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Sci-Fci Story: ‘The Crimson Mist’

UCD Stars Shine for Ireland in Six Nations

Rise in Campus Bike Thefts in 2016

USI Criticise Bus Éireann Negotiation Breakdown

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The Tinder Revolution and Irish Dating Culture

Tommy Hilfigure Fashion Shoot

College Tribune.

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Five Sexual Assaults and Eleven Harassment Cases Reported by Students to UCD Campus Services Since 2014 Jack Power | Editor Number of alleged sexual assaults and harassment incidents reported by students to campus services has risen in last two years.

Campus security report reveals four alleged sightings of sex offenders on or near campus recorded between 2014 and 2016.

Five sexual assaults were reported to UCD campus security between 2014 and 2016. Eleven students have also reported instances of harassment to campus services since 2014.

An internal campus services report into student’s personal safety on campus, obtained by the Tribune, show a marked rise in reports of sexual assault and harassment on campus. In 2016 two sexual assaults were reported by students to UCD campus services, three cases of sexual assault were recorded in 2014.

Four of the five alleged assaults happened on campus, and no instances of sexual assault were reported in 2015, or between 2011 and 2013.

The confidential report details that between 2016 and 2014, eleven cases of harassment were brought to UCD campus services. No reports were made by students between 2011 and 2013, and only one was registered for 2014. But five instances were reported in both 2015 and 2016.

The document also reveals there was six reports of sexual offenders being on or near the UCD campus between 2011 and 2016, with an increase in alleged sightings from 2014. One reported sighting of a sexual offender on the campus was made in 2016, 2015 and 2013, and two reported sightings were recorded in 2014.

Following the high-profile reported rape on campus in November 2016 the number of students requesting the UCD ‘Walk Safe’ service increased dramatically.

‘Walk Safe’ is a service where students can call campus security to escort them across campus at night. 20 students used the service in November 2016, and 37 requested it in December. The service was used just six times between January and October 2016, as it was only publicly advertised following the alleged rape.

Two UCD students, one who was raped, and one who was the victim of sexual harassment, spoke to the Tribune about their experience dealing with the college after their incidents. Continues on pg 3.

Issue 9 Volume 30

CT.

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Editor Jack Power Deputy Editor & Creative Director George Hannaford

News Editor Cian Carton Politics Editor Oisín McCanna Features Editor Rachel O’Neill Music Editor Aoileann Kennedy Fashion Editor Niamh Cavanagh Food & LifeStyle Editor Ciara Landy Film & T.V. Editor David Deignan Arts & Events Editor Holly Lloyd Eagarthóir Gaelige Sophie Osborne Short Story Author Cillian Fearon Tech & Online Editor Conor McGovern Turbine Editor Karl O’Reilly Sports Editor Conor Lynott 0930 Contributors

Editorial: UCD Must Take Responsibility for Tackling Sexual Harassment on

The rise in the number of students reporting incidents of sexual assault and harassment to UCD campus services shows the the college can no longer shirk their responsibility to victims.

It’s not disputed that any victim of a sexual assault or incidents of harassment should first contact the authorities such as the Gardaí, or the Rape Crisis Centre. But this does not absolve UCD of taking responsibility for tackling the issue in the college community. Victims of an alleged assault or constant harassment should not have to walk around campus constantly fearful that they may run into their perpetrator at any given time. Students should feel their university is there to support them.

Information on the complaints process and how to make a complaint to UCD is hidden from the college’s website, which instead pushes students with sexual assault or harassment queries to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The obstacles in simply finding out how to make a procedural complaint to UCD against another student or member of staff for sexual harassment is indicative of the university’s attitude to the issue. The lack of visibility or assistance in openly encouraging students who have been assaulted or harassed to bring their concerns to UCD is telling of the college’s unwillingness to listen.

What kind of constructive change should students, SU representatives and concerned staff advocate for then? A more open and visible system for the reporting of incidents of assault or harassment is needed. The rise in reports the Tribune reveals in our lead is undoubtedly an understatement of the actual number of incidents that go unreported. Substantially better education on how to respond to a student making a disclosure of sexual violence or harassment should be relayed to staff in UCD, from lecturers, to student advisors, Student Union officers, and student society auditors. The outdated crutch of simply pawning a student disclosing their sexual assault or harassment off to counselling is entirely inadequate. University leadership should openly commit to proactively tackling the issue of sexual assault and harassment on campus. UCD taking an active role in the National Women’s Council of Ireland’s campaign to tackle sexual violence in higher education would represent a positive step by

One way to force real effective change in how UCD deals with the issue of sexual assault and harassment on campus, is to link progress to research funding. In 2014 the Irish Higher Education Authority announced it had signed up to the Athena Swan charter. The Athena charter is a set of three certificates (bronze, silver and gold), awarded when third-level institutions make progress tackling the issue of gender inequality. In 2015 Trinity, UCC and the University of Limerick received Bronze certificates. Following this the Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board all announced that Irish higher education institutions would have to have achieved a ‘Bronze’ Athena award by 2019 to be eligible for future state research grants. Suddenly a UCD diversity and inclusion UMT sub-committee, an LGBT+ staff support network, and an equality and inclusion report sprang up, as well as President Deeks creating a vice-President role for diversity, equality and inclusion. This month it was announced the university had qualified for the Bronze Athena Swan certificate. Meaning while the university management’s ends may have been cynical, the results are encouraging. The more effective locus of lobbying to see reform in the area of tackling sexual assault may then be the Minister for Education and the HEA, to push change on UCD from a national level.

The Tribune will continue to report on the issue of sexual harassment and assault on campus. But if we want to see progress and reform in how UCD support victims of sexual assault, or policies to proactively combat sexual harassment - tie progress on the issue to state research grants, and see just how quickly this university administration develops a conscience for the welfare and concerns of victims.

Open for 2017/18

Applications are now open for the position of College Tribune Editor for the 2017/2018 academic year.

The College Tribune is the last independent student newspaper in Ireland, being both editorially and financially independent from the university. The paper is entering its 31st volume, having been on the UCD campus since 1989. The role of editor/co-editors is a demanding job and involves producing ten print issues through the college year. Past editors have gone on to work across Irish national media, politics, and communications.

Eleanor Brooks News Writer Ailish Brennan Politics & Music Writer Adam Bielenberg Music Writer

Muireann O’Shea Film & TV Writer

the university administration. The administration should aim to create a climate that has zero-tolerance for sexual harassment on campus, rather than remaining ambivalent and silent on the issue. We need a campus community where victims feel UCD will listen and help them if they take their concerns to the college.

Editor(s) Applications

Alison Graham Senior Reporter

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Campus

The deadline to apply for this position is Friday the 28th April 6pm.

See the full job description and details on how to apply on page 5.

Rebecca Clarke Food & Lifestyle Writer

Jess Walshe Turbine Writer Henry McDonald Turbine Writer Jamie Duff Sports Writer

www.collegetribune.ie

Contact CT.

editor@collegetribune.ie +353 1 716 8501 Po Box 74, Student Centre, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4.

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Join the CT social media. Just search for College Tribune.

28.03.2017.0 930

Dónal Ó Catháin Scíbhneoir Gaeilge

Editorial Note 0930 “The College Tribune has been an important voice for students on the campus for many years” Registrar Mark Rogers (21/03/17) 0930

28.03.2017

*Cover Continued UCDnews. p.07

100 Bicycles Reported Stolen from Campus Last Year.

Politics. p.08

Injection Centre Progress Shows Changing Perception of Drug Policy.

Features. p.11

Tinder and Dating, a look at Ireland’s Changing Dating Culture.

Music. p.15

An Interview with Cry Harriden on Rediscovering Musical Independence.

Fashion. p.16

The All New Denim Girl, A Tommy Hilfiger Photoshoot.

LifeStyle. p.23

Film. p.24

Your Erasmus Checklist of Advice for Studying Abroad.

Emma Watson and the Feminist debate around Beauty and the Beast

Arts & Events. p.26

Events coming up across the City and here on Campus.

Gaeilge. p. 28

Comhrá le Piaras Ó Dochartaigh TD.

28.03.2017

One second year BA International student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that in her first semester in UCD she had been the victim of a rape. She detailed that her alleged rapist had been a mature student who she knew, and following the incident she went to both the Gardaí and UCD. She said while the Gardaí were dealing with the criminal investigation she sought support from the college.

She described that following her rape she had been constantly afraid she would see her rapist on campus, and didn’t feel safe. ‘I’m a victim, I’m a student, I deserve safety, I deserve protection, and I deserve to be able to go to college without living in fear, and I deserve support I doing that’. It ‘affected my ability to concentrate in classes, but also affected my ability to socialise normally and lead a typical student college life as I had done so before’ she stated.

‘For the longest time my body did not feel as if it were my own. I was unable to look in the mirror because it felt as though I was looking at someone else’s body. So, I kept the mirrors covered. I could not wear dresses’.

The student said she had gone to UCD with her safety concerns, but claimed that the college just advised her to seek counselling support.

She said the process of getting support for students who have been victims of sexual assault was inadequate, and no one seemed to be responsible for the issue within the college administration. The student said she was just ‘bounced around without anybody actually giving me any sort of solid thing that I could do in order to ensure my safety. Nobody knew where to throw me, nobody knew where to send me next’.

The college she said is more concerned with not discommoding the alleged perpetrators than protecting the victims. ‘I’m tired of fighting an institution that is refusing to change, or refusing to acknowledge what’s happening’ she said. The college need to be more proactive in supporting victims and make it easier to find information or make an official complaint against perpetrators of sexual abuse or harassment she said.

Another student who worked as a Residential Assistant in UCD’s on-campus accommodation outlined that she had been sexually harassed during her work in campus residences. The student said a group of five male students who lived in the same campus accommodation bloc as her, started to harass her. She described that they left derogatory sexual notes under her door, repeatedly knocked on her door before running away, and in one instances yelled ‘bitch’ at her from a window.

The student said she reported the issue to campus residential management. ‘In the meantime I was moved to an alternative residence, while the boys were undisturbed’ she said. ‘I was later told that the boys had been fined as punishment and would continue to live in the residence, for which I would continue to be responsible’.

Short Story. p. 29

‘The Crimson Mist’, A Sci-Fi Short Story.

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Leaked campus services security review shows rise in reported sexual assaults.

‘I was informed that I could pursue the issue further with the university, but that I should consider their [the five boys’] academic futures, and if I wanted to be responsible for damaging them’. The student said the harassment was ‘degrading’ and that her ‘dignity had been monetised as the solution’. The college had simply taught the five male students that ‘they can degrade women and pay to get away with it’ she stated.

A spokesman from UCD responded to queries from the Tribune on the rise in reports of sexual assault and harassment on campus since 2014 to say that the incidents were ‘allegations of’ sexual assault and harassment. They did not comment on what steps UCD are taking to combat the issue of sexual assault and harassment on campus.

The Student Union President Conor Viscardi said the SU have been lobbying UCD to support an EU-backed project run by the National Women’s Council of Ireland, ‘Ending Sexual Harassment in Third-Level Education’. Viscardi said ‘there is no excusing the college’s failure to act in the past, and it led to a public clash between us and university management last year’. But stated he hoped the UCD administration would now come on board alongside the SU in joining the Women’s Council of Ireland campaign. The project’s first public campaign titled ‘It Ends Now’ would be starting in early April Viscardi stated. ‘The project focuses on creating a proper framework in participating colleges and universities for reports of sexual assault and harassment. As well as a community approach to talking about and emphasizing the importance of sexual consent’ he said.

Turbine. p.30

Hopeless Lecturer Struggles with YouTube.

In late November 2016 the Gardaí announced they were investigating a reported rape on the UCD campus. A spokesperson from an Garda Síochána confirmed the ‘matter is still the subject of a Garda investigation’.

The leaked campus services report highlighted how security is looking to improve the safety of students on campus. In November 2016 campus services formed ‘Unicare’ a personal safety awareness programme. The programme is aimed at raising awareness of personal safety supports available to students like ‘Walk Safe’. The report stated the university’s plan was to roll out an advertising campaign aimed at all students this semester. However, the widespread personal safety ‘Unicare’ campaign has yet to be launched by the college. The report was presented to the UCD ‘Student Experience Group’ subcommittee on January 30th.

The university is also currently reforming its Dignity and Respect policy, which outlines how students can seek help or lodge a formal complaint to the university if they are the victim of harassment. Prof Colin Scott, the university’s vice-President for equality, diversity and inclusion, said a ‘revised policy and procedure’ has been drawn up. One internal source outlined the new proposed policy gave much more prominence to the issue of sexual harassment on campus. ‘We are preparing for a consultation process [on the new policy], which I expect to place over the next couple of months’ Prof Scott stated.

Tech

p.31 Uber App

Faces Backlash over Public Controversies.

Sport. p.34

UCD Stars shine for Ireland in Six Nations wrap up Review. p.3

#UCDNEWS

President Deeks Petitioned Government to Fast-Track 220 International Student Visas Last Summer Cian Carton News Editor

L

ast summer UCD President Andrew Deeks petitioned the government minister for Education Richard Bruton and Justice minster Frances Fitzgerald to fast-track 220 international student visa applications. The correspondence was the only policy issue President Deeks raised with the minister for Education, with all letters and emails between the UCD President and the minister being released to the Tribune under the Freedom of Information act. President Deeks was mainly

concerned with the threat of a financial loss due to delays in issuing visas to non-EU students who were scheduled to attend UCD last summer, the body of correspondence released revealed.

On 1st July 2016 Deeks sent a letter to both Richard Bruton and minister for Justice Francis Fitzgerald, to ask them to help bypass delays in the Dublin visa office processing 220 international students study visas. The letter stated that Deeks heard that applications processed in the Dublin visa office had on

average a 14 week processing time. Deeks outlined that 220 students requiring visas from the Dublin office were offered a place in UCD for September 2016 and expressed concern that based on the ‘current visa processing time, these students would not receive their visa in time to commence their studies.’

The letter stated the ‘revenue from non-EU students enrolled in our programmes now plays a significant role in ensuring the financial stability of the university’. If the 220 students did not receive visas before the start of

term, the ‘revenue loss would be €4.4 million in 2016/2017 and €6.8 million over the duration of these students’ programmes, alongside ‘reputational damage for Ireland and its international educational profile’. Deeks sent a further letter on 8th July to thank the Tánaiste for her action in response to his letter from the previous week. He expressed delight that ‘UCD staff had the opportunity to meet with the relevant staff of your department today’ and resolve the issue.

Other correspondence included routine invitations to events, for example the opening of the 350-bed new Ashfield residences bloc on campus and the UCD festival that took place over the summer. President Deeks did not raise the issue of the university funding crisis in any of the released official correspondence between the government Education minister.

Minister Bruton contacted Deeks on 6th September 2016 regarding an Irish Education Trade Mission to China. The letter explained how Ireland was going to be awarded the ‘prestig-

ious Country of Honour role’ at the China Annual Conference for International Education so he was seeking knowledge on ‘Ireland’s engagement with China in the area of education’.

The letter asked for information including the number of Chinese students enrolled in UCD, the number of UCD’s Irish exchange students currently studying in China, details on engagements with the Chinese Higher Education Institutions and plans for further engagements with them, and ‘any new educational developments currently being considered by your Institution.’

The letter suggested a ‘one page profile that would help me in my engagement with Chinese officials’.

Deeks replied on the 16th September with the answers in the suggested format. The document stated there were 686 Chinese students studying in UCD and 1,015 Chinese students studying at the Beijing Dublin International College (BDIC), a joint college between UCD and Beijing University of Technology. There were 81 Chinese

exchange students currently enrolled in UCD, with 25 UCD students currently studying abroad in China. 20 of these were Irish.

UCD’s current engagements with Chinese Higher Education Institutions included BDIC and the UCD Confucius Institute, a joint-institute between UCD and Renmin University. The document stated that the ‘first purpose built Confucius Institute building in the world’ was under construction on the Belfield campus. It also noted UCD planned to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Northeast Agricultural University, Soochow University, University of International Business and Economics, and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, to set up further partnerships. At the China Education Trade Mission Irish universities signed 28 MOUs with their Chinese counterparts while Bruton was forced to leave the trip early over threats of strike action by secondary school teachers.

Science Centre Reverse Decision to Remove Wheelchair Access from Front Entrance Jack Power Editor

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he Science Centre has reversed its decision to remove wheelchair access door assist buttons on the building’s front entrance, which left students in wheelchairs using a separate side entrance beside the main door. Several other wheelchair access door assists in the Science Centre have also been broken for more than a month.

The decision has been reversed and the access buttons are set to be reinstalled so that students in wheelchairs can use the same entrance as able bodied students and staff. Three other Science Centre disability access doors have been broken for several weeks. These include the door exiting out to the Veterinary Science building and another two doors exiting to the older Science West bloc and Science bloc North.

A spokesperson for the Science Centre building management team said the parts to reinstall the access buttons on the front entrance were ordered on March 20th. ‘By Wednesday 29th March the supplier will confirm the re-installation date’ she said.

Amy Hassett is a third year Science student in a wheelchair, she says the frequent breakdown www.collegetribune.ie

of many of the access doors is frustrating. ‘For other people in wheelchairs, it either means they have to go another way or awkwardly wait for someone to help. As a disabled person, I can tell you that we really hate having to rely on the kindness of strangers’ Amy told the Tribune.

The Science Centre’s management had initially decided to remove the access door assists on the main entrance Amy said, and instead would have had wheelchair users enter the building through a different door beside the main entrance. But Joe Carthy, the Science college principal said the access door assist buttons will now be replaced on the front door. ‘We are just waiting for the team to come to do them’ he said.

Amy Hassett said while it was positive that all entrances to the Science Centre were wheelchair accessible, ‘they aren’t much use

when they don’t work’. She said the door assist buttons were expensive to fix and maintain. ‘I’m more annoyed at the fact that the company who makes these doors don’t do a good job - they aren’t robust enough to withstand constant use, and whether people should or shouldn’t be using the buttons all the time is not clear at all’. Hassett was critical of the amount of time the door assists are left broken. ‘I don’t know if that’s campus services being slow to respond or the company being slow to work on them’ she said. ‘I would be of the opinion that they should be used by everyone - because they should be able to withstand constant use, otherwise they aren’t fit for purpose’.

Lucy Doyle is the Students’ Union disability rights coordinator, she said ‘it is not acceptable for students in wheelchairs to have had to travel around to use the back and side

entrances of Science which is quite a large building. Adequate access to education is necessary and a human right. It shouldn’t be neglected for one day or even one hour, let alone for an entire month’.

Lucy also said that when she first went to check the new entrance for wheelchair users at the front of the Science Centre she found the access door was locked. ‘So between the main doors access buttons not working any more, the buttons being removed, and this new door being locked, I was quite disappointed in Campus Services as it is a lot to expect of a student in a wheelchair to have to go around to either the side or back doors’. Lucy said upon rechecking the new access door in week 7 it was operational and in use, but said that ‘even one day of that door being locked was unacceptable, with no measures put into place to assist students in wheelchairs’.

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Trinity College Made €6.5 Million Profit from Student Accommodation Rent in 2016 Jack Power Editor

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rinity College Dublin brought in €10.3 million in rent from their on-campus accommodation and Trinity Halls in 2016. The college made a profit of €6.5 million from the rent intake. Trinity spent €3.7 million running the accommodation, between staff costs and maintenance.

The figures from TCD were released to the Tribune under the Freedom of Information act.

In the 2014/15 college year Trinity brought in just under €11 million in rent, and took the decision to raise campus rent by just under 4%.

The income from rent fell following the college’s rental

increase, indicating a drop in the number of students living in Trinity run residences.

Trinity Halls is the college’s largest bloc of accommodation, located off campus in Rathmines. Rent in ‘Halls’ cost €4,900 for a standard single room with shared facilities. This isn’t including a charge for utilities of around €450. More expensive accommodation located beside the college on Pearse street in Goldsmith Hall costs €6,018 including utilities. And rent for a room directly on the city centre campus in Botany Bay or on the front square cost €6,585 last year.

A spokesperson from Trinity College said ‘no rents

have been determined for 17/18’ but couldn’t rule out further price increases. The Trinity Students’ Union President Kieran McNulty said the rent hikes in Trinity and other colleges were a result of university’s funding problems. Universities now see accommodation as an income stream he claimed, which speaks to the funding crisis and ‘what universities have had to resort to, to make money’ and stay afloat. Last

year Trinity College recorded a €30 million financial deficit. The majority of third level institutions are running financial deficits, with UCD being the only college recording a financial surplus last year, due to its comparatively large non-state revenue stream from international student fees.

Last November the Tribune revealed UCD made €10 million in profit from on-campus residences. The

college brought in €18.2 million in rent for 2016, and the campus residences cost €7.7 million to run and maintain. UCD have raised rent by 40% in the last four years, and have announced a further 2.8% rent hike for the 2017/18 term across all accommodation. The more expensive campus rooms in Ashfield and Glenoma are rising from €8,104 a term to €8,334. The standard accommodation in Belgrove and

Merville are increasing from €6,607 to €6,792. Similar increases of between 2-3% are anticipated for the 2018/19 year.

UCD are starting to begin the next phase of their Residences ‘masterplan’, which includes adding 3,000 extra beds to on-campus accommodation. The university has advertised for a building contractor to conduct ‘enabling works’, which are to clear a designated site for the construction of another new accommodation block.

The works it is expected will take place over the summer.

Alongside the contract for site clearance works, UCD have also advertised for a building contractor to construct the next phase of on-campus residences blocks. The contract which has a rated value of more than €25 million states ‘the works may involve working on buildings, up to circa ten storeys in height, which will generally be of a residential, academic, student amenity nature’. The total value of the works are not set as various building companies will now bid for the contract by pitching a price to UCD, and the college will select one bidder.

Editor(s) Applications Open for 2017/18

Job Description:

How to Apply:

The work of the editor or two coeditors is a demanding and fulltime role. It involves producing ten print issues fortnightly over the college year, as well as managing and updating the paper’s online website and social media. This can include intensive work the week and weekend the paper is in production before going to print.

As head of the paper the editor(s) is also tasked with continuing the Tribune’s tradition of investigative journalism in UCD. Candidates should ideally have experience in journalism and writing, and this position is open to external applicants as well as current section editors or writers within the College Tribune.

1.

The editor(s) is responsible for recruiting a team of section editors during the summer, and sourcing a designer for the paper, as well as contributors and writers throughout the year.

The College Tribune is entirely self-funded, so the responsibilities of the editor also include sourcing sufficient advertising to cover the cost of printing the paper each issue.

As the Tribune is independent the position is unwaged, however the editor take home any surplus revenue after the print costs have been covered.

The successful candidate(s) will gain invaluable experience in journalism, media, and communications. Many former editors of the Tribune have gone on to work in the national media, politics, and public relations.

Five areas or issues in UCD they would investigate as Editor

28.03.2017

Interested candidates should email their individual application to the current Editor and include the following:

An outline of their experience and suitability for the role

2.

3.

Proposed changes or ideas to improve the paper

4.

Proposed shortlist of companies to seek advertising from

Applications titled ‘Editor Application’ should be emailed to: editor@collegetribune.ie

The deadline to apply for this position is Friday the 28th April 6pm.

(Applicants should apply individually and not as a pair) P.5

#UCDNEWS

Students’ Union Call for Concourse Shelter to Extend to Law and Business Buildings Eleanor Brooks News Writer Student’s UnUCD ion has made a submission to Dún Laoghaire

county council seeking that UCD extend the concourse shelter from the Main Restaurant ‘Gerard Manley Hopkins’ building up to the Sutherland school of Law. The SU made the planning submission as a suggestion in the consultation process relating to UCD’s plans to build a three-story extension onto the Quinn School of Business.

UCD submitted planning permission for the new three-

story building that would be connected to the School of Business before Christmas.

The UCD Students’ Union has said it fully supports the construction of the proposed plans extending the Quinn Building. It has however used the planning permission process as an opportunity to request additional provisions, which it feels are necessary in the recently developed eastern end of campus. This included an extension of the concourse shelter up to the Law building, and additional sheltered bicycle parking and

lighting in the areas adjacent to the Quinn Building and the Sutherland Building.

The proposed extension to the Quinn building would ‘incorporate an additional lecture theatre with learning areas’, include an ‘extension to existing café/lounge and all ancillary areas’, and provide an additional 70 bicycle parking spaces.

The current trajectory of the concourse shelter begins at the Student Centre and extends along the pathway as far as the ‘Gerard Manley Hopkins’ Global Lounge

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building. Keeping in line with its policy to provide rain shelters to every building, the SU are petitioning UCD to extend the concourse to the terrain adjacent to the Quinn School of Business and the Sutherland School of Law. Supporting their claim, the SU has cited student’s exposure to rain as a detriment to student’s health, increasing sickness and causing unnecessary discomfort for students at that end of campus.

The university has also put in planning permission for a University Club to be built as an extension to O’Reilly Hall.

The Club will only be available to staff and visiting guests, and architectural plans for the building include fine dining facilities and a reception bar.

In a similar planning ‘observation’ made on the proposed developments the Student Union criticised the University Club. The Student Union petitioned Dún Laoghaire county council to say that they are ‘not necessarily of

the view that the proposed development should be a priority for the university.

However we recognise that this is not the matter for the planning application process’.

In the absence of any specific planning concerns or issues with the building’s construction itself the SU statement said they had ‘no objections in principle to’ the planning application for the Club.

The SU used the planning process on both applications for the University Club and Quinn building extension to highlight concern for areas of UCD ‘which are poorly lit at night’. The SU submission also included a request that adequate lighting be provided around the proposed Quinn extension and the University Club. Additional lighting, it purports, will lead to increased feelings of student safety, deter crime, and increase informal reporting of crime.

UCD’s plans for the new three story building between

“

The SU submission also includes a request that adequate lighting be provided around the proposed development

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Quinn and the Sutherland Law school also earmarks an additional 70 bicycle parking spaces that the college would provide. The SU has lobbied that bicycle shelters be incorporated as part of these plans.

The petition argues that unsheltered bicycle parking can lead to rust and damage that is both dangerous and costly for students to repair.

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Sharp Rise in Thefts as 100 Bicycles Stolen from UCD Campus in 2016

News in Review:

Jack Power Editor

Alison Graham Senior Reporter

O

ver one hundred bicycle thefts were reported to campus security in 2016, an increase on the number of reported thefts in 2015.

UCD campus security’s internal review of services, obtained by the Tribune, notes that the ‘number of reported bike thefts is higher than 2015’. The approximate figure of bikes reported to UCD as stolen from the campus was 70 for 2015.

The figures are from the internal campus security report, which shows that November was the month where most bike thefts were reported as stolen in 2016 and 2015. Other months which saw a hike in bike thefts were September, August, October and April, with the off-term summer months seeing a drop in reports. In November 2016 twenty-six bikes were reported as stolen to campus services.

The report explained that there are several factors behind the rise in bike thefts recorded last year, including an ‘increase in the number of bicycles on campus, better quality bicycles being targeted by thieves, [and] improved levels of reporting to campus services’.

UCD has 4,400 bicycle stands, with the most recent instalment being 87 bike stands by the new Ashfield campus residences block of apartments. An Gardaí Siochana’s crime prevention unit have issued a safety warning to campus security to distribute to students on bike security. The Gardaí advisory statement states students should secure their bikes with a ‘good quality locking device’, and should lock bicycles in a supervised areas covered by CCTV or in view of passers-by.

The number of campus patrols and security reports were increased in 2016, the internal campus services report outlines.

Campus services last year extended their foot patrol service to 2am, to better target bike thefts and personal safety issues of students on campus. The number of CCTV cameras on campus has also been increased to 526 cameras. Cameras with enhanced night vision capabilities this year were added to the Water Tower and the top of the Agricultural Science building.

The number of cameras monitoring the areas around the James Joyce library building were also doubled and upgraded the report

Women Elected to Top Spots in L&H, Law Soc, and the Students’ Union For the first time in the history of UCD women have been elected to the top three roles in the Students’ Union, L&H, and Law Soc at the same time. With Katie Ascough voted in as President of UCDSU for the coming college year, Aishling Tully voted in as auditor of the 163rd session of the Literary and Historical Society (L&H) and Laura Hogan now the uncontested auditor of LawSoc. The last SU female President was Rachel Breslin back in 2012, and both L&H and LawSoc have never both had female auditors at the same time before.

Katie Ascough (Incoming SU President) Katie Ascough was elected as the next UCD Students’ Union President with 1431 votes, including 36% of first preference ballots. Her nearest rival, Philip Weldon, secured 23% of the overall vote. The third year Science student described herself as ‘an overly enthusiastic first year’ who took part in all that she could. She is a pro-life advocate and whilst UCDSU has a pro-choice mandate, she has said that she would delegate any pro-choice campaigning to the Campaign and Communications and Welfare Officers. Promising to be a ‘President for everyone’, she has acknowledged that her opinions differ from the majority of the UCD student populace but she was ‘very aware’ of this even when running for President.

When questioned about her election and any improvements or developments on the present UCDSU’s work thus far she hopes to make, she stated that she is deferring all interviews regarding her plans until June, so she can speak ‘at a time when [she’s] actually been put in the role and [has] had the chance to sit down and talk with the SU team about the year ahead’. Regarding her plans to collaborate with different societies on campus, she stated that she needs to meet with the appropriate auditors. ‘I am really looking forward to hit the ground running in June. We have a strong, proactive team assembled, and it’s looking like a busy and productive year going forward.

I am feeling positive and ready to give this role my all, and to really deliver for all students’. Ascough election was met with apprehension from the large pro-choice group of students in UCD, and how that group interacts with her Presidency will be an interesting dynamic to watch next year.

Aishling Tully (Incoming Auditor of L&H) Second Year Law with French student, Aishling Tully was voted auditor of the 163rd session of L&H, shortly after her Irish Times Debate success along with Dara Keenan. Tully wants an L&H that represents all its members and gives a voice to all its students. She wishes to help every member, ‘find their feet, find their voice and make memories’. She hopes to hold more events that target women’s issues from panel discussions on women in STEM to debates on Repeal the 8th, ‘I want to create events that serve as a forum to discuss issues that affect 50% of the campus’. When asked about her stance on the 8th Amendment she stated that ‘it is irrelevant when it

28.03.2017

comes to the L&H and [she] intends that the L&H would be agnostic on the issue’.

When questioned about what changes she will bring about with her team compared to this year’s session of L&H she stated that, ‘a lot of the changes we want to make in the L&H are to do with opening it up to have more events and facilities that the average member feels like they can use.’ She credited the L&H this year on ‘doing a great job of improving on the things [they] normally do’ and noted how, ‘any active member would have noticed how well things like training and house debates were carried out and enhanced’.

‘As a debating society our job is to be a forum for all opinions. In recent years we have slipped into being an echo chamber for people with one political ideology. That is neither inviting to nor reflective of students in UCD. I would envision that the L&H would be a place where any student of any opinion would feel like they had a voice on any contentious issue. Debate is just as much about listening as it is talking and an L&H that has a stance on an issue is not one that can listen to everyone’.

When asked about collaborations with other societies she mentioned The LawSoc/L&H training sessions, as they are a ‘great way for us to pool our resources and introduce more people to debating. Due to the hard work of the training and development officers this year they were a massive success and I have no doubt they should continue’. She added, ‘we want to increase the outreach of our workshops available’ to include ‘house debate training, interview skills and CV writing workshops and informal round table discussions so we can give more students access to the specific skills they need when it comes to arguing, convincing and presenting their ideas and themselves’.

Laura Hogan (Incoming Auditor of LawSoc) Second year Law and Politics student Laura Hogan has been inaugurated auditor of the 107th session of LawSoc (2017/18). She was uncontested and has named Conor Whyte as vice-auditor and Adam Stairs as incoming Treasurer. She hopes to maintain LawSoc’s momentum and success of the 106th session of LawSoc while furthering the society as much as she can.

When told how L&H and LawSoc are for the first time ever both being run by women at the same time, she was quick to show her passion, ‘it is phenomenal that two women are running the two debating societies and one of the things that we want to do this year is to make LawSoc more inclusive for women. Societies have found for the last number of years that large numbers of women join in first year and then experience significant drop outs rates over time. This is in terms of active membership, committee and number of women in leadership roles’.

When pressed for what changes she will bring about to achieve this Hogan gave a few ideas. ‘It is so important to foster female speaking talent and I want to do so in a number of ways. Firstly by introducing women's socials for people to get to know each other. Additionally, we want follow on from this year and run women's debating competitions externally and also to run that internally.

Balanced gender debate panels was a focal point of the last session and we are committed to continuing that’. p.7

Politics.

Positive Moves Towards Injection Clinics Highlights Public Attitude Change on Ireland’s Drug Policy Ailish Brennan Politics Writer

N

ews broke in January this year that Dáil Éireann would debate the impending introduction of drug consumption centres, similar to those seen in parts of Germany, Switzerland and Australia. While critics of the programme highlight its flaws, the concept and research of the centres which have been set up around the world points to very positive results in many areas.

Former Minister for Drugs Strategy and current Senator Aodhán Ó Riordáin says this is something that is hugely important to him as he was one of the foremost proponents in the fight to introduce drug consumption centres. Talking to the College Tribune, he spoke about how the positive reaction these centres have received throughout the process of making them reality has been due to

the focus on harm prevention and saving lives. In Australia, one of the leading research models for Irish implementation, 4,400 overdoses were intervened upon between May 2001 and April 2010 with zero reported deaths from overdose. The 100% success rate speaks volumes for the effectiveness of the programme, and is being sought to counter Ireland’s spiralling heroin issue.

While Senator Ó Riordáin said that there has been very little conflict over the proposal within parliamentary circles, the mood among the wider public is much more divided. A quick scroll through social media shows many people still using derogatory language such as ‘junkie’, ‘scumbag’ and ‘skaghead’ as being normal and acceptable in describing drug addicts. As a society we are yet to confront the idea that people who hold drug addictions are not crim-

“ Senator Aodhán Ó Riordáin spoke of how ‘Irish society has marginalised drug use, and words like junkie which demean drug users only serve to feed into the toxic stereotype’.

”

www.collegetribune.ie

inals, but rather citizens with severe health issues. The task of overcoming these stereotypes becomes all the more difficult when the criminalisation of drug use is still so stark within the wider public.

It is clear that there is still a huge stigma surrounding addicts and one of the main goals of the centres will be to break this stigma down. Ana Liffey Drug Project, one of the leading drug addiction centres in Dublin’s innercity, aims to do so by educating the public on introductory information and harm reduction benefits. Senator Ó Riordáin spoke of how ‘Irish society has marginalised drug use and words like junkie which demean drug users only serve to feed into the toxic stereotype’. He hopes the centres will allow more addicts feel like they can come forward to get the help they need and get into a rehabilitation programme. However, this is where some of the main arguments against the injection centres come into play. Many critics feel that normalising the use of hard drugs by allowing people to consume them safely in these centres will only serve to promote and encourage drug use as well as lead to an increase in drug related crime in the area surrounding the centre as a result. The jury is out on whether or not supervised injection centres help reduce crime rates in a given locality, with The Journal.ie carrying out a fact-check on the issue back in February of this year. This is an argument used by both supporters and critics of injection centres, with the interpretation being totally polarised.

People living in the communities where the centres will be located are worried about the affect it will have on their lives, arguing it may draw poorly on their areas.

T

he sight of people consuming drugs in public is often cited as being a negative mark on a community so the presence of injection centres could help counteract the negative perception that comes with public consumption. In terms of reducing the complaints made to the authorities, many realised that programmes such as these can only go so far in doing so, as is the case in the Netherlands. With the highest number of consumption centres globally, the decrease in public disturbance has been significant, with an acceptance rate of 80% by neighbourhoods, health providers and local police.

While addiction to heroin may not visibly be an issue in UCD and it may not be something that students believe topical within the college, it certainly is a challenge that many grapple with upon leaving university. Ó Riordáin pointed to the increased likelihood of people who have been disconnected from the mainstream to obtain a dependency on drugs. A recent study by the National Bureau for Economic Research analysed the relationship between poverty and drug abuse, and found that while there isn’t any direct causes, there is strong correlation. He pointed to English journalist Johann Harri’s quote saying that ‘the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, the opposite of addiction is connection’. The concept that connection to the mainstream decreases the likelihood of becoming an addict is one that UCDSU’s Welfare Officer elect Eoghan Mac Domhnaill sees as being very important. As well as seeing the centres as a hugely important initiative he hopes to create more sensible attitude to drugs across the board by building on UCDSU’s ‘What’s in the Pill’ initiative, hoping to educate people on drugs more commonly used by UCD students.

The way the news of opening injection centres has been received is indicative of how Irish people as a whole are adjusting to finally recognise addiction as health issue. Active engagement with the issue head on versus simply ignoring and hoping that the same attitudes we have always had will eventually reap alternative results is key to creating progressive reform. Irish society seems to be engaging constructively in debating public policy solutions to the issue of drug use, rather than resorting to the traditional response of criticising perceived stereotypes of drug addicts.

0930

Politics.

Tributes Paid to Martin McGuinness from Across Political Sphere Oisín McCanna Politics Editor

T “ Sinn Féin lost a leader and I lost a dear friend and a comrade, but Martin’s family has suffered the biggest loss of all.

”

28.03.2017

he funeral of former Northern Ireland First Minister Martin McGuinness took place last Sunday in Derry’s Bogside. In attendance were multiple heads of state, foreign dignitaries from around the world including political opponents of McGuinness. An estimated thirty thousand lined the streets to pay their tributes, which saw the procession carry his coffin through the Bogside area, his homeland where fourteen civilians were shot dead on Bloody Sunday, the highest civilian shooting casualty of The Troubles.

While thousands paid their respects to the former MP and Education Minister, critics drew attention to his time as an active member of the IRA from 1965-1974. Speaking in Stormont, TUV’s Jim Allister said ‘he goes to his grave having shown no remorse, no regret, and no apology for the terror he brought to our streets, rather continuing to justify that bloodthirsty wickedness that was the IRA campaign’. Former First Minister Arlene Foster took a lighter approach to remembering her co-Minister, saying ‘I do recognise also that there are many republicans and nationalists who look to Martin as a leader, friend or mentor who will be feeling a very real sense of loss that he has died in this way at the relatively young age of 66’.

In the eulogy delivered by former U.S. president Bill Clinton, he highlighted McGuinness’ commitment to the peace process and his role as an architect in the Good Friday Agreement, bringing peace to Northern Ireland. During his time as First Minister he had worked with three Unionist leaders, most famously Sir Reverend Ian Paisley which earned them the nickname ‘The Chuckle Brothers’, due to the strength of their relationship, which would have been seen as impossible only ten years prior.

Giving the graveside oration, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams spoke of his 45 year friendship with Martin. He told the crowd they had first met behind barricades in Derry in 1972 and how they had been friends ever since. The Louth TD went on to highlight the intimacy in their friendship, and how ‘Derry lost a son. Sinn Féin lost a leader and I lost a dear friend and a comrade, but Martin’s family has suffered the biggest loss of all. They have lost a loving, caring, dedicated husband, father and grandfather, a brother and an uncle’.

USI Criticise Bus Éireann Strikes Disruption for Students Oisín McCanna Politics Editor

A

n estimated 100,000 people are set to be affected by Bus Éireann workers decision to engage in industrial action which was announced late last Thursday evening. Striking began on Friday 24th, with the decision coming as management at Bus Éireann say that the company needs to implement severe cuts if it’s to survive, which would include pay and overtime cuts and changes to bus routes.

The President of the USI (Union of Students in Ireland) Annie Hoey was critical of the breakdown in discussions and the resulting strike. ‘This dispute has gone beyond the dispute between management and workers it has created a complete gridlock for students seeking to get home and to college’ she said.

The UCD Students’ Union have not issued a statement on the issue.

The Union representing the workers at Bus Éireann (the National Bus and Rail workers Union) are displeased with the measures proposed by management to save the company.

Although they acknowledge that ‘efficiency changes’ must be made, they say that the proposed changes disproportionately affect drivers. After months of talks between Union and company officials, including a standoff at the Workplace Relations Commission, efforts at finding a resolution between the two sides collapsed. Leading to management implementing their plan without the unions’ backing, and resulting in an indefinite nationwide strike by the unions.

Irish Rail have been forced to cancel multiple services due to picketing, which have added to the disruption faced by many commuters.

Spokesperson for Irish Rail Barry Kenny told media that across a number of locations ‘there are pickets that its employees decided not pass’, adding that it had been hoped the company would have a far more extensive rail service by this week. Campus services issued an email to students and faculty alike when news broke of the industrial action, advising of alternative methods for reaching UCD. Commuting manager Ivan Griffin in his email highlighted that an increased level of car traffic can be expected across campus, with students being able to avail of guest parking for €3 a day while striking is in action. The email also serves to highlight a number of private bus routes from rural areas across the country that operate to

UCD and urges students to check their websites for further details.

At the time of printing no formal statement has been made by Transport Minister Shane Ross, which coincides with his reaction to earlier industrial action by Bus Éireann in February earlier this year at which point he insisted on not intervening in dispute between the company and union representatives. After coming under sharp criticism for his inaction, Minister Ross justified his reaction by asserting to an Oireachtas committee that enough is being done.

Dublin North-West TD and co-leader of the Social Democrats criticised Minister Ross’ refusal to engage in talks, saying that ‘while we accept the company has a fiduciary responsibility that must be met and efficiencies are therefore necessary, there must be a clear distinction between finding efficiencies and cutting people’s take-home pay’.

Former UCD Labour chair and current trade union (ICTU) worker Grace Williams spoke to the College Tribune on the issue and has said that ‘strike action is always a demonstration of the severity of a situation and, in this case, it is evident that this action is needed. When companies attempt to change the working conditions and pay of their employees without consultation with the workers and their unions, it is a threat to decent work for all of us. We simply cannot allow Bus Éireann to create a race to the bottom in working conditions and wages’. The strike is set to continue indefinitely according to the NBRU, which the union says is not what the workers want, but that it is a necessity at this point given the severity of the issue.

The President of the USI (which UCD are not affiliated to) said there are ‘thousands of students who rely on Bus Eireann to go to college, work and even travel home at the weekends. There are students who are parents who need to get to college and home to their families. There are students who rely on the already poor public transport routes around Ireland to travel’.

The USI President Annie Hoey continued to say ‘we urge management and our government to come to a resolution with workers, and firmly do not believe that workers should have their wages cut to plug the gap’. p.9

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Features.

Artwork George Hannaford

“

The Tinder Revolution:

Handy Dating Shortcut or an Exercise in False Perceptions?

Deputy editor George Hannaford turns his eccentric and analytical eye to the differences between online dating and the traditional face-to-face methods.

D

ating is not a simple act, yet it is a fundamental stepping stone on the way to forming a relationship. Over the past decades dating has made radical advancements, notably the reduction of stiff etiquette imposed by traditional standards of class and society which were enforced by the parents of the 1880’s, is long gone. Dating evolved with the increase of independence within individuals to choose their own potential partners.

Within the 1970’s increased access to contraceptives evolved to what would be dubbed the hook up culture of the 1990’s and onwards. Datin was now something more than finding a suitable match for the benefit of family before the self, instead it was about meeting potential partners and having fun on

28.03.2017

the way.The most radical change for dating within the last decade has been the ability for dating to go mobile. How does self presentation and communication vary depending on environment, how does one manage their first impressions online as opposed to the physical world, and what attracts two people within online environments? These are all new questions that have emerged with the advent of mobile dating. In short what are the most striking differences between online and physical world dating?

Physical World In the physical world of a bar, a society event, party or say a tutorial our perceptions of people are based off of our senses, mainly sight, hearing, smell. Like when we see someone who has attracted our attention we choose to read their face, clothes,

Void of all senses other than sight, online environments present a completely new dating dynamic as opposed to the physical world.

”

or the particular activity they were doing. Ultimately from a quick glance if a visual attraction is felt we may want to talk to them to discover more. And so with a slightly nervous step we introduce ourselves to the other. Up close and personal we use hearing and smell to make further judgments; their voice maybe memorable or irritable, or devastatingly their perfume or cologne maybe too strong or perhaps is scent you know of. Quietly and intuitively you make mental notes on these matters all while staring them in the face attempting to pass off a reasonable conversation. Throughout the interaction information is being passed from one another about one another, not only through words, but tone, body language and social gestures. Combined these factors gives a starting point from which to judge the other, and decide if we should ask for their number or not. Interactions with people in the physical world, are held in great flux specific to context, there is no time to pause or consider cultivating a response like online.

Instead you must pass yourself off as you are there and then. The original attraction received from the first glance is built upon a wide variety of factors which utilitises many of the other senses. Void of all senses other than sight, online environments present a completely new dating dynamic as opposed to the psychical world.

Online World Strictly speaking Tinder is not a dating app, however it does afford opportunities for dating, chatting, and to search for eye candy (for both genders). Tinder places a great emphasis on crafting the perfect first impression by carefully curating what is believed to be an attractive set of photos and an creative bio. Judgments are often based on sight and are often quick and intuitive, resulting in quick swipes or perhaps a brief delving into further photos and bio. A swipe right is often the result of someone whom is subjectively physically attractive, had an interesting collection of photos or intriguing bio, or even a combination of all three. Strategies emerge with the intent of increasing matches. Differences between male and female modes of swiping, were noted by MIT. Men collect matches relatively slowly driving them to swipe right until out of swipes (if using free version), then wait to see whom they matched with, and then make a decision if they should message. Contrast this to women who tend to be very selective at swiping, however as women tend to collect matches faster, being selective at the swiping stage acts as an efficient means of filtering out the potential matches they wouldn’t speak to. On Tinder if the date fails you can always head back to the app and start swiping again. Progression in this vein suggests that interactions on Tinder are relatively superficial and heavily based within fantasy and loose perceptions of what the match could be like in the physical domain. Tinder does serve as a great networking platform for people of similar motives, however any deep attraction may not be recognised unless both parties have physically met with one another. It would be a fallacy to consider deep attraction from a mental image built upon interaction based within Tinder, purely because attraction would be built upon an avatar at best. Downloading Tinder and engaging in it is however a purposeful act. In contrast to the physical world, where one might just happen to start chatting to someone on a night out.

If is Tinder is thought as a deck of cards, the main question is who’s on top? Using an internal network value created by an algorithm Tinder operates along a user hierarchy. One suggestion about how Tinder’s algorithm works is based on a Elo system. Users on the network each have points, swipes from users with higher points in turn boosts the user who made the initial swipe. The boost in points is based up the user’s current point rating. Over time the network of users creates a self sustained system where by top networked users appear heavily and interspersed each time you access the app.

So people who get more matches will be presented with other users who have a high match rating.

In light of physical dating, it can be very quick to determine if people you interact with are potential partners, compared to what can be a trivial process of getting to know someone on Tinder only to find that they were not as perceived. At best Tinder serves as a gateway to date new people. But forming an emotional connection via the app is putting yourself in a disconnected state based purely off what may be a false perception of your match. And so the best advice is match, greet, and then meet face to face. p.11

Features.

A

ccording to recent statistics, it’s estimated that 377.6 million people worldwide use online dating sites or apps. It’s estimated that one in every four relationships now begins online and with 180,000 Irish people on Tinder, it’s easy to see why. As well as that, the popularity of ‘First Dates Ireland’ could be a sign that Irish people seem to be more interested in actual dates as oppose to a drink down the pub. So is it the ease of the hook up via Tinder that has strangled our dating culture or did Ireland ever have a dating culture to begin with? Are Irish people more interested in an American style dating culture?

I decided to ask around and figure out exactly what tickles the fancy of Irish singletons and whether or not online dating has changed the way we interact with each other.

Coppers or Tinder:

How Irish People View Dating Rachel O’Neill Features Editor

Dating Culture

ing it as the fun, eye-opening and horizon-broadening experience that it should be.’

Has Ireland ever had a dating culture? The concept of a dating culture has always seemed rather American, where it’s casual to ask someone out or for their number on the spot in everyday instances like waiting in a que for a coffee.

The way I’ve found partners is usually through meeting people at parties, adding them on Facebook and then talking to them non-stop until the next party where we shift (or something along those lines anyway). But is that a fair reflection of the Irish dating culture?

Jess Quinn 22 is a Pharmacology student and University Observer columnist, met her girlfriend on a night out in the George and takes a different view. She thinks the rules are different for those who identify as straight: ‘I'd have friends who would consider shifting someone sober to be a more significant advancement in the relationship than sleeping with them’. She met her previous partner online but that didn’t change how the relationship formed, ‘every relationship I had started with date, after date, after date.’

Niall Swan 28 is a reporter for the ICIS podcast and former Tinder user who met his current girlfriend there. He believes that our approach to dating has been shaped, like many things, by the Catholic Church.

‘Too many people approach it in a nervous, rigid way instead of treatwww.collegetribune.ie

‘people seem to be “seeing” other people now and maybe seeing a few people at once and then after seeing someone for a while then they might decide to be going out.

When I was in college you were either going out with someone or you weren't. You might kiss someone on a night out and that wasn't a big deal but you didn't go for coffees and cinema trips and the like unless you were ‘going out together’.’ She also makes the point that the culture of seeing a

Artwork George Hannaford

Image Below Signing up to Tinder for the first time.

Claire Leydon-Roche 34 primary school teacher believes that times have changed entirely since she was in college. She’s been with her husband for 14 years and thinks that these changes she’s witnessed are for the better, 0930

Features.

hard to understand though. Would you rather tell your granny that you met online or that you met drunk at a party and went to the spare room? I suppose it does depend on how much you tell your granny to begin with but both of those situations seem like perfectly normal situations to me.

Perhaps as more of our peers begin to date because of Tinder, we might be able to take it seriously but until then it seems that the image of it as a hook-up app rather than a serious dating app is hard to shake.

Online Dating

few people at once can be heathier for your relationship in the long run, ‘it gives people a sense of how they gel with other people, what's good for them in relationships and I think then when you choose to be official with someone it's because you really feel there's something good there’.

Irish dating culture if it can be described as such, relies heavily on the confidence elixiur of alcohol. A drunken shift in Coppers may not lead to your next relationship but it seems to be the stepping stone that many of us start with if we’re not using Tinder. It could be argued that Tinder removes this awkward first encounter by lubricating the cogs of conversation, but I myself have come across many a creep on it. I once had a guy open with the line ‘Wow, you’re a bit of a c**t aren’t you?’. To this day I still don’t know what angle he was going for. That’s not even the worst story I’ve heard about Tinder and while it’s probably not an entirely fair reflection of the people on Tinder, it’s enough for me to leave it lounging in the App store.

28.03.2017

Tinder Stigma Is there still a stigma attached to having met your partner online?

Niall doesn’t think so, ‘not many people have asked when we've both been present but the odd occasion that they have I've seen no change in their attitudes towards us. I think it's a more than acceptable method of finding a partner nowadays’. But that wasn’t always the case as he explains, ‘I met a girl online back in 2006 when I was 18 on one of the original social medias, Faceparty and I got quite a few comments from people asking why I couldn't meet someone in a normal way’.

Claire recounts the story of how a work colleague who met his wife online 10 years ago got a mixed reaction when he said how they met, ‘some people raised their eyebrows and thought the whole thing was a bit nerdy. They couldn't believe he would admit to ‘having to go online’

to find a girlfriend but others were totally cool with it. I really admired how open he was about it. Loads of my friends have met their other halves online now and it's just not a big deal anymore’.

On the other hand, Jess believes that there’s no stigma to being in a relationship that started online having been in one herself. However, she believes there is a stigma about Tinder in particular, ‘somehow 'a Tinder date' is less genuine than a non-Tinder date. Like I know a guy who wouldn't 'make it official' with a girl he was dating for months because they met on Tinder. He found it somewhat less of a connection because it happened over Tinder’.

So is our problem just with Tinder or are we still not used to people getting together in the ‘non-traditional’ sense? It seems that it differs between people and can also depend on how much exposure you have had to social media and online dating.

It’s also important to note that age can be a factor too. I do find that

But what do people seem to think of online dating? Claire believes that on the whole, it’s probably a good thing. ‘I think they must be good because they allow you to access a much wider range of people so you're probably more likely to find someone you click with’. She mentioned that 3 people in her friend circle are getting married to people they met online and believe it could be an important tool for those in their late 20s and early 30s. ‘I think for people my age dating apps have a big advantage because so many of our social circle are already coupled up, it's hard to meet anyone new if you're just depending on your circle of friends and their acquaintances’.

Jess agrees and says that she felt safer using an online dating app like Tinder because if someone was being creepy, she could just unmatch them. She also highlighted the ease of meeting other LGBTQ+ people, ‘I mean I see dating apps as just a more convenient way of meeting people.

I mean imagine a more traditional setting, like at the bar. Imagine if you could just swipe left to all the people who aren't interested or single, swipe left to the people outside of your desired age range, swipe left to the people you don't find attractive and then you're just left with the people you're talking to’.

Niall disagrees and says while dating apps have worked for him they’re not for everybody. He believes that both they and social media have contributed to the detrimental effect on how we see ourselves and potential partners.

‘Too many people are worried about how they might look in pictures alongside their potential other

halves. The sheer number of people who had height restrictions in their Tinder profiles was equally baffling as it was infuriating, not that I'm a short person or anything, but if you seriously wouldn't consider dating someone for fear of looking taller than them in photos, that's just strange’. As with many things in life, there are benefits and drawbacks to online dating. There is the age-old myth that you never quite know who you’re meeting online and from my limited watching of MTV’s ‘Catfish’, I can see why this belief still holds some truth to it. As Jess said, online dating apps allow you to strike up a conversation with someone who you share mutual interests in much quicker than your average party or bar. If your interest involves ‘studying at the university of Banter’ well you’ve made my decision for me so thanks for your time.

Overall it seems that Irish people are open to online dating. It seems that technically and social advancement go hand in hand. While our view of Tinder may still be evolving, there is still a certain stigma associated with meeting and dating people using the app. That being said, online dating is proving to be a faster method of creating a connection as Niall explains. ‘With my current partner I definitely felt like we connected a lot faster.

I'm not sure why, but perhaps it's easier to be more honest and open with someone when you know that there's some level of attraction there already based on the mutual swiping. When you meet someone in a bar or whatever, you tend to be more closed off initially in terms of expressing yourself’.

Is that a fair assessment? Perhaps it’s we who have changed rather than the dating culture itself. Either way, Irish people remain awkward both in person or online because as we know, the more things change, the more they stay the same. p.13

Music.

Higher Vision Festival Reinvents the Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Ailish Brennan Music Writer

O

n March 17th, a most celebrated day in the Irish calendar, the masses descended on Bellurgan Park in Louth for a ‘celebration of the Island’s talents’ with big name acts from far and wide showcasing their talents to help festival goers reach ‘an elevated sense of reality’. Since the initial announcement of techno duo Dense & Pika on December 9th, the festival grew to a line-up in excess of 60 acts, ranging from local collectives to massive names like Julio Bashmore, I Hate Models and Phil Kiernan. Kiernan, as anyone who has seen his Boiler Room from AVA Festival in Belfast last year will know, brings a level of enjoyment to DJing that is hard to match.

The huge line-up was filled with acts known the world over, headed by Belfast native Ejeca.

It was complimented by a strong local line-up with acts such as DJ Deece and Dan Stritch, both familiar to attendees as they can be seen supporting the biggest names in the business every weekend up and down the country. Higher Vision also had some of the best collectives the country has to offer, each bringing their own unique flavour of dance music to the table. Acts like the DJs of Carbon nightclub in Galway to Dublin’s own Welcome DJs were some of the local talent that featured over the weekend. As a part of the Welcome collective, former UCD student and Belfield FM regular during his time in the college Jack Colley, who plays under his alias Baliboc, showcased his own unique brand of ‘club music’ on the St. Patrick’s Day event.

“

Higher Vision showcased the wonderful and often under-appreciated talent we have on the island

The Five Greatest ‘Lesser Known’ Irish Albums

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The young DJ delved deep into his extensive collection and moved away from the better known songs that people usually expect such as Julio Bashmore’s ‘Au Seve’ and Dense & Pika’s ‘Colt’. His more ‘unconventional’ style of music, compared to the well-known dance music headliners, will ‘change people’s perceptions’. Colley gets great satisfaction from offering a different style of music, and before the festival expressed hopes that it would be appreciated by the wider audience.

The Raheny native pointed to Irishman Bobofunk’s set as one not to miss citing the massive

energy he brings to the decks, an energy which was evident at his impromptu 6am set at Life Festival last year, a highlight of the festival.

Higher Vision not only showcased the wonderful and often under-appreciated talent we have on the island but also served to showcase how international acts move and inspire us. With the likes of Dimitri from Paris bringing his funky disco sound and Fjaak showcasing their live techno performance straight from a recent show in Berlin’s infamous Berghain, the festival provided a refuge as people sought to escape the hectic nature

The Pogues Rum Sodomy & the Lash Shane MacGowan & co. created a bustling, traditionally stylised masterpiece that sounds the most emblematic of the Emerald Isle out of these five records. Tales of vagabonds, Navvies and drunkards set to flutes, fiddles and accordions resonated finely. And a stellar rendition of the Australian folk tune ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ was one of MacGowan’s finest moments.

of Dublin and Temple Bar on St. Patrick’s Day. Higher Vision, set in an oasis in the beautiful, leafy surroundings of Bellurgan Park, created what seemed like a world away from the chaos of the city centre. The festival combined a smart marketing campaign and a solid business plan bringing an accessible BYOB event to redefine Ireland’s national holiday. And with plenty of gourmet food options and chill out areas around the site to take a break from the dancing set a relaxing and energetic scene. Higher Vision will undoubtedly be a highlight of the festival season.

Van Morrison Astral Weeks At the age of just 23, Van Morrison released an avant-garde classic. Almost 50 years later, no album sounds like this one.

It was a modernist stroke of genius with ensorcelling lyrics set to a grandiose cocktail of instrumentation flashes of woodwind, rambling guitar and double bass. And Morrison’s hugely soulful voices is still so captivating to the ears.

Adam Bielenberg Music Writer

www.collegetribune.ie

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Music.

Interview:

‘Cry Harridan’ Revitalising the Spirit of Creative, Independent, New Music

Music editor Aoileann Kennedy sits down with River, Hobo and Victoria of the band ‘Cry Harridan’ to chat about their unique aesthetic.

T

he name Cry Harridan might be unfamiliar to most of you, but I can assure you that is going to change. A quick peek at their social media pages will give you a glimpse at what this band is about, sex, rebellion and independence. They are different from the current mainstay of Irish music, channelling punk rock vibes and grunge influences to create a band that is both visually and lyrically provocative. The band itself is hard to define. It has between 5

and 7 members at any one time. Frequent collaborators float in and out of the line-up depending on their availability. Independence is a key element of the band’s vision.

They are currently unsigned and are in no rush to engage with a record label. They are adamant that they retain all creative control over their sound. They join a litany of other artists and bands rejecting the mainstream labels, including fellow Irish artists Raglans and Heroes in Hiding.

Visuals are a huge aspect of what Cry Harridan unique.

The Divine Comedy Regeneration Neil Hannon teamed up with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich to help master his most out of character yet superb record. With less orchestral pop and more guitars, more edginess. At first listen, it may sound bloody miserable but when you delve deep into Hannon’s words, the underlying message (sometimes satirically put) about the dangers of modern life and how not to buy into the media, rings true.

28.03.2017

Imagery is held in almost the same importance as the music. A quick look at their Instagram page reveals how influential imagery is to them.

Sexuality is something which influences their visuals and is something they do not shy away from. Their approach to sexuality isn’t based on the hyper-sexualisation of the female band members or selling a faux 50 Shades vision of sex. Its darker and more emotionally driven. There is an authenticity to it that is reminiscent of the 70s and 80s punk movement. This undercurrent of punk rebel-

lion touches everything the band does, even their name, ‘Harridan’ apparently means ‘Belligerent Bitch’. Their music is written for them, not to please others. They are acutely aware of the lack of questioning in mainstream Irish music. Artists are no longer using their music as a vessel to question the system or to protest social issues.

Band member Victoria cites the PC culture as a barrier to expression. River places much of the blame on the industrialisation of music thanks to shows like the X Factor. He feels that programmes like

David Holmes Bow Down to the Exit Sign In 2000, movie soundtrack guru and DJ, David Holmes, made a record, whose eclecticism was paradigmatic of music at the turn of century. Loaded with samples, a unusual range of noises, this one of the great Irish leftfield albums. Of course, ‘69 Police’ features during the end of Oceans Eleven and its joyous tone is a major highlight.

“ They are adamant that they retain all creative control over their sound

”

the X Factor have created a mould that many are reluctant to move away from. The lack of alternative voices is something they all feel. Young people are being stifled creatively by the lack of modern artists willing to be different.

We discuss the influence of artists like Sinead O’Connor and David Bowie on the band, with the former being cited as a major inspiration.

One of the most important things we discussed was the emergence of a counter-culture in Ireland. This new culture has found a home on Instagram, a platform which the band use daily. Instagram is a major platform for the group, providing an open and artistic space to share their aesthetic. The Irish Instagram scene is still dominated by bloggers and influencers, but more and more creatives and artists are finding their voices there too. Cry Harridan has established a solid following on the app who relate to their vision. The band’s reach extends beyond Instagram.

They have received airplay on some of the biggest radio programmes in the country, including the Louise Duffy Show on Today FM. Although they have no firm plans for gigs as of yet, the offers are rolling in. The hype around the group speaks volumes for the desire for something different. The industry is expanding and thriving, but there is a need for an alternative voice. If you agree, check out their YouTube page and listen for yourself.

U2 Achtung Baby This is U2’s most multi-faceted record, incorporating an electronic, industrial feel to their music at some points.

Bono is at his most down to earth here, know for a greater introspection and personal lyrics rather than his traditional reliance on political themes. While newer generations of Irish people may love to hate U2, Achtung Baby is probably the record that will cause them to think twice.

p.15

DENIM GIRL TOMMY HILFIGER The Tommy Hilfiger Denim Spring/Summer 2017 collection, Summer of Love, celebrates all American Liberation. Youth is a core foundation within Hilfiger; paired with an attitude for playfulness the Denim collection effortlessly presents the carefree Southern California beach vibe.

The 60’s heritage paisley patterns joined with trademark Tommy Stripes amalgamated with sunbleached denim patchworks gives rise to the all new Denim Girl.

CLOTHES Tommy Hilfiger 14 Grafton St, Dublin 2, Dublin.

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Niamh Cavanagh George Hannaford STYLIST Niamh Cavanagh PHOTOGRAPHER George Hannaford MODEL Candy

Bomber 33 Pinto Print €189.00 Denim Shorts Light Blue €89.00

Above Polo S/S Dress Blue €69.00 Below Hi Rise Skinny Dynamic Steel €129.00

Stripe Knit Lipstick Red €59.00

Knit Dress Blues €99.90 Star Print Sweatshirt €89.90

LifeStyle.

Lifestyle Picks:

Let’s Crank up the Productivity

Recipe of the Week Ciara Landy Food & Lifestyle Editor Food & Lifestyle editor Ciara Landy scours the internet for good food so you don’t have to.

Each week we feature recipes from a variety of food and lifestyle bloggers around the world.

Apps

‘Moment’ measures how much time you spend on your phone. It is free to download and available in the iTunes store and Google Play. You might be surprised/horrified at how much your total time is per day.

‘Chia pudding has become a very popular healthy breakfast option.

This recipe, which uses coconut milk as its base, can also be served as a regular chia pudding if set in glasses (though omit the banana in this case, unless eating immediately). However, freezing the mixture turns them into fun and good-for-you ice pops!’

Sharon

Spotlight

If you’re planning on hitting the books hard over the coming weeks ‘Flipd’ might be worth a download. This free app will temporarily lock you out of certain apps on your phone for selected periods of time to focus your study session.

Sharon Hearne Smith is an Irish food stylist, cook and author of ‘The No-Cook Cookbook’. Having worked with some of the biggest names in the industry (Jamie Oliver and Lorraine Pascale no less) Sharon is now a regular feature on RTÉ’s Today Show.

For more amazing recipes and beautiful food photography see http://www.sharonhearnesmith. com/ or follow Sharon on Instagram @sharonhearnesmith.

Chia Pudding Pops with Coconut Raspberries and Bananas 1.

Pour the coconut milk into a large jug and add the chia seeds and lime zest and juice. Give the mixture a good stir until evenly blended and then add enough honey to give the preferred sweetness. Leave aside for about 30 minutes to thicken slightly.

Ingredients

1 x 400ml can coconut milk 50g chia seeds finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 2-3 tsp honey 125g raspberries 2 bananas ESSENTIAL KIT: Mini blender (or bowl and fork) 8 x 75ml ice-pop moulds 8 wooden lolly sticks (unless sticks come with your mould set)

Tips Makes 8 Make 16 smaller pops as a breakfast canapé (or kiddie treat).

2.

3.

4.

5.

Meanwhile, blitz the raspberries in a mini-blender until you have a smooth puree. Alternatively, crush them in a bowl with a fork until as smooth as possible. When ready to make the pops, peel and cut each banana into 16 even sized slices.

To assemble, spoon a teaspoonful of the raspberry puree into the bottom of each pop mould. Spoon in about 30g of the thickened chia mixture. Slide a slice of banana down each side of each mould, to squish into the chia pudding mixture.

Repeat the layers one more time until the moulds are full and all ingredients have been used up. Insert the stick into the centre of each pop and place level in the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight, until frozen.

When ready to serve, place the pop mould in hot water for a few seconds to release the pop and enjoy.

This recipe is taken from Sharon’s book, The NoCook Cookbook, which is available from all great bookstores worldwide and on Amazon.

Podcasts

‘Moment’ measures how much time you spend on your phone. It is free to download and available in the iTunes store and Google Play. You might be surprised/horrified at how much your total time is per day.

‘The Rich Roll Podcast’. With over 20 million downloads, chronicling insightful conversations with a wide variety of people from Arianna Huffington to Steve-O. The podcast offers interesting perspectives on health, happiness and success. www.collegetribune.ie

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LifeStyle.

Going Up

Your Erasmus Checklist:

Advice for Studying Abroad

Food Works 2017

Rebecca Clarke Food & Lifestyle Writer

Thinking of taking the plunge and experiencing a semester or year abroad? Lifestyle writer Rebecca Clarke offers her top tips on how to get the most out of your Erasmus.

a.

Strong Roots

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Do become a yes person. Try something new every week, whether it’s joining a local football team, taking a train to a random city or simply learning how to cook something new. This is your chance to open your mind to a new culture and a new way of living, so embrace it.

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Do take photos and document the year, it’s going to be one that you’ll always look back on, particularly when you’re back in Dublin, sitting in a 9am lecture while it rains outside.

5.

Don’t come home.

All those snapchat stories might make you feel like you’re missing out, but honestly Dublin will always be Dublin and the second you come home for good, all you’ll want to do is hop right back on that plane.

So take a step back from social media and instead of planning your next trip home, plan a trip to the nearest beach instead (I’m sure it’ll take your mind right off rainy old Dublin).

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With an exponential 1,500% growth in turnover last year, Strong Roots cemented its place in the competitive frozen foods market. Their oven baked sweet potato fries and kale and quinoa burgers are a delicious quick-fix and healthier than most convenience food options.

World Happiness Report 2017

If you’re in Europe do get involved with Erasmus Student Network (ESN) - from nights out and food festivals to trips abroad, this student organisation has plenty to offer. You’ll make tonnes of international friends and memories to last a lifetime Do learn the language, and make the most of your time with the locals.

Most don’t care if your accent is bad or if your French is more Leaving Cert level than native, they’ll be happy to talk. After a few pints, you’ll think you’re fluent anyway.

Have an amazing idea for a food or drink start-up? Apply to Food Works 2017. Operated

by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc, Food Works aims to assist new Irish food companies regarding product development and global expansion. For more see foodworksireland.ie.

Above Clockwise University of Miami University of Texas at Austin University of British Columbia

6.

Don’t be afraid to go it alone.

It might seem daunting at first but going solo will force you to interact with new people and experience different things. It may seem like a great idea to move in with all your mates but it will stop you from branching out and possibly meeting some new lifelong friends.

7.

Don’t forget your paperwork. Yes, it’s boring but the last thing you want to be doing on your first day in a brand new city is standing hours in line, waiting to be enrolled because the University can’t find your name on their system. Fill out everything that needs to be filled out and do it now.

Going Down

8.

Don’t forget your greens.

Although Pizza and gelato will genuinely become your new staple foods and homemade dinners will become nothing more than a distant memory, it’s important to remember to look after yourself. An apple a day and all that.

9.

UCD has a great host of options for you to go on Erasmus, here is just a couple - also take a look at the ‘where to go’ page on UCD international.

- University of Melbourne, Australian - University of Vienna, Austria -Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

The recently published UN global report takes into account income, corruption levels, life expectancy social freedom, support and generosity among other things.

Ireland fares well, we rank the 15th happiest nation overall, up 4 places from last year.

Added Salt

d.

The links between a high salt intake and ailments such as; heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure are well publicised. What you may not be aware of is the level of salt loaded into a surprising variety of food products. For example Galaxy ‘Ultimate Marshmallow Hot Chocolate’ mix contains over 0.6g of salt, the same amount as a packet of salt & vinegar Taytos.

The American Health Care Act

e.

The proposed Republican replacement for Obamacare will leave millions Americans without healthcare coverage and will slash the Medicaid programme by an estimated $880 billion dollars over 10 years p.23

Film.

A tale as old as time - that of an unnecessary Hollywood remake, a brigade of misinformation, and a feminist being made to prove her feminism.

Emma Watson plays Belle in the live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and brings with her the insistence that it is now a feminist film.

There are no other drastic differences between this version and the 1991 animation, yet Watson is making enemies on both ends of the feminist spectrum by doing very little at all.

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ecently, private photos from Watson’s phone were leaked online. The media framed these as nude photos that she had taken of herself, allowing for discussion on invasion of female celebrities privacy to flow down it’s well worn path of blaming the victim, not the perpetrator. The narrative being Watson must shoulder some of the blame, because she took the photos. This leap to judgement is ridiculous, but even more so in this case, because the photos were in fact not ‘nudes’, but semi-nude photos taken of her during a costume fitting.

It’s a testament to how self-destructive the feminist community has become. One misstep and you’re ousted from an ideological group that stands for equality. Watson rose to fame at the hands of the mammoth that was the Harry Potter series. Nowadays, she holds a degree in Literature from Brown University, she is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and she leads a bimonthly feminist book club.

Her brand of feminism is conservative, it wears pearls and invites you to tea. She advocates feminism just enough to be marked as a ‘femi-nazi’, but not enough to satisfy progressive feminists Exhibit B of how hastily people can be cast as bad feminists is Watson’s recent Vanity Fair photo shoot, in which her bare chest is partially exposed. Quotes were pulled from a three year old interview in which Watson mentioned that she felt conflicted about the provocative image that Beyoncé portrayed in her 2013 self-titled album. Watson was moulded into a hypocrite. As per usual, the quotes were taken out of context. In said interview, Watson explains that www.collegetribune.ie

The Princess and the Pitchforks:

Emma Watson & Feminist Politics Muireann O’Shea Film & TV Writer

“

Watson’s brand of feminism is conservative, it wears pearls and invites you to tea

”

Beyoncé’s image often feels like it adheres to the perspective of a male voyeur, but that Beyoncé’s agency in curating her own image is the important thing. Watson was highlighting the difference between being sexualised by someone else and empowerment of choosing to show your own body. Beyoncé and Watson are both in the latter category, but by the time this was recognised, it was too late. The media gave us a ‘provocative’ photo of Watson and her out-of-context criticism of Beyoncé - pitchforks were ready without a second thought.

If a woman believing that she has agency in her own actions makes a feminist, then Belle is a feminist.

But she was one well before Watson declared it. In this retelling, Belle is the freelance inventor, a role held by her father in the former adaption. She has some economic autonomy (even if she invents a washing machine, of all things). The new version fails to remove the strong

presence of the patriarchy. As with nearly every Disney Princess, the catalyst for her story is loyalty to her misguided father. Though Belle’s path is laid out for her by the men, she takes control of her life.

Out of all of the Disney Princesses, Belle is not the greatest advocate of feminism. She is better than Aurora, who sleeps for most of her story while men save the day, and Snow White, who spends her exile from the kingdom cleaning up after seven men (and then also falls asleep and waits for a man to save the day).

In the past decade, we got Elsa, Tiana and Moana. Before them, we saw Pocahontas let John Smith return to England without her, Mulan proved the truly abstract nature of gender and Esmeralda demonstrated that we should fight not just for women rights or Roma rights, but all human rights.If we sidestep suggestions of romanticising Stockholm Syndrome, what is the moral of Beauty and the Beast?

The approved message is that love transcends physical beauty, but it’s less effective when both Belle and the Beast end up beautiful anyway (even the beast in beast form is not particularly ugly). Watson insists that this film proves that feminists do not need to be unattractive, they can be delicate princesses. This is true, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that before the film even starts standards of beauty have already been set. Shrek is a far better proponent of this message.

Feminism is the belief in equality of the sexes. There are no other requirements. Gender politics is a minefield these days, impossible to manoeuvre without offending someone. We should rejoice in the success of one woman as the success of all women. But the contentious response to Emma Watson and Beauty and the Beast over the past month says more about the state of feminism in society than it does about Watson herself.

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Film.

Film In Review

Get Out David Deignan Film & TV Editor

J

ordan Peele is best known as one half of the popular comedic duo Key and Peele.

Who, after igniting an infectious chem istry together over five seasons as a regular cast members of MADtv, moved on to co-create and star in their own eponymous sketch series on Comedy Central and produce a feature film together. The latter project, a fast-paced comedy titled Keanu, follows the unlikely pair as they pose as drug-dealing gangsters in an outlandish effort to retrieve a stolen cat. It would be somewhat understandable then if, due to the entirely tongue in cheek nature of Peele’s prior work, some audiences members expect Get Out, his directorial debut and first solo effort as a screenwriter, to continue in much the same vein. The truth, however, is that it is difficult to imagine a much starker departure from the traditionally light-hearted fare that the comic is normally associated with.

Get Out is a strained, suspenseful and socially conscious satire which although eventually veering into territories both gut wrenching and gruesome remains a consistently selfaware and genre evasive commentary on both contemporary racism and the tried and tested conventions of the horror film.

The film’s narrative sets itself up as a twisted, racially charged version of Meet The Parents.

Professional photographer Chris Washington (Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Williams) have reached the four month milestone in their relationship and, to mark the occasion, decide to take a weekend trip to the Armitage family estate so that Chris can finally meet her parents. Chris is, however, nervous that Rose hasn’t told them in advance that he is a black man. She dismisses his concerns out of hand, assuring him that her liberal, upper class white parents could hardly be less racist and that they certainly ‘would have voted for Obama for a third term if they could’. And, as she insisted, Chris’ fears do seem unfounded upon his arrival at the Armitage home as Rose’s folks Dean (Whitford) and Missy (Keener) welcome him with open arms, joking cheerily

28.03.2017

at their daughter’s expense and taking the time to give him an extensive tour of the property.

While, initially at least, the weekend plays out as well as it might be expected it isn’t long before Chris starts to notice some unnerving peculiarities surrounding the family’s neighbourhood and their attitudes toward him - causing his overtly polite exterior to soon succumb to an overriding sense of panic.

The major strength of Get Out lies in Peele’s writing, which takes a daring central concept - Kaluuya has called the film ‘12 Years a Slave: the Horror Movie’ - and makes it work without ever seeming low-brow or crude. The script is tight and well paced, seamlessly moving through a traditional three-act structure with a fluidity which makes the film’s 104 minute runtime somehow feel like even less. There is more than a hint of Anton Chekhov to the screenplay, which is light on exposition and heavy on foreshadowing and callbacks. The Russian playwright famously wrote that ‘if you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired it shouldn’t be hanging there’. Peele’s script is similarly frugal - many of the visual and dialogue details hold hidden meaning and anything that is seen and said throughout the narrative is liable to come back into play as it progresses. The only issue with this conservative approach to storytelling is that it does, on occasion, feel as if the film is holding back too much by embracing a bare-bones style. This is especially evident in a third act twist which, despite having been built up to throughout the film, isn’t really given a satisfactory explanation which would make the motivations behind it fully register on an emotional, rather than on a rational, level. That being said, Peele’s method is very effective in first capturing and then holding onto audience engagement. While the story’s central beats aren’t all that difficult to see coming a lot of its appeal is borne out of watching just how the plot unfolds rather than its unpredictability.

Quick View Director Jordan Peele Cast Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery CT Rating 4 stars out of 5

T

he film’s strong script is supported by slick cinematography and engaging performances from its ensemble cast. DP Tony Oliver’s polished compositions rely heavily on close-ups to capture characters’ emotions and intentions while the well choreographed movements of the frame allows the camera to become a character in its own right, cleverly ensuring that the cinemagoer is always the last to see important visual prompts in their entirety. In terms of acting Kaluuya is the standout here, with the Skins and Black Mirror alum taking to his first major feature film starring role with aplomb. The nature of the narrative places Chris at the centre of nearly every major scene, meaning that the responsibility of carrying the emotional weight of the film falls squarely on Kaluuya’s shoulders. Get Out acts as a firm demonstration of his emotional range as an actor and points to a bright future for the young star. Special mention must also be reserved for Lil Rel Howerey, who appears as Chris’ best friend and comic relief character Rod. Howerey’s role in the picture revolves almost entirely around making the audience laugh - something he manages to do every time he appears onscreen. He provides a very welcome relief from the ominous atmosphere that shrouds most of our time spent with the Armitages. Rod is consistently hilarious throughout the story, serving to continuously break the tension and belie Poole’s comedic history.

The only real bone to pick with Get Out is that it isn’t firm enough in it’s satirical delivery, unsure whether to embrace a political stance or fall back entirely on its roots in the horror genre. It does neither, with the narrative’s early beats carrying ripples of scithing commentary on racism in the society of post-racial America before mostly dropping these thoughtful, timely truth bombs to instead rely on gasps and gore in its final third. This is not a crippling gripe though. Get Out remains a thoroughly enjoyable thriller as well as a daring and inventive breath of fresh air for the already thriving independent horror scene. And, on top of all this, it may just be the work that best defines Jordan Peele the artist. Certainly a departure from rescuing cats then. p.25

In The Loop Holly Lloyd Arts & Events Editor

Linger

Linger is a new work from Eriu Dance company, choreographed and directed by Brendan de Gallai. De Gallai will also dance in this new work along with Nick O’Connell. Linger takes a contemporary step in Irish dance.

Instead of the classic rigid association known to come with Irish dance, ‘Linger’ has fresh, visceral movements along with an interesting concept to explore whether pressure and tension actually reduces anxiety and stress.

Linger will be showing in the Pavilion theatre on the 29th March. Tickets are €14-€16.

Jac Leirner exhibition

In Review

A Blushing Object

Holly Lloyd Arts & Events editor The UCD MA Creative Writing class of 2016 has published a book of their works titled ‘A Blushing Object’. The collection has extremely credible influences, naming the likes of John Banville, Colm Keegan and Kate Pullinger who came to speak to the MA class. A Blushing Object is the perfect display of the emerging contemporary writing talent in this country, of which it should launch these talented writers into the public's awareness.

The book has been split by student name, giving each student their own space and acknowledgement to display their particular styles. A Blushing object has a combination of short story extracts, poetry and novel extracts, and each extract leaves an urge to get access to the story behind it, and each segment so wonderfully descriptive that one is easily launched into each scene. Particular mention should go to the volume of poetry included in this book, as it is something that has been missing in the contemporary writing era in Ireland. Each of these writers have incredibly bright futures in the industry, and a Blushing Object should give these writers the launch they deserve. A Blushing Object is available from The Winding Stair Bookshop and from the Rathgar Bookshop. For further information, you can contact ablushingobject@gmail.com.

www.collegetribune.ie

The Brazilian artist will bring her exhibition ‘Institutional Ghost’ to the IMMA. Leirner’s exhibition is based on the architecture of the IMMA and will use everyday materials to aid the creation of her artwork through the mediums of sculpture, installation and paper. The exhibition will run until the 5th of June.

Music Current

Music Current is a contemporary film festival produced

by Dublin sound lab. Having been labelled the ‘Fringe Festival of music’. Music current brings an alternative twist rather than the regular mainstream music festival.

Some of the performers include soprano Elizabeth Hilliard, Klank, a music ensemble from Bremen and Fergal Dowling. This festival appears to focus on a mix of Operatic vocals with electronic music. This festival includes a full timetable of workshops and discussions giving the public a chance to really get involved in the festival. Not only this but gives an opportunity to composers to present their music and be in with a chance of being awarded €2,500 commission. It will take place in the Smock Alley Theatre from 27-29 April.

I Hear you and Rejoice

Acclaimed stage actor Mikel Murfi has produced a one man play in which we hear accounts of his character Pat Farnon’s unlikely marriage. After his performance in Michael Keegan Dolan’s ‘Swan Lake’, there is no doubt that this play will provide an insightful and comedic evening by a very talented man. This play will take place in the Pavilion Theatre from the 27th to the 29th of July.

Tickets €16-€18.

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Arts & Events.

Jigsaw Mental Health Fundraiser

Jigsaw, Ireland’s National Centre for Youth Mental Health, are seeking 60 brave individuals to join them in an abseil fundraising challenge from the top of the famous Hogan Stand at Croke Park. The challenge aims to raise over €30,000 to support Jigsaw’s work delivering a range of services improving the lives of young people experiencing mental health difficulties. The event takes places on the 27th of May at Croke Park.

To register go online to www.jigsaw.ie/abseil.

Falling out of Standing

This production is the next stage of Coisceim and Anu’s ‘These Rooms’, which reflected on the 1916 North King Street massacre. Falling out of Standing will consist of three films which will concentrate on the impact of time on the events. It will run from the 4th - 23rd of April in the festival house in Temple Bar. Admission is free.

The Dublin Alternative Market

Dublin’s largest Alternative Market will take place on 30th April in The Voodoo Lounge. This market is specific in selling medieval, goth and retro pieces as well as food crafts music and art. Although it’s selling for very particular niche, it picks up huge interest each year.

Anyone who wishes to vend at the market can contact them through their facebook page.

On.Pulse

On.Pulse is a triple bill of dance work which explores the natural rhythms of the body. It will test hyper movement against stillness and will also explore a theme of time. Choreographed by Lucia Kickham who was commissioned by Dance Ireland and has toured the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden. This production should be an intriguing piece of dance theatre. It will take place in the project Arts Centre from the 6 to the 7th of April. Tickets €12-€14.

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Nunc Art

Nunc Art are an Irish street art duo working with the medium of wheat pasting. Their work reflects social changes within the modern society of Dublin using visually fun imagery. Their most recent collaboration was with a fellow Irish artist 1cc, in creating four pieces centred around the breaking down of the use of overused square shaped images. Find works by Nunc Art on the streets of Dublin or visit their Instagram by searching Nunc Art.

SU Mind Body and Soul Festival

The UCD Students’ Union are holding a Mind, Body and Soul festival this week, on Wednesday (29th) and Thursday (30th). The events, promoting students wellbeing will be running through both days in the Quad, behind the Student Centre. Events will include petting zoos, shisha, yoga, tie dye, inflatable Olympics, and a Paradoxology Tea Tent. p.27

Gaeilge.

Comhrá le Piaras Ó Dochartaigh TD

Rás UCD

Dónal Ó Catháin Scíbhneoir Gaeilge

Sophie Osborne Eagarthóir Gaeilge

Thit an dara hócáid sa tsraith imeachtaí atá á reáchtáil mar chuid den tionscadal SPARC, ‘An Ghaeilge Bheo’, amach ar an 7 Márta. Pléadh leis an teanga Ghaelach ar bhealach éagsúil an babhta seo – seachas bheith ag éisteacht le fuaimeanna binne an cheoil Ghaelaigh, díríodh ar chúrsaí polaitíochta, agus an t-ábhar ‘Ról Theachta Dála’ idir lámha ag TD Reatha Shinn Féin, Piaras Ó Dochartaigh, atá ina urlabhraí airgeadais don pháirtí úd. Bhí sé d’ádh ag foireann SPARC go raibh an t-iriseoir polaitíochta tréitheach Harry McGee ina aoichainteoir agus agallóir ar an oíche chomh maith.

Is caint fhairsing, chuimsitheach agus shuimiúil ar thug an Dochartach. B’aoibhinn ar fad canúint Thír Chonaill a chloisteáil uaidh, agus é ag cur síos ar a chúlra, a spreag é chun dul isteach i gcúrsaí polaitíochta ar an gcéad dul síos, agus a thuairimí ar raon leathan ábhar. Ba léir go raibh gaol idir é féin agus McGee ó

bheith ag plé le chéile thar na blianta – tháinig an tUasal Ó Dochartaigh chuig Teach Laighean in 2007 mar Sheanadóir agus tá sé ina Theachta Dála ón mbliain 2010 i leith. Chabhraigh an cairdeas seo leis an lucht éisteachta a chur ar a chompord.

Labhair Piaras go cumasach faoi bheith san Fhreasúra, stair a Pháirtí, stair na polaitíochta in Éirinn níos ginearálta, an chúis nach mbeadh Sinn Féin toilteanach bheith mar phártaí mionlaigh i gComhrialtas, agus eile. Músclaíodh spéis sa pholaitíocht iontu siúd a bhí sa seomra agus cuireadh cuid mhaith ceisteanna ag an deireadh faoi achan rud ó Brexit go hÉirinn Aontaithe.

Ba léir go raibh an teanga beo i rith na himeachta, cé go raibh caint ar an easpa maoinithe atá á thabhairt ag an Rialtas di. Fé mar a tharla ba é Lá na Gaeilge a bhí ann i dTeach Laighean an lá céanna, ach luaigh Ó Dochartaigh go mba mhaith

leis níos mó Gaeilge a bheith á léiriú ann. É sin ráite, bhí sé rídhóchasach fosta faoin todhchaí atá i ndán don teanga, ní hamháin ina cheantar Gaeltachta féin ach fud fad na tíre - ainneoin nach bhfuil sé chomh cinnte céanna faoina mbeidh i ndán dá thodhchaí fadtéarmach féin mar pholaiteoir ba chosúil.

Ach ba léir go raibh na freagraí eolacha, murab ionann agus gnáthfhreagraí polaiteoirí, ag teacht ó fhear paiseanta agus ionraic, a chreid sa rud a bhí á rá aige. Léiríodh taispeántas leabhar polaitíochta ag an imeacht agus óstáladh fáiltiú fíona tar éis na hócáide seo, a bhí faoi stiúir Oifig na nGairmeacha, urraithe ag Oifig an Chláraitheora agus eagraithe ag Bord na Gaeilge UCD, Leabharlann UCD agus mic léinn. Bígí cinnte teacht chuig an gcaint dheireanach sa tsraith ‘An Ghaeilge Bheo’ a mbeadh téama leighis léi, agus a bheidh ar siúl ar an 5 Aibreán.

Ag 10.30am Dé Sathairn 8 Aibreán 2017 a thosóidh an t-ochtú RÁS UCD- Rás Bóthair 5 ciliméadar.

Má chláraíonn tú ar líne beidh costas: €12 ar Mhic Léinn, €15 ar dhaoine nach mic léinn iad. Geobhaidh an chéad 300 a chláraíonn ar líne mála bronntanais agus t-léine saor in aisce.

Is imeacht dhátheangach (Gaeilge/Béarla) é Rás UCD, atá oscailte do gach duine, beag beann ar aois ná cumas.

Deonaítear na táillí iontrála chuig Saorálaithe Thar Lear UCD (www.ucdvo.org).

Cuirfear ceapairí agus tae agus caifé ar fáil tar éis an rása agus beidh fisiteiripeoirí ar fáil chun suathaireacht a thabhairt.

I measc na gcatagóirí aoise tá faoi 20. Bronnfar duaiseanna foirne chomh maith le duaiseanna don chulaith bhréige is fearr.

Bainfear úsáid as slis leictreonach chun am críochnaithe an rása a fhíorú i gcás gach lúthchleasaí. Cúrsa comhréidh tapa a bheidh ann.

Is féidir leat clárú ag http:// Athleticstiming.com/rasucd Ná chaill amach ar an ócáid iontach seo!

aeilge UCD G a n d r o B , e g il e a Teach na G elfield B s a p m a h C r a e eilg Ionad Cónaithe Ga

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17 - 2 inn as don bhliain 20 ilte do mhic lé Comórtas osca na hOllscoile id u h c e d a rs gach cú 31 Márta 2017

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George H.

Short Story.

The Crimson Mist Cillian Fearon Author

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cience Officer Larson sprinted down the clinical white corridor in a frantic panic. The hazard lights pulsed over head. She rounded the corner to see the airlock door coming down.

She pushed herself harder, racing to the door. She dived and slid under the door just before it shut behind her with a gentle hiss. She sat on the floor of the airlock, her chest heaving. She hadn’t run like that since basic training. She began to slow her breathing and regain control. Her heart still hammered in her chest. Slowly she got to her feet and peered into the corridor through the inch thick reinforced glass of the porthole. She watched the empty corridor and held her breath. Maybe it hadn’t followed her, she thought. No. She slammed her first against the door.

It had begun creeping around the corner. The crimson mist. She sank to the floor. It would be less than a couple of minutes before it reached her. Maybe the door might hold it for a few minutes but given how it had eaten through the other doors, she didn’t put much stock in it. She kept going over the details in her head.

28.03.2017

They had taken every precaution. The nebula wasn’t reacting to any of the sensors or probes.

They had used a remote module to collect some of the gas in a vacuum sealed container. Junior Officer Harris had been running a battery of tests and had removed a sample with a syringe. That’s when all hell broke loose. He hadn’t noticed it eating through the glass while he was setting up the spectrometer.

The hazard alarm triggered and I turned around just in time to see the gas expand. It just seemed to grow exponentially. I’m not sure what caused it, probably something in the atmosphere. Harris hadn’t stood a chance. It was highly corrosive. She closed her eyes.

Now it was coming for her. It was relentless.

She slammed her fist against the door again. ‘No. Not today. Not like this’ she growled at herself. She stood up and looked into the corridor again. It was creeping slowly towards her. She could see the white panels of the corridor beginning to dissolve in its presence as it touched them. ‘Not today.’ she shouted at the mist.

What would slow it down? She looked at what she had in the airlock with her. It was an airlock, not a lot of gear was kept in here. There was a computer

Artwork George Hannaford

panel to control the decompression process. A small cargo hold held a tool box with a couple of tools but nothing obviously useful. She glanced back at the corridor. The crimson mist edged ever closer. She pulled out the computer panel and brought up the directory. She needed to shut down the ventilation system for the airlock. It wasn’t difficult to do and it would buy her some time. If that mist wanted to get her, it was going to have to work for it. She heard the vents seal and the air flow stopped. She estimated that the airlock held at most fifteen minutes of air without rebooting the vents. Which meant she had less than fifteen minutes to stop the gas or she would suffocate. That was of course if the mist hadn’t made it through door by then. She looked up at the porthole. The mist had reached it. It was licking against the door. She couldn’t see the rest of the corridor past the mist. It wouldn’t be long before it broke through.

She looked up at the ventilation system, already missing the cooling fresh air. That was it she thought, vent it. She scanned through the ship’s computer again looking for the emergency atmosphere purge. Why hadn’t she thought of it before.

She found it hidden in the system directory. It wasn’t something that was supposed to be done lightly. Her heart sank. The system was designed to purge the atmosphere through both airlocks, she’d suck the remaining air out of the airlock in seconds. The only place that was shielded from an atmo purge was the cockpit. She kicked the wall panels.

The mist had badly discoloured the glass in the door. She needed to do something. She looked at the door control panel and had an idea. A bad idea, but there weren’t a lot of good options left. She went back the tool box. She needed something sharp and strong to pry the casing off the control panel. She found a knife at the bottom of the box and slipped it behind the casing and slowly pried it off. Behind sat a mess of cables, some of which controlled the outer bulkhead and some of which controlled the inner door.

She pressed the blade against a wire and hesitated.

If she cut the wrong wire it could open the bulkhead and blast her into space. On the other head, she also might cut a wire that would cause the inner door to open and let the mist in. She tried to follow the wires into the wall frame but it wasn’t very clear blasted engineers. She took the knife and chose a wire. Holding the knife in trembling hands, she cut into the wire. Nothing happened, which given the options available was a big win. She went back to the computer screen and set up the atmo purge. It occurred to her that there was still a strong possibility that they bulkheads would still open when she hit the switch. She looked back at the crimson mist.

She thought of Harris, his face melting in front of her, that wasn’t a good way to die she thought. She hit the switch.

The ship shook slightly as the bulkhead on the far side of the ship opened. She smiled as the mist was dragged from her ship. ‘Atmosphere Purge Complete’ the computer announced. Larson sighed, now she was on a damaged, unpressurised ship with no atmosphere and limited reserves. She allowed herself a little smile and got to work. p.29

The Turbine A lway s S ati r ical - O c cas ional l y H u mou rous

Lecturer Awkwardly spends entire YouTube Video Trying to get the Sound to Work Jess Walshe Turbine Writer

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hird year commerce students came out of a lecture this past Monday in which a lecturer had been thoroughly confused by technology. Half way through the class the professor said he wanted to show students a YouTube video. However, things didn’t go as planned.

‘The video had finished and still he couldn’t figure out the sound’. His calls for help from any ‘tech-savvy kids’ repeatedly went unanswered. ‘It was just on mute but nobody said anything’ outlined one shaken student.

However, this is not a one-time occurrence ‘this sort of stuff happens all the time with this guy’, one student told The Turbine,

‘but what was sad is that it was so simple to solve.’ ‘This old thing is probably dusty’ the lecturer said at one point, wiping the screen after he finished jiggling the cables at the back of the computer.

He kept saying that it would take a take a few minutes to ‘warm up’, but we all knew that isn’t the truth explained one student. It was only when the whole video was over that a student in the front row went up to help him. A second student adds, ‘the whole thing kind of made me feel sad. I called my dad when we the lecture finished’.

Shag Carpets Introduced across UCD Karl O’Reilly Turbine Editor Students returned to UCD earlier this week to discover the floor in each campus building had been laid with new shag carpets. The carpet style, which hurdled out of date somewhere around 1995, is expected to surely come back into style any day in the near future the UCD administration decided.

‘We thought the students would like it,’ said a representative of the college. ‘We were trying to do something nice and cool’. The Students’ Union treated the news as further evidence that the administration is out of touch with the needs and interests of the student body.

‘This is worse than the administration’s You-CD initiative last year, where each day a different student got to pick a CD to pipe across the campus’ explained one SU hack.

Students were not impressed, stating they had wanted a smoother return from the break. ‘Some of us had a hard midterm’ said one student. ‘I’m still reeling from the news about Martin McGuinness. Who can believe his middle name was Pacelli?’

www.collegetribune.ie

How to Catch a Liar Henry McDonald Turbine Writer

‘I hate it. It rains and the carpets become soaked and filthy from people’s shoes,’ said another student. ‘UCD is disgusting now’.

Other students said they like the carpet. ‘I think the carpet’s a good idea,’ said one. ‘It is too dirty though’.

The decision to spend €35 million refitting the entirely of each hallway, lecturer hall and tutorial room in every building on the campus with the shag carpets is thought have been a top priority for UCD for some years now. Speaking to the Turbine one administration source stated that ‘we weighted it up over a period of months, the decision essentially came down to refurbishing the Newman Building or re-kitting the entire campus with carpet floors. In the end the choice was simple’ they outlined. ‘The future plans for the Newman Building now is basically just wait until it entirely collapses in on itself and then to start from scratch, that way we’ll be saving on the cost of knocking it down’ the Tierney building drone detailed.

I am an expert at catching people that are lying to me. This is because no one else cares if someone is lying to me. Let me share with you my wisdom, so that you may catch a liar, too.

The surroundings are important to whether or not you will be lied to. Different settings give people different levels of confidence to tell lies.

Think treehouses, camping tents or blanket forts.

People do not tell lies in these places. On the other hand, consider podiums, classrooms, stages, the internet and bathrooms. These are places that we will more than likely run into liars. Discos and newsagents vary.

Next, the appearance of the person is also a factor in whether or not they will tell lies. While you might think a naked person is likely to tell the truth, for the reason that they are vulnerable and physically ‘hiding nothing’, you would be wrong. Let me explain. The only people who are caught naked are people that are caught cheating, are being strip searched, or have a phobia about clothes. People are embarrassed about why they

are not wearing clothes, so they tell lies.

Being strip searched? ‘Oh, I wasn’t smuggling that, it just fell inside me’. Have a phobia about clothes? ‘Oh, I don’t have a phobia about clothes, they just sort of fell off me’. But on the flip side of the coin, a person who is wearing too much clothes is also likely to be lying to you. Are they wearing a two piece suit? They are probably fine. Three piece suit? Fine, probably but raising eyebrows.

In conclusion, surroundings and clothing can reveal a lot about whether someone is lying. Someone in an ordinary location wearing an ordinary level of clothes is the least likely to be lying to you.

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Tech.

Controversies and Public Relations Fails Damage Uber’s Credibility with Users Conor McGovern Tech Editor

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IMAGE: NEILSON BARNARD

t has been a very interesting and destructive month for Uber. The transportation network company which was founded in 2009 had been experiencing a wave of criticism over the past couple of years regarding their treatment of drivers and employees. This past month after a series of public incidents and a mass exodus of high level officials, Uber is certainly in a bad state. The boiling point occurred this past week when Uber announced the resignation of COO (chief operating officer) Jeff Jones.

On first inspection the breakup seemed like nothing more than a company revamp however, a statement from Mr. Jones reveals that the departure was more dysfunctional than mutual. ‘I joined Uber to help the company mature and thrive ... It is now clear that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced’. The departure becomes increasingly odd as for a month before Mr. Jones left, Uber had been advertising for a new COO to work alongside the CEO Travis Kalanick. A day after Mr. Jones resignation Uber’s vice president for business platforms, Brian McClendon revealed he too was prepared to leave and expected to resign at the end of the month.

Uber will hope this is the last of the employee exodus and although it may end with Mr. Jones

28.03.2017

and Mr. McClendon, it began back on February 27th when SVP of engineering Amit Singhal left, four days later VP of product growth and self-driving engineer Ed Baker and Charlie Miller also left.

Then in the span of a week AI labs director Gary Marcus and Self Driving director Raffi Krikorian also departed, which brings the total to seven.

While all these officials have left the company for various reasons, it is the worrying to see that CEO Travis Kalanick has been given the vote of confidence even after his recent tirades. The most recent incident occurring less than a month ago where Kalanick was caught on camera arguing with an Uber driver about price cuts for the service. While being caught on camera arguing with one of your employees might not be best for business, it was in fact only one of the many controversies Uber has been caught in over the last several weeks.

On February 19th former Uber engineer Susan Fowler made claims on her blog that multiple employees had been subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination. Uber has hired former US Attorney General Eric Holder and Tammy Albarran to look into the allegation. It was revealed that just over 15% of Uber’s engineers, product managers and scientists are women, a figure that is similar to other technology companies (Facebook 17%, Twitter 10% and Google 18%).

“

Uber has long had a reputation for being aggressive and neglectful to modern business practices regarding ethics.

”

However, Uber has long had a reputation for being aggressive and neglectful to modern business practices regarding ethics. The company was born and boomed in an era where workers rights were on the rollback during the global recession, combined with the traditional lack of trade unionistaion within tech new age firms and silicon giants. HR problems and issues and workers rights issues have frequently made headlines with other start-ups like Deliveroo. To this backdrop Uber is no different. Susan Fowler who joined Uber in November 2015, wrote that on her first day her manager sent messages over their company chat soliciting a sexual relationship. After filing a complaint with HR the company declined to take action citing him as a ‘high performer’ and that it was his ‘first offence’. Fowler documented an account of other issues that occurred during her time with the company and accused HR of lying.

The post which was shared widely throughout social media and gained traction, and many on Twitter and Facebook recovered the #DeleteUber movement. The #DeleteUber movement was first established before the turn of the new year and was in direct retaliation to Donald Trump’s travel ban, something that Uber seemed to agree with. Initially the #DeleteUber movement made a large but brief impact on Uber subscribers.

In January, people accused the company of breaking picket lines and taking advantage of the New York Taxi protest. The company announced it was turning off its surge pricing during the protest in what some people are assuming was an attempt to profit off the backs of Taxi drivers. Due to the loss of face the company appears to recently have rolled back and come out against Trump’s travel ban, stating it is ‘unjust, wrong and against everything we stand for as a company’. These two controversies may finally be the straw that broke the camel’s back, for a while now users have been opting out of Uber and having been switching over to the competition Lyft. Lyft who has been seen as the friendlier alternative surpassed Uber on the top 10 free apps list on iOS and although there is a #DeleteLyft campaign mainly supported by pro-Trump citizens there is no indication that it will take off like #DeleteUber.

While Lyft certainly doesn’t have the same market value as Uber it is a viable and significant alternative to Uber who have had a mountain of other controversies to go along with the two previously mentioned. Lawsuits have been filed against Uber for lack of background checks and fingerprinting of drivers which has enabled drivers to sexually assault passengers. Uber has settled these cases admitting no wrongdoing and arguing that its screening process is satisfactory. When an Uber driver knocked down and killed a 6 year old girl, Uber claimed it was not at fault as the driver was not carrying a passenger, even though the family said the driver was using the Uber app looking for fares. Finally, Uber has been accused of abusing users’ privacy and the former company forensic investigator testified that employees regularly used the company’s ‘God View’ to spy on celebrities, politicians and ex-partners.

It will be interesting to see what Uber does in the coming months to combat all the backlash from the high profile failings. To start CEO Travis Kalanick vowed to set up a $3 million legal defence fund for affected drivers of the Trump travel ban. It is certainly a start but, this feels like a drop in the ocean, and it will be a long road back to for Uber who have burnt more bridges than they’ve built. p.31

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Sport.

Michael Conlan Sparkles on St Patrick’s Day Pro Boxing Debut Jamie Duff Sports Writer

S “

Possessing not only an extensive skill set, but ample opportunities to showcase them to a wide audience, the future looks bright indeed for Michael Conlan.

”

28.03.2017

t Patrick’s Day is a day of celebration occasion for the Irish (and, quite often, non-Irish) people the world over.

March 17th 2017 proved a particularly special occasion for boxer Michael Conlan. While much of the rest of the world partied the night away as they pleased, Conlan’s revelry was delayed by the prospect of competing in his debut as a professional boxer under the bright lights of New York’s Madison Square Garden, some of the most hallowed ground in the world of combat sports.

To say that the Garden was short of star power on Friday night would be an understatement: the fight card was headlined by unified middleweight champions Gennady Golovkin’s title defence against Daniel Jacobs, and Conlan was accompanied to the ring by friend and UFC lightweight kingpin Conor McGregor. However, Conlan did not allow himself to be overlooked, and turned in a performance that could well be the beginning of his own path to stardom. Highly touted since his bronze medal-worthy performance at the 2012 Olympics in London, Conlan demonstrated the quality accrued in his amateur days by picking up an impressive third-round TKO win over 4-4 Denver, Colorado native Tim Ibarra. The Irish contingent of the crowd cheered Conlan throughout the bout, and the Belfast native showed all the signs that such scenes will be a recurring theme over the course of his career.

Despite his obvious quality, Conlan’s debut did not go without a hitch. Guest commentator and veteran welterweight Chris Algieri observed that Conlan looked “a little tight” in early moments of the fight, and this is not an unfair assessment. At times, the Irishman struggled to gauge the distance against his more experienced opponent, and many of his punches landed short of the mark. Furthermore, Conlan occasionally neglected his amateur experience by abandoning his combination punching, instead attempting to take Ibarra out with a single powerful but telegraphed overhand right: experienced fighters, trainers, and fight fans know that the chances of achieving the desired knockout by employing such tactics are slim at best.

However, these flaws were only minor blots on an otherwise very good debut introduction to professional boxing. The pedigree that saw Conlan win gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Amateur World Championships was on display from the outset. The Irishman immediately put Ibarra on the back foot with a decisive jab, and despite not always being able to cleanly land his shots, Conlan easily won the round by throwing a high volume of crisp straight punches to the head and body. Indeed, Conlan’s slick level changes earned him Algieri’s praise early in the fight.

A boxer’s feet are just as important components of their arsenal as their hands, and Conlan’s footwork proved to be a major factor in securing his victory. Conlan’s superiority in movement was apparent right from the offset. Moving forward with his punches, Conlan spent much of the first round stalking Ibarra around the ring, preventing the Coloradan from stringing any meaningful punches together. The gulf in skill became even wider in the second stanza as Conlan began switching between the orthodox and southpaw stances. Standing with his right foot forward, Conlan had greater success in closing the range and landing clean punches on Ibarra, the most effective being a sharp straight left hand to the body.

By the time the starting bell rang for the third time, Conlan had learned everything about his opponent he needed in order to put him away. Within a minute the Belfast native had backed Ibarra up against the ropes. Trapped, Ibarra could do nothing to escape from Conlan, who proceeded to batter him with short, spiteful hooks and uppercuts to the body and head.

With Ibarra reduced to little more than a human punching bag, referee Steve Estevez ended the contest with around a minute left in the round, completing Conlan’s Saint Patrick’s Day fairy tale.

When one examines the circumstances surrounding Conlan’s debut, it is easy to see why it was such a success. Many Irish boxers have found professional success while based at home, but Conlan has made choices in his training which could propel him to the elite bracket of fighters. Such is his dedication to fulfilling his potential as a boxer that Conlan has elected to leave Ireland and relocate to Los Angeles in order to improve his skills under the guise of renowned trainer Manny Robles. Conlan’s name is only likely to grow in America. Not only does he now live and train in Los Angeles, but his talent and discipline has seen him awarded a contract with Bob Arum’s prestigious Top Rank Promotions. Having represented Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard in past years, Top Rank now holds the signatures of other stalwarts such as Terrence Crawford, Vasyl Lomachenko, and Manny Pacquiao. Possessing not only an extensive skill set, but ample opportunities to showcase them to a wide audience, the future looks bright indeed for Michael Conlan. p.33

Sport.

RBS Six Nations Review:

Ireland Emerge as Runners up in Testing Tournament Conor Lynott Sports Editor Make no mistake, this was one of the most competitive Six Nations tournaments since its inception. All of Ireland, France and Scotland with two defeats and were level on points. Not for the first time, what separated the three of them was points difference, with the Men in Green winning that battle. In hindsight, despite being condemned to a wooden spoon, Italy ironically played a big part in the battle for second place. The tournament became a three horse game about who could ‘take Italy to the cleaners’ the most, as England Head Coach, Eddie Jones put it. Ireland’s emphatic 63-10 victory over Conor O’ Shea’s Italian outfit was more points than their rivals could muster, proving crucial to the final table. Enough of the maths though, where do Europe’s top nations stand going forward from this Six Nations?

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England When on their game, as they were for much of this Championship, they have a superior speed, rucking and passing ability that will test the fitness of most teams. Often times decoy running in midfield, particularly by Jonathan Joseph, is the undoing of most teams. The vast majority of England’s emphatic 60-plus points win over the Scots came from strike plays off the lineout.

Despite deservedly winning the championship, however, it was Ireland who exposed the limitations to England’s game. When they are deprived of set piece platforms, breakdown dominance and possession, they look decidedly ordinary. They appear to get rattled when they don’t have the nudge in the attrition battle, as well as when the opposition are well disciplined. Joe Schmidt’s side rarely if ever kicked to touch from open play, frequently opting for scrums instead to starve the English of the throw in’s to the lineouts and deny them their favoured platform to launch momentum. The Red Rose are worthy champions, no doubt, but they are nowhere near World Champion material. They will meet their match against New Zealand this November.

Above Victory for England in the RBS 6 Nations

Ireland Ireland’s attack has been hot and cold in this year’s Six Nations. It has often, and correctly, been criticised as one dimensional, as was the *APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. Lending criteria and terms and conditions apply. Applicants must be over 18 years of age and hold an active third level Bank of Ireland Student Current Account.

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case against Scotland and Wales. Defences, more often than not, were up to the task of smothering one pass receivers like Sean O’Brien, C.J. Stander or Jamie Heaslip. Compounding this was a lack of speed in clearing out rucks. This made it difficult for even a world class scrum half like Conor Murray to get any clean ball off the deck in order to start quality attacks. Yet at the same time, they did more points on Italy than any other team in the tournament, including England. That’s Six Nations Rugby, folks. Graduates of UCD ‘Collidge’ rugby team did themselves credit of the international stage. Garry Ringrose had a shaky start and went missing at times against Scotland, but redeemed himself with a strong aggressive performance in the win over England. Luke McGrath likewise committed himself well against the Three Lions, coming on in scrumhalf for Kieran Marmion towards the end of the game. His quick supply helped Ireland keep up the tempo as Ireland secured their lead in the final quarter of the game. A beautiful choice box kick from the scrumhalf found touch in England’s corner excellently in the final minutes to knock back any English last ditch comeback.

There is positivity and perspective to be placed on the Championship result, though. Every team lost away from home.

England won the Six Nations because they won more away victories than everyone else. Also, there is something positive to say about Ireland’s attack, given Ireland had a higher points differential than France, Scotland or Wales. If Ireland’s huge performance against England tells us anything, it is that the game plan is not the problem. If Ireland’s level of basic skills is high enough, it doesn’t matter how ‘predictable’ the strategy is, very few teams, bar the All Blacks, will be able to stop it. So Ireland do deserve to be second, based on their last performance against the reigning Champions. The position is also a vindication of Ireland’s game plan and Schmidt’s tactical nous.

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France French flair is back, there’s no doubt about it. When the French get a few phases of attack together with a creative combination of backs and forwards, as they did in moments against Ireland, England and Wales, they are a nightmare. Their offloading and evasive running stands up defences and keeps them guessing about where to commit tacklers. Defences are also left with minimal time with which to decide whether or not to commit to breakdowns or to stand off and protect wide channels. A third place finish is just reward for the brand of rugby they are trying to play.

Where France have their problems are fitness and discipline.

France looked tired at half time against Ireland, as they did later in the game against England. Once fatigue kicks in, mistakes start creeping in and the penalties start coming. Top teams know this and will drain their energy by starving the French of possession, focusing on their own game and going through the phases. France need to learn to play the 80 minutes and win the physical battle in the early exchanges, before gaining the right to play the game the way they want. But this Six Nations shows the side which have languished in recent years, may be coming back to their best.

Scotland Scotland are going places, but they are not there yet. True, their expansive brand of rugby caught Ireland cold defensively in Murrayfield. Furthermore, possessing a fullback like Stuart Hogg gets you in the right positions to play that brand of rugby.

However, the loss of Captain Greg Laidlaw was crippling for them. He is another world class number nine and, like all good halfbacks, he is a leader offensively and defensively.

Sure enough, Scotland’s defence was found wanting against England. Regular miscommunications at the lineout result in

the shipping of a cricket 61-21 score against England. Scotland do rely very heavily on key players. The Scots also lacked a Plan B against big packs like France and England, who tore into them physically. The development of a depth in all positions is imperative for Scottish rugby.

Wales Even with Warren Gatland as Lions Head Coach, we can be certain that there won’t be an all-Welsh Lions team facing New Zealand. This was surely one of Wales’ worst tournaments.

They were mentally not in the right place against all the teams except Ireland, when they were forced to perform out of fear of their fortress in Cardiff collapsing altogether. That failure to kick the ball dead in the last exemplified the Welsh season.

Complacency also set in against France, as Les Bleus showed more desire than Wales to deal with the bizarre circumstances that saw the match go into twenty minutes injury time. Expect Wales to come back next year, but, for now, they have a bit of soul searching to do.

Italy If questions were asked about Italy’s position as a Six Nations team before, they most certainly need to be asked now. They offer precious little going forward and are easy targets defensively. Conor O Shea has spoken at length about his long term project for developing the game in Italy. The problem is that this has been going on for the better part of ten years and people are running out of patience. They were the subject of praise against England in Twickenham. However, it has to be said that Italian intentions were to stop England playing, as opposed to playing any positive rugby. Six Nations organisers need to scrap conservatism and bring in Georgia in order to motivate Italy to up their game. p.35

College Tribune

Sport.

Coleman’s Brutal Injury Overshadows Positive Irish Performance Against Wales Conor Lynott Sports Editor MATCH SCORE IRELAND 0 WALES 0

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reland’s solid performance against Wales in the Aviva last Friday was overshadowed by Séamus Coleman’s unfortunate and brutal injury. The game was tensely fought and Ireland held what has been a high scoring Wales side to a nil all stalemate.

The boys and fans in green www.collegetribune.ie

however will have left the stadium with nothing but a feeling of upset or discomfort witnessing Coleman’s leg break. John O Shea said afterwards that he was confident that Coleman would come back ‘stronger’ after a long injury lay off. However, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this might be a career

ending injury, especially upon viewing the ugly position of Séamus Coleman’s leg immediately after the foul.

Cyrus Christie has big shoes to fill over the next couple of months.

The game itself was kept tight, and the Irish defensive unit kept Welsh all star Gareth Bale under wraps

effectively. Gareth Bale is undeniably one of the top players in the game at the moment. To be fair to Glen Whelan, David Meyler, Séamus Coleman and John O Shea, they managed to rip the ball from Gareth Bale’s feet all night long.

The result was that Gareth Bale was reduced to a mere two noticeable attempts on goal. This is more than what most people manage to do at any level in the game, and it bodes well for a middle and a back four that is comprised mainly of players in the bottom half of the Premier League in England, as well as the English Championship.

Having said that, however, Bale did seem to have a quiet game for his standards. His free kick taking was off the mark on the rare occasion he was given an opportunity.

Bale took a shot at the closing stage of the game that had a desperate edge to it and the action exemplified the frus-

tration that Wales felt as they struggled to break Ireland down.

There are positives and negatives that about Friday night’s result. Many will feel that Ireland missed an opportunity when Wales were reduced to ten men. Yet others who were aware that nine of Ireland’s first choice players were out before this game, would've happily taken a point, regardless of Roy Keane’s brash comments that journalists were sadly mistaken and think that Ireland would aim for the draw. Ireland did miss the likes of James McCarthy, Wes Hoolahan, and Robbie Brady for most of the game. Until the introduction of Aiden McGeady, Ireland were reduced to hoofing the ball in Shane Long’s direction, in the hope that he would repeat the heroics he pulled off against Germany. The truth is that the significance of this result will become clearer as

the qualification race reaches its endgame.

A quick look at the fixture list will tell you that Ireland might have an opportunity to regain top spot next time out.

Ireland play Austria at home with what should be a much healthier squad than Martin O'Neill had to deal with for Friday’s game. Wales go away to Serbia, who are currently group leaders on a marginally better goal difference. If the Welsh are on their game, and Ireland play to their potential, the men in green could capitalise on a Serbian slip up. All in all a solid home performance as a unit is something Martin O’Neill’s men can be proud of in the absence of their attacking and creative talents on the night. The test now will be matching the solid defence with some goal scoring prowess against the weaker teams in the group to ensure qualification.

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