College Tribune Issue 8 2013 by College Tribune

COLLEGE TRIBUNE Volume XXVI

Issue 8

12th February 2013

Independent Student Media Since 1989

AOIFE DUNKEN CONFRONTS STREET HARASSMENT IN IRISH SOCIETY PAGE 8

www.collegetribune.ie

INSIDE COLM KEEGAN THE SIREN Interview

NO VOTE

TO USI

James Grannell Editor

f the student movement is ever to be saved from itself then UCD must vote to disaffiliate from USI in the upcoming referendum. The Union of Students in Ireland is far from a Union, rather it is a bureaucratic monster that sucks the life and vibrancy out of a movement that has the potential to effect real change in governmental policy relating to the third level education and how it is managed.

For years now we have been plagued by weak leadership. Their idea of challenging the governments implementation of ever increasing fees has been to take us all on a merry walk around Dublin once a year at the end of which we put away our banners and head back to the college of conformity. Woe betides any student who deviates from the accepted USI pattern of protest. These radicals will soon be met with uncompro-

mising condemnation from their supposed leaders. This was the case in November 2010 when students who protested outside and occupied the department of finance were beaten off the streets by heavy handed Gardaí. These students were charged by mounted police and battened by the riot squad as they sat on the ground. They were dragged off the streets by the hair of their heads and intimidated by

snarling dogs. What was the response of our Union of students in Ireland? Condemnation; not of the Gardaí, but of their members, the students of Ireland. Is that what we elect them for? Of course we don’t elect them though, do we? The vast majority of students have no idea how these “representatives” are elected and play no part in the process. The vast majority of students play no part in congress. This institu-

tion is neither democratic nor accountable. They talk about their seat on the HEA. It’s worthless! They might as well sit by UCD lake feeding the swans for all the good it does. What’s more sickening is their talk about reform from within. This will never happen, it has never happened. The only way to force this odious institution to reform is to leave it and lead ourselves.

editor@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

25thOctober October2011 2011 12th February 2013 11th

INSIDE THE TRIBUNE

COLLEGE

TRIBUNE

Getting it straight with gay mental health Cathal O'Gara

NEWS Union Council decision “disgraceful” says Glennon Page 4

FEATURES Snarling from the soil Page 9

Editor

coming out and accepting identity does in fact improve an individual's lifestyle. This comes at a poignant time, with Marriage Equality continuing to strive for legal acknowledgment and equality of marriage across the board for all couple types. Coming out is no longer a matter of popular debate but a matter of public health. In recent years, a number of studies have illuminated to the real effect that the State can have upon an individual's mental health. Policy changes for or against same-sex marriage have been proven to have a significant influence on mental wellbeing in studies performed in the US. The implications of this is far-reaching. Could Irish legislation enabling gay marriage have a protective effect on the mental health of our gay community? If so, will it have a positive impact upon the younger age bracket where members of the gay community are more likely to consider suicide and self-harm than their heterosexual counterparts? These are questions which need to be addressed. While gay marriage may not come to fruition in Ireland any time soon, there is still plenty to be done in terms of mental wellbeing. Access to

oming out isn't just a load off your mind -it's a load off your health, too. Lesbians, gays and bisexuals who are open about their sexuality are less anxious, depressed and burnt out than their closeted counterparts, or even than heterosexual individuals of a similar age, according to a new study published last week in Psychosomatic Medicine. The study looked at 87 men and women of varying sexual orientations, all of whom were around 25 years old. Forty-six identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual and 41 were heterosexual. Participants were given psychological tests and provided multiple urine and saliva samples to test for various biomarkers related to stress and general health. All of the out participants had lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of depression than those who weren't 'out of the closet'. Out gay and bisexual men also had lower stress and depressive symptoms than heterosexual men. Perhaps it's the coping with the milestone of coming out and the stigma associated with being gay that better equip the LGBT community with experience to manage stress throughout their lives, either way, the study showed how

Red Room

12:00 - 14:00 Coffee Morning 14:00 Trans* 101 16:00 Sexual Empowerment

Red Room

Rooms 5,6 & 7

11:00 - 12:00 Coffee Morning

11:00 Marriage Equality

11:00 - 12:00 Coffee Morning

13:00

12:00-14:00 Coming Out workshop

12:00 LGBT Spirituality

"There's

something

queer around here" 14:00 Queer Open Space

17:00 LGBT Activism

mental healthcare needs to be improved vastly, with those on the lower socioeconomic end of the scale having to wait much longer for treatment than their well-off counterparts. Few healthcare providers are competent in dealing with issues of homosexuality, the same providers that can't offer the same level of care afforded to married couples. Depression doesn't wait around. We in Ireland suffer from a great trauma: the weather. It decides our particular mood, demeanour, what we wear, that “will I, won't I disposition?” While you can't have a rainbow with a little rain, you will always have rainbow week in UCD -no matter what tempestuous and torrential downpours you encounter in your life. Next week sees UCD's rainbow week kick into gear. While the word 'rainbow' may bethink notions of Cher and Boy George, nothing could be further from the truth. Rainbow week in UCD provides colour for the soul and food for thought with events organised Monday through Thursday including Monday's Trans101 and Wednesday's Coming Out workshop. The calendar below will keep you in the know of next week's rainbow happenings.

14:00 Gender recognition in Ireland

19:00 Wine Reception

13:00 Rainbow Wedding

COMMENT No student left behind Page 10

BUSINESS Water charges make sense Page 12

GNÉ - AILT Mallacht na dToitíní L 14

SPORT Quarter final place for UCD Fitzgibbon Page 19

REGULARS Remembering many friends who worked in UCD Page 15

EDITORS' CHOICE On the Road with Slavoj Zizek Page 7

Ceremony 19:00 Movie Night

Cathal says:

COLLEGE TRIBUNE STAFF Editors: Cathal O'Gara James Grannell editor@collegetribune.ie News Editor: James Grannell Deputy News Editor: Thomas Cullen News In Focus Editor: Dawn Lonergan

Features Editor: Michael Phoenix

Chief Writer: Stephen West

Illustrator: Robert MulPeter

Music Editor: Ciaran Breslin

Eagarthóirí Gaeilge: Cormac Breathnach Daire Brennan

Fashion Editor: Róisín Sweeney

Sports Editors: Conall Devlin Amy Eustace

Arts Editor: Conor Fox Art Director: Cheryl Flood

Contributors List: Ronan Coveney Matthew Hugh Farrelly Rachel Carey Orno Delawalk Aoife Dunken Christopher Aherne Jonny Baxter Niall Conroy Eoin Callaghan

Caoimhe Seoige Cormac Breathnach Elizabeth Coote Ceithreann Murray

Part one in our philosophy series sees Orno Delawalk explore Jack Kerouac's best-known novel, 'On the Road', through the mindset of 'all-out political maniac', Slavoj Zizek.

COLLEGE TRIBUNE Scan the QR code to visit collegetribune.ie

news@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

12th February 2013

NEWS

Departure from USI would be “major blow to the organisation” says Logue Ronan Coveney News Writer

resident of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) John Logue has stated that the departure of UCDSU from the USI would be “a major blow to the organization.” In an interview with the College Tribune this week Logue said that “If UCD were to leave...it would be to everyone's detriment, but particularly UCD who would lose their voice at a national level.” Students are set to decide whether UCDSU should remain affiliated with USI in a referendum that is due to take place in the coming weeks. The referendum is to be held in tandem with a referendum on the reinstatement of an elected ENTS officer to the UCDSU constitution. The referendum, which was postponed from last semester, is a follow on from one that took place in Trinity College last year, in which students voted to remain affiliated with the organisation. When asked about the failure of the USI to halt the increase in the Student Contribution Fee in Budget 2013, Logue defended the organisation for the work it did in the months before the budget, “if that’s all people see I think people aren’t looking at the full picture, I completely stick my hands up and say yes the result in the respect of fees isn't the one we got. But I think we have to look at the overall scheme here, we’ve over 40% of students in UCD for example on the maintenance grants. 97% of students on the maintenance grant were protected in that budget, so they weren’t affected at all by the fee increase because it’s paid on their behalf... so that was as a direct correlation of the USI’s work with the Department and ensuring the issue of maintenance grant was to the fore of conversation, not just in the lead up to that budget but for months beforehand.” As UCDSU continue to deal with financial issues, which led to two full-time staff being made redundant along with some shop workers taking a redundancy package during the Summer, many have questioned the cost associated for UCDSU with membership of

the USI and how USI would be affected if students were to vote in favour of leaving the organisation. Logue stated that ‘if we were to lose that amount of funding from an organisation as large as UCD and a student base as large as UCD, over 22,000 students that would be a blow to the organisation, we wouldn’t be as effective on a national level, we would continue on, but I think for example Trinity College realised, there’s much more to be gained inside the USI rather than being outside it and I think that is the crux of the issue”. When asked if UCDSU is getting value for money from the USI, Logue stated that, “every student in UCD, if they’re a full time student, they’re paying is €5 towards USI and if they’re a part time student they’re paying €2.50. The question on the ground for students is; is my €5 I pay to USI worth the money, and the answer to that in terms of the service that they get back is a resounding yes. If you take an example as I said previously there has been a €317,000 extra went in this year alone to UCD Student Welfare fund on account of USI’s work. We have more than tripled our payback to UCD students this year alone… we provide the training to your sabbatical officers to ensure they’re working for you. We run a number of campaigns for students throughout the year, whether it’s in LGBT rights for example, whether it's ensuring the that quality of your degree is sufficient, whether it’s to ensure rental prices are in any way equitable and fair for you to pay”. With a perception by some that the USI is a stepping stone for Students’ Union activists to further their career Logue counters stating “USI officers do not have a life, and I wish I had, but I can guarantee you that the nine people in my office certainly don’t, we work 13/14 hours a day and I don’t know anybody in my office who thinks they are gaining anymore than gray hairs and a waistline because of what they’re doing, but they’re doing it because they think they can do a damn good job and they know they’re making a difference.”

Photos by James Grannell

USI disaffiliation campaigner questions USI democracy Matthew Hugh Farrelly News Writer

hris Lee, a campaigns manager for the pro-disaffiliation campaign, has accused the USI of ignoring the democratic process through the preferendum vote, stating that the general feeling among students is that the USI is constituted of “300 hacks”. In an interview conducted by the College Tribune, Lee outlined that he had decided to join the Disaffiliation campaign as one of the campaign’s managers following what he believes was the USI breaking its mandate, “I decided I wanted to be involved when USI delegates broke mandate at special congress.” He went on to elaborate that, “The students of Ireland voiced their opinions through the preferendum, the delegates at USI ignored it. It was an insult to democracy. Unfortunately in my experience of USI mandate breaking has become the norm, and thus the policy of the Irish student movement has become the opinion of the 300 hacks who attend congress.” The reason the students should be in favour of the disaffiliation, he believes, is also down to money and a poor return on investment, “There’s also a lot of people who simply don't know what USI is, when they hear what we spend on it and compare it to the frontline services they are losing in UCD (the bar, Sunday library, Copy Print ect ect) there is anger. I think the feeling is that regardless of all else, right now we simply can't afford USI.”

He went on to make specific reference to the fact that the UCD students do not benefit from the estimated 120,000 euro that they give every year. “The vast majority of that money subsidises services that USI offer other colleges but not us,” he outlined. “Small institutions get quite a lot of help from the USI Academic Affairs and Welfare officers, Western and Southern regional officers help those institutions but…we pay the most, and I would struggle to think of a college that receives less.” Lee went on to comment that if the economic position improves then re-affiliation could take place as constitutionally a referendum on the issue will have to be held in four years. “We are constitutionally obliged to have another referendum within 4 years, if our financial situation is better we can re-affiliate and think of this exercise as a 480,000 euro loan,” said Lee. Lee remarked that by disaffiliating from the USI he hopes it will encourage the national Union to reform after what are perceived as the failed efforts of the “Fed up, Stand up” campaign known in UCD as the Gilmore 250 campaign. He also pointed out that 20,000 euro was spent on telecoms. “At a basic level this will also force USI to tighten their belts, which would be no harm. They spend over 20,000 euro a year on telecoms. Western and Southern officers are the most expensive

and seem to do little. The only real control we have over USI is this bit of budget we provide, so I think there is an argument to be made that disaffiliation is a type of a reform, and just the act of leaving will make USI better”. “Once on the outside it allows us to contact other outsiders and put together an alternative to USI, a slimmed down union that only acts as a lobbying organisation perhaps,” said Lee. In a scathing criticism of the USI, Lee said that they “let us down quite a lot over the years. Fees increased from 90 pounds in 1997 to 1000 euro in 2007. That is an incredible stat. That is a fee increase of 90 euro a year for 10 years, which is only just short of half the increase we are seeing per year right now. They've neglected reform, the organisation is blighted by a lack of institutional memory. It is incapable of reform. It has consistently failed to campaign beyond the budget each year. Each officer board seems to concede defeat when the budget is released and give up, knowing full well that next years budget is their successor's problem.” Lee also lays the blame for student apathy squarely at the feet of USI themselves. “I think student apathy is in some ways caused by USI,” contends Lee. “Students feel too distant from the student movement. I think bringing control over our student movement to a local level will enfranchise students more and help fight apathy.”

NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF STEPHEN WEST Former UCD dies at 91

news@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

12th February 2013

academic

Kevin B Nowlan, former professor of History at UCD has passed away aged 91. An ardent conservationist, Nowlan joined the Old Dublin Society while still a schoolboy of 15 at Belvedere College. He first studied law at UCD, qualifying as a barrister in 1945, before going to Peterhouse College in Cambridge (where he got his PhD in history) and the University of Marburg, later returning to UCD as professor of History. After joining the history department in UCD, he became a member and later vice-president of the Royal Irish Academy. Nowlan also became involved with the Irish Georgian Society, serving as its vice-president for many years. Later, he became chairman of the Castletown Foundation, set up to secure the future of Ireland’s largest Palladian mansion, and a director of the Alfred Beit Foundation, which looks after Russborough House. He served as president of An Taisce and the Dublin Civic Trust as well as being involved with a number of other organisations. A veteran conservationist, he took part in the many battles to save the cultural inheritance of Dublin and remained an indefatigable champion of the city throughout his life. Hackathon Scientists, engineers, programmers and designers will have the opportunity to team up to find solutions to scientific problems during a 36hour non-stop hackathon as Dublin will be playing host to its second Science Hack Day this 2nd and 3rd of March. Science Hack Day first debuted last year in the city as part of the Dublin City of Science festivities. The idea behind the event is to provide a physical space for scientists to team up with programmers, makers, hackers and designers to fuse their ideas and come up with solutions on areas such as visualising scientific data or improving hardware. Dr David McKeown, a research engineer in UCD is co-ordinating the Dublin hackathon along with Alan Armstrong, a PhD candidate at Dublin City University.

CTN launches debate show

Multi-storey car park for UCD

Rachel Carey

Ronan Coveney

News Writer

ampus Television Network is launching a new debating program here in UCD. Keen to focus on topics affecting students, the first debate will focus on the upcoming USI referendum and will be broadcast next week. More debates, ranging from the price of fees to abortion will follow in the coming semester. Head of news at CTN, Diarmuid Burke, told the College Tribune they hope to make the debates a regular feature with election debates being held if they are seen to be manageable and successful. Based on the College Tribune’s election debates last year, CTN’s is taking a somewhat a different approach, with the addition of an impartial moderator. These debates will take place between two individuals with each given equal time to argue their side. When asked why it was decided to hold and broadcast debates, Burke told the College Tribune, “When I felt that the news show

News Writer

wasn't working I proposed we try these debates. I think that the debates are a longer-lasting idea, a debate on abortion is still relevant after 5 years whereas things on the news may not be.” He also added that it is hoped these debates will attract a larger audience in UCD as many of the topics have an affect on student lives. According to CTN the response to these debates has been excellent, with people more than willing to argue for a cause they are passionate about. It also offers students a different medium in which to talk about hot topics which are relevant to daily life, as TV debates on wideranging issues are not common in UCD. It is CTN’s hope they these debates will give students an opportunity to become part of topical debates which occur both inside and outside UCD, but also keep students informed on topics that affect their daily lives.

five-storey car park is to be built close to the Clonskeagh entrance of UCD. The car park, which will have 631 spaces, is one of the main features in a new commuting facility called ‘Campus West’ that is to be built on land currently in use as a car park and tennis courts. It is suggested within the application that there will be a cost involved with the use of parking facilities, with UCD stating that “entry and exit to the car park will be provided via tickets barriers.” The plans, which were submitted to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in January, also show the facility is set to include a bus terminus, storage for 414 bicycles along with shower and changing facilities, a bus depot and motorbike area. The application would see the tennis courts, which are part of the UCD Sports facilities, move to a site beside the hockey stadium.

A new road will also be constructed to provide access to the site along with the movement of the current traffic barriers to different positions around the UCD road network. UCD currently has 3,466 car parking spaces however, if permission is received this will be increased by only 122 spaces with various car parks around the campus losing space to accommodate the new 631 car park which will be provided at the ‘Campus West’ site. An agreement currently in place between the National Transport Authority, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and UCD has car parking spaces capped at 3,600. UCD states that energy saving plans for Campus West include “photo-voltaic panels which could provide up to 40% of the energy requirements for the facility.” The facility will also have provision for electric cars to be charged.

Union Council decision “disgraceful” says Glennon James Grannell Editor

n an interview with the College Tribune Sean Glennon, auditor of UCD Labour, has branded the decision of SU Council not to lift the Union's condemnation of the students involved in the attempted egging of Taoiseach Enda Kenny as “disgraceful”. “An SU should stand by its members, even when they have made mistakes. Its disgraceful that Union Council would side with a Government that has consistently attacked students and a college that has severely cut our services and quality of education over fellow students,” stated Glennon. Glennon said that UCD Labour were disappointed that the SU decided to condemn the action and that while they disagree with the tactics used he recognised that the students were “were acting out of a genuine anger towards the Government.” “The SU themselves should have taken the lead in protesting Enda Kenny's presence on campus as it was two weeks before students were expected to be hit again in Budget 2013. Instead they shared a platform with him and students were left to protest independently, a situation that ultimately lead to the egging,” continued Glennon. He also revealed that UCD Labour’s Campaigns Officer is cur-

rently in touch with the three students who took part in the incident so they, UCD Labour, “can rally UCD students to stand in solidarity with the individuals involved.” Glennon further criticised the action taken by both the SU and UCD stating that it will have an affect on future student activism. “Its clear that the University is making an example out of these students to prevent even peaceful forms of direct action protests in UCD again. The SU is always sending a message that it will not back up any student who strays away from their tactic of protesting outside of TD's empty constituency offices or tweeting abuse to the inactive accounts. There was a time when UCDSU would have taken radical action to advance the welfare of students, it’s a pity they've turned their back on that.” Regarding the Unions concentration on the Labour Party in relation to the fight against fees, Glennon voiced his opinion that the “inherent conservatism of current Student Leaders, makes a centreleft Labour Party a more comfortable target.” He conceded however that Labour must accept that they made a commitment to students and their families not to increase fees. In relation to the current opera-

Photo by James Grannell tions of the SU, the UCD Labour auditor stated, “UCDSU should function like any union, as a representative voice for students, it hasn't to date done that. They should also take a leaf out of DITSU's book, who currently work with Trade Unions through ICTU Youth promoting areas of common interest between workers and students. ICTU Youth has extended an offer to UCDSU to collaborate, but as of yet they haven't taken it up.” Glennon also revealed that he has received abuse over the decisions of the Labour Party in government. However, he says that UCD Labour have “tried to stay loyal to Labour values even when

the Party in Government hasn't, I believe this has won us a lot of support among UCD students that we aren't afraid to stand up to the Party leadership, especially when students are suffering or being targeted, we even defied the national trend to out recruit both Orga Fianna Fáil and Young Fine Gael at refreshers day, that vindicated that Labour Youth can credibly criticise the Government in our attempt to affect change from within the Party.” The three students involved in the incident, which took place on November 29th of last year, are to have their case examined this Wednesday, February 13th.

NEWS IN FOCUS

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

news@collegetribune.ie

12th February 2013

The USI saga James Grannell delves into the College Tribune archives in an intrepid exploration of past USI referenda

ebruary 1993 and a referendum is being put to the students of UCD asking if they wish to remain affiliated to the USI. Maynooth, who along with TCD, UCC and UCG were outside of the Union, had recently held a referendum asking if their students wished to reaffiliate with USI with the motion being defeated. The Irish Times reported that USI officers on the Maynooth campus were called “Commies, Trots, Sinn Féiners and Provos.” At the time UCD SU paid USI £27,000, which worked out as £2.50 per student. With so many Universities outside the USI at the time there was a real fear that, were UCD to leave, the USI would become “just another fringe group talking on the sidelines.” The Referendum took place on March 10th 1993 with 38% voting for disaffiliation and 62% against, but controversy surrounded the event as it was alleged that the same individual wrote a number of signatures on the petition to call the

referendum. Jump forward to 1997 and the president of UCD SU, Ian Walsh, was backing the campaign for disaffiliation. Walsh outlined why UCD Students’ Union backed disaffiliation from USI, “ UCD Students pay nearly £40,000 to be affiliated to USI each year. That is almost 50% of what they pay to be a member of UCD Students’ Union. The argument to redirect that money to UCD-specific research is a very attractive argument.” At the time, Trinity, UCC, UL, and Maynooth were disaffiliated from the organisation. At a meeting of the USI in Belfast that year Walsh stated, “it would be far more beneficial if USI concentrated exclusively on research and lobbying. We do not believe that USI should seek a profile on the ground, we do not believe that USI should engage in entertainments.” At the time Walsh saw disaffiliation as an opportunity for the USI to reform with UCD reaffiliating when appropriate. The then USI Education Officer,

Malcolm Byrne, who now works as a spokesperson for the HEA, told the College Tribune that: “There is a need for USI to reform and I think that if there is healthy debate in UCD this will help reform USI. However we in USI still maintain that the best way to reform is from within, effective dialogue within the union will improve and strengthen it.” In the end we did disaffiliate, but it came down to just nine votes with 2,151 voting in favour of disaffiliation and 2,142 voting against the move. In percentage terms the motion was passed by a margin of just over 0.21% As promised the following year, 1998 saw the question put to the students of UCD again. While the world of student politics was rife with bitter infighting over the issue the College Tribune weighed in on the debate. UCC rejoined USI this year adding strength of numbers to the ailing union. This was the last time until now that UCD held a referendum on USI affiliation and with just over 10% of

Above: Results from the last USI referendum in UCD the electorate turning out to vote USI marched back into the corridors of UCD. The referendum held on January 28th 1999 saw students vote to reaffiliate by a margin of 1,236 votes to 522. The total valid poll of just 1,758 represented a paltry turnout of 10.1% less than half the turnout of the previous years referendum.

Yes won 70.3% with No claiming 29.7% Then Welfare officer, John Moynes, was quoted as saying, “it won’t make any difference to the average student, there are no advantages to be had. We will never squeeze anything out of USI.” Let’s see what happens this time around and if he is proven right.

NEWMAN FUND Have you a great idea for an event on campus? Why not try the Newman Fund for funding? The Newman Fund is a sum of money arising from that part of the Student Registration Charge which the university allocates to support organised student activities. It is designed to fund activities which are organised by individuals or groups, other than the recognised clubs and societies in the University, whose aim is to improve student life on campus. Any individual or group of students may apply for financial support for their project. The Newman Fund is administered by a committee of the Student Consultative Forum

Already this year, the Fund has provided support for: The UCD Fashion Show A conference organized by PhD Law students A Res. Sports Blitz Belfield FM A reception for postgrad Engineering students in Newstead

Further applications are now invited for grants from the Fund for the current session. There is no standard format for applications but they should include full details of the applicants, the use to which any funds granted will be put and detailed costings. Applications for support in this session must be submitted by February 18th at 5.30pm to: Elizabeth Cronin, Student Consultative Forum, Student Centre, UCD or email to: Elizabeth.cronin@ucd.ie

features@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

ESSAY

On the road with Zizek

hat's right - 'On the Road' with Slovenian philosopher, cultural critic, and all-out political maniac, Slavoj Zizek and it's the only way to travel, and the only point of departure that might get you to where you want to go... Now before I proceed any further, just a word to those familiar with Zizek who might be expecting some sort of cinematic review incorporating astute psychoanalytic and Marxist insights on Jack Kerouac's best-known novel, On The Road; I will be attempting no such endeavour. What I want to do here firstly is to capture the spirit of Kerouac's undertaking - if you haven't read the book I suggest that you do, for it cannot be summed up as 'the story of two soulful maniacs, Dean and Sal, hell-bent on finding, creating and digging IT! - the elusive but life-affirming moments that make it all worthwhile - in late 1940's America pushing the limits of the American Dream, claiming it for themselves, etc., etc.' Furthermore, and more importantly, I want to direct that spirit elsewhere - and that's where mad old Zizek will come in - bursting with excitement and ticks - on a high of his own. For Sal and Dean the point of destination mattered little - it served mainly as a point of reference for their real purpose which was always the trip itself. Their back and forths across the country were a means to an end - for they already had their answer in their question, 'dig it?' The 'it' here, in psychoanalytical terms, refers to the Lacanian ‘Real’ - an ineffable, magical substance that gives meaning to our lives - and to dig it is to be fluid, open, and attentive to this living substanceless 'substance', to appreciate its dynamism, to recognize the contradictions and paradoxes inherent to reality itself, and to feel the life-stories of others. It refers to the driving force behind the wheel, which keeps the whole thing in motion... dreams, fantasies, goofing-off and getting serious - takes and angles and curiosities where the secrets of the universe are kept, wrapped in a big book that begs to be read and that never ends till you realize that you have been writing it all along - and even then it somehow continues... Beat jazz joints, dharma bums, angelic women and salsa, adventure, freedom and more. These were the great highs and lows of that time, and indeed of all times, but I can't help but notice and draw attention to the curious fact that Sal and Dean both tended to arrive at their explicitly noted point of destination; ‘Mexico’, ‘Chicago’, ‘Denver’, ‘New York’, and so on (with the exception of Italy). But this begs for further inquiry - it seems to me that we readers shower attention on only one of two strands from which these crazy cats swung - what we are inclined to overlook is the space of 'destination' itself. Both admirers and critics alike tend to view the wild, exuberant feats of Sal and Dean in a one-dimensional manner and, consequently, both miss out on its true significance. To appreciate this, we must reintroduce a deeper sense of madness into their already mad world - something that was lost along the way. When kids gone haywire scream across the Mexican border trying to emulate their heroes, something tells me they miss the point entirely and fail miserably in their endeavours... Likewise, those who criticize Dean and Sal for 'not taking things seriously enough', for 'not realizing the impact of their own actions', etc., also miss the point - they see only two white bums, plagued by their own middle-class heritage, and consolidated

By Orno Delawalk

only by way of acquiescing with the madness of the world around them and becoming mad themselves - they look at the boys and shake their heads in forlorn dismay. But it's not that Dean and Sal didn't give ‘it’ the full weight and significance that was theirs to take; it's that they actually took it! What they provided was an answer; an answer to their own lonely times - if we are to authentically 'repeat their gesture', then we must provide our own answers to our own lonely times. So we must consider their actions not only in light of ‘what actually happened’, but also in light of the context from which they emerged as answers - forces that crystallized from an infinite stream of possibility. From what base did these guys construct their answer? What, asides from the Benzedrine, of course, fuelled their fires? What were their guiding principles? And can we take their spirit further; a spark to light the heavens? That’s where Zizek seems to have something to say. What Zizek can bring to Sal and Dean is a greater ‘destination’ to strive towards, and what they can bring to him is an emphasis on soul and an understanding of ‘time’; they can breathe life into the journey, for the means which invariably becomes the end. Our boys 'understood time' - they understood that eternity resonates in the moment - and though they may never have known what to do, they certainly knew how to do it. We can criticize where they ended up without undermining the importance of their endeavour. It seems to me that in all their appreciation and soulfulness, you see, there remained an unmistakable sense of the spectacle and the spectacular. At times, it were as though the lives of the people they met along the way were to them but more books on shelves; pages and words and dashes that would shine for all time - but still, nothing more. Weird and wonderful mysteries of the many manifestations of god. Now before I continue, I should focus a thoughtful and constructive light on the aforementioned 'space of destination', which these guys lived and grew in. So, let’s ride with Zizek for a time to see what he has to say - and he always has a lot to say! It's easy to get bogged down in his tremendous overture in fact, but let's try to keep the BS to a minimum - and even cut out the 'background issues’ - we are, after all, on the road, and as professional hitchhikers we must be prepared to jump on and off with just about anyone - even with Zizek and his 'transcendental materialist theory of subjectivity'! So, bear with me, if you will, and hop on board the Zizek-express; here's the basic theoretical 'building blocks' which I think are important for us now... OK - I don’t mean to get sidetracked and go off the road entirely during this brief detour, so we’ll be moving fast - first off, there is something rather than nothing ('duh!'), but this something is basically an incomplete, incongruent and intangible 'mess', shot through with internal antagonisms, cracks and fissures - it is something far removed from the standard 'cosmological' conception of, say, the universe conceived as a homogenous whole entity. 'Before' time began, this primordial, eternal substance gave rise to a conscious form which proceeded to fall through the stuff of the world (phenomena, or raw sense data), never able to hold onto anything; try to imagine a being trapped on a roller-coaster ride with flashing lights, travelling at all speeds simultaneously, something forever lost to itself. This being only ever

possessed immediate knowledge, the truth of which cannot reach beyond the mere insight that 'it is'. Finally, self-consciousness emerged from this raw, unintelligible and pulsating chaos the moment the aforementioned consciousness - what Kant termed the 'pure I of apperception' first posited its own presuppositions, thus 'giving birth' to its fully fleshedout 'self' (we are dealing with an important distinction which Kant introduced to Descartes' famous cogito formula between the 'I that thinks' and the 'I that is', which Descartes had equated). To posit one’s own Illustration by Robert Mulpeter presuppositions is to go above and beyond immediate sense We hold the world in the palm of our hands. certainty; for example, or to distinguish be- What I want to find out is simple; is it - life, tween subject and object. It is a purely formal that is, human existence - worthwhile? Can gesture, such as the act of naming something, I live for something more than hope, more which ties a bunch of qualities together and than a promise? Simple. And out here I think confers order and direction upon them. Al- I’m poised to find an answer to my questernatively, the pure 'I think' of apperception tion.’ ‘Interesting!’ jumps Zizek, ‘Because emerges retroactively after failing to identify when you say “out here” you’re talking about with its symbolic mandate - the object first a preconceived notion of something specific - America, for instance, the land of freedom emerges only after it is already lost. So, Dean’s stolen red-and-white sedan and opportunity - and you’re really comscreeches to a halt before the babbling, beard- mitting a subversive act when you take the ed Slavoj. The Slovenian barbarian hauls his message at face value and actually seek and rhythmically convulsing body into the back- expect freedom and opportunity to abound seat of the car, but before long he has as- here! And what can anyone say? You seem to sumed driver-position up front, with the boys be taking them seriously, after all, espousing squeezed in beside him, in a self-proclaimed the official line - let them swallow their own ‘True Stalinist fashion’. ‘Now what’s impor- medicine. But what if, nonetheless, you limit tant to bear in mind during all of this,’ Zizek yourself along the way by uncritically acceptbegins, ‘is Lacan’s contribution to metaphys- ing platforms of action and routes provided ics, which could be called a “critique of pure for you to use as the means to realize your desire”, desire of the real, that which cannot goals - essentially travelling on roads that are be ignored...’ ‘Yes! Slavoj, I hear you,’ Dean already built - and limiting yourself in this characteristically interjects, ‘desire sets the manner that it becomes virtually impossible whole thing in motion! Take this car for in- to get to where you really want to go?! You stance, which is an expression of desire in the have to direct your attention to what Marx first place, and like my friend Sal here says, called the “base of freedom” and put totally we are its cold heart and we fill this thing with new options on the table of choices available soul to make it drive, man - for nothing lives to you, even if you’re not sure where they’ll on bread or oil alone. And on the way we lose lead. This is true freedom. And you are right ourselves, and that - as you know - is precise- to demand it. Maybe then you’ll find a posily and positively the only way to make some- tive answer to your question...’ ‘Sal,’ says thing of yourself. Otherwise you might as well Dean, ‘you must always be suspicious of the lie down, shrivel up, and die! We’ll keep on ones trying to save you - even if what he says moving.’ ‘Yes, yes, yes, but what do you want,’ is true - no good can come from these enlightasks Zizek, ‘from all of this? Because it seems ened scumbags who can’t even save themto me that, behind the great flurry of activity, selves. They’re feeding on you. Remember you suffer from the same paralysis that holds that. Nevertheless, we’ll stick together, and I your parents up by the throat and now threat- think you will find your positive answer afens to suffocate you. You suffer from a lack of ter all,’ he smiles, ‘just look at that bedazzling political imagination. Doctor’s prescription? Señorita swaying our way! And check her out too! Beautiful, beautiful...’ ‘Indeed.’ Another A heavy dose of theory.’ After some consideration, Sal says, by way conversation ensues, as the three musketeers of explanation, ‘Basically, we’re the richest, pass through the town and disappear into the most powerful nation in the world. We’re night, leaving only their fading cries to disswimming in affluence beyond measure or turb the still air of the lonely country roads... reason. Opportunity. Unsustainable fortune. ‘Yes, yes, yes!', *sniffle* '…I claim.'

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COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

‘Are ya well?’ Aoife Dunken confronts Street harassment within Irish society

“There was a phase where we'd be walking into college and get terrible abuse from guys driving by in cars, in broad daylight, sometimes quite early in the morning. They'd beep the horn, just generally shout at us, one awful one was in the morning I think and the two of us were just walking along, they shouted out the window something along the lines of "We can smell ye from here". There was another day where two guys tried to get the two of us to come over to them, they were like standing down the dodgy side of the canal and they just kept pestering us...”

hy was he able to just walk up to Leanne and say that? Why did he feel he had the right to grab Aoife’s thigh? Why did they feel it was perfectly okay, in broad daylight, to deliver those obscene words to those two girls walking to college? Is street harassment something we, as a society, simply ignore, or accept? Is it something we, as a society, should actually care about? Street harassment affects 80 - 90% of women in other Western countries, young and old. Though no national statistics currently exist, it is an Irish problem too. If you’re a female reader, you will know this all too well. If you’re a male reader, ask your girlfriend, ask your sister, ask the girl sitting beside you in the lecture hall. Perhaps it’s something that, whether male or female, we choose to laugh off with our friends. Perhaps it’s something that we barely even notice because we’re just so accustomed to it. But it is something we need to deconstruct and examine; what is wrong with it, and where exactly does it come from? Contrary to the belief of some, a sly mutter of ‘alright babes’ actually does not often possess the propensity to envelope women in a fuzzy feeling of sexual empowerment. It is not a compliment -it is intimidation. Nobody wishes to embody a constant state of sexual availability. Saying no to street harassment is not a prudish issue. Rather, the issue is the playing

out of an engendered struggle of power on our streets. The issue is that street harassment occurs because women are generally expected to just scurry meekly along; mouth shut, eyes ahead. No woman is fond of that old familiar descent of tension as they skirt past a group of men on the footpath. No woman wishes to be constantly reminded of the blatant objectification of their bodies as they stand at the bus stop. Furthermore, and this is something so easily forgotten, no woman wishes to be starkly reminded of a previous violent sexual encounter as they bend down to tie their shoelace. In fact, reports place the odds of this happening at 1 in 3. Now, some may claim street harassment to be ‘something that comes with the job’ of being a woman. Being yelled at in a crowded place is merely a component of the privilege associated with the ‘fairer sex’, and is something us men-hating, bra-burning feminists need to come to accept, or even be grateful for. But hang on a second. Ask yourself this. Do you have to constantly monitor how many inches of your flesh are bare before you leave the house? Do you have to frantically pull down your skirt to make it longer or adjust your top to cover your skin before approaching an individual or group of the opposite sex? Does your body consists of a collection of sexual objects you must struggle to store away as you step out into public spaces? If you have answered ‘yes’ to the above questions, you are, I am sorry to admit, most likely, a woman, feminist or otherwise. Of course, street harassment often has nothing to do with what we are wearing - but from pu“I had a fifty something man walk berty onwards we are presented up to me on O'Connell street, leer with two options: chose chasteat me and shout out 'Nice tits'...I ness or choose chastisement. No can honestly say it was absolutely matter how high the hemline, women do not, implicitly or mortifying. I was by myself, which otherwise, ask for their bodies made the whole thing worse. Apart to be treated as mere visual defrom being mortified, I felt quite lights, and thus, any notion of disgusted. I just kept thinking that he a need for appreciation can be shouldn't have been able to do that. deemed to be devoid of gravitas. Now, before any members of Why could he just walk up, have a ‘feminazi’ opposition party come stare and say that to me?” wading in, let it be asserted that societal pressures are indeed a

universal phenomenon. Indeed, refusing knows he's not getting a date/relationto accept street harassment has nothing ship or respect from you, he is just reto do with hating the opposite sex - but minding you of the gender power balit has everything to do with a rejection ance and how frightened and helpless of certain elements of dominant forms of it can make you as a women, feel. If we masculinity. Yes, if for argument’s sake, shake street harassment off as somewe accept gender as a component of iden- thing minor and unimportant, then we tity, it can be remarked that thankfully, are accepting this skewed power balother, rather less troublesome ways of ance and the devastating impacts it has appropriating maleness are evolving. more widely in society for both men and Nonetheless, the requirements of con- women.’ stant reaffirmation of heterosexuality This article is a rant, let’s make no and of aggression that form part of ‘be- bones about it. But if street harassment ing a man’ still prevail, and are oppres- is something that negatively affects sive to members of the entire stratum of women on a day to day basis, and if it is gender. The fact remains that there lies something which serves to reinforce unan intrinsic connection between a form equal gender relations in Irish society, of hegemonic masculinity that accepts then it is something we need to stand up and promotes domination and intimida- and begin to rant about. Let’s not laugh tion of women; from the work place, to it off any longer. This said, street harthe bedroom, to the streets. assment is not something one girl on a The fight to end street harassment is street is going to be able to combat. No thus something that can and should con- matter how much we want to fire explecern everyone, regardless of their gen- tives in the face of yet another comment der. More comprehensive research into or sexual advance, the fact remains that the real psychological and social effects the fear of ridicule, or even of openof street harassment of women, as well ing ourselves to greater danger on the as a concerted attempt to devalue harm- streets, dominates our list of everyday ful aspects of hegemonic masculinity priorities. But this isn’t a onewoman could prove instrumental to the promotion of a new culture. A culture in which a woman can walk home at night without “Walking through the snow last being called a ‘slut’. A culwinter at about 4 pm in Balbriggan ture in which a man can and out of no where a middle aged walk home at night without man (sober) by himself walked past being called a ‘faggot’. And a culture in which a trans me and grabbed my upper thigh, woman can walk down the saying 'hello', I was totally shocked street without being called and could just about muster a 'fuck a ‘man in a dress’. Howyou, pervert' but he just stood there ever, if we consider current judicial attitudes to sexism and stared at me so I ended up just as reflected in recent rape rushing off.” sentencing, the long-term solution may ultimately lie in the altering of attitudes. This is where The Y Factor steps in. us On February 1st, a new NWCI (National fight. It is the fight of Women’s Council of Ireland) initiative all: men, women, and targeted towards the promotion of issues everyone in between, to o f of gender equality among 16-25 year olds speak out and educate others in Ireland was launched. It is hoped that the injustice that is street harassment, this can be achieved through school and so that one day we may be able to walk youth group educationals provided by down the street in the shortest skirt we the NWCI, as well as the establishment like and be treated like human beings. of a substantial social media presence. Where better to lay the foundation for gender equality than with our young people? As well as the efforts of The Y FacCheck out tor, the Dublin section of international The Y Factor here: site Hollaback, founded in New York in 2005, is also providing a forum for diswww.yfactor.ie cussion, encouraging girls and women to share their experiences of street harassment. Aoife Campbell, member of the steering committee of The Y Factor, shares a view of street harassment as a societal issue, and one that merits our attention; Check out Hollaback ‘Street harassment is one of the many manifestations of Dublin here : misogyny in society, the purpose of the act is for one gender to intimidate, huwww.dublin.ihollaback.org miliate and maintain sexual and physical domination over the other. When a guy yells or touches you in the street he

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COLLEGE TRIBUNE

12th February 2013

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Snarling from the soil Christopher Aherne gets to the origins of the seemingly unending GM food debate

he Genetically Modified Food debate has been a hotly divisive issue for a long time and while the days of it being labelled “Frankenfood” are finally gone there is still strong opposition to further research in the field. While the possible benefits from genetically modifying crops are nearly endless, there are some major concerns surrounding their widespread use which have never been fully answered. This is mostly because while the hazards to humans upon ingestion have largely been shown to be false, there are unknowns relating to the long term effect GM crops have on the environment. An element of the continued heat of the debate lies in the nature of the parties involved: on one side stand the well funded food industry which is up against an extremely strong and well organised anti-GM crop lobby. A genetically modified crop is one which has had its intrinsic DNA altered so when the crop grows it will have beneficial characteristics which are not normally found in the plant. This opens up a huge number of possibilities as any number of modifications can be made either to increase a crops nutritional values or decrease its susceptibility to disease. However this comes at a price. There are genuine concerns that the widespread use of GM crops will reduce overall biodiversity in the areas surrounding the original planting grounds, especially if the crops are engineered to be more resilient in tough climates where they will compete against local species for resources. In this case, the genetically engineered crops would survive and the local crops would die and eventually fall into extinction as the GM crops thrive. There were some concerns that genetically modified crops could in instances be toxic when ingested, increasing cancer rates, but this was proved largely to be untrue, with the claims chief proponent, the scientist Arpad Pusztai, widely accused of producing falsified results. While the health risks of GM are largely nonexistent their effect on the local environment and its biodiversity has been hard to prove or disprove. However one example does exist of the effects of interfering with a habitat. The case occurred in Mississippi where a company brought out a new herbicide to kill weeds and a specifically engineered crop which was not affected by the herbicide. For a number of years this worked well until a new weed was found to be growing in the fields which was unaffected by the herbicide. By wiping out all the weeds with this herbicide-crop combo it left room for a weed to spread without natural competition for resources. However this new weed is even harder to eradicate than the earlier weeds which had existed. So now farmers who invested in the new pesticide scheme have to fork out more for a new pesticide to kill the new weeds which are hard to eradicate and are affecting yields. While this is an example of the potential problems with GM crops there is a debate over how valid a reduction in biodiversity is vs. the potential benefits that GM crops offer. As a species we can no longer afford to hold up the process of experiment in GM crops. With a surging human population on the planet which is matched by decreasing amounts of water, energy and food per person it is now a matter of necessity that GM foods are brought

to the forefront of agriculture. On average 30% of crops grown a year never make it to harvest due to pests, it is no longer rational to accept this figure. Such thinking was outlined last year in a report released by the UN in which they pointed out that there is a danger of serious food shortage towards the end of 2013. This is mainly due to drought in the USA which severely affected the harvest but also the result of the growing population and agriculture decline. In 6 out of the last 11 years the earths has consumed more than it has produced. This has left crop reserves at an all time low and pushed up the price of the likes of wheat and rice. While western civilisation is not so affected by this, in the developing world where 850 million people are already malnourished this has a deadly effect and will continue to push many of these people into starvation if it is not confronted. It has already been shown that this kind of experimentation with crops can save lives. Norman Borlaug is a Nobel Peace Prize winner who famously developed a strain of wheat through cross breeding experiments which had much higher resistance to disease. Borlaug was awarded the peace prize as his creation saw wheat crops in many developing nations soar, it is believed that had Borlaug’s work not been completed many people would have died from starvation and so in some circles he is credited as the man who saved a billion lives. However farmers are dealing with an ever increasing array of problems from high salt content in soils, and water to land compaction. While most experts admit that there is no one single answer to all these problems, the use of GM crops is definitely part of the answer. Researchers have already designed GM crops such as golden rice to contain more vitamin A which is one cause of blindness in children in the third world. A standard serving of this golden rice is carries enough Vitamin A to sustain a child and stop them from going blind. This is due to the rice being engineered to produce beta carotene which while giving the rice an orange pigment is also used by the body to make vitamin A. This is one example, but the process can be repeated so that foods of the standard third world diet can contain large amounts of the vitamins and nutrients that bodies need to survive and avoid disease. This is only the beginning of what GM can achieve. There are numerous labs working on making stronger crops which can ward off pests. One example of this has been completed by researchers in England. In the UK aphids are major pests which it is estimated cause nearly 100 million pounds worth of damage to the annual wheat harvest. Scientists have now engineered a particular strain of wheat which emits a hormone called E-beta-farnesene. This hormone is emitted by aphids when they are being attacked and warns other aphids to avoid the area. It also has an extra effect of attracting species which live off aphids such as wasps. While there will always be opposition to this area of agriculture surely the debate has reached the point that for humanities sake research into GM crops should be allowed to continue unimpeded by lobbyists. While there should be concern as to the environmental effects these crops can have, it should be thoroughly examined, and this can only be achieved through plantation studies which have been strongly impeded by the anti-GM lobby.

... had Borlaug’s work not been completed many people would have died from starvation... he is credited as the man who saved a billion lives.”

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COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

No student left behind With three student protesters facing disciplinary proceedings, Jonny Baxter searches for the spine of the Students Union

his Wednesday, February 13th, three students will face a preliminary disciplinary hearing that begins a process that may ultimately result in their expulsion from the University. Their crime: throwing an egg at the head of a government which has been subtly striking at students with the axe of austerity since their election. By their side during this process will be the UCD Students' Union who, wishing to ensure the fairest outcome for three of their compulsory members, will face-off against the University hierarchy as all unions would be expected to do. Except, they won't. Rather than putting up a heroic defense, or indeed any defense, the SU has instead opted to corral the students, tie them up and deliver them before the firing squad as quickly as possible. This is despite the UCDSU constitution containing the following objective: “to secure and develop the fundamental rights of its members set out in Article 4 of the Constitution”. Article 4.3 reads: “Every Union member shall have the right to freedom of opinion and expression”. In an article in the University Observer, the current SU President acknowledged that they had an obligation to represent all students. Also cited was the Constitution's expectation that the Union maintain a positive relationship with staff. So while the Union is funded by students and is expected to represent them, a single incident is apparently enough to warrant a condemnation of three students in order to protect a relationship with one member of staff - UCD VP for Students, Martin Butler. It would seem, in this instance at least, that the Students' Union craves the approval of the University more than the idea of protecting its members. There are many who will disagree with the students' action, and may cite the section 2.1.8 objective of the SU Constitution: “To develop and maintain good relations with the University” to support their stance. However, this article is immediately followed by what must be deemed a more primary objective of the Union: “To secure and defend the fundamental rights of its members set out in Article 4” (2.1.9). In the face of the present case, emphasis must be placed on the word defend Throwing an egg has long been known as an act of dissent, of civil disobedience, of pro-

test. It's purpose is to cause embarrassment and humble the opponent, to make the point that he or she can only flaunt themselves around for so long before someone calls them out on their destructive decisions. Laughably, the Students' Union has sought to characterise the action as an ‘attack’, as if rocks were dispatched from the students' hands. The catch-all issue of “health and safety” has taken priority over the welfare and future of the students the Union is supposed to represent. Such a characterisation could be expected from those whom the protest targeted but it should not be expected from one of the main bodies which claims to oppose the actions of the government he represents. That the opposite is the case may be a symptom of a Union infested with vocal members from the youth wings of the exact parties which have both caused and continue to perpetuate the very problems the SU says it campaigns against. It is true that the actions of the protesters may have been ill-advised but they were taken due to a feeling that their Union, in sharing a platform with Enda Kenny, was not representing them and this was their way of saying so. Unfortunately for the three students involved, their tactic is one deeply at odds with the conservative nature of the Students' Union. That theirs did not come from the Union's own protest handbook was destined to place them in risky territory. The ‘polite’ protest strategy of the UCD SU proposes an annual march, which this year was to Eamon Gilmore's office when he wasn't there, and, a recent addition, the giving of filthies to politicians as they walk through a door - not exactly Paris, 1968.

The traditional strategy of the Students’ Union is one that has almost totally failed in its attempt to combat the ever-increasing sum of the registration fee and it will continue to fail until it takes a significant shift away from temporary and sporadic campaigns to ones that are more sustained. In saying that, it does make up for this somewhat in the services it provides through its welfare arm and credit must be given for that. As campaigns begin both in favour and against continuing affiliation with the USI, perhaps it is time that UCD students consider whether their Union is doing enough for them. With Union membership being a mandatory condition of studying at UCD it is important for each student to ask themselves if they are being well-served. Speaking as a member on SU Council, at times it seems it is a private members club first, a business second and Union somewhere after that. At the most recent Council, a motion was defeated to return the price of boiling water in the Students’ Union shops to 50c. This motion was driven by a belief that the original increase would be likely to have a detrimental impact on those students for whom single euros matter. This motion was supported by none of the sabbatical officers yet the increase was later removed. In the same University Observer article mentioned earlier, the President of the Students’ Union cited the decision of Council to not revoke the condemnation as justification for not involving the SU in the disciplinary issue. In the case of the price increase, the vote of Council was not taken as definitive and was subsequently overruled by the SU Executive - in the current disciplinary case, the vote of Council is being held up by the

Rather than putting up a heroic defense, or indeed any defense, the SU has instead opted to corral the students, tie them up and deliver them before the firing squad as quickly as possible.

Exec as final. There appears to be a glimmer of a double-standard in the two cases. It is my belief that part of the reason for the Students' Union lack of effective action is that it is guided by a faction who possess little incentive to produce significant change due to their apparent satisfaction with the statusquo. There is then the taboo subject of class. Unfortunately, the SU Council does not appear to possess as many students with direct experience of hardship as one would like to see and this is another reason for the disconnect between the student body and their representatives. Class is a subject that is often ignored in wider discourse, be it political or otherwise, but it is impossible not to relate the decisions taken by the SU to the apparent background of the most vocal and 'respected' members. That the middle class tend toward the centreright is far from an anomaly and it is behaviour repeated within the Union with numerous Fine Gael and Fine Fáil members being constituents of the Union Council while Labour is represented by one student and the Socialist Workers' Party with two. This is possibly a reason why there appears to be a fundamental ignorance within the SU as to its purpose. A fundamental element of a union's essence is a duty to campaign for the weaker and disadvantaged in a given area of society in an attempt to close the gap and improve their situation. It is, in essence, a leftist idea, yet it seems in many cases that the Union wishes to occupy as little left-leaning territory as possible and instead prefers to sink into the existing structures of power without ever wishing to change them. The idea of university as a testing ground for radical thought and action is one that does not apply to the active politik within UCD. Indeed, any radicalism tends to be oppressed or, as with the case of the 3 students who this week begin their disciplinary process, condemned and possibly removed. The status-quo merchants rampage on, changing little and advancing only their own cause. The quest to combat the clique-mentality of the SU Council is one many candidates for officer positions claim they will undertake. As of yet, it is a quest that is yet to begin, let alone reach its destination.

11 Poetry

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COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Page Eleven Poetry

12th February 2013

Page 11

39a

Drowning

Arts Cry In Denial

There was a light feathery dusk Spread out above the city lights The passengers stewed in a sleepy silence As constellations of traffic flashed by Two wasps buzzed on the windowsill And she said, the 39a is not a suitable place To bring someone for an anniversary dinner.

Drops of sky falling on my hood sinking like acid.

Hands shake and words move out of sync with the mind. The one in the corner of this cluttered tackless abyss. The sad social event is you. We use this to dismiss our even more pathetic lives, yet you are the worst by comparison. Scarred, the body rejects you. The space between your breasts expands full of an energy that consumes heavily on the soul. Waves of painful anxiety crash down on the alien self. Why am i here? Awareness floods the already drowning lungs. What is happening? Once we get answers we can stop, retreat. Return to that body and mind once possessed . For now however she loathes you questioning her own well-being. For bringing this cackling outcast to those she loves. Why associate with someone as benignly repulsive as you. You know this, yet stay. You must prove them wrong. You must be worth something. Mustn’t you? The one you are is not here you say? they are gone. The being that has taken your place frightens you. The shadow of a former self looms over like a cloud of smoke choking your flooded drowning mind. Silently screaming, you will the past to leave you be. To stay in the shadows where the fears and monsters belong, where it should be. Yet everyone stares perplexed by this idiotic exterior and inner shallow self. Now the alcohol fueled buzz of the room creates a sour tang over the engrossing atmosphere. No replies are appropriate. No one wants to engage you. No one wants to humour you any more. The lull of the background music hangs heavy in the air, beating against the skull. Throwing the quiet that surrounds it into center stage, that drips from the last words to spill unwillingly for your mouth, the aspects of your truth you try to hide.

It’s getting colder, he said, And times are getting hard. And when have times been simple? She exalted herself above him in an angry buzz The only difference was that we didn’t care I don’t know which way is better But I can’t remember what it was like to be warm When I reach out to you, He said, It feels like we are forming Spindle fibres, ready to Pull everything that makes us Apart You want me to cage the clouds And stall the entropy But never believe that we can Simply function amidst the chaos But it is possible Please try

Black bears on the beach their teeth pierce through the ocean navigating to a lost island clouded in mystery and cirrus. Sometimes a bolt breaks through and minutes later thunder erupts trees from the soil. Swim to the floor and lie there turning into sea ferns and enveloping in sand. Water in lungs seeing the shimmer of where sea turns to sky above you and a black bear. Laura Ellen

the dogs on whose unnamed streets quietly, the dogs, they lick their lips, as the scent of blood breaths in the air and the breaking of organs echoes from the dark out of sight.

It’s like trying to explain the colour blue To some who’s never seen it I am tired of clinging To dilapidated fantasies When does it get easy? When does it get easy for me? Bethany Cleary climbed off the bus And headed unremarkably through the city rush To the cold place she called home In her mind she could still hear them buzzing Like the quiet whisper of a feeling That things are not as they’re meant to be Silently banging against the window, Tracing invisible hurricanes against the pane

there the wind heaves thundering, throwing open empty building doors laughing with the ghosts at its game with the laugh of hundreds of millions of souls trampled underfoot IM

S.K.

The Gatekeeper there is truth behind your eyes. You hold a depth you try conceal. A soft touch on my leg sends a warmth through my being. Submerged your gravity yields me forwards, to rejoin this merrygoround ride we cannot seem to escape. Children pay the gatekeeper with silver and coppers, our toll torments us as we hand over the broken pieces of our souls. But these pieces will never fit, knowing this we kiss painfully, full of a yearning to just be. Forcing our fragments together. spinning among the innocent, those laughing wooden horses and cars grow sinister while the music becomes rapid and unnerving. “toss us from this ride, throw us to the dirt” our souls scream out to us,”anything but this” round and round we spin out of reality and time slipping further into this insanity, hands move torturously, lips parting gasping for breath. the gatekeeper watches laughing at his free show as the rain crashes over. children run to shelter. All aboard the merrygoround, faster and faster. Until finally it stops, exhausted we lay in our tears, reality shifting into focus once more.

Ellen O’Leary

The First Stringless Pink Hue There was Rico, whose wife died in a plane crash south of the border, right into the ocean, and whose twenty-year old mourning consisted of complete abstinence, until Rico, who had always been a faithful, law-abiding husband in the duration of their ten-year long marriage, got the news that his wife had not boarded the fateless plane and was, in fact, in Turin, with a complete set of boyfriends of all sizes and varieties, shaped, like cutlery, to satisfy the impending need of every occasion. And there was also Ted, whose life had been a dreadful chronology of heart-breaking short stories written in Japan during spring break by a lunatic teenager with ADD, a sorting hat of emotions that drove him to resort to the last step a man may ever take before crossing the frontier of self-aggression, that is, Ted, whose limpid member was struck off in a passionate evening, rendering him the modernist self-castrated idol of many generations that were to come. And let us not forget Pat, short for Patio, who loved his girlfriend so much he put all of her belongings outside his apartment and asked his neighbor to give her the time, Pat who was, evidently, too self-absorbed to realize that his girlfriend was not his anymore, therefore unimportant to this tale. Then there is Rico, whose wife died twice, catharsis big enough to turn a life full of devotion into a peculiar dedication on the lifestyle of the younger generations. Then there is Ted, the cockless, who sold his soul to a devil named Cassandra, hoping to restore some sense of order into his chaotic heartbeat. Then there is Pat, who killed himself the day his girlfriend left his small flat downtown. But there is no sense talking about Pat. Once dead, what can one do but haunt and spook? ‘Do you have it?’ she asks, hands in her jeans’ pockets, cigarette, unlit, resting on her lower lip. ‘What?’ She is asking for the silencer. What is it? Finnegan Blake

there is such a truth behind your eyes, but it is sorrow. Watching the gatekeeper laughs. Ellen O’Leary

Send submissions to features@collegetribune.ie

BUSINESS

editor@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

Water charges make sense Niall Conroy

ike it or not, you will be paying for your water shortly. By the start of 2014 water charges are planned to be introduced in accordance with the terms of the EU/IMF bailout. However, with a local election scheduled for that summer, the government would be quite eager to delay the implementation if at all possible. There seems to be little reason why you shouldn’t pay for water. Many would claim that water is essential for human life and therefore should be provided free of charge by the state. Water is no more or less essential for human life than food, yet I do not see any protests over that not being provided free of charge. Others claim that all leaks should be fixed before metering and charging commences. Two issues arise with this: firstly we cannot easily identify where the leaks are without having metering. Secondly, water is a low value commodity, and hence there are some leaks which would be uneconomic to fix. On a more environmental point, there is a strong case for charging people for water. If you charge people for water, they will reduce their consumption of water. If anything is free you will consume more than would be socially optimal. In the UK after charging for water, they saw a 10% - 20% decrease in water consumption. People are

careful about their water use when they are paying for it. While there are no water shortages in Ireland at the moment, there could be shortages in the Leinster in 15 – 20 years’ time if there is a strong economic recovery. Already, there are commercial charges for water but now domestic dwellings will be charged for their water. Currently, businesses are either metered and charged on that basis, or estimate their usage and pay a fixed fee based on that. Some domestic rural dwellers also pay if they are not connected to the main supply. Just over a half of businesses (53%) actually pay up and local authorities are owed about €76.5m. This may explain why collecting water charges will not be up to local authorities but up to Bord Gáis who will collect on behalf of the newly formed water board. There is a clear logic to this, Bord Gáis have vast experience in collecting money from people. We have seen from the recent household charge fiasco, this is not as easy as it may seem, and local Government may not be best placed to do so. While water may be a God given resource, there are significant costs in sourcing, filtering and distributing water. There are also significant capital outlays for the provision of water which must be recouped over time. Up until now,

the water “industry” has been made up of a number of small county councils providing the water supply in their area. It seems more sensible to have a single semi state body responsible for the provision of water and metering/charging. While charging is to commence at the start of 2014, there is no chance that many/ any meters will be installed by this time. It

would seem that some sort of flat charge similar to the household charge may be the only way of collecting in 2014. Given that the government wants to raise €500m from water charges, that would require a levy of about €370 per household. If the household charge is anything to go by, the water charges may be off to a bad start before the meters are installed. If people are to be charged for water they should be charged for what they use, not just a flat tax.

Frontier Markets - Building on the BRICs Eoin Callaghan

hile much public discussion on emerging markets focuses on “mainstream” economies in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific regions, investors are increasingly turning their attention to frontier economies. With a backdrop of historically low fixed income yields and considerable uncertainties in the trajectories of both Western and emerging market economies, frontier markets offer significant returns coupled with low correlation to other markets. These characteristics stem from a very early position in the economic growth cycle of countries, where many have experienced little or no economic progress in the recent past. Classification as a frontier economy generally results from a country being too small to stand as an EM itself, having previously restricted international investment or having a lower development level then existing “mainstream” emerging markets. This produces a varied list of countries from oil-rich Gulf states, who are currently opening up for international investors, to severely underdeveloped sub-Saharan nations. Frontier markets are expected to grow in terms of capitalization and liquidity, making the jump into emerging market classification at some point in the future. Since the start of January the Advance Frontier Markets Fund (AFMF), which generates exposure to countries including Pakistan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru and Bulgaria, has reported an 8.3% return compared to a 1% return for the BRICs and other es-

tablished emerging markets. With little attention during the financial crisis period, managers such as AFMF’s Slim Feriani believe that “some of these markets are the cheapest they have ever been”. With high earnings growth and dividend yields, these markets are very attractive for long investors searching for decent growth potential and those who want relatively high pay-outs. While before the crisis Vietnam and the Gulf region were favoured, frontier market investors are taking larger positions on the African continent. The Financial Times recently reported that Nigerian stocks returned almost 63% in US dollar terms over the past year. However, while some economies offer large domestic returns, currency movements can significantly diminish the real return to international investors – which happened in Namibia where market growth of 8% translated into a 10% drop in US dollar terms. Alongside a limited stock of investable companies and significant currency fluctuations, the main risk to African frontier investors remains political instability. In a fractious region well used to regular power struggles, an inward looking regime that restricts capital flows or poaches valuable real assets can evaporate an international investor’s position over night. Some argue that taking these risks into account, the African sub-Saharan region does not offer an appropriate risk-return profile. Of course, what is generating these financial returns is an increase in econom-

Above: Slim Feriani of AFMF ic activity. A key feature of any emerging market economy is the creation of a larger, wealthier and more consumer driven middle class. This can be quite a slow process in frontier markets, which are often only beginning to provide essential infrastructure such as reliable electricity supply. In tandem with an inflow of international financiers, the African continent is also experiencing a surge in activ-

ity from multinationals such as Diageo and Unilever who see potential rewards in the long run from this new economic activity. It remains to be seen how the future prospects of these frontier economies actually pan out, and how long investors and companies will have to wait before they can reap the benefits of the economic growth cycle.

14 GNÉ - AILT Mallacht na dToitíní

gaelige@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

Caoimhe Seoige Scríbhneoir

á grúpa cairde agam sa saol seo, 10 mbliana ó shin bheadh an grúpa cairde sin i bhfad níos mó ach anois, tá muid ar imeall an phobail. Níl fíor-aithne agam ar fhormhór na ndaoine seo agus seans maith nach roinneann muid na suimeanna céanna ach ar feadh na nóiméad sin, fad is a chaitheann muid toitíní, déantar neart cainte. Go minic is le mo chairde is fearr a bhím, ach maidin nó oíche, báisteach, sioc nó toirneach, má sheasaim taobh amuigh de shiopa, teach tábhairne, fiú mo theach féin, tugtar an seans dom labhairt le daoine eile atá ag caitheamh toitíní. Caint ghonta atá ann cinnte, ag líonadh na mbearnaí leis an gcaint chéanna an t-am ar fad, ‘tá mé préachta’, ‘an bhfaca tú an cluiche an lá faoi dheireadh’ nó an ceann is coitianta a chloistear ‘tá mé ag déanamh iarracht éirí astu ach nílim ábalta’. Sin í an fhadhb, nach í? Seasta síoraí ag déanamh iarracht éirí astu. Faoin am seo anois tá timpeall sé seachtaine caite ag daoine atá éirithe astu ó Lá Chinn Bliana. Daoine crógacha, i mo thuaraim. Ach i dtuaraim na ndaoine nach gcaitheann tobac, ní raibh orthu ach dúiseacht ar maidin agus cinne-

adh a dhéanamh chun stop a chur leo. Is andúiligh muid an oiread le haon andúiligh eile; ní déarfá le handúileach hearóine, ‘cén fáth nach n-éiríonn tú as ar maidin?’. Ní deir daoine é sin toisc go dtuigeann siad nach bhfuil sé chomh héasca sin. Fiú muna bhfuil briseadh intinne ag baint le caitheamh tobac, agus níl aon chruthúnas ann go scaiptear teaghlaigh dhá bharr, tá sé fós chomh dainséarach le drugaí eile. Déantar dearmad air sin ó am go ham, díreach ós rud é go nglactar leis go pointe áirithe sa tsochaí, ní hé sin le rá nach gcuireann pictiúir de scamhóga dubha nó na focail ‘Toradh caithimh tobac – bás’ isteach orainn. Níl formhór na ndaoine a chaitheann tobac ag iarraidh tobac a chaitheamh. Tá muid ag iarraidh stopadh, ach cuir ceist ar éinne a d’éirigh astu agus beidh an ghráin dhearg acu orthu. Tá ‘mental reliance’ ag baint leo. Tá toitín uaim sula ndúisím i gceart. Sula bhfillim ar mo chuid ranganna. Roimh dhinnéar. Roimh chith. Mar bhronntanas tar éis obair an lae chomh maith. Tar éis ranga. Tar éis dinnéir. Tar éis scrúduithe. Níl uainn ach leithscéal ar bith! Tá sé deacair iad a chur uait agus formhór den am,

D'eagraigh Peadar Ó Lamhna 'Countdown as Gaeilge' ar an Déardaoin seo caite agus bhuaigh an fhoireann ó COBÁC é, ón gclé, Peadar Ó Lamhna, Éanna Ó Braonáin, Páraic Ó Cualáin, Shane Ó hAonghusa (reachtaire an chumainn) agus Doireann Ní Ghlacáin teastaíonn leithscéal cuimsitheach uainn ar nós a bheith ag iompar clainne nó dochar aitheanta do do shláinte. Le déanaí, labhair mé le bean a d’éirigh astu agus dúirt sí gur chaoin sí a toitín, go raibh sé ar nós báis carad ina saol. An clár is mó a chuaigh i gcion orm le cúpla bliain anuas ná Love/

Hate agus déarfainn gurb ionann teideal an chláir sin agus mo chaidreamh le toitíní. Chomh maith le chuile andúileach eile sa saol seo, ba bhreá liom iad a chur díom, gan an maide beag ailse sin a fheiceáil ariamh arís i mo shaol. Ansin tagann folús ionam, a gcreidim nach féidir a líonadh gan an maide,

beag álainn sin agus nílim in ann mo shaol a shamhlú gan iad. Tá muid deighilte ón ngnáthdhuine i suíomhanna sóisialta, ag caitheamh airgead seafóideach in aghaidh na seachtaine agus ag déileáil leis an stiogma a théann leo, agus fós leanann muid ar aghaidh á gcaitheamh.

Gafa le Gunnaí – SAM ar strae Cormac Breathnach Eagarthóir

uair a cuireadh peann ar phár ar an 15 Nollaig 1791, bhí i gceist ag reachtóirí Mheiriceá cearta bunúsacha na saoránach a leagan amach agus a chosaint sa Bhunreacht. Rinneadh an chéad deich leasú riamh ar Bhunreacht Mheiriceá sa bhliain sin, agus ó shin i leith níl ach seacht n-athrú dhéag eile curtha i gcrích. Cá bhfios do reachtóirí na tréimhse sin go mbeidís chomh mór sin i mbéal an phobail os cionn dhá chéad bliain níos déanaí? Le tuairim is fiche bliain anuas tá treocht scanrúil, dhéistineach ag bailiú nirt ar thaobh eile an Atlantaigh. Is treocht í seo atá ag cur na leasuithe a rinneadh sa bhliain 1791, an dara ceann ach go háirithe, go mór i mbéal an phobail. Tugann an dara leasú seo an ceart do gach saoránach i Meiriceá gunna a bheith ina sheilbh aige. Cé go bhfuil difríochtaí ó stát go stát maidir le dlíthe, ní féidir an ceart seo a shárú gan an Bunreacht a leasú athuair. Sa bhliain 1999, in Ardscoil Columbine i gColorado maraíodh beirt mhac léinn déag agus múinteoir amháin, agus gortaíodh triúr is fiche eile i slad tragóideach a tharraing aird mhórphobail an domhain ar an mbaile beag. Beirt dhéagóirí a thug faoin ionsaí seo le gunnaí ‘dleathacha’. Sa bhliain 2007, in Ollscoil Virginia Tech, maraíodh beirt is

tríocha, agus gortaíodh seachtar déag in ár uafásach eile. Sa chás seo, d’éirigh leis an ionsaitheoir gunnaí an tslada a cheannach go dleathach, cé go raibh comhairleoireacht chuimsitheach faighte aige d’fhadhbanna móra meabhairshláinte ar feadh na mblianta roimh ré. I mí Iúil anuraidh, i bpictiúrlann i mbaile Aurora, Colorado, scaoileadh urchair ar lucht féachana scannáin. Maraíodh dáréag agus gortaíodh os cionn caoga duine eile. Baineadh úsáid as trí chineál gunna difriúla don slad seo. Díreach roimh an Nollaig, rinneadh ár millteanach eile i scoil Sandy Hook, Connecticut. An babhta seo maraíodh fiche páiste agus seisear daoine eile. Faoi mar a tharla i gColumbine agus i Virginia Tech, chuir an lámhachóir lámh ina bhás féin sular éirigh leis na póilíní breith air. I gcás Aurora, rug na póilíní ar James Holmes agus tá sé i mbraighdeanas i láthair na huaire. Níl luaite agam anseo ach ceithre chás. Ar an drochuair, d’fhéadfainn sonraí Tucson (2011), Oikos (2012), Fort Hood (2009) agus mórán eile nach iad, a lua chomh maith. Ní gá dúinn ach sracfhéachaint a thabhairt ar staitisticí dúnmharaithe na cruinne le fadhb mhór Mheiriceá a aithint. Níos measa fós, tugann na figiúirí seo le fios go bhfuil an scéal ag dul ó mhaoil go mullach.

Idir 1982 agus 2012 tharla 61 olllámhach i Meiriceá. Rinneadh suas le 50 ceann acu siúd le gunnaí ‘dleathacha’. Sa bhliain 2004 rinne scoil amháin in Harvard staidéar ar an gcóimheas idir ghunnaí agus dúnmharaithe agus d’éirigh leo fianaise chuimsitheach a thabhairt chun solais ag léiriú go mbíonn níos mó dúnmharaithe i dtíortha/ áiteanna ina gceadaítear gunnaí go forleathan i gcomparáid le ceantair eile. Agus iad ag tabhairt cúinsí eacnamaíochta agus fostaíochta san áireamh, léirigh na taighdeoirí seo gur coitianta i bhfad dúnmharaithe sna ceantair ina bhfuil gunnaí ar fáil go furasta. Tuigtear chomh maith go bhfuil 89 gunna i Meiriceá in aghaidh gach 100 duine; an cóimheas is mó ar domhain. Is scanrúla an uimhir seo nuair a chuirtear í i gcomparáid leis an India, an dara cóimheas is mó: 4 ghunna in aghaidh gach 100 duine. Is léir ón bhfigiúr seo go bhfuil muintir Mheiriceá go hiomlán gafa le gunnaí. Deirtear go minic, mar chuid de bholscaireacht na seafóide ó lucht na ngunnaí i Meiriceá, nach maraíonn gunnaí daoine. Fíor, ach is fusa do dhuine duine eile a mharú i dtír ina bhfuil úinéireacht ghunnaí mar cheart bunreachtúil ná i dtíortha ina bhfuil dlíthe láidre iontu ag smachtú sin. Deirtear chomh maith go bhfuil an locht

ar an gcóras sláinte; nach bhfuil dóthain tacaíochta ar fáil do dhaoine a bhfuil meabhairghalair orthu. Seans ann go bhfuil lochtanna sa chóras, ach nárbh fhearr i bhfad an droch-chóras sin i dtír nach bhfuil gunnaí ar fáil chomh forleathan inti? Deirtear freisin go mbainfí úsáid as airm eile ar nós sceana agus clocha má athraítear an dlí, is nach mbeidh aon athrú suntasach ann i líon na ndúnmharuithe. Ní fiú freagra a thabhairt don té a úsáideann an argóint cham seo, dar liom. Tá tuairimí láidre ag an iliomad daoine ar an gceist, agus ar a bhfuil le déanamh ag Barack Obama má theastaíonn uaidh dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb. Agus é ag caint faoin ionsaí is déanaí (Sandy Hook), dúirt

Obama go bhfuil gá anois le ‘gníomh suntasach’ i gcoinne na faidhbe seo. N’fheadar cad go díreach a bhí i gceist aige leis an ráiteas seo, ach tá cath mór os a chomhair amach má theastaíonn uaidh athrú mór a dhéanamh. Is baolach go bhfuil an iomarca gunnaí ar fáil i Meiriceá cheana féin agus go bhfuil sé ródhéanach aon ‘ghníomh suntasach’ a chur i gcrích. Is réidh ag duine a theannfhocal a rá ach, dar liom, ní foláir an iarracht a dhéanamh. Seans ann nach mbeidh aon tionchar ag an athrú ar na saolta seo againne, nó ar linn ár bpáistí fiú, ach nár dheas go mbeadh duine sa todhchaí in ann caint faoi leasú 28, agus an dea-thionchar a d’imir sé ar Mheiriceá?

15 Remembering many friends who worked in UCD editor@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

REGULARS

Elizabeth Coote Writer

hen I was asked to write these articles for the College Tribune, it was such an honour. The staff on the paper had no idea what I might bring. They were giving me an opportunity to write my inner thoughts and feelings about the place I loved, the place I spent half of my life working amongst young people who were such a large part of my daily life, I describe that time as being my other family. I have written my articles from the heart and most of the articles have been an attempt to get students interested in their College and how it is run and why they should take part. This article is for the many friends and colleagues who worked with me and along side me over thirty years. My fondest memory is of Marcella Rickard who is now deceased, she was a telephonist in both Earlsfort Terrace and Belfield. The first time I met Marcella was in the Arts telephone exchange, it was my first day of employment as a fellow telephonist; a job I had been given by Charles O’Rourke senior member of Administration staff, one of his many duties was to run the many telephone exchanges in the University. Marcella was a perfectionist and her work on the exchange was impeccable. She provided a service that many people will remember as going way beyond the call of duty. My most lasting memory of Marcella, who later became one of my closest friends, was when I entered the telephone exchange Marcella’s first words to me were “do you smoke”, when I replied that I do not she said, “fine I hate smoking, you and I will get on great, sit down and there is your board, and begin your work.” That was Marcella straight to the point and no bull. When I left to join the Students’ Union she was so disappointed, however we remained loyal and faithful friends until the day she died. Marcella donated her body to UCD medical school. This was her way of saying thanks for the wonderful happy days spent with the Meds in the Terrace. She died in Beaumont Hospital in June 1988; 25 years later I still miss her. Rest in Peace Marcella. The school of Medicine featured in both my working life and my sister Judy Mullen’s. Judy ran the bone library within the shop at the Medical School. The students paid an annual fee to join the bone library giving them an opportunity to borrow bones to study; it was just like borrowing a book from the library. The system worked by allowing the borrower to have the bones for an agreed time and returning said bones on time, failing this a small fee was imposed. Loss of bones was a very serious issue. I can now relate one of the most serious losses by a student who will

remain nameless, 25 years later he is now a consultant and would not appreciate my naming him, he might sue me. I was the overall manager of the shops, so Judy had to phone me to tell me that a huge loss had occurred. She informed me that a young gentleman had left an expensive SKULL on a bus on his journey into College. Whether this was true or not we may never know, the skull was never found by the bus company. Judy was very upset when I told her that the student would have to pay for a replacement, bones were expensive to buy; plastic bones were cheaper but not as good. I told my sister that the fine would be £40- £50. She nearly had a heart attack and begged me to reconsider such a huge fine for a struggling student. I argued with her that we had to replace the lost item. She came back with the argument that this young man was in a terrible state and he could not find such a large amount of money. Both Judy and I talked it over and we came up with a plan. Students paid fines, mostly small fines, which were used by the Students’ Union to buy more bones. The students also paid a fee to join the library, and the fee was returned at the end of the year. The plan was that each student who had joined the library at the beginning of the year would be asked if they would help to pay for the said skull, by giving a donation from their returned fee. Every one of them did this and so the problem was solved, and we had the money to buy a new skull for the following year. The mystery of the lost skull was never solved. Any of the medicial students studying in the Terrace from 1980-1987 will remember Judy and some the insistence of the lost skull. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their kindness to Judy during her final illness. She loved her job and adored the Medical students. Her best friend on the staff was Tommy Fay who worked in the Laboratory and her second best friend was Dr. Dorothy Mc Geeney. Paddy Brennan was another great character. He joined the staff of UCD as a 14 year old boy. His parents and extended family all worked in Earlsfort Terrace, as did Paddy. He was attached to the Library staff and when the move to Belfield became a reality many of those working in the Terrace experienced great sadness leaving the city and finding themselves in the open fields of Belfield. However, being loyal staff of the College they settled in and continued their dedicated work for students. The library was Paddy’s place of work where he took care of all the post. This he did with great efficiency and perfection. His detail

to keeping everything in order and his records were as good as any accountant of today, they would be in awe of how well he ran his post room. He worked in UCD from the early age of 14 until the day he died. He was a larger than life man and his work in Belfield was a large part of his life, but he also dedicated his spare time to a youth club in Harolds Cross and did wonderful work with the young boys and youths in the area. The club is still in existence today. Paddy should never be forgotten for all his hard work and for his voluntary work over the years. I will never forget him. He was a fine big man and had a very funny personality. I recall an insidence that included my husband Wally who was on the security staff. One of his tasks was putting stickers on cars that were incorrectly parked, not an easy job, as it could upset many people. Wally encountered some very unpleasant people, while doing the job and a few people reported him for not allowing them to park wherever they liked, which was very upsetting for him. Wally had found the best job in his lifetime at the age of 41 years and he worked hard, appreciated his employment, and just like me, loved the College. One very funny memory is that Wally put a parking sticker on Paddy’s car, Paddy was very upset and although he got on well with me and Wally, friendship went out the window. He told Wally he would flatten him. Wally’s supervisor was standing beside him and he told Paddy he was being reported for threatening behaviour. At a disciplinary hearing, when asked to explain his behaviour Paddy’s words were, “yes I did say I would flatten you Wally for putting a sticker on my car, yes

I would flatten you but the correct words I used were, which the supervisor did not hear properly, were, if I fell on you I would flatten you, me being such a big person.” My husband told me that everyone in the room exploded into uncontrollable laughter and that was the end of that. Paddy, Wally and I continued our friendship till the end of Paddy’s life. The last memory I recall was the wonderful gigs in the restaurant, Newman House, graduation Balls, bands on the concourse in the Arts block at lunchtime, drama society putting on their wonderful plays. Many of these were College organised and the SU shop had their special Santa party for staff and students’ children, musicians at the lake playing instruments, choirs singing in the church, exhibitions of paintings in the Tierney Building where all staff could summit their work. The chaplains organised lunches and weekends away for students, which included great musical sessions. There was a wonderful closeness and support within College, hence the feeling of it being a great place to be employed. I was walking through the grounds one early morning where I met one of the nicest Professors of all time, Professor de Bhaldraithe. We were chatting and I said to him, “when I enter into the grounds of UCD I never feel I am going to work, I get such a happy feeling.” He answered me by saying “do you wish to know why you get such a happy feeling,” he said, “my own opinion is that we are working with young people aged 17-25 years of age and while we are older, it is their youth that gives us this wonderful happy and contented frame of mind, year after year. They keep us young.” I agreed with him then and I agree

with him today. Getting back to the many gigs preformed in College, George Melly the famous jazz musician was performing in the Main Restaurant many years ago; on the same bill Dermot Morgan was also appearing on. The restaurant was packed out, the audience waiting for the main attraction, George Melly. Dermot was a stand up comedian at that time. During his performance a roar went up from the audience who were eagerly waiting for George, “Dermot for Gods sake get off and let us hear George,” little did any of us know that Dermot would in time go on to become the main man. I wish to thank Eoin Heffernan for his courtesy in sending me a list of the gigs he is working on at the moment. Eoin replied to my e-mail and that was very good manners on his part and I deeply appreciate it. Entertainment for students is very important, costing is important, breaking even is very important. Of all the positions in the SU it is in my opinion a very important office, and there is a great deal of work involved and very little gratitude is given to the officer who takes it on board. I hope that it will continue under the direct involvement of the SU and not franchised outside. Writing these articles is such a pleasure, thanks to all of you out there who pick up the Tribune and take the time to read it. The staff at the paper are some of the nicest students I have had the pleasure to work with, simply a great group of young and energetic people. I have no doubt they all will go on to wonderful careers. Till next edition, God bless and keep your heads in the books, chip, chip at the essays and presentations and you will get your grades.

It’s Satire, STUPID!

INSIDE "Carlow man wins right to open up family-orientated brothel"

" Deceased claimed he wouldn't be caught dead with necrophiliac" "Corduroy pillows are making headlines" "Suicidal t win kills sister by mistake" "Clairvoyants meeting cancelled due to unforseen circumstances "Researchers confirm there is no future in time travel"

Ginger separatists organise in UCD

t has recently come to the attention of the Turbine that a small group of revolutionaries have taken up residence in the bowels of UCD. The group, who title themselves as the “Ginger Separatist Movement” or GSM, have been recruiting among the students of UCD for some time now. Their aim is to create a vanguard party of ginger revolutionaries who can act to bring down the state and end the long history of apartheid that has marred our society for centuries. Along with these revolutionary activities it is believed that the GSM has been pushing forward prominent individuals who possess the ginger gene. This is with a view to increase their numbers by tactically breeding with non-ginger individuals and thus bolstering their population.

The purpose of this is believed to be the creation of an elite fighting force for the coming revolution. When contacted, the University admitted that they have been aware of this growing problem for some time now and that steps have been taken to counteract the activities of the GSM. This plan may or may not include the expulsion of all gingers from campus, a move seen by some on the governing authority of the University as potentially controversial. Interestingly, Youth Defence has weighed in on the argument. Their top theologians and solicitors have confirmed that the lack of a soul could allow for the termination of gingers under Canon Law. They are believed to be in the process of changing their slogan “love them both” to in-

clude the words, “but never love a ginger.” It is not yet known who the ringleaders of the movement are, though it is rumoured to include a number of individuals involved in student politics and media as

well as prominent members of many of UCD’s societies. Anybody with information regarding these dangerous individuals is asked to contact the Turbine. Confidentiality will be guaranteed.

SU condemnation of UCD student T

he Turbine can now confirm that UCD SU have issued a posthumous condemnation of a former Medicine student, Kevin Barry, for what has been deemed violent protest. On the morning of September 20th 1920, Barry was involved in an ambush of a British army truck on Bolton Street that led to the deaths of three men. When the SU became aware of the incident they were said to have been appalled at the violence in this violent act of violence that was nothing but sheer violence. A written condemnation of the UCD student was swiftly issued with the alleged approval of Exec, though questions have arisen as to whether or not they actually voted on it before hand. A motion to overturn the condemnation of the violent act of rebellion, sedition and protest against the powers that be was

quickly quashed at council. Noted members of the KBC voiced vociferous opposition to the notion that the condemnation would be lifted. Some went so far as to demand he be sent to the gallows a second time to really pay for his actions. In a further strange twist to the story, we have also learned that leading bureaucrats within the university intend to bring the remains of the teenager before a disciplinary hearing. They are concerned that his actions have brought the University into disrepute and may even damage the international standing of the institution. One spokesperson, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Turbine, “we simply can’t allow this action to go unpunished. If we did anarchy might ensue. It starts off with a gunshot and where does it end? Next thing you know students and staff will be engaging in all manner of protest and unruly behaviour.”

It is understood that UCD has enlisted the support of their new allies in Beijing to quash any further student insurrection and ensure every member of the University toes the official party line. The Turbine would thus like to announce that everybody in UCD is very happy with the current management

of the University. That Chairman Brady has a 100% approval rate and that staff and students are all content and don’t want any changes to the management of our beautiful and excellent educational institution. Hail the glorious bureaucracy, long may it reign over us!

sport@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

SPORT

Swimming success in Sweden Conall Devlin Sports editor

CD Elite Swim Team competed at the two day Swedish Grand Prix 1 in Uppsala, Sweden at the end of January. The team included 2008 Olympian Aisling Cooney, Shauna O’Brien, Lisa Comerford, India McGlynn and American Xela Steenberge and the team set 12 new club records between them and Lisa Comerford won Gold in the Women’s 800m freestyle to set a new club record. On the Saturday, Lisa Comerford won Gold to beat Swedish contender Josefine Hippi by 0.79 seconds in the Women’s 800m freestyle to set a new club record. Comerford also featured in the first race of the Women’s schedule, the 200m Freestyle and there swam her second club record time of 2 minutes 12.50 seconds to finish

11th. After her race Comerford said “It was a really good weekend away and it’s great to see all the training is paying off”. The Women’s 50m Freestyle saw Aisling Cooney beat team-mates O’Brien and McGlynn to take 9th position in a new club record time of 27.97 seconds. O’Brien and McGlynn took 17th and 23rd position overall. Cooney in the evening’s final again improved her club record time to set it at 27.63 seconds. The heats of the Women’s 100m Butterfly saw 4 UCD women competing against the Swedes, yet Irish National Champion in that event O’Brien came out best of the four with a new club record time of 1.04.25 which placed her 8th overall. McGlynn and Steenberge were next best placed of the Irish team

coming in 20th and 22nd respectively. Cooney however ended up with a disqualification. On Sunday, meanwhile, Gold medal winner in the 800m freestyle Lisa Comerford, swam the 400m Freestyle on Sunday afternoon and bettered her club record time from 4.40.81 to 4.38.13. Butterfly sprinting specialist Shauna O’Brien came third in the 50m sprint with a time of 28.38 seconds which secured her another club record. O’Brien broke her club record again for the second time in one day after setting an earlier time of 28.92 seconds. Team-mates Aisling Cooney, India McGlynn and Xela Steenberge finished 14th, 20th and 32nd respectively. Team-mates Aisling Cooney and Shauna O’Brien both broke

the Women’s 100m Freestyle club record in a time of 1 minute 00.02 seconds finishing joint 8th. “It was a great competition to travel to and compete with some top class swimmers. Everyone on the team competed really well and raced hard,

even though we are in the middle of tough training” Cooney said. Finally, American Xela Steenberge swam in the 200m Butterfly finishing 7th with a time of 2.40.17.

Fresh faces withstand Polish test Amy Eustace reports on an experimental Ireland squad’s 2-0 friendly victory over Poland

t may have been a fairly meaningless, routine friendly, but there was a special UCD interest to be had in Ireland’s tie with Poland last Wednesday. Former UCD AFC target man Conor Sammon earned his first cap in a makeshift Ireland side that much-maligned manager Giovanni Trapattoni will no doubt have used to observe the quality of his fringe players. Trapattoni, branded a ‘clown’ in the days leading up to the friendly by former Ireland player Ian Harte, handed starts to a number of new faces and shunned squad members for the friendly. Of the starting eleven, only John O’Shea and Glenn Whelan had started a game for the national side in its shambolic Euro 2012 campaign in the visitors’ homeland. Aston Villa defender Ciarán Clark and Norwich’s Wes Hoolahan capped rare appearances with a first international goal each, but travelling Poles would have been disappointed with the 2-0 scoreline given the chances that their side spurned early on. In the first half, Ireland were sloppy in possession and standin keeper David Forde was busy, keeping out Borussia Dortmund danger man Robert Lewandowski on two occasions. Up front, ‘the Sammon of College’ failed to make a real impact, although he did prove effective in aerial duels

and ran his socks off throughout. Clark’s goal came with a cool finish on the 35th minute when the Poles failed to clear their lines from a corner, but Ireland were somewhat lucky to go into the break a goal ahead after the Poles’ relative domination. The rather inexperienced Ireland side – which included 21 year old Robbie Brady and 22 year old Greg Cunningham – grew in confidence as the game went on, looking more assured with the ball and in defence. After his early battles with Lewandowski, Forde was rarely called on, but when needed he was generally calm and composed despite a few poor clearances in the first half. Trapattoni replaced Shane Long with Hoolahan and brought on another 21 year old, Derby County’s Jeff Hendrick, to replace James McCarthy and swapped Brady for Jonathan Walters. Hoolahan wasn’t long on the pitch before his chance arrived, and he dispatched a visionary ball from Hendrick coolly with just fifteen minutes left on the clock. Against the run of play, the goal took the wind out of Poland’s sails that bit further and they sat back for the remainder of the game. After the game, Trapattoni was largely positive, describing the win as a confidence boost ahead of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden next

month and noting that he has ‘three or four more options in the squad’ as a result. In typical Trap fashion, however, he didn’t leave without taking a swipe at two of the squad’s absentees; Reading’s Stephen Kelly and Everton’s Darron Gibson. The Italian suggested that their commitment was to be questioned – a recurring theme in Trap’s temperamental tiffs with his

players, perhaps a scar from the Stephen Ireland era – a suggestion to which Kelly responded to in no uncertain terms with a statement that said, among other things: “I cannot and will not tolerate attempts to defame my commitment and loyalty to Ireland.” Ouch. The FAI issued the stern recommendation that Trapattoni keep his spats out of his press

conferences, whether or not the Italian listens is a different matter entirely, seeing as he apparently hasn’t learned his lesson from similar disputes with James McCarthy and James McClean in previous years. In any case, his squad selection for the Sweden encounter will no doubt be subject to an extra dose of scrutiny.

18 18 SPORT

sport@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

Netball Club hosting Intervarsities

Success for UCD students at Universities Indoor Championship

Conall Devlin

Sports editor

CD Netball is proud to be hosting this year’s Irish Intervarsity’s, which includes various other teams from across both the north and south of Ireland. Universities competing include Queens University Belfast, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Trinity College Dublin and University of Ulster, Jordanstown. The event will take place over a period of two days which will consist of each team competing against each other leading to the final being played on the Saturday. Last year UCD competed to the best of their ability winning the title of varsity champions for 2012. For the team, winning will be just as important this year, especially due to it being played on home ground. Intervarsity’s will commence on the 15th of February, times of matches are to be confirmed; keep an eye out on UCD Netballs’ page and UCD Sport Facebook page for updates on this event. UCD Netball 1sts have prepared well for the tournament after a brilliant 42-21 victory against South Dublin collegiate rivals Trinity last week.

UCD Freshers defeat Trinity in Harding Cup Final

t the Irish Universities Indoor Track & Field Championships in Athlone I.T. on Friday 1st February, 13 medals were won by UCD students, two national records were broken and three further UCD club records were also broken. After an 8.30am bus from Belfield the 36strong team of men and women travelled to the newly build National Indoor athletics track on the Athlone campus. Performance of the day went to PHD student Dave Tierney who won both the 16kg weight for distance throw in 11.08meters a new national record and the Shot Putt in 15.23meters, a new UCD club record, and PB. Fellow UCD student Diarmuid Hickey was 2nd in the Shot while 1st year Thomas Bouchier had a great first outing with a 3rd in the Weight. Race of the Day went to UCD stalwart Ciara Everard who after disappointment last week jumped back in European Indoors selection race with a great win and new Irish university record running 2.04.81 a one second PB. In a Dramatic race Ciara looked extremely dominate throughout. The performance was

impart down to Young Harriet Flynn a former All Ireland Schools 800meters winner who sacrificed her own chances to pace Ciara through 400meters. Shauna Cannon in her first race back after a year in France, cruised her 400meter heat 57seconds flat and went on into the final to come 2nd in 56.15 seconds a New UCD club record by over a second. Men’s Captain Dan King was another record breaker when the 16year old 800 meter mark of Olympian David Matthews was broken in coming 4th in the 800meters in 1.54.50, in a show of strength in depth UCD also finished 5th and 6th with Cathal Daly and Timothee Francony. UCD’s Fastest man Jamie Davis did not disappoint winning his 60meters heat in 7.02seconds before finishing 3rd in the final in 7.01. Leading into the summer, Jamie a fantastic team player who never lets the side down will focus on guiding the fledgling sprint squad of Jack Saunders, Art O'Connor and David O'Halloran towards outdoors in Cork. Other medal winners included Former Captain Richard Owens who

Clubhouse Round Up

Amy Eustace Sports editor

CD AFC’s freshman team secured their first trophy of the year in the University of Ulster, Coleraine on Sunday afternoon, beating Trinity 2-0 in the Harding Cup final thanks to goals from Colin Jones and Robert McDaid. Both goals came in the last fifteen minutes of the game. The road to the final saw them trounce University of Limerick 5-1 on Friday and earn a tight 1-0 win over NUI Galway on Saturday. Next up for UCD AFC is the Collingwood Cup, the main Intervarsities for university soccer, to be held in University of Ulster, Jordanstown, in two weeks’ time. UCD will be defending their title at the tournament and will face Mary Immaculate College in the quarter finals with a view to bringing the cup back to Belfield for another year. Meanwhile, the UCD Women’s Soccer Club were unlucky to fall to IT Sligo in the semi-finals of their Intervarsities event in Limerick over the weekend. Sligo would go on to lose in the final to University College Cork, who scooped the prize after extra time and penalties.

after many years and much hyped talk finally didn’t bottle to finished 3rd in the men’s 1500meters in a PB of 3.57.86 behind two other both on the way to the European Indoors Championships in three weeks’ time. Christopher Johnston won his heat of the 3000meters in 8.36.98 to finished 2nd overall and will now turn his attention to winning varsity cross country on

UCD Handball Champion Marty Mulkerrins cleans up at Connacht GAA Awards At the Connacht GAA Provincial awards presented at the Connacht GAA Banquet in the TF Royal Hotel, Castlebar on Thursday night, UCD’s Marty Mulkerrins was in receipt of a number of awards due to his achievements throughout 2012. Marty won the All-Ireland Intermediate singles title last year making him the only senior player in Galway and also the youngest player in the country. Marty also travelled to Springfield, Missouri to win the United States Collegiate Handball Mens Open becoming the first Irish champion in over seven years. Marty then teamed up with Niall O’Connor to claim the U19’s Double title at the World Handball Championships held in City West. At the Awards banquet, Mulkerrins was presented with Young Male Handballer of the Year, Connacht GAA Writers Personality of the Month for October and subsequently winning the Connacht GAA Writers Personality of the Year and finally recipient of the Michael Mc-

Donnell Memorial award. Hockey team take Colours game UCD Hockey claimed the Colours title at the National Hockey Stadium on Tuesday 5th February beating Trinity 5-2. The Colours in Hockey is an accumulation of wins throughout the day and despite freezing conditions, it was a great day for the Belfield club. UCD come third overall in Kayak Intervarsities UCD’s canoeing club travelled to the University of Limerick on Friday 9th February to take part in the annual Kayak Intervarsities. With events including canoe polo, whitewater kayaking, freestyle and long-distance, UCD placed third overall with hosts UL coming first and Trinity in second.

the 9th of March. Stephen Gaffney in his first outing for the college produced a 12.74meter jump to finished 3rd in the triple jump. Fiona Dennehy was fantastic 2nd in the Women’s 1500m walk in 7.30.58 in one of the first races of the day, while masters’ student Sarah Doyle piped fellow UCD student Aisling Watters to 3rd in the 60meters hurdles in 9.63.

sport@collegetribune.ie

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

SPORT

Quarter final place for UCD Fitzgibbon

CD became the first side to book their place in the quarter-finals of this year’s Fitzgibbon Cup with victory over DCU last week at DCU Sportsgrounds. UCD didn’t have it all their own way and in horrible weather conditions, it took a strong finish to secure the home fixture on the 19th February. The team, managed by Tipperary All-Ireland winning player and boss Nicky English, had six points to spare over their opponents and Fitzgibbon Captain, Tipperary’s Noel McGrath led by example as top scorer with 10 points, including three of the final five points. UCD began brightly and lead 1-5 to 0-4 after the first quarter with Wexford’s Jack Guiney raising a green flag for the second successive game while Dublin’s Seánie McGrath did his best to keep DCU in touch with five firsthalf points. Before the interval McGrath, Guiney and Tipperary’s

Paddy Murphy raised further white flags for UCD while DCU had points from McGrath, Waterford’s Donie Breathnach and Galway’s Padraig Brehony. After the restart DCU fought back strongly and McGrath continued to punish with his deadball accuracy, cutting the gap to two points inside four minutes of the restart however despite hitting seven second-half wides, including six in the closing 10 minutes, Nicky English’s side managed to find the required scores late on. UCD tagged on five unanswered points, with Noel McGrath and Dublin’s James Gilligan and Galway’s Domhnall Fox on target to ensure a second win in this competition. The victory followed up their eight-point success against Limerick IT last week and ensures they will now top the group. DCU travel to Moylish to face Limerick IT this week in a game that will determine who finishes runner-up.

DCU played strongly in the second-half and at one stage had the margin reduced to the minimum when Ballyhale Shamrocks player Mark Aylward fired to the net to leave them trailing 1-11 to 1-10. The game was notable for the presence of two players who will be in action when the respective colleges meet in next week’s Sigerson Cup quarter-finals with UCD’s Rory O’Carroll and DCU’s William Lowry the dual stars involved. Looking forward to the quarter final against UL on the 19th of February, UCD were impressive, especially defensively and conceding a small score in the wet, cold and windy conditions. UCD were also without the services of Kilkenny trio Walter Walsh, John Tennyson and Cillian Buckley and all players would be serious additions if available later on.

England dent Irish Six Nations hopes Ceithreann Murray examines Sunday’s 12-6 defeat

naccuracy, poor kicking, and a series of errors, caused by superb English line speed, ultimately cost Ireland in horrible wet conditions in Dublin. While the home side’s physicality was never in question, and they really did give it everything with notable performances from O’Brien and Best, they were simply bossed at crucial moments in the game by a more disciplined, more focused England. In a game where the margin is 6 points, obviously it’s easy to talk of discipline simply in the context of penalties, but in such difficult conditions, the parameters of discipline extend to execution at the set piece, control of the ball in contact, and accuracy in the contact zone, among other things. It was England who started the better. Their controlled, slow phase play eventually invited an infringement from Irish captain Jamie Heaslip, with Owen Farrell taking the 3 points on offer giving the old enemy the lead after 3 minutes. England would dominate the opening fifteen minutes, controlling the ball and turning the Irish with some excellent positional kicks from Farrell, Youngs, and Goode in particular. England’s kicking strategy was simple; isolating Craig Gilroy, who isn’t known for his kicking game and this worked in tandem with Farrell consistently placing the

ball in areas where Kearney would struggle to get an angle for his left boot. However the outstanding feature of the English play was their line speed in defence. The eagerness and physicality of their three-quarters to get off the gainline and close down the space, forced numerous Irish handling errors, whereas England on the other hand really valued the ball in contact. The Irish cause was not helped by first half injuries to both Simon Zebo and Jonny Sexton, and while Zebo’s replacement Keith Earls was responsible for Ireland’s only major chance in the first half, following a sublime O’Driscoll skip pass, his kicking out of hand was generally poor. The loss of Sexton to a suspected hamstring injury was detrimental to the Irish cause, as his replacement Ronan O’Gara, on the occasion of his 127th cap, was really not at the races. The second half finished on a sour note for Ireland, while after an English lineout, Heaslip was adjudged to have entered the resulting maul from the side, and Farrell made it 0-6 to the visitors in the 28th minute. The score remained as such until the second half. Ireland reappeared more invigorated in the second half and brought a greater degree

of accuracy and cohesion at the set piece where their scrum and lineout eventually began to get on top, prompting English coach Stuart Lancaster to make three instant changes to the tight five, with Lawes, Vunipola and Hartley introduced early on. Persistent Irish pressure led to Ireland’s first kickable penalty in the 51st minute and O’Gara reduced the deficit to 3. Ireland were thrown a serious life line in the 58th minute when England’s James Haskell was sinbinned for deliberately kicking the ball out of a ruck while he was

on the ground, and the game was leveled. However rather than kick on from this numerically advantageous position, aimless Irish tactical kicking meant that the team failed to establish any field position. Their opponents on the on the other hand kicked the ball well, and chose when to compete for the ball on the deck. Mike Brown won a penalty after a crunching Lawes tackle on Kearney. This and a further penalty made the final score 6-12 to England.

The most frustrating aspect of this result from an Irish perspective is that in a game where conditions are as bad as they were on Sunday, it’s nearly impossible for the physically smaller team to win. No pace can be injected into the game as passing is so difficult, so the bigger team simply needs to trust its defensive system and make its tackles. However that’s not to ignore the fact that England were the more accurate, clinical team on the day, as Jamie Heaslip put it: ‘’It’s a wet ball for both teams.’’

sport@collegetribune.ie

TRIBUNE

COLLEGE TRIBUNE 12th February 2013

FRESH FACES WITHSTAND PAGE 17 POLISH TEST

SPORT INSIDE TRIBUNE SPORT

Indoor Championship

success for UCD

Plus

Swimming sensation in Swedish swimming Grand Prix

P18

P17

Owen Farrell kicked England to victory on Sunday, writes Ceithreann Murray on page 19

Heslin confident of causing Sigerson shock against DCU Conall Devlin Sports Editor

CD Senior Footballers vice captain John Heslin believes the College go into Thursday’s Sigerson Cup quarter final away to DCU in a great position to upset the odds. The 21 year old Westmeath midfielder, in his first year back playing Sigerson Cup football following a stint in Australian Rules with Richmond Tigers, is relishing taking on the current holders. “I wouldn’t want to play anyone else. It’s over there, they will be favourites, and we’re going over to upset the odds. It’s great.” UCD opened up their Sigerson campaign two weeks with a hard fought but comfortable 2-11 1-5 win over Trinity, while DCU were 1-14 0-8 victors over UL in a preliminary round clash before dispatching Queens 0-17 0-9 last week. Heslin is aware of the enormity of the

challenge await the Belfield side against their great rivals, but isn’t perturbed by it. “If we work harder than them, that’s all there is to it at the end of the day. That’s what Sigerson is- you can talk tactics, but at the end of the day, it is a dogfight, especially such a rivalry as DCU and ourselves. And we know what we have to do differently to Queens in order to beat them.” Donegal All Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy was a constant thorn in the Queens side last week, notching up 0-9 in total. Heslin speaks highly of Murphy’s undeniable talent but has faith in Dublin full back Rory O’Carroll to nullify his threat. “Full forward and full back is a key battle in any game. Michael Murphy is a savage player but Rory is one of the best full backs around so I’ve no doubt that Rory can do a job on Michael. But the

lads around him will be helping and we’ll be putting pressure on further out the field.” Coming into the fixture, both teams have fallen foul of the controversial new ruling from Croke Park that makes players ineligible for Sigerson if they are in their 3rd course in third level education. UCD with have to deputise for Armagh’s Kevin Dyas while DCU have lost out on the services of 2012 All Star Cork midfielder Aidan Walsh and Donegal goalkeeper Michael Boyle. Heslin notes Dyas’ loss but feels UCD have strength in depth to overcome his absence. “Kev is a great player, but we have a very strong panel. We were able to manage without him against Trinity and have people to come in.” Still eligible for U21 grade and currently on placement in Meath, Heslin has had a balancing act to

perform of late. However, he is delighted to be back from Australia and playing well for the highflying Division 2 Allianz National League side- “There’s a great buzz around the panel at the moment, and we’ll aim for promotion. It’s tough balancing it and Sigerson, but I look forward to U21 as well. Anything can happen with it.” When asked if the experience of being a professional athlete in Australia has brought him on as a footballer, Heslin is candid on the matter- “I’d say I’ve improved on the little things. Your fitness, weight training, not over training, small things like that. But I’ll let other people be the judge.” UCD broke down Trinity in atrocious conditions two weeks ago when in the second half Ciaran Lenehan came to the fore at centre half back and Laois full forward

pairing Paul Cahillane and Donie Kingston terrorised their South Dublin rivals inside. They will need a further improvement to dethrone Niall Moyna’s DCU side boasting the talents of Murphy, Paul Flynn and Dean Rock, but as Heslin continues his rise as an emerging star for college and county, Belfield may well have it in them to cause an upset. UCD possible line up: E Keogh; J Hayes, R O’Carroll, M Furlong; L Keaney, C Lenehan, D Drake; J Heslin, C Dias; N Murray, P Cahillane, D Larkin; D Kingston, K McLoughlin, N Kilroy DCU possible line up: J Farrelly; W Lowry, J Cooper, C Daly; J McCarthy, J Brady, M Quinn; F O Curraoin, P O’Hanlon; P Flynn, M Murphy, A McFadden; D Rock, B Donnelly, P Ryan