College Tribune - Volume 35 - Issue 3 by The College Tribune

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Issue_03.35

Rosie Roberts Kuntz Assistant News Editor

Independent Student Media

a five year plan reportedly aimed at increasing faculty and student numbers, building world-class academic facilities and student amenities, and advancing services to support this growth. The development comprises the following projects: Centre for Creativity This new centre is aimed at fostering the collision of ideas across subject areas, as well as

engagement between the University and the community. It will relocate the School of Architecture and consolidate the School of Engineering to the centre of college. Centre for Future Learning This high-tech 11,600 sqm building will place active learning at its core, incorporating formal, informal, group and individual spaces that students need.

Continued on page 3...

09.11.2021

The Lights Are On But No One Is Home Maeve Dodd Campus Correspondent

“And the crowd goes wild!”

t’s a common enough phrase in the sporting world, just don’t expect to hear it at UCD. No matter which sport you love,

at UCD there is unlikely to be a crowd. UCD boasts some of the best sporting facilities in the country. They host top-performing teams and athletes. Yet for a university of more than 30,000 students, the turnout of supporters at sports events is shockingly low. Continued on page 13 ...

Editorial

Editorial A

s we talk about climate change, we talk about the fate of future generations, and yet the years still progress but have we seen much progress? This past week the United Nations held COP26 in Glasgow to discuss climate change and discern ways that will reduce global greenhouse emissions in a sustainable and equitable manner. This is now the 26th summit and still, it seems to be only words and no actual action. In a speech given at a Friday for Future protest, Swedish youth climate activist, Greta Thunberg, remarked that “leaders are actively creating loopholes and shaping frameworks to benefit themselves to continue profiting from this destructive system.” COP26 then appears to be a cop out for world leaders as they participate in greenwashing through boastful promises for future goals and give speeches on their hope for the future without establishing immediate policies that will produce climate justice, the theme of COP26 this year. COP26 set goals to prevent global warming from increasing 1.5 degrees in the next 10 years and achieve a global net zero by mid-century while countries these leaders run still build new coal power plants and drill for oil. There is a disconnect from not only the public but individuals, especially BIPOC, who are the most adversely affected by climate change. COP26 can invite young speakers, such as Kenyan youth climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti or Samoan youth climate activist Brianna Fruean, but will they listen? Will leaders listen to their young voices telling them that there is no more time and to open their hearts to the lived reality of what climate change is doing to their countries to influence decisions that are happening behind closed doors? A motion pushed by youth climate activists who attended and protested COP26

Editor@collegetribune.ie +353 1 716 8501

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is that climate change cannot be solved solely in the future as it demands immediate action in the present. We need a drastic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and most importantly reparations from the global north to the global south so that the latter may adapt and manage the loss and damage already experienced. Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, attended COP26 but rest assured he did not use the government jet but not because he understood the amount of carbon private jets emit, rather because it frequently needs maintenance. Rather blatantly expresses the necessity to fly by government jet to attend meetings and return to Ireland as quickly as possible. This disregards recognition of how harmful the use of private jets are as they produce 10 times the amount of emissions per person as an economy class flight. While he skipped out on taking the jet to COP26 this year it does not forgive their usage year-round or by other world leaders. To take a form of travel that emits so much carbon and then discuss the state of climate change seems to be a high form of hypocrisy. Time for world leaders to private jet pool, or just take a commercial flight. When the editorial board met to discuss what UCD has done in terms of sustainability, it took a substantial amount of time to credit UCD for the increase in bike racks, water fountains to refill reusable water bottles and placing compost and recycling bins within all residencies. Many external entities such as societies host green weeks and the RAs held workshops on how to properly use the bins in the residencies but when looking at UCD’s Green Campus’ own sustainable policies it appears to be doing its own greenwashing. UCD boasts that it has achieved its 2020 sustainability targets one year early but almost no one was on campus for the entire 2020 year so it is hard to give credit where credit is not necessarily due. The College Tribune commends the efforts of youth climate activists to bring about changes for the welfare of our future and our planet.

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The Team Mahnoor Choudhry - Co-Editor Conor Paterson - Co-Editor Hugh Dooley - News Editor Emma Hanrahan - Deputy News Editor Rhoen Eate - Features Editor Angelina Pierce - Ents & Lifetyle Editor

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09-11-2021

News

UCD Retracts ‘Embrace Race’ Slogan After Staff Raised Concerns Over Nazi Similarities 4 By Hugh Dooley

HEA Publish Report Revealing Racial Inequality in Higher Education

By Emma Hanrahan

Callum Buchan - Sports Editor Jack McGee - Head of Investigations Rosie Roberts-Kuntz - Assistant News Editor Mark O’Rourke - Business Correspondent Louise Kennedy - Law Correspondent Danielle DerGarabedian - Political Correspondent Ruth Delaney - Arts & Lifestyle Correspondent Hugh Dooley - Graphic Designer Bleeding Horse - For The Drinks We'll Have At It Tiny Heater - For Keeping Our Office Warm & Cosy Deeks - For Making Our Front Page Scandalous

Special thanks to Hugh Dooley for designing our front page and the Turbine logo.

News Tips Sometimes the best news story is right under your nose. For any news tips, on and off campus, please contact the editor via social media, telephone, email, or traditional mail.

Letters to the Editors Criticisms and comments on any articles published in our publication are always welcome.

Volume 35 - Issue 03

Alternatively, you’re welcome to stop by our Newman Building Office.

Dolores Cahill Fined £2,500 for "flagrant breach" of UK Covid Restrictions 5 By Hugh Dooley

Features

A Spotlight on Shag Week: Destigmatising Sex

By Rhoen Eate

Two Worlds of a Pandemic: Vaccine Apartheid

By Samuel Ajetunmobi

Dublin: A Patient City Unhealed

By Mahnoor Choudhry

Lifestyle Dublin Hotspots for PostPandemic Clubbing 20 By Ruth Delaney Gigs You Don't Want to Miss!

By Conor Paterson New in November: Films By Sophie Melia

Sport

UCD Prop Smashes Ten Tonne Challenge and Fundraising Targets

By Conor Paterson

Students’ Strikers Earn Ireland Under 21's Call-Up

By Callum Buchan

09-11-2021

News

News Volume 35 - Issue 03

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

€350 Million Loan to Aid UCD’s Mass Expansion the university cannot target more students until it increases its facilities:

Rosie Roberts Kuntz Assistant News Editor

“To ensure that we have the facilities in place to accommodate the targeted increases in student and employee numbers, we must provide additional academic as well as sport and student amenities spaces.”

CD has secured €350m from the European Investment Bank for major capital investment in the campus. The investment will facilitate a 25% addition to the student population, and a 50% addition in faculty, over the next ten years. The investment comes as part of UCD’s “Strategy 2020-2024”, a five year plan reportedly aimed at increasing faculty and student numbers, building world-class academic facilities and student amenities, and advancing services to support this growth.

Concept Desigh for the Centre for Creativity Photo credits: UCD.ie

to acquire and practice a wide range of skills. It will be available for all UCD colleges for lectures, tutorials and meeting rooms.

facilities to support student health and well-being through sport participation as well as elite sport. Planning permission for the Centre for Creativity and the Centre for Future Learning has been granted and the initial work for the buildings has started. The UCD campus development plan exceeds €1 billion, and funding is sourced from the €350m EIB loan as well as philanthropy, increased student numbers, loans and Government grants. The loan has been approved by the University Governing Authority. Deputy president of UCD Professor Mark Rogers told The Irish Times that

Photo credits: Jason Clarke and UCD.ie EIB President Dr Werner Hoyer Meets with UCD Registrar and Deputy President, Professor Mark Rogers

The development comprises the following projects: Centre for Creativity This new centre is aimed at fostering the collision of ideas across subject areas, as well as engagement between the University and the community. It will relocate the School of Architecture and consolidate the School of Engineering to the centre of college. Centre for Future Learning This high-tech 11,600 sqm building will place active learning at its core, incorporating formal, informal, group and individual spaces that students need

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The UCD campus development plan exceeds €1 billion and funding is sourced from the €350 EIB loan as well as philanthropy, increased student numbers, loans and grants.

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O’Brien Centre for Science O’Brien is to receive an extension as part of phase 3 of the updating of science at UCD. It will aid the refurbishment of the Physics and Mathematics, Earth Sciences and Biology wings. This will bring the building up to 66,000 square metres. Data in Science This capstone project will be the engine of teaching and research spanning health, ICT, environment and human wellbeing.

Additionally, there will be a complete refurbishment of the Newman building, including the James Joyce Library. There will also be new and improved sporting

Concept Desigh for New Bus Interchange at UCD's Future Campus Photo credits: UCD.ie

News

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

UCD Retracts ‘Embrace Race’ Slogan After Staff Raised Concerns Over Nazi Similarities Hugh Dooley News Editor Additional Reporting: Conor Paterson, Co-Editor

niversity College Dublin has removed all references to their ‘Embrace Race’ anti-racism campaign from their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) website and a number of ‘Embrace Race’ posters from noticeboards on campus after staff raised concerns that the wording of the slogan included concepts and language of ‘Race’ similar to that of the Third Reich. A number of academic staff wrote letters to UCD management voicing the concern with the wording of the college’s anti-racism campaign, with one academic saying that use of “the unqualified language and notion of race [was found to be] highly problematic if not to say offensive.” One such letter from a UCD Professor in the School of Sociology, Andreas Hess said “Race is not a scientific or widely accepted social scientific term or concept, even in its supposedly social constructivist meaning. […] the uncritical utterance of the word ‘Rasse’ today clearly evokes not only memories of National Socialism’s ideology and crimes but also promotes unreflectively the rhetoric of

Lingua Tertii Imperii (language of the Third Reich).”

“The uncritical utterance of the word ‘Rasse’ today clearly evokes not only memories of National Socialism’s ideology“ Professor Hess continued saying: “Coming from a country that in the past tried to establish and impose its ‘race’ definitions to detrimental and disastrous effect in Europe and beyond, I am appalled by UCD’s unqualified use of the word race. Even worse now, we are asked to ’embrace race’. I tried my entire life to get away from such notions and I find it appalling that such words and

slogans are now part of a UCD campaign and promoted at a university of which I happen to be a faculty member.”

The ‘Embrace Race’ slogan was chosen alongside the current ‘Racism Stops With Me’ slogan after submissions from both staff and students as part of the #UCDAgainstRacism campaign to take place in the college during the 2021/22 academic year. The slogan has now been removed from UCD’s EDI website and a number of noticeboards in UCD since the letter was received by management. UCD’s Response on ‘Embrace

The 'Embrace Race' poster before removal from campus. Photo credits: Hugh Dooley, College Tribune

Race’ Slogan Asked whether UCD continued to stand by the ‘Embrace Race’ campaign, Professor Colin Scott, UCD VP for Equality Diversity & Inclusion said: “The campaign initially included two slogans: ‘Racism Stops with Me’ and ‘Embrace Race’. However, as soon as I was contacted by two faculty who pointed out the potential for negative interpretation of the latter slogan, we immediately removed it from the campaign.” Professor Scott went on to say that UCD, “accept that raising consciousness of racism as part of wider anti-racist activities is challenging and, with an open dialogue with our whole university community, we can all do better.”

Professor Hess responded saying: “As one of the people who drew attention to the dangers of using the slogan ‘Embrace Race’, I welcome Professor Colin Scott’s statement. Having said that, the fact that this slogan was considered seriously and wasn’t pulled earlier tells me that a kind of nudge culture and rule by committee seem to prevail at UCD’s top brass. The incident is yet another example of ‘doing for’ instead of ‘doing with’ at this university and throws up serious questions as to how this place is being run.”

Breaking Barriers and Marching for Choice: UCDSU Joins ARC in the 10th Annual March for Choice

Maura Corkery Politics Writer

undreds gathered in front of the Dáil in September to take part in the 10th annual March for Choice, organized and led by the Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC). This year’s message of the march was loud and clear: deliver fully on the promises made by the 2018 Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act and make abortion services – and women’s healthcare – genuinely accessible throughout the entirety of Ireland. “There was a solid crowd out”, said UCDSU President, Ruairi Power, who attended the march remarked. In regards to the demographics of the march,

Power noted there were a “fairly diverse group of speakers” with a “good spread across age groups”. Further, Power recognized that the speakers highlighted the remaining barriers to [abortion] access to marginalised groups with a sentiment of determination.

offer abortion services as approximately 90% of GP’s refuse to provide such services and only half of maternity hospitals perform abortions. Power described this lack of service as an overall “sense that what was promised was in 218 has yet to be delivered on.”

She further denounced the provision that allows doctors to refuse abortion services; according to several anecdotes on the ARC website, it is not unheard of for physicians to abuse this right by illegally refusing to refer their patients to doctors who do provide such care.

ARC spokeswoman, Joanne Neary, was one of those who addressed the crowd of activists, many of whom touted signs with phrases like, “My Uterus is Mad”, and “Keep your ideology off my bodily autonomy”. Neary cited various challenges still facing women seeking abortion care in 2021 from the basics of transportation to a provider that offers abortion services, in particular the difficulty for those in rural Ireland, to simply finding a provider who does

Neary also criticized the restrictions set forth by the Act itself, namely the mandatory threeday period between consultation and procedure as well as the 12-week limit that restricts how long a woman has legal access to abortion services. Depending on where a woman lives, this short time frame could be the deciding factor in whether she is forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term.

In response to these particular points, Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly, said that he “plans to have proposals for safe access zones on the legislative programme for spring 2022". Power echoed Minister Donnelly’s affirmation of support for those seeking better, safer access to abortion services, as well as Neary’s and Murphy’s specific legislative goals.

09-11-2021

New TU Announced for North West Kerri Pender Reporter

new technological university for the NorthWest region of the country will be established next year. The announcement came from the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Simon Harris, who proclaimed it to be “a fantastic day for higher education in the West and North West”. The new TU will see the integration of Letterkenny IT, Sligo IT and Galway-Mayo IT across eight existing campuses. The announcement came after a successful application was made on behalf of the three Institutes of Technology as a part of the Connacht-Ulster Alignment (CUA). Dr Seán Duffy, CUA executive project lead, said it was the culmination of “many years of work by students, staff and stakeholders” across the alliance. This will be the country’s fourth technological university joining TU Dublin, Munster TU and TU Shannon, which began operating as a TU in October 2021. In an announcement on the government’s website in October, Minister Harris said that the university will “increase higher education access, drive enhanced regional development and increase opportunities for students, staff, business and enterprise, and local communities.” Former education minister and TD for Donegal, Joe McHugh, commended the new establishment to be an “incredible day for higher education in the country and the region”. The new Technological University will go into operation early next year, however, it’s name is still unknown. But students graduating from Letterkenny, Sligo and Galway-Mayo IT in this academic year have been assured that they will obtain a university degree.

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Volume 35 - Issue 03

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News

USI and UCDSU Issue WarnDolores Cahill Fined £2,500 for “flaing On Recent Spikings grant breach” of UK Covid Restrictions

Lisa Lavelle Reporter Additional reporting: Mahnoor Choudhry Co-Editor

ollowing news of spiking incidents, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris announced on the 5th of November that an awareness campaign is being planned. UCDSU has also released a warning to ensure UCD students are aware of the surge in spiking cases nationwide and to share the signs that indicate a person has been spiked. ]These signs include: a person appearing intoxicated, slurring words and being unable to finish a sentence, feeling a sense of paranoia, memory loss and a loss of consciousness. If students suspect there is something wrong with their drink, they can look for signs such as their drink appearing foggy, the ice sinking, a change in the drink’s colour and an excessive amount of bubbles. Harris is soon to meet with the Minister for Justice to discuss the growing problem which he described as "a major worry".

specifically targetted at students. Nightclubs and late-night bars reopened on the 22nd of October for the first time since March 2020 due to Covid-19. The previous curfew of bars and pubs closing at 23:30 is also not in force anymore. Party-goers and business owners are now face another obstacle to safe clubbing. In the past week there have been several incidents of spiking reported to the Gardai from both bars and nightclubs, with cases in Dublin and Limerick, describing drugs being administered through injection rather than through drinks. According to ITV, some 200 similar cases have been reported in the UK and many people have taken to social media to raise awareness, share their experiences, and urge others to remain vigilant when going out. These posts also include pictures of the marking and bruising left by the injections. UCDSU has advised those going to clubs to stay with "people you know when you are out".

The government campaign is

Hugh Dooley News Editor

ormer UCD professor, Dolores Cahill, has been issued a £2,500 fine by Westminster Magistrates’ Court despite not attending the scheduled court date regarding a “flagrant breach” of Covid restrictions. Originally reported by The Irish Times, Cahill’s fine was issued for organising an anti-lockdown demonstration in Trafalgar Square on September 19th 2020. At the time, coronavirus regulations restricted participating in or organising a gathering of more than six people in any place during the emergency period in England. The ‘Resist and Act for Freedom’ rally led to the arrests of 32 people according to the London Metropolitan Police. Cahill was accused of having been involved in the organisation of the protest and spoke at the event about the efficacy of vaccines while two police officers were injured in the clearing of the gathering. Cahill was found guilty of holding a gathering of more than 30 people outdoors and ordered

she pay a fine of £2,500 along with a further £815 in related charges by the presiding judge Michael Oliver who said: “This was a flagrant breach of the regulations that were put in place to ensure public safety at the time of a national emergency — a pandemic. […] The measures were plainly for a good reason — to protect people.” “There were plainly far more people than 30 present at this

protest and the evidence suggests about 1,000 people. Plainly there was risk of harm to people attending and to others at the risk of transmission of Covid.” Cahill did not attend the trial or enter a plea in response to the trial. A warrant for the arrest of Cahill was previously issued due to ‘failure to answer bail’ in relation to the same charge.

HEA Publish Report Revealing Racial Inequality in Higher Education Photo credits: The Irish Times

Emma Hanrahan Deputy News Editor

new report by the HEA (Higher Education Authority) published last month has highlighted the need for senior management in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to take on a leadership role in improving race equality in higher education. The survey, which was conducted in late 2020 and early 2021, allowed all staff in third level institutions – regardless of their ethnicity – to participate. However, the ethnic demographics of respondents broadly resembles that in CSO data of the general population. 72% of respondents defined themselves as White Irish,

17.5% described themselves as White Other Background, and 10% chose other ethnic backgrounds 1.7% of which were Asian, 1.4% Black African and the remainder chose the term Other. In this case, the HEA has defined race equality as “equal representation, equal experiences, and equal outcomes of staff from minority ethnic groups”. Despite reports of positive collegiality among staff, the majority of respond-

ents agreed that racial inequality exists in Irish Higher Education The survey results were grouped into 8 thematic areas: supporting diversity in staff, supporting diversity in student recruitment, making race and equality policies transparent, reporting mechanisms, awareness and training, fostering diversity in HEIs, leadership, and data collection. The report revealed that less

than 50% of respondents from minority ethnic backgrounds are on full-time contracts. 66% of Minority Ethnic Groups are earning less than €60,000 annually compared to 45% of White Irish and 58% of White Other. Furthermore, only 17% of respondents from Minority Ethnic Groups are earning more than €75,000 per year compared to 38% of White Irish and 25% of White Other.

port reporting the discrimination that they saw.

All respondents reported that policies on race and ethnicity are less visible within broader equality policies such as the Dignity at Work and Mutual Respect policies and that there are more policies on gender than ethnicity. Every respondent described witnessing racial discrimination at some point, however, they were unaware of any effective guidelines to sup-

Additionally, Dr Ross Woods, Senior Manager of the HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion said, “Now that we have an evidence base, the HEA can work with institutions to prevent rather than react to problems in this area and to keep pace with wider demographic changes in Irish society.”

Dr Lucy Michael, co-author of the report said that “recommendations made in this report are aimed at improving accountability, creating effective mechanisms for reporting, designing targeted programmes to address structural disadvantages, signposting and awareness.”

News

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eek 9 ladies and gentlemen! Still experiencing The Fear from your Halloween weekend, you spent the last week failing to catch up on everything you had due over the midterm. Next week, you promised yourself, next week you would do that assignment… Much like the recent attempts to rescue the UCD chessboard, that was a complete failure! This week in UCD news was equally disastrous, read on to hear a SERIOUS synopsis that won’t make you snooze.

Minister For Housing Attends Launch of New UCD Accommodation

he Minister for Housing dropped by UCD to laugh at the poor students trying to scrape by and just about managed to be on campus to attend the opening of more than 900 extortionately expensive residences! Affordable housing was the topic of the day, sadly none of that has been built in Belfield in the last 25 years. Thankfully the SU were there to save the day with a… Twitter video? This year I dressed up as Larry Bird for Halloween, so back to dunking on collegiate ineptitude it is.

Trinity Ents Cancels Berlin Wall-Themed Event

rashing harder than its namesake did back in 1989, Trinity Ents’ Berlin Wall themed night out might just have

been the worst idea a student society has had since half of UCD did blackface a few years ago. Fear not, your sensibilities won’t be harmed in the writing of this column, unlike the organisers of this event, I am paralysed with fear over the idea that people will look back on this stuff in the future… The event has been changed to 1980s-themed “Pick-n-Mix” which is just about the most boring thing they could have chosen and is even more offensive as a result.

SHAG Week

exual, Something Or Other Week took place during week 8 as students heard mentions of condoms and lube from even more SU hacks than they did in Orientation. The Students’ Union brought in a litany of different groups to speak to students on campus. This abdication of their duties allowed the Union to get back to the vital work of practising their TikTok dances. It is possible that TikTok dances are the ultimate form of contraception so it fits the SHAG week theme perfectly!

Deeks moves into new office space

ndrew Deeks, esteemed President of UCD announced recently that he and his staff would be moving into the multi-million euro refurbished Ardmore House and that staff would be expected to engage in “Activity Based Working” and assured staff that this was completely different to Hot Desking. This move is about as convincing as if he called the pilot scheme ‘Warm Tabling’. Don’t worry staff members, you can still engage in “silent individual working” under the new scheme...

09-11-2021

Teaching Methods of TUs Score Higher than Universities in Student Survey

Serious Snooze Hugh Dooley News Editor

Volume 35 - Issue 03

Conor Paterson Co-Editor

ccording to a survey published by the Higher Education Authority, technological universities scored higher than universities in a range of areas from more effective teaching practises, more supportive environments and higher quality interactions. The 2021 Irish Survey of Student Engagement took place earlier this year and received a total of 43,791 responses. The annual report publishes the results of a vast range of questions put to students about their college experience. While universities fell short of technological universities in the areas of teaching practises, supportive environments and quality of interactions, it did score higher in the area of

higher order learning which involves problem solving and critical thinking. The report found that two thirds of all respondents said that the goals and requirements of their course were clearly explained by teaching staff or lecturers. However, just

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Over 25% of respondents stated their university placed very little emphasis on social opportunities

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over a third said that they were provided feedback on drafts from lecturers or teaching staff or gave quick and in-depth feedback on assignments or tests. The report notably found vastly different scores given by first

year students compared to final year students. This was likely exasperated by the fact that first year students taking part in the survey were most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions placed on learning in higher education. The survey did not just focus on learning and teaching practises, however. Over 25% of respondents said their university or college placed ‘very little’ emphasis on social opportunities with just 12% answering ‘very much’ to the same question. The same response has come down from 23% just three years ago. Nearly three quarters of respondents did say their overall experience in their higher education institution was either good or excellent, while 86% stated they would likely attend the same institution if they could start again.

NovaUCD Expansion Worth €6.7 Million

Alice Wright Reporter

n expansion of NovaUCD valued at €6.7 million was officially opened by Taoiseach Micháel Martin on 28th October. NovaUCD is the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at the University, self-described as ‘the hub of innovation-related activities at University College Dublin.’ The expansion increased the capacity of the centre by more than 50%, giving NovaUCD the capacity to offer support to over 450 founders and their teams. The renovation project expanded the centre’s East Courtyard with the new facility housing more than 20 business units and laboratories and a co-working space. Opened in 2003, NovaUCD supports high-tech and knowledge-intensive start-ups with global ambitions. Alongside the facilities at the centre, NovaUCD offers comprehensive support programmes to startups including accelerator programmes and a peer-support system of mentors. Tom Flanagan, UCD Director of Enterprise and Commercial-

isation celebrated the opening by saying they ‘look forward to welcoming and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs in the years ahead’, acknowledging the existing ‘growing and vibrant community of very successful entrepreneurs at NovaUCD’. Taoiseach Micháel Martin was given a tour of the new facili-

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In its 18 years, NovaUCD has assisted over 400 companies and ventures including Zipp Mobility, Equal1 Laboratories, and Manna

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ties and had the opportunity to meet with those working at start-ups located in the centre before the official opening was marked by cutting the ribbon. The Taoiseach endorsed the work completed at the centre, calling it ‘one of the leading hubs in Ireland’s start-up eco-

system supporting ambitious entrepreneurs and innovative high-tech companies’. He went on to say he is sure the centre ‘will continue to flourish’ following the expansion. In its 18 years, NovaUCD has assisted over 400 companies and ventures including Zipp Mobility, Equal1 Laboratories, Manna and Output Sports. Zipp Mobility, an e-scooter firm and shared micro mobility operator, recently announced that they had secured funding of €1.3 million from investors, Enterprise Ireland and crowdfunding. Nova-supported startups have in total raised over €775 million in equity funding to date. UCD’s Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact Orla Feeley has said ‘UCD is committed to Ireland’s development as an innovation leader through its role as an engine of economic, cultural, and social growth’, the new project being a clear symbol of this commitment.

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News

UCD Innovation Academy Aims to Bring Stu- News Stand dents’ Imaginations to life

Maura Corkery Reporter

nnovation, sustainability, ingenuity…these are only three of the promises made by the new, multidisciplinary elective, “Designing the Future”, now offered by the UCD Innovation Academy makerspace. Created with a strong slant towards sustainability, the purpose of the program is to give students the opportunity to learn about new technologies and try hands-on experiments that will ultimately contribute to building a circular and sustainable economy. A “makerspace” is a lab that provides innovators and scientists with the most modern tools and technology to conduct experiments at a level that might not otherwise be possible in a normal lab setting. Professor Suzi Jarvis, one of the founding directors of the UCD Innovation Academy makerspace, stressed the importance of the new program in giving

Hugh Dooley News Editor & Emma Hanrahan Deputy News Editor

students the space and resources to learn and experiment with new ideas and technology. “[It] offers a unique opportunity for students to get hands-on, to learn by doing and to discover skills essential to a more sustainable future.”

The program itself will be run by Mr. William Davis, whose resume includes co-founder of FabLab Tacoma, one of the first commercial makerspaces in the US, and founding member of Nation of Makers, an initiative established by former president Barack Obama to promote and advance innovative manufacturing in the US. Mr. Davis extolled the virtues of “Designing the Future”, saying it “enables students to discover the lost skills of repair and maintenance and to have the confidence to take something apart and put it together again. It gives students a taste of what’s possible with new and emerging technologies and crucially, it’s an opportunity for students from all disciplines to work together.”

Trinity Ents Cancels Berlin Wall-Themed Event

UCD innovstion academy logo. Established in 2010

“Designing the Future” began classes this week and, true to Mr. Davis’ description, it did bring students from different fields together. Beginning with a class of ten students, they boasted a variety of academic backgrounds including medicine, politics and international relations, computer science, sociology, engineering, law, midwifery, and food science. While “Designing the Future” may be unique to UCD, the UCD Innovation Academy makerspace is only one of several

such institutions throughout Ireland, dedicated to the art of practical scientific advancement. Up until recently, however, the goal of these institutions were mainly to make improvements in technology and engineering; UCD’s “Designing the Future” is one example of how these spaces can be used to combine sustainability with the original purposes of technology and engineering.

UCD-based Irish Social Science Data Archive to Contribute to European Research Data Group Conor Paterson Co-Editor

Last week, the Irish Research Council announced that Ireland would join CESSDA, the European consortium for promoting the results of social science research. The Irish Social Science Data Archive,(ISSDA) which is based in UCD, will act as the Irish national service provider for CESSDA. This involves ISSDA integrating data generated in Ireland into the overall research infra-

structure of CESSDA. It will also publicise data sets, provide training nationally to the research community on data visualisation, and promote literacy regarding quantitative data. Speaking at the launch of Ireland's membership, the Director of the Irish Research Council, Peter Brown described the move as ‘significant,’ as it means Ireland ‘contributes to high-quality research on a European stage, facilitating collaboration and the sharing of ideas between our social

science researchers here in Ireland and their peers across Europe.’ Peter Brown added that ‘Ireland is a leader in high-quality research in the social sciences, and in the age of open research, it is vitally important that this work is recognised and accessible not just nationally, but internationally.’

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Ireland is a leader in high quality research in the social sciences

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Data published by ISSDA have contributed to a lot of social science research in recent years including estimating the public service cost of poverty in Ireland, the gendered impact of taxation relief on private pensions, physical activity and emotional-behavioural diffi-

culties in young people and consumption of free sugar intake in three-year-old Irish preschool children. The membership announced last week will ensure far more European integration, allowing more access to quantitative studies in the area of Irish social science. It also allows Irish researchers far better access to similar datasets from the other twenty European members. ISSDA is headed up by university Librarian and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science and Informatics at UCD, Dr John B Howard. Speaking about the announcement, 'ISSDA is now poised to expand its services, to integrate its technical systems with those of CESSDA, and facilitate broader engagement of Irish social scientists with the vast universe of European social sciences data.’

A ‘fall of the Berlin Wall’ themed event night has been cancelled after online backlash complaining that the tone of the event was insensitive. The event, which was due to take place on Tuesday the 9th of November in Tramline has had its theme changed to 1980s-themed “Pick-n-Mix”. A statement from the organiser, Trinity Ents said: “As an apolitical, student-run organisation, we never meant to cause offence, and apologise that we did.”

Minister For Housing Attends Launch of New UCD Accommodation Minister Darragh O'Brien attended the launch of 924 student residences in the UCD, which were built with funding from the Housing Finance Agency following the announcement of a 2% cap to rent increases. O’Brien clarified that he "was not saying that" when asked if he believed that the apartments, which have a minimum rent of €835 a month were affordable.

UCD to Hold Online Open Day on Saturday The annual open day will take place on Saturday the 13th of November from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This marks the 2nd year in a row that UCD has been forced to run their open-day online. Recordings of all talks held on the day will be made available online with public access for 90 days. A virtual tour around UCD hosted by a Student Ambassador will be available online .

News

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

CALLING ALL STUDENTS! When you are a full time third-level student in Ireland you can sign up for a

digital subscription for The Irish Times, worth €144 per year. This allows you access to The Irish Times across all your devices. Sign up for news you can trust at

irishtimes.com/studenthub

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

It's satire, please don't sue us

Myth Busted? Is the Eiffel Tower hidden on campus? | Beagán As Fócas Dugh Hooley Snooze Man

We at the investigative wing of the Bollege Bribune have spent many many minutes investigating UCD’s most invigorating rumour… is Deeks hiding the Eiffel Tower somewhere on campus? After pictures surfaced on social “misleadia” appearing to show that the Eifel Tower was hidden somewhere on campus, we intrepid journalisms decided to dig a little deeper into Deeks alleged misdeeds. The Rumour: Andrew Deeks stole the Eiffel tower with the aim of holding it hostage to raise capital to build EVEN MORE student accommodation on campus! The Eiffel tower was constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the entrance to the 1889

World’s Fair to be hosted in Paris itself. In the years since then, the tower has become an internationally recognised icon of the country of France. Why now are first years reporting having seen the tower on UCD’s Belfield Campus? Speaking to the Bollege Bribune, a first-year Animal & Crop Production student, Michael Fitz-Mac-O’Gara said, “Ah Jaysus bai, I’m telling ya, what else was I seeing shticking up over the nursing building as I walked to the gah fields sure? The fecking Eiffel Tower was shtaring back at me. I’ve never seen the likes of it before bai.” Clearly, these are serious accusations which the Turbine and Bollege Bribune have spent at least 25 minutes investigating and managed to get these photos of the Tower

before it is removed or hidden… Giving comment to the Bollege Bribune for the first time in 18 months, UCD Communications responded to the charges saying: “Are you serious? It’s clearly just the RTÉ radio tower? Is this actually what you people have stooped to?” Clearly, UCD is covering something up, so the As Fócus team have judged this myth as… The ‘Beagán As Fócas’ Decision: Inconclusive: We busters of myths have decided that along with the slightly pretentious idea of writing our name in Irish, this myth is just slightly beyond the comprehension of the current crack team of investigative journalists.

The 5 UCD Students Most Likely to Survive a Horror Film Dugh Hooley Snooze Man & Ms. Chowder Ex-Snooze Secretary

1. Engineering students Used to bring stuck inside due to their crippling lack of social skills, engineering students would be perfectly suited to hiding away from a mass murderer. They could also survive by 3d printing incorrect signs to confuse the serial killer, just like they did for law lake... 2. Medicine They know how to kill but also how to survive! Hippocratic oath or not, when it comes down to which artery to stab when they need to kill the antagonist of the film, Medicine students will do anything

necessary to allow them to study… They signed up for 9 years of college remember! Their inability to shut up about their high Leaving Cert points may attract attention, however, stopping them from reaching the top spot. 3. Ag Science That terrifying forest the film is set in? It's actually their back garden! They know the terrain as well as its precise road frontage measurements. Used to surviving on a diet of Avonmore Protein Milk and Tayto, these students are used to a harsh struggle to stay alive even if they could be baited into the open easily if promised a county trial.

INFO COMBAT, the only part of the TURBINE giving you the conservative TRUTH Dugh Hooley Snooze Man

Is Blue Bird Coffee Turning Quinn Students into Soyboys? Alternative milk is the scourge of modern coffee drinkers. Recent scientific reports (funded in part or in full by the Dairy industry) have concluded that the devil’s milk found in Blue Bird coffees are turning Quinn school’s finest MEN into WEAK soyboys! The research, headed up by some random former UCD lecturer of the World Mocktors Alliance, has not been peer-reviewed, nor have they disclosed their methodology.

4. Arts students High of coffee and being called "hun x" by Jedward on Twitter, Arts students won't fall asleep while on the lookout. These students are unreliable however as their willingness to fight a demonic monster depends entirely on whether Mercury is in retrograde or of Blue Bird is open...

The new age Arts student has seen black coffee become the norm, never to be stereotypical, the modern-day Newman inhabitant has had to change lest become… basic. Between reading Social Justice manifestos and selling their old Docs on Depop, they have settled on a new trend… boujee coffee!

5. Law students Daddy's money isn't as effective a deterrent against a zombie outbreak but law students still scrape into the top 5 due to them having incredible disguise skills, having hidden the stick up their ass for 3 whole years…

This Boujee Coffee? Full of soy, oats and oestrogen, this newfangled cuisine is poisoning our perfect Quinn students. The poison is causing serious side effects, with tutors and peers reporting that those who have consumed the oat and soy milks are developing mutations such

as ‘empathy’ and ‘compassion’. Blessed UCD Dictator Andrew Deeks spoke on the matter, in an internal email which was accidentally leaked to INFO COMBAT, saying: “There is increasing concern that rising levels of mutations such as ‘empathy’, ‘compassion’ and ‘having emotions’ among our business students will impact our precious bottom line. I have fears that they will no longer be perfect additions to PWC or Deloitte. How can they work in toxic, sorry perfectly healthy, environments like these with such mutations?” It is understood that UCD will be conducting an investigation into whether Blue Bird’s coffee is impacting the hirability of business students and whether The New(man) World Order are involved in this bioweapon attack. Concerns that the New(man) World Order are involved in this horrific situation have been alleviated slightly, however, as they are likely way too busy with SHAG week. A week dedicated to forcing our poor, innocent and pure college students to have sex, Sexual Health, Awareness and Guidance week is probably necessary after reports have come out that students have been sticking the UCD Chess pieces up their backsides. Perhaps more than guidance is necessary here, an exorcism too perhaps.

Turbine

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Agony Aunt

Aunt in Agony

have no clue what day it is, let alone the week. I have assignments and required readings taking over my every moment. If only someone could have warned me that the consequence of college was that I actually had to do my college work to get a degree. Alas, I forge onwards for you dear reader, who I trust is fully devoted to reading my passionate and perfectly constructed, somewhat witty but also relatable intro that speaks of my humble nature and infinite wisdom...

I find that since I'm very involved with extracurricular activities I'm falling behind in my classes because I do too much for the societies, I'm in, how can I manage my time better and make sure I don't fall behind? You would think that with the lack of pay and unnecessary drama that comes with being involved with societies that they’d be easier to say no to but alas, they are not. I found that taking time away from both societies and college work helped me figure out my priorities and made sure that at the end of the day I didn’t get overwhelmed. Sometimes it was as simple as a ten-minute walk or going out for drinks with friends, other times it was muting the society group chat for the night. Doing this meant I could go into society stuff the next day feeling refreshed and like it wasn’t taking over my entire life. Remember to never underestimate the power of a good to-do list to help with the overwhelm and keep in mind that no society event or meeting is more important than your mental health and well-being. If your extracurriculars continue to be too much no matter what you do, take a permanent step away and don’t feel guilty about doing so.

How to get over the fear from your Halloween birthday rager? Pray no one remembers the night? Drink some strong tea? Move abroad and create a new identity? All valid and perfectly reasonable suggestions in my opinion. You could also remember that everyone’s been

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No society event is more important than your mental health

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there done that, and it wouldn’t be a proper rager if you didn’t have the fear.

How to stop compulsively making spotify playlists instead of doing my college work? While I want to give advice, I also want to know what the playlists are. Do you go with a certain theme depending on the module you’re procrastinating? ABBA if you’re ignoring a group project, Hozier if you’re trying to get an extension on an essay? I’m beginning to think I might start doing this myself. I suppose, you could download one of those apps which blocks socials etc… whenever you sit down to work, but then, how could you ever appreciate the beauty of, and effort put into, your playlists? Tough decisions indeed. I say for every five hundred words you write/45 minutes of work you do, you can add 3-4

songs to a playlist. Life is about balance, and there’s no point cutting all joy from it.

How to stop only exclusively matching with people from Trinity and UCD on Tinder? Remember that at the first chance they get they will tell you about: 1. Their daddy’s company. (Some will spice it up with

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Calling it the Quinn or Law Lake is a red flag if I've ever seen one

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“The Family Company”. This is somehow worse). 2. The pyramid scheme they’re involved in. (They will also try to get you involved). 3. How they’re not like the “other” UCD or Trinity students (they’re all the same). 4. All of the above. If none of that sends you running, seek professional help. And now, to respond to some icks that were sent it, which might become my new favourite thing.

Coffee Dates - This was fun and cute when dating during COVID but now with everything open I would like an actual date say restaurant, museum, or even

the cinema cause you'll always learn more about a person doing something they're somewhat interested in.

I am feeling, just the slightest bit, attacked. I have a bias towards coffee dates, but I understand how monotonous they can get. I agree that getting to know someone by being in an atmosphere that brings out their (and your) personality is always exciting. If the date to a restaurant or museum is what you’re wanting, make that clear to whoever you’re going on a date with. Alternatively, get a coffee to go, and drink it on the way to the museum date and you’ve got the winning combo of an overpriced oat milk latte and being in an environment that brings out both of your personalities.

Guys that are obsessed with tracksuits and won't wear anything else - I don't care

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It wouldn't be a proper rager if you didn't have the fear

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about the colour, whether it's a high or low brand, I personally think it's an insult when I've put a lot of effort into looking attractive and also feeling attractive and confident that they show up in a tracksuit. I love that guys just have to throw on jeans and a t-shirt and they’re already going above and beyond the bare minimum. I think it’s the casualness of the tracksuit that gets to me if they wear it on a date. Especially if that date is to somewhere relativity nice and not going to include some form of exercise. The only plus side of them

wearing a tracksuit is that it helps you sift out if they’re going to be something serious or not.

When they think the Engineering Lake is the Quinn or Law Lake - I think this is self-explanatory lol. Calling it the Quinn or Law Lake is a red flag if I’ve ever seen one. Firstly, Sutherland isn’t even close enough to the lake to lay claim to it. Secondly, law and business students would be the students trying to lay claim to something that isn’t there’s. That lake is the engineering lake by the sheer fact that the engineering building opens onto the lake and the wood panelling that you can walk on is only on the side of the lake closest to the engineering building. Quinn and Sutherland have neither and instead there is shrubby and the like that shields - shields, as in hides, as in denies access - it from those two buildings. There is to be no other understanding of the lake’s allegiance and if it upsets the law That’s it for this issue. Please keep sending me your woes, worries, icks and procrastination tips problems. You can use the email address or keep an eye on The College Tribune Instagram story for when the next Q&A box pops up. Remember that without your woes I’d be forced to confront my own problems and much as my therapist tries to convince that would be a good thing, I’d rather bury all my emotions until I die.

Got a Problem or Issue You Want Advice On? Email it to agony@collegetribune.ie to have it answered for the next issue!

Features Features

Rhoen Eate Features Editor

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

A Spotlight on Shag Week: Destigmatising Sex

he infamous Shag Week rocked campus from the 1st of November with talks and workshops galore taking place across campus to raise positive awareness for ~that~ deed we all do. Our beloved Students’ Union organised a plethora of workshops, the first being ‘Kink101’ on the Monday. With a more than decent turnout, the speakers offered a helping hand to an audience who wanted to “add a sprinkle” of kink and/or BDSM into their life.

RCC were Active* Consent, also showing up as a friendly face for a chat about sexual health, all the while handing out free sanitary products, badges, and even more condoms and information pamphlets. To end the week with a slightly more festive tone, the Ents of UCD’s Student Union organised a ‘Big Sexy Comedy Night’ in our Student Centre’s Astra Hall. The night was bound to

thought the week was “a massive step in the right direction” for the mission of providing a safe and informed community for our university’s students as well as staff. On the general atmosphere of the week, he spoke of the events taking place “getting it right, with a nice balance of fun and inclusivity”. Although the week did seem to have everybody in good spirits, not everyone was impressed

emphasis on support from UCD Management. Alas, we once again see a question mark over the blurred face of Deeks as he chooses to stay silent on current affairs that truly matter to his student body.

Controversially, another take on the RCC’s appearance can be seen as slightly hypocritical with their two-year-long waiting list and a seemingly brash service when it comes to sup-

Stalls were also dotted around the Student Centre to offer a friendly chat and open ear for any concerns or questions we Students may have. Standing among these were Dublin’s Rape Crisis Centre (RCC), offering information leaflets, condoms, Lucozade and other little goodies to make our days a little perkier. Following suit from the

From slut-shaming to homosexual slurs still being used on the daily, we must all strive to be better and more inclusive as we continue to move through life in Ireland. Shag Week and the like, although taking the

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From slut-shaming to homosexual slurs still being used on the daily, we must all strive to be better and more inclusive as we move through life

With an aim of providing proper advice for safe, risk-aware kink practice as well as a lighthearted background into the world of taboo, all in attendance were guaranteed a “spankingly good time”. ‘Good Sex 101’ along with ‘Pride and Pleasure’ focused their approach along the same lines of practising safe sex (which is always good sex) and finding what’s right for you and your partner. Or partners – no shame here. Those participating in each workshop were rewarded with an abundance of information, such as approaching pleasure with equality in mind, the importance of good communication, and how to use sex toys safely and to your advantage. Spicy.

ly long way from where it was fifty or even twenty years ago in terms of sex and the conversations surrounding it, but I think we can all agree that we still have a long way to go.

be a tremendous hit with a bottle bar on-site, spot prizes, a ‘Big Sexy Quiz’, and headlining acts: the wonderful Alison Spittle and outrageous Kevin McGahern. With roars of laughter echoing through the solid wood of Astra’s doors, even those set up in the ClubHouse could take part and appreciate the merriment of the evening. With heavy turnout for the week’s events, the overall comments and reviews of this year’s Shag Week were quite mixed. Third-year student, Tom Cleary,

with the somewhat minimal effort put in by UCD to raise awareness for the cause. Granted, the Student Union’s Instagram (coupled with the Entstagram) was utilised for spreading the word about the events of the week. With the rising necessity and exigency for open dialogue when it comes to the stigmatised mindset associated with sex still ever-present in this country’s supposedly modern society, you would think that there would be a heightened

port and advice. It can – and has been – questioned why they chose to participate if not to show face and hand out freebies because it is quite clear that their services are lacking. Alas, I will merit their persistence in the fight against rape in this country as every little bit does indeed help. To re-focus on the point at hand; we must also recognise the importance of having a ‘Shag Week’ in the first place. Yes, Ireland has come an awful-

”

embodiment of an easy approach, are vital in the battle against de-stigmatising sex and encouraging a safe, respectful approach towards it. Therefore, I congratulate our Students’ Union on their work, endeavouring to create a safe space for every single person on campus, and encouraging a healthy relationship with sex and those you have it with.

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

The Lights Are on But No One is Home Maeve Dodd Campus Correspondent

t’s a common enough phrase in the sporting world, just don’t expect to hear it at UCD. No matter which sport you love, at UCD there is unlikely to be a crowd.

In terms of crowds, observes Brian Mullins, UCD Director of Sports, “There wouldn't be a lot of that. Sometimes at a hockey match, maybe 20 or 30 people. At a GAA match, you might get 100 people once a year." He says that rugby and football, which are played in the UCD bowl, would draw the biggest audiences. Diarmuid McNally, Director of Football at UCD, says at a UCDAFC game there “could be anything from 200-300 to 1000-2000” depending on who they’re playing and what division they’re in. “We would love to have bigger crowds,” says McNally, “We have some of the best young players in the country.” He describes the low turnouts as “disappointing.” University athletics in the United States, by contrast, pack stadiums with tens of thousands of spectators and generate billions of dollars each year through television rights. That lost revenue opportunity is not lost on UCD Sport. There have been many attempts to increase the level of support over the years. “We’ve done promotions, offered free tickets, free access to the clubhouse, free beer,” says McNally, who laments that UCD has “made loads of attempts at it over the years to try and engage college support, “But it's been really, really difficult.”

A recent UCDAFC vs. Cork City match drew an impressive number of spectators. Interviews with many students there revealed that supporting the team itself had very little to do with why they came out. “We really didn’t have anything better to be doing,” one student admitted. “We just like football,” another said. Many crowd members were there supporting family members on the pitch. The real struggle was to find any die-

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Students interviewed [...] said they long for a UCD sports teams fan culture that they could be part of.

”

hard UCD fans. "A lot of students go home on the weekends so maybe that's a part of it,” one student speculated as to why many people don’t come out in support.

Rhoen Eate Features Editor

This week, we are passing the spotlight onto ArtSoc, a charming society focused on Arts and Social Science. What is the overall theme and vibe behind ArtSoc?

"People are already attached to other clubs within their community. You’d support your county, or your local club and your university team comes beneath all that," another observed. McNally affirms, “People in the local area don’t really consider the university as their community.” “The interest just isn’t there,” Mullins agreed. Yet students interviewed at the recent match said they long for a UCD sports teams fan culture that they could be part of. Dozens of students affirmed across the board it is something they would like. Several cited the popularity of university sports in America as something they would like to see in an Irish setting.

Small Soc Spotlight – Arts Society omething that I believe should have more attention in our little campus community are our small societies. Ergo, the Tribune has decided (as a collective) to do a small soc spotlight, where we interview a society so you lovely readers can have a gawk at what’s going on and why you should be going along too.

“And the crowd goes wild!”

UCD boasts some of the best sporting facilities in the country. They host top-performing teams and athletes. Yet for a university of more than 30,000 students, the turnout of supporters at sports events is shockingly low.

Campus

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“ArtSoc serves as the faculty society for Arts and Social Science. Having a thriving and active faculty society is crucial to getting straight into the action in UCD on both an active and social level. We hope to create a friendly and fun environment

ings are a fantastic way to get to know new people and maybe grab a sneaky morning caffeine dose! For Halloween, we had a spooky screening planned with one of the most classic horror movies of all time to be played. We are currently getting ready for our biggest event of the year, the Arts Ball! We are all so excited to have one of the most essential black-tie events back this year. It’ll be a night no one will ever forget and there should be some fantastic craic. Keep up with our socials for more info on our events and goings-on!" How are UCD Management and the Society Council treating you with regards to funding and event support? "It is undoubtedly an incredibly difficult year for societies to come back after such a prolonged period of time running everything on a virtual platform. UCD Management and the society council have had to be quite flexible with the changes in restrictions and we appreciate every update they can give us." So there we have it. ArtSoc seems to be quite the exciting society with more than an abundance of events in its cal-

It’s hard to see the situation changing any time soon. Paradoxically, the primary factor preventing UCD students from going to games is the lack of turnout. One second-year student sums it up: “If all my mates were going then yeah I’d go.” for all of our members to interact with each other and hopefully make some new friends! This year we have about 1,000 members.” What events do you have planned this year? "Currently, we are running our weekly coffee mornings outside of Newman. The coffee morn-

endar, and the quality of support UCD gives to its societies seems to still be up for debate. Nevertheless, what is for certain is that a pop-down to a coffee morning is more than well worth it, and giving an Instagram follow is absolutely one of the best things you could do with your time instead of procrastinating with TikTok.

Science

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Two Worlds of a Pandemic: Samual Ajetunmobi Features Writer

pening Day has come, the people of this country have been impatiently waiting for the day where we no longer have to abide by the strict rules of social distancing, where we can eschew our vaccination certs for access as well as the return of late nights in pubs and nightclubs. The reason for the lessening of all of these restrictions? Ireland’s committed vaccination drive that has led to over 90% of adults in this country being fully vaccinated as well as over 90% of children over the age of 12 having had their first jab. The reality for the people of Ireland is that we are able to imagine the end of life under this pandemic, a very contrasting reality to those whose lives are still under the crushing weight of COVID-19 such as many unvaccinated in the Global South. Looking at the re-openings in the Global North, be it “Freedom Day” in the UK or other countries opening up themselves for vaccinated tourists, it is clearly recognisable that there are two different world

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This vaccine Apartheid adhered completely to the rules of racial capitalism wherein poor and working-class peoople of colour have [...] been placed under considerable vulnerability than the white working class

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Vaccine Apartheid

orders – one where citizens of the West await their return to normal society, fully vaccinated and protected against the dangers of this pandemic while those who are African, South American, Caribbean and Asian encounter further lockdowns, further mutations, further hospitalisation and further death. Why is it that different parts of the globe experience this pandemic different to other parts? Why are vaccines available to some countries while others are deserted? Ghanaian communist and first president of the country, Kwame Nkrumah’s work on

neocolonialism offers an explanation to the bifurcation of our planet between countries that are ravaged by inequality and poverty whilst other countries adhere to life-affirming standards for their citizens. The reality is that we have two worlds of a pandemic because the Global North has maintained a monopoly on the global market since the great efforts of the imperial powers to colonise. To understand the travesty of vaccine apartheid, it is important to contextualise the Western response adopted since the dawn of the pandemic. On the introduction of the virus to the West, we saw the way the Global North mobilised by way of imperialism. Europe and North America undertook further border imperialism namely a strict closure of their borders to the detriment of migrants from the Global South. This border imperialism meant that the EU pursued policies

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Under the auspices of a pandemic, EU countries such as Spain and Malta cordoned off their maritime borders, channels typically undertaken by migrants seeking refuge

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to discourage migrants both at their borders as well as influencing states in the Global South into disappearing asylum concerns, obfuscating the crises prevalent in many of these countries. Under the auspices of a pandemic, EU countries such as Spain and Malta cordoned off their maritime borders, channels typically undertaken by migrants seeking to claim refuge in Europe. By demarcating migrants as considerable carriers of the covid-19 virus, a politics of disposability was resumed, propping up a racially homogenous Fortress Europe. During the early stage of the pandemic, we also had a harkening back to older policies of scientific racism through medicalexperimentation that was wrought against Africans in countries such as Namibia in the early 19th century and Nigeria in the 90s.

When a French doctor encouraged the use of experimental vaccines on Africans due to their lack of personal protective equipment, it not only reminded of the colonial and neocolonial experimentation of Africans but also exposed that the response to the pandemic would abet current standing racial hierarchies. It seemed that while covid-19 changed the world, many of the injustices in the world would be adhered to or intensified whilst in this state of emergency. While the movement of the covid globally coincided with the maintenance of a racial order,

the introduction of lifesaving vaccines which would reduce the levels of hospitalisations and deaths to occur was unable to curve the desires of white supremacy, that being to enclose white people within the care of the state whilst demanding that black and brown people to be in proximity to death and harm, the vaccines were to be the new frontier for the agenda of whiteness. The vaccine rollouts were shocking, detailing that Europe and America would be first to gain access to the covid vaccine with the continent of Africa failing to obtain these vaccines, lagging behind in many countries until 2023 before they would be able to vaccinate their citizens. This vaccine apartheid adhered completely to the rules of racial capitalism wherein poor and working-class people of colour have historically and presently found themselves to

be rendered disposable to the whims of capitalism, placed under much more considerable vulnerability than the white working class. For many, this mirroring of slavery and dispossession faced by Black people and Native Americans was recognisable by the fact that factories in South Africa and India were producing the vaccine not for their population but for it to be exported to the west, whilst at the time only 4% of Africa and 15% of India had been vaccinated. Under the strict legal protections under intellectual property law and influence from the Global North, it has made it easy for countries in the Global South to be ignored in the fight against this pandemic, where a neoliberal agenda prefers that the interests of pharmaceutical companies are protected over the lives of many. Already the effects of vaccine apartheid are becoming apparent in the wanton loss of life in Peru and India where due to unavailability of the vaccine, many have died and new mutations have formed. The reality of the world constructed holds that while poorer countries enter consecutive lockdowns to deal with a health crisis and try to afford vaccines, life in the global north has in many ways returned to pre-pandemic days. There is no inherent poverty in a country, it is all by design, a game where the rules are inaccessible for those who are not white. Whilst it may feel like the worst of the pandemic is concluded, that is not the case in other parts of the world, it is not true for the majority of the world. For those of us living in Ireland, or Canada or Australia, the sheer despair of the pandemic has become so alien, so otherworldly. It is becoming clear that we live in two worlds of a pandemic.

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

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Business

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

A Four-Day Work Week Could Save the Planet and Increase GDP Mahnoor Choudhry Co-Editor

ost-pandemic, the debate regarding a fourday working week has gotten even more complex with the introduction of remote-working and the pressure to increase GDP growth. Furthermore, carbon emissions have now also been linked to the hyper-zealous five day work week and this is something currently being considered by world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. This article considers the pros and cons of a four-day working week. What Are The Benefits of a Four Day Work Week? Improved productivity due to increased employee satisfaction The motivation behind reducing a day of the traditional work week lies in the welfare of employees and their satisfaction. Of course from a business standpoint, companies have become more willing to test the 4 day work week (for example, Unilever in New Zealand) as it has shown to increase employee motivation while not impacting output. Japan, which is a country notorious for deaths caused by stress-related health problems has reduced its work week. Microsoft’s Japanese operation has benefited from a 40% increase in productivity, as reported in RTÉ’s article, “Are You Ready for the Four-Day Working Week?”. A Stanford study shows that overworked and tired employees are less productive and produce less output than employees on a normal working day. This is symbolic of some of the wealthiest countries in the world (Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands) working significantly less hours in a week than Ireland. Ireland’s average work week in 2020 consisted of 36 hours with the above-mentioned countries having an average of 27 hours.

Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and a Smaller Carbon Footprint This particular advantage is something that’s been in the media a lot recently. Those in favour of a four day working week are arguing that it will actually help to reduce employees’ carbon footprint in that less commuting will take place as well as office spaces using less energy. It is important to note that office spaces may as well be redundant in the next decade according to Forbes magazine which speculates that by 2025, 70% of workers will be working remotely. The Financial Times estimates that each additional hour of work produces more CO2 through our commute and through the increased consumption which takes place. This idea stems from the view that 60% of greenhouse gas emissions come from consumption. Although the argument that a four-day working week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions can be counteracted with the

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Microsoft's Japanese operation has benefitted from a 40% increase in productivity

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argument that it only gives employees a chance to consume more on their day off as well as possibly travel more. This means that in order to really reduce our carbon footprint as a result of a four day working week, what needs to be implemented are national campaigns pushing people towards more environmentally healthy choices and ways of recreation. For example, pushing for an increased use of public transport and for more carbon-friendly activities such as sports and exercise on days off.

There are obvious difficulties with this as it requires a cultural change and a societal shift towards wanting a greener economy. The Problems with a Four Day Working Week A longer working day A reduction in the work week will inevitably lead to a longer working day. Many people speculate this will impact workplaces negatively in making the environment exponentially more stressful and fast-paced, something that many people are not used to. Another problem with a longer work day is it will require the changing of many labour laws which require overtime pay for work done in one day in excess of eight hours. Some employers may be unwilling to shift to a four day work-week due to increased wage expenditure. Company culture reduced A shorter working day and longer working hours mean there’s a heightened pressure to maintain output levels so there is less socialising at work. This could negatively impact workplace relations and cultures at work. This in turn is a significant barrier to employee satisfaction at work. Ireland’s coalition campaign of trade unions, environmentalists and businesses (Four Day Week Ireland) argues that a four day work week is better for women, for business, for health, for the environment and for workers. Remote-working has already shown that working practices can be changed when needed and so a four-day working week may be something viable as work practices continue to progress. John Meynard Keynes, British economist, predicted in 1930 that in a century’s time we may be working a week as short as 15 hours due to exponential progressions in productivity.

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Facebook Rebrands as Meta Amid Growing Public Scrutiny Mark O'Rourke Business Correspondent

acebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that his company is changing its name to Meta. The rebrand of Facebook comes amid increased public pressure in the wake of whistleblowing around security issues with Facebook’s platform. The name change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them. According to the company, the current branding could not “possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future” and that the new name will better encompass the company’s activities, as it attempts to diversify into new areas such as virtual reality and the creation of the Metaverse, an online world where people can game, work, and communicate in a virtual environment. The rebrand comes in the midst of what has been a turbulent period for Facebook, a company well used to controversy. The company is still dealing with the fallout from documents released by whistle-blower Frances Haugen, a former product manager at the company. These documents showed how the internal management of Facebook were aware of the real-world damage being caused by its platforms and how it ignored warnings from employees about the risks of their design decisions. The documents also show how Facebook has neglected user safety, instead prioritising user engagement. This has resulted in users being exposed to more and more extreme content, misinformation, and harmful material while using Facebook’s platforms. Examples mentioned in the documents show how test profiles in the US were regularly exposed to QAnon conspiracy theories, amongst other radical content. The documents are just one of many controversies that Facebook has found themselves embroiled in since it was founded in 2004. In 2018, the company was caught up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which saw the harvesting of over 87 million Face-

book user’s information which was then used for political advertising purposes, including in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The company paid fines of over $5 billion for their privacy violations in relation to the scandal. The Facebook revelations are shining a light on the role that social media platforms play in the spreading of misinformation and radical content, resulting in increased scrutiny from governments and regulators. Britain’s Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has already criticised Facebook’s rebrand, stating that “rebranding doesn’t work” and that “when harm is caused, we are coming after it.” The UK is one of many governments looking to tighten regulations on social media platforms such as Meta’s subsidiaries. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also recently commented that the company was “retooling [their] teams to make serving young adults their North Star rather than optimizing for the larger number of older people." In recent times Facebook’s platforms have had mixed success with younger users. Instagram is overwhelmingly the company’s most popular platform amongst younger demographics. While figures show that in Ireland Facebook’s namesake platform has three times as many users over the age of 65 than teenagers using the platform. An estimated 200,000 teenagers use Instagram as opposed to just 86,000 having a profile on Facebook. It remains to be seen what the future will hold for Meta, and while the company may have a new name and branding it seems that it will take more for the company to put its past controversies behind them.

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Politics

Facebook: The Anti-Social Network Rory Fleming Politics Writer In the month where Facebook rebranded to ‘Meta’, infamous founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was once again making global headlines for all the wrong reasons. Already tarnished by previous scandals, such as data mining and spreading misinformation, any remaining shred of moral decency held by the tech giant was eviscerated. The scandal centres around Facebook’s apparent decision to prioritise ‘growth over safety’ by turning a blind eye to the deficiencies of its recommendation algorithm. The whistle was blown when a former employee named Frances Haugen released damning documents in relation to the algorithm. Haugen, who was formerly a product manager on the civic integrity team at Facebook, shared thousands of documents with New York Times tech-industry journalist, Jeff Horwitz. Horwitz and Haugen sieved through tens of thousands of documents from her time at the Silicon Valley corporation. Together, they arranged the documents into eleven coordinated releases via the New York Times. Immediately, the media storm erupted. Overnight, Haugen became a household name in the States, appearing on TV shows and in other articles attempting to spread her concerns about Facebook.

Contained within the documents were various instances of malpractice. One such issue was the company’s moderation system known as ‘XCheck’. The algorithm was shown within the documents to treat the content of politicians, celebrities and athletes to a much lower standard of scrutiny than the average user on the platform. It highlighted various instances in which egregious breaches of user regulations were over-

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Already tarnished by previous scandals, such as data mining and spreading misinformation, any remaining shred of moral decency held by the tech giant was eviscerated

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looked due to the user’s prominence or position. Amongst other things, the documents which have been coined the ‘Facebook Files’ also appeared to allege a skirting of legalities with regards to the company’s punishment for the disreputable Cambridge Analytica scandal. They appeared to suggest that the astronomi-

cal fine Facebook received, $5 billion, was only this high as it was a deliberate attempt to appease the court and stave off any notions of personal liability on behalf of Zuckerberg. Perhaps the most worrying revelations contained within the Facebook files were in regards to Instagram. The photo sharing platform is owned by Facebook, and according to the leaked documents they

conducted an internal review of the application. In this review it was found that up to a third of teenage girls surveyed felt Instagram made them feel bad about their bodies. It also highlighted the fact that young girls were also disproportionately more likely to be suggested potentially triggering content with regards to body dysmorphia and other harmful topics. The documents obtained by Haugen not only highlight this worrying internal review, but also manage to shed light on the fact that Facebook did virtually nothing to rectify any of these issues. Instead, it chose to essentially turn a blind eye to the findings of the review because they felt that if no one outside of the company knew about the problem then it would simply cease to exist. The callous nature of this decision highlights the toxicity prominent within Facebook which allows potential advertiser income to be placed above the health and wellbeing of some of the platform’s most vulnerable and impressionable users. In light of these damning documents being released into the public sphere, Haugen was

called to testify in front of a Senate subcommittee. For over three and a half hours, Haugen sat before the subcommittee in Washington DC highlighting the nefarious actions of her former employer. In the hearing, she was quoted as saying that Facebook and its other platforms ‘harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy’. Haugen also brought to light other worrying claims such as alleging that Facebook purposely kept systems offline which had the potential to halt the spread of misinformation, a decision which she believes played a part in the January 6th Capitol riots. Whether or not Zuckerberg and Facebook are held accountable to these allegations remains to be seen. However, regardless of any future punishment, the extent to which Facebook disregards the safety and rights of its users will surely result in a significant drop in its user base. Furthermore, in the midst of all this upheaval, the courage of Frances Haugen and her selfless act should not be forgotten.

Politics

Maura Corkery Politics Writer

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Biden’s Disappointing First Year Fails to Surprise

fter four years of arguably the most dangerously divisive presidency of all time, the United States welcomed back a familiar figure into the Oval Office, Joe Biden, with the hope of bringing back stability. President Biden’s campaign was full of promises, including the promise to cancel anywhere between $10,000 to $50,000 of student debt per student, the promise to reverse the ridiculously expensive tax cut for the uber wealthy that Trump passed in 2017 as well as the promise to pass both police and voting reform acts in the names of George Floyd and former Congressman John Lewis, respectively. The centerpiece of his campaign and future presidency is the Build Back Better Plan, a plan that would overhaul the nation’s infrastructure, tackle climate change in a real and meaningful way, provide free childcare and child tax credits for poor families, provide free college education, as well as

other popular measures that the American people are in desperate need of.

It takes a very optimistic, or even naïve person, to believe that most politicians – American or otherwise – are going to keep their promises. In America, political accountability took a sharp turn in 1978, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Citizens United Act, a piece of legislation that said that financial donations to politicians were considered to be free speech making it legal to buy politicians. That single piece of legislation altered the American political landscape – almost every powerful Senator or Congressperson now has corporate donors that incentivize them to prevent or pass legislation that will directly benefit corporations and elites. There are a few notable exceptions in the progressive wing of the party, but unfortunately their numbers are still too few to mount any real challenge to the sitting powers. President Biden, whether he will admit or not (and he will never admit it) has benefited

from this arrangement. His inaction on this translates into how hard he fights to keep his promises to the American people, especially if those promises would force his donors to relinquish a fraction of their power or profits. Take for instance, the centerpiece of his presidency, the Build Back Better Plan. Originally billed at 6 trillion dollars over ten years, it is now whittled down to roughly a quarter

of the size, 1.5 trillion, because of two Democratic Senators holding it hostage at the urging of their donors. The most salient points of the plan have been cut – no more free college, no more paid family leave, no more reduced drug prices, and the far-reaching climate actions have been downsized to a joke. The donors behind these two Senators, and President Biden as well, include Big Pharma and oil conglomerates. One could argue that such an expensive and extensive piece of legislation would never have been met without resistance, but what about the legislation that was far more targeted and far less costly? The Voting Rights Act, for instance, would essentially have restored the teeth to the Civil Rights Act of the 1960’s – it is geared to make voting more widely accessible to every American citizen. But its passage was blocked by Republican sena-

tors who, despite being in the minority, were able to take advantage of the filibuster and prevent it from passing. Biden, as president, has the political power to remove, or at least reform the filibuster; but why would he, when his own donors don’t want him to? The list of President Biden’s unfulfilled promises grows every day: some of them might simply take more than a year to fulfill, but some are becoming more and more broken. He has the authority to cancel student debt, but he has not. He has the authority to add justices to the Supreme Court and rebalance it, but he has not. He has promised that he would reverse the 2017 tax credit, thereby restoring trillions to the American economy, but he has not. He as refused to take action on issues again and again, even though he can, even though he promised. The question remains though, is anyone really surprised?

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

Law

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

The College Tribune’s Law Section is Proudly Sponsored by the Maples Group

Is Ireland ready to debate the legalisation of drugs? In this article, our Law Correspondent explores the elgal position of recreational drug-use, a debate relevant following the reopening of Ireland's nightlife.

drugs are harmful and addictive. There is a concern that upon legalisation drug use would become widespread, with those who had never considered it before now being ex-

concern that Ireland would become an access point for illegal drug trafficking into mainland Europe, potentially harming international relations that are incredibly valuable to trade.

ued prohibition and largely follows the arguments mentioned above. There was a large concern for the economic effect of legalisation and the general consensus was that the ben-

Louise Kennedy Law Correspondent

s the years go by the question has increasingly been asked, when will Ireland overturn the prohibition of drugs? More recently places like nightclubs and bars have attempted to educate their patrons on drug use, accepting that this is something that happens among their customer base and providing resources for anyone who may have a bad experience as well as advice for first time users. What are some common arguments for legalisation? The main argument for the legalisation of drugs lies in health and safety. At present there is a concern that should someone present to the hospital in a drug induced state they will be subject to criminal action, a concern that sees many people needlessly take risks and refuse to seek medical help in the event of an overdose. With legislation comes regulation, creating a much safer environment for drug users, especially in the event of a medical emergency. Another argument that has been presented for the legalisation of drugs lies in the freedom of choice debate. Many people view drugs such as cannabis as having many benefits that outweigh any cons, especially viewing cannabis as less harmful than alcohol or cigarettes, both of which are a huge part of Irish culture. This is just an example of a common argument found among advocates for legalisation, but what has the government had to say on the matter? And for some common arguments against legalisation? The bottom line for many people against legalisation is that

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There is a growing concern that Ireland would become an access point for illegal drug trafficking

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posed to a risk to their health. This is of course a fair concern as public health problems impact society on many levels and this may be something that Ireland does not currently have the resources to deal with. There is an additional concern that legalisation would have no bearing on drug related crime and violence. Even if drugs were available in a regulated setting, there may still be a black market set to undercut these prices and sell to those who were unable to buy in a regulated setting, such as teenagers. There is a growing

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People needlessly take risks and refuse to seek medical help in the event of an overdose

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Government Opinion The debate has not seen much attention from the Dáil in recent years, with the last relevant debate on cannabis taking place over six years ago. This debate forms a good basis for the options available with the legalisation of drugs; prohibition, decriminalisation or regulation. Each of these options has their own pros and cons, which this article would like to consider in some more detail. Prohibition In the Dáil the majority opinion was in support of contin-

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With prohibitions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco on the rise, it would be entirely counterproductive to introduce drugs into the social sphere

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efits of legislation would not outweigh these costs of regulation. Another point mentioned by these Ministers was that of public health. With prohibitions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco on the rise, it would be entirely counterproductive at this juncture to introduce drugs into the social sphere. This argument is nothing that we have not heard before and frankly relied largely on saving public funds rather than considering any larger issues at play in this debate. Decriminalisation This is by far the most bene-

ficial to the debate offered by the Irish Government. Here consideration was given to the strain on our prison system and the need to stop using prison as a means to tackle the drug issue. Ministers here considered that users found with practically negligible amounts either in their system or on their person should not face a criminal conviction as this is largely a waste of time and resources. While it was recognised that this process would require some extra supports, such as specialised treatment centres, Portugal was pointed to as an example of decriminalisation leading to a reduction in drug related deaths, with little to no increase in drug prevalence. Regulation The last option considered in this debate was free availability of drugs, specifically cannabis in this instance, under Government regulation. While public opinion supports this resolution it did not receive much thoughtful consideration in this debate. It was noted that cannabis has been regulated elsewhere in the world with health risks not conclusively proven. Ministers were of the view that regulation would mean criminals could not profit off the sale of cannabis, yet this was effectively as far as Government was willing to take this debate. Looking to the future While the debate is still ongoing, more and more organisations and individuals are campaigning for the decriminalisation of drugs and yet this is to no avail when it comes to consideration by the Government. Perhaps Ireland does not have the resources to undergo this venture and perhaps more time needs to be spent by the key actors in this debate in trying to find a system that is uniquely suited for Ireland. For now, this topic will simply continue to be one which features more and more prominently in the media until some definitive conclusion can be reached by all involved.

Gaeilge

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

coiriúla in Éireann agus cúrsaí oibriúchtúla an dlí sa tír seo freisin… oiriúnach do mhic léinn dlí ach go háirithe!

isciú a dhéanamh ar áiteanna a bhfuil scaoilte mar gheall ar cogaí agus troid. Faightear blas ar cultúr na n-áiteanna agus tuiscint níos fearr ar an slí ina mhaireann na daoine sna háiteanna háiteanna sin in aineoinn an teannas agus an chontúirt a bhíonn mórthimpeall orthu.

TG4: 25 Bliain ag Fás Doireann O'Sullivan Eagarthóir Gaeilge

a ar an lá dheireanach de mhí Deireadh Fomhair a chuir an t-uachtarán Mícheál D O’Higgín an cainéal teilifíse darb ainm ‘Teilifís na Gaeilge’ ar an saol don chéad uair riamh. An aidhm a bhí aige agus ar ndóigh ag a chuid luch tacaíochta ná spás ar leith a chruthú chun an Ghaeilge a fheiceáil beo, sa bhealach céanna is a bhí an Béarla ann níos mó na 35 bliain níos luatha. B’fhéidir go bhfuil clú ar an gcainéal anois mar gheall ar an dtuairiscú a dhéanann siad ar an fleadh, nó ar na cluichí GAA nó rugbaí a bhionn ar súil chuile sheachtain.( Agus, gan amhras ni féidir neamhaird a thabhairt ar na láithreoirí nuachta ach oiread!) Is é mana an gcainéil ná ‘súil eile’. Fiú muna bhfuil ach cúpla

clár a bhfuil craolta acu feicthe agat go dtí an bpointe seo, is féidir an smaoineamh sin a aithint go héasca. Chun an bhreithlá mór sin a cheiliúradh, seo iad trí shraith ar chóir daoibh iad a fheisicnt sula mbeidh brú na scrudaithe ag druidim iseach ar bhur gcuid am saor.

Ciara Ní É: Saol trí Ghaeilge Sa chlár seo, téann scríobhneoir agus file Ciara Ní É ar chamcuairt timpeall na tíre chun taispeántas a dhéanamh ar na pobail Gaeilge éagsúla atá ag boradh faoi láthair. Labhraíonn sí le ceannairí idir óg agus aosta faoina dtaithí leis an nGaeilge agus na beallaí ar tá ar bun acu í a chur chun cinn sa todhchaí. Is poiblíocht mhaith í an tsraith ar ócáidí shóisialta a bheadh ar súil arís le gairid (le cúnamh Dé), ar nós An Pop Up Gaeltacht agus Féile na Gealaí.

Visit our website at www.collegetribune.ie to fill out our Write for Us form

Fir, Marú agus Grá Má tá suim agat i gcúrsaí coiriúla (mar ábhar spéise gan amhras..) is fiú aghaigh a thabhairt ar an tsraith sin. Tugtar athchoimre ar cásanna ar lanúin a raibh caidrimh éigeantach acu agus an chúlra a chur leis na cóir a thit amach dóibh níos déanaí. Chomh maith leis sin, faightear eolas faoin gcóras

An Balla Lucht lanúna ‘Dark Tourist’ nó Louis Theroux.. Tá sraith nua agam daoibh! Téann Síle Nic Chonaonaigh ar turas timpeall an domhan chun tuair-

Is féidir na cláracha sin a fháil ar Sheinteoir TG4.

Alternatively Email Editor@Collegetribune.ie with your name, course, stage and area of interest

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Welcome to UCD Healthy Eating Week 2021 Healthy Eating Week is back and will be taking place from the 8th-12th of November. Each day will involve a mixture of social media content and virtual events such as Instagram live cook-alongs, as well as in person events taking place throughout campus. The major themes for this years’ event include: Nutrition on a Budget, Practical Cooking Skills, Food Sustainability, and Getting Back to Reality. There will be competitions run throughout the week and those who take part will have the chance to win some great prizes! Some of the events that will be taking place on campus include ‘Guess the Price’, ‘Taste-Test’ and ‘Too Hot to Handle’- a chilli eating contest! Come down to our stands for the chance to win some free snacks as well as being entered into the big competition draw! Be sure to check out Healthy UCD’s social media accounts (@healthyucd on Instagram and Twitter), as the full schedule for the week will be posted here in advance. Get involved using HEW2021

♯

8th November to 12th November 2021 Check us on:

@HealthyUCD @healthyucd

Healthy UCD

Opinion

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Freedom Day Promised Reopening of Nightlife But Not Safety

Rhoen Eate Features Editor

should we be teaching our sons and daughters to perhaps not drug people for your own benefit instead of telling them to protect themselves from something out of their control? Why is it that when someone gets spiked, the first question is

he 22d of October was an important date in everyone’s diary this year as nightlife as we used to know it fully opened amidst the rebuild from the Covid-19 Pandemic.

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We donned our out-out outfits, broke out the collared shirts, topped up the revolut and wore our finest shoes to strut the streets of Dublin to our nearest nightclubs. Mine in this case was the renowned Pygmalion. No, this is not a review nor is it paid advertisement. South William Street was alight with anticipation and cigarette smoke. The cans were hidden under jackets as police patrolled the crowds and we all strived at pretending to be that bit more sober than we truly

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Add Covid certificates, prebooked tickets and an impatient edge to the mix and you have just the right amount of commotion to make a cocktail of impending disaster

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were. It was just like old times, and it felt amazing. The night took a sour turn however as the queue began to form. With a lively turnout, getting everyone into formation was going to be a difficult feat for even the most experienced bouncer in the industry, add covid certificates, pre-booked tickets and an impatient edge to the mix and you have just the right amount of commotion to make a cocktail of impending disaster. The ever-growing crowd was promptly (albeit messily) split into two, pre-booked and those who decided to wing it. No matter where you fell on that food

chain, you were crushed into an airless mass of people separated from the bouncers only by a thin velvet rope. Not the best place for the claustrophobic. And definitely not the best place for the those avoiding a pandemic. Alas, we move. “Why aren’t they more organised?” was the main phrased slurred throughout the compact cue, the second-most popular statement isn’t suitable to be repeated for publication but it’s easy to imagine. Yet I play the devil’s advocate and ask whether we can really blame the nightlife industry for being as disorganised as they were on the first night of their reopening after their doors being firmly shut for the guts of 600 days. That’s almost 2 years for those of us who don’t like maths. The government haven’t been the clearest with their restrictions and reopening strategy, offering little to no support to the nightlife industry and the 22nd was no different. With the forecast of even reopening during October being broadcasted as ‘extremely likely’, can we really say it is entirely an establishment’s fault if they are a tad rusty on the entrance front? It is, after all, unimaginably difficult to open after such a long hiatus, let alone open without a clear cut plan from your government. Yet, reopen they did. And partying we were doing. We got through those big black doors, and let me tell you, what a sight

it was to see. I have never felt so nostalgic over a cloak room, and when I saw the overcrowded dance floor, cloudy with sweat and smoke, I was close to teary eyed. Was the music the best? Honestly couldn’t say it was. Were the drinks overpriced? Absolutely I can say they were. But we must remember, this isn’t a review. As the night progressed and our vision got increasingly blurry, another worry came to mind. A concern more niche than that of a global pandemic. And that was the fear of being spiked. It is always a what if when you go out. You’re told to cover your drinks, to never leave them unattended, don’t take something unfamiliar, etc etc. But how do we protect ourselves from being injected? When the music

is loud and you can feel the bass shoot through your feet, it’s easy to lose awareness. Pair that with alcohol and of course you can deem yourself of guard. If it’s easy to not feel someone take a phone from your jean pocket (which it is, we’ve all been there) then we can absolutely overlook a slight pinch from an injection. Then all of a sudden you’re a little too blurry, everything is a little too confusing, and the next thing you know, you don’t know what happened. This is a abomination I feel isn’t being given enough attention. Should we really have to share stories like these on Instagram to raise awareness? Should we really have to guard ourselves this much when we go out? Or

How do we protect ourselves from being injected? When the music is loud and you can feel the bass shoot through your feet, it's easy to lose awareness.

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“how did you let this happen?” instead of “how can we identify who did this?” This is a question I fear will never be answered. As we still wait for people to come forward with their stories, and for the Gardaí to get to the bottom of this travesty, we can only wait for more information, and keep fighting to protect ourselves. Yet it is a joy to be back. To have proper plans on a weekend that don’t need to be hush-hush and invite limited. It’s a relief to feel overdressed on purpose and wear uncomfortable shoes for five hours despite the pain. It feels like we are finally reaching the end of an atrociously dark tunnel; as though we can get back to a new normal. A normal where we’re back to feeling our age again, to stressing about the little things again, like what “dresses are we wearing?” and “who’s getting with who?”. Of course, there will be challenges to this (as there is with every unprecedented event), but with every challenge we keep moving in the right direction. We keep moving with moving on. And that, I think, is something that can be celebrated above all else.

09-11-2021

Volume 35 - Issue 03

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Opinion

Dublin: A Patient City Unhealed Mahnoor Choudhry Co-Editor

What the city needs is a robust transport system to make it more accessible, so as to not remove the relatively small city centre from its natural spots of beauty. It needs to make this transport cheaper for people to use, to remove the cars from its

riting this article while Dublin City is in its prime season feels a bit hypocritical because of how beautiful it has looked recently with autumnal leaves scattered all over it's generally dark and muggy streets. There’s a romanticism to this city, for definite. It’s found in the twilight shimmering of lights in rain puddles, the buildings and cars glistening under streetlights. The pubs are once again crowded and ambiently cosy and buskers are back on the streets serenading crowds of people visiting the capital. It’s a shame that despite this culture that makes Dublin,

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There’s a romanticism to this city, for definite. It’s found in the twilight shimmering of lights in rain puddles, the buildings and cars glistening under streetlights

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Dublin; so many of us want to emigrate. So many of us grow up here, go out with our friends in the nooks and crannies of this city, from nights out on South William Street and Harcourt Street to coffees and food in Stephen’s Green. The older we get, it seems that more and more of the city’s culture is being eroded. We see this with more and more hotels popping up around the city, the cranes and scaffolding becoming a permanent part of Dublin’s (very flat) skyline and cityscape and our cosy pubs being replaced by Wetherspoons.

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Having lived abroad for six months as part of an Erasmus exchange, coming back to Dublin opened my eyes to what the city lacks. I was exhausted pre-pandemic having to commute 3 hours on a round-trip journey to UCD, from working part-time and not being able to afford a place closer to college because of the housing crisis. I lived in the heart of Scandinavia, Stockholm, Sweden. Where transport is cheap and well-connected by rail, metro, tram and bus but furthermore, where there are designated and safe cycle and scooter lanes. The standard of living I experienced was so high that it felt like a luxury to me while it was a norm for Stockholm’s inhabitants. The city preserved its cafe and bar culture while also catering to tourists and its corporate and financial centre. Stockholm is not an exception, however, almost every other capital city in Europe is the same. Even more so, the cost of education is nowhere near as cheap as it is in the rest of the European Union. Forbes magazine ranks Ireland as the thirteenth most expensive country in the world to study in and Ireland is the most expensive country in terms of university fees in the European Union. It’s no shock that in 2018, a record of 12,500 young people aged 15-24 emigrated. Since 2018, rent rates have in no doubt increased while there has been a less than substantial

increase in real wages paid to young people starting in graduate jobs. With pressures like this, as well as not being able to enjoy an independent life in our early twenties, what is there left for young people in Dublin? Constantly we are criticised by government officials and national media for wanting adequate housing, for socialising, for being young and wanting a future in this country. Constantly, we are reminded that Dublin’s future is being designed for its tourists and for its corporations. When Dublin’s youth emigrates, so will its culture and the life we breathe into the city. Take away the little culture we have, and we are left with old buildings that have potential to

be beautiful but have been long neglected by the City Council. We’re left with a flat, dull city that pales in comparison to its modern-day European equivalents. Eavan Boland describes in her poem ‘Unheroic’ that she knows her country by looking “into the patient face of the unhealed”. That’s what I think Dublin is. It’s waiting for change, for progress, for life to happen to it and it is unhealed from the rich history of struggles it houses. I don’t mean to say Dublin is a terrible city to live in. It’s not. But living in a city with untapped potential, that is getting drearier and drearier by the day, is terrible.

It’s waiting for change, for progress, for life to happen to it and it is unhealed from the rich history of struggles it houses

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roads and give the city its fresh air back. It needs to invest in making this city livable again and not just a place to commute to for work. The young people living here deserve it. They deserve to be able to see a future in the city they grew up in, rather than counting down the days until they emigrate in search of something bigger and more fulfilling in their early twenties.

Music

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Entertainment & Lifestyle What We Know About Adele’s Upcoming Album Angelina Pierce Entertainment & Lifestyle Editor

he powerhouse singer has an early Christmas treat in store for fans with the arrival of her newest studio album, 30, which will be released on the 19th of November. Adele had released one of the tracks, ‘Easy On Me’ back in October to give fans a taste of what is to come. As her fourth studio album, the star revealed that the music will relate to her recent divorce and coming to grips with understanding herself and her “blistering home truths about (herself).” She took to her Instagram to announce the album with her

post reading, “And so, i’m ready to finally put this album out, It was my ride or die throughout the most turbulent period of my life. When I was writing it, it was my friend who came over with a bottle of wine and a takeaway to cheer me up.”

Tracklist for 30

The heartfelt and hilarious post was met with much excitement, particularly as she has not released an album for six years. The star has been making her presence well known before the release. She has appeared as the face of British Vogue’s November issue and also took part in Vogue’s 73 questions interview, where in both instances she discussed her new look and new album. On November the 14th, Adele will be on CBS with a TV special called ‘Adele, One Night Only,’ where the star

is reportedly set to give lucky viewers some previews of her upcoming songs. Fans can also look forward to watching her in ‘An Audience with Adele’, which will be ready to watch on ITV on Sunday the 21st November. She has announced that she will be performing in London in Hyde Park next July with pre-

sale tickets now available. However, the singer has previously made comments that she dislikes touring and likely will not be doing so for this album but may instead take up a Las Vegas residency. Either way, fans can expect great things from the album based on her previous work.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Strangers By Nature Easy On Me My Little Love Cry Your Heart Out Oh My God Can I Get It I Drink Wine All Night Parking (with Erroll Garner) 9. Woman Like Me 10. Hold On 11. To Be Loved 12. Love Is A Game

The Bands That Time Forgot: 90’s Edition The 90’s are often regarded as one of the most fruitful periods for guitar music. Music movements in America and Britain birthed era defining bands, such as Nirvana and Oasis. However, looking back, some of these bands have been lost to history, and in my opinion, undeservedly so. This article will delve into three bands, analysing their discographies, and hopefully, introducing you to some great music you haven’t listened to before or helping you rediscover it.

Manic Street Preachers They boast an absolutely massive sound, that is driven by layers of lead guitars, and tied together by thought provoking lyrics, often focusing on anti-capitalism and youth culture. Their first album, Generation Terrorists, released in 1992, was written by rhythm guitar-

ist Richey Edwards. It contains some great tracks, such as the brilliant opener, ‘Slash and Burn’, which borrows elements from punk rock. The standout track on the album has to be ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’, a song which has it all. A great guitar hook, brilliant lyrics, and a chorus that you can’t help but sing along to! After the tragic disappearance of Richey Edwards in early 1995, the band ventured in a new direction without their primary lyricist. 1996’s ‘Everything Must Go’ contains the must listen tracks, ‘A Design for Life’ and ‘Australia’, which share the same style as the first album, but 1998’s ‘This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours’, marks a significant change in musical direction. ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’ is the best song on the album, and it contains electronic elements, not heard in their previous work. If their primary songwriter

hadn’t gone missing, then perhaps they would’ve become a world renowned group. Unfortunately they just weren’t con-

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Manic Street Preachers boast an absolutely massive sound, that is driven by layers of lead guitars, and tied together by thought provoking lyrics

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Jack Donlon Music Writer

sistent enough, and although they continue to release music to this day, they have never recaptured the magic of their early work.

Shed Seven The second band on this list is a band which had five songs that reached the UK top 40 in 1996, but you’ve probably never heard of them. Their most recognisable song is ‘Going For Gold’. It features an introduction which samples Elvis Presley’s ‘Caught in a Trap’, and a powerful, punchy, guitar driven chorus. This song is the main feature on their 1996 album ‘A Maximum High’, which in all honesty, isn’t really worth listening to. None of their albums are, but they have some great individual songs, one of which is ‘Chasing Rainbows’, from their 1998 album ‘Let it Ride’. It features a guitar heavy sound, and a fantastic solo, (which is surprisingly easy to learn for any guitar players out there). Again, like the Manic Street Preachers, Shed Seven failed to deliver on the consistency

front, but they have some solid tracks which are right up there with the best music to come out of the Britpop era.

The Verve In this case, chances are you have probably heard of this band. They are definitely the most successful of the three that have been discussed. ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ is universally recognised, but their other work has somewhat slipped under the radar. Their 1993 debut album ‘A Storm in Heaven’, is an absolute masterpiece. It features a heavy, psychedelic sound, and the track ‘Slide Away’, which is just breathtakingly good. It’s like listening to guitar soup, but in a good way. Hopefully some of these tracks will peak your interest and you’ll go on to discover some more great music!

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Music

Gigs You Don’t Want to Miss! The Pick of Live Music Bringing Home 2021

Conor Paterson Co-Editor

Thumper December 2nd Whelans A self described ‘noise-pop sextet, delivering bubble-gum psych through a wall of sonic death.’ Thumper just played in the Workman’s club on Halloween night and now their biggest headline show is taking place in Whelans on the 2nd of December. They are a group made for live shows with their clamorous and vociferous noise. Their top picks ‘Topher Grace’ and ‘Ad Nauseum’ best sum up their unique sound. New single ‘The Loser,’ which was released last month, has also been well received and moves us closer to their highly anticipated debut album. The band will hit Belfast and Derry later this November and the Whelans gig in a month's time will be the final one of their UK and Irish tour. It promises to be a blistering one!

NewDad November 11th The Workman's Club Currently in the middle of their national tour, Galway four-piece

NewDad have already become very popular following the release of their debut EP, Waves, earlier this year. However, it was their fourth single, ‘I don’t recognise you,’ that has propelled the band into national acclaim. The indie track has a dreamlike and hazy quality and allows the excellent vocals of lead singer Julie Dawson to shine through. Having performed in front of a packed crowd at the Ulster Sports Club in Belfast last night, NewDad take their tour home tomorrow, the 10th of November, for a set at Roisin Dubh in Galway. The Dublin gig takes place on the 11th in the Workmans Club.

The Stunning December 5th Olympia Theatre The second Galway outfit to make our list, the Stunning’s iconic song ‘Brewing up a Storm’ has made them a household name and synonymous with Irish rock. Honestly, seeing the hit song live is worth the entry fee alone. However, there is so much more to the Stunning. Their 1992 album is filled with great tunes like ‘Heads are gonna roll’ and ‘Everything That Rises.’ Their smooth and catchy sound mixed with a reputation for electrifying live music makes their upcoming show in the

Olympia on the 5th of December, an exciting prospect. Mixing genres and music eras, the Stunning is a show for all ages and tastes and one your dad would love you to bring him to!

Sports Team November 21st Whelans This gig is long overdue for one of the UK’s most highly rated young bands. Having been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sports Team will finally play their Whelans

gig on the 21st of November. I would say this gig is long overdue as Sports Team has really impressed UK audiences and its debut album was shortlisted for the 2020 Mercury Prize, annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. An alternative rock band, Sports Team’s music is complex and brings a fresh modern twist to an otherwise traditional indie rock sound. Their work explores life in middle Britain and a young person's place in it. The London based bands success at home and their electrifying live style makes their

Whelans gig one of the most highly anticipated of the rest of 2021.

Sprints December 11th The Grand Social With missing live music during lockdown, I splashed out on several tickets for gigs that are all now coming thick and fast. Of all my hasty purchases, this gig is probably the one I am looking forward to most. It comes from an unashamedly loud and raw Dublin band, Sprints. You can’t pick a better venue than the Grand Social to allow you to get up close and personal with the post-punk four-piece. Vocalist Karla Chubb spearheads the group's raucous style and songs packed with emotive lyrics. This can be seen in my personal favourite ‘The Cheek,’ in which Chubb vents her frustration at the way she can be hypersexualised as a bisexual woman. This gig on December the 11th is not to be missed!

Film & TV

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New in November: Films Coming to our Cinemas Passing

Sophie Melia Film & TV Correspondent

fter another busy season for the film industry, more amazing films are due on our screens very soon. Ireland has now removed some COVID-19 regulations that were previously in place, such as the cinema capacity that has gone up to 80% which means when you book your tickets, only the seat beside you is now blocked off. This is great news as some films don’t feel the same without the cinemas being a bit more busy like they were pre-COVID. We have rounded up some of the most highly anticipated films coming soon to a cinema near you!

ased on one of, if not the most iconic supernatural comedies of all time, Ghostbusters, this film takes on a new angle of the story. Directed by Jason Reitman, it tells the story of two kids who discover their uncle was one of the original Ghostbusters and must fight the supernatural

Irish actress Ruth Negga joins Tessa Thompson in their new movie Passing. This story follows two black women living in New York during the 1920’s, but the catch is that one is passing as a white woman. Interestingly filmed in black and white and follows the aesthetic and trends of the Roaring Twenties, it is set to be a beauty of cinematic work. Anyone that was a fan of similar 1920’s period films such as the Great

This movie has a huge ensemble cast starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan and our own Irish acting star Barry Keoghan.

Release Date: October 29th

Ghostbusters: Afterlife creature terrorising their small American town. Starring amazing young rising actors such as Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace, who are thoroughly supported by well established actors like Paul Rudd and Bill Murray from the original film. It’s a sequel to the original released nearly thirty

Eternals

arvel is back with another huge addition to their Phase Four collection of films, this time being the highly anticipated Eternals.

Gatsby will also want to see this, as it's just as dramatic but yet seems to be more subtle and nuanced in its approach. Although the film was released on the 29th October, it easily got lost in the Halloween weekend and is believed to gain momentum this November and hopefully be enjoyed by a wide audience.

This film is directed by Oscar winning Chloe Zhao and tells the story of civilians of an immortal alien race that emerge from isolation after the Multiverse is affected and they work together to save Earth from evil, known as the Deviants. It is a must see for everyone, Marvel fans and other cinema lovers alike! Release Date: November 5th

years ago and this may make it more accessible to a younger audience of today but hopefully also will be enjoyed by the original audience who loved it before. Release Date: November 19th

Spencer

irsten Stewart bears the heavy crown of playing the late Princess Diana Spencer in the new biopic. It is set during the time of her failing marriage to Prince Charles. The film takes place over a few days and explores how tense their royal relationship had become and how the breakdown is mentally and physically affecting Diana and the rest of the Royal Family. This movie is set to be real treat for any Crown fans and those interested in her story. Release Date: November 5th

House of Gucci

he story follows Maurizio Gucci, the designer and owner of the legendary Italian fashion brand Gucci, set in Italy, the story spans nearly thirty years. It portrays the events before and after the businessman was murdered and how many members of the family were involved. Directed by Ridley Scott the

film has a cast just as big as him with roles filled by Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino and Salma Hayek. Another movie set to be filled with glamour and drama which will make it unmissable. This is released November 26th. Release Date: November 26th

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Film & TV

A Night at the Stella Cinema: Is It Worth the $$$?

he Stella is a historical landmark of culture in Dublin. The theatre was restored in 2017 to reflect the glamour of 1920s’ film houses. It was once the largest cinema in Ireland with a capacity of 1,283 and also housed a ballroom on the ground floor. Now, capacity has been reduced to 216 with seating on the ground floor as well as the balcony but it still retains a sense of luxury. Furthermore, it was rated number 16 out of a list of 20 of the most beautiful cinemas in the world. The Stella is notorious for the far-more comfortable seating in the cinema with cinemagoers being able to choose armchairs, couches or beds to watch their film from. Each seat has leather ottomans for audience members to rest their legs on. Having been to the Stella twice (to watch Joker (2019) and No Time to Die (2021)), it’s certainly not something you would want to expend on regularly. Walking in, one can instantly tell it's not just a regular cinema with the mosaiced-tiles, chandelier and mirrored bar in the foyer. It offers traditional cinema confectionery and snacks such

as popcorn, nachos and chocolate but goes a step further with meals one can order. These include cheeseburgers, parmesan fries and milkshakes. As well as that, you can order beers and wine to be brought to you by waiters while you sit in your pre-booked seat. Above the cinema, there is also a Cocktail bar which despite the expensive cocktails, has an old-money esque charm to it and cosy ambience.

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The cinema itself has an old-money rich aesthetic with velvet interiors and dark maroon lamp shades lighting the way to different seats

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Mahnoor Choudhry Co-Editor

The cinema itself has an old-money rich aesthetic with velvet interiors and dark maroon lamp shades lighting the way to different seats. The screen itself is comfortably

large and one doesn’t have to strain their neck to watch the film, even while lying back on to the armchair. The popcorn isn’t anything special, it’s your typical cinema popcorn. The only difference with drinks is that they ditch the plastic cups and straws and instead you get a glass with a slice of lemon in your drink. It’s an excellent spot for a date night, or for treating yourself to something special for a film you’ve been waiting to

watch. If you’re looking for a more relaxed environment and something more laid-back, I wouldn’t recommend visiting as the atmosphere is quite different to commercial cinemas that we are used to. Going to the Stella is a lovely evening out and it certainly feels more special than going to any old cinema. However, it’s definitely not something students can afford on the regular as larger commercial cinemas offer tickets for as cheap

as €5 on certain days during the week. One ticket for an armchair seat, which is the cheapest, costs €19.99 and that’s not including money spent on food and drinks (the price of which is comparable to most cinemas). However, if you want to treat yourself and enjoy a luxurious experience of watching a special film, then the Stella is an excellent way to spend the evening.

Review: Ricky Gervais’ After Life fter Life, with its morbid humour and dainty satirical banter, has been renewed for its last and final season. The limited series— written, produced and directed by British comedian Ricky Gervais—was announced mid2018 and is about to premiere its third season. The series is set in the fictional town of Tambury and revolves around Tony (Gervais)—a widower who has turned his back to the world after his wife loses her battle to cancer. Without his wife Lisa, he becomes cynical and apathetic. Our pessimistic protagonist is also a journalist at the Tambury Gazette and works closely with the town's residents to cover dull

and tedious local news. He is an undeniably unlikeable character, but one you grow to love and laugh with for the

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An undeniably unlikeable character, but one you grow to love and laugh with for the season

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Vanshika Dhyani Film & TV Writer

season. Tony, not caring about his own well-being would have committed suicide if it wasn't for his only companion, his German shepherd.

His risky behaviour concerns those who care about him. He lives in a monotonous blur— feeds his dog, watches Lisa's old videos and goes to work. He visits his father, who is living with dementia at an assisted living facility and talks to his ineffective psychotherapist every so often. Matt, Tony's

brother-in-law tries tirelessly to help uplift Tony's spirits.

ages to humanise personal loss, an emotion that is so universal.

The series candidly depicts grief and depression in a dark and witty Ricky Gervais fashion and brings into play a myriad of characters that help push the plot along. Tony Johnson is a character whose persona man-

After Life peels back the layers of dark comedy to reveal the aftermath of such a tragedy, where basic everyday tasks become unachievable and turn your life upside down. However, ironically, the show is an absolute delight to watch! It is capable of being both hilarious and delicate as it strings together insignificant moments of joy throughout the series. It is a series that can make you laugh and cry and arguably most importantly, truly sit back and think about your life in retrospect. I would highly recommend this Netflix original, especially if you like eccentric, loveable and laughable characters, which After Life has plenty of!

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Book Review: Beautiful World, Where Are You Romanticised, Pretentious and Yet, Still a Compelling Read... ’ll be honest, there’s something about Sally Rooney’s writing that draws me to her books. Despite the overly pretentious characters and a general lack of a substantial plotline, Rooney does a fantastic job at portraying the side of Dublin most students are familiar with. Her latest book, Beautiful World, Where Are You, is detached from her typical Trinity student navigating their early twenties and poor communication skills. Beautiful World, Where Are You (BWWAY) instead explores the lives of two characters in their late twenties to early thirties. A book illustrating the lives of young Irish people post-graduation is something the literary world had been lacking in. We often read books and watch films about characters comingof-age or exploring their early twenties. The book provides a fresh perspective on what life is like post-graduation for young people in Ireland. The book is set in Dublin and the West of Ireland and follows two best friends Alice and Eileen, who communicate via email

(through which the reader is given insights into the lives of the two characters and also the plotline.) Like much of Rooney’s writings, the plot does not follow a traditional build-up to a point of climax in the book. Instead it follows a steady pace of the two characters discovering what being alive means to them. This certainly is a personal interpretation of what the book aimed to do. I know many people would think that the plot itself follows the reconciliation of two best friends learning to keep their friendship alive in their late twenties with the pressures of being functional adults. Although that is how I interpret a part of the book, I think the overall aim seems to be adults discovering what it means to be alive. It’s something that I, as somebody in my early twenties, can already see looming in the future. We are so used to having our lives structured around and defined by our academic deadlines and college timetables, that when you take that away, it is difficult to know what it truly means to be alive. Rooney says at one point in the book:

“Maybe we’re just born to love and worry about the people we know, and to go on loving and worrying even when there are more important things we should be doing.” Which although sounds like a romanticised idea of what it means to be alive but when it is presented in front of the backdrop where so much of which is outside our control such as “reorganising the redistribution of the world’s resources and transitioning collectively to a sustainable economic model”, it seems like the most human

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The book provides a fresh perspective on what life is like post-graduation for young people in Ireland

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Mahnoor Choudhry Co-Editor

thing we could do. This is something I can appreciate about the book, despite everything that our generation is currently worried about (climate anxiety and an increasingly capitalist society), one thing we can do is just simply exist and be human and to worry about “sex and friendship” and “be stupid about each other”. I like how the book puts relationships and friendships at the centre of the human experience and not the economic and capital value we tend to measure our experience of life through. However one of the major criticisms I would have about the book is the characters. They are incredibly unlikeable from their initial introduction to the book. As with most of Rooney’s characters, the characters

in this book are also highly intellectual beings with complex shortcomings in their personality. You could argue that it is a deliberate decision to make the characters so unlikable in order to show that the human experience is indeed universal and does not skip over people with seriously stunted communication skills and deep-rooted insecurities. Another criticism I would have is that the emails through which Alice and Eileen converse can be unnecessarily pretentious to the point that one cannot actually gauge how close the two characters (Alice and Eileen) are supposed to be. The emails don’t always serve to progress the plotline either, instead, they seem to become big chunks of paragraphs that Rooney uses to provide her social commentary. Some of this social commentary is admittedly quite compelling and enjoyable to read, especially her thoughts on climate change

and the future of our planet. This is simply because it’s relevant to our contemporary lives and so it is nice to see our worries translated to modern literature. However, sometimes the emails seem to become academic pieces of writing which interrupts the flow of the narrative in the book. All in all, Beautiful World, Where Are You certainly has matured Rooney’s style of writing as well as diversifying her ability to write about human experiences at different stages of life. Her writing remains Normal People-esque.\ If you can get past the utter pretentiousness of her characters and some of the overly-intellectualised bits of writing that could have been written to flow with the narrative, the book is a thought-provoking reflection of contemporary living post-graduation in Ireland and serves to put our human experiences and emotions central to making the world beautiful.

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Arts&Lifestyle

Where the Crawdads Sing: Read It Before You See it!

lending both a hauntingly beautiful coming of age and a 1960’s crime drama, Delia Owens’ 2018 novel Where the Crawdads Sing is a captivating book that will make you cry, laugh, and feel all the emotions in between. This novel follows the story of six-yearold Kya Clark and her learning to fend for herself in the coastal wetlands of North Carolina, all while coping with the pangs of loneliness of a child left behind. This story is intersected by the murder mystery of a local townie sweetheart which Kya becomes linked to because of her label as the ‘wild marsh girl’. This toggle between two perspectives is one of the ways Owens creates gripping tension in the novel that makes it so impossible to put down. Kya, abandoned by her family and forced to raise herself in the isolated area known as the

marsh, is seen as an outcast in her community. In an early scene, Kya attends school for one day, but after being ostracised by her classmates she vows never to return. Despite her independence, Kya––like us all––is not immune to the longing for human connection.

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Where the Crawdads Sing is a captivating book that will make you cry, laugh, and feel all the emotions in between

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Molly Meehan Arts & Lifestyle Writer

In these short 368 pages, Owens manages to tackle a diverse range of issues, touching on

themes of prejudice, loneliness, love, abuse, wildlife conservation, and education just to name a few. In the backdrop of this gripping plot Owens contrasts the heavy story with the beautiful natural world of the coastal American south. The author's background as a zoologist informs her uniquely colorful descriptions of the flora and fauna of the marsh. Through her delicate and poetic writing, Owens is able to bring the marsh alive. This love and appreciation for nature is mirrored in Kya’s own connection to the marsh. Devoid of human love, this marsh becomes Kya’s new family and the spark for. This closeness to nature is arguably one of the most beautiful and unique aspects of Owens’ novel. What makes Where the Crawdads Sing so special is that this New York Time’s best-selling work is actually Delia Owens’ debut novel! Where the Crawdads Sing is on track to become a true literary favorite, so much

so you can expect to see it in cinemas soon. Featuring Normal People’s rising star Daisy Edgar-Jones, this film adaptation is set to release in summer 2022. From its beautiful writing to its captivating plot which leaves you guessing at every

turn, Owens’ novel is a musthave on this winter's TBR (to be read) list. So if you are looking for a way to unwind and keep warm on these chilly November nights, this southern sizzler will certainly do the job.

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Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

Dublin Hot-Spots for Post Reopening Clubbing Ruth Delaney Arts & Lifestyle Correspondent

ith nightclubs and bars back in full swing and as we brush the dust off our heels and ID’s, it can be hard to remember where we left off 18 months ago when we last went “out out”. Many of us may be feeling a bit rusty and for many students, the last few weeks will have been their first time setting foot in a nightclub. Learning how to budget and control the bank account is another issue, so here we have rounded up a selection of places for you and your friends to visit when you hit the town, and it might even give you some inspiration before planning those highly anticipated Christmas parties and nights out!

Quizzes and Music Bingo: Wigwam Located on Abbey Street, Wigwam is a Rum bar and nightclub that offers a range of activities that won’t break the bank. Their quiz and bingo nights take place every Friday and Saturday night from 8-10:30 pm and better yet, they are free to take part in! All you have to do is sign up in advance for the

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chance to win vouchers, event tickets and most importantly, drink vouchers. They offer a QR code at your table, which makes it easy to order off their menu as you play, which includes their 2 for €14 cocktails and bar bites. For a full selection of what's on at Wigwam, head to their Instagram page for all the info!

Late Night Fun: Tramline

Located on Wellington Quay, a night out at The Workman’s Club often feels more like a house party than a bar. The relaxed vibes are paired with two dance floors and open karaoke nights on Sundays, bringing something for every student out there. They even offer one of the most renowned burgers in Dublin, Wow Burger, and their €5 Zaconey and Cokes mean budgeting is all the more manageable!

Not only are drinks €2 and it boasts DJ guests such as Marcus O’Laoire, this nightclub located on D’Olier Street pushes clos-

Best LGBTQ+ The George

Club:

One of Ireland’s most iconic LGBTQ+ nightclub, they run a spectacular line up all week long, From Thirsty Thursdays to Karaoke nights on Saturdays, this is a spot that knows how to party. The George brings attitude, lip syncing and spot prizes to a whole new level and even offers no cover charge on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more information on what’s on each night, head over to their website!

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The George brings attitude, lip syncing and spot prizes to a whole new ing time out further than most other hotspots in the city centre. Finishing up most nights at 3am, there is no surprise that it has become a haven for younger college students, particularly on Monday nights.

Toasties and Tattooing: Antisocial Opening its doors in January 2020 right before Covid hit, the team at Antisocial ensured that they would come out of the other side thriving - and that they did. A new favourite spot for students, the bar is located in The Liberties on Francis Street and mixes Instagram worthy cocktail towers with tasty toasties, great music and is even dog friendly. On their “Royal Rumble Sundays”, Antisocial offers €20-30 stick n poke tattooing, €6 Jameson and Ginger Ale and a pint and a shot for €10. What more could you ask for?

New Club to Tr y: Memas A new spot on the Northside, Memas is on Parnell Street and in their own words, they are “purveyors of libations and good times”. They are also dog friendly, have DJs each weekend and offer brunch specials such as mimosa and bellini towers for €20. They are also planning a Christmas market on the 11th of December, giving you plenty

of time to check the place out before the busy Christmas season kicks off.

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A new spot on the Northside, Memas is on Parnell Street and in their own words, they are “purveyors of libations and good times”

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With nightclubs and bars back in full swing and as we brush the dust off our heels and ID’s, it can be hard to remember where we left off 18 months ago

House Party Vibes: Workman’s Club

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Sport

UCD AFC Advance To Playoff Decider Conor Paterson Co-Editor

The fencing club is really excited to return to training after a quiet year. Last season, UCD was the club with the most gold medals in Ireland, and we plan to fight to keep that standing in 2021-22! We’re off to a strong start, with fully-booked practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, round-robin-style tournaments on Fridays to prepare for competitions, and over 100 new members!

Two late goals from the league's top scorer, Colm Whelan, and a first half own-goal from Tadgh Ryan had put UCD in the driving seat heading into Sunday’s second leg. A flat Treaty United allowed Whelan to capitalise leaving the Limerick side with a momentous task for the second leg.

Things were about to get worse for UCD when Treaty United doubled their advantage. UCD striker Colm Whelan came close but it was defender Anthony O’Donnell who put the

UCD Fencing Gearing Up for Success Olga Nova UCD Fencing

A 3-0 win in the first leg helped UCD AFC progress past Limerick side Treaty United in the league of Ireland First Division playoff semi finals. United came to the Bowl on Sunday night with a massive task of overturning the first leg deficit, but could only manage a 2-1 win giving the students a comfortable 4-2 aggregate victory.

Treaty United came to the Bowl knowing they had to take the game to the students and they did just that, taking the lead in the first ten minutes. A defensive mix up allowed Conor Melody to capitalise with a well struck effort nestling into the bottom corner.

Limerick side within touching distance of a stunning comeback. A Stephen Cristopher cross found the left back's head and suddenly UCD were dangerously close to throwing away their first leg advantage. The game soon took another turn as Treaty United were reduced to ten men, killing their

momentum. A clumsy challenge on Evan Farrell meant Cristopher had his marching orders just minutes after helping his side to claw a goal back.

goal back with a close range effort for Adam Verdon with just over 20 minutes to go and managed to comfortably see out the rest of the game.

With an extra man, UCD effectively managed the game by keeping possession and slowing the tempo of the game. The students were able to claw one

The win means UCD progress to the playoff final against Bray Wanderers in a neutral venue in two weeks time in what will certainly be a high stakes affair.

Many of our new teammates are novices and they’re working hard, preparing to test their skills at the Schull beginner tournament at UCC on November 6 and 7, where UCD has medalled year over year. Before that, our more experienced fencers will get a chance to jump back into the competitive season at the Irish Open on October 23 and 24. The club is looking forward to hosting the Belfield Sabre tournament on November 13, and hopping over to Trinity for the Dublin Epee competition later in November

Students’ Strikers Earn Ireland Under 21's Call-Up Callum Buchan Sports Editor Additional reporting: Conor Paterson Co-Editor UCD AFC’s prolific strikeforce of Colm Whelan and Liam Kerrigan have been named in the under 21 international side for the European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Sweden which will take place on November 12th and 16th, respectively. The matches will also be shown on RTE 2 for those who cannot make it to Tallaght Stadium. Whelan scored on his debut in September when the side drew 1-1 away to Luxembourg.

Whilst Kerrigan made his first appearance for the nation in the reverse fixture a month later, where he also impressed by winning a penalty which led to Jim Crawford’s team doubling their lead in the tie. Italy and Sweden both currently sit above the Republic of Ireland in Group F, meaning that wins in the upcoming fixtures will go a long way to securing qualification for the 2023 tournament hosted in Romania and Georgia. The call ups come off the back of some fine form for UCD AFC this season. Whelan tops the first dvisions goalscoring charts on 19 goals with Kerrigan just behind in third on 12 goals.

SPORT Sport

COLLEGE TRIBUNE

Volume 35 - Issue 03

09-11-2021

UCD Prop Smashes Ten Tonne Challenge and Fundraising Targets Conor Paterson Co-Editor

it helped me a lot during my chemotherapy.’

Playing rugby at a high level for many years and staying in peak fitness as a result must make the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis all the more shocking. That was the bombshell that was faced by 24 year old Emmet Burns. While completing his treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, the UCD prop organised a ten tonne challenge to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society and St Vincent’s Hospital.

It was during his training in the gym that Burns came up with a brilliant fundraising idea. The ten tonne challenge involves him lifting ten tonnes via 50 squats, 25 deadlifts and 25 bench presses of 100kg each.

It was symptoms of sleepless nights, extreme fatigue and severe skin irritation that ultimately led to Burn’s diagnosis in May. Playing rugby at an elite level, Burns was no stranger to digging deep in the face of adversity. His chemotherapy started a week after his diagnosis but that didn’t stop him attending UCD rugby games whenever he could.

By all accounts the challenge was a great success. Burns said ‘loads of people got involved and used whatever weight and exercises they felt comfortable with which was great to see.’ He went on to add that he ‘was delighted with how it all went and the support was incredible.’ All proceeds from the challenge go to the Irish Cancer Society and St Vincent’s Hospital.

Relying on the support of UCD coaches and teammates, Burns continued to focus on developing throughout his treatment. Studying for a masters degree in Food Business Strategy, Burns made sure to look after himself physically and continued to train in the gym whenever he could.

The challenge itself wasn’t the only triumph, the fundraising too was a roaring success. At first, the fundraising target was €5,000 but within 20 minutes of the page going live, donations had hit €2,000. Remarkably, at the time of writing, the total raised had rocked up to nearly €45,000, far surpassing wildest expectations. The challenge has attracted support from household names from Irish rugby like Cian Healy, Mike Ross, Garry Ringrose and Jordi Murphy, with various rugby prizes now up for grabs for anyone who donates €50 or more.

Speaking to the College Tribune Burns said that ‘doing exercise really helped me to get through the last 6 months and gave me some normality in my life when there was so much going on.’ He added that he ‘hoped the challenge would encourage people to stay active as I feel

When asked about the fundraising efforts, Burns told us he ‘honestly can't put into words how happy I am with how the fundraiser has gone. I had the idea of doing something for charity at the start of my treatment but wasn't sure how my body would react to the chemo-

therapy. When I only had a few more treatments to go I was able to come up with a challenge that I felt I could do without putting too much stress on my body. My initial goal was €5,000 but within a couple of hours, I knew that that goal would be smashed and now we are at almost €45,000 which is crazy to think about’ It is not just about the funds raised for these vital organisations, however. Despite most people having heard little or nothing about Hodgkin Lymphoma, it is in fact most common in young adults as well as those over 75. Burns said that ‘another part of the fundraiser was to spread some awareness about the cancer I was diagnosed with as I had never heard of it until I was told I had it.’ He added that ‘the Instagram page has information about Hodgkin's Lymphoma which I hope

will spread some awareness.’ Clearly, rugby has been and continues to be a major part of Emmet Burns’ life. Much of his rugby career has been spent at UCD having played back in 2016 when he arrived here for college. He shared how his coach and teammates were the first people he told about his diagnosis after friends and family. Burns said that ‘as soon as I described what I was diagnosed with they were very supportive and told me they would do anything they could to help me get through the treatment.’ When he could, Burns would attend as many UCD rugby matches as he could and said ‘I really enjoyed going to the matches when I could and watching the lads play gave me something to look forward to during the week.’

Burns’ colleagues and teammates in UCD rugby also played a big role in the fundraising efforts. He told us that ‘the team did the challenge together in UCD which was great to see and donated a percentage of their UCD hat sales to the fundraiser which I really appreciated.’ He is very much looking forward to getting back to what he does best saying ‘I'm hoping I'll be back training with the team in the next month or so and can then start looking to get some game time once my bodys ready for it.’ You can find plenty of photos of Emmet Burns’ ten tonne challenge on their instagram page called ‘emmetstentonnechallenge.’ You will also find plenty of important information on Hodgkin Lymphoma, ways to get involved and a link to the donation page.