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We Interview Repeal’s Anna Cograve

Charlotte Tilbury Make up Shoot

UCD YFG face questions over donations

Worrying Rise in exam IX’s for mental health issues

Independent Student Media *Since 1989

The History of the Protest Song

UCD Volleyball Tournament Takes over Belfield

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Internal UCD Staff Survey Criticises Lack of ‘Leadership’ and ‘Accountability’ in University Management Jack Power | Editor

Leaked feedback show staff and faculty unfavorable to college ‘Leadership’ and University Management Team.

President Andrew Deeks has committed to ‘address the areas for improvement identified’ in an email sent to university staff and academic faculty.

An internal university staff engagement survey has found satisfaction with college management and leadership is poor in UCD. 1,827 staff completed a college internal ‘UCD Culture & Engagement Survey’, at a comparatively large response rate of 51%. The identified weaknesses in the university were primarily ‘leadership’, ‘accountability and performance management’, and ‘professional and personal development’.

The empowerment of staff and communication from management were also ranked poorly. The low leadership and management scores were significantly

below the global university norms the survey was benchmarked against.

The survey was completed in early January 2017, with the results being leaked to the College Tribune.

Overall 673 of UCD’s academic faculty responded and 965 of respondents were other teaching staff and those working within the college’s administration and management. The report noted ‘there is a clear trend for staff to respond more favourably than [academic] faculty’. The calculated scores for ‘leadership’ were 12 percentage points lower than global university norms.

Similarly, ‘professional development’ was 17 points lower, and ‘accountability’ scored 22 points lower than the international global university norms.

In an internal email also leaked to the Tribune which President Deeks sent to all staff members he stated the responses ‘will help us identify areas that we can work together to improve’. The report itself concludes that ‘results indicate that certain leadership groups including the UMT [University Management Team] are not sufficiently understood’.

Continues on pg 3.

Issue 7 Volume 30

CT.

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Editor Jack Power Deputy Editor & Creative Director George Hannaford

News Editor Cian Carton Politics Editor Oisín McCann Features Editor Rachel O’Neill Music Editor Aoileann Kennedy Fashion Editor Naimh Cavanagh Food & LifeStyle Editor Ciara Landy Film & T.V. Editor David Deignan Arts & Events Editor Holly Lloyd Eagarthóir Gaelige Sophie Osborne

Editorial: Lack of Confidence in University Leadership Highlights Growing Discontent with Motivations Behind UCD Global Vision The Tribune’s lead this issue reveals the results of a staff engagement survey, which notably points to a lack of confidence in UCD’s leadership. The survey data was leaked to the Tribune by a ‘concerned academic’, and illustrates the growing opposition within the academic faculty to the current administration’s vision for the college.

The poor results with regard to university leadership, accountability, communication and staff empowerment provide an indictment of the current direction UCD is being taken in. This continued trend towards a corporate model of management in UCD has made academics teaching and students a periphery concern. Expectedly this has created an undercurrent of opposition and alienation towards UCD’s leadership, among both students and staff. Many students have no great connection to the college administration or President Deeks, and are left with the feeling the decisions taken in the Tierney building are not made in their interests. This year the Tribune have attempted to report and shed light on those decisions taken, and to try hold the actions of those in power to account. Stories like a 36% fall in library staff in recent years, the shelving of planned sports facility investments, the €10 million profit the college make from campus residences. These investigative scoops serve to try put words to exactly why students feel their college only cares about making money from them.

The University Management Team (which President Deeks chairs) has consolidating decision-making power within UCD. The UMT’s authority has since its inception begun to supersede the other pillars of the college’s governance, including Governing Authority and Academic Council. The growing perception of the university’s internal administration is that other bodies and committees are increasingly becoming rubber stamping exercises for decisions made at the UMT level. This is best illustrated by the changes to graduation ceremonies pushed through by Presi-

Short Story Serialist Cillian Fearon

dent Deeks at Academic Council last November. The unpopular decision made by a UMT sub-group to remove Latin from UCD conferring ceremonies was approved by President Deeks without a vote or consensus at the Council. The lack of satisfaction staff have of groups like the UMT outlines an opposition to the alienation of academics in this management structure. The extent to which this opposition is noted or dissenting voices are listening to, even in forums like Academic Council or Governing Authority is as such questionable.

Taking a longsighted and introspective view of UCD’s ambitions would provide the greatest warning to the administration on their present orientation. The current short-term goal of stripping back teaching and learning services and supports, in the name of a restless pursuit of becoming a ‘global university’ will irreparably damage UCD as a university. The irony of pivoting to attract as many international students as possible to the university, while at the same time stripping down student supports that would be so necessary to a student coming to study from abroad is seemingly lost on this current administration. Gutting the actual academic budgets and student services within the university in order to promote other projects to attain global recognition will only ever be pyric victory for this administration.

There is nothing inherently wrong with aspiring to be a globally recognised university, or to promote an increased internationalism that diversifies and enriches the entire student and teaching body. But if the efforts by university leadership to push UCD to become a ‘global university’ are simply for the benefit of including an impressive line on a President’s curriculum vitae then they should be strenuously questioned. The results of the staff survey show that it appears these concern surrounding the motivations and methods of this current leadership to push UCD to become a ‘global university’, are very much shared by staff and academics in UCD.

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Editorial Note 0730 Did you know there’s a hidden Lecturers Bar in the Newman Building?

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14.02.2017

*Cover Continued UCDnews. p.04

Worrying Rise in Exam IX’s citing mental health issues.

Politics. p.08

UCD Fine Gael face questions over donations from local politicians.

Features. p.12

An Interview with Repeal Project founder Anna Cosgrave.

Music. p.14

The History of the Protest Song.

Fashion. p.16

Makeup photoshoot featuring Charlotte Tilbury.

LifeStyle.

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Film. p.24

Tips for Taking up running, and sticking to it past January.

A Film Review of the Lego Batman Movie.

Arts & Events. p.26

Events coming up across the city and here on campus.

Gaeilge. p. 28

Cuirtear Coiste na Gaeilge ar Bun ag Young Fine Gael.

14.02.2017

In his email to staff President Deeks outlined that ‘areas where improvement is needed include leadership, clarity of career paths and development, and accountability and performance management’.

UCD scored significantly lower than global university norms in nine out of the eleven compared rankings. The only area in which the college scored higher than the international norm was in the job satisfaction category. Workload and working conditions also scored quite close to the global rankings the UCD survey results were compared to.

The University Management Team met on January 9th to discuss and ‘review’ the university’s results, and to ‘agree and start developing an action plan to address key priorities’.

Addressing the leadership deficit in UCD will be the number one priority for college management documentation outlines. The survey’s recommendations on how to improve university leadership said more ‘targeted development programmes for leaders and people managers’ should be implemented. It outlined that there was a need to highlight within management ‘the importance of leadership delivering clear direction and consistent communications’ to staff and faculty.

The survey was commissioned by private firm Willis Towers Watson in April 2016, who began compiling staff responses from late September last year. The project is the first employee survey of UCD lecturers and staff in over a decade, and will now be conducted annually. The survey asked staff over 94 questions in calculating the various scores for each aspect of the university’s performance in the different areas. The highest percentage of response within the academic staff came from the Arts and Humanities, where 75% gave their feedback on the university’s performance. The lowest return rate at just 40% was in the colleges of Engineering and Architecture, and Health and Agricultural Sciences.

The university administration all saw high levels of response, with over 70% of staff in the research and innovation, HR, and finance departments providing feedback.

The university scored highly in its inclusion and diversity rankings at 73 points. It can be revealed at the Governing Authority meeting on February 7th professor Colin Scott was appointed to a new university VP position, vice-President of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Prof Scot is the current principal of the college of social sciences and law, and has been working on a broad review of UCD’s dignity & respect and sexual harassment policies. Commenting on the appointment President Deeks stated that Scot’s ‘appointment to the new Vice Presidency recognises the role he has and will be playing, and will facilitate progress on equality, diversity and inclusion within UCD. In addition, the appointment will position us well to take a leadership role in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion issues on

Short Story. p. 29

Short Story: Odo of the Grove.

Above

Results of the UCD Culture & Engagement Survey 2016, compared against global norms.

the national and international stages’.

A senior academic source who sits on the UMT stated they would not be in a position to openly comment on the survey’s poor leadership scores ‘as we are still working through the implications of the survey outcomes’. However other academic sources who wish to remain anonymous have outlined a growing dissatisfaction that exists with the current university leadership. President Andrew Deeks it is believed is unpopular, acutely so within the Arts and Humanities departments. One senior academic queried the current President’s vision for the college. And numerous faculty sources expressed there’s a widespread belief that Deeks is simply using UCD as a career stepping-stone to a more significant position in a UK university. As Deeks is the first non-internal university President to be appointed to UCD several academics outlined they find it difficult believing in his commitment to the college. The rising dissatisfaction among staff is represented in the low satisfaction survey scores for college ‘leadership’.

Another source said there was a circling criticism of President Deeks’ failure to deliver new capital projects when compared to his predecessor Hugh Brady. Prof Brady, who radically reorientated UCD’s priorities towards modernisation and staff research was also known for his ability to leverage philanthropy for campus projects. The new Student Centre, Sutherland Law School, and O’Brien Centre for Science were all built during the Brady term.

President Deeks in comparison has overseen the development of the 320-bed Ashfield bloc of student residences, and the Confucius Centre; the cost of which overran substantially to €10.2 million.

Turbine. p.30

Newman Building to be Left Fallow for a Year.

Tension have also been frayed between President Deeks and the academic lecturers over proposed changes that would remove Latin from UCD degree ceremonies. President Deeks at Academic Council last November pushed through changes to graduation ceremonies to remove Latin without a vote, in breach of the Council’s terms of reference to make decisions based on unanimity or the casting of votes. The much criticised decision by Deeks was raised at UCD’s Governing Authority in December, where a majority voted to put the decision back to UMT for a review.

The Tribune reported last month that the University Club, a private bar and restaurant for staff, alumni, and visiting guests is President Deeks’ ‘number one priority’. The VP for campus development Michael Monoghan revealed in a meeting Deeks’ list of favoured capital projects. The University Club, to be an extension onto O’Reilly Hall was his main priority.

The staff survey also found poor levels of university ‘accountability and performance management’. The report’s proposals to improve accountability included encouraging all colleagues and staff to be prepared ‘to confidently engage in regular, quality, developmental conversations with ongoing feedback that benefits both the individual and the university’. President Deeks concluded his email to staff by outlining he was looking ‘forward to working with you to address the areas for improvement identified by the survey to make UCD and even better place to work, learn and grow’.

Tech

p.31 Facebook Facing Pressure Over Policing Fake News.

Sport. p.34

The 1984 UCD AFC Team that Won the FAI Cup p.3

#UCDNEWS

Worrying Rise in Student Extenuating Circumstances ‘IX’ Requests over Mental Health Problems Jack Power Editor There has been a rise in the number of students citing mental health problems when requesting extenuating circumstances for academic exams and assignments.

The UCD Dean of Law, Professor Joseph McMahon has outlined that this year his school have seen a rise in extenuating circumstances (IX’s) requests over problems with mental health. He explained there has been a worrying increase ‘in the number of applications citing mental health and well-being as a reason’. McMahon has been in touch with the university Registrar Mark Rogers over the issue. ‘The matter was discussed during the examination meetings here in the School and I was asked, as Dean, to write to the Registrar’ McMahon outlined.

‘In tandem with this, the matter has been discussed at the Law Programme Board and it was agreed that the School should put together a programme in this area. I indicated to the Registrar that this programme would be complementary to the University's efforts in this area, which would include appropriate resourcing of the UCD Counselling Service’ McMahon explained.

UCD is currently beginning an extensive review of mental health services in the college. The review has been contracted out to the private consultancy firm Work Research Centre. The firm specialise in research and consultancy relating to social issues and organisational change.

Students’ Union welfare officer Roisin O’Mara said there was some initial trouble securing an external reviewer but it was eventually resolved. ‘I am meeting the external reviewer next week’ she said.

Speaking on her hopes from the review of existing services O’Mara stated ‘from the Welfare office, from my point of view, I’d like to see a really really good non-biased review of all services on campus. Not just the counselling service, the health service, but I’d like to see how staff members and academics deal with students [with mental health issues] and refer on students who are experiencing difficulty, and who they refer them to’ she said. ‘Anything we can put in place to make it a bit more streamlined. The waiting list could better be managed, we could better manage the service, we could better manage the referral service’ she concluded.

O’Mara confirmed that the SU have heard and experienced a rise in students seeking IX extenuating circumstances for reasons relating to mental health. ‘I’ve seen quite a lot of people perhaps needed to submit for IX in extenuating circumstances coming to me saying that they’ve been having mental health difficulties for awhile’ she said.. ‘I’m sure if it’s because we’re more comfortable talking about it, or because we are experiencing it more. There’s an argument that I really disagree with that it’s because this generation has everything handed to them on a plate that they’re not resilient at all. I think academics are starting to get concerned, and if academics are concerned the university will get concerned’ O’Mara stated. www.collegetribune.ie

Planned End of Term Ball with DIT ‘Not Ideal’ Replacement for Previous On-Campus Ball Cian Carton News Editor UCD Students’ Union is organising a new event to replace the UCD Ball, which is set to take place in Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Friday 28th April, the last day of semester 2. Paul Kilgallon, SU Entertainments Manager (ENTs), explained to the Tribune that the University Management Team (UMT), which is led by UCD President Andrew Deeks, last year ‘rejected plans to hold the UCD Ball on campus and made it very clear to the SU that the college did not want the event on the campus’. Since then he has been ‘searching for a feasible alternative’. Kilgallon stated ‘the solution I found is not ideal, but is a strong step in the right direction’.

The new project described by Kilgallon is titled ‘The Ball’, an event for all third level students. DIT Student’s Union has already been unveiled as an official partner for The Ball.

Kilgallon said he has ensured that UCD students are given preference with regards to the ticket allocation. He stated the licenced capacity for the event is 7,500. At present, DIT have been allocated 1,500 of these tickets. However, ‘should UCD require all of the remainder of the tickets, they will get them’.

Other current partners include radio station Spin 1038.

The UCD Ball has always been advertised as a UCD-only event, held on the last day of the second semester. Partnering with other universities marks a significance change for UCD ENTs. Kilgallon explained how this change was necessary with regard to two main factors, demand for the ball and its cost.

After 2 years with no official UCD Ball, the demand for some form of Ball has not fallen off. Since there is no chance of hosting it on campus, a location must be hired. According to Kilgallon, the ‘cost of the event is astronomical, so broadening the market only makes sense, especially in year one of a new event’. The joint-college event will look to challenge the

always popular Trinity Ball, held in their front square courtyard each year.

History of the UCD Ball The UCD Ball was traditionally the biggest event hosted by UCD Students’ Union and the SU ENTs team each year. The past few years have seen constant disputes between UCDSU, the UCD administration and the Gardaí over securing an event licence for the Ball on campus. In short, 2012 was the last year the event was held on campus. It was moved to the O2 Arena (now the 3 Arena) for 2013 and 2014 but attendance was disappointing. There was no official UCD Ball in 2015 and 2016.

Even when the UCD Ball was held on campus, problems arose.

The 2011 Ball was originally planned for the final Thursday of the semester. UCDSU initially cancelled the event following a dispute with the university authorities. The event licence was at the centre of the controversy. After a student campaign to save the event, it was re-scheduled for the Saturday 23rd April.

The dispute resulted in a reduction of tickets available at the time. Originally planned to accommodate 8,000 people, the Irish Times then reported it had to cut this back to 4,999 people in order for UCDSU to avoid having to get a new event licence.

The 2012 Ball, headlined by Professor Green, only went ahead on campus after UCDSU overcame several objections.

For Gardaí, the main concern is the safety risk associated with hosting such a large event on campus. Past instances of heavy drinking and UCD’s proximity to the N11 flyover have been cited as key problems. Previous licence grants required UCD to essentially shut down the campus to non-event traffic. The administration was unhappy as many people needed to access the campus on what was still a day in the academic teaching term, and the logistical problems due to the numerous entrances and points of access onto the Belfield campus.

Campaign Promises to Bring the Ball Back The move away from campus came at a considerable cost to UCDSU. Audited accounts from UCDSU for the financial year ended 30th June 2014 reveal the SU lost €121,148 hosting the 2014 event in the 02 Arena. The 2013 accounts saw UCDSU 0730

#UCDNEWS

UCD Move Towards Mandatory Laptops and De-Commission Computer Labs in Engineering Building receive €125,144 in income from the UCD Ball. That dropped to €70,245 for the 2014 financial year. While income from the Ball fell, student enthusiasm for the tradition remained.

Ex-UCDSU Presidents Fergal Hynes and Marcus O’Halloran both pledged to bring back the Ball during their election campaigns and viewed it as a key issue.

“

“University management last year ‘rejected plans to hold the UCD Ball on campus and made it very clear to the SU that the college did not want the event on the campus”

”

After unsuccessful attempts to hold the Ball during the 2014/2015 academic year, then SU President Feargal Hynes stated ‘we met as many key stakeholders as early as possible to find a way to host the ball on campus with our main priority being the safety of students. We felt that we had a strong argument when presenting an event management plan and other details to address the concerns of the Gardaí’. The statement marked a far cry from his campaign manifesto, which said, ‘getting the ball back on campus is #1 for me. I want to see 5,000 students, wellies, sunglasses, and smiles. I want to see the hottest acts from all over the world. I want that one day back, where UCD campus is like no other’. Similvvvarly, when on the campaign trail for President in early 2015, Marcus O’Halloran told the Tribune the ‘only place for the UCD Ball is on campus’ and that ‘holding it off campus is far too expensive’.

In contrast, current UCDSU President Conor Viscardi made far less noise about it during his campaign last year, saying he would look into the possibility of hosting a Ball on campus if students wanted one, when speaking at election hustings.

The return of an end of year Ball will likely be a big event for the Students’ Union and the Ents Crew, but an off-campus location is as in previous years going to find difficulty capturing the festival atmosphere from when the UCD Ball took over Belfield for the day.

14.02.2017

Alison Graham Senior Reporter Open-access computers in the Engineering building will be shut down this summer due to the high cost of replacing and upgrading the old stock of computers. Laptops are now being made mandatory for students in Engineering. The move was revealed at a recent meeting within the Engineering school, where it was noted there is a plan to remove the computers from ‘Eng 321 and possibly also from Newst F20’.

A briefing document from the meeting obtained by the Tribune laid out the plan in detail. It stated that ‘last summer three computer rooms were closed and the general trend is towards zero open-access computers across the campus’. In reaction to this, the Engineering IT committee proposed the introduction of a mandatory requirement that students bring a laptop, with the necessary hardware and software for their modules. This will require the school to ensure that all current and incoming students are made aware of this requirement and that the minimum hardware specification is publicised. A consultation is currently in progress to stipulate the necessary specifications. The committee also want to maintain a room where practical sessions with laptops can be run, and reference was made to Newst F20, which could be ‘fitted with necessary power and Ethernet outlets’.

Lexi Kilmartin, Students’ Union Education officer, called the plan to remove computer labs ‘a definite shame’. She added that IT services are not in a position to upgrade the computers

given their considerable funding constraints. She spoke of how certain schools such as Engineering decided to sacrifice their computer labs in order to use the rooms to increase teaching space. Kilmartin linked the issue to the SU’s general campaign this year for an increase in higher education funding ‘to tackle problems such as the underfunding of IT and library services as well as certain academic units’.

‘The general trend is towards zero open-access computers across the campus’ UCDSU are working on increasing the provision of loanable laptops as the removal of the computer labs will require all Engineering students to purchase their own suitable laptops.

They are also trying to find discounts and offers on laptops that satisfy the hardware and software requirements of such courses. Along with this, Kilmartin said they are working alongside the IT services to make the current software required for these courses, such as Microsoft Office 2016 and Sophos Antivirus, available for free to download on Apple Macintosh OS and Windows computers. UCD’s IT Services offer recommendations for buying a new suitable laptop on UCD IT Services website.

#UCDNEWS

How the Alt-Right Use and Abuse History, and What that Can Tells Us Jack Power Editor The alt-right is hard to define as a movement, born on the internet, known more for its mix of sarcasm, trolling, and vitriolic hate than for what it actually believes in. But a look at how the movement uses history for its current political aims can tell us something about the phenomenon.

The alt-right is fascinated by European history, and draws on their own interpretation of the past to try back up their political opinions on race and immigration. Key periods they like focus to on include the Crusades, the contested history of Irish ‘slaves’ in the Caribbean, and even the Ulster plantation.

Sites like Breitbart, the Daily Stormer, Return of the Kings, and corners of reddit and 4chan make up the most popular ‘news’ sources for those of the alt-right. But several influential sites like the Atlantic Centurion, Alternative-Right, Counter Currents and the Right Stuff look to bring a pseudo-intellectualism to the movement. It’s in those more sophisticated spaces where the alt-right has been trying to use history to find various justifications for their current political ‘white nationalist’ beliefs.

The Crusades From 1095 onwards European armies and knights led a series of wars, aimed at expanding into the East and taking back the city of Jerusalem from Muslim control, following a call to arms from Pope Urban II. The alt-right have attempted to whitewash the wars, as one where noble European knights went to fight a just and holy war against an ‘aggressive’ and intolerant

Muslim empire in the East. Painting the medieval Islamic empires of the time as violent allows them to draw a comparison to current Islam as the same. The efforts to re-write the Crusades as a necessary war caused by Muslim aggression and expansion has no basis in fact however argues UCD medieval historian Dr Conor Kostick.

Dr Kostick, who lectures in UCD and specialises in the history of the Crusades stated that in fact Islamic rule at the time was much more tolerant than the Christian territories of Europe. ‘For centuries after its conquest

by Islam in 637, Jerusalem was multi-cultural, with scholars and worshippers of the three major religions all living there’ he said.

When the European Crusaders captured the city of Jerusalem in 1099, ‘one of the greatest massacres of the medieval period took place with as many as forty thousand Muslims and Jewish people being killed men, women and children were all slaughtered to purge the city of its former non-Christian inhabitants’ Dr Kostick explains. ‘By contrast, when Saladin retook the city for Islam in 1187, he ensured there was no massacre, no reprisals’.

Trying to justify and romanticise the violent period in Western European history by claiming it was a defensive war fought against an aggressive Muslim empire has no historical basis. ‘No contemporary saw crusading as the act of freedom fighters wanting to save Europe from Islamic totalitarianism’ he said.

Above The contested city of Jerusalem.

Irish Slaves The historical myth of the ‘Irish slaves’ was entirely born, spread, and popularised by the alt-right as a meme online, and frequently appears in online sites comment sections.

During the Cromwellian period in Ireland around the 1650s up to 10,000 Irish were deported to the West Indies and the Caribbean to work. These included defeated Irish soldiers, and also women and children.

Liam Hogan is one historian who has

Aside Alt-Right Campaigner Richard Spencer

www.collegetribune.ie

routinely rebutted the myth that these Irish were slaves.

Clarifying that those sent from Ireland to the Caribbean were ‘indentured servants’ who were contracted to work for a set period of time before they could be freed, and enjoyed much more rights than African slaves. He says the myth that ‘Irish slaves’ were treated worse than slaves taken from Africa is not just ‘bad history’ but calculated propaganda. The myth he says has been part of a constant ‘disinformation campaign which grossly exaggerates the numbers, timeframe, and scope of this single decade’ and tries to use it belittle the near four centuries of the African chattel slave trade in the US. Dr Eamonn O’Ciardha, an Ulster University historian says that there was evidence of Irish being exported to the West Indies as indentured servants. But ‘no professional historian is going to make a comparison’ between those Irish and the four centuries of African American slave trade.

Liam Hogan argues that the alt-right love the Irish slaves myth as they can and regularly do use the false history to de-legitimise past African American institutional suffering under slavery. ‘It allows them to derail and mock discussions about racialised chattel slavery’ and dismiss addressing the legacy of historical racism in the US Hogan explained.

The Ulster Plantation But the myth or hyperbole of the Irish slaves isn’t the only chapter of Irish history the alt-right have sought to twist to make a current political point. The history of the Ulster plantation features in alt-right arguments against immigration.

The Ulster plantation of the 17th century was the settling of English and Scottish colonists or ‘planters’ who were granted confiscated Gaelic lords land. The unionist tradition in Northern Ireland traces its history to the plantation of Ulster.

The successful plantation of Ulster, evident in the survival of the unionist community in the North is held up as a sign of potential things to come for ‘white America’ alt-right blogs like the Atlantic Centurion claim. This reading of history is used to try prove the alt-right’s insecurity of a coming ‘white genocide’. The conspiratorial and racist theory that non-white immigration, racial integration and the inter-marriage of different races is leading to the extinction of the pure white American population. The theory poses that the ‘liberal elites’ in the media and politics are aware of this, and complicit in white ‘race suicide’ by supporting non-white immigration and racial integration.

Dr Eamonn O’Ciardha has published work on the Ulster plantation, he stated that while the alt-right can pick out several truths and facts from its history, the use of the references quickly lose any validity when crudely plastered onto modern political issues. To try compare the Ulster plantation to modern immigration and to try draw conclusions is just a ‘false equivalence’ and historically worthless O’Ciardha claimed.

Studying the alt-right’s use and abuse of history shows a troubling selective relationship to facts, evidence and empirical truth. Their political language is characterised by false equivalences and argumentative sleight of hand. All of which should give mainstream media pause for thought on how exactly they engage with the growing political phenomenon.

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Politics.

Donations from Local TD and Councillor coincide with UCD Young Fine Gael Election Canvassing Oísin McCann Politics Editor UCD Young Fine Gael have been found to be in receipt of donations from prominent local representatives coinciding both with the last round of local and general elections. The Tribune can reveal TD Josepha Madigan made a €100 donation to the UCD society in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

Before the 2014 local elections local councillor John Kennedy also donated €100 to the branch. UCD YFG canvassed for both candidates in their election campaigns following the donations.

Society Council chair Eoghan Murphy has said while there is no rules against making donations to college societies, the money given to UCD YFG by the two politicians was ‘most likely was a way of saying thanks for canvassing during the election’.

UCD YFG chairperson Walter Burke has denied claims that the branch accepted any financial remuneration in exchange for active support of Cllr Kennedy and Deputy Madigan.

Speaking to the College Tribune, Walter said ‘most people were behind [TD Alan] Shatter … From my role as Public Relations Officer on the committee last year there was never any arrangement within the committee to canvass for any candidate for money. Any donation which is received comes from the individual wanting to make a donation themselves and is documented in our accounts as required’. Pressed further about the branches involvement in this and other campaigns, Burke explained how UCD YFG were actively involved in the electioneering in all localities surrounding UCD, including Dublin Bay South and Dún Laoghaire.

“There was never any arrangement within the committee to canvass for an annual mock Dáil, weekly society meetings and a panel discussion on climate change. Basic grant appliany candidate for money” cations are made by societies to the societies’ council

Left Excerpt from UCD YFG Basic Grant 15/16 Application

www.collegetribune.ie

Despite help from UCD YFG in canvassing and leafleting local election candidate John Kennedy was not elected in 2014. But Fine Gael performed strongly in the Stillorgan ward, winning one third of seats in the constituency with a convincing mandate. The two seats went to councillors Barry Saul and Josepha Madigan, who were elected on the first and second count respectively. Mr. Kennedy was unsuccessful during his campaign, finishing tenth in the election.

During the 2016 general election UCD YFG also canvassed for Fine Gael candidate Josepha Madigan, who made a €100 gift to the society earlier that academic year. Despite former Justice minister Alan Shatter being the sitting TD and Madigan only being a county councillor, there are several social media photos of UCD YFG canvassing for Madigan. Josepha Madigan was successful in 2016 and was elected to the Dáil, ahead of Alan Shatter who controversially lost his seat. John Kennedy was then co-opted onto the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county council by Madigan to fill her vacant seat.

The politician donations to the society were revealed in the UCD Young Fine Gael’s society report 2015, obtained by the Tribune. The grant report outlined details of events held by Young Fine Gael over the 2013/14 and 15/16 period which included multiple trips to Leinster House and trips abroad to Lisbon and Madrid. Other more low-key events included

when a group are seeking yearly funding.

The branch reported an end of year balance for the 2015/16 season of just under €3,000, which has been brought forward to the current term. A total profit for the previous year was recorded at €601, with expenditure for the season costed at €2,186.

This year the society it is believed registered 200 members (taking in €404 during Freshers’ Week at €2 a member). This is a drop from the €612 in membership fees taken from members the year before last, signalling around a membership of 300.

Costs for the 2014 year included a gift for Minister Leo Varadkar, travel expenses for former society chairperson Richard Looby, the deposit for their annual society trip abroad, and a cost of €284 for their AGM. Anticipated spending outlined at the start of this year was €1,202, with the vast bulk of expenditure being planned to be put towards a trip abroad to Lisbon costing €800.

Speaking to the chair of the UCD Societies Council, Eoghan Murphy, it was detailed that very little regulation is actually in place when it comes to societies in UCD taking donations, with the majority of the obligation on societies rather than the university.

Speaking with the College Tribune, Murphy highlighted that the university is under no particular responsibility to regulate the funding of a society unless ‘a student or society were to become influenced by the wrong people’.

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Politics.

Barricades and Loudspeakers:

Paul Murphy claims Stage is Set for a Left Wing Resurgence in UCD Campus Politics Tribune editor Jack Power sits down with Anti-Austerity TD Paul Murphy, to talk about student politics and activism during his time in UCD, the state of the left nationally, and why he feels the right to protest in Ireland is under threat.

‘I went into university in 2001, and it was the beginning in terms of an upsurge in activism in society generally, and that was reflected in university. You had the anti-globalisation movement, the anti-war movement in 2003, we sent up the Socialist Party society. In 2002 and 2003 you had the threat of the re-introduction of fees, and that lead to a relative explosion of student activism’. Murphy recalls how senior minister like Fianna Fáil’s Noel Dempsey and Progressive Democrat Michael McDowell faced serious protests when they visited UCD back then.

UCD Student Union Days The campaign to fight government plans to raise fees was the CFE (Campaign for Free Education). ‘The government were met by a strong student movement that knocked back plans to re-introduce full fees for higher education’ Murphy says.

‘On the back of that movement the Students’ Union shifted to the left’ Murphy explained. In 2003 Paul Murphy ran for SU President, but lost to Labour candidate Paul Dillion.

UCD’s Aidan Regan ran uncontested for deputy President on a left wing platform the same year. ‘When there’s not much happening and people aren’t involved then the right wing generally have control of the Union, it becomes very clique-ish, and very service provision based as opposed to campaigns-based’. But that cosy or apathetic SU inertia can quickly change when students are faced with real threats from politicians on a national stage Murphy said.

When you get more ideologically right wing candidates in the SU you also tend to get more anti-USI sentiment Murphy said. He recalls that back in his day Aonghas Hourihan, the Fianna Fáil SU President in 2002 tried to run a campaign to disaffiliate UCD from the national Union of Students in Ireland, but was unsuccessful. ‘Students across the country have absolutely common interests, it’s important to be in a national union. The argument to re-affiliate is strong, but it’s obviously up to the students of UCD to decide. It weakens that national approach to be fragmented’.

A strong collective student body is going to be needed to put up a fight against any attempted introduction of a student loan scheme Murphy felt. ‘An issue for the student movement and mobilising people is the immediacy of the attack’. So it’s going to come into focus again very clearly if this current government attempts to bring in a loan scheme to pay for higher education Murphy claimed.

14.02.2017

‘They can continue to underinvest in our education system’. The government’s strategy Murphy thinks, is to ignore the funding crisis in higher education until breaking point and then use that crisis as an excuse to rush in a loan scheme. ‘Education from primary, to post-primary, to third-level has to be properly funded, and it’s currently underfunded’ the TD stated.

Fragmented Left Speaking on traditional fragmentation of the left wing polity in Ireland Murphy said that Irish politics is in a transformative period. ‘The centre is collapsing. In Ireland you have a longer term secular decline of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that goes back decades, and is speeded up dramatically by the crisis. We’re part way through a process of the re-shaping of the political landscape. There isn’t going to be some massive recovery by the establishment parties. I think either way that points towards more and more space existing on the left’.

‘There is a consentient poll trend of the AAA-PBP overtaking the Labour Party, I think that’s something that’s happening. I think the question is whether we can take further initiatives to build that broader left. The question is can a relatively cohesive, coherent left come together in the form of a new movement or a party, which will have different people, different parties’.

I pushed Murphy on the failure of the radical left to be able to compromise effectively even within itself. The merger of convenience between the Anti-Austerity Alliance and People Before Profit hasn’t been within ideological frictions. ‘The fortunes of the left to come together is often quite tied to the state of movements outside the Dáil’ he responded. ‘You could say look at the Greens, or look at the Labour Party and say look how great they are at compromise. But fundamentally that’s because they’re parties without any principles whatsoever’.

The principles of a new left Murphy stated should at the bare minimum be based on an opposition to entering coalition with the right, and an opposition to austerity.

Jobstown and the Right to Protest Paul Murphy is set to stand trial for charges of false imprisonment over a protest that held up then Minister Joan Bruton’s car in Jobstown for over two hours. The trial, which will be in the Circuit Court is set for April 24th, seventeen others are facing false imprisonment charges over the demonstration.

‘I think it was totally justified, it was an angry working class community who had been devastated by the Labour Party, and betrayed by the Labour Party, it was an area that had historically voted for the Labour Party. Was it a perfect protest? – No. It was spontaneous, it wasn’t an organised protest’.

‘A lot of people don’t understand the significance of what is posed. If people don’t feel fully comfortable with what happened, that’s fine. But they need to consider what we’re charged with, we’re not charged with public order offences. No one has ever been charged with false imprisonment before in the history of this state for participation in a protest. If we are found guilty of false imprisonment, people go to jail for a long time. So the scale of this, is a very very severe attempt to criminalise protest. It would represent a massive miscarriage of justice, and it would make Ireland one of the most restrictive countries in Western Europe in terms of protest’.

‘In my opinion it is such a severe attack on civil liberties, that anyone that wants to protest or may want to protest in the future needs to get behind the Jobstown Not Guilty campaign. Because it’s not hyperbole to say that what is under threat is the right to protest. You have a weak government, their traditional political certainties are falling down around them, and a message has gone out that protest can work, that massive civil disobedience can work. And I think they see this as a way to send a message to people’.

UCD Students’ Union has been in a cycle of marked de-politicisation, highlighted by the lack of any actual position on student fees in over a year. But Murphy and many other’s experience of student politics back in the early 2000s shows that if a student loan scheme is proposed student activism could very much make a comeback to UCD.

p.9

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Features.

Myth Busting and Fact Finding

The Abortion Debate There has been criticism leveled at the Repeal campaign in recent months saying that there isn’t a clear message for what comes after repealing the 8th amendment.

Features editor Rachel O’Neill outlines what is the 8th amendment, what would happen after its ‘repeal’, and what are the possible options for legislation to amend or give access to abortion services in Ireland.

In what will be a dogmatic and partisan national debate in the case of a referendum on the issue, it’s important to get the facts straight.

What is the 8th amendment?

The 8th amendment or Article 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution states that:‘The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right’.

It equates life of the unborn foetus with the life of the mother and is one of the major reasons why abortion is illegal in Ireland. It has been amended since then to allow people to access information about abortion and to travel for an abortion.

In 2013 the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was introduced after the high-profile death of Savita Halappanavar who died after complications from a septic miscarriage.

She was denied an abortion even though the child would not survive outside the womb.

This act lays out under what circumstances an abortion can be performed and these are, a risk to the women’s life from physical illness.

A risk of loss of life from physical illness in an emergency, or a risk of loss of life from suicide.

Has abortion ever been legal in Ireland?

No. Abortion was outlawed in both the UK and Ireland through the 1861 ‘Offences Against the Person’ Act. This was later overturned in the UK in 1967 where abortion is now legal up to 24 weeks. Abortion remains illegal in Northern Ireland unless there is a severe risk to the mother’s life. These laws were amended in Ireland by the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act in 2013. A woman 14.02.2017

who if found to have procured an abortion illegally in Ireland risks a 14-year jail sentence.

What happens if we repeal the 8th?

The repeal of the 8th amendment does not decriminalise abortion as the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act of 2013 would still be in effect. Its removal would not provide free access to abortion services by itself. Its repeal simply means that it would be removed from the Constitution and it would then be up to the government or court system (or both) to decide on legislation around abortion services in Ireland.

The legislation would be decided by the Dáil and the Seanad. The courts system would decide if the legislation designed is constitutional or not. For example, it would be possible that once the 8th amendment is repealed, the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act could be struck down as it would violate the equality provisions which are set out in our Constitution.

Why has the United Nations criticised Ireland’s abortion laws?

In June 2016, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee called Ireland’s treatment of

Amanda Mellet ‘cruel, inhuman or degrading’. Ms Mellet filed a complaint to the UN after she was forced to travel aboard for an abortion at 21 weeks when she was informed that the foetus would die in the womb or shortly after being born. The state was ordered to compensate her and ensure she got all the psychological treatment that she may need.

In July 2014, it was found by the same UN committee that Ireland’s abortion laws violate human rights.

The bare minimum as recognised by most countries is abortion in the cases of rape, incest or where the foetus could not survive outside the womb (this is also referred to as a fatal foetal informality).

What is a fatal foetal abnormality?

This is a medical term given to a foetus who is suffering from a condition whereby it is incompatible with life outside the womb (i.e. it most likely won’t survive after birth). It is not a certainty that the foetus will not survive and there have been cases where an FFA has been diagnosed and the foetus has survived.

Down’s Syndrome is not considered a fatal foetal abnormality.

Example of FFA Anencephaly

This is a condition where the foetus is missing a large/major part of the brain, skull and scalp. It can occur in 1 out of every 10,000 births in the US. If the foetus was to be born, it is highly unlikely it would survive.

There have been cases where children born with this disease have lived for up to a week post birth and four recorded cases where the child has survived for longer than a year.

What is the main message of the Repeal Campaign?

The campaign wishes to remove the autonomy or control of women’s bodies from the Irish Constitution.

The campaign has many voices and they have differing opinions on what comes after repeal. Ultimately this decision will come down to the Dáil and Seanad, in the case of a referendum successfully favouring repeal.

What is the main message of the Save the 8th campaign?

The pro-life campaign to retain the 8th amendment argues that any liberalisation of Ireland’s abortion laws will be a slippery slope. They argue against moves to allow abortion in the cases of rape, incest, or fatal foetal abnormalities, and view the unborn life as equal to the life of the mother. p.11

Features.

Anna

An Interview With,

Cosgrave

FOUNDER OF THE

REPEAL PROJECT

REPEAL

www.collegetribune.ie

Features editor Rachel O’Neill sits down with founder of the Repeal project Anna Cosgrave to talk about her Repeal jumpers and their impact, and how students can both be and invoke the change they want to see in the world.

2016

marked a change in both global and Irish politics in both positive and negative ways. From an Irish perspective many candidates running for election last February faced more questions about the 8th amendment and the campaign to repeal it than ever before. This increase in momentum for the movement has been brought about in a number of ways but none more tangible than the Repeal Project. The project was the idea of Anna Cosgrave who at the beginning of all this, was on jobseeker’s allowance and had no idea just how popular and powerful the jumpers and the message they send would be.

We start by talking about Anna as a teenager. She had grown up with an aversion to what she feels is a patriarchal society and realised quite early on that she was uncomfortable with roles and expectations that were placed on her as a result of her gender. ‘I was always acutely aware of feminism. I didn’t understand the word but I always knew I felt this unease at how I was told to act and what was expected of me both culturally and economically’. Anna studied sociology in Trinity, and it was there that she faced more exposure to the toxic effects of the 8th Amendment, during the much publicised death of Savita Halappanavar. She cites this, along with prominent pro-choice activists Gloria Steinhem and Colm O’Gorman as a culmination of things that led to the creation of the Repeal project in her mind. She describes an event where she met Steinhem who was wearing a shirt that read ‘I had an abortion’ and it was as if a sudden realisation had hit home.

0730

Features.

Roots of the Repeal Project ‘I’ve never met someone or they’ve never told me that they had an abortion’ and then I said ‘am I unique in this situation?’.

Then I realised ‘Oh hold on a second, we’re talking about the most deeply entrenched, religious, paternalistic, misogyny that permeates every façade of Irish life’. With 12 women a day travelling to the UK to access reproductive health, it’s increasingly likely everyone actually knows someone who has had an abortion.

It is that passion for organic, grassroots-led change that Anna Cosgrave embodies. She is a perfect example of an ordinary citizen doing something extraordinary and creating a movement that is far bigger than herself. She believes that it’s vital we move the debate offline and into the streets. ‘I want to make gender equality issues really, really accessible. I wanted people that otherwise felt nervous about the political and academic rhetoric around reproductive rights to be able to wear a jumper and be like I care without having any of the linguistics or technical terms’.

Giving tools to people to enable them to talk about such a controversial topic is quite important and extends further than just the repeal campaign. She acknowledges the importance of intersectionality within activism and feminism as a whole. ‘I know I would rather spend my time empowering young working class girls to be champions of feminism in their communities and equality versus me being their champion’. She emphasises the point that we need to be active in many contexts and subjects without shouting over others. The importance of bringing people to the table instead of presenting empty rhetoric and deciding what they want or need rather than asking them cannot be ignored. It applies to direct provision, racism, cultural identity and traveller’s rights to name but a few causes.

Broadening the Conversation The importance of recognising that we need to reach everyone in this conversation cannot be overstated and to me it feels like the Repeal Project is doing that. Seeing the jumpers over and over again normalises conversations about abortion and the topics surrounding it. That can be huge for someone who may not have felt comfortable with the topic previously. Anna explains how important the organic nature of the movement was in the beginning. ‘I was just really cautious in terms of celebrity and digital influencers because I naturally had an aversion to that. I was more interested in meeting women that had travelled than talking to bloggers or any of that’.

When questioned on the future of the project, Anna admits that there isn’t a plan per se. ‘I’ve never run something like this before, I’ve absolutely no clue and there’s no marketing plan’.

The fact that there isn’t a plan is quite reassuring almost as it ensures the organic nature of the whole movement. It’s obvious that this organic nature is incredibly important to Anna and sums up the whole idea of the project.

‘I feel that someone who is wearing a jumper, they’re also going to hopefully feel mobilised enough to be a canvasser and I love that maybe a jumper could have motivated someone to canvass might also ask a friend. It is fundraising and visibility but I hopefully will be able to galvanise people just to help run a proper referendum campaign’.

Anna admits that the project has grown exponentially bigger than she could have predicted. She recounts the day of shooting

14.02.2017

“

I want to make gender equality issues really, really accessible

”

of Dave Tynan’s video ‘We Face This Land’ which was based on the poem written by author and columnist Sarah Maria Griffin.

The video which was shot on Dollymount beach in the early hours of the morning shows women such as Roísín Ingle, Tara Flynn, Senator Lynn Ruane and others reading out the poem while wearing the jumpers. It is striking and emotional to say the least. Anna describes the emotion of what the Repeal Project had achieved so far felt like on that day. ‘I remember arriving on the beach and there was like Roisin Ingle and Ailbhe Smyth and all these people who I’ve grown up kind of reading or admiring or being a bit nervous around and all of a sudden it’s this thing that’s far bigger than you’. The video went viral and is a stark reminder of the stigma faced by those who obtain an abortion on an everyday basis.

Common opposition to campaigns such as Repeal Project is online trolling and harassment. Surprisingly, it’s not the trolling that gets to Anna but the frustrating reality we’re actually living in. ‘I think a thing that’s more deflating and frustrating is that this is 2017 and this is actually still a reality and this is going to take quite a while for change to happen’. It’s clear that both her and many, many others are disenfranchised with modern politics and the posturing and egos that get in the way of real change. I asked if she’d ever consider politics as a career and she admits it’s crossed her mind; ‘I realise that maybe, potentially there could be a place for me in more formalised politics but there was no conventional route where I would have been happy, I just had to do it myself’.

Students and Repeal Doing it ourselves is something students have become accustomed to in recent years. Young people in Ireland have become disenfranchised with politics as a whole and it’s not hard to see why. Policies that directly impact students within the country such as a rising registration fees and lack of access to mental health care services have caused many to question how much the government cares about us. ‘There generally is a consensus that we have been given a really short end of the straw, there isn’t equal opportunity to access education. If we look at our parents’ generation, what we’re being dealt with post-economic crisis is farcical. I think there could be a Renaissance of student protesting and activism’.

That Renaissance may have begun when thousands of students took to the streets in October 2016 to protest the lack of funding in third level education. Young people are to the forefront of many repeal the 8th movements as well. I ask her how students can mobilise themselves to incite change within our own political system. ‘I think you need to think that you can and believe that change is only ever come from the bottom, it just takes a tiny ripple’. The take home message from Anna Cosgrave is as simple as the message on her jumpers; ‘If you care enough about something you have to do it’.

So, what final pieces of advice does Anna have for us students?

‘Honestly ringing your local politician or taking up clinic time or actually sending them a letter, that kind of direct action over time collectively makes a difference. That’s one thing about universities, campuses are big enough to have an impact, [but] they’re small enough that you can actually make change. Also I think when you’re in college you haven’t had the idea that you can change the world beaten out of you’.

p.13

Music.

Preview:

RTÉ Choice Music Prize 2017 Music editor Aoileann Kennedy takes a look at this year’s Choice Music Prize nominees ahead of the awards this March.

Ireland’s answer to the Mercury Prize, the Choice Music Prize return this March in Vicar Street, and for the first in its nearly eleven year history, the show will be broadcast live on 2FM. The awards are aiming to get more airplay for Irish music, both at home and abroad, a goal which is especially relevant given December’s failed Broadcast Amendment Bill. The Bill sought to force Irish radio stations to dedicate 40% of their airtime to Irish music and proved to be highly controversial, failing to get anything close to the support needed to be added to the statute book.

The awards focus on two aspects: Irish Album of the Year and Irish Song of the Year. The final shortlist for Irish Album of the Year has been whittled down to ten, and features records from established artists The Divine Comedy and Lisa Hannigan, both of whom having a string of critically acclaimed albums under their belts.

After a stellar year, newcomers All Tvvins are nominated for the first time for their album IIVV, as are We Cut Corners for their album ‘The Cadence of Others’. The winner of album of the year will be selected by a panel of judges, who make their choice based solely on the music without factoring in sales or airplay. This year, the award for Song of the Year is up for public vote. Nominees include Raglans and Heroes in Hiding, both of whom brought Workman’s to their feet with electrifying performances of their self-released singles, ‘Who Knows’ and ‘Hospital’ on the award launch night.

Other nominees include James Vincent McMorrow, Picture This, Walking On Cars and Niall Horan, who’s debut solo effort ‘This Town’ was a surprise critical hit towards the end of last year. It will be interesting to see if nominees Picture This can capitalise on the huge amount of airplay their single ‘Take My Hand’ received over the year and take home the award. Voting is open from now until March 5th, with the awards taking place in Vicar Street on the 9th of March. Tickets for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize are €26.50 and are available on ticketmaster.ie.

“

The Vietnam War era saw a surge in musicians using their platform to protest, as did the Civil Rights movement spearheaded by Dr Martin Luther King and others.

” M

usic and politics have always gone together. Artists have always used their work to protest and to heighten our awareness of social injustice, anger and oppression. ‘Strange Fruit’ by Billie Holiday protested the horrific racism endured by African Americans at a time when lynchings had reached a peak in the Southern states. Traditional Irish music is synonymous with protest, from the Wolfe Tones, to the Cranberries. Even the national anthem is rooted in protest music.

In Britain The Clash and the Sex Pistols rose to fame by using their music to protest Thatcherism, race, social conformity and the Crown. Towards the end of their career together, The Beatles began voicing their anti-war views, with John Lennon being especially vocal. His songs ‘Imagine’ and ‘Give Peace a Chance’ are both regarded as anthems of the anti-war movement.

For many, the era most synonymous with protest music is the Vietnam War era from the late 1950s until the 1970s. Bob Dylan famously used his music to tap into what an entire generation was feeling during that time, with ‘Masters of War’ often

Progress

Albums in Review Adam Bielenberg Music Writer

www.collegetribune.ie

Sampha

Power to The People

The History of the Protest Song

With more and more protests and public anger being directed at the establishment, Music editor Aoileann Kennedy takes a brief look at the history of the protest song.

Above Oct 26th 1967, famous antiwar protest image.

regarded as the best protest song ever written. The final question posed in his 1963 song ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, ‘how many deaths will it take till he knows, that too many people have died’ captures the growing anger and outrage at the casualties of war, and the growing social movement of pacifism and hippie culture. ‘The Times They Are-a-Changin’ perfectly encapsulates that shift from conservatism and repression to a freer, youth orientated culture, which openly ques-

tioned the validity of war and military intervention.

The Vietnam War era saw a surge in musicians using their platform to protest, as did the Civil Rights movement spearheaded by Dr Martin Luther King and others.

From its genesis in New York in the late 70s, rap music has always been a vehicle for political protest. ‘The Message’ by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is one of the earliest examples of rappers using their music to shed light on the reality

CT Rating 6/10

After an impressive series of collaborations spanning over five years, it is safe to say that Sampha’s debut LP is long overdue. The quality of Progress has made it worth the wait. The combination of Sampha’s foggy register and the interminable range of noises on this record make this well worth every second of your time. The atmospheric opener ‘Plastic 100˚C’ is a glimpse into Sampha’s mind – you can hear the fragility seeping from his words. There is sadness and a paranoia at different points of this record and a sense of urgency is present on almost

every track. A strikingly intimate moment is Sampha’s poignant tribute to his late mother ‘(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano’.

Although the densely layered production makes the album lean towards being convoluted, it never goes far enough to a have detrimental effect. ‘Reverse Faults’ is fuelled by flickering synths and rhythmic shifts while the bass-heavy ‘Under’ boasts bouncing echoes and accordion notes.

There are just so many avenues to explore in Progress, making it the best album of 2017 so far.

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Music.

In the Name of Love: 5 of the Greatest Modern Love Songs Muireann O’Shea Music Writer

Take Me Home

Jess Glynne 'Would you take the wheel, if I lose control? If I’m lying here, will you take me home?'

This piano driven ballad was wornout by radio plays at the end of 2015, but this has yet to taint its status as an immaculate pop song. Glynne’s stunning soul voice manages to exude both grandeur and fragility, as she sings of being exposed and finding complete safety in another person.

Though Glynne has admitted that she is no longer on speaking terms with the ex-girlfriend that she wrote her entire debut album about, the song still retains it’s beauty.

Business

Catfish and the Bottlemen

of life in urban America, a reality which went ignored under the Reagan and Nixon administrations. It gives you a glimpse at the hopelessness and abandonment felt by those living in a rapidly decaying and worsening urban landscape, and at their anger towards the establishment. Public Enemy’s ‘Fight The Power’ is a rallying call to action, demanding that the marginalised communities stand up and reclaim their power from the establishment. N.W.A‘s ‘F*ck Tha

Police’, which caused outrage when it was released, protests the racial profiling, intimidation and brutality of the LAPD, and managed to incur the wrath of the FBI. N.W.A consistently used their music to reflect the reality of their neighbourhoods and the injustice and marginalisation faced by those living in the black neighbourhoods of South LA. 21st century artists haven’t exactly been shy about expressing their political opinions either. The Black

Eyed Peas ‘Where is the Love?’, The Gossip’s ‘Standing In The Way of Control’, and Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ are all overtly political. Green Day used their music to call out US President George W. Bush and the Iraq war with ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ and ‘American Idiot’.

As the Trump presidency, Brexit, the Syrian Refugee crisis and the homelessness crisis here continue, I can only imagine that the voices of dissent will only get louder.

SweetSexySavage Kehlani

14.02.2017

An Audience with the Pope

These Words

Elbow

Natasha Bedingfield

'I have an audience with the Pope and I’m saving the world at eight, but if she says she needs me, everybody’s gonna to have to wait.'

This is an ode to infatuation, a song that lead singer Guy Garvey described, quite fittingly, as 'a Bond theme, if Bond was from Bury and a recovering Catholic.' He croons of what it’s like to be intoxicated by a femme fatale, to sacrifice lives for your adoration. Lyrically, it borders on pretentious, but is saved by it’s intriguing musical landscape. This track sketches desire in such a captivating way, that it is one of the many reasons why Elbow’s uncategorizable brand of alt-rock deserves greater acclaim.

‘These words are my own, from my heart flow, I love you.’

This infectious noughties pop song was borne of label pressure on Bedingfield to write ‘a hit’. The resulting lyrics describe the struggle of writer’s block, as she finally comes to the conclusion that there is no better way to say I love you, than simply saying it. There is some irony to be found in that fact that her song about not being able to write a classic, became an anthem. Yes, It features all the tropes of cliché and ridiculed pop songs; repetition, careless rhyming and an outdated drum beat, and yet you can’t help but adore it’s sweetly simple declaration of love.

Little Fictions

Elbow CT Rating 7/10

CT Rating 7/10

2016 was a bumper year for breakout female RnB artists with NAO, NoName and Jamila Woods coming to the fore. America’s Got Talent graduate Kehlani looks to follow suit with her first studio album. She takes on the multiple personas evoked in the title here, shifting between badass and bellicose, hip-hop style tunes and fluffy, poppy ballads.

There is no shortage of ambition here and you can’t help feel Kehlani would take her place amongst her contem-

‘I wanna make you my business, I wanna tolerate drunk you, honey.’ This Welsh rock band could easily become the voice of today’s twenty somethings. Across two albums, lead singer Van McCann has stuck closely to the lyrical theme of romantic relationships. On this track in particular, the lyrical imagery of social smoking, late night phone calls and reluctantly putting up with his girlfriend’s friends resonates with the idea of modern romance more than ever. As for the Irish youth, there may be no greater declaration of love than to say that you want to look after someone all the time, even when they’re absolutely plastered.

3005

Childish Gambino ‘No matter what you say or what you do, when I’m alone I’d rather be with you.’ Donald Glover a.k.a.

Childish Gambino is now a triple threat of the music, acting and screenwriting worlds. Glover has insisted that this track is a love song for anything, not necessarily a person. The chorus line seems explicit in his new commitment to fidelity, or a particular ambition, the rap verses are introspective and melancholy; nothing in life is providing assurance or security, except for the person or object of his affection. It manages to incorporate the greatest elements of the hip hop genre, while still remaining accessible to the wider audience. This single alone gained Glover Grammy nominations and rejuvenated his career, proving that this endearing love song is a treasure of modern hip hop.

poraries with some tweaks. SweetSexySavage contains too many irksome hooks and basic lyrics to develop into an interesting listen. It is when Kehlani takes her hand at hard-hitting tracks that she falls flat. The gentler moments are the more memorable (‘Advice’, ‘Piece of Mind’).

She sings ‘I’m still way too young’ on ‘Do U Dirty’. At age 21, Kehlani is still just beginning. Therefore, SweetSexySavage is less a fully realised triumph and more a showcase of potential.

There were those who were growing tired of Elbow’s formula, but Elbow’s latest release Little Fictions feels like an attempt to reconcile with those who doubted them. It’s bright, buoyant and a touch optimistic.

Two clear highlights come early on the track list – ‘Magnificent (She Says)’ where Guy Garvey’s crew sound upbeat and achingly beautiful – and the subtler, shuffling ‘Trust the Sun’ which is an archetypal Elbow number. p.15 p.15

Make Up.

The College Tribune teams up with Charlotte Tilbury for a special Valentines Day shoot.

Creative Directors: Niamh Cavanagh & George Hannaford Photography: George Hannaford Model: Erica O’Beirne Make-up Artist & Hair: Grainne Duffy - Brown Thomas Make-up Assistant: Nicola Bowers - Brown Thomas Makeup Brand: Charlotte Tilbury - Brown Thomas

Charlotte’s Magic Cream Light Wonder Foundation Goddess Skin Clay Mask Wonderglow Face Primer Beach Stick in Moon Beach

6am

Beach Stick in Las Salinas Eyes to Mesmerise in Jean Legendary Brown Gel in Clear

10am

Sophisticate Palette Rock ‘n’ Kohl in Eye Cheat Hot Lips in Live It Up

2pm

Magic Foundation Dolce Vita Palette Feline Flick Eyeliner

6pm

Rock Chick Palette Berry Naughty Lipstick

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LifeStyle.

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

Each week we feature recipes from a variety of ‘up-and-coming’ health & lifestyle bloggers around the world.

Spotlight: Niamh O’Sullivan is a New-York based Irish blogger, offering food, style and fitness inspiration. For more recipes and advice check out her website www.cinnamon-soul.com, or follow her on Instagram @niamh_osullivan for taste of life in NYC!

Homemade Protein Bars ‘This is a rich and tasty recipe that makes two bars, so double up if you want a few to get you through the week! I love making protein bars/balls at home because I can adjust the taste as I make them since you just mould them and then leave them to chill. I used peanut butter in this bar, but I’ve also used almond butter and that tastes great too.’

- Niamh

Ingredients 3 tbsp of chocolate flavored protein 3 tbsp of oats 1 tbsp of peanut butter 2 tbsp of maple syrup 2 tbsp of cacao 1 tbsp of almond milk (if the mixture is too dry)

all the ingredients to a 1 Add mixing bowl and combine well 2 Shape into bars and store in the fridge

Coconut & Lime Truffles ‘This is a recipe that I whipped up before leaving for New York.

My Mum and I had a nightmare trying to perfect these Coconut & Lime Truffles. She is an expert in the kitchen so I wasn’t going to be happy until she was.

I think that these are definitely more on the indulgent side of my usual recipe posts! They would be perfect as a healthier sweet treat option for dessert if you wanted to impress friends this weekend.

The white chocolate is the worst/ best thing about them (that depends on whichever way you want to look at it!). But everything else is relatively ‘clean’. Coconut, white chocolate and lime are a deliciously rich combination, and one that I wanted to perfect for ages .’- Niamh

Ingredients Juice of half a lime Lime zest 1 cup of dessicated coconut 100g of coconut cream 75g of white chocolate, and then some more for coating (as much as you fancy!)

www.collegetribune.ie

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Melt your coconut cream and white chocolate in a bowl over hot water until they’re lovely and combined Add in the desiccated coconut and the lime juice and mix well Set aside and let the mixture cool for about 10-15 minutes – don’t let it go hard though Roll the mixture into bite size balls and coat in some more melted white chocolate Grate some lime zest on top to make them look pretty Pop them into the fridge when they have cooled and leave for about an hour Serve & enjoy!

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LifeStyle.

Going Up

Running Into the New Year

Chopped

Ailbhe Longmore Food & Lifestyle Writer For many, the New Year is synonymous with positive change and heralds an overhaul of one’s health and outlook. Running remains an enduringly popular New Year’s resolution, but many hang up their running shoes before the gloomy winter months are over. In this week’s issue, lifestyle writer Ailbhe Longmore lends insight from her own experiences, and offers her top tips to staying on track.

Running Essentials High-Visibility Clothing If you are exercising at night, it is vital you wear high-visibility clothing. According to the Road Safety Authority, pedestrians walking in the dark are thirteen times more likely to be killed in a road traffic accident than day-time walkers.

Be safe, be seen.

Foam Roller Foam rolling after running can prevent injury and assist the recovery process. Just a few minutes of foam rolling can trigger myofascial release, helping relax the connective tissue (fascia) surrounding your muscles, which often tightens during long-distance running.

Running Socks Prevent discomfort and blistering with a decent pair of socks.

Ones made from moisture-wicking material will yield the most benefits!

Don’t start running for the Wrong Reasons If you’re going to start running but only so you can ‘transform’ your body, you’re not going to keep at it. I’ve learned that hard way, when you don’t see any desired improvement after two or three weeks of running, you become frustrated, sad and give up. Your body will change, but this process takes time. When you’re doing running for your appearance’s sake, you won’t stick at it. No amount of exercise is going to make you love your body – becoming confident and loving your body takes time and patience

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H&M Sportswear

b.

Splash out this weekend and treat yourself to the delicious brunch menu at Angelina’s, Dublin 4. Enjoy views of the canal over decadent salted caramel buttermilk pancakes, or for the virtuous among you, berry and nut crumble with coconut yoghurt.

Glenisk Yoghurts

Let’s face it, running is a cheap way to get fit but it is also awful. It is difficult, your legs ache, you’re sweating profusely, people are staring at you and if you’re a woman you often get shouted at. Overall, there are more enjoyable things to be doing with your time.

I have felt all those things about running and more, but for the last three years I’ve put those feelings aside and taken my trainers to the gravel. It has shaped my life for the better, in more ways than I could have imagined. So in the hopes of spreading any wisdom I have garnered on this journey, I want to give tips for people, who, like me when I first started, are unfit and want to pick up running and keep at it for more than just a few weeks.

a.

‘Chopped’, is making its way to UCD, to be located in the Main Restaurant building.

Here at the College Tribune, we are delighted to see a greater selection of healthy options on campus and the Irish salad chain is a welcome addition

c.

Start running with a Friend I started running with one of my friends who lived nearby and was at the same level of fitness as me.

This totally helped. We would encourage each other to get out running and keep at a speed that each of us was comfortable with. When needed, we would take walking breaks at the same time. We also kept any juicy gossip we had for our runs, so our chats gave us something to look forward to. While running with a friend doesn’t often last very long, it can often get you into the habit of running, which will make it easier for you when you start running on your own.

Create your own Running Playlist.

Making your own running playlist is the only way to go. The key to success depends on what gets you motivated to run. For me, anything that is happy and upbeat makes running more

bearable. This includes songs from the Spice Girls, Florence and the Machine, The 1975, old school Justin Bieber and anything from the eighties.

Figure out what music makes you smile and make a few playlists to keep it fresh and different for each run. If music isn’t your thing try listening to podcasts - I recommend Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig and my granny’s personal pick for her walks, Pantisocracy with Panti Bliss.

Don’t Wear Yourself Out. You are trying to better yourself, not training for a spot at the Olympics. Don’t try and run 5km without stopping in the first week. Run as far as you can without stopping for as long as you can. If you need to stop, that’s okay, stop running and walk for a bit. You’re only human so allow yourself to stop and take a breather. After a while, you will find that you are running longer, faster and taking less walking

breaks. Keep track of your times and distances via apps like Runkeeper (my personal favourite) and Nike+ Run Club.

The Benefits of Running The benefits of running make it all worthwhile, and you will soon notice you’re in a better mood, you’re feeling great and your tiredness should take a back seat.

Cardio is not meant to be easy it’s intended to make you sweat and burn. However, the feeling afterwards is incredibly rewarding and gives you a high for the rest of the day. If you have been having trouble with your mental health, running may help. You will start to understand why feeling good is far more important than looking good. Take up running this year and see the difference in yourself. You will be better person for it, I promise.

Looking for a healthy snack for college? Check out Glenisk’s 0% Fat Greek Protein Yoghurt range. With 150g serving of the natural flavour contains just 84 calories, no added sugar and 15g of protein, it is sure to keep those hunger pangs at bay. Keep an eye on the College Tribune Facebook page to see how you could win a month’s supply of Glenisk!

Going Down Food Safety

d.

e.

In their annual report, the Food Safety Authority Ireland discloses a 17% increase in phone complaints from consumers regarding food, food labelling, and food premises in 2016. Worryingly complaints in relation to food poisoning had a 45% increase compared to figures in 2015.

The Health Service Ireland’s Hospital Service A recent RTÉ investigation found waiting lists across Irish hospitals for surgery are significantly higher than officially reported. The lack of primary care facilities (compared to EU averages) in Ireland means hospitals are routinely overcrowded and under pressure, and an everincreasing number of people are left waiting for treatment.

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Film.

Film in Review:

John Wick, Chapter Two David Deignan Film & TV Editor CT Rating: 4.5/5 Director: Chad Stahelski Cast: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Riccardo Scarmarcio, Ruby Rose, Laurence Fishburne, Common

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Film in Review:

The Lego Batman Movie Brendan Garrett Film & Tv Writer CT Rating: 3.5/5 Director: Chris McKay Cast: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis

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merging from the ashes of last year’s lukewarmly received Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, in what may be the largest tonal shift witnessed by cinephiles since Matthew McConaughey’s dramatic departure from rom-coms is The Lego Batman Movie. Stepping in as a pseudo-sequel to 2014’s The Lego Movie, Chris McKay’s newest directorial outing stars Will Arnett, reprising his titular role from the original film. Alongside the Arrested Development alum is a cast of unlikely actors for a Dark Knight flick; Michael Cera, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, and Mariah Carey all make appearances but the diamond of these side characters is Zach Galifianakis.

Taking the reins from Suicide Squad’s Jared Leto, the Hangover star matches Arnett’s riff on Batman and brings forth a Joker that is both unprecedented and, somehow, heartwarming.

It is this twist on the Dark Knight canon that sets Lego Batman apart from the established versions of the Bat seen in the Nolan trilogy, or Zach Snyder’s recent entry, or even George Clooney’s nipple baring antihero in 1997s Batman and Robin. And while there is a big bad evil to be dealt with, the greatest villain in this just short of two hours romp is new to the Dark Knight, it’s his issues with intimacy. By exploring the www.collegetribune.ie

bonds between the block-built protagonist and his team, as well as the homo-antisocial relationship between Bruce Wayne and The Joker, Lego Batman delivers what few caped crusader capers do, an original superhero plot that is not fraught with elements ripped from the pages of DCs comic books. However while this story may be fresh for Batman, it is not novel for the franchise. With many of the major themes from the original Lego Movie being rehashed here, it begs the question of whether or not a Lego film can be made whose conclusion can’t be summed up by the theme song, ‘Everything is Awesome’.

Alongside this twisting of superhero tropes is the newfound humour within the Batman canon.

Aside from those subjects that occupy the realms outside of PG ratings, nothing is safe from the selfaware comedy that is churned out here at breakneck speeds. From jabs that extend past the fourth wall and reach into rival cinematic universes, to meta references that reel back the years and expose the cracks in Adam West’s 1960s take on the Dark Knight, Lego Batman has it all. Even including the BAMS! POWS! And BIFFS! Framing this self-referential action are some stellar technical details. Lorne Balfe, the man behind both Rango and Kung Fu Panda 3’s music, delivers an engaging soundtrack that is sprinkled with both cheesy and classic pop numbers, all while the plastic looking visuals are vibrant throughout. Keeping up to the standard of animation these days, the colours and style of Lego Batman are without fault, but are also without awe. Given that the source material of the franchise leaves little room for new interpretations of Lego’s aesthetics, the film does what it can to animate the inanimate.

And while life is breathed into the pieces of plastic that made their way onto the silver screen, Lego Batman falls short of being amazing. While the twists and turns taken with the Dark Knight’s history aids the film, it is the franchises willingness to play it safe with their own canon that is the disappointment here. However, I am sure that this will be just a bump in the road for adults going to see this, and an unnoticeable hitch for the children that are eagerly dragging them into cinemas

he original ‘John Wick’ arrived in early 2015 and, on paper at least, its eponymous protagonist appeared to be merely the latest in a string of highly violent, largely forgettable hitmen to hit cinemas with a sole item on their agenda: retribution. The plot line was simple: a happily retired former hitman – possessing a highly honed arsenal of combat skills and intuition which render him a frighteningly efficient killing machine – is left with no choice but to return to the life he had fought tooth and nail to leave behind when a new enemy causes harm to someone he loves, setting out to kill anyone who stands in the way of him and his vengeance. Sound familiar? Denzel Washington (The Equalizer) and Liam Neeson (Taken trilogy) might think so. As such ‘John Wick’ generated minimal pre-release fanfare, with it seeming to conform to what was fast becoming the status quo for the trending vigilante rampage film. To the surprise of most, however, the film turned out to be a sleeper hit – wowing audiences with its slick cinematography and finely choreographed action, as well as the dream-like quality of its diegetic world, all of which combined to help the film earn almost four times its $20 million budget and re-energise the career of its leading man. And, in an era of film dominated by shared cinematic universe building and multiple picture contracts, John Wick proved a near anomaly: a thoroughly original tale which was granted a follow-up of its own accord, a sequel that it earned on merit alone.

‘Chapter Two’ is helmed by Chad Stahelski, one half of the directorial duo who handled the first film. Like its predecessor, the narrative here is relatively simple: picking up mere days after earning revenge on the mobsters who broke into his home John Wick (Reeves) endeavours to bury his bullet-riddled old life once

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Film.

“

The film is propped up by Reeves and his performance as the titular terminator

”

again while still grieving the loss of his late wife Helen.

Predictably, however, his newfound peace does not last long as an unwelcome figure from his past arrives to call in an old debt. While the plot doesn’t pack too many surprises it’s a joy to watch Wick backed into a corner, as Stahelski deftly creates a unique play box for his predatory assassin to wreak havoc in while simultaneously managing to expand on the unique mythos which was tantalisingly teased in the original ‘Wick’.

The film is propped up by Reeves and his performance as the titular terminator. The star performs his own stunts throughout, already being an adept martial artist, and specialised in learning judo, sambo, jujitsu and weaponry for the role of Wick. It is the latter which comes in most handy as the trigger-happy assassin makes little effort to conserve ammunition throughout the his tale. When one gun empties, another one seems to magically appear – all part of the fun of watching Wick at work. The rest of the cast are solid too – Ian McShane reprises his role as Winston, owner of the high-end hitman exclusive hotel The Continental, Ruby Rose silently smoulders as femme fatale Ares and the presence of Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King provides a welcome ‘The Matrix’ reunion. The scene stealer from the supporting cast, however, is rapper Common whose bloodthirsty bodyguard proves to be an able adversary for Wick.

Just like the first film, it is stylistically where ‘Chapter Two’ really soars. The set design is gorgeous, with the vibrant colour palettes and alternative environments giving the picture a dream-like quality. Although the bulk of the story is rooted in New York it looks and feels more like Hong Kong, providing an ode to the martial art films which inspired the action and helping to create a visual aesthetic which feeds into the mythos of Wick’s world. The cinematography is similarly striking. The action is captured in long drawn-out takes, providing a clear contrast to effect-heavy counterparts like the Bourne series and giving the combat a fluid feel that can only come from watching it play out before your eyes with no rapid-fire technological frills attached. One set piece rooted in a convex of mirrors is particularly impressive. Most of the picture is captured with wide shots in deep focus, serving to create an artistic identity that feels unique to the action genre.

Stahelski’s influences can be felt throughout the entirety of the film. The nods to Asian culture has already been noted and the brutal, no-tricks style of action feels like the work of Akira Kurosawa. The comparisons between John Wick and Clint Eastwood’s The Man with No Name (portrayed in Sergio Leone’s ‘Dollars’ trilogy, which in turn was heavily inspired by Kurosawa) are clear while the first half of the picture bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain British spy series.

It’s difficult to find fault with ‘John Wick: Chapter Two’ as the creative team’s sense of humour is likably self-aware. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t afraid to laugh at itself: actively embracing its own goofiness while constantly winking at the audience. Sure, some of the dialogue can be clunky and Fishburne’s glorified cameo marks the only point when the story starts to drag but it’s easy to ignore these minor issues when the film is having so much fun. Overall John Wick’s return is a very welcome one and, based on this showing, we won’t be surprised if he earns himself another sequel. Better not hang up those guns just yet.

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Artist or Abuser?

The Controversy Surrounding Casey Affleck Should the sexual harassment allegations against Casey Affleck stop him from winning an Academy Award? Is it right to separate art from the artist and judge it on its own accord? Film and TV writer Muireann O’Shea gives her own take on a sensitive issue which has plagued artists throughout history.

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It would be a travesty to supersede a year in which the Academy honoured the voices of abuse survivors so well, by awarding an alleged abuser with an Oscar.

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or centuries, one question has haunted art critics everywhere; should you separate the art from the artist? What sense can be made of the works of Sylvia Plath, Kurt Cobain or Vincent van Gogh without the context of their suicides? The tie between art and artist was brought to the debating table again last year, when the scandal du jour was that Bernardo Bertolucci and Marlon Brando had neglected to inform Maria Schneider of the infamous rape scene in 1972’s Last Tango in Paris, until they were set to shoot. Should this incident remove from grandiose from Brando’s stellar acting skills? Should it taint our viewing of all Brando films from now on? If we choose to condemn art because of an artist’s crimes, are we being politically correct or simply petty? In this era of alt-rights and twitter rants, it is difficult to tell.

These questions have reared their hydra heads once more this awards season, primarily in light of Casey Affleck’s bid to win the Oscar for Best Actor. In 2010, Casey Affleck, the younger and more subdued brother of Ben, was sued by two former employees, Amanda White and Magdalena Gorka. They alleged that they were sexual harassed by Affleck during the production of his infamous and unsuccessful mockumentary I’m Still Here. Among the incidents detailed in their statements, it is said that Affleck encouraged a crew member to expose himself to White, climbed into bed with Gorka while she was sleeping, locked the women out of their shared bedroom so that he could use the room to have sex with a different woman, attempted to manipulate them into having sex with him and when the women finally quit the project, he refused to pay them for their work.

The lawsuit snowballed into an argument between lawyers and, ultimately, Affleck settled out of court.

Affleck’s Oscar film Manchester by the Sea details the plight of the white middle-class man and is competent tale of grief, but sadly, every female character is a mere hologram used to justify Affleck’s character’s indignation. Now if the art and the controversial claims about the artist are connected, it leaves the audience with an uneasy additional dimension for the viewer to interpret.

Affleck has received the ‘good-cop’

treatment from the media in the past year, on the grounds that what he may have done is nowhere near as bad as the actions of the Woody Allen’s and Roman Polanski’s of the silver screen.

One stark difference between Affleck and most scandals before him, that often goes unmentioned is that this harassment allegedly took place during production of a film that Affleck was directing. Like that of Bertolucci and Brando, this sits closer to the realm of unethical workplace conduct, than that of an actor with a criminal past.

Likewise, Affleck’s career won’t sink over these lawsuits because he settled out of court. His race and economic standing would allow him to survive most scandals. We will never know what truths lay within these allegations, and it is a sad reminder of what can go on in film production industry.

The resulting products on sale are films that encourage us to connect with characters on an intimate level, but they fool us into thinking that their world is transparent. It’s not, it harbours just as many shady deals and quick settlements as any other business sector.

Do we separate the product from the producer outside the art world?

Most of us suppress the knowledge that our clothes were probably made at the hands of child labour, just like the Academy ignores the fact that it has given the Oscar for Best Director to more alleged child molesters than women. If we make an effort, we can buy Fairtrade chocolate and organic vegetables, but I want to be a ‘vegan’ of cinema. Where is my assurance that no humans were harmed in the making of this film?

We are no closer to deciphering this symbiotic relationship between art and artist, but in the short-term, should the allegations against Affleck affect his chances of winning? In my opinion, yes. Last year saw Spotlight win Best Picture for detailing the Boston Globe’s investigation into child abuse within the church, Brie Larson won Best Actress for her role as a long-term sexual abuse victim in Room and Lady Gaga took to the stage with an entire crowd of abuse victims. It would be a travesty to supersede a year in which the Academy honoured the voices of abuse survivors so well, by awarding an alleged abuser with an Oscar.

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Arts & Events.

In the Loop Arts & Events Editor Holly Lloyd

Festival of Russian Culture

Before Monsters Were Made Written by Ross Dungan and directed by Ronan Phelan, this dark play questions people's trust in unorthodox circumstances, set in Sligo after the death of a young girl, where a small community must look beyond what they know of each other. Taking place in the Pavilion theatre on the 21st February. Tickets €16-€18

‘Songs for Lovers, a Chet Baker Night’

On the 14th February the Charlie Moon band will perform Chet Baker’s classic songs in Arthurs Pub. This event is perfectly catered to valentine's night, with the Jazzy, easy sounds of Baker as they reintroduce this classic sound into the modern era. Tickets from €11.23

www.collegetribune.ie

Choral Sketches

Dublin will celebrate all things Russian between 19thv-26th of February this year. The festival of Russian culture will be hosted for the 8th time, and celebrates the week before Orthodox lent. The festival will be of particular interest to history lovers, as it will feature talks such as ‘Peter the Great, life and legacy’, ’Origins of the Russian Avant Garde’ and ‘Napoleon and Russia, war of the Titans’. This festival is a great opportunity to learn more about the Russian culture, with many free events over the week.

This is a public workshop for composers to develop their choral music writing skills. Tarik O’Regan, the British-American composer who has had two Grammy nominations, will present this workshop. The workshop will take place on the 24th February at the Royal Irish Academy of music and attendance is free. This workshop is essential for anyone who wishes to develop their composition skills.

Loving

The IFI or Irish Film Insituide are showing Loving, a film directed by Jeff Nichols which showcases the stuggles of 1950’s interacial replationships. Book online or get tickets when there. Bring your student card for a discount.

Rusalka The Lighthouse Cinema will screen the Met Opera’s production of Rusalka, a ‘modern’ Opera first performed in 1901. The Slavic Opera is extremely popular and tells the story of a water Nymph, with elements of Hans Christian Andersen's Classic ‘The Little Mermaid’. Tickets are €6-€9, so well worth it.

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Arts & Events.

UCD Events

The Dead The Pavilion theatre will host James Joyce’s classic short story on the 15th and 16th February. The short story has been adapted into an opera by composer Ellen Cranitch and playwright Tom Swift, and features a string quartet and singers to liven the set. The story of Gabriel Conroy and his relationship between friends and family at a party with the usual Joyce third person narrative has been received extremely well as an opera. Tickets are €18/€20

Mohsin Hamid

Erasmus Student Network: Blind date

This talk ‘in conversation with Hugh Linehan’, will discuss Mohsin’s latest novel ‘Exit West’ on Tuesday 28th February in the Pavilion. This talk is particularly relevant at the moment in terms of the refugee crisis and immigration, and although his writing is fiction, the discussion is sure to bring up an engaging debate on those wider issues. Tickets €10-€12.

The Clubhouse will host their version of ‘Blind date’ on valentine's day. The Erasmus student network has chosen the perfect light hearted valentine's day entertainment in the student bar. Starting on Tuesday 14th at 8pm, this will certainly be a night of laughs as students get paired off with their dates over the evening. Entry is free.

Scene + Heard

Eugeen van Meighem An exhibition of the works of Eugeen van Meighem will be presented in the Hugh Lane Gallery, beginning on the 9th February and lasting until June. The Belgians exhibition named ‘Port Life’, represents social life, work and community in an early 20th century Port. Admission is free.

14.02.2017

This festival is relatively new on the scene, but has an impressive structure and is becoming integral in the outcome of productions and festivals. The Smock Alley Theatre provides the platform for this festival of new works including theatre, dance, comedy music and spoken word. The idea of this festival is to allow artists to showcase snippets of their work to an audience, of which they can gain feedback before finalising their work and displaying it on a bigger stage. One can therefore see sections of promising shows while having a say in the performance. Feedback is given through all sorts of mediums, such as video, ballots and conversation. This festival gives an exciting dimension to the typical status of a barrier between audience and performance. The festival has a bursting program from the 14th February until the 4th of March at excellent prices, from €5 for some events to €25/€30 for all three shows in a night.

#UCDFOOD Project Healthy Food Week

Healthy eating week is kicking off this week across campus.

Organised by ‘Healthy UCD’, Estate Services, and the UCDFOOD Project, it runs from the 13th to the 17th of February. There will be events, daily competitions and giveaways throughout the week so keep your eyes peeled.

Isoc: Discover Islam Week The Islamic society is running a ‘Discover Islam Week’ from the 20th to the 24th February. The society will be running a stand in the Student Centre for its annual week-long event.

The society will be running talks about halal good, hijabs, Islamic culture to try share the true face of Islam with UCD.

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Gaeilge.

Cuirtear Coiste na Gaeilge ar Bun ag Young Fine Gael

Na Máisiúin, ‘Stonecutters’ na hÉireann

Jeff Johnson Scríbhneoir Gaeilge

Ed Campion Scríbhneoir Gaeilge Agus mé i mbun comhrá le mo mháthair mar gheall ar Trump an tseachtain seo caite, luadh leithéidí na Illuminati agus na Freemasons mar chúis lena shuíochán a bhuachan: Mar cén gnáthdhuine a chaithfeadh vóta ar a shon? Baineadh geit asam nuair a dúirt sí liom gur bhall de na Freemasons nó Máisiúin é mo sheanathair.

Tagraítear de ghnáth dóibh i dteoiricí rúndiamhaire de chuid Dan Brown, agus samhlaítear grúpaí fear i róbaí ag déanamh íobairt fola ar ghabhair nuair a chloiseann tú an t-ainm. Tá siad tar éis a mhaíomh go mbíonn smacht polaitiúil acu ar thíortha iomlána agus go stiúiríonn siad stair an Domhain go rúnda. Anuas ar seo is orthu a bunaíodh smaoineamh na Stonecutters ó na Simpsons, ach cé hiad na máisiúin, nó Free Masons i ndáiríre?

Cheapas go mbeadh orm cíoradh tríd leabhair i ndiaidh leabhar ar chomhchealga éagsúla, agus go seolfaí duine chuig mo theach chun mé a mharú dá mba rud é gur aimsigh mé aon eolas orthu ach, mar a tharlaíonn, tá suíomh idirlín acu.

Tá an grúpa Éireannach bunaithe ar Shráid Theach Laighean (suíomh iontach dá mba rud é gur theastaigh uathu tionchar a bheith acu ar chúrsaí reatha na tíre) agus is féidir le duine ar bith cuairt a thabhairt air.

De réir a suímh ní hé greim a fháil ar chumhachtaí móra an domhain, ach ‘grá bráthar, carthanacht, agus seandheasghnátha a choimeád i suíomh príobháideach’ atá mar aidhm ag an máisiúnachas. Hmm. Tá cuma dheas ar na focail sin ach ní thugtar mórán mioneolais ar a n-imeachtaí anuas ar a bhfuil thuasluaite seachas a rá go bhfuil siad ‘sa tóir ar an bhfírinne’.

Chun aidhmeanna na heagraíochta a chomhlíonadh buaileann siad i ‘Lodges’. Is é an príomhlóiste, ag uimhir 17 Sráid Theach Laighean, an ceann is sine ar Domhan agus rialaíonn sé neart lóistí eile, anseo agus thar lear.

www.collegetribune.ie

Tá an-chuid áfach, a lúann siad nach ndéanann siad. Ní cheadaítear do mhná a bheith san eagraíocht. Tá sé ráite ar a shuíomh níos mó ná uair amháin nach comhphobal ‘rúnda’ iad faoi mar a deir na meáin i gcoitinne. É sin ráite, tá comharthaí agus bealaí rúnda acu chun iad a chur in aithne dá chéile má chasann ciaróg ball amháin ar bhall eile nach n-aithníonn sé. Anuas air seo, ní leanann siad aon reiligiún amháin, ach is gá d’aon bhall ar leith creideamh i nDia de chineál éigin a bheith aige.

Níl a fhios ag éinne, go cinnte, cad as ar tháinig siad ach is é an teoiric is fearr atá acu ná gur tháinig siad as cumann saorcloiche a bunaíodh chun Teampall an Rí Solomon a thógáil. An chúis a bhí leo ná chun oibrithe profaisiúnta a eagrú agus a úsáid go héifeachtach agus aire a thabhairt dóibh agus dá gclanna dá mba rud é gur gortaíodh iad agus iad ag obair.

Tá an bunús stairiúil leis seo le feiceáil sna siombail atá acu, an rialóir agus an compas, ina suaitheantas, sna róbaí a chaitheann siad agus sna searmanais a bhíonn acu. Bunaíodh an Lóiste Éireannach in 1725 agus scaip an máisiúnachas ar fud an Domhain i gcomhchéim le hImpireacht na Breataine. Faoi láthair tá tuairim is 27,000 máisún Éireannach ar fud an domhain.

Níl sé ceadaithe aon ghné den pholaitíocht nó reiligiún a luadh ag cruinnithe na máisún ach in ainneoin seo bhí conspóid ann nuair a reáchtáil iar-bhaill de lóiste Iodálach (Silvio Berlusconi ina measc) feachtas bolscaireachta i gcoinne iarrathóir don uachtaránacht, Jimmy Carter. Bhíodh ráflaí ann gur úsáid máisúnaithe a mballraíocht chun éalú as ticéid agus fianálacha tráchta freisin.

Tá meath ag teacht ar an eagraíocht áfach. Sa Bhreatain dúnann timpeall ar 20 lóiste in aghaidh na bliana. Le súil níos géire á coimeád ar chóras fianálacha na nGárdaí anois is beag seans atá againn éalú ó thicéid amach anseo.

Cuirtear Coiste na Gaeilge ar bun ag an bpáirtí óige ‘Young Fine Gael’ (YFG). Rith rún ag an gcomhdháil náisiúnta is déanaí a bhí ag an bpáirtí óige i Mí na Samhna 2016. Ina theannta le coiste a bhunú le Gaeilge a chur chun cinn, d’iarr an rún go mbeadh comhoibriú sa bhreis idir an pháirtí agus eagraíochtaí Gaeilge eile.

I measc na haidhmeanna atá ag an gcoiste ná an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn sa pháirtí, nascanna a chruthú idir YFG agus eagraíochtaí Gaeilge éagsúla agus polasaithe i leith na Gaeilge a phlé.

Dúirt Leasuachtarán YFG, Michael Ward gur 'cúis áthais dom gur bunaíodh an Coiste seo. Is léir go bhfuil baill YFG paiseanta faoin nGaeilge agus go bhfuil suim ann an teanga a spreagadh agus a threisiú sa pháirtí. Is í an Ghaeilge príomhtheanga na tíre agus ba chóir í a spreagadh mar is cheart'.

Bhí an chéad chruinniú ag an gcoiste Dé Domhnaigh 4 Feabhra in Óstán O’Callaghan Alexander i g Cnoc Mhuirfean le rólanna a choiste a thofa.

Is é an coiste a bhí tofa ag an gcruinniú ná Jeff Johnson (Cathaoirleach), Géaróid Óg Ó Greacháin (Rúnaí), Sinéad Bolger (Oifigeach Cumarsáide), Maitiú Ó Tuatháil (Oifigeach Polasaí) agus Lucy O’Shea (Eagraí Imeachtaí). Suíonn Leasuachtarán YFG Michael Ward agus Eagraí Réigiúnach Bhaile Átha Cliath YFG Clodagh Ní Mhuirí mar Oifigigh Idirghabhálaithe don Choiste Gnó Náisiúnta (National Executive) an Pháirtí Óige.

Ag labhairt faoin gcoiste dúirt an Cathaoirleach, Jeff Johnson gur 'rud éigin a bhí ag teastáil go mór ag an bPáirtí é an coiste. D’éirigh leis an rún sin de bharr an sárobair a bhí déanta ag Leasuachtarán YFG, Michael Ward, agus Rúnaí an Choiste, Gearóid Óg Ó Gréacháin. Anois, tá obair an choiste tosaithe, tá an-chuid smaoinítí againn, agus ba mhaith linn fíorathrú a dhéanamh i bhFine Gael agus YFG i dtaobh na Gaeilge de.'

0730

George H.

Short Story.

Odo of the Grove Cillian Fearon

O

do sat on the rock.

It was not unusual for him to sit there. He had sat there many times before and would sit there many times in the future. It was, for lack of a better word, Odo’s favourite rock. He had sat on a great many rocks in his time. Odo knew a good sitting rock when he saw one.

Odo looked around him. It was a rather nice spot all things considered. The elder trees that surrounded the grove were in full blossom. It was rather pretty if you happened to like that sort of thing, which Odo indeed happened to. The stone he sat on had been in this grove for a very long time. Almost as long as Odo had been around. It was a

14.02.2017

very nice spot indeed he thought to himself.

Odo stepped down off the rock.

It was about time that he got to his regular duties. Odo was a spirit, and as you know, spirits have chores just like everyone else. Odo began to clear the grove.

The occasional leaf and twig can leave a place very cluttered if left unattended. Odo began to push and pull on the wind.

The leaves and twigs were slowly picked up and spirited away. Next among Odo’s tasks was to see to the flowers of the grove. It was less of a chore to Odo, instead it was a raison d’être.

He was a flower spirit. It was in his nature to care for the flowers.

He had ones of every kind in his grove. Odo was awfully proud of them. Humans came from miles

around to visit his shrine and enjoy the beauty of the grove.

That being said they also make a considerable mess. Odo didn’t hold this against them. It is their nature.

Odo spied a small patch of daisies. They had been trampled by some children on their last visit. They tend to be more concerned with running and playing than enjoying nature.

Odo shrugged. Such is their way, he thought. Odo bent down to the crumpled daisies and breathed life back into them. The stems grew strong again, and the petals looked revitalised. A bee landed neatly on a rejuvenated daisy.

Odo smiled. He liked bees. Bees were nice. They understood the needs of the flowers. They also understood that without the

“Odo sat on his rock watching the world around him.

There was little else for a spirit to do”.

flowers they would die. It was a relationship. Many humans did not see the link between things. All things are connected thought Odo. Odo smiled at the renewed flower. He meandered around the grove for a little while picking up the occasional leaf and repairing the odd broken stem. He sat back down on his rock. He used to sit in different places around the grove but his rock offered the best view. He began to whistle with the birds. It was a habit he had developed over the years.

Though Odo tried to avoid whistling while human’s were about. They could be a little jumpy about those sorts of things.

Odo sat on his rock watching the world around him. There was little else for a spirit to do. After their chores were done that is. Odo closed his eyes and listened to the soft melody sung from the tree tops. A crunching footstep caused him to open his eyes.

Standing under the entrance to the grove stood a human. Eve was a regular at his grove. She respected his place, honoured it even. Odo liked Eve. She was an old human. Not as old as he was but old for a human. Still a couple of times a week she would make her way to his grove. On occasion she would bring her great-granddaughter, Sasha. She was a very small human, and quiet. Not at all like the other children that visited.

Eve toddled forwards and sat on a smaller stone beside Odo. Odo was sure she could not see him, but Eve always managed to sit just beside him. Odo had gathered a long time ago that she was smart for a human. She would talk to the spirits while in the grove. Many others had stopped long ago, believing that the spirits were nothing more than an old story.

Eve still honoured the old ways. Odo liked Eve. ‘You know Spirit, I hope someone will visit you when I am gone,’ Eve said quietly.

Odo looked at her and realised she was not well.

Much like he could see a plant was dying, he could see that Eve was dying.

‘I think my little Sasha will visit. She understands.’

Odo felt upset. He was not used to feeling upset, which in itself was upsetting. Odo could heal Eve. Though it wasn’t the sort of thing spirits were meant to do. Eve sat quietly beside him. Odo took a deep breath and whispered on the wind.

‘I could help...’

Eve smiled, ‘No my dear Spirit. I am just glad to know you will be here for Sasha. I am an old lady and I have lived well. All things must end in time.’

Odo nodded to himself. Eve was as wise a human as he had ever met. Odo felt sad though. He would miss Eve. ‘I just ask one thing Spirit, before I pass, I should very much like to see the gladioli in bloom. That are my favourite.’

Odo smiled. He hopped off his stone and looked to the gladioli. They weren’t due to bloom for a few weeks. He bent down to them and breathed life into them. Suddenly the bright orange flowers erupted along the sides of the stems. Eve slowly got up and stood beside him. She smiled.

‘Thank you Spirit.’

She turned and began to shuffle towards the exit of the grove. Odo returned to his stone to watch her go. Eve turned back to look at the grove before she left. She smiled at Odo. ‘Goodbye Spirit.’

‘Goodbye Eve,’ Odo whispered on the wind. p.29

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

Brave New World for Belfield Martin Geeson Turbine Writer We are living in dangerous times; global antipathies are worsening, the climate is changing, and every new day brings with it the risk of being made a choral scholar.

Where do these dangers lie? Some of them come from online. While SafeAssign would like you to believe that it keeps your essays safe, what certainty is there? Surely the most ruthless grader is preferable to the dark eye of Vladimir Putin - dipping his quill into the pot, scrawling F after F, page after page. Also, surely almost the last thing we need right now is to reacquaint the Russians with the ideas of Marx.

But it is not only our essays that are threatened by online infiltration. It is ourselves, the students, who very nearly live inside our laptops. It is no coincidence that it is called a homepage - it’s our house. The keyboard is the kitchen, full of crumbs.

But what about the real, offline world? Are we safe even there?

Certainly not. As we speak, the slow building consensus on climate change is being set back by contrarian views. To many, this will ring as familiar. After all, it has not been many years since we said farewell to the last few Flat-Belfielders, who protested long, and against all evidence, against the sphericality of our campus.

Then where are we safe? Even safe indoors, inside the sound enclosures of our lecture halls? Perhaps.

Although it too comes with its own set of dangers. For example, we have surely all been subject to that gross moment where a sleeping classmate touches their nose off our hand?

Arts Student Spends Whole Week Describing Workload Gavin Brady Turbine Writer Second year English student Ian Thompson has spent the week letting everyone know just how busy he is this week.

Thompson has estimated that he has to spend 3 hours writing an essay for his Chaucer essay, at a minimum, and 10 hours complaining about how much work he has to do. On top of that, he has numerous obligations to the societies he is involved with.

Thompson stated, ‘I’ve got 500 pages of reading for my elective, and I don’t know where I’ll find the time’. He continued to outline his monetary situation, ‘I’m completely broke right now’, he said. ‘I only have like 300 euro left in my bank account’, notably forgetting the two parents he lives with that will line his pockets the moment he asks them.

Thompson is taking comfort in sharing his difficulties with others. Whenever anyone else mentions their busy schedule, he is quick to let them know that his week is actually much busier. ‘I’m just over-involved,’ he lamented.

We can assume that Thompson will soon be telling us about how messy his penthouse is, and how annoying it is that his maid only comes three times a week.

Conor Rock Rumoured to be Ready to ‘Make UCD Great Again’ Zach Bower Turbine Writer Campus contrarian Conor Rock it is believed seized an opportunity to make a stump speech at the recent Law Ball, ahead of his fated run for Students’ Union President.

The bad boy of UCD politics Conor Rock it is thought at one stage interrupted the Law Ball to leap onto the bar and whip crowds into a furor with calls to ‘Make UCD Great Again’.

Belfield’s favourite enigma, Rock has yet to announce if he will run for high office in the SU elections this March. But stated only that if he did it would be ‘bigly’. ‘It would be a bigly deal there’s no doubt about it. I make the best deals. The best deals, just the best’.

When it was put to Rock that he would actually have to do some work as SU President and it wouldn’t just be another doss year to stand around smoking like his time as auditor of the L&H, the prospective candidate merely took a drag of his cigarette and gazed wistfully across the UCD lake. ‘We’ll see’ Rock whispered with a wry smile.

Newman Building to Be Left Fallow for a Year Karl O’Reilly Turbine Editor The UCD administration has announced that the Newman building is to be left fallow over the coming months. The decision was made in accordance with the basic principles of crop rotation.

Studies have shown that fallow periods are vital in reducing soil erosion and increasing soil fertility and crop yield.

A spokesperson for the administration has stated that the measure is necessary due to the excessive leaching of minerals by arts students.

Levels of leaching have not been mitigated in spite of a strict ban on student leaching introduced by the administration early in the last semester.

When this newspaper inquired what is next in the crop cycle once the fallow period ends, the spokesperson replied: ‘Maize. It is always productive. When it goes abroad on Erasmus in third year, it works wonders for Irish exports.’

The plans represent the latest development in UCD’s increasingly agricultural approach to education. Last year, the administration examined the effects of different educational fertilisers on student performance and career progression.

Findings made after the graduation harvest revealed that students fertilised with STEM subject knowledge transitioned the most smoothly into vacancies in the job market. Arts subject knowledge as a fertiliser was less effective in that category, but still resulted in significant cognitive gains. The remaining students, who were fertilised with tomato feed, performed very badly.

The tomato feed really harmed them.

Tech.

Facebook Facing Pressure Over Fake News Policing and Oculus Rift Lawsuit Conor McGovern Tech Editor

F

acebook has been dealing with increasing criticism regarding the company’s ethics, most notably the claims that Facebook were spreading fake news on users news feeds. Now it’s two months into 2017 and Facebook are once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Facebook are currently in the midst of two lawsuits, the first revolves around whether or not the Oculus Rift was a stolen idea, while in a separate case Syrian refugee Anas Modamani is suing Facebook because a selfie he took with German Chancellor Angela Merkel was used in numerous fake news stories which falsely linked him to recent terror attacks. All this news comes in the wake of Facebook recording an outstanding $3.56 billion fourth-quarter profit of 2016.

Back in 2014, Facebook purchased Oculus VR for $2 billion, two months after the purchase Facebook was sued for the same amount by Zenimax Media. Zenimax claimed that Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey took company secrets with him when he left iD software (Zenimax) for Oculus and that these secrets were used in developing the Oculus Rift. Lukey exchanged emails with John Carmack (Oculus VR founder and former Zenimax employee) regarding code and design schematics for the Oculus. Zenimax’s lawyers provided a statement clarifying that ‘Zenimax’s technology may not be licensed, transferred or sold without Zenimax Media’s approval’.

Facebook stayed quiet on the allegations for awhile before Carmack and Zuckerberg both made statements downplaying the severity of the lawsuit. During the recent trial, Luckey primarily defended the origins of the Oculus Rift by explaining how he had built the prototype in his parents house in 2012 and that he didn’t take any confidential code. It was revealed later on in the trial that Oculus VR originally asked for $4 billion before they were talked down to $2 billion with an extra

14.02.2017

$700 million in ‘compensation’ and $300 million in ‘hitting certain milestones’.

In the end, Facebook vs. Zenimax ended in stalemate with Oculus (Facebook) found not guilty in stealing secrets - certainly a PR success for Facebook. However, Zenimax will receive $500 million for violations of non-disclosure agreements. To make it simpler to understand here is a breakdown of the payments to Zenimax: Oculus will pay $200 million for violating the non-disclosure agreement Palmer Luckey signed with Zenimax. Oculus will pay $50 million for copyright infringement. Former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe will pay $150 million for false designation. And Palmer Luckey will pay $50 million for false designation.

Although the case is over this is not the end, with Oculus and Zenimax lawyers making initial plans to appeal the ruling. Oculus stated ‘Oculus products are built with Oculus technology ... We look forward to filling our appeal and eventually putting this litigation behind us’. $500 million isn’t going to break the bank for Facebook but the decision to appeal may bring some unnecessary and unwanted attention.

Modamani Lawsuit Facebook are currently in another lawsuit, one that could have potential to damage Facebook’s reputation. A simple selfie with Angela Merkel in 2015 taken by Anas Modamani after the chancellor decided Germany would house hundreds of thousands of migrants should have been an image of promise. But instead Modamani is now seeking an injunction in the German courts that would force Facebook to stop the use of the photo and prevent users from reposting the image or altered versions after it has repeatedly showed up on fake news reports linking Modamani to terrorism.

Anas Modamani when asked by media about the image originally said ‘for first five

months, I thought it was a good luck charm... But now I think bad luck’. He later went on to say after he noticed one of the fake news stories ‘This was not me, I thought immediately: What does this mean? What about my future? This is serious’.

Modamani who is now 19, is a refugee from Syria who was living in a shelter the time of the original photo. Nowadays he is living with a foster family on the outskirts of Berlin and was first made aware of the fake news stories by a friend who showed a story that linked him to the attacks in Brussels and later in the year Modamani was also linked with the Christmas market attack in Berlin.

Modamani’s lawyers who acknowledged that Facebook deleted some posts but insisted that the social media giant could’ve done more to prevent the sharing of the image. In response Facebook lawyer Martin Munz said ‘there are billions of posts each day, Facebook would need a wonder machine to detect each misuse’. Munz continued to argue that Facebook had helped Modamani and that since the case involved defamation, it was the individual who should be held responsible because he uploaded it not Facebook. However, in December Modamani’s picture circulated around Facebook again, accusing him of being involved in an attack on a homeless man in Berlin. Modamani responded to this recent accusation by saying ‘I want peace in my life ... Not everyone believes me but all I did was take a selfie with Ms. Merkel’.

This case comes at a terrible time for Facebook who have been dealing with severe criticism regarding the policing of fake news with some even accusing Facebook of promoting fake news during the recent US presidential election. The site’s newsfeed algorithm promotes posts that share well. But now Facebook have altered their algorithms and have recently installed filtering systems in America, France and Germany (where most of the criticism has been coming from). In France specifically Facebook has joined up with Google to launch a fact checking system to identify fake news ahead of the presidential election.

Facebook are certainly in a unique position right now with many users using their news feed to keep up with current affairs and taking everything they see to heart. It seems that Facebook can only continue to climb and will continue to provide users with news, real or fake. In the era of Trump’s Presidency and the rise of the online alt-right movement, Facebook will be faced with increasing criticism of its inability to control quality or the accuracy of information on its site. And now making strides into the Virtual Reality business these lawsuits could be a recurring theme in the future.

Facebook will be faced with increasing criticism of its inability to control quality or the accuracy of information on its site. p.31

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Sport.

Ireland Caught Cold by Scotland in Six Nations Opener Conor Lynott Sports Editor Scotland 27

Ireland

22

Even if this does prove to be the most competitive Six Nations in history, we can consider ourselves lucky indeed if there is another contest quite like this. Scotland have just their second win on the opening weekend thanks to two late Greig Laidlaw penalties, after the hosts produced a breath-taking first half and withstood a colossal Ireland fightback to prevail.

Trailing 21-8 at the interval, Ireland blasted their way back into the lead with tries from Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson, whose conversion had edged the visitors a point in front in the final quarter.

Scotland have had enough of near misses, however. After another one against Australia in the autumn, they refused to buckle here. Their heroes were plentiful – Hamish was 14.02.2017

monumental before he went off injured while Stuart Hogg lit up a first-half performance for the ages and Jonny Gray would still be out there tackling tomorrow if he was asked.

Scottish optimism has been flowing for the past couple of weeks, though the problem is it often does in early February and it is rarely justified. They have been compared to the 1999 side that won the last Five Nations title and their first half an hour is the closest they have come to emulating their predecessors in the years since. Ireland on the other hand, without Johnny Sexton but showing an imperiousness that comes with beating New Zealand in the autumn, began dreadfully but hit back with a response that appeared to prove why they are

so many observers’ favourites for the title. Laidlaw had the final say, however, to thrust Scotland firmly into contention for a first title since 1999.

Scotland, despite their early struggles at the scrum, took less than 10 minutes to capitalise on Ireland’s inability to deal with their commitment to putting width on the ball at every opportunity. The forwards rumbled up to the line towards the left before Finn Russell flung a pass towards Hogg on the right. It did not reach him but the Ireland centre Garry Ringrose flew out of the line and slipped just as the ball bounced past him. He might not have caught Hogg anyway but it was unfortunate for the Irish youngster on his first Six Nations appearance.

Hogg’s tail was clearly up and when that is the case there are not many better full-backs around. He soared to claim a towering Conor Murray box-kick and just after the 20th minute had his second try. Scotland worked the ball to Huw Jones, who straightened and fed Hogg on the left. Sean Maitland was outside him to keep Rob Kearney honest and after a delicious show-and-go from Hogg he was over the Irish line again. The watching Warren Gatland will have enjoyed what he was seeing from the 2016 player of the championship, already making a considerable early claim for this year’s award.

However, whereas Scotland survived a scare just after Hogg’s first try – twice Ireland kicked penalties to the corner but on both occa-

sions the hosts held out – they were pegged back soon after his second.

Jackson slipped a tackle down the middle and after a couple of phases, and with the referee Romain Poite playing advantage, Earls was freed on the left to dive over.

Jackson could not convert and having missed some crucial penalties when making his Ireland debut here as a callow 21-year-old in 2013, he will have been relieved to convert his first three points towards the end of the first half.

The problem for Ireland was that Scotland had added their third try by that stage, in a manner that demonstrated the confidence with which they were playing. Ross Ford on far earlier than expected for Fraser Brown, who had sustained a head injury, picked out Alex Dunbar in a lineout close to the Ireland line and the inside-centre ghosted between Henderson and Rory Best to score.

You could not help but appreciate the sheer temerity of trying such a move, although Andy Farrell, Ireland’s defence coach is unlikely to have felt the same way Laidlaw nailed his third conversion from wide on the right and after Jackson’s penalty, Scotland took a 21-8 lead into the interval.

But not before Hogg was denied a first-half hat-trick by a crunching hit from Kearney. The Irish nearly found some luck when Simon Zebo picked off an interception, only for Scotland to scramble and clear their lines.

Ireland needed a swift response after the restart, and sure enough

they got it. Scotland’s redoubtable tackling had been heroic to this stage but while Jonny Gray denied Murray’s dive for the line, Henderson followed up and Ireland were back to within six after Jackson’s conversion. Scotland were then dealt a significant blow when Watson went off before play had restarted, the openside weighing in with 16 tackles in his 49 minutes on the pitch. Scotland were riding their luck. Russell, back on after a head injury assessment, grubbered straight into Murray’s legs and had Jamie Heaslip a yard more pace he would have been in under the posts.

Minutes later Earls was denied his second try after Kearney’s foot was correctly ruled to be just in touch.

Ireland, though, thanks in no small part to the bullocking Sean O’Brien, had stirred from their first-half slumber and Jackson had his cathartic score shortly after the hour after wriggling to the line off Murray’s pass. His conversion put Ireland a point ahead and by now the visitors were relentless but at the end Scotland dug in and Laidlaw kicked two the late penalties to secure a strong win over Ireland. As the second penalty fell between the posts the Flower of Scotland boomed around the stands, that optimism is only going to grow for Scotland. Ireland on the other hand will need some near faultless results against the big hitters France, Wales, and England to still have a change to top this Six Nations.

p.33

Sport.

The Year UCD Won the FAI Cup, and the Class of ’84

Perhaps the most significant strategy that The Doc put in place for the club was the scholarship scheme that allowed talented, young footballers to come into UCD and obtain a university education while playing football at the highest level in Ireland. The UCD scholarship scheme was introduced in 1979 with Keith Dignam being the first recipient and he would go on to play in midfield against Shamrock Rovers in the 1984 FAI Cup final. Since then the club has been a regular training ground for promising Irish talent.

Sports writer Ryan Clarke delves into one of the lesser know gems of Irish footballing history, and looks back to 1984, the year when UCD AFC historically won the FAI Cup. University College Dublin Football Club, or more commonly known as UCD AFC, dispelled the myth that ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ 11 years before Alan Hansen uttered that famous line. In 1984 they became the first university club in Europe to reach a senior domestic cup final, win it and then proceed to compete in a European competition.

The club was founded in 1895 under the name of Catholic University Medical School Cecilia Street Football Club, and in one of their first matches they beat Trinity College Dublin 2-0 who are still to the present day fierce rivals of UCD. During this period as Catholic University, the club would play a vital role in the formation of the Leinster Junior League (now Leinster Senior League) in 1896 which enabled the club to compete in non-intervarsity competition.

Above 1984 UCD Club manager Dr Tony ‘the Doc’ O’Neill

They became the club that we know today in 1908 when the Catholic University was annexed by UCD and as a consequence of the merger, the Catholic University team was renamed UCD AFC. Subsequently UCD would go on to become the most successful university team in Ireland by winning the Collingwood Cup, Ireland’s most prestigious intervarsity competition, a remarkable 34 times. To put that into perspective the second most successful team in the competition, Queen’s University Belfast AFC, have won the Collingwood Cup 13 times. UCD also won a litany of other cups including the Leinster Senior Cup, Harding Cup and the FAI Intermediate Cup prior to the cup triumph of 1984, further highlighting their footballing pedigree.

The step up to League of Ireland football was a difficult one initially for UCD’s team of students. During their first four seasons playing at the highest level in Ireland they finished no higher than 12th place in a 16 team league.

This led The Doc to make the decision that would propel the club towards winning the FAI Cup. UCD would look to break their policy of being a student-only team and bring outsiders into the club by signing experienced professionals. Former Ireland international defender Paddy Dunning was signed from Dundalk where he had won numerous league and cup titles and played in their 1979/80 European Cup run where, they ultimately lost 3-2 on aggregate against Celtic. In addition to Dunning, goalkeeper Alan O’Neill signed from Shamrock Rovers along with Robbie Gaffney. Robbie Lawlor signed from Dundalk with Frank Devlin coming to UCD from Drogheda United. The experience of these players blended fantastically with the raw talent of the players coming through from the scholarship scheme. Players such as Ken O’Doherty in defence, Keith Dignam and Aidan Reynolds in midfield with Joe Hanrahan up front.

The Cup Run

“ It was in the sixth minute of injury time that Ken O’Doherty prodded home to win the FAI Cup for UCD

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‘The Doc’ Becomes Manager UCD’s journey towards winning the FAI Cup began in 1970 when the club was elected to play in the League of Ireland B. This was a major step for UCD as it meant they were just one level away from competing in senior football - an unprecedented feat for a university football team. It was also around this time that the most important and influential figure in the history of UCD joined the club in a general manager type capacity, Dr. Tony O’Neill or as he was affectionately known in Irish football circles, The Doc. While I was speaking to the cup winning UCD goalkeeper Alan O’Neill, he said that ‘90% of that cup win [FAI Cup] was down to The Doc. He was UCD through and through’. I also spoke to UCD’s talismanic striker at the time, Joe Hanrahan, and he regarded Dr. Tony O’Neill as an Arsene Wenger type of individual who had a transformative impact on UCD. This could not be a more fitting testament to the man behind the scenes who put all the pieces in place for UCD to be successful. It was in July 1979 that UCD finally began competing in senior domestic football when they gained entry to the League of Ireland.

While speaking to Alan O’Neill and Joe Hanrahan, both players said that going into the 1983/84 season there was an aspiration within the team that it would a successful year for the club. By this point the students were beginning to mature as players and with the addition of the experienced professionals coming in, it added some steel and a strong spine to the team.

With UCD riding high in the league, they began their FAI Cup campaign in the 5th round of the competition (senior teams entered at this stage) against defending champions Sligo Rovers. With the Students losing 3-1 after 55 minutes they produced an impressive comeback to draw the game, after two corners from Joe Hanrahan were converted by Ken O’Doherty and Robbie Lawlor, and force a replay against Sligo Rovers.

Keith Dignam also scored UCD’s first goal of that game with a scorcher from 25 yards out. In the replay, Sligo Rovers were annihilated in their own stadium against the irresistible UCD who came out 5-0 victors, with Joe Hanrahan scoring twice.

Winning the FAI Cup The Students won their quarter final match against Home Farm after

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Sport.

“ Perhaps the Doc’s most enduring legacy, and also that of the 1984 Cup winning team, is the UCD scholarship scheme and the opportunities that it offers young players early in their careers.

”

Above Archive Images from the 1984 FAI Cup Final where UCD beat Shamrock Rovers

Robbie Gaffney’s cross was deflected into the net by a Home Farm defender.

The strength of the UCD defense would become a recurring theme in their cup challenge. In the semi-final the Students were drawn against Waterford United who had won the FAI Cup as recently as 1980.

The semi-final clash with Waterford was a tight and nervy game, as to be expected, with a Joe Hanrahan goal from 25 yards winning it. In the final UCD would face Shamrock Rovers who had just secured their first league title in twenty years and were considered by many to be the best team to ever play in the League of Ireland.

The final in Dalymount Park itself was a poor game devoid of many chances at either end. The lack of opportunity for Rovers was down to UCD’s heroic and resolute defence which stifled the expansive Shamrock Rovers. The match ended 0-0 with it going to a replay in Tolka Park the following Friday. The replay was much more exciting and provided a thrilling climax to UCD’s tremendous cup run.

Alan O’Neill was in great form yet again, which provided the platform for striker Joe Hanrahan to open the scoring in the 40th minute with a sumptuous left-footed finish under Shamrock Rovers keeper Jody Byrne, after he got his angles wrong.

Ken O’Doherty then missed a penalty to double UCD’s advantage before Shamrock Rovers equalised from a penalty of their own just before the hour mark. It was in

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the sixth minute of injury time that Ken O’Doherty prodded home the winner from Keith Dignam’s free kick to win the FAI Cup for UCD and seal their place in the European Cup Winners’ Cup the next season.

European Adventure: UCD versus Everton The reward for UCD on their maiden voyage into Europe would be a tie against star studded FA Cup winners Everton.

This would be a David vs Goliath tie in the truest sense of the word, with Everton fielding players of the calibre of Neville Southall, Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy, Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp. The Students would adopt the same approach against Everton that had won them the cup against Shamrock Rovers, which meant that UCD would rely on the dogged determination of their defence. The first leg was played in Tolka Park, where UCD had won the cup, and the pitch certainly aided their cause in stifling Everton due to the fact that it was an extremely tight pitch. The Students were able to hold Everton to a goalless draw meaning they would only need a score draw over in Goodison Park to knock Everton out and progress to the next round. But Everton would win the tie in their back yard, and the club would go to the win the Cup, and the old English first division.

Legacy of the Cup Team After the 1984/85 season Ken O’Doherty was signed by Crystal Palace and Joe Hanrahan, who was Young Player of the Year in the cup winning season, was snapped up by Manchester United and went on to have a successful career when he returned to the League of Ireland, winning cup medals with Derry City and the league with Dundalk in 1995. Tragically, Dr. Tony O’Neill (the Doc) passed away in 1999 after a short illness at just 53 years of age. Perhaps his most enduring legacy, and also that of the 1984 cup winning team, is the UCD scholarship scheme and the opportunities that it offers young players early in their careers.

Speaking to the Tribune, Joe Hanrahan said that ‘other clubs have recognised that UCD is a fantastic nursery for allowing players to educate themselves and develop themselves as footballers’. The prime example of this can be seen with the core of four players who began their careers with UCD, who now make up the Dundalk team that has won 3 league titles in a row and gone on a fantastic European run. The latest player to depart from UCD for England was midfielder Dylan Watts, who left to sign for Premier League champions Leicester City in August 2016, proving that UCD’s scholarship scheme is still producing top quality talent for the future.

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College Tribune

Sport.

UCD Volleyball Tournament Brings Best Spirit of Sport to Belfield Ben Whitley Sports Photographer

T

he weekend before last the Sports Centre played host to the UCD Volleyball annual ‘Blitz’ tournament, which hosted twenty-four teams from around Ireland and abroad. The tournament kicked off on the Friday night at 7pm, and continued over the Saturday and Sunday.

The niche sport made an interesting showing for any passing by the Sports centre, and created a real buzz over the weekend. The tournament was mixed, with men and women making up the teams. This added an element to the game, meaning

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both styles of power and finesse were needed to do well. After teams began to warm up in the initial first Friday night games strings of impressive and competitive rallies made for a great showing. The energy in the Sports halls livened up the entire building with a buzz.

Speaking about the Blitz the Events manager of the UCD volleyball committee outlined that they had ‘ twenty-four teams attending, most of them are based in Ireland.

We have one team over from the Czech Republic. Most of the teams are Dublin based, but it’s all very

international, we have a lot of Polish people, a lot of Germans involved.

We have four teams form Cork, from UCC’.

The volleyball Blitz is one of the UCD club’s flagship events. ‘We have five UCD teams. This is one our big fundraising events, so that’s what we do to help the clubs funding.

I mean in terms of student volleyball we have a student team that is active in Division 1; the Men’s team, it’s like the second tier Irish league.

And then we have a women’s team in the Premier league, and a student women’s team, so they’re like the regular things that we have. Then this is kind of the big thing, besides varsities. It has been around for over thirty years now, so that’s why we have a very regular attendance.

It’s a small community, but people know about these things and they come’ she outlined.

‘It’s a mixed tournament, so three women have to be on court at all times. I have not seen a full Women’s team. But it’s a mixed

competition, which is also not very common. Like the usual competitions you have here are single-sex, and there are usually very few mixed events. So that’s what it’s so popular I think. We want to get more women involved in the club’ she said.

Organising the large event hasn’t proved that tricky the UCD Volleyball representative described. ‘We’ve done this a few times already so it’s going okay. There’s some time pressure on the courts. So usually volleyball games are three sets, but here we are doing one set in the first round, and the two set games in the second round’.

Mateusz Olszewski is 4th year experimental physics student on one of the UCD teams. Olszewski explained he usually plays on the second string Men’s team in the college. The Blitz he said was less competitive and more about participation and the social aspect of the game and community. ‘This tournament is really for fun, so we have four or five teams from UCD where people are

just mixed up. It is really a fun tournament, so that is the whole idea.

Next week the university team is going to the UK for an intervarsities.

We won the Irish intervarsity, and then the winner of the Irish intervarsity goes on to the UK competition. ‘In terms of engagement we usually have around one hundred people signing up for the club. We have five teams in UCD, so we have nearly over one hundred members.

We are playing in four different leagues’.

The UCD Volleyball team have teams of all level from serious players to more beginners. The women’s student team train on Wednesday (8-10pm) and Friday (7-9pm). The Men’s squad train on Mondays and Wednesday (8-10pm). The club also run a beginners training slot on Friday at 6:30 to 8pm. Anyone interested in getting involved in UCD’s volleyball club can contact them at volleyball@ucd.ie or find them on Facebook at ‘UCD Volleyball Club’.

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