-Tobrise…………………….15 Who’s Thinking Me?..............................................16
Edward Johnson
WELCOME TO our latest edition of The Submarine, which we like to think of as a showcase of some of the artistic and writing talent here in St Columba’s. What’s particularly pleasing is the number of pupils who volunteered material – many thanks to them for taking that risk. Also to the staff members who helped them volunteer(!) We would like to think that in a small way The Submarine gives our contributors an early experience of the excitement of being published, and that that will encourage them in later endeavours. On that note it is a pleasure to read Dr Bannister’s review of Patrick Ussher’s book Stoicism Today. Patrick was one of the original editors of the Submarine when we started in 2004, so it is terrific to see him flourishing in Exeter University. The book, which he edits, is an invaluable guide to how we might find mental and moral equilibrium in pressured times and is highly recommended by Dr Bannister. Also in this issue Seyilogo Braithwaite reports on author Paul Murray’s visit to St Columba’s last October, we give advance notice of the upcoming inaugural Arts Week, Gabriel Chisholm explains his ophidiophobia, Nyla Jamieson reviews Dhá Chorp in Irish and English, Valentina Ascencio Munoz writes a sparkling essay on the benefits of literature, Tanya Stokes gives us her beautiful poem ‘Poetrees’, Mr Swift reviews Joseph O’Connor’s The Thrill of it all with a musician’s insight, Blanaid Sheeran espouses the SCC Book Club, Gabriel Ejase Tobrise appeals for support for the young schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria, and we get to hear a variety of views on fictional characters in Who’s Thinking Me. What more could you want? 2
Author visit: PAUL MURRAY BY SEYILOGO BRAITHWAITE
On Wednesday the 16th of October, Paul Murray visited St Columba’s for the first time to read a chapter from his Costa Novel nominated book, Skippy Dies. He read for about ten minutes in a raspy voice and read quite hurriedly as well which made it a little difficult for me to pick up some of the words he read. His reading was actually quite humorous gaining immense laughter from the crowd especially when he stopped to ask if he was allowed to swear. The characters in the book were extreme but realistic as well and I’m sure everyone in the Big School Room was able to relate to them. When the reading concluded, an hour long question time took place where students asked Paul different questions like: Were any characters in the book based on anyone real? Paul says that when he was getting the book published he had to speak to his publisher’s lawyers who had to ensure they couldn’t be sued over the book, so legally the book is all fiction but, of course, that is not the case. A character was based on the priest at his secondary school, Blackrock College, who hated the boys and was terrified of them having contact with the girls in Sion Hill which was a free (non-fee paying) school beside Blackrock. Some of the characters also resembled some of his friends slightly. When did you start writing Skippy Dies & how long did it take? He wrote the first chapter of Skippy Dies at the age of nineteen while sitting in Dunkin’ Donuts in the early ‘90s. According to him, Dublin was a very bleak, boring place in the ‘90s and when the American franchise came to Ireland, it was very exciting. He would sit there for hours and feel like he had escaped his boring life of going to mass every Sunday, eating carrots and his parents. Ten years later in 2002, he began writing a short story and decided he would connect that chapter he wrote when he was nineteen to the short story he was writing ten years later. The book took two years to finish writing and then five years to rewrite from over a thousand pages to a meagre six hundred and eighty which hurt. What did you study in university? From writing sketches in second form, short plays with the words written backwards and then short stories, Paul had always known he wanted to be a writer. So obviously, he studied English in university along with Philosophy. He had watched Woody Allen’s movie of a really cool philosopher who committed suicide a few times which was all his knowledge of philosophy. He went to his first lesson thinking philosophy was going to be about love, nature and life but it wasn’t. The philosophy being taught had a kind of mathematical aspect to it and he had to study it for three years which was really difficult. 3
Who was your role model? Paul loves a lot of authors but Thomas Pynchon is his favourite. A mysterious writer who wrote three books between the ‘60s and ‘70s. Pynchon is so secretive, he hasn’t been photographed since he was eighteen years of age. He likes how Pynchon does not care if his books sell and can’t be bothered with marketing and publicising. What is your daily routine? Margaret Thatcher slept for only for hours each day but Paul believes that starting work at 10:30am is respectable. He works for about three hours and then goes on a lunch break. Most times after he has eaten, his concentration fades and he cannot write anymore so he does research and writes emails. Eoin MacNeil, an English writer came to one of his lectures once and was asked how many hours a day he works and Eoin claimed that he worked for 14 hours which was probably untrue but depressed the class anyway. Woody Allenn said “80% of success is showing up.” Which is the motto Paul Murray lives by. Showing up to work is usually the hardest thing to do because he might be tempted to lie in bed or go to the movies rather than go to work but if he shows up to work and gets nothing done, at least he knows that he has tried. The reading was enjoyable and the question time even better. A lot more questions were asked but unfortunately couldn’t be included as this review would go on forever if they were. Paul answered all the questions personally and truthfully showing that he is just as exceptional a man as he is a writer. I finished reading Skippy Dies the day after Paul’s talk and it was truly a truthful and amazing book. A thank you to Mrs Duggan who arranged for him to come to the school and a thank you to Paul for actually coming. ________________________________________________
André Stokes Felix Alyn Morgan
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AR T S W E E K WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH – SUNDAY 22 MARCH
For the first time this year we are having an Arts Week in the College. There will be various events going on from Wednesday 18th March through to Sunday 22nd - all with an emphasis on the arts and performance. We hope it will be the first of many in the years to come. Some of the events already programmed are outlined below. Arts Week will open with an exhibition of paintings in the Drawing Room by the late Patrick Scott (OC). Scott is acknowledged as one Ireland's greatest modern artists and it seems fitting after his recent death that our inaugural Arts Week should start with this as our focus. Later in the evening of Wednesday 18th we will be treated to a special show in the BSR given by Jack Wise - magician, ventriloquist, and sword swallower par excellence. This is not to be missed for young, middle-aged or old! On Thursday afternoon the entire Transition Year will participate in a drumming workshop with Team Samba, and in the evening in the Cadogan jazz pianist and composer Sam Jackson will be playing a set of his tunes. On Friday 20th there will be a songwriters' Open Mic session in the Drama Room during lunch - any songwriters/singers/guitarists who would like to be involved please see Mr. Swift about getting on the bill. That evening there will be a talk by Nicola Figgis (OC) on her recently published book on Irish art history. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday our old friends Action Track Theatre from Somerset will be conducting Form II drama workshops and Old Columban artist Emily Archer will be holding a workshop for Form I art classes during the week. Arts Week will culminate at the weekend with the Music Prizes Concert on Saturday and the Arts, Crafts and Photography Prizes Exhibition on Sunday evening.
EMILY ARCHER
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SAM JACKSON
Snakes
by Gabriel Chisholm
My name is Gabriel Chisholm and I want to share a secret with you. It’s a secret fear, a phobia in fact. The long Latin name for it is Ophidiophobia. Can anyone guess what that means? I didn’t think so. It means fear of the most revolting, most hideous, most terrifying - well to ME - creature in the world. That’s right, the SNAKE. It’s the most common phobia known to man. I have had it since I was very young. The reason is that when I was 5, on holiday in Greece, my brothers freaked me out. They said that there were poisonous snakes in all the cracks and bushes around our house. They said you had to clap your hands to keep them away, and never stop clapping till you were safely inside. Ever since then, when I am on holiday in any country except New Zealand, Iceland and Greenland, I clap if I am too near a bush or a large crack. Especially if it is dark. Have you ever wondered the real reason why Ireland has no snakes? I am afraid it has nothing to do with the myth of St Patrick driving them away. It’s because when snakes evolved 100 million years ago, Ireland was underwater. Please note that the few snake free parts of the world I mentioned are surrounded by water. In those Pre-Historic times, snakes were even more scary than they are today. Some say the Titanoboa snake, whose fossilized remains were found in Colombia, was the biggest snake to ever roam the earth. It was 43 feet long. That’s roughly 8 times the size of Andrew. Early man made snakes into powerful symbols and even Gods. This might be because the snake was one of the deadliest predators of our primate ancestors. We fear the snake by instinct, from a long forgotten memory. The snake is a vengeful creature that’s famous for its vicious attacks without warning. It slithers silently up to you and out DARTS its poisonous tongue, before you even have time to SCREAM! But maybe I’m being unfair on snakes. Some are perfectly harmless. Like the grass snake and the Hognose Snake. Don’t be scared, scare them! They will play dead if they feel threatened. They flip onto their backs, open their mouths and let their tongues flop out. They even let off some gas so nobody would want to eat them. But still, I’d rather trust a shark than a snake. I’ve read the story of a giant serpent, like the Lough Ness Monster, that’s been seen swimming in the Amazon. And who’d be worried about the alligators in the Florida Everglades when I know the water is full of Burmese Pythons? So I’ve shared my secret fear with you and hope I’ve warned you too. We can never be really certain there are no snakes in Ireland, can we? Just in case, why don’t you clap your hands when you walk back to dorm in the dark, just as I’ll be doing….Good Night! 6
REVIEW - DHÁ CHORP – CORA HARRISON Nyla Jamieson leat rud éigin fiúntach a léamh i nGaeilge mholfainn duit “Dhá Chorp” a thógáil ó sheilf na leabharlainne - tá sé gearr agus, ag deireadh an lae, níl sé ró-dheacair.
I rith an tsamhraidh thosaigh mé ag léamh leabhair i nGaeilge “Dhá Chorp”. Is í Cora Harrison an t-údar. Is úrscéal bleachtaireachta é agus tarlaíonn eachtraí uile an leabhair lenár linn féin. Tá an leabhar faoi dhá chorp a bhí curtha faoin urlár i Siopa Uí Raghallaigh. Nuair a fheiceann dornán de pháistí an scéal sa pháipéar áitiúil téann siad i muinín an chaolseans agus tosaíonn siad ag féachaint isteach sa scéal iad féin. Cuirtear tús maith lena gcuid fiosrúchán nuair a fhaigheann siad leideanna tábhachtacha go han-luath. Ní amháin go bhfuil siad ag iarraidh fáil amach cé a rinne an choir ach cathain a rinneadh é agus cén fáth freisin. Úsáideann na páistí a gclisteacht féin, daonáireamh, agus iarracht bheag dá samhlaíocht féin chun an dúnmharú a fhiosrú. Bhí an scéal saghas deacair dom a léamh mar níl mo chuid Gaeilge iontach láidir fós ach d'éirigh sé níos éasca de réir mar a chuaigh mé isteach sa leabhar. Ar dtús cheap mé go mbeadh an leabhar leadránach ach chuathas chun maitheasa agus d’fhás mo shuim le linn dom bheith ag léamh. Ceapaim go bhfuil an leabhar go spreagúil agus tá a lán cor agus lúb sa scéal atá go hanéifeachtach. Léigh mé an leabhar mar bhí súil agam feabhas a chur ar mo chuid Gaeilge agus anois is léir dom gur cuireadh. Ceapaim anois go mbeidh mé ag léamh leabhar eile as Ghaeilge agus tá súil agam, lá amháin go mbeidh mé ábalta Gaeilge a labhairt agus a léamh gan dua mar a dhéanaim anois sa Bhéarla. Gan scéal mhadra na n-ocht gcos a dhéanaimh de is leabhar maith suimiúil é agus más maith
During the summer I started reading a book in Irish: 'Two Bodies'. Cora Harrison is its author. It is a detective novel and all the events of the book take place in the present day. The book is about two bodies that have been buried under the floor of O'Reilly's Shop. When a few kids read the story in a local newspaper, they decide to take the risk and they start looking into the matter themselves. Their investigations get off to a good start when they discover some important clues very quickly. They are not only trying to find out who committed the crime but also when it was committed and why. The kids use their own intelligence, a census, and a little bit of their own imagination to investigate the murder. The story was rather difficult for me to read as my Irish is not amazingly strong but it did get easier as I got into the book. At first I thought that the book would be boring but it got better and my interest grew while reading it. I think that the book is thrilling and there are a lot of twists and turns in the story that are very effective. I read the book because I wanted to improve my Irish and now it is clear that it did improve. I think now that I will be reading other books in Irish and I hope that one day I will be able to speak and read Irish without difficulty as I do now in English. Not to beat around the bush, it is a good and interesting book if you want to read something worthwhile in Irish, I would recommend that you take "Two Bodies" down from the library shelf - it is short, and at the end of the day, it's not too difficult.
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“Books teach, keep us company, open our eyes and remain forever”
The Benefits of Literature by Valentina Ascencio Munoz Photographs by André Stokes In life some things are essential. We require water, oxygen and nutrients to survive. But these are only physical necessities. In order to live fully and happily human beings cannot only fulfil the basic necessities. We need to learn, love, dream, travel, imagine. We need to feel. Literature not only allows an individual to express their emotions but also to satisfy most of their psychological needs. It is also mandatory in order to be integrated into society to have a basic knowledge of culture, and literature is a huge part of the culture of every country. Literature is written history. It allows us to learn from our mistakes or to remember our success as a nation or as an individual. When we read, we are able to indentify ourselves with a character, and as F. Scott Fitzgerald said: “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” Literature teaches us moral lessons and gives us advice. It helps us to escape from our reality and to forget our problems. I strongly believe that books are not only important but also necessary for our existence. To defend this point, firstly, I will demonstrate that literature is a way to fulfil many human cerebral and emotional needs, then, I will show how some pieces of writing affected history and kept track of it, and finally, how it is necessary to have general knowledge of the culture to belong to the society. Everyone has feelings, right? Everyone is depressed, joyful, anguished, nervous or in love, at least once in life. If we did not express those emotions, we will burst immediately. Writing is in my opinion the most effective way to share them. Literature assures us as we realise by reading about others that we are not an exception. We are also able to travel into other dimensions and to dream and develop our imagination. When you read Around the World in Eighty Days the whole world is open for you, you can see the places the character visits in your mind. And when you read Perfume you can smell every single object described in the book. Writers can give us advice through their pieces and teach us life lessons such as in The Picture of Dorian Gray; Oscar Wilde shows us that in order to be happy we should not give a huge importance to superficiality and beauty. In order to have a complete existence, I am convinced that it is necessary to read, and to read a lot. There is proof that humans have been on Earth for at least six or seven million years, even though we do not know how they thought or how their ‘society’ worked. We only have knowledge of 8
their way of living when writing was invented. That was in 3500 BC, which means that for several million years we have no idea of how humans thought. Why? Because literature did not exist. History is a way to learn of the mistakes our race has committed. But how is it possible to remember or to keep a track of these mistakes? Books such as Mein Kampf or Diary of a Young Girl highlight the importance of remembering. The second one denounces the horror of war, the horror that the ideas of the first one unchained. Present generations have to be aware of all the past errors committed by humanity in order to preserve our planet and us. We could be playing foolishly with atomic bombs and not be conscious of their destructive power if literature did not exist. We could be following blindly someone’s xenophobic, racist and homophobic ideas if we did not comprehend the consequences of that way of thinking. We are informed thanks to literature. We are less likely to fail and therefore more likely to evolve into a more developed race. And we owe everything to one of our most intelligent creations: literature. Human beings have the necessity to belong to a group. In order to build relationships it is necessary to share knowledge and to have common interests. If literature is a huge part of our culture and our daily life, is it possible to have deep and intelligent conversations without mentioning literature? I believe it is not. I am sure that one of the most named topics is literature. Not only by adults but also by kids and teenagers. Reading is part of general culture and therefore if you want to be considered as an average educated person, it is essential to know at least what The Bible is. If you are an outcast, books make you feel accompanied and less lonely. I am convinced that literature plays an enormous role in human relationships. To conclude, I encourage everyone to read regardless of their social class, their sex, their age or their nationality. Books don’t discriminate. Books teach, keep us company, open our eyes and remain forever. Books are progress and tradition. Books are emotional or factual. Literature is essential to our life and that is a fact that cannot be denied. ___________________________________________
Poetrees
by Tanya Stokes The constant whisper of the leaves, The sway and creak of shifting bark Creates a ghostly choir Within the silence of the park.
The night has eyes that watch the land The tall oaks speaking forth their word Stories from times long gone, Tales and songs that long to be heard.
Not a creature stirs nor wakes But for the music of the trees The foliage brushing the breeze, The polyphony of the leaves. Aoife Broderick
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REVIEW – THE THRILL OF IT ALL – JOSEPH O’CONNOR MR SWIFT When Adam Clayton (O.C.), the bass player in U2 visited the College five years ago he spoke briefly to a gathering of people in the BSR. The thing he impressed on us the most was how fortunate he felt to have been able to travel the world and play sellout concerts with his best friends. It was the close bonds with his fellow band members which ultimately meant the most. The Thrill of It All, the latest novel by Joseph O’Connor echoes this sentiment and highlights it in its closing set-piece. Friends affirm us when sometimes we may have the inclination to doubt ourselves or when we forget how much meaning we bring to their lives and to the lives of others. The Thrill of It All is a great read. It is written from start to finish as a memoir of Robbie Goulding, co-founder of The Ships in the Night, a fictional band which gains worldwide acclaim in the ‘80s and ‘90s. With an incredible, encyclopaedic range of musical allusions O’Connor, the man of letters, defiantly nails his passionate musical colours to the cultural mast. Here is a writer who if he was not himself in a band at one time was certainly a high-grade groupie. Through the mouthpiece of Goulding music’s ability to rend the soul, gyrate the hips, raise the two fingers is seen to trump the finest that poetry, drama and prose has to offer. We’re taken on a journey over three decades, from the fascinating world of the Irish in England (lovely Luton to be precise), to penniless squatting in New York, to post-crash Dublin. Goulding’s lieutenant in life and in music and frontman of The Ships is Fran Mulvey. In an inspired move O’Connor makes him a Vietnamese orphan whose upbringing in the UK to Irish adoptive parents is shadowy and certainly troubled. Fran’s demons and dislocation go hand in hand with his creativity and destructiveness and are ultimately the most powerful forces affecting The Ships’ circumnavigation of the globe. One of the hardest voices for any writer to achieve with verisimilitude must be the off-hand cool, the throwaway attitude of a rock ‘n roller. In the interview transcripts used in The Thrill of It All O’Connor mostly hits the spot. In the rest of the prose there is scarcely a paragraph that doesn’t have some arresting image or phrase, ones you feel other writers might ration carefully by the chapter… To enjoy The Thrill of It All you certainly don’t need to have been party to the crackle of electricity when music making with friends lifts off into something elusive and sublime, nor seen a sound engineer’s amazed and silent look of excitement when a studio take goes perfectly. But possibly it helps.
Mr. Swift is recording his third studio album over this half term. The proceeds from it will go towards this summer's Habitat trip to Zambia.
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SCC BOOK
CLUB BY BLANAID SHEERAN WHAT DO you think of when someone says the words “Book Club”? I cannot deny that if asked that question a year ago I would have been able to picture little other than a group of elderly ladies squeezed round a rickety old table, reading battered copies of Sleeping Beauty! So, as you can imagine, when asked to join this newly formed club around twelve months ago, I could only have been described as a little dubious. The first novel chosen for SCC Book Club was Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. Toibin tells the story of Eilis Lacey, a young Irish girl who has come of age in the years following World War Two. Though skilled at bookkeeping, she cannot find a job in the miserable Irish economy. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America she decides she must go, leaving her fragile mother and her charismatic sister behind. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I walked into that first Book Club meeting but, reassured by the certainty of chocolate cake and a cup of tea, I warily made my way through the door. Although the turnout was small I was still amazed by the enthusiasm that was evident in the room. For those of you who are not sure what we do in a Book Club meeting, it’s quite simple. A book is chosen, generally by a club member, and we are given around a month to read it. At the end of this month we come together and discuss, or in some cases debate, our different viewpoints, favorite parts and anything else book related that comes to mind. Brooklyn was not a novel I would not have chosen of my own accord; however, I undoubtedly enjoyed it more than I had anticipated. This was the first thing that struck me about Book Club; the fact that it enabled me to widen my literary horizons and branch out into genres that I originally assumed would have no appeal to me. The second book chosen was Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. In this novel, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will, in my opinion, deeply affect teen readers. Clay Jensen returns home to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker-his classmate and crush-who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. This dark yet powerful novel drew many conflicting opinions from within the Book Club. Some found the sinister yet sadly realistic plot enthralling, whereas others found the storyline a far too morbid. I personally found the novel a little too melancholy, especially considering the fact that it seemed to be a book for young teens. It is always interesting to listen to others views and 11
judgments and with the diverse range of attitudes there was certainly no lack of discussion; however we were all able to agree on the fact that Thirteen Reasons Why raises necessary awareness of many issues faced by teens today. We also discussed the interesting and unique format in which the book was written; Asher had managed to create two intertwining universes by letting us both read the tapes and also see how Clay reacts to them. This meant that the majority of the book was either spoken or thought by its characters and for this reason, the style of the novel is very choppy, with short sentences and even a few fragments. “That's why you did it. You wanted your world to collapse around you. You wanted everything to get as dark as possible. And Bryce, you knew, could help you do that.” I found that at the end of that meeting my opinion had turned from quite negative to rather positive. I found myself defending parts of the book which had originally been of no importance to me for example the fact that the beginning of the book started at the end of the story; by this I mean that the first chapter introduces to us a Clay who has already listened to the tapes and is attempting to pass them on. Although I enjoyed this beginning as I found it engrossing and I was compelled to read more, others thought that a better style would have been to jump straight into the story, starting from the point at which he received the tapes. Having attended that meeting I now realise that although this book is full of misery and despair it also shows kindness and hope. Thirteen Reasons Wh ends with one word: Skye. This word sums up the way that Hannah's tapes have affected Clay; and because the novel is centered on Clay listening to Hannah's recordings, their effect on him is a major issue. Skye Miller is a girl that Clay used to have a crush on in middle school. After listening to Hannah's tapes, he realises that Skye is probably going through something, too; maybe something similar to Hannah's experience. Only after listening to Hannah's tapes does Clay realize that someone he used to care about has become isolated and withdrawn. He reaches out to her with one simple word – "Skye" – and, in doing so, maybe saves a life. It is incredible that one word can convey so many emotions and this was an achievement that all in Book Club praised. There has been an ever-changing sea of faces at Book Club meetings. From first years to sixth year there has always been a large range of ages and opinions. Not only does it give us the chance to engage with other year groups but it also teaches us how to form firm opinions. Undoubtedly this is a trait of paramount importance but my experience in Book Club has also taught me to keep an open mind to other viewpoints. As the great Francis Bacon once said, ““Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted ...but to weigh and consider.” Many a time, as you may have noticed while I was talking about Thirteen Reasons Why, have I left a meeting with a completely different opinion of the book than when I came in! The next book to be discussed in SCC Book Club is When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. Winman tells the story of Elly and her fascinating yet flawed family and the multitude of ordinary and extraordinary incidents that shape their everyday lives. I thought this would be an interesting choice as there will undoubtedly be a clash of opinions over the strange yet thought provoking novel. As you can probably tell, I really enjoy Book Club, and I’m sure most others would too. Perhaps you love reading, or simply enjoy expressing your opinions? If so I can confidently say that you would gain a lot from Book Club and with this in mind I would encourage everyone to join.
The next meeting of the Book Club will take place in March 2015. As Blanaid mentions, the book under discussion is When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. Copies are available in the Library. All welcome.
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REVIEW - STOICISM TODAY: Selected Writings - PATRICK USSHER (editor) DR BANNISTER I have to admit that were I to pass a book display in any Dublin Bookshop, I would probably not pick up a book entitled Stoicism Today. But when I saw that it had been edited by a former Columban who, from his earliest years at the College, was a creative and gifted young man with an innate interest in all things spiritual, I was instantly intrigued to learn more about this subject. Most of us, I imagine, would associate stoicism with cold showers, no pudding after dinner and Mr Spock in overdrive, as opposed to the more inviting and seductive modus vivendi of the Epicureans. However, as with most things about which we know very little, there is a great deal more to Stoicism than a fleeting acquaintance with the writings of Seneca or with brief biographies on the life and times of Marcus Aurelius that we might have read at school. Added to this is the fact that like all philosophies and belief-systems, Stoicism has substantially evolved and developed since its very first appearance in the writings of the Greek philosopher, Zeno of Citium, in the 3rd century BC. In his introduction to this collection of illuminating essays, Patrick Ussher lays out his stall clearly and logically (as you might well expect from any self-respecting practising Stoic). Amongst the aims of the publication are principally the following: a provision of a working definition of what Modern Stoic theory is all about, a gathering together of salient advice furnished with examples from those practising Stoicism today in both their personal and professional lives, and analyses of some significant influences of Stoic philosophy in various fields of contemporary psychotherapy such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) or REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy). However, the most intriguing aspect of this book for me has to be its closeness to the teachings in Modern Western Buddhism. Patrick himself alludes to this in his introduction: "Indeed, many of those who come across Stoicism have also practised mindfulness meditation or some form of Buddhism, and are often struck by the similarities between the two philosophies." (p18) On reading this book twice before writing this article, I was drawn to the conclusion that there are indeed many more areas of similarity between Western Buddhism and modern-day Stoicism which might well merit further investigation in any future compilations being published by Patrick and his team. John Sellars, one of the contributors to the book, directs the reader to four central pillars that he considers encapsulate the Modern Stoic philosophy. In brief, (a) only an excellent rational state of mind can bring true happiness; (b) negative emotions are based on fallacious judgements - we should change negative perceptions to positive ones; (c) we should also live in harmony with nature; and (d) some things in life we can control, others we cannot - we should have the wisdom to identify which are which and simply accept this as being so. One of the driving forces behind this modern revival of stoicism has to be Professor Christopher Gill from Exeter University who, in this book, and in fact in other writings, elucidates and develops these four fundamental principles of Modern Stoicism, essentially taking as his core the stoic ethics in the meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Firstly, according to Professor Gill, happiness does not come from money, celebrity, social position or anything else of that nature but from building within ourselves the correct qualities that are essential to a human life. In other words, the development of basic human virtues. By making virtuous thinking fundamental to our motives, emotions, personal relationships and to the very way we perceive the world around us, we will thus inevitably cultivate a profound sense of inner joy. 13
Professor Gill then suggests that although acquiring money, good health or even securing the well-being of those we love may in themselves be important, they are, in fact, only secondary to developing the Four Cardinal Stoic virtues of wisdom, justice, self-control and courage. It is these virtues alone that will facilitate "an excellent rational state of mind" and help us to avoid making "fallacious judgements" that in turn eventually bring in their wake unhappiness, anger and resentment. Stoicism identifies with the realization that we, as human beings, wish to help one another. According to Professor Gill, all animals have this innate desire to help others of their species but human beings, in addition, also have the capacity to do so in a rational, mindful way and to use their rationality to inform their desire or instinct to benefit others. In living this way we will remain mindfully in harmony with others and of course "in harmony with nature". The Stoic principal of 'one human brotherhood' is not limited to humanity itself, but requires that we reach out beyond human kind to animals and to our environment with the same determined sense of family cohesion. The book contains a number a very riveting reads written by a wide variety of authors from different professional spheres. Amongst these are Donald Robinson, a cognitive therapist, who explains how emotions can be deeply affected by whatever beliefs we happen to hold and nurture; Tim LeBon who outlines in his article "Does Stoicism Work" (p. 128) how the incorporation of Modern Stoic principles have greatly benefited the work of psychologists in trying to understand human behaviour. There's a particularly interesting chapter by Stephen Costello in which he points to the commonality between Logotherapy and the principles of Stoic philosophy. Costello suggests that there is even a case to be made "for Socrates being the first logotherapist." The book is a treasure-trove of experiences, applications and understandings along with pertinent advice to those who are interested in adopting Modern Stoicism as a worldview. Apart from the book there are number of interesting and inspiring youtube films of lectures, talks, seminars discussion groups/ questions & answers, and a blog: (http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/) which are all very well worth a visit. Stoicism Today, Selected Writings, is now in the school library, waiting for you to pick it up. It is an excellent read for anyone interested in the practical application of philosophy to everyday living. Happily this is only the very first of a promised series, which I for one am looking forward to reading as they appear in print. Congratulations to all the contributors to this magnificent publication and to its young and talented editor, Patrick Ussher.
– Kristina Danielyan
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Appeal:
GABRIEL EJASE-TOBRISE
I am very bothered when I think of how the two-hundred and nineteen school girls who were kidnapped in Nigeria last year are feeling now. They were kidnapped by the Jihadist Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram on the 14th of April 2014 from a secondary school in a town called Chibok. For a few months after it had happened there was a lot of commotion about them. There were efforts going into trying to get them back. There were people campaigning about bringing them back, people were giving out to the Nigerian government for taking too long to respond to the incident. But now people have just forgotten about them. It bothers me that the Nigerian government doesn't seem to be doing anything thing to get them back. Can you imagine what it must feel like for the parents, not hearing from their child in months? Can you imagine what it feels like to be one of these girls? Just recently, the Boko Haram terrorist group have said that the girls are going to be married off. I am very saddened when I think about fifteen or sixteen-year-olds being married to some forty or fifty-year-old against their will. I mean, how can people do these things to innocent girls just to prove a point? Also, I read recently that if the girls were held long enough that their mental health would be affected and they would begin to accept it. We don't even know how badly they are being treated. This really bothers me, and I would like to see them brought back soon. I have signed the Bring Back Our Girls (#BringBackOurGirls) petition on change.org to keep the campaign alive. ________________________________________________________
Who’s Thinking Me continued from back page Nyla Jamieson - The Eye of Minds by James Dashner The Eye of Minds is set in the fiuture and technology has advanced so much that you can enter a game called Lifeblood that feels like reality. Michael is very clever and a great coder and hacker. I would love to meet him as I’d like him to teach me code. He is also a loyal friend.
Alexandra Sharykina- Summer Secrets by Angelina Tuberskord Kate is a very interesting character. She’s a young woman with amazing personality. She’s my hero and I want to have her life. Yes, I really want to meet her and become friends. I would like to do it because she’s a great person and a fantastic friend, caring sister and wonderful wife.
Charlotte Bennett – Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Scarlett is strong. She is independent and dangerous. I know that all her morals are messed up but I think that is just the Irsi part in her. She will do anything for her family even if it means doing harm to others. However, in the end she realises where she has gone wrong.
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Who’s Thinking Me? The Submarine asks, which fictional character would you like (or perhaps not) to meet?
Louis Sheils – The Damned United by David Peace I did like Brian Clough in the book because he knows what he wants and he gets it. Clough has a strong personality and that is one of the reasons that I would have liked to meet him. His sense of humour is also very good.
Leo Stuebler – Russian Roulette by Anthony Horowitz The character in the book, Yassen Gregorovich, is a professional contract killer who does his job very well but therefore has no friends, no people who he loves and not much of a personal life. As I read the book my feelings towards him were rather neutral because the author doesn’t describe any emotional actions by the character.
Enzo Cording – Foster by Claire Keegan In Foster everything is told by the ‘Girl’. She is very passive but observant and highly aware of everything. I can’t really say if I like her or not because she barely says anything. I wouldn’t like to meet her because she is way too quiet.
Wolfe Purcell – Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Prabaker is a small plump Indian with a wide half-toothless smile. He immediately strikes you as a person who would be able to smile himself through life. A person who has no need of power or wealth, just someone who spreads their goodwill as they go. He is the type of person I would like to meet, someone who is lively and energetic and calm when needs be. To me he is the type of person we all need in our lives.
Gordian Fuchs – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes seems to me to be an absolute genius. The way he solves crimes is very special as well as his logic in making all sorts of deductions, just by looking at a person twice. Also his knowledge seems to be enormous. Although sometimes his methods seem to be quite far from reality. Still, he is a great character in the world of literature, and this is well supported by an awful lot of movies and series with and about him. I would be pleased to meet him. Continued inside on page 15……
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