Issue 10 - Volume XVI by The College View

THE COLLEGE VIEW News » 4

Gaeilge » 10

Over 75% of DCU students have never been checked for an STI, survey reveals.

Rian na Gaeilge ar Thoghcháin Aontais na Mac Léinn.

Wednesday 2nd April 2014 Volume XVI - Issue 10 www.thecollegeview.com

Opinion » 8 Is it really ok to encourage obese people to love their bodies?

Flux » inside TV is the new black: The return of the small screen.

Features » 13 In too deep: The dark world of the Deepweb.

SU elections 2014 Mental and sexual health to be a big focus for new sabbaticals Kenneth, Gary and Eve. | Credit: Eimear Phelan

Interest in council meetings drops as class reps don’t turn up for meetings Martina Brophy News Reporter VOTING ON IMPORTANT MOtions is being delayed after the last two Class Rep Council meetings failed to take place due to poor attendance. DCU Education Officer Ciaran O’Connor said: “from 330 class reps, not being able to get 30 there is pretty abysmal but again that’s not to say that the CRC system or class rep system is failing.” Last Monday’s CRC was cancelled because quorum could not be reached. In order to make quorum, ten per cent of regis-

tered class representatives must attend. According to O’Connor retaining the quorum rule is necessary. “It’s important we have these rules because otherwise you could have potentially ten students voting on the policy of the Students’ Union.” He also added that just because students are “not coming to CRC doesn’t mean they’re not a good class rep”. He said it was a concern that important motions are not being dealt with and deferred to the next CRC meeting. Motions that have been deferred include a vote to support a boycott and sanctions on Israel, a vote to make the council

“more in touch” and for the SU to undertake a sustainability ethos. O’Connor suggested ways of encouraging attendance. “Less frequent meetings, maybe something like four a year. Then maybe more frequent faculty convenor class rep meetings. Maybe that could be a way forward.” Former CRC Chair and Class Rep, Seán Cassidy is “not one bit happy” about the delaying of important motions. “This shouldn’t be happening. But Class Reps need to be reassured that the reason meetings have gone over time is because we have had very serious issues to discuss such as the repeat USI referendum,” he said. Class rep for the final year

Journalism class, Tommy Rooney said: “Maybe it’s not such a good idea having massive Class Rep meetings, maybe they should be broken down into different faculties so it will be more focused. Maybe you’ll get more attendance then.” Class rep for second year Global Business German, Isabel Strobel said: “I attended them at the beginning but not in the last few weeks. It takes them forever to start to talk about important things. I often was there for two hours and in my opinion nothing was really discussed. So I understand why people stopped going there.”

Lifestyle » 12 J1: Tips to ensure your American dream doesn’t become a nightmare.

Sport » 24 Boxing club become AllIreland champions.

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

THE COLLEGE VIEW Editorial Tough challenges face new Students’ Union, but can they really make a difference?

he newly elected Students’ Union sabbatical team of Kenneth Browne, Gary Gillick and Eve Kerton probably haven’t come down off the high of winning the election, but soon the mammoth task of the next 12 months will dawn on them and reality will hit. The new SU are coming to power at a difficult time for DCU students. DCU continues to be affected by funding cuts as the funding crisis continues in third-level education. Vulnerable Access students are at risk of losing their much needed subsidised accommodation they were promised for the duration of their course when they came to DCU. Many of these students last week told The College View that continuing their time in DCU won’t be possible without the Access Service’s help. Problems with the IT service have had a serious impact on students completing compulsory assignments this year, and ISS are overrun with trying to fix problems with printers, internet connectivity problems in the on-campus accommodation and the server problems with the Mac computers in the School of Communications. Despite doing all they can to fix problems as quick as possible, cuts are having an impact on the IT department, which is in turn affecting students. Courses across all schools and faculties are suffering with modules being cut from some programmes. This week, outgoing Engineering and Computing Convenor, Ian Kavanagh condemned the university’s decision to remove a first-year engineering module against the advice of final-year engineering students.

Editor-in-Chief: Aoife Mullen Production & Layout Editor: Marie Lecoq Deputy Production & Layout Editor: Rachel McLaughlin News Editors: Sarah Bermingham, Ciara Moore

Deputy News Editors: Theresa Newman, Finnian Curran Opinion Editor: Eamon Donoghue Lifestyle Editor: Freya Drohan Features Editor: Paul O’Donoghue Deputy Features Editor: Aoife Bennett Irish Editor: Máire Áine Ní Shúilleabháin

The unsustainable financial position of the DCU Health Centre as a result of cuts to DCU this year lead to a 100% increase in the fee to see the on-campus doctor to €20, a sum of money many students don’t have to spare. More and more students are turning to the Student Assistance Fund for financial help and more and more students are faced with the prospect of dropping out of college because it just isn’t financially viable for them to get an education. The 2014/2015 SU Executive may make promises to fight for students, to work with services to ensure students aren’t losing out, to help students so they don’t have to drop out of college. Eve Kerton told The College View in her election interview that she intends to do everything in her means to bring the fee to see the campus doctor back down to €10, but how much power do the SU really have when it comes to affecting change? Ian Kavanagh lashed out at DCU this week in this paper for being “full of red-tape” and spoke about how reluctant those in power are to allow members of the SU to invoke real change. The SU are there to help students, to represent them, to provide them with information and with a sense of community through events, and they usually succeed in doing that. But in the grand scheme of things, does the SU really have the power to affect change in DCU for students? In the words of House of Cards’ Frank Underwood: “Proximity to power deludes some into thinking they wield it.”

Deputy Irish Editor: Gráinne Ní Aodha Sports Editor: Ruaidhrí Croke Deputy Sports Editors: Eoin Sheahan, Anita McSorley Flux Editor: Claire Healy Deputy Flux Editors: Michael Cogley Images Editor: Annemarie Kelly

Online Editor: Mary McDonnell Online News Editor: Eimear Phelan Deputy Online News Editor: Mark Hogan Printed By Datascope, with the DCU Journalism Society Thanks To Sportsfile, SLC, Office of Student Life

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 NEWS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

DCU Dance to represent DCU at BICs as DCU’s Best Society after win at last week’s Society Awards. Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

NeWS

Pro-life society would THE COLLEGE be approved at DCU VIEW IS HIRING! Do you want to be on The College View’s editorial team?

Applications are now open for the following 2014/2015 editorial team positions: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS - Editor / Deputy Editor OPINION - Editor IRISH - Editor / Deputy Editor LIFESTYLE - Editor FEATURES - Editor / Deputy Editor FLUX (arts) - Editor / Deputy Editor SPORT - Editor / Deputy Editor PRODUCTION & LAYOUT - Editor / Deputy Editor ONLINE - Editor ONLINE NEWS - Editor / Deputy Editor IMAGES - Editor Photographers Sub-editors

If you wish to apply for any of these positions, email your application along with your CV to editor@thecollegeview. com. Please include the role you are applying for in the subject of your email and outline your relevant experience and why you are suitable for the position. Deadline for applications is Friday April 4th at 5pm.

Mark Hogan News Reporter

DCU’S CLUBS AND SOCIETIES office think their University of Limerick counterparts were too subjective in rejecting a pro-life society from setting up there recently and have said the setting up of a similar group could be approved here. Manager of DCU’s Office of Student Life, Una Redmond said any club or society can be established on campus as long as it meets the Society Life Committee’s criteria. “It seems like a judgement call… we couldn’t just decide unilaterally we didn’t want [the society] if it fulfilled our criteria,” Redmond told the College View. She went onto describe the DCU criteria for the setting up of clubs and societies as “less

subjective, it’s more objective”. The comments come as UL’s Pro-life Society Chairperson Manuel Kuh appeals a vote rejecting his society from becoming officially recognised by the university. He feels this rejection might be because of the delicate issue the society focusses on. A recent vote saw UL’s Clubs & Socs Council reject the setting up of a society for the first time, with 22 votes against Kuh’s group to 21 for it. DCU Chaplain Sr Susan Jones said the Inter-Faith Centre which she represents would “probably back a pro-life society” as it would be line with religious teachings. However, she noted “as DCU staff, it’s not up to us to propose societies; they have to come from students”. Sr Jones added that she didn’t know whether DCU needed such

societies and that the inter-faith centre provides students with a place to discuss their beliefs on issues including abortion, homosexuality and other topics at roundtable talks. “Some people just sit around the table to listen, and sometimes they like to engage. We have non-believers, Muslims and Christians… It’s just a place for people to discuss the idea, there’s no conclusion,” she explained. Under Society Life Committee (SLC) rules, clubs and societies are entitled to set up if they have indiscriminate aims, a constitution and a minimum number of students in the group. Although Redmond said the SLC reject some groups from registering, they only do so after following guidelines set out in the constitution.

Newly elected SU expected to focus on sexual and mental health Sarah Bermingham News Reporter NEXT YEAR’S STUDENTS’ Union is set to have a strong focus on sexual and mental health awareness, after the 2014/2015 DCU SU Executive was elected last Friday. Having previously spoken out about his experience with depression, incoming DCU SU President Kenneth Browne is keen to bust stigma around mental health issues. He also believes lecturers should have to attend presentation workshops to ensure they can communicate their message effectively to students. Final year Communications student Eve Kerton will succeed Lorna Finnegan as Welfare Officer and described at last week’s SU hustings how she wants to build on Finnegan’s work on sexual health and wants “to make having a sore penis the same as having a sore thumb”. With further cuts to univer-

sity programmes a real possibility, incoming Education Officer Gary Gillick has said he would work to ensure “correct liaison with higher authorities” but reminded the student body that the representative roles carry “limited authority”. The sabbats will be joined on the SU Executive by the newly elected convenors. They are Science & Health Convenor, Kim Sweeney; Engineering & Computing Convenor, Danny Walsh; Business School Convenor, Jack Butterly; and Humanities & Social Sciences Convenor, Peadar O’ Goill. Ross McCarrick who was elected Clubs Officer and Lindsay Butler who was elected Societies Officer will also take seats on the SU Executive. Brian Harman was elected the Postgrad Officer. The establishment of a new student centre at DCU was also given the green light by students in the referendum which ran concurrent to the SU elections. In a massive endorsement for

the planned four-storey extension to the Hub, the ‘Yes’ side received 2139 votes while the ‘No’ side received just 186 votes in last week’s student vote.

▣ Credit: Nicola Leddy

NeWS

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

The DCU Ryan Academy will mentor up to ten student entrepreneurs after they showcase their ideas and business plans at the Ustart competition. Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

Sexual health survey reveals the C need for more STI clinics at DCU u Ciara Moore News Editor OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF DCU students surveyed have never been tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI), The College View has revealed. The sexual health survey asked students about their attitudes towards STIs and how they can be prevented. The majority of students felt there is not enough awareness on safe sex practices for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) couples. This was echoed by the Secretary of DCU’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Ally Society (LGBTA), James Keogh, who said: “sexual health awareness is especially important in the LGBTQ community. There simply isn’t enough information given out to LGBTQ teenagers and young adults, and they are the ones most at risk.” He added: “It’s vital that DCU provides information and the services necessary to keep its students sexually aware and healthy. I would personally like to see more promotion of STI check-ups in DCU and a possible reduction in the cost.” Most students who took part in the survey found information about STIs when on the internet or discussing the issue with friends, while the most popular form of contraception among respondents was dual use of the pill and condoms. When asked if they thought it was acceptable to engage in sexual activity with a person who is intoxicated and might not be in a position to give consent, 12 per cent of students answered yes. Sexual health awareness has been a hot topic in recent weeks after a survey carried out by a team from the medical school at University of Limerick revealed that one in ten Irish university students have contracted an STI. Health Promotion Officer at DCU, Triona Keane, said the best advice to students for safe sex practices is to “limit your number of sexual partners, always wear a condom and know how to apply it correctly. It also helps to know your sexual partner. “Remember: 70 per cent of

people who develop chlamydia have no symptoms so it is crucial to undergo constant screening. Always watch out for any signs that you may have an STI. If you think you have an STI, contact your GP. All you need to treat an STI is a simple course of antibiotics so don’t be afraid.” Keane also hopes to work closely with the Students’ Union next year to raise more awareness around sexual health issues. When shown the results of The College View survey, she said that more STI clinics and working with the LGBTA Society is something she will “definitely look into” for the next academic year.

The majority of students surveyed agreed that they would like the SU to look into having more frequent STI clinics on campus that are either free or subsidised. One student said: “I think they’re making progress but there needs to be more factual information made readily avail-

80%

of the students surveyed never had an STI check up.

able (maybe in the form of leaflets) on different types of infections and the symptoms to look out for. The SU can tend to focus a little too heavily on the social side of things.” Another commented that “maybe if STI tests were less expensive people might go more. Also, the fear factor of getting a test, people don’t know what to expect when in reality it’s not that bad.” Other students suggested that the SU should make a year-long effort rather than just a once-off SHAG Week; raise more awareness on issues such as erectile dysfunction and vaginismus; and maybe organise a compul-

84%

of the students surveyed think that more information on sexual health should be made available to LGBT couples.

12%

of the students surveyed think it is acceptable to engage in sexual activities with someone who is intoxicated and may not be in a position to give consent.

of the students surveyed say they don’t use contraception.

sory sex talk for incoming firstyear students. DCU SU’s incoming Welfare Officer, Eve Kerton, has also spoken about increasing sexual health awareness in DCU next year as part of her new role. She said: “I feel that DCU is providing an acceptable amount of information on sexual issues for heterosexual people, however, there’s a serious lack of information for gay and lesbian students. One item on my manifesto was to incorporate information on same-sex protection; it is often ignored and overlooked, and this worries me.” “I want to provide more regular STI checks, even if it’s one per semester, it’s better than just SHAG Week. I want to bring SHAG Week back to basics, letting people know the dangers of casual intercourse, and publicise the help and services that are available to students. I also want to remove the stigma as regards discussing sexual problems,” she added. 230 students took part in the survey which was distributed to students across all schools and faculties.

How do you find information about STIs and preventing them?

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 NEWS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Plans are being made to reduce third-level fees for the children of Irish emigrants living outside the European Union according to Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn.

Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

NeWS

Convenor hits out at university’s ‘red tape’ Katie O’Neill News Reporter THE OUTGOING COMPUTing and Engineering convenor has hit out at those in power in DCU for losing sight of students’ best interests. Ian Kavanagh described DCU as “full of red tape”, expressing his belief that the people with the decision-making power have lost sight of the students’ best interests. Kavanagh expressed his frustration at the little authority and capacity for change the position brings. “If I wasn’t met with a stone wall then I was passed off onto somebody else; I suppose you could say I was made their problem,” he told The College View. As the newly elected student faculty convenors prepare to assume their positions, Kavanagh described his year as a great ex-

perience but said he won’t miss the reluctance of the college to allow convenors to invoke real change. Kavanagh believes the Students’ Union’s role must be reevaluated: “I think the role of Convenor along with the whole SU and how they interact with the college needs to be looked at”, he said, adding: “the theory behind the SU is good but there are some flaws in how the system works, including the outdated and defunct CRC (Class Rep Council)”. He also condemned the university’s decision to remove a certain first-year engineering module against the advice of final-year engineering students. Fionnuala Moran, Humanities and Social Sciences Convenor, did not encounter the same problem in her faculty. She said she found the staff of the college to be helpful: “Because my faculty has suffered the most from

cuts in the past few years, the staff have really taken on board any suggestions for improvements,” she said. Moran acknowledged that it was hard to achieve changes in the space of the year, and said that she will be speaking with the incoming convenor about following up on issues she has been tackling, such as lobbying with the library for more ebooks for law students. Business Convenor Alan Prendergast said he wouldn’t necessarily recommend the job of convenor to final-year students. “It’s ideal for a second-year student who has a mixture of experience and they have the time to do it as well,” he said. He also explained that he would have liked to introduce a faculty ball as convenor, but suspects it’s something newlyelected Business Convenor Jack Butterly will bring to fruition.

▣ Credit: Nicola Leddy

DCU using debt collectors to hunt down fees Chaitanya Brady News Reporter

DCU IS ONE OF THREE IRISH colleges currently employing the services of a debt collector to recoup unpaid fees from students, along with University College Dublin and NUI Galway. Some 250 former DCU students who owe money to the university are being trackeddown by a debt collector called Legal and Credit Management Services Ltd, according to a DCU spokesperson. Ireland’s largest college, UCD, have refused to award almost

200 former students degrees as they are in arrears with their fees. According to the Sunday Independent earlier this month, UCD have not denied reports that they awarded a €200,000 contract to a third party, in order to collect a suspected €1m from students. The majority of these students are postgraduates whose fees can range anywhere from €5,000 to €20,000. University of Limerick have used a debt collector in the past but found they had little success in getting money from students. Press officer Sheena Doyle told The College View : “We only brought in debt collectors when

there was a very specific need, but there wasn’t a very significant return”. Most attempts were to “recover long standing debt”. There are only between 10 and 20 former students of NUI Maynooth that have outstanding fees owed to the college according to a spokesperson, who added, “we will see if we can do anything to help them save”. NUIM use a student budget advisory in order to accommodate students and haven’t used a debt collector for 12 months. Trinity College Dublin, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and Dublin Institute of Technology have never used a debt collector.

Dr Madeleine Lowery UCD School of Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering Expert in Biomedical Engineering

We’re engineering the most complex system knoWn to man – the Brain. We create models to help us understand how it works and how it changes with disease and ageing. Using these models, we can develop new technologies and therapies to replace lost function and treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders. If you can learn this much here, imagine what you could learn with a taught masters. to explore the masters on offer at the UcD college of engineering & architecture and to meet their academic experts, come to the graduate open evening on april 7th, from 6pm-8pm. Experts aren’t born. They’re taught. For more, see ucd.ie/myucd/engarcheve

A world of expertise

NeWS

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

With one in four under-25 year-olds in Ireland unemployed, entrepreneurship is becoming an increasingly popular option for young people eager to create their own opportunities..

Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

One in seven bullied at college Sharron Lynskey News Reporter

ONE IN SEVEN THIRD-LEVEL students in Ireland have been affected by bullying, according to a new report. In the study of almost 400 third-level students, conducted by Liam McGuire of Trinity College’s Anti-Bullying Research Centre, it was revealed that 24 per cent of those bullied reported teaching staff as the perpetra-

tors. Director of youth organisation SpunOut.ie, Ian Power, doesn’t feel such findings are surprising. “It’s a part of the transition into college; staff are no longer there to hold your hand,” he said, highlighting that “if comments are made in front of a class, or a student feels victimised or harassed, then there are steps you can take”. The research also showed that almost two-thirds of participants were unsure whether their college had a policy to tackle bul-

lying, however DCU’s Health Promotion Officer Triona Keane insists such a policy is implemented in the university. Explaining that there are certain procedures in place to tackle bullying at DCU, she said “if a student is experiencing such problems we can talk through the issues with them and attempt a resolution with the parties involved”. She advises affected students to first contact their course coordinator. “They can establish if bullying has taken place and

Call for smoking ban on entire campus grounds

can intervene and give advice in such situations,” she said. Over half of those affected, as highlighted in the report, experience exclusionary bullying; a rate much higher than findings at second-level. Power explained how this type of bullying is common in both colleges and workplaces, saying “people don’t necessarily realise the impact of exclusionary bullying… it starts with cliques in school and it is seen as a form of social power to exclude someone else.

▣ Credit: Flikr via Creative Commons

IRISH THIRD-LEVEL INSTITUtions have been urged to extend their indoor smoking ban to entire campuses and grounds. Talk of implementing the ban came about after a document on tobacco usage in public ar-

eas was published by the policy group at The Royal College of Physicians. The zero-tolerance rule would forbid smoking entirely on campuses and mean that smokers would have to leave university grounds to smoke. The policy is being launched to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the smoking ban in all public

venues and workplaces. Talk of introducing such a ban at DCU has caused debate with many students having a divided opinion. Postgraduate Chemistry student Kevin Walsh said “overall I guess it’s a good thing. It would be hard to police if it was introduced I think.” Arts student Ryan Hogan said “Across all campus is a bit

“This type of behaviour then moves into the workplace, only there it is usually more explicit.” He advises young people who feel subject to this form of abuse to ignore it and try not to let it get to them. “It’s easier to develop your own friendship network in college through clubs and societies. There’s so many different ways of engaging with people so the best thing to do is surround yourself with better people,” he said.

p A t o r

DCU attending first USI congress since re-affiliation vote MEMBERS OF DCU STUdents’ Union are attending the congress of the Union of Students in Ireland this week after a re-affiliation vote was secured last month. Places were offered to the three out-going and in-coming SU sabbatical officers to travel to Congress as well as two observers if needed. “It is important that whoever does travel to congress takes the opportunity to take in what happens there and to be able to engage with the national union in a suitable manner in the future,” DCU SU President, Aaron

Clogher said. The time to submit motions had already passed when DCU re-affiliated with the USI. DCU has yet to receive confirmation of membership so it is unknown whether or not the college will be eligible to vote on this week’s motions. The USI Education Working Group has proposed student grant reform because of the issues in the current grant scheme which cause difficulties for students. Dublin Regional Council has proposed SUSI training as a motion for the congress because currently grant students do not have a contact with whom they can sit down and discuss their grant issues.

much. Would they not have designated smoking areas? There are designated smoking areas at the moment; people don’t really abide by them. In Sweden and Denmark in hospitals, they have little rooms that you can go into that are ventilated that you can smoke in. I think that’s a much better idea. Otherwise you’re just going to walk around with everyone pissed off because they can’t smoke.” The document said the complete ban should now extend to the grounds surrounding all publicly funded institutions, particularly academic campuses and hospitals. Dr Pat Doorley is one of sev-

eral health experts in the policy group at RCIP and he is pushing to implement the ban as soon as possible to hopefully achieve a “smoke free Ireland” one day. “The indoor smoking ban has saved an estimated 3,400 lives over the last ten years and the Tobacco Free Ireland policy is very ambitious – but achievable,” he says. UCD students voted for a smoke-free campus last October, meaning that the UCD Students’ Union will support a proposal by the university’s health promotion committee to make the campus smoke free. The health committee hope to implement the ban as early as October 2014.

Conor Martin News Reporter

Elaine Carroll and Michael Sheils McNamee

W I t h l

A t U t K

handful of students and it brings target. cerned even if it only works for a keen to work towards the €50,000 tal ill health. “As far as I’m con- vember 15th, with Fr Jones still to help people at a time of men- will be held in the Helix on Noabout the labyrinth’s potential A special fundraiser concert Fr Jones is also passionate every Tuesday afternoon. process.” profound happens to us in the is placed in the InterFaith Centre and they realise something quite walk a mobile labyrinth which All students are invited to explained. “People walk the path relaxation and calm”, Fr Jones ing money.” a person “into a space of quiet, it’s a load of crap, if we’re wastblood pressure. The walk brings plained. “Then they can tell me if levels of anxiety, insomnia and know what it’s about”, he exwalking meditations can reduce versation with people when they Harvard research has found “I’m prepared to have that conweeks to complete. which is expected to take just six criticise plans. ready been assigned the project, labyrinth walk before rushing to horticultural architecture has al- urge students to experience a viting. A builder specialising in ated with this project, he would help the campus appear more in- a substantial price-tag associas entrance and exit and will While he recognises there is ralling paths with a single path used by all traditions.” brary. The design consists of spi- long to any one tradition and it’s woman’s partner forced the was to an early end. “It future. third garden was approaching li-brought ject. “The labyrinth does not be-forward to working with in events granite unfold, stone it appeared the onappointment that the campaign look structure the Catholic priest leading proAlthoughThe difficult to see View, Farrell expressed his dis-thisare labyrinth will the be a large meeting with this week and couple cost theytoknew distress. point. Speaking The College thinks it to unfortunate that he is a about in €50,000. with Domino’s Pizza, who they lix when they spotted youngthe ers, to the create a talking against Catholic Church and next year woulda bring totalin order highly value their relationship mittee in the vicinity sion of the video up to the viewtribution may have been voting including this of in the the Hework early three members of thesurround, MPS com-however society was to leave the against conclu- the conMPS also stated that they ple who voted an attractive under 90 seconds long, showed The original intention feels of thethat any self. Fr Jones is also keen to have The chaplain peo-further confusion.” The of video, which was just take. constructing the labyrinth it- instigated referendum in 2012. Facebook page so as not to cause MPS fortoa date, number of years. Deputy Editor the News angle they intended to which will cover thenever cost video be removed from their tion following a DCU Sinn the FéinDomino’sOver Pizza€33,000 have sponsored behaviour and stated that it was Finnian Curran has been raised upon an agreed €10,000 leading and we requested that Relations Jack Power. distanced themselves from suchcontribuing Officer, the project. Union back Atkinson; and MPS women.”Students’ The society has rowed also Production Society was misCentre, Fr JoeCommercial Jones, who is leadHe is still saddened thethis prank from the Media Deputying Head DCUtv, David or showcase violence towards thatcept to of Head of the InterFaith MPS Chairperson, NiallofFarrell; not theirpenny. intention “to promote violence in any instance. We ac” March or April 2014, accorda marketing campaign that it’s it was calm, then worth every labyrinth will featuring be installedstatement by andstating ciation version with Domino’s part of campus MPS them have to since a “Domino’s does not endorse find released quiet, contentment of the as planned Domino’s Pizza Group said: The video was madeSCALED-DOWN in asso- leted from the into sociala media A SLIGHTLY them space site. that enables Halloween Ball. The video has since been deA spokesperson from the ety after DCU Students’ Union’s gardaí regarding the incident. es far longer than three days”. media by members of the soci- they had given statements to the such a sizable initiative stretcheo which was posted to social video to Facebook, claiming Domino’s to remove a hoax vidThe group then uploaded the its mere infancy as the length of the campaign was stopped in Society (MPS) were asked by could reach them. DCU’S MEDIA PRODUCTION into the boot of a car before they is unfortunate, however, that

installed next April remove video Labyrinth to beover content

Domino’s asks MPS to

s a e g a l b

e b t A G s

p t t G s b b

“ A a d p

m H l p f i v

W t W r d t

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 NEWS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Students at NUI Galway were warned to be vigilant following confirmation last Friday that two of their students had contracted measles.

NeWS

Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

installed next April remove video Labyrinth to beover content

Domino’s asks MPS to

A MAJOR NEW RESEARCH project on Irish immigration to America was launched in Waterford Institute of Technology by Minister Leo Varadkar recently. The Wexford-Savannah Axis is a collaboration between WIT, Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Historical Society and the John F Kennedy Trust. It will examine how and why so many people from Wexford and the south-east of Ireland emigrated to Savannah Georgia in the 19th century, as well as the impact it had on the lives of Irish and Americans in both countries. The initiative builds on other collaborative projects that both colleges have worked together on in recent years. Almost 200 students from Georgia also attended summer schools in Waterford. “I am very excited by this project. There is huge potential to develop links between the South East of Ireland and Georgia,” Minister Varadkar said of the initiative, which he believes will improve tourism between Ireland and America. He went on to say Ireland is “always pleased to welcome American visitors to Ireland and in this case it will be wonderful to welcome so many people from Savannah home.” Head of the School of Humanities at WIT, Dr Richard Hayes, expressed how the college “are delighted by the support the Minister has shown for this project. It is an exciting project for WIT to be involved in”. Chair of the JFK Trust, Noel Whelan is also excited about the new initiative. He said the Wexford-Savannah Axis will represent “another exciting development in the work of the JFK Trust”.

Lisa Marie O’Donnell News Reporter A €40 MILLION DEVELOPment which will provide accommodation for 500 students in Dublin’s Liberties area was announced last week. The development, which will also include the creation of over 10,000 square feet of office space, will be based in the Digital Hub, a centre for digital-based enterprises. The project will be directed by London-based Knightsbridge Student Housing and will see part of a 19th century Guinness grain store converted into units for students at Dublin third-level colleges such as Trinity College, DIT and DCU. The accommodation will be in two blocks up to 10 storeys high on a 1.2 acre site in Bonham Street in the south inner city. Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte announced the expansion plan, which is being supported by the Digital Hub Development Agency and is part of the Government’s Action Plan

▣ Credit: Flickr via Creative Commons

Nicole O’Connor News Reporter

Major student accommodation development for Dublin’s Liberties

for Jobs programme. When speaking about the details of the project, Edel Flynn, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Hub Development Authority, said: “in the short term, the development will bring

much-needed investment and employment to this area. “In the longer term, it will see Dublin 8 animated by the presence of more digital entrepreneurs and workers, and hundreds of third-level students.”

Planning permission has already been secured for the development and construction is set to begin in August. It is expected that the facility will be open for the new academic year in September 2016.

Trinity College to change official name ▣ Credit: William Murphy via Flickr Creative Commons

Waterford IT initiative to research historic US link

Leandro Pondoc News Reporter

TRINITY COLLEGE’S GOVerning board has approved a rebranding of Ireland’s oldest university with a decision to change its name.

The city centre institution will now be referred to in official communications as “Trinity College, the University of Dublin”. The re-branding is part of an ‘Identity Initiative’ launched by Provost Patrick Prendergast 12 months ago in a bid to simplify references to the university, eliminating variations such as

“Trinity College Dublin,” “Trinity College,” “TCD” and others. It would also disspel confusion with international students who wish to study at Trinity and construe “college” as being like secondary school or community college. Prendergast said the aim of the

initiative was to “create a shared visual identity and narrative for the entire university that allows us to tell a more cohesive and powerful story about what Trinity wishes to achieve in the future”. Students and staff at the university have raised concerns over the re-branding process with the Fellows of Trinity College, the representative board for tenured academics. They have stressed the need to retain the university’s heritage. The Fellows have been granted special dispensation to continue using TCD on research publications due to concern the changes would affect the international rankings of such texts. Over 70 per cent of these use the name ‘Trinity College Dublin’, while other variations yield poor results. The re-branding plans also include a standardised logo and will be put forward to staff and stakeholders before being remanded back to the board for final approval.

opINIoN

“

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

It’s normally seen as a basic social good to vote in an election or referendum where you have that privilege. But there is further incentive to vote in a students’ union election. Simply put, you pay for it.

Theresa Newman is a final year Journalism student in DCU.

NO, HONESTLY; WHEN DID IT start being OK to be overweight, to embrace obesity and in some cases, celebrate it? Brands like Dove with their ‘real beauty’ campaign and Debenhams with their ‘reality catalogue’ have started to include larger sized women in their advertising. It’s clever PR and it works. By shining a light on bulging middles and flabby bums, wobbly thighs and lardy tums they claim to be enhancing women’s self confidence. They know their customers are getting fatter, and they want to be seen as a place that services the needs of their customers. No overweight person views the size eight mannequin in a shop window and sees themselves; they need to see larger models in order to visualise what the clothes would look like on them, and vóila, the

good people of Debenhams are kept afloat by the portly pound. Latest figures indicate 61 per cent of Irish adults are overweight or obese. Worldwide, obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. People who are overweight die on average seven years younger than their slimmer, healthier counterparts. Oh, and fat people are costing Ireland almost €4 billion a year - between missing work, blocking hospital beds and developing chronic illnesses; the swollen cost of thinness lost puts even more pressure on the public finances. Let’s not kid ourselves that Unilever (who make Dove) give a damn about women’s feelings. Unilever, like any business, want to make as much money as possible flogging things. By convincing women that they needed hair dye and lip-wax and eyelash curlers; that they smelled bad, were hairy and dull-skinned, they made a healthy profit of €2.7 billion in the first half of 2013. If you advertise your products with only thin, attractive women using them when 1.5bn people worldwide are overweight, you are ignoring the elephant in the room and you’re missing out on a hefty whack of cash. The best PR is invisible, so by

purporting to challenge the cultural and social norm that is thinness, these companies emerge like bastions of liberal, feminist thought. It may be called the “real women” campaign but I bet the ad execs are thinking ‘Dove, Defenders of the Chunky Chick’ and Debenhams “Love the Lardy Lass Collection” as they sit pondering how to sell more stock to their already voracious consumers. One in four Irish school children are overweight or obese and the message we need to send out is that it’s not OK to be overweight, it’s not OK to celebrate obesity and it’s not OK to encourage it. Plastering pictures of pudgy people on bus stops and crying “celebrate your size!” is not the right direction to go in. “You’ll drive them to bulimia!” you shout, “They’ll all develop eating disorders and starve themselves to death!” Not so. Eating disorders are not primarily about food and are categorised as a mental, not a physical illness. Psychological, familial and sociocultural factors are all linked to the development of an eating disorder, and the disorder can be an expression of desire for control; controlling something in their power when they feel unable to cope externally.

▣ Fake French anti-obesity poster | Credit: David Lesage

When did obesity become okay?

The obsession with being happy with your body is being forced upon us; such constant moaning about how ‘important’ it is to love your body puts the wrong kind of message out. You shouldn’t love your body if it’s a bulging, heaving mass, racing only towards an early grave. Nobody but the most niche sexual perverts wants to love that

body. By re-affirming the ‘love your body’ mantra it gives people an excuse to stay plump, telling themselves that it’s ok to have another doughnut, ‘cause they love themselves. Weeks ago it was Eating Disorder Awareness week in Ireland - roll on Reality Check Week.

Negative attitudes towards elections need to be eliminated

THIS YEAR’S ELECTION SEASON seen some of the most tenacious, tireless and tough campaigning that hasn’t been seen in DCU Students’ Union in a long time. I was on campus for the full week working as campaign manager for one of the education candidates (Sean Rooney) who didn’t get elected. Taking the hit of losing an election is hard for anybody involved in a campaign but across all races and amongst all candidates there seemed to be very positive, active and engaging campaigning. It’s something all involved can be proud of ensuring regardless of whether they won or not. While losing inherently takes it toll, it wasn’t the most dispiriting aspect of this election. The attitude of a small

group of students from various faculties was just shocking. Apart from the majority of students who either welcomed the engagement of canvassers or politely declined their approaches, there was this small group who had a wholly negative attitude. While I have dedicated many column inches to showcasing the faults of our union, and many do exist, these faults do not offer a pre-requisite to be negative towards those spending their own money and taking their own time out to engage the student populace. Nor do they offer an opportunity to opt out of the democratic process. This particular group could be best described as having achieved the awesome feat of being both ig-

norant and arrogant simultaneously. While most of these types will greet you with a scoffed ‘no’, there may be the odd few who will listen inflated by an air of superiority, and always with a demeaning grin. Once you had finished talking they would then just say that the students’ union is pointless and irrelevant and inform you they had no intention of voting. They would at no stage indicate any sense of respect for the democratic process or any understanding or knowledge of the value of an effective union. While I generally don’t take heed of mean-spirited people in a campaign, it was worrying to see a strong share of these types. It was also worrying that when these people were in the centre of groups

Sean Cassidy was the campaign manager for Sean Rooney in last week’s Students’ Union elections.

their attitude and response had a ripple effect on the rest of the group, forcing them to de facto disengage. While we don’t have the strongest students’ union or the strongest level of engagement this attitude only exacerbates and in some cases causes these existing problems. It’s normally seen as a basic social good to vote in an election or referendum where you have that privilege. But there is further incentive to vote in a students’ union election. Simply put, you pay for it, either through direct union levies, the stu-

dent contribution charge or the taxes you and your parents have paid. A union is only as powerful as how active and engaged its members are. The more organised it is, the more effective it becomes. This can pay dividends in many ways such as the case of NUIG SU downgrading it’s RAG Week in 2011 in exchange for €60,000 extra going to their Student Assistance Fund. A union can have a positive effect on students and the student experience but such negative attitudes need to to be rooted out and eradicated.

o p n b l s a t w J i

n t p n

p i j h o s

t h a p t p i h p n

s p w

t t T o a

t w l p s h

“

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 OPINIONS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Technology has not surpassed the human body yet for the way we see, experience and feel. And looking at life through a smartphone lens, on an eight megapixel screen is not a surrogate to the human eye, yet.

opINIoN

Do we really need to live life through our cameras? Marie Lecoq is a final year Journalism student in DCU.

THERE IS NO WHITE RABBIT or smoking caterpillar to lead people through the narrow tunnel covered in fake spider webs but a young man and his flash light. Cheers rise from the other side as music booms through the air. A few latecomers rush out of the tunnel into wonderland-like woods and towards the stage. Jerry Fish and his band are playing. This is the Marley Grange Picnic Halloween festival. Everything has been meticulously prepared to create an unforgettable night. People are dancing, laughing, singing and... filming. Jerry Fish soon interrupts his performance and shouts at a man in the public. “I hope you are enjoying this thing on your old iPhone, motherf****r.” He jumps off stage, walks towards him and snatches his phone. Later again Jerry Fish gives out to the people surrounding him. As he walks around in the crowd and attempts to make contact with the public, people’s first reaction are to raise their phones and film him pass by. “I think there is no fucking point in watching this later,” he says. “This is the time now people, right here, right f**king now.” While some might find his style slightly out of place, he has a point. Why record for later what we can live in the present? New technology and in particular smartphones have grafted themselves to the human body. They are the third eye on the tip of our fingers, an extension of our arms. Technology has not surpassed the human body yet for the way we see, experience and feel. And looking at life through a smartphone lens, on an eight megapixel screen is not a surrogate to the human eye, yet. These videos will be stored away the moment they stop re-

cording and will unlikely be looked at again. But not all artists seem to think that this smartphone pandemic is a bad thing. At another gig, this time in the Academy, the Foxes’ singer was faced with a wall of smartphones, recording every one of her moves and taking snaps of the show. Although she did not seem to mind as she pranced about the stage, the scene was quite unsettling to watch. Some were so focused to record the singer they adored that night and watch her on their tiny screen that they seemed completely oblivious about how close she really was. When the singer decided to high five the public directly in front of her (probably in an attempt to bring them back to the present), panic drew on the faces of these improvised little Big Brothers as they tried to decide whether to lose the phone, take the opportunity or embrace both and keep recording as they high five her, phone in hands. But the best example of this new trend might be the ocean of smartphone screens during Beyoncé’s gig at the O2 in Dublin. “People seem to go outside just to take pictures and share them on social media,” one DCU student, Katie Coyle, observed. In France, Chefs are trying to ban cameras in their restaurant. “I would like people to be living in the present. Tweet about the meal beforehand, tweet about it afterwards, but in between, stop and eat. Sitting down for a meal should be an enjoyable moment shared with us, not with the social network. Instead of enjoying the moment they are elsewhere. But it is a minority of diners,” says Chef Alexandre Gautier. On La Grenouillere’s menu, Gauthier’s restaurant in La Madelaine-sousMontreuil in northern France, a sign bans costumers from taking pictures. Food is not the only thing trending on social media. With the rise of widespread, accessible technology, citizen journalists capture breaking news event on their phones throughout the world. News organisations cannot be everywhere at once, and citizen journalism can be a great asset when covering breaking events.

▣ Filming at concerts | Credit: Marie Lecoq (top) Rachel McLaughlin (bottom)

It has made censorship more difficult for controlling governments, although it is still strongly enforced in many countries. China’s government, for example, ordered all TV broadcasters to delay their live coverage of the Beijing Games by 10 seconds in order to give them time to react and cut any ‘Free Tibet’ demonstration and has a strong hold on Internet accessibility. Internet and smartphones have in a way helped human rights. Smartphones with social media have helped bring human rights issues to the surface and spread them across the world as we wit-

nessed during the Arab Spring or more recently with the Ukraine unrest. But it has also brought up ethical issues. Two striking examples come to mind. The first one is the video of the woman shot in the neck during the Cairo unrest in the summer of 2013. While it is important to show the reality of such events it also dehumanises both the person filming and the person in distress. The same scenario happened during the Boston bombing. The video was striking. Amongst the screams of panicked people we can hear a first man shout

“there’s gotta be people, hurry up.” Moments later another man shouts for help. As the camera man walks amongst the rubble he repeats, “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god”. He is shocked, and who could blame him. But he has made that conscious split second decision to clutch on his phone and film rather than stretch out his arm to help. And this tells us a lot about the way our society works. We substitute our lives to technology, disregarding the real world for a proxy, a distanced digital version.

GaeILGe

Luadh an scéim chónaithe cúpla uair mar phríomhchuspóir ag cuid mhaith de na hiarrthóirí.

“

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

Níor bhrath Seán Ó Cuirreáin go raibh sé ag fáil neart tacaíocht ón rialtas chun a ról mar Choimisinéir Teanga a chomhlíonadh…”

Éirí as na gCoimisinéirí I MEASC STOIRM FHÍOCHMhar na gceisteanna agus an fearg mharfach atá le brath ina dhiaidh éirí as Coimisinéir na nGardaí Martin Callinan, tá ceist uaigneach amháin le cur a raibh fágtha faoi dheannach scannail na bpointí pionós. Cá bhfuil an ruaile buaile i dtaobh éirí as an gcoimisinéir Teanga? An Feabhra seo caite d’éirigh an chéad Ombudsman d’aon sórt ó bhunú an saorstát as a phost mar agóid i gcoinne neamhaird an rialtas. Níor bhrath Seán Ó Cuirreáin go raibh sé ag fáil neart tacaíocht ón rialtas chun a ról mar Choimisinéir Teanga a chomhlíonadh, agus mar sin d’éirigh sé as. Cailleadh súntasacht an scéil seo trí easpa chlúdach ar RTÉ, rud a léiríonn doimhneacht na ceiste agus a taispeánann fairsinge na faidhbe a bhí Ó Cuirreáin ag déileáil léi

▣ Seán Ó Cuirreáin | Credit: Flickr via creative commons

Gráinne Ní Aodha Leas-Eagarthóir Gaelach

ar bhonn laethúil. Nuair a chuaigh 50 oibreoir in RTÉ go díreach go Noel Curran, Ard-Stiúrthóir RTÉ, ag léiriú a mbuaireamh faoi easpa chlúdach ar agóid Ó Cuirreáin, an argóint a thugadar ná; “Dá n-éireodh Coimisinéir Teanga na Breatnaise as a phost faoi choinníollacha

chomhchosúileacha, an bhfuil sé inchreidte go dtabharfadh na seirbhísí teanga Béarla ó BBC na Breataine Bige beagnach neamhaird iomláin air?” Freisin dúradar “Dá n-éireodh an t-ombudsman, Ombudsman na bPáistí, nó ball de Choimisiún Ombudsman na nGardaí Síochána faoi choin-

níollacha chomhchosúileacha, an dtabharfadh RTÉ neamhaird ar an scéal?” Is í seo taoide na húdaráis a gcaithfidh an Coimisinéir Teanga nua, Rónán Ó Domhnaill a ról a chomhlíonadh – cinntiú go leanann seirbhísí éagsúla rialacha na gcearta teanga agus déileáil le haon ghearáin ón bpobal nuair a bhuaileann siad le constaicí i leith an teanga a úsáid ar bhonn laethúil. Mar fhear óg, fuinniúil, cliste, is cinnte go mbeidh Ó Domhnaill díograiseach, ceanndána agus é ag tabhairt faoina phost. Aithníonn sé go bhfuil fadhbanna na Gaeilge an-soiléir agus tú ag iarraidh do pháistí a tógadh suas le Gaeilge agus gur mhaith leis feabhas a chuir ar sheirbhísí an stáit nó ar sheirbhísí poiblí. Más féidir leo iad a úsáid trí mheán na Gaeilge feicfidh tuismitheoirí agus páistí araon go bhfuil úsáid ag baint léi. Ach cad gur féidir leis a dhéanamh nach raibh Ó Cuirreáin in ann chuici chun Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, atá faoi

athbhreithniú, a chuir chun cinn? “Cibé rud a dtarlaíonn,” a gheall sé dúinn, “déileoidh mé leis, smachtóidh mé é agus cosnóidh mé cearta na teanga agus a pobal labhartha chomh fada agus gurbh fhéidir liom.” Tá na focail cearta in úsáid aige - tús maith. Comhartha maith í freisin, an fáth ar ghlac ár gcoimisinéir Teanga nua, a chaith na blianta mar chomhfhreagraí pholaitiúil do RTÉ, an ról seo. Bhrath an fear óg go raibh ról le himirt aige agus dualgais air mar chainteoir na teanga chun iarracht a dhéanamh í a chaomhnú agus gurbh fhiú an troid seo a throideadh. Is mar gheall ar seo ar thréig sé a phost mar chomhfhreagraí le RTÉ chun dul faoi thóir stádas úir don Ghaeilge. Dar le hÓ Domhnaill san am ar fad ar chaith sé mar iriseoir, go bhfuil daoine níos airdeallaí ar theangacha agus ar an Ghaeilge anois ná riamh agus go gcreideann sé gurbh í seo an am is fearr le tabhairt faoi lasair na teanga a bhreoslú. Tá tacaíocht an pobal aige, agus súile a thír ag faire air.

Rian na Gaeilge ar Thoghcháin Aontais na Mac Léinn SEACHTAIN THAR A BHEITH gnóthach ab ea an tseachtain ‘s a chuaigh thart ar an gcampas ‘s againne. Agus deireadh na bliana acadúla ag druidim linn, ní mór fhoireann nua a cheapadh le bheith i gceannas ar ár nAontas - ó na hoifigigh shabóideacha go dtí na tionólaithe dáimhe páirtaimseartha agus gnáthbhaill an Aontais, fiú. Ó meán oíche ar an Déardaoin ar thosaigh na feachtais go hoifigiúil, níor moillíodh riamh dúthracht na n-iarrthóirí, agus bhí an-fhuadar le brath an tseachtain ar fad. Ní fhacthas an campas chomh beo sin ag 9 ar maidin ó sheachtain na bhFresher. Pléadh cuid mhaith topaicí, agus bhí cúpla gealltanas le cloisteáil ó na hiarrthóirí uile, ach bhí

ceist amháin ar intinn agamsa, agus nuair a chuirim i gcló é, cuirtear béaltriail na hardteistiméireachta i gcuimhne dom: dá mbuafá an toghchán, cad é a dhéanfá ar son na Gaeilge? Leoga, bhí seans ag iarrthóir nó beirt labhairt liom faoin cheist sin go neamhfhoirmiúil - ar an champas, ar Facebook, cibé, ach nuair a chuala mé ag labhairt ag na Hustings, b’suimiúil na freagraí a chloisteáil. I measc na smaointe a cuireadh os comhair an lucht éisteachta, moladh díospóireachtaí idirollscoile as Gaeilge. Ní dúradh sin ach uair amháin áfach - luadh an scéim chónaithe cúpla uair mar phríomhchuspóir ag cuid mhaith de na hiarrthóirí, rud atá á phlé ag an Aontas agus an Ollscoil le cúpla seachtain anuas anois, i ndiaidh dó bheith pléite ag Comhairle na nIonadaí Ranga. Mar a cuireadh in iúl ag an Chomhairle sin, má tá chun éirí leis an scéim,

is gá Oifigeach Cultúrtha lán- nó páirtaimseartha a fhostú ar an gcampas, agus léirigh na hiarrthóirí - go háirithe na hiarrthóirí ar phoist shabóideacha - go dtuigeann siad an gá seo agus go bhfuil siad chun iarracht a dhéanamh an tOifigeach seo a chruthú. Dúirt iarrthóir amháin áirithe go bhfuil “an Cumann Gaelach againn cheana, mar sin cad chuige a mbeadh orainn rud ar bith eile a bhunú? Tá siad ann, agus ba cheart dúinn oibriú leo ar gach uile ócáid atá ar siúl.” Bhí rath eile ag an nGaeilge i rith na seachtaine, i gcruthú físeáin, a cuireadh le chéile ag an gCumann Gaelach. An aidhm atá leis an bhfíseán seo ná a léiriú go bhfuil Gaeilge ag mic léinn DCU - agus d’éirigh go breá leis. Is féidir an físeán a fháil ar leathanach Facebook an Chumainn.

Éirí as na gCoimisinéirí

Gluaiseanna

Choinníollacha chomhchosúileacha = similar conditions Gearáin = complaints Faoi athbhreithniú = under review

▣ Credit: Viktorija Drozdova

Barra Ó Scannláin Rannpháirtí

Rian na Gaeilge ar Thoghcháin Aontais na Mac Léinn Aontas na Mac Léinn = the Students’ Union Tionólaithe dáimhe = faculty conveners Na hoifigigh sabóideach = sabbatical officers

traVeL: J1 eXperIeNCe

n a é a s l

“

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 LIFESTYLE@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Much to my embarrassment, I was even saying words like ‘trash’ and ‘band aid’, and referring to the time ‘half eleven’ as ‘eleven thirty’ - cringe.

Recipe:

Mississippi mud pie Ingredients

For the base: 175g Plain Flour (sieved) 25g Cocoa Powder (sieved) 40g Light Muscovado Sugar 85g Butter (softened) 3 tbsp Cold Water

, r a l n e r h . é e s

For the filling: 85g Dark Chocolate 85g Butter 85g Light Muscovado Sugar 2 eggs (lightly beaten) 100ml Whipping Cream 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

A Southern summer Paula Murphy recounts a summer spent in the deep south, and a recipe that will make your mouth water.

SOUTH CAROLINA WAS THE place to be last summer when myself and a bunch of friends travelled over to the states on a J1 visa. We had originally planned to spend our time in Chicago, but with huge volumes of J1 students expected in the city that year, we changed our plan. I had never been to any of the southern States before, so the experience was fantastic. The hillbilly accent was one thing that took a while to get used to but in no time I was pretty much speaking with the same twang myself. Much to my embarrassment, I was even saying words like ‘trash’ and ‘band aid’, and referring to the time ‘half eleven’ as ‘eleven thirty’ - cringe. However, it all added to the authentic southern experience. To my disappointment, I didn’t bag myself a job in any of the lo-

cal bakeries. However, I got work in a super fun clothing, souvenir and knick-knack store called Tiki Jim’s. I worked with a bunch of other J1 students from different parts of the world and a number of locals too, which added to the whole experience and the craic was unreal. Many of the others had simply travelled to the states to make as much money as possible and some even worked two jobs, but that wasn’t for me. We explored the state in our spare time, travelling to places like Myrtle’s Inlet. We also went to baseball and basketball games and enjoyed experiencing the southern way of life. That’s not to say that we didn’t go out on the town almost every night as well. While there, my keen interest in food and baking had me trying every tasty southern treat that my

For the topping: 250ml Whipping Cream 100g Dark Chocolate

Method ▣ Credit: Mike Bitzenhofer via Flickr creative commons

r o r e r a l .

LIFeStYLe

broke Irish behind could afford to sample and, although the dessert doesn’t originate in South Carolina, my all time favourite had to be Mississippi Mud Pie. This traditional southern dessert with it’s rich chocolatey filling and it’s whipped cream topping will have you feeling guilty for a week after eating a slice but believe me, it’s well worth it. I’ve baked the dessert on a couple of different occasions since I’ve been home, and, each time, the delicious smell of the pie in the oven brings me straight back to the summer I spent in that sunny southern state. You might have guessed that the dessert in question is in fact the infamous pie featured in The Help, but, you’ll be extremely glad to know that unlike Mini’s, my mud pie doesn’t have a horrendous secret ingredient.

▣ Credit: yummmmyy.blogspot.ie

For the base: 1) Preheat your oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas mark 6 and grease your round tart dish with melted butter. 2) The water for the pastry works best when it’s really cold so place a small glass of water into the freezer at the beginning. 3) Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. 4) Add the butter and using your fingertips rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles small breadcrumbs. 5) Add the three tablespoons of water until the mixture binds a dough. 6) Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface make sure that it’s large enough to cover your pie dish. 7) Prick the base multiple times with a fork, cover with greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans. If you don’t have baking beans, simply sit a small plate on top and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 8) After the 10 minutes have passed remove the base from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180C/ 350F/ Gas mark 4. For the filling: Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan on a low heat. 9) Whisk the sugar and eggs together until smooth and then stir into the chocolate mixture along with the cream and the vanilla extract. 10) Pour the mixture over the base and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. 11) When ready, leave to cool while you whip the cream. 12) When the tart is fully cool spread the cream over the filling. Then drizzle melted chocolate over the cream using a spoon or, if you want to be extra fancy, fill a plastic food bag with the chocolate, pierce it with a cocktail stick and squeeze the chocolate over the top. 13) Serve chilled and enjoy. For more of Paula’s delicious recipes, check out her blog yummmmyy.blogspot.ie

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

LIFeStYLe

Last year, there was a surge in J1 students arriving in Boston and those who arrived in early to mid-June found it extremely hard to get a job. Ciara couldn’t secure a job for the summer with seven year’s retail experience.

The American nightmare

Everything that could have gone wrong for Ciara Moore on her J1 did. Here she offers her top tips to ensuring your American dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

E t e o w A h b

THE COLLEGE VIEW

▣ Boston Skyline | Credit: Ciara Moore

FOR IRISH STUDENTS, A J1 IS all about living the American dream for a summer. A carefree, breezy three months of sun, partying and experiencing a new culture. However, it’s important to have realistic expectations before your trip. Everything that could have went wrong on my J1 trip to Boston last year did, from being homesick to being ripped off by a landlord who charged $750 rent a month per person. Our apartment was also infested with mice. I have an extreme phobia of small creatures that crawl at an abnormally fast pace and once I saw a mouse running across our cooker it was enough for me to book a flight home after only three weeks. I couldn’t even secure a job for the summer with seven year’s retail experience. Going on a J1 to a big city is all about timing. Getting there ahead of the crowd is the secret

to nabbing the best jobs. Last year, there was a surge in J1 students arriving in Boston and those who arrived in early to mid-June found it extremely hard to get a job. But if you can get it right by planning and going with a good group of friends, Boston

Top Tips:

is a great city that you will never get bored in. Boston Public Garden is a great place to hang out and relax with friends. The humidity can go through the roof in the middle of the summer and the splash pools and lemonade stands in the gardens provide a great

spot to paddle and cool off. The Freedom Trail Office can be found here too. The walking tours are a great way to get to know your way around the city and learn about the history of the American Revolution. Boston is one of the more health-conscious cities in the US.

• Before you get there use any contacts you have. Boston is all about everything Irish. Even if it’s your granny’s best friend’s niece who owns a bar, use them. The Boston GAA community is also massive. If you can organise playing on a team while over there it can lead to job offers through word of mouth. • Finding an internet café in Boston is virtually impossible. Try to find a local Staples store nearby. They usually have a couple of computers with internet access that are handy for printing off CVs. • A weekly pass for Boston’s main transportation system the MBTA is only $18. If you are commuting to work in the city centre, it’s a much cheaper option than paying per ride.

Faneuil Hall is the ultimate foodie hangout. The food hall hosts an array of stands from noodles to Boston’s famous seafood chowder. Dick’s Last Resort, a grill restaurant, is well worth a visit and will give you a good laugh. The city’s top night-life spots are also in the area. The Italian Quarter of the city, situated in the North End, serves the best pasta and gelato I have ever tasted. Ristorante Saraceno and Mike’s Pastry were our favourites. It’s the people of Boston who really make a J1 in the city a summer to remember. They are the friendliest people you will come across and genuinely want to know everything about you and Ireland. The Irish bars in districts such as Brighton come alive on a Sunday night or when GAA matches are on; perfect for when you are feeling homesick.

l t t Y a o c j s r e b I

t c c D w v b g f

G i m s ‘ i y ‘ t t f t

t s s W l w e s t t b

d e o r

e e

o e e

d s n A n

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 FEATURES@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Deepnet is the darker side of the world wide web, something the vast majority of the world hasn’t been exposed to as we are all given a certain number of results for every internet search.

In too deep:

FeatureS

The dark side of the web Cal McGhee Contributor

THE COLLEGE VIEW

EARLY LAST WEEK, THE AUStralian government attempted to extradite an alleged moderator of a website named Silk Road, which allows users to buy classA drugs such as cocaine and heroin via the digital currency bitcoin. Most of us wonder how forums like Silk Road can operate when there is such high security in the cyber world. The majority of YouTube videos deemed unsuitable are taken down in a matter of minutes. Facebook blocks accounts for pornography uploads just as quickly. Even Internet searches born out of morbid curiosity are blocked by the search engine, and certain cookie enablers alert the authorities to your IP address. So how do drug trades and sex trafficking rings operate so successfully online and never get caught? The answer is Deepnet. Deepnet is the darker side of the world wide web, something the vast majority of the world hasn’t been exposed to as we are all given a certain number of results for every Internet search. Typing the word ‘porn’ into Google gives 417,000,000 results in 0.18 of a second. This does not mean there are only 417,000,000 sites online that contain the word ‘porn’, neither does it mean that if you search far enough that you will find every instance of ‘child porn’ or ‘beastiality porn’ that exists. Deepnet, in layman’s terms, is the results subtracted from the results we are exposed to when we search online. Our IP addresses can be tracked 24 hours a day, and any site we enter is permanently associated with that IP address. With certain software, particularly professional hacking software, this IP address will change every second, bouncing the search history from one address to another all over the world so the search is virtually untraceable. With this technique, the web

user is as hidden from the public eye as the sites they visit. The sites themselves use a similar system, where the URLs of the illegal material are encoded or jumbled every few minutes to obstruct detection. Some are simply hidden while others are publicly available once the user knows where to look. For example, search engines such as DeepPeep and Deepnetexplorer.net allow easy navigation without any spyware and pride themselves on their anti-phishing browsing feature. Illegal phishing is when a page presents itself as a trustworthy site such as AIB.ie but instead contains a URL slightly different from its original, and the HTML information is a direct copy of the information from the official page. The difference is the moderator of this ‘fake’ page can access any of the information you type, such as credit card details, contact details and passwords. AOL was a corporation highly affected by phishing fraud in the early 1990s, when the inter-

“

Illegal activity ranges from tech-savvy teens trying to access a suspected cheating partner’s Facebook, to adverts for hitmen, child pornography and terrorism operations.

▣ Credit: Flickr via creative commons

net was only becoming publicly available, so the hacking techniques that are still used today are nothing new and still highly effective. The untraceable user, in unison with the elusive nature of Deepnet to elude authorities, makes it the perfect breeding ground for criminal activity. It is a world of highly dangerous people, illegal websites and a small, deeply secret community with the knowledge of how to operate Deepnet. The level of illegal activity ranges from tech-savvy teens trying to acquire how they can access a suspected cheating partner’s Facebook, to adverts for hitmen, child pornography and terrorism operations. In recent years, the line between the internet we know and the internet kept secret has become blurred. Accidental searches and unwanted pop-ups have made us all susceptible to links to criminal pages, so much so that groups such as InternetSafety.ie and Webwise.ie are obliged to make annual visits to second-

ary schools and instruct young people on the dangers of search terms and how to avoid these links. Due to the increasingly high numbers of children with access to smartphones and laptops with internet connection, there is public concern for such groups to visit primary schools in conjunction with older pupils. Australia already has a group named CyberQuoll.au, with its main aims set at teaching children how to safely surf the web. The vast majority of newcomers to Deepnet are usually trying to hack Facebook passwords so they can spy on their crush, however, they usually come across forums and sites they wish they had not seen. For anyone now deeply fascinated by the contents of Deepnet, remember you will not find anything you want to see, and that botched attempts at protecting your IP address could lead to viruses and, in some instances, investigations from your network provider.

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

FeatureS

Shannon writes her own fashion news blog on whattrendsarefor.com.

▣ Irish blogger Crumpets and Marmalade | Credit: Hannah Hilyer

There are approx over 160 million blogs on the internet, according to 2012 figures.

Keyboard warriors: The best Irish blogs Shannon O’Sullivan takes a look at some of the rising stars in the Irish blogging world.

Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer

With the recent hype surrounding ‘no make up selfies’ in aid of breast cancer, this particular blog is certainly timely and current when it comes to content. The author has a personal connection to her subject following the death of her mother, who suffered from the disease. As a result, this informative blog is full of debate and opinionated posts regarding any matter to do with breast cancer. Awareness and knowledge are key to this blog’s effectiveness. The personal story which fuels the online journal creates a sense of understanding and passion which readers can relate to. The tagline sums up the blogger’s aim for her writing; ‘Making sense of the breast cancer experience together’. An equal combination of imagery and text creates an approachable theme to this site.

Head Rambles

Blogging is essentially a platform of social media created, maintained and dominated by today’s youth. Young people have grown up in the social media age, so the skills almost come naturally to those that have not begun to sprout silver hairs just yet. There is always an exception to the rule however, in this case Head Rambles; a humorous, opinionated blog written by an elderly man. The tagline, ‘The rambling thoughts of an Irish Grandad’, instantly paints a portrait in a reader’s mind of a grumpy man in his golden years giving out about current affairs. That is exactly what this is so no disappointment there. With no images besides a cartoon elderly man in the top corner, the blog is text heavy but well worth the read. Swearing accompanies well written posts that gives a voice to an often unheard older generation.

From 19st to 10k

The title alone would intrigue the most desensitised internet user and the tagline explains it all- ‘Blogging my journey from over 19 stone to becoming a runner’. This blogger lures readers in with a simple concept and a personal triumph. His long, tough journey is plastered across a website for the world to see. Many people don’t tell their friends and family if they are trying to lose weight or reach a personal goal as to avoid pressure and the high possibility of having to explain your inevitable failure. However this man shares his goal with anyone who wishes to listen and charts his success to motivate others and prove it can be done. Multimedia is incorporated into each post with pictures of the blogger doing a marathon or YouTube clips of current songs on his playlist for when he trains. Funny memes are also included, and who doesn’t like memes?

Forkful

Food blogs are as common these days as teenage selfies, so to create a unique and modern one is definitely not an easy task. Lists of ingredients and a picture thrown in of the finished product are usually the essence of your regular food blog but fortunately Forkful has taken writing recipes to the video age. This futuristic and very visual blog is like watching a cooking tutorial with slow paced, step-bystep videos showing you exactly how to create the recipe at hand. A large screen player adds the visuals to an otherwise minimalist theme creating a focal point for the reader and limiting distractions for the amateur chefs watching. Words appear throughout the video to give basic direction or to name an ingredient. Forkful is a modern alternative to a cooking show and minus the often irritating host. Tagline; ‘Simple recipes deliciously shot.’

Diary of a Stutterer

When it comes to interesting blogs you won’t find much more imaginative than this. The author of this blog suffers from a bad stutter when speaking, if you hadn’t already gathered, and uses his blog to talk about therapies and living with a stutter. One of the most popular posts on Diary of a Stutterer is an interview the blogger carried out with a man who appeared on Channel 4’s ‘The Undateables’. Therapies available today and the differences between living with a speech impediment now in comparison to when the author was growing up are also often discussed. Video and images are a large part of this interesting blog adding various visual elements and putting the author’s stutter on display. This blog may be more suited to those who prefer to mostly read and watch a little as the posts are text heavy. A subject which is personal to the blogger and a huge insecurity is put on a healthy platform so that others can relate in a positive way. Not bad at all.

R C

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 FEATURES@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Children with type 1 diabetes require daily multiple injections of insulin to prevent cells in the pancreas being destroyed. If uncontrolled, they become ‘low’ and suffer a hypoglycemic episode which can lead to dizziness and shakiness.

FeatureS

Dealing with diabetes Rachel McLaughlin Contributor

A PUBLIC MEETING in a County Donegal hotel was suddenly interrupted by an announcement from the adjoining room; the kid’s meals were being served an hour earlier than planned. More than 20 mothers, fathers and siblings jumped from their seats. Their children have type 1 diabetes and their insulin needed to be adjusted to allow for this unexpected meal. Hotel staff had also prepared orange juice for the kids’ meals, but an eagle-eyed babysitter spotted that it was not sugarfree. Without prior knowledge of diabetes, staff could not have known about the potentially serious error. When a child is diagnosed with diabetes, parents must completely readjust their lives to control the condition. A vital point of education and advice is the Paediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). However the HSE’s National Service Plan 2014 has put access to Donegal’s CNSs at risk. The Service Plan made arrangements for an Integrated Diabetes Care Programme. This would dramatically change the positions of Letterkenny General Hospital’s two existing CNSs. In the coming weeks, one nurse will be stationed within the community while the other will attend to all of those who have diabetes at the hospital. Parents are terrified that their children will suffer under the reduced service of a time-poor nurse who must also care for the 5,300 adults in Donegal with diabetes. They launched a campaign to highlight this issue, combining petitions, protests and a public meeting last weekend. These parents want something to which their children are entitled; a dedicated Paediatric nurse to monitor the chronic condition of type 1 diabetes. A 2008 HSE Diabetes Expert Advisory Group Report recommended that one Paediatric CNS should exist for every 100 diabetic children. Donegal has 144 children with the condition, meeting the criteria for 1.5 CNSs. It is a terrifying experience to learn that your child has diabe-

tes, said Paul Gillespie, whose daughter Eimear was diagnosed in 2006. “We were afraid to take her out of the hospital in case anything happened,” he said. “The first week or two is a nightmare trying to learn what it is going to entail for your child for the rest of her life because unfortunately, there is no cure. It would be great if we had proper support from the hospital, but we just don’t have it,” he added. Children with type 1 diabetes require multiple injections of insulin on a daily basis to prevent cells in the pancreas being destroyed. If uncontrolled, they become ‘low’ and suffer a hypoglycemic episode which can lead to dizziness and shakiness.

“

The first week or two is a nightmare trying to learn what it is going to entail for your child for the rest of her life.”

There is not even a room in the Paediatric ward of Letterkenny General Hospital for parents to learn about diabetic care. “Parents should not have to learn about the risks of hypoglycaemia in a hospital corridor,” said Danny McDaid of the National Council for Diabetes. Karen McGee’s world was turned upside down in 2009 when her eldest child Rachel became ill with diabetes. She recalls leaving Rachel in the hospital waiting room so she could use the bathroom. By the time Karen had returned, Rachel had been taken to ICU to ensure that no major damage was done to her organs, such was the severity of her condition. Karen’s second child was di-

▣ Credit: Jill Brown

agnosed with diabetes one year later. She said that teachers, bus drivers, and other adults who work with her children all go out of their way to monitor them. “They have a duty of care to look after the child in front of them,” she said, “the most important duty of care we need is from our hospital, and we’re not getting it.” Karen paid tribute to the strength of Donegal’s 144 children with diabetes. “They deserve the best chance at life,” she said, “what we want is fair and equal care.” The HSE spends 10 per cent of its entire budget on diabetic care. The majority of this is on complications arising from unmonitored diabetes: amputations, eye problems and kidney failure. Sinn Fein’s Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty TD said that he cannot fathom why a dedicated Paediatric CNS does not exist in Letterkenny to educate parents and prevent complications. “It is not only life-saving, but it saves money for the state eventually. We need to cut the bull to find out who is responsible,” he said. The aspiration of Donegal’s parents to have adequate CNS access is not nonsense, Doherty said. “It is not an aspiration that your child doesn’t become hypoglycaemic. It is not an aspiration that your child doesn’t go into a coma.” Through the National Service Plan, the HSE’s emphasis on enhancing future services for type 2 diabetes care in Letterkenny has pushed type 1 care into the shadows, said Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh. McHugh has proposed a meeting with the Health Minister at Dáil Eireann in the coming weeks. The parents will present Minister Reilly with a petition of more than 8,000 signatures. While pleased with the cross-party support for their cause, parent representative Paul Gillespie is annoyed that they must sit through further meetings. The campaign for a dedicated CNS has been “souldestroying”, he said. “We need to move this forward, we need good news, and we need urgent action.”

Features

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

Tinder experienced a 400 per cent day on day increase of new users in Sochi this year during the Winter Olympics.

Virtual love is now a reality:

the rise of OVER THE LAST DECADE OR so, there has been an increase in our generation’s online presence and the rise of social media as a popular form of communication. With this came the inevitable, and quite impersonal, evolution of dating. Gone are the days when everyone you know has met awkwardly through a fix-up or on a night out. Here to stay are the rising number of couples who meet up in cyberspace. Along with the cringe-worthy profiles and niche dating sites like Elite Singles and uniformdating.com, the use of smartphones and mobile apps has produced a new and almost bearable alternative; Tinder. Launched in the US in late 2012, the application quickly gained popularity among college students and young singles, with the average user being 23 yearsold. Getting set up is easy, all you have to do is download the app and sign in with a Facebook account. The app gives you options to pick your preferred partner’s gender, age (e.g 20-25), and location. This is a distinctive characteristic of Tinder; it allows you to pick how close to you your suggestions will be, giving you a bar to indicate how many kilometres they have to be in range of. Then you pick a few pictures for people to see and write a short bio of less than 500 words. After that, it’s quite simple. Much like a game, batches of suggestions appear on screen and you swipe left or right, depending on whether you want to reject or accept the suggestion. If the other person has swiped right too, you get a match and are then able to message each other. A problem associated with this is that you will be based solely on your pictures, which demonstrates the vanity of the application, but shared interests, friends and an interesting bio can also play a part. Founded by Sean Rad, Justin Mateen and Jonathon Badeen, the idea came about due to mu-

“

A problem associated with Tinder is that you will be based solely on your pictures, which demonstrates the vanity of the application, but shared interests, friends and an interesting bio can also play a part.

▣ The Glory of the Internet Series - Internet Dating | Credit: Global Personals via Flickr creative commons

Janine Kavanagh Contributor

tual friends having trouble meeting people. Speaking at a conference in LA this year, Rad said that Tinder was “like the real world but better”. The application has not just been popular with college students either; it experienced a 400 per cent day on day increase of new users in Sochi this year during the Winter Olympics. Although the ‘swipe game’ has proven very successful (the company is reported to be worth millions), Tinder is now looking into expanding its objectives to include friendship, matchmaking and even business. A new feature, unveiled by the company last May, would have allowed matchmaking to become easier too. Matchmaker would involve setting up two Facebook friends who you feel would work well together. In order to do this,

you access your friends through the normal app and select the two you wish to match. Monitoring the success rate was another part of the feature. According to a Forbes interview last year, Rad and Mateen said they were not sure if it would catch on or not but that they had been testing it with 100 users for a month. No such feature has appeared on the application here yet. Perhaps Tinder is best left to those wanting a quick flirt or fling and not for the Cupids who want to find true love for their friends. Even the security and privacy of Tinder is not in question, which is something rare for a social networking site or application. Though there was a brief hiccup in July when a security vulnerability was found relating to their location feature, the

company quickly fixed the issue. Another problem was found by web developer Shaked Klein Orbach, who said that due to the app storing users’ Facebook ID numbers, they could be hacked and matched with someone neither party swiped right to. Again, the issue was resolved and CEO Sean Rad thanked Orbach in a statement to Quartz; “We want to thank Mr. Orbach for pointing out a way to create a match with another user through manipulating certain API calls. We are committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure the privacy of our users and we appreciate the help and support of great engineers like Mr.Orbach.” Relatively down to earth and filthy rich - a good combination for any company.

“

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 SPORTS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Looking back on it, it was a very open game and I think the neutrals at the game thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it was a great advert for the standard of club players and a great advert for the game and the GAA in general.” Tommy Conroy, St Vincent Manager

Sport All-Ireland win “yet to sink in” for Conroy Chris Jordan Sports Reporter

THE MANAGER OF THE REcently crowned All-Ireland club football champions says the realisation of what his team achieved last week has yet to set in for him and a number of his squad, which included eight current DCU students as well as seven graduates. St Vincent’s manager Tommy Conroy feels it has been the community around the club that has benefitted the most from their recent All-Ireland win over Castlebar Mitchells. “People in the club have got great enjoyment out of not only the Dublin Championship, but the journey we went on, Leinster and then ultimately the AllIreland final. It might take a day or even a couple more weeks for what we’ve achieved to sink in, and in time maybe we will realise just what we really have achieved.”

DCU’s Shane Carthy celebrates along with Tomas Quinn, Ruairi Trainor and Gavin Burke after the final whistle. | Credit: Sportsfile

St Vincent manager Tommy Conroy. | Credit: Sportsfile St. Patrick’s Day saw St Vincent’s claim their third All-Ireland Club Championship, and they claimed their fifth Leinster crown on their way to Croke Park. The final itself was heralded as a great advert for the Club Championship in a year in which it was heavily publicised, and this is something Conroy firmly believes to be true. “Looking back on it, it was a very open game and I think the

neutrals at the game thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it was a great advert for the standard of club players and a great advert for the game and the GAA in general.” Artane-Beaumont man Diarmuid Connolly was outstanding for St Vincent’s on the day, scoring two goals and five points to clinch the trophy for his team and earn numerous plaudits in the following days. However, Conroy was keen to emphasise

that the win was down to the effort of the squad throughout the championship rather than just one man on the day. “Diarmuid is an outstanding talent and on the day he had an exceptional game and had a very good individual performance, but we had good individual performances all around the park. Our full-back line and backline in general did very well. Diarmuid can’t do this on his own. It’s also down to other people around him making him look good and opening up the space for him.” Conroy believes that for a team to play to their ability, it is about players’ performances bringing out the best in their teammates and, ultimately, bringing out the best in their team as a unit. He went on to praise the attitude of the players who found themselves on the periphery of the squad, and credited them as much as the starting 15 for adding so much to the squad and ensuring everyone had to be at the top of their game to make the

side. “Unfortunately we can only start 15 players and bring on six, but we would not be in the position we are without the 35 being as committed as they are to the cause. Training is so good because everybody is lifting it and the intensity in training and internal matches is very good.” The former All-Star was stunned by the impact the win had on the community. Scores of people turned out to welcome the team home on the evening of the game. “We returned on Monday evening and the floodlights were on. And the amount of kids out playing was phenomenal, the amount of young people that were around playing and had been swept away by the team and that swept us away.” Indeed, Conroy feels those who work at the grassroots level of Dublin football don’t get the recognition they deserve. He believes the work put in at underage level over the past number of years is now beginning to bear

fruit, with young players consistently challenging for places on the Dublin team each year. “Credit is due to the people who work in the juvenile sections of the club, and not just our club. This is obvious when you see the way Dublin football is at the moment. I think that is a credit to everybody who is working at underage level. They probably don’t get the recognition they deserve and we see the end product at U21 level and senior level.” Looking at his own future, Conroy refused to speculate on whether or not his future lies as St Vincent’s manager. His twoyear term as manager ended this year, and he has previously said he would be happy to pass on the reigns if it was to come to that. “At the moment I haven’t made a decision one way or another. I’m not leaning any way and I’ve discussed it at home with a very patient wife and with those involved in the club, but I will have a decision in the next week or two.”

Sport

“

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

I don’t think there’s anything we could have changed that would have made much of a difference to our performance on the day. We just got caught cold so I think that was our biggest problem.” Mark Fitzpatrick, DCU Ladies football manager

Fitzpatrick reflects on disappointing O’Connor Cup loss against Queen’s Eoin Sheahan Deputy Sports Editor FOR THE SECOND CONSECUtive year, Queen’s University Belfast is the cause of many a broken heart within the DCU Ladies Football ranks. While the O’Connor Cup defeat came a round earlier than the galling loss in the final last year, the disappointment was still palpable when DCU crashed out by 12 points in the semi-final on the Friday before last. Mark Fitzpatrick, manager of the side, says that he is only now beginning to reflect on the ill-fated clash with the Belfast University. “We underperformed and we thought about what we would change on the day but realistically I don’t think there’s anything we could have changed that would have made much of a difference to our performance on the day. We just got caught cold so I think that was our biggest problem.” The feeling of being defeated by Queen’s in important matches is an all too familiar feeling for Fitzpatrick, but does he buy into the notion that they hold a hoodoo over his side? “I don’t believe any of that now being honest. I just think last year was a very inexperienced team going into the final and Queen’s were more experienced. This year, we’d be more disappointed in regards to that we didn’t perform. I think the girls will be more disappointed in their own performance that we didn’t play to our ability that we have. Sometimes you meet a team that’s better than you on the day and they were just better than us on the day.” With the curtain officially closed on another year of Ladies GAA action, it is the perfect opportunity to reminisce upon a year that Fitzpatrick reckons could have gone much better. “It’s hard to sum it up. If I’m being honest, I think we underachieved. I think we’re better than we performed at the (O’Connor Cup) weekend but in saying that, it was a year of transition where an awful lot of young players came through, a lot of freshers. “We had five freshers playing in that semi-final which is a big achievement and it’s what

C f A h

“

DCU’s Laura McEnaney in action during the semi-final against Queen’s University | Credit: Sportsfile we try to do every year is that our players develop year in year out and our players have got better from last year. We’ll be looking to improve again next year with the addition of hopefully two or three more freshers next year and we should be in a very strong place. Even though we will lose a lot of players, the panel is still strong.” With the likes of Becky Walsh, Cliodhna McHugh, Naomi Doonan, Roisin Colleary and Aoife Brady all set to depart the university in the coming months, it will be another period of upheaval come autumn. Furthermore, Fitzpatrick himself is unaware of whether or not he will be managing the side for the

If I’m being honest, I think we underachieved. I think we’re better than we performed at the (O’Connor Cup) weekend but in saying that, it was a year of transition where an awful lot of young players came through, a lot of freshers.”

coming year. “I don’t know yet, that’s to be decided at the moment. We’ll have our end of year review and then we’ll see. I’d like to be (manager), but it depends on a number of factors. It’s not just one person making the decisions, it is a few people who have to make a decision about it and I don’t speak for everyone involved so I have to wait and see first.” However, the manager does believe that the club is in a very healthy state, particularly with the support given from higher powers. “I have to say in fairness we’ve been very well looked after through Michael Kennedy

and we haven’t been left wanting for anything this year which has been brilliant. There’s been an even bigger improvement in what we had last year in regards to our preparation outside of the football with the likes of our strength and conditioning and stuff like that and even nutritionists. “The setup is run so well with the girls; they run the majority of it themselves, we’re just managers of the footballing side of it but they do all the background stuff in regards to fundraising and things like that too and even for equipment and organising buses and stuff like that, it’s a very well-run club I think and it’s only improving as well.”

h n t e f g -

h y t d g n g a d

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4 SPORTS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Sport Ladies rugby team fall at semi-final hurdle A mixture of blood, sweat and possibly even some tears finally resulted in DCU Amateur Boxing Club becoming All-Ireland champions as well as taking home five All-Ireland titles at the recent Intervarsity National Championships.

Anita McSorley Deputy Sports Editor DCU’S LADIES RUGBY TEAM lost out in their league semi-final to Limerick Institute of Technology in Waterford last week. While they didn’t come home with a win, DCU held LIT scoreless for the entire second half, the game finishing 12-5 in favour of the Munster team. Despite losing, coach Karl Miller described the match as “thrilling” but admitted that finishing the first half with such a gap in the scoreline left DCU chasing the game in the second half. “In the end we lost but Limerick are a very good team. It was 12-5 at half time and the whole second half we were just chasing

the game. We came close four or five times but we just couldn’t get the score in the end. It was a thrilling game and one of the best the girls have played yet. It wasn’t a bad result from the point of view that we are playing very much as a development team, as opposed to other teams where they have been playing together for years.” Miller has only been coaching the team since the beginning of the year, and he is not the only newcomer, as a lot of the girls are new to the sport as well. “The team is very much in the development stage. Almost half of the girls are new to the sport and even on Wednesday at the league semi-final we had girls there playing their very first rugby game for the team, as well as another three or four only

“

The team is very much in the development stage. Almost half of the girls are new to the sport and even on Wednesday at the league semi-final we had girls there playing their very first rugby game for the team.”

playing their second game. “There was one girl playing her second game on Wednesday and she was by far our best player that day. It was amazing to see how far she’d come in the space of just a few weeks.” The team was eager to show Miller their potential from the beginning. They hammered Sligo Institute of Technology in his first game in charge. “It was only a few weeks ago that we beat Sligo Institute of Technology 69-10, or something like that. It was my first game in charge and I couldn’t fault the girls. They were absolutely amazing.” Unfortunately DCU were missing a number of players last week from the team that played Sligo, which put the team at something of a disadvantage.

“We had a number of players there that day that couldn’t make the semi-final and they were certainly missed in the backline,” said Miller. “Last week, we travelled down with five backs, so we had to get a few forwards to help out at the back. “I think that with maybe two or three more players we would definitely have made it through to the final.” As the squad is still very much in the development stages, he is looking forward to seeing how the team will progress. “When you compare us to the likes of Limerick or Cork, who have had girls playing for years, our side is very much a development squad at the minute and it was a real achievement to reach the semi-finals when you put it in a context like that.”

Crowning glory for boxers as All-Ireland title heads for DCU >> Continued from page 24 Robert Egan Sports Reporter BEFORE THE ACTION EVEN got underway, John Quigley, Ceire Smith and Clare Grace all received walk-overs to become champions by default. The remaining eight finalists were Terry Keegan, Norton, Cuddy, Rice, Rahill, Murray, McGowan and Gahan. McGowan took the 60kg junior novice gold medal, blitzing his opponent with combinations throughout the bout to win by unanimous decision. Norton left everything in the ring but missed out by a small margin, losing by split decision to become the 75kg junior novice runner-up. Murray became the 64kg junior novice champion courtesy of a stiff left jab and strong followup combinations. Gahan performed with impressive composure but unfortunately lost by unanimous decision to a strong opponent to claim the junior novice 71kg

runner-up place. Keegan, founder and secretary of DCU Boxing Club, was faced with a tense repeat of last year’s 64kg novice final in which he had lost a tough fight to the eventual champion, Fionnbar Thompson of University of Limerick. This year, however, all of Keegan’s sacrifices and hard work leading up to the contest came to fruition as his will to win was just too much for the defending champion to handle. Consequently, the title of 64kg senior novice champion was awarded to the DCU man via a

“

Murray became the 64kg junior novice champion courtesy of a stiff left jab and strong follow-up combinations.

Terry Keegan on his way to becoming 64kg senior novice champion. | Credit: Aidan Broletti dramatic split decision, much to the delight of the fans that had turned out to watch his fight. In the 64kg intermediate finals, Rice systematically broke down his opponent in brutal fashion to become champion, winning by knockout in the third round thanks to a crippling overhand right. This victory was made all the more joyous for Rice coming off the back of a year in which he found himself frustratingly

inactive due to injury and a lack of momentum which threatened his boxing career. Rahill showed tremendous concentration and long range boxing skills, repeatedly picking off his opponent. However, he didn’t do enough to beat him, losing by split decision. Team captain Cuddy had to draw upon all his courage and desire in a particularly gruelling final against the very sturdy Jack

Higgins of NUI Galway. Cuddy was awarded a well-earned split decision victory to become the 67kg senior novice champion. Overall, the event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talented boxers of DCU Boxing Club who, after nearly two months of intense preparation under the tutelage of DCU’s head coach Derek Ahern, proved themselves to be some of the best university boxing has to offer.

SPORT The College View

THE COLLEGE VIEW 02.04.1 4

St Vincent’s manager Tommy Conroy speaks to The College View.