THE COLLEGE VIEW News » 4 New amenities on campus if student centre gets ‘yes’ vote.
Opinion » 9 Library opening hours during exams need to be revised.
Wednesday 5th March 2014 Volume XVI - Issue 8 www.thecollegeview.com
Gaeilge » 10 Shiúl 10,000 duine ó Chearnóg Parnell go Cearnóg Mhuirfean mar chuid de Lá Mór na Gaeilge.
Flux » inside DCU Style Soc’s Freya Drohan on the stresses and dresses of putting together a fashion show.
Features » 14 Are unpaid internships really worth the experience?
DCU Dance took home first place in mixed category for the fifth year running at the Dance Intervarsities. Read more online. | Credit: DCU Dance Society and Martin Dunne Photography
Apathy tops the poll as USI referendum passed Sarah Bermingham News Editor
DCU STUDENT REPRESENTAtives were dismayed by the apathy shown in voting for last week’s Union of Students in Ireland re-affiliation referendum, which was one of Ireland’s first university-wide ballots to be carried out online. Just 12 per cent of students exercised their vote in last Wednesday and Thursday’s Moodle poll. The motion for DCU to rejoin the national student representative body was passed by the nar-
rowest of margins, with 726 ‘Yes’ votes and 725 ‘No’ votes cast. Students’ Union Education Officer, Ciarán O’Connor feels many were unsure of who USI were, while it was also difficult to motivate students on a topic that didn’t immediately and directly affect them. “If it was the price of a chicken roll on campus you could have students up in arms on the yes and no side,” he highlighted. Three official ‘yes’ campaigns registered ahead of polling, however there were no official ‘no’ campaign. Although no physical ‘no’
campaigns were held on campus, ‘yes’ campaigner student Rónán O’Dálaigh wasn’t surprised by the tight margin of victory, given the perceived lack of knowledge about the organisation. A referendum debate was due to be held following last Tuesday’s Class Representative Council meeting, however there were no official speakers present to argue against the motion. Student Ross McCarrick felt vital questions needed to be asked and was one of two to stand from the audience and put forward the case for a ‘no’ vote. Despite voting no, McCarrick
feels DCU students ought to experience USI membership before passing judgement. “Looking back on it now I’m just annoyed there weren’t more voters… it’s not your right to vote, it’s your job to vote,” he said. McCarrick isn’t supporting talk of a petition to demand a rerun of the poll or arguments put to O’Connor and the SU online, including that Moodle voting is deemed invalid by their constitution as it doesn’t involve producing student ID or a registry letter proving identification.
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Lifestyle » 11 & 12 Alternative summers East Africa, Cyprus and Thailand.
Sport » 24 Collingwood semi-final exit for second year running.
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Poor vote means USI have everything to prove, but it’s time to accept democracy.
he Students’ Union can breathe a sigh of relief. This time around, they managed to successfully run an information campaign for the referendum to re-affiliate to the Union of Students in Ireland, which was passed for the second year in a row. After a 13-year absence, DCU is to rejoin the national student representative body. But with just a single vote deciding the outcome, what does the result say about the organisation and the ‘yes’ campaigns? The ‘yes’ campaign faced no official opposition; there was no ‘no’ campaign to debate them in last week’s hustings, instead students with their own personal views were plucked from the audience to stand up and speak against the national union. Their posters were everywhere on campus, as were USI representatives from around the country. Although the USI’s on campus campaign was much less aggressive than last year’s, they were still visible and still reaching out to as many students as possible for their vote. USI representatives even somehow managed to blag their way into campus accommodation on the Monday evening before the vote, going door to door to canvass students for their vote. So why then, with no opposition and a very noticeable campaign on campus and online, did the USI get less ‘yes’ votes than last year? Last year, 786 students voted ‘yes’
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
to the USI. But this year, that figure dropped to 726 ‘yes’ votes. Even more noticeable was the considerable increase in ‘no ‘votes this time around, despite the lack of ‘no’ campaign. 725 students voted ‘no’ to the USI, a jump from the 642 that voted ‘no’ last year. Two things are very clear from the outcome of this referendum. The first is that there is still clearly a voter’s apathy problem in this university. Just over 12 per cent of students exercised their right to vote in the referendum. This is no reflection on the SU who this time went to great lengths to get students to vote. The number of students who voted in this year’s USI referendum was even up on last year’s number. This is more of a reflection on student attitudes. The second is this: The USI now have everything to prove. They need to prove that our €8/€5 will be worth it. They need to prove to those who voted yes that it was worth it and to those who voted no that their concerns will be addressed. And to the overwhelming majority who didn’t vote, the USI need to prove that membership does make a difference and if the case arose where another referendum was held, students wouldn’t want to disaffiliate. We now need to respect the democratic decision of DCU students and give the USI a chance to prove themselves before we jump to try out them again with petty petitions and Class Rep Council motions.
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
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DCU Alumni and inspirational speakers returned to DCU recently to address students on how best to chase their dream jobs. Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com
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Apathy tops the poll as USI referendum passed >> Continued from page 1 Sarah Bermingham News Editor O’CONNOR FACED DOWN such arguments stating “Moodle isn’t mentioned in the constitution and neither is a paper ballot. “It’s determined by the returning officer… if you can log onto Moodle that means you’re a registered student and you can vote. “The students have spoken. As
far as I’m concerned DCU SU is now a part of USI.” the sabbatical officer said, outlining the SU’s intention to bring 40 delegates to the body’s National Congress, which takes place in Athlone in April. Responding to the tight result, USI President Joe O’Connor told The College View that while the body would be strengthened by DCU’s presence, they would also work hard to convince ‘no’ voters of the merits of membership. “The USI presence on campus will be seen immediately by DCU students on campus and
we hope that visibility will lead to a situation where they will want to be a part of the national student movement for years into the future,” he said. The body are currently campaigning for improved conditions for student nurses; are in favour of equal marriage; and
support a publicly-funded, accessible-to-all third-level education model. First year Returning Officer Jack Butterly organised the smooth running of the referendum and told The College View: “I can’t thank the people who helped me out enough, whether
it be for 2 minutes or 2 days”. DCU will become official members of USI from September of this year, while a number of motions regarding the university’s membership will be addressed at next week’s Class Rep Council meeting.
RAG Society to remain prominent despite re-branding Ruth Marnell and Martina Brophy FOLLOWING THE RECENT announcement that there will be no official RAG Week this year, DCU’s Raise and Give Society has spoken out to assure students that they will still be active in many other events throughout the semester. Speaking to The College View, the society’s Public Relations Officer Hannah Dobson explained how important it is to invest time and energy to help bring the RAG brand back to its traditional roots. “Unfortunately in recent times the brand has become slightly more associated with drinking culture. Through our work with RAG and the RAG societies around the country we are showing that this isn’t how it has to be.” In the pipeline for the coming weeks is The Business & Enterprise Ball Pre-Pamp on March 13th, where hair and make-up professionals will be on hand to prep and pamper the girls before the big night. Later in the month, budding beauty queens are invited to enter the Lovely Ladies competition, taking place on March 24th. Dobson went on to say: “RAG as a brand has a long and successful tradition of engaging students with contributing positively to society right around the world. “I think everyone recognises
that there is something about the RAG brand which gets students interested.” She explained that it can often be difficult to get students engaged and involved in making a difference, but that it’s important to try and “create a culture of social action and do good on our campus.” In University College Cork (UCC), a zero-tolerance policy on anti-social behaviour was in full force throughout its recent RAG Week. Welfare Officer of UCC Student’s Union, David Berry said the college’s attempt at limiting alcohol related harm this week has “gone very well”. “We’ve focused on rebranding the week from RAG to R&G; Raising and Giving,” said Berry. “We’re removing all the connotations of partying and drinking associated with the week and bringing it back to its original focus on fundraising.” Another measure put in place for UCC’s R&G Week was the provision of screening and brief intervention therapy for UCC staff to help in identifying students that were at a high risk of alcohol-related harm. Bodies such as UCC’s Student Health Department, the Gardaí, the local residents’ association, the Student Health Department and the student counselling body worked alongside the SU to ensure the week ran smoothly. This year UCC raised funds for the COPE Foundation, Cork University Hospital Charity and Breakthrough Cancer Research.
USI President Joe O’Connor addressing students at a recent Russian Embassy demonstration. | Credit: USI
Student nurses to protest over wages and working conditions Finnian Curran Deputy News Editor STUDENT AND GRADUATE nurses will stage a demonstration against the profession’s starting salary outside the offices of the Health Service Executive in Dublin tomorrow. The starting salary for nurses has dropped from €26,000 to €22,000, with graduate nurses who start work straight after college earning €6.49 an hour. This figure is lower than the minimum wage for 16 year-olds. The “Everyone Loves Nurses” campaign will be led by the Union of Students in Ireland. USI President Joe O’Connor has said that the salary drop is forcing nurses to emigrate. “Our hospitals need nurses to stay in Ireland to work,” he said. “The message to Minister [for Health Dr James] Reilly today is loud and clear; change the starting salary level back to €26,000 for newly graduated nurses,” he added. Graduates could earn up to twice as much if they choose to emigrate to other countries, including up to €43,614 a year in
Canada. Minister Reilly has repeatedly defended the rate, saying it includes further education and should instead be seen as a chance for graduates to gain more experience. DCU Students’ Union is sup-
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The message to Minister Reilly today is loud and clear; change the starting salary level back to €26,000 for newly graduated nurses.”
porting student nurses with the release of a video promoting the demonstration. The demonstration coincides with the Lancet report, which was published by DCU Professor Anne Scott and a team of researchers in the University of
Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the U.S. The study took place across nine European countries, documenting the impact a Bachelor of Education in Nursing has in hospitals. According to the study, for every one point increase in the patient to nurse ratio, there’s a seven per cent increase in the death rate. As well as this, the study indicates that in hospitals where 60 per cent of nurses have bachelor degrees, risk of death after common surgical procedures is decreased by a third. “This study draws attention to the importance of examining both patient-to-nurse ratios and the education levels of nursing staff in our hospitals, and in the individual wards in those hospitals, as a possible means of improving patient outcomes,” said Scott. Nursing Officer Shauna Kilbride is heading the DCU campaign for the demonstration. “Support for the campaign has been massive, especially from our faculty and link hospitals,” she said.
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President Higgins had announced his plans to bring an international ethics symposium to DCU this May.
Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com
Societies see membership increase on last semester Emily Bodkin News Reporter
DCU ÓGRA FIANNA FÁIL HAS seen an increase of 24 members when compared to the numbers registered with DCU Clubs and Societies’ Office last year. “Our final total is 84 members for this year. Last year, our total figure after Clubs and Socs day was 60 so we are delighted with the large increase in membership,” said Chairperson Ruaidhri Moran. The boost in members has also helped the party to carry out more activities and campaigns throughout the semester and for the future. Moran said: “We have also
been able to conduct campaigns on campus such as our “Speak Up” campaign that encouraged voter registration. We hope to run this campaign again in week five of semester two.” Last Wednesday also saw a rise in the numbers joining various Clubs & Societies during Refreshers Day. According to club member Martin Kenny, the Rock Climbing Club has been one of the many sports clubs that have enjoyed an increase of membership in the current academic year. “There has been great improvement since last year. There have been over 300 people to sign up this year, compared to 240 last year.” However some are still find-
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There has been great improvement since last year. There have been over 300 people to sign up this year, compared to 240 last year.”
ing it difficult to entice students to join up to clubs. DCU Karate Club said their numbers have remained near the same for the last two years and they are disappointed that they haven’t been able to build up their membership. The Ladies Rugby Club claimed they too noticed a decrease, with one of the main problems being that it is difficult to keep people interested for the year due to location issues. Niamh Griffin, a member of the Ladies Rugby Club said: “We got a lot of people at the start but we had to travel far away for training so that put people off. We also lost half our team last year so it’s all about building the group up again.”
New amenities on campus if student centre secures ‘yes’ vote A REFERENDUM FOR THE proposed construction of a brand new, four-storey student centre is set to take place in late March or early April. DCU Students’ Union are in talks with architects about the construction of a student centre that would be built as a fourstorey extension to The Hub, in place of the Old Bar and conservatory space. SU Education Officer Ciaran O’Connor described the centre as a “non-commercial space where students can hang out”. He went on to say: “Going on the current architectural plans we’ve seen there will hopefully be a rehearsing, performing space; there’ll be an SU space; and a tranquillity centre where students can go and just chill out. There’ll also be things like an entrepreneurial suite where students can go in with an idea and they’ll get advice on how to make that into a business.” The referendum will involve changing the current student levy from €38 to €35 per year. The SU will endorse a “yes” stance for the vote.
� Credit: Marie Lecoq
Katie O’Neill News Reporter
“If students vote no to the referendum then they’re effectively voting to keep the €35 per year levy with no new student centre,” O’Connor said. The merging of the SUs at DCU, St. Patrick’s College and Mater Dei are also underway. The unions at each college have been in talks and planning for
when they join together. O’Connor said that talks are in the early stages and nothing is set in stone, but the intention is to have one new SU acting on behalf of all three colleges. This will hopefully be achieved by June 2015. “We’ve been talking about how the sabbaticals will work;
which sabbaticals will be based out of DCU and which will be based out of Drumcondra, because we can’t have two presidents,” he added. “The new SU will have to be better at representing all students and covering all bases.”
DCU Academics support pledge for Palestine Katie O’Neill News Reporter ALMOST 140 IRISH ACAdemics have signed a pledge to support an academic boycott of Israel until the rights of the Palestinian people are respected. Nine members of the DCU faculty were among the list of 138 third-level-academics that signed the pledge. Among the signatories was Dr Eithne O’Connell who was left “horrified” after visiting Palestine and seeing the conflict first hand. “The first thing I hope is that it will draw attention to the conflict. You don’t often hear the Palestine side expressed very clearly and hopefully this pledge will bring about a level of discussion and debate on this issue.” The pledge, which was organised by Academics for Palestine, calls for a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions until Israel withdraws from all the lands it occupies; agrees to the UN resolutions to reinstitute the rights of Palestinian refugees; and dismantles its system of apartheid. Dr O’Connell sees the pledge as a “peaceful resistance”. O’Connell emphasised that the pledge is in no way an antiIsraeli attack but exists purely to reinstate the freedom and rights of the Palestinian people. The movement launched a year after the International Court of Justice declared the illegality of Israel’s wall in the occupied Palestinian territory. The movement issued a call for “people of conscience all over the world to launch boycotts”. The Teachers Union of Ireland became the first European Union institution to support the pledge when they made the decision to endorse it in April 2013. A motion on whether DCU’s Class Rep Council should support the academics’ pledge has been deferred to the Council’s next meeting.
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World-renowned economists and academics addressed students on issues including the future of Ireland’s third-level education sector at this year’s Trinity Economic Forum.
Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com
RAG-ons Den sees social projects receive cash boost Hannah Moran News Reporter A NOVEL RAG SOCIETY event saw €800 allocated to groups with innovative ideas for social projects in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style show held on campus last Thursday. Instead of pitching a business idea to judges, students pitched ideas for social initiatives to social entrepreneurs. Their projects would help others, rather
than the investors and individuals. A total sum of €800 was divided between three groups to assist them in furthering their projects. Second-year Communications student Gloria Shannon received €400 for her idea. She created the Long-term Illness Partner Service (L.I.P.S) to help people diagnosed with long-term illnesses gain advice from volunteers who had experience with the same illness.
Joy Newton, a third-year Communications student, received €300 for her idea of ‘Casting On’; knitting groups where older members of the community would teach the skill to youths. David Rhein and Yannick Mangold, both first-year Global Business students, were awarded €100 for their ide, ‘A Deed a Day’. This project creates a method of communication between charities and those willing to help based on the concept of do-
ing a good deed a day. The judging panel consisted of: Anne Sinnott, Dean of DCU Business School; Daithí de Buitléir, Co-Founder of Raising and Giving Ireland; and Eamonn Fitzgerald, Awards Programme Co-Ordinator at Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. According to RAG Volunteer Co-Ordinator Gary Gillick, the idea behind the event was to attract students in DCU to make a difference in other ways than traditional bucket-collections.
Students use talents to support relief charity
More auditions to be held for the talent competition for charity. | Credit: DCU Got Talent lost all credibility, and we would ask for it to be phased out over time.” Harmon said that one of the reasons for the failure of the scheme is that it has gone largely unregulated. “More than 3 per cent of employers have admitted that they’ve used it to misplace existing employment, so we have to ask the question: why are we allowing it to replace existing work?” The national internship
USI organise first national conference on gender
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The conference will ensure feminist societies and gender equality activists are better supported in their work and on their campuses.
Suzanne Cooper News Reporter
Janine Kavanagh News Reporter THE UNION OF STUDENTS IN Ireland (USI) and a number of youth organisations have called for the government’s internship programme, JobBridge, to be phased out. Many youth advocacy groups voiced their opposition to the scheme in a joint press conference held on January 29th. The youth groups expressed their concerns that the internship programme is damaging job creation and promoting the exploitation of the trainee workers involved in the scheme. The press conference was held by the youth committees of the Communications Workers’ Union and Mandate Trade Union, along with the USI, ScamBridge, and the ‘We’re Not Leaving’ youth group. Laura Harmon, the Vice-President for Welfare of USI, believes that the government scheme is no longer effective. “We believe that JobBridge has
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scheme was set up by the government in 2011, with the aim to match employers with trainees who cannot find work. The work experience placements last from between six to nine months, with the interns receiving €50 a week in addition to their social welfare payment. Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has defended the programme, stating that more than 25,200 people have taken up the scheme since it began, with 6,300 currently in intern-
ships. MEP Paul Murphy, the founder of campaigning website ScamBridge.ie, has called for the JobBridge internship programme to be replaced with a RealJobs scheme. He said at the press conference that this would result in education investment and more effective training and employment for people struggling to find work.
AIMED AT BETTER EQUIPping gender equality activists at third-level institutes across the country, Ireland’s first national gender conference took place in NUI Galway last weekend. The two day ‘GenCon 2014’ was organised by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in partnership with the National Women’s Council ‘Y-Factor’ project. USI Vice-President for Equality and Citizenship, Laura Harmon explained: “the main reason I wanted to organise this was because I felt that USI could do more to facilitate networking between gender equality and feminist societies by holding a national event.” The weekend featured modules on topics including heteronormativity, transgender rights, pro-choice activism, reproductive rights and health. The free event was open to students from all colleges, regardless of gender. Harmon said she hoped the conference would ensure feminist societies and gender equality activists were “better supported in their work on their campuses and nationally”. When asked whether she feels this conference could become an annual event, she replied: “I hope so as I feel it is something that could grow and that we could build on it year on year. This is just the start.”
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At present, 211 candidates across Ireland for the May Local Elections fall in the 18-35 age category, accounting for 13.7 per cent of the total number of people going forward. 151 (71.6 per cent) of them are male, and 60 (28.4 per cent) are female. Here, Theresa Newman speaks to two students who are running. Sean Tyrrell is a 21-year-old DCU student. He is in final year, studying Economics, Politics and Law and he’s running as an independent candidate in Ballymun.
� Credit: Eimear Phelan
TYRRELL WANTS TO HAVE “the biggest impact on the most people,” and says that going for public office seemed like the obvious route for him to achieve that. His family were never particularly political, but Tyrrell was from an early age and mentions former independent TD Tony Gregory as an inspirational politician that he would hope to emulate. “Some people would argue that no time is a good time to go into politics,” says Tyrrell, “At the end of the day, I’m finishing up college in a few months, and I wasn’t going to sit around twiddling my thumbs, waiting for an election to come up”. Formerly a member of Sinn Féin, he decided to run as an independent candidate and really wants to represent everyone in the constituency, not just young people. He feels that his desire to question things makes him a good
candidate. He proudly claims the scalp of a Labour Councillor who resigned his seat after Tyrrell discovered the man wasn’t attending North West area committee meetings. Tyrrell lodged complaints with the Labour Party office, the office of The Lord Mayor and with the City Manager, “And three days later the man resigned from the Council,” he says. Certainly, he says he wants to ask the questions that other councillors might not want brought up and says that he “thinks outside the box” when it comes to politics. “Expenses should be fully vouched for, you should be able to turn around and ask to see receipts for petrol and things, that’s the fair way to do it,” he says. How popular this approach will be should Tyrrell get elected is questionable. He wonders why councillors are “getting paid €600 just to turn up to Council meetings,” and maintains that old clichè “look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”. Whether Tyrrell will refuse the €600 or not, he says he will bring
his “economic background” to the Council in May. Despite never having worked in the financial sector, he says that his time spent getting involved with different community groups counts as experience. Community roots are deep with Tyrrell, who was born in Poppintree and raised in a single-parent family by his mother, who he calls “his hero”. He has a socialist spin to most of his ideas, claiming “households who earn over €100,000 should be subject to property tax of say, six per cent,” and that the tax should be calculated on income, not on the value of the house. Property tax should be distributed based on the needs of the area, he says, and he would like to see the Council decide which areas of Dublin need the most money and act accordingly. What if the Council majority decides to give all the money to their areas? “That’s the way it falls sometimes, in politics,” says Tyrrell, adding that he would “hope...to fight stupid decisions like that” and admits that sometimes there may be fights he won’t win.
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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
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Domino’s asks MPS to
Young and running for politics O’CONNOR IS THE ELDEST OF two children; her mother, who passed away last year, was very involved in the General Election campaign of sitting TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor. Her family, she says were always interested in politics; a mix of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in the older generations, but traditionally more Fine Gael since she can remember. Going for election “came as a bit of a surprise,” says O’Connor and when the opportunity arose she was approached by Fine Gael who “asked if I would consider it”. “I think we need more young people in politics,” she says, “I’m interested in showing young people that they can have a voice, and you can make that voice heard”. She thinks that many people are cynical about politics at the moment, and that the only way to break through that and inspire people is to have more fresh faces going forward for election. “New and fresh ideas” will help Ireland recover, she says, and she claims to have a good understanding of the issues lo-
cally in her electoral area. O’Connor wants to help local business and says that creating jobs and attracting businesses to the area is vital. “Trying to get young people to spend more time in the area instead of in town” would help Dun Laoghaire, says O’Connor, who wants to make the community a more attractive place for young people to spend their money and support local business. She’d like to see the Council work with local business to try and run deals or promotions that she says would be popular with young people. Parking is a big issue locally, she says, and she welcomed the Council’s decision to halve the amount of on-street parking available to motorists. It seems unlikely that will help attract people to the area and boost local business and O’Connor herself says she wants to increase footfall on the Main Street. There are many empty retail units she would like to see occupied, and the arrival of Starbucks and Nandos have boosted
Ellen O’Connor is a twenty-year-old Trinity student. She is in second year, studying History and she’s running for Fine Gael in Dun Laoghaire in the Local Elections in May. the amount of people, especially young people coming to the village, she says. “There are about fourteen secondary schools in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, so there really is a huge amount of young people in the overall area,” says O’Connor, “We really need to represent that on the Council”. She considers herself a perfectionist and a shy person and says that she finds it tough to go to people’s doors and ask for their vote. Despite that though, the response has been positive overall and she says that the locals seem happy to see a new face. “I think the government has done huge work so far,” she says, and praises Minister Phil Hogan for the changes he’s planning for Local Government. She plans to finish her degree, win or lose in May and does hint that she’d go abroad afterwards and study if things didn’t work out.
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THE COLLEGE VIEW 05.03.1 4 NEWS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM
The government is aiming to take in €900m from fees paid by international students enrolling at third-level in Ireland in 2015 as part of an improved international trade strategy.
News
Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com
UCD considering remodel of Students’ Union
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Laura Colgan News Reporter UCD STUDENTS’ UNION MAY change its structure to mirror the model used by most SUs in the United Kingdom, following support from authority figures in the university. A survey will be conducted in the coming weeks by the SU to allow students to have input and involvement in such a remodel. Structures of SUs in the UK have localised values and primarily campaign for better student services on campus, such as
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o 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
affordable accommodation and cheaper alcohol on campus. In recent years, students felt that UCDSU focussed on national issues, such as fighting fees with USI. Students felt problems they experienced with campus residences and other campus issues weren’t dealt with by their SU. UCDSU also ran up debt of €1.4 million by June 2011 due to financial mismanagement and poor accountancy practices. This highlighted infrastructure problems within the organisation. New President of UCD, An-
drew Deeks and UCDSU President, Mícheál Gallagher have shown support for this shift in structure. President Deeks was educated and worked in Australia, where the model of SU is similar and is involved with student politics. Australian SUs provide students with political services and represent the student body to university management as well as improving facilities and services for students. President Deeks said that he would like UCDSU to evolve into such an organisation. Speaking to UCD’s The Uni-
Sharron Lynskey News Reporter CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised following the appointment of the new president of Queen’s University Belfast who will receive £100,000 more than the current British Prime Minister David Cameron is paid.
� Credit: Jack Cantillon
STUDENTS FROM ACROSS the country helped raise €36,000 for charities including St Vincent De Paul by fleeing to far flung corners of the world as part of the recent ‘Jailbreak14’. The initiative saw almost 80 student teams from Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork and NUI Galway escape to locations as remote as Jamaica and Bali on February 22nd and 23rd in a bid to raise funds for good causes. There were initial concerns for how some of the students, who travelled on a shoestring budget, would make their way home to Ireland. However by
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UCDSU ran up debt of €1.4 million by June 2011 due to financial mismanagement and poor accountancy practices.
New Queens President to receive more pay than UK Prime Minister
Irish students flee the country to raise vital charity funds Bryan Grogan News Reporter
versity Observer, Gallagher called for a SU that is a transparent organisation that has a fair, democratic structure. According to The University Observer, UCDSU released their first audited accounts to students in week one of semester two, which Gallagher believes is a step closer to remodeling such a transparent organisation. He hopes the survey will allow students to be involved in the potential remodel and will shape the SU’s strategic plan over the next two years.
the middle of the week following the project, almost all participants had managed to secure return travel arrangements from their international locations. Trinity medical students Kyryll Chulak and Salim Sebaoui were crowned winners after making it to Sydney, Australia from their starting point of Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin within the designated 36-hour window. “We tried to encourage everyone to charm businesses into providing air-miles or sponsorship,” organiser Jack Cantillon told The College View. Chulak and Sebaoui managed to acquire sponsorship from a Dubai-based tour company for their adventure.
Over 200 people applied to be part of ‘Jailbreak14’. The pairs applying had to raise €200 before February 22nd to be eligible for participation in the project. Over 100 teams initially applied and nearly 80 took part in the weekend. Donations for the event are set to go to St Vincent de Paul, Amnesty International and Draíocht. The event was previously open to Trinity students alone, however it was expanded this year to include UCD, NUIG and UCC. Cantillon hopes to even further advance the event next year. He said: “It’s in a sort of evolution phase at the minute but we’re going to try to make it a bit different again.”
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Queens is fortunate to secure a worldclass leader of the caliber of Prof Johnston… He is an outstanding academic with a distinguished record of achievement.”
Professor Patrick Johnston took up the post of Vice-Chancellor of the college on March 3rd on a salary of almost £250,000 (over €300,000) per annum. This figure is £19,000 more than his predecessor’s pay packet. Queen’s University have defended the salary, saying it is both competitive and justified.
Rotha Johnson, who chairs the committee which determined Johnston’s salary said this is “the right level” for a world-class academic. “Queens is fortunate to secure a world-class leader of the caliber of Prof Johnston… He is an outstanding academic with a distinguished record of achievement who will not only further improve the university’s status as a world-class institution but will benefit Northern Ireland society as a whole.” Johnston, former Dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queens, was one of fifty top academics from across the globe who applied for the position. Politician John Dallat of the Social Domacratic Labour Party (SDLP) and member of the Public Accounts Committee criticised the figure and said he was “seriously concerned” by Johnston’s salary. He added that fuel poverty is “somewhere near 50 per cent” and advocated a cap on exceptionally high salaries such as Johnston’s. Johnston’s package also includes accommodation in the Vice-Chancellor’s lodge, a luxury 3-storey property in South Belfast and the use of a car for university business.
UCD School of Mathematical Sciences
www.ucd.ie/mathsciences
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Graduate Studies UCD School of Mathematical Sciences
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UCD School of Mathematical Sciences invites applications to its graduate programmes from graduate and final-year undergraduate students with backgrounds in quantitative disciplines such as Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Economics, Finance and Physics.
Programmes available: Grad Dip/ MSc Actuarial Science (Institute and Faculty of Actuaries accredited) MA Statistics/MSc Statistics (Royal Statistical Society accredited) HDip Mathematical Sciences, HDip Mathematical Studies & HDip Statistics MSc Mathematics, MSc Mathematical Sciences, MA Mathematics, Online Data Analytics Programmes available from March 1st PhD's in Statistics, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Simulation Science and Mathematics Further information and scholarship information
Questions?
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THE COLLEGE VIEW 05.03.1 4 OPINIONS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM
In the next three years it is up to the USI to prove its worth and to show DCU students that they made the right decision by affiliating.” Sean Cassidy
Opinion
A MAJORITY OF STUDENTS in a fair and democratic ballot have voted to join the Union of Students in Ireland after a 13 year withdrawal from the organisation. The proof that democracy matters and that your vote in that democracy matters was never more defined in DCU by the result of the USI ballot. The ballot reached above the constitutionality mandated quorum with a final total poll of 1451 with 726 students voting YES and 725 students voting NO. It came down to one vote and in a democracy we have the wellestablished principle of a majority being represented as 50 per cent plus one.
The tight nature of the result shows the importance and value of every vote cast and every vote that could have been cast. The validity of the poll is not in question and any attempts to undermine the ballot should be called out for what they are, an attempt to undermine democracy by those who have sour grapes over losing the referendum. We have a result and while many may believe that this was the real test for USI, it is only really the first test. In the next three years it is up to the USI to prove its worth and to show DCU students that they made the right decision by affiliating. While students will see the physical benefits in the form of the Durex condoms and lube in the SHAG packs and the value from the USI/NUS discount card, the intangible benefits must be shown to students also. The most valuable effect of joining USI and the one students will feel the most is the one they won’t recognise, USI training. There have been many minor and large errors that have occurred in our union over the past number of years and every single one has come down
to a lack of training in our SU Exec Officers and Class Reps. That isn’t a reflection on their talents or abilities but rather a reflection that those abilities haven’t been harnessed effectively. If we gain better SU Officers and better Class Reps in the next three years then the membership costs will be paid off on that count alone. A duty also lies on future SU
Officers to engage effectively with the USI. If they do not then we will have a weak membership and a weak experience of the national students’ union. There has been a cultural antipathy towards USI from SU Officers in the past. This year we have had an SU Executive that has shown a willingness to engage with the organisation in a cordial
fashion and to uphold their neutral stance in a genuine fashion during the referendum. We cannot allow that antipathy to resurface as it will undermine the first opportunity of DCU students to have a positive or real experience of being in the USI. It has been mentioned much in the campaign that students in DCU SU have taken the lead three times in the national student movement. The first two was in holding ballots on the issues of Higher Education funding models and on the issue of reproductive rights. There was even a last minute attempt to use this as an argument against the need to join USI, but it was swiftly pointed out that the person who initiated those ballots was a former USI Officer who became a DCU student. The third was when the CRC adopted a motion I proposed that the union endorse the ‘Defend the University Charter’ which was written by a group of Irish academics who wanted to protect the public nature of higher education from further erosion to the private sector. The future from this point on is set to be a very exciting time for our students’ union.
Library opening hours no help for exams Jamie Gallagher is a Final year Psychology student in DCU.
SOMETHING I FIND IT DIFFIcult to get my head around is that the DCU library has the same weekend opening hours during exam time as the rest of
the year. We at DCU have to put up with the weekday opening hours while other colleges, such as Trinity, have a 24 hour library. Is there a reason behind this, and what is their necessity which overrides ours? The opening hours are ridiculous when you take into account the 5pm closing times during the weekends directly before and during exam time. Picture the familiar scene. It’s a Sunday evening and you have
an exam at 9am the following day. You’ve just had a great day’s study in the library but it’s coming up to 5pm and you still have a lot to do before the exam (As would generally be the case for most students during exam time; who is going to be in a position to stop studying for their exam at five the previous evening?). We are being forced to pack our stuff away and return back home to finish off our preparations. The walk in itself is unset-
tling enough, and to try and come back and set up and go again would make you consider not going to the library at all. My apartment, and I imagine many student apartments are the same, isn’t an ideal environment for studying in and it leaves me in trouble when trying to get in some last minute cramming. Large sums are paid for security personnel around the campus. Is it such a stretch to have one of them stationed in the library in-
� DCU Library | Credit: Annemarie Kelly
Sean Cassidy is the former Opinions Editor of The College View and was a Yes Campaigner during the recent DCU USI Referendum.
� USI | Credit: Eimear Phelan
The USI and student democracy
stead of a librarian in the evening times during the weekends? Common sense would dictate that seeing as DCU has such a large and impressive library that its opening hours should help accommodate DCU students wanting to make the most of the structure. As a final year student, I hope something can be done ahead of the summer exams and so the next batch of students don’t have to endure these inadequate opening times.
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THE COLLEGE VIEW 05.03.1 4
Shiúl 10,000 duine ó Chearnóg Parnell go Cearnóg Mhuirfean mar chuid de Lá Mór na Gaeilge.
Caoimhe Ní Chatháil Rannpháirtí LÁ IONTACH DO THODHCHAÍ na Gaeilge a bhí ann ar Shatharn an 15 Feabhra nuair a shiúl 10,000 duine ó Chearnóg Parnell go Cearnóg Mhuirfean mar chuid de Lá Mór na Gaeilge. Bhí an lá eagraithe ag Conradh na Gaeilge mar thús don fheachtas ar son cearta teanga muintir na hÉireann, ó thuaidh agus ó dheas. Bhí dá spreagadh mór ann don ócáid. D’fhógair an Coimisinéir Teanga Seán Ó Cuirreáin go mbeidh sé ag éirí as a phost ar an 24 Feabhra. Na fáthanna lena chinneadh ná an easpa tacaíocht a bhí sé ag fáil ón rialtas ar son cearta teanga na Gaeilge agus an pobal Gaeltachta. An chúis eile leis an lá nó gur fhoilsigh Comhairle na hEorpa tuairisc a léirigh go bhfuil cur chun cinn agus forbairt na Gaeilge faoi choisc ag rialtas Stormont ó thuaidh. Rinne eagraithe Lá Mór na Gaeilge an cinneadh tacaíocht na tíre a chuardach mar sin, chun na fadhbanna seo a chur faoi bhráid an rialtais. Tá sé mar aidhm acu aird an rialtais a dhíriú ar mhian mhór chuid
� DCU ag Lá Mór na Gaeilge | Credit: Caoimhe Ní Chatháil
DCU ag Siúl ar son na Gaeilge
de phobal na hÉireann go mbeidh an Ghaeilge á chaomhnú acu don todhchaí. Tá siad ag iarraidh ar an rialtas go mbeidh seirbhísí stáit trí mheán na Gaeilge bronnta ar an phobal Gaeltachta faoi dheireadh na bliana 2016 agus go mbeidh siad ar an chaighdeán chéanna le seirbhísí Béarla. Tá siad ag iarraidh go mbeidh acht cearta ar son na Gaeilge curtha i bhfeidhm
sa Tuaisceart agus an tAcht Oifigiúla Teanga 2003 déanta níos láidre an bhliain seo. Fosta, níl siad ag iarraidh go mbeidh maolú stádas na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh moillithe a thuilleadh tar éis 1 Eanáir 2017. Deir siad gur chóir an pobal Gaeltachta agus daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge a bheith aitheanta mar
Guth an phobail le cloisteáil ar Prime Time BHOG AN SLUA GO MALL isteach tríd doirse RTÉ agus iad ag plé díospóireacht na seachtaine. Bhí peann ullamh i lámha cuid acu – roinnt eile bhíodar ag tógáil pictiúir dá chéile ag deasc Miriam O’ Callaghan. Bhí gach saghas duine ansin agus iad ar fad réidh lena dtuairimí a roinnt agus cúrsaí na tíre a phlé ar ardán náisiúnta. An uair seo cuireadh tuarastail an pobal faoin spot sholas sa stiúideo i nDomhnach Broc don chéad uair le seacht mbliana anuas. An bhfuil sé in am an íosphá náisiúnta a ardú nó an mbeadh faoiseamh cáineach níos feiliúnaí? Ach tar éis na mblianta fada de bhuiséid chruálacha, an
mbeadh sé róluath in aisghabháil eacnamaíochta na tíre chun ár gcuid cros a scaoileadh? Shuigh muintir an pobal ina suíocháin i stiúideo Prime Time ach ní ar a suaimhneas a bhíodar agus iad réidh le troid ar son a gcearta agus a scéal pearsanta a insint. Is seans uathúil í seo don ghnáthdhuine a thuairimí a roinnt leis na húdaráis agus aíonna an chláir agus bhí teannas chomh maith le spraoi le brath ann. Bhí daoine ag súil go mór lena seans a fháil ar dheireadh. Ba thuairim coitianta é i measca an lucht féachana go raibh ardú ag taisteal ar íosphá na tíre. Ach is éasca é sin a rá nuair nach iadsan a bhfuil ag streachailt lena ngnó a choinneáil i mbarr uisce sa gheilleagar suaite seo. Ba léir go raibh coimhlint idir billí teaghlaigh agus tí a íoc agus billí an ghnáthghnó agus nach
Gluaiseanna Guth an Phobail le Cloisteáil ar Prime Time
� Credit: Flikr via Creative Commons
Gráinne Ní Aodha agus Ellen Ní Churtáin Rannpháirtí
gheallsealbhóirí i bhfeidhmiú an Straitéis 20 Bhliain ar son Teanga na Gaeilge 2010-2030 anseo ó dheas agus sa Straitéis Ghaeilge ó thuaidh, chomh maith. Leis na haidhmeanna seo ar fad, chruinnigh grúpa mic léinn DCU le chéile tráthnóna Satharn agus le chéile, shiúl siad mar chuid den slua ar son na Gaeilge. Bhí beocht agus paisean mórthaibhseach ag
baint leis an siúl ó Chearnóg Parnell go Cearnóg Mhuirfean. Dúirt mac léinn de chuid DCU, Aoife Ní Shiadháil, gur “Lá speisialta, dóchasach” a bhí ann. Nuair a shroich an slua Cearnóg Mhuirfean, cuireadh taispeántas ar siúl taobh amuigh de Dháil Éireann. Bhí a leithéid de Seo Linn ag seinm don slua agus bhí atmaisféar an-chorraitheach agus an slua ag damhsa agus ag canadh. Bhí aoichainteoirí ar nós Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí, Caoimhe Ní Chathail agus Julian de Spáinn ann chun fuinneamh agus dílseacht na ndaoine don chúis a spreagadh. Dúirt Julian de Spáinn nach raibh sa lá ach an tús. Le tuilleadh siúlóid eagraithe do na seachtainí le teacht, cinnte nach mbeidh stop ar bith ag teacht le feachtas cainteoirí na Gaeilge go dtí go gcomhlíontar aidhmeanna s’acu. Is cinnte go bhfuil siad ‘Dearg le Fearg’.
raibh tuiscint ag daoine ar chruachás a chéile. Mhínigh athair de thriúir an bhrú airgeadais a bhí air a chuid páistí a chuir ar an ollscoil agus go gcabhródh ardú pá leis oideachas ceart a thabhairt dá pháistí. D’fhreagair bean ghó a impíocha leis an óráid ghonta seo; “Tá sibh ag iarraidh go n-íocfaimis ár n-oibrithe níos mó. Agus ba bhreá linn é sin a dhéanamh. Ach cad leis a n-íocfaimis iad? Níl pingin rua againn féin.” É sin ráite an rud ba mhó a bhí le sonrú ná cé chomh hullamh is a bhí daoine lena gcuid tuairimí a roinnt agus a dtoilteanas
troda i leith a gcearta labhartha sa sochaí dhaonlathach seo. Cé gur lean na saineolaithe agus na húdaráis ar aghaidh ag déanamh scansála ar ábhar na hoíche, ba é buaicphointe an chláir ná láidreacht na hÉireannaigh i gcoinne cinntí ceannairí ár dtír. Cé nach raibh aon réiteach ar an scéal ba léir go raibh muintir na hÉireann ullamh le seilbh a ghlacadh ar a dtír arís trína gcuid tuairimí a léiriú. Ag deireadh an tsaoil is fearr go mór féinspreagadh agus neamhspleáchas an daonra a bhraith sa tír athuair, is cuma cén conclúid a mbeidh le díospóireacht an íosphá.
Díospóireacht = debate Íosphá náisiúnta = national minimum wage Sochaí daonlathach = democratic society
DCU ag Siúl ar son na Gaeilge Feachtas = campaign Cearta teanga = language rights Tacaíocht = support
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An bhfuil sé in am an íosphá náisiúnta a ardú nó an mbeadh faoiseamh cáineach níos feiliúnaí?
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THE COLLEGE VIEW 05.03.1 4 LIFESTYLE@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM
Alternative Summers
Paphos is said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the mythical Greek goddess of love.
Explorer’s paradise:
East Africa
For an unforgettable travel experience that is enriching and rewarding, head for the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania.
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� Zanzibar | Credit: flickr.com
Hiking up the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania can take just five days. James Creagh Contributor FIRST THING’S FIRST, IF YOU want to do this on a budget then I advise bringing a tent and a warm sleeping bag as camping options are available everywhere and it saves you quite a lot of money. For any backpacker in Nairobi I would recommend staying at the Wildebeest Camp, a safe and secure location on the outskirts of the city. Here you’re in the perfect spot for a safari in the Maasai Mara National Park (which crosses over into Tanzania where it is known as the Serengeti). If you arrive in June/July you may just witness the annual wildebeest migration; a sight not to be missed. After this you can make the journey to Lamu Island which is situated off the north Kenyan Coast. Lamu is one of the oldest Swahili settlements left in East Africa and known for its narrow streets where donkeys are the main form of transportation. Dhow boat trips can be arranged through your hostel and are a great way to spend the day.
Lifestyle The first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Tanzania is the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. Surprisingly, it’s a hike that can be undertaken quite easily in five days, with the most challenging day being the summit attempt. Hikes can be arranged easily on the ground from the nearby town of Moshi. While in Moshi, you can also inquire about tours to visit local tribes in the area. If you’d like to relax after the hike, head to the tropical island of Zanzibar, where you can take scuba diving courses, go on spice tours or relax on the beach. A trip to southern Tanzania is also well worth the effort. Here the national parks are cheaper and less packed with tourists. A stop in the town of Iringa is a must for those interested in the Stone Age, with one of the world’s best preserved sites just a few miles outside of town. The above counts for 0.01% of the attractions that can be found in east Africa. When you arrive you will find your own personal preferences that are off the beaten track, which is all part of the fun of exploring such a fascinating area of the world.
European escape: Paphos, Cyprus Paphos, a coastal city in Cyprus, is a place where history and culture combine to create the perfect alternative to an alcohol filled fortnight away. Claudia Gocoul Contributor HISTORICAL LANDMARKS are abundant in Paphos, the highlight being the awe inspiring Tomb of the Kings. The underground tombs are named not for Kings that were buried there but to convey just how magnificent they are. The countless caves of Paphos are still being excavated and ex-
plored; many tourists have spent a day exploring the caves only to happen across an ancient Greek relic. Even if you aren’t so lucky, a day whiled away exploring the shady caves with a picnic lunch is a day well spent. As well as history, Paphos offers romance. It is often argued that the city, said to be the birthplace of mythical Greek goddess Aphrodite, is one of the most romantic in the world. If you can drag yourself away from the
� Phaphcs, Cyprus | Credit: Will Joseph Foster via Flickr.com
flawless Aphrodite beach for a second, swim around Aphrodite rock which is just off of the coast. Local myth states that anyone who swims around the rock fully will be granted eternal beauty. Paphos is also famed for its food and the friendly Cypriot population like to feed their guests. The best advice would be to try a different restaurant every evening and ask what is recommended rather than ordering your usual. That way you get
an authentic taste of local cuisine. The food is extremely cheap and often your dinner has been caught fresh only hours previous. September is the best time of year to visit; the flights are cheaper, it’s not unbearably hot, and the annual Opera festival takes place. It takes around seven hours to fly to Larnaca airport and an hour to drive to Paphos so a longer holiday is ideal. For those who love the buzz and atmosphere of a city, don’t
fret. Paphos also has its fair share of pubs and bars, made all the more authentic and enjoyable by the mix of tourists and locals. The people of Paphos are extremely welcoming, and don’t be surprised if you end back at a house party in someone’s villa! If you still feel you need a bit more excitement, there are designated party coach trips to Ayia Napa. Although, it’s highly unlikely that you will ever want to leave.
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Outside Bangkok, you can visit the Tiger Temple and go Elephant Trekking: sit on a towering elephant while he roams green hills and get shockingly close to beautiful tigers.
Alternative Summers
� Thailand | Credit: Shannon O’Sullivan
Azure blue lagoons, leafy cliffs, white sand, an authentic yet modern culture, majestic wildlife, littered markets, ladyboys - throw in a beach party and some illuminous paint and you have arrived. Welcome to Thailand.
Don’t stop the party: Thailand Shannon O’Sullivan Contributor THE FIRST STOP ON ANYone’s list should be Koh Samui where mopeds and jeeps swarm the narrow streets in what seems like acceptable chaos. Walk down a side street and the noise subsides slightly to reveal the Ark Bar Beach Resort where a large orange sign hangs over a contemporary outdoor reception area. The surrounding buildings look shabby, but fairy lights and neon signs brighten up the dim street. Service in any hotel on this island is top notch; staff are even willing to carry your bags be it to your room or down a creaking wooden pier. Ark Bar is the place to stay if you visit this quaint island, the bedrooms are modern and clean with patio doors onto a pebbled path that leads you to the pool and
bar area. A DJ box sits over the pool waiting for the regular pool parties to begin while the large bar and lounge area that lead on to the beach are lit up with lights at night. Eat giant corn on the cob and ripe fruit on the beach while sipping a cocktail before hitting the local nightclub Green Mango. Koh Phangan, Full Moon party central, depicts the stereotypical Thai summer party scene. Cheap hostels and comfortable bungalows are close to all of the amenities and most importantly the beach, where everything happens. Not the cleanest island, Phangan is simply memorable for wild nights, illuminous paint, fire shows, endless markets and of course the Kangaroo Bar. Be sure to get to the island a few days before the full moon party as hotel rooms tend to fill up fast. During the day, jet ski on the clear water and drink fresh fruit smoothies to keep cool or take a
taxi boat to the other side of the island just to say you’ve been in a taxi boat. If you’re looking for fun, hop onto a jeep that’s heading to one of the many pool or jungle parties scattered around the hilly island. Recovery days can be spent in ‘The Lazy House’, a slow service restaurant with comfy seating and a large projector screen showing films such as Magic Mike to prepare you for the next all nighter. Tone things down a tad in Koh Tao; an island famed for scuba diving and great local food. This mellow sanctuary is the ideal place to relax. Thai spas are plentiful with low prices and excellent service. Every treatment is followed by a complimentary green tea and pineapple slices. Take things up a level once again by attending the infamous xxxx pub crawl, where you will meet a variety of nationalities, mostly fellow Irish men and women. You’ll even experience
some ladyboy cabaret on the way. Thailand’s claim to fame is the glorious Maya Bay. Made famous in Leonardo Di Caprio’s The Beach, this flawless bay is flooded with tourists touring the unforgettable area. The island of Koh Phi Phi was once severely damaged by a tsunami but is regaining its natural beauty once again. Hop on an ancient dinghy with a fearless ‘sailor’, avoiding crashing waves in order to reach the peaceful bay. Turquoise water laps against the soaring cliffs; the swim and climb to the top of the cliff is a challenge worth accepting. A real life tropical jungle forms the path to the bay’s famous white beach. Swim in the clear warm water and snorkel beside your creaky boat to see shimmering fish inhabiting the depths of the sea. Bangkok may be dirty and daunting but it is not to be missed. Khao San Road is where to stay in the middle of the extreme chaos.
Crowds litter the markets lining the street, buying everything for dirt cheap prices. The humidity and thrilling atmosphere of Bangkok will complete your Thai experience and a trip in a tuk tuk will help too. Do as I did and make friends with a local market salesman called ‘Roy’ who likes the Irish but for some reason scowled at Canadians and sold us dodgy Beats headphones - a real-life Mr Chow! Tours to the Tiger Temple and Elephant Trekking are essential. Situated two hours outside of the city, the trips are available to book through most hotels. Sit on a towering elephant while he roams green hills and get shockingly close to the beautiful tiger. Most of all enjoy the Thai people; they are happy, kind and extremely laid back and will make your Thai experience a memorable one even if you never leave your hotel.
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Interns who completed unpaid internships were only slightly more likely to be employed (37 per cent) than those who hadn’t completed an internship (35 per cent). - Forbes Magazine
Internships:
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STUDENT INTERNSHIPS CAN be a great way to gain experience. They are an opportunity to get thrown in the deep end and to learn your trade in practice and not to mention they look great on CVs. Some keen students are even lucky enough to work paid internships or year-long paid trainee schemes with major companies. However, this is not always the case and often students put in long hours for no pay. In the past few years internships have become increasingly popular with the emergence of JobBridge (the national internship scheme). The website is currently advertising 1,929 internships with the aim of “assisting in the breaking of the cycle where job seekers are unable to get a job without experience”. However the agency came under scrutiny this month when it was noted that jobs in off-licenses, butchers and SuperValu were being advertised. It raised questions about what makes an internship beneficial and what makes it exploitive free labour. The internships involved working 30 hour weeks for six months with an allowance of €50 for the week. And now an anti-Job Bridge organisation has surfaced in response to the issue. ScamBridge have “launched our RealJobs program, which involves public investment to create decent jobs”. They also have engaged in protests. On Valentine’s Day, members gathered outside SuperValu in Deansgrange, Dublin with banners reading “SuperValu, real jobs, no pay”. In January they also held protests outside Advanced Pitstop, a car repair company hiring interns under the scheme. On a larger scale, certain companies internationally have even seized the opportunity to take advantage of inexperienced employees by charging a hefty fee to source internships abroad. Companies like CRCC and SOI charge close to €2,000 for students to travel to Asia to complete brief internships, and that doesn’t include food or flights. There have even been horror
Are they worth it?
stories of interns who have died abroad. Moritz Erhardt died after working for 72 hours straight on internship with the Bank of America. The American student was found dead in his shower. At the time, Polly Courtney, who was a previous intern with Merril Lynch, spoke about the issue. “During my internship, all-nighters were like a rite of passage. They were discussed among us in the Merrill Lynch canteen each night with an outward sense of loathing, but tinged with pride.” Another similar case occurred last August when Andy Ferguson, an intern with Astral Media in America, fell asleep at the wheel on route home from a long shift. Whether the incident was related to his internship at the time is unclear. Nonetheless Andy’s family specified that they felt that he had been taken advantage of, and have rallied for intern rights since the incident. Closer to
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An intern’s entitlement to minimum wage is not under their employer’s discretion, but based on the type of work they do.
home, students have come forward in a recent Irish Independent article about the hardship throughout their internships with one intern stating “I could only afford one meal a day on my unpaid internship”.
� Broke students | Credit: Flickr via creative commons
Katie Coyle Contributor
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Is it all worth it though? Forbes magazine recently investigated the benefits of internships and found unpaid internships do not significantly increase a graduate’s chance of employment. They also discovered that the economic climate and the lack of jobs paves the way for exploitation. Interns who completed unpaid internships were only slightly more likely to be employed (37 per cent) than those who hadn’t completed an internship (35 per cent). Those who had completed paid internships had a 63 per cent chance of gaining employment afterwards. It also concluded that interns in the fashion sector were a high risk when many publications had faced lawsuits from interns who intended to gain payback. “Elite Models is the latest to lose these lawsuits, giving their former interns between $700 and $1,750 in back pay for their services.” It isn’t all grey matter how-
ever when chasing your dreams, there are a plethora of intern rights laid out under Irish legislation. Interns are still protected in regards to excessive working hours, adequate breaks and rest periods, annual leave, public holidays, data protection and they are even entitled to join a union. Surprisingly, an intern’s entitlement to minimum wage is not under their employer’s discretion, but based on the type of work they do, and someone who has been working for over six months is also entitled to two weeks paid leave. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions says “many interns don’t know their rights, and may be afraid to stand up for them for fear of losing that crucial good reference. Trade unions are campaigning to make internships better.” If you are soon to begin work experience or have any queries in relation to an current internship, you can contact the congress@ictu.ie.
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Features
Rebecca Black rose to international fame in 2011 with her song ‘Friday’. Costing a mere $4,000 to produce, the video amassed 61 million YouTube views while also being dubbed the worst song in the world.
The video went viral H
Brian Cunningham Contributor
THE INTERNET IS A CREDible democracy. The emergence of new forms of electronic media in the last 10 years has contributed to its democratic nature. Discussion has mainly focused on the impact of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and their impact on democracy. While the success of social networking is obvious by its popularity, these sites are also paving the way for a number of other mediums of communication and expression. An example is viral videos, which have become popular through the link between social networking sites and videosharing sites. The large quantity of videos shared online pose a problem for the Average Joe, who can’t decide whether a video is worth watching. Instead, people rely on videos distributed from person to person through social networking sites, as well as other forms of person to person communication; such as blogs, e-mail, and instant messaging. The videos that become popular through this method of communication are commonly referred to as ‘viral’. While the distribution of viral videos poses no problems, understanding why certain viral videos become popular requires a deeper analysis. Consulting Virality is a company that promotes content for viral regulars. The company’s marketing manager Dallin Smith thinks that emotion is the one thing which all viral content has in common. Such a belief has been backed up with empirical evidence. America’s National Science Foundation conducted research in the area by recruiting 256 university students to watch one of ten hits on YouTube, and then asking them their feelings on it and whether they intended on forwarding it to others. The results of the study were in the form of an ‘arousal hierarchy’ where videos causing positive emotion were most likely to be forwarded. Videos which provoked negative emotions were found at the bottom of the hierarchy, but were still more likely to be shared with others than videos which had no emotional substance at all. One of the more positive viral
� Credit: Marie Lecoq via YouTube
Videos that play on issues or topics that are close to the heart of a nation will always stand a chance of going viral.
videos in the past couple of years has been ‘I’m farming and I grow it’, a video production about farming which was made by three Kansas youths. The video received more than eight million views by April 2013, and the three Kansas men behind it also appeared on American media shows. Videos that play on issues or topics that are close to the heart of a nation will always stand a chance of going viral. One of the biggest recent viral videos was “I am a Ukrainian, which shows a female protestor in Ukraine calling for democracy in her country in the midst of anarchy and turmoil. In it she labels the courts as corrupt and the politicians as dictators. As a result, the video has been viewed over seven million times and attracted over a thousand comments. If the aim of such videos is to try and attract mainstream attention, then it is certainly seems to be working. Research has shown that online political blogs may end up in broadcast news stories. In a 2007 survey of reporters from Kansas State University, 84 per cent of journalists stated that they use blogs as a source for their articles. Aspiring musicians have also gone down the viral route in recent years. Rebecca Black rose to international fame in 2011 with her song ‘Friday’. Costing a mere $4,000 to produce, the video amassed 61 million YouTube views while also being dubbed the worst song in the world. Furthermore, worldwide renditions of popular music have become one of the main themes in viral videos. Covers of Pharell Williams’ ‘Happy’ have been recorded from DCU to Moscow. While viral videos can be empowering, informative, and serve as a source of entertainment, it is important to recognise when it is just a video. Jason Russell’s video about a Ugandan War Criminal titled ‘Kony 2012’ acquired more than 70 million YouTube views. Soon after, Russell was held in custody on suspicion of running down a street naked and chanting about the devil. KONY’s 2012 rise and fall is testament to Smith’s statement that all viral videos are full of emotion. Perhaps it is our duty to know when to get caught up in this emotion and when not.
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DCU MPS’ Anchorman spoof video gained over 30,000 views over a small number of days and recieved huge media coverage.
NUI Galway’s RAG week was officially stopped in 2012 due to reports of anti-social behaviour and a large number of arrests by Gardaí.
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� DCU MPS 24 Hour Broadcast | Credit: Eimear Phelan (top) and Rachel McLaughlin (bottom)
Eimear Phelan Contributor HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO for charity? A local fundraiser down the road? A cross country run? How about halfway around the world? Students from Trinity, NUIG, UCD and UCC raced against the clock and each other last week to get as far away from Ireland as possible for charity in Trinity’s Jailbreak. The Jailbreak gained nationwide media coverage, raising over €36,000 with one team making it all the way to Sydney. Last year they even featured in Time magazine. So what is it that makes an event successful? It is hard to pin down what makes one event a success and another struggle but many successful events do have common characteristics. In the modern world connecting and communicating with people is one of the most important challenges. One of the things Jailbreak 2014 did particularly well was their massive presence on social media with hourly updates on the participants and a live map to track the teams. DCU’s MPS and their 24 hour Broadcast also followed the strong social media presence route, taking it further with a video that went viral. The Anchorman spoof, which the team created, gained over 30,000 views over a small number of days, as well as receiving huge media coverage. Other events take a different route; DCU’s very own St Vincent De Paul Society runs an annual 24 hour sleepout in the middle of the campus. The event raises money and awareness of the plight of homelessness in Dublin. During their 24 hours, wrapped up and bracing the cold, you cannot help but to notice them and as hour 24 approaches, you can hear them too. All three of these events captured the imagination of people by emphasising their points in different but interesting ways. Fundraising isn’t just about raising money, it is about getting your message out there and being noticed. Another aspect that seems to be important for fundraising success is having a new and unique idea. Anyone who has ever fundraised has run a table quiz, gone bag packing or sold some tickets to all their friends and family. The reason students are so successful in fundraising is due to the time and resources that are
Features generally available to them. A lot of work goes into each and every fundraiser, no matter the size, so it is important that events are a success. Sandra Sims, a coach with Step-By Step Fundraising, has a great guide to fundraising in her book, The 5 Keys To Successful Fundraising. She identifies five key elements. Firstly having conviction in your cause; knowing you are fundraising for something you believe in. The second most important thing is having the right fundraiser. There is no point in having a BBQ to raise funds for the vegetarian society. Organisation is also a key factor in having an event. People need to know what the plan is. Team work is the most important part of college events. With limited resources a dedicated team furiously working away behind the scenes can really make the difference. Sims’ final piece of advice is to take action, get out there and do it. Just as the Jailbreak ticked all the boxes there are many fundraising events that just get it wrong. NUI Galway’s infamous RAG week is a clear example of fundraising getting out of control. Raising And Giving week in Galway was officially stopped in 2012, in response to increasing opposition from local residents, reports of anti-social behaviour and a large number of arrests by Gardaí. The university officially withdrew its support in 2009 after approximately 25 arrests were made during the Monday and Tuesday of the official RAG week. Despite the popularity of RAG week in NUIG it is estimated that in 2011 the college only raised roughly €1.29 per student in a college of 13,000 students. Since RAG week in Galway has given the event a bad name, DCU is now having a ‘Charity Week’ instead of RAG week. The event does have success in some other colleges such as the RAG week in Sligo and Carlow IT, which successfully balances both the fundraising and fun aspects. The main driving force that makes any event successful is not just having a good idea but being prepared to commit the hours that go into planning the event beforehand to ensure it all goes off without a hitch.
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2,100 miles, one boat and one former DCU student Eoin Sheahan Deputy Sports Editor THE TERRENCE LARKIN LECture theatre on DCU campus is the most famous learning chamber in the university, largely because of its unquantifiable capacity. Other than catering for gargantuan module sizes, it is also the optimum location for some ‘extra-curricular’ reading without being noticed. This was certainly the case for one athlete in the university who used his classes in the theatre to become a rowing aficionado. At Christmas 2009, then DCU student Philip Cavanagh found nestling under his evergreen conifer a copy of Paul Gleeson’s Little Lady One Man Big Ocean: Rowing the Atlantic. Gleeson, also an Irishman, told the story of two non-rowers who rowed a small boat in the Transatlantic Race. The narrative inspired Cavanagh, previously apathetic to rowing, into a monumental undertaking this summer. As skipper of ‘Team Battleborn,’ Philip will skipper a team of four men into the inaugural Pacific Rowing Race this June which will begin in Monterey Bay, California and conclude 2100 miles away in the Hawaiian capital Honolulu. Considering his recent intro-
Sport
The weather is probably the biggest risk factor we have. People talk about sharks and all the rest but you’ve got more chance of getting hit by lightning. It can be quite treacherous out there.”
duction to the art of rowing, this putative undertaking could be seen as borderline madness and it raises one simple question: Why? “I say to people ‘why not?’,” he tells The College View. The team’s website gives a more revealing response: “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, but the flights are extortionate so I’ve decided to row.” Rowing will take a little longer than a jet, however, with a travel duration of roughly 40 days expected. Given the cramped conditions in which the team will operate for the duration of the race, selecting his teammates for this mammoth row was always going to be important. “What I did for the selection criteria is I sent out an email via a friend, Alastair Humphreys the adventurer, and I had about 500 replies within a week about people looking to do it so there is a couple of mad people out there. I narrowed it down to a selection crew of about 15, met them and went out just to see how you spend a weekend together.” Choosing his companions over a few pints rather than in a physically-testing environment, Cavanagh clearly values bonhomie over bravado. “One of the most important aspects is that you get along; you’ve nowhere to go for six
“ weeks. If you’ve a fight with the missus, you can go into another room for a while. We’re all on this small ocean boat. “When I picked the team it was based on personality and not fitness. I actually had a guy who had cycled across the world looking to join the team. He flew over to Dublin and I knew after about 10 minutes that he wouldn’t slot in with what I was looking for,” the Palmerstown native says. Rowing wasn’t an entirely novel idea to Philip Cavanagh, however. Being involved with athletics at a number of grades limited his ability to branch into the sport. “I’d always wanted to do a row but with training six days a week I had put it in the back burner,” he says. As a Computer Science student in DCU, Cavanagh actively competed for the campus athletics club over 800 and 1500 metres while also training in Chapelizod with the Donore Harriers club. With six days of training during his average week, Cavanagh aimed to achieve high but ultimately came up short by his own estimations. The gruelling task this summer may be an instance of atonement, then. “I never really reached the heights I wanted to in Athletics and so if truth be told this is
I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, but the flights are extortionate so I’ve decided to row.”
� Credit: www.pacificrow14.com
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somewhat a chance of a redemption for me; a chance to prove to myself I can do something special.” There is no question that a successful crossing this June would be Cavanagh’s Magnum Opus, in a sporting sense, but even completion of the course would be a tremendous achievement, considering the macabre nature of the Pacific Ocean. “The weather is probably the biggest risk factor we have. People talk about sharks and all the rest but you’ve got more chance of getting hit by lightning. It can be quite treacherous out there. I asked a fellah who rowed across the Atlantic what he thought about the Pacific and he said it’s a different kettle of fish altogether. “You won’t see land for roughly four to five weeks of the sixweek challenge and you won’t see another team.” It is easy to see from the way Cavanagh talks that his modus operandi is to prioritise the training of the mind, not just the body. “The mental side is a lot more important. We reckon about 90 per cent is a mental challenge. “We’re doing some sports psychology with a girl Karen Weekes down in Galway so we do that once every three weeks. That’ll get us mentally fit. Physically,
we just need to keep ticking over. Training every day but just as normal so I think people are surprised when they realise that the physical aspect isn’t really as important as you’d imagine.” However, the one burdensome challenge for the team’s physique will be gaining weight. One quarter of each man’s body mass will be lost during the race. “One of the things I’m finding the hardest is to put on weight. From an athletics background, any 1800/1500 metre runner will tell you it’s quite hard to put on two stone especially when we only have four-and-a-half months until the race. Physically, the training is fine but it’s a lot more focused on weights than people would imagine.” Cavanagh is attempting to be the first Irishman to row 2,100 miles of the Pacific Ocean in record time along with the coterie he has assembled. That being said, there are no delusions on his part about winning any battles against the force of nature that is the Pacific Ocean which is something that differs from the exuberance of his opponents’ websites. “If you look at other people’s (websites) they go on about ‘conquering the pacific’. Absolute b****x, don’t make me laugh. Nobody is going to conquer the pacific. The ocean will decide whether you get across or not. We’re simply hoping for a safe crossing and the fastest one of the crews. World record holder has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?” While charity will be the predominant beneficiary from the Pacific Race, Cavanagh hopes to inspire people to overcome their own personal difficulties as a result of their efforts in the water. “We’re out to show that a lot of so-called ‘challenges’ are mental and not physical battles. I don’t just mean climbing Everest or rowing an ocean. Everyday tasks. “People say ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I wish I could do that’. F**k that, get it done. Whether it’s getting a job, studying for an exam, whatever. The barriers in front of you are put there by yourself, nobody else.” The team’s target is to raise €100,000 in total while corporate sponsors in exchange for a logo are also welcomed. The money will go towards Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Aware and Cancer Research UK. The website pacificrow14.com can be accessed for further information or follow the team on Twitter @pacificrow14 and on Facebook through the Pacificrow14 page.
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Two trophies in ten days as fresher soccer team clinch league title Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor IN THE SPACE OF JUST TEN days DCU’s fresher soccer team have added a league title to their recent Harding Plate success. With the game still locked at 1-1 after extra-time DCU managed to hold their nerve and come out on top in the penalty shootout. With four players missing from the team that won the Harding Plate, including matchwinner Jordan Noonan, DCU were glad to be able to recall long-term absentees Chris Holmes, Bryan Goodson and Eoghan McDonnell. DCU started the game brightly and it was Holmes, making his first appearance since October, that had the first meaningful chance when he fired wide after a neat build up. IT Carlow had two chances in the first 20 minutes when on both occasions Ashley Houghton found space behind the DCU defence, the first time he missed the target but on the second occasion Darragh Hyland stood up well to save. After 30 minutes good footwork in the penalty area created a chance for Carlow’s Denis Quinlan but his strike failed to match the good play. Just on the stroke of half time Shane McCann, the man of the match on the day, had a free-kick
well saved by Paul Miley in the Carlow nets. As the second half wore on DCU’s best chance of the game came after 80 minutes when Miley’s kickout was intercepted by Darragh Roche but his effort was well-saved by the recovering goalkeeper.
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With four players missing from the team that won the Harding Plate, DCU were glad to be able to recall longterm absentees Chris Holmes, Bryan Goodson and Eoghan McDonnell.
As the game entered extra time Miley was again the hero for Carlow as he saved twice from Adam Walsh. Right on the whistle for halftime in extra-time there was drama as IT Carlow had a goal disallowed only for referee Adam Conroy to award a penalty. DCU’s Tolu Asemota re-
DCU’s fresher soccer team celebrate winning the CUFL Division Three title. Credit: Fran Butler ceived a red card for the tackle and Carlow’s Chris Sutton gladly stepped up to dispatch the penalty. However, five minutes later the teams were tied. Good build up play from the Dublin side eventually saw the ball fall to Eoghan McDonnell who placed a superb strike into the top corner. With the game tied after 120 minutes it came down to the dreaded penalty shootout to find a winner. After missing their
opening spot-kick DCU managed to recover and win the shootout 4-2 with captain Sean Deane coolly slotting home the winning spot-kick. IT Carlow: Paul Miley, Martin Sutton, Sean Mooney, Devon Germaine, Adam Phelan, Chris Sutton, Mario Ebrahim, Lucas Presenti, Dean Conroy, Denis Quinlan, Ashley Houghton. Subs: Jonas Kerr for Ebrahim (52), Alex McCann for Presenti (65), Sol Yabre for Mooney (65),
Kevin McLaughlin for Quinlan (65), Henry Kolawole, Khalad Burwise, Fergus Sweeney. DCU: Darragh Hyland, Michael McKenna, Shane McCann, Sean Deane, Bryan Goodson, Chris Holmes, Paul Boucher, Kevin Byrne, Tolu Asemota, Adam Walsh, Killian Ward. Subs: Enrique Hernandez for Boucher (h/t), Eoghan McDonnell for McKenna (h/t), Darragh Roche for Ward (65), Stefan Paun for Holmes (91).
Intervarsity success for Equestrian Club Anita McSorley Deputy Sports Editor THE DCU EQUESTRIAN CLUB enjoyed some impressive results at the annual Intervarsities competition in Trinity College over the weekend of February 15th and 16th. A total of 14 DCU students took part in the three events of the competition; show jumping, dressage and prix caprilli. Two students made it to the third round of show jumping, and were placed in the top eight
out of 109 competitors in total. Rob Sheridan came third and Jamie Garland came in at fifth. This was a big boost for the team, with Sheridan representing the Irish squad and with this being Garland’s first year in the competition. The show jumping fixture consisted of four rounds, with competitors using horses provided for them. The horses are assessed on equitation (how they looked) and whether or not they left the fences up. As the rounds go on, the fences get higher, reaching roughly 1.15m in the final round.
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14 DCU students took part in the three events of the competition; show jumping, dressage and prix caprilli.
Niamh Higgins, Ciara Fagan, Eanna Bailey, Aisling Doyle, Patricia Igoe and Edward Burke also took part in the show jumping competition for DCU. In the dressage heat, Angela Murphy and Lauren McNally participated for DCU and both made it to the second round. The team also had some success before Christmas, when they took part in the annual tetrathlon intervarsity competition. Waterford Institute of Technology hosted the event in Kilkenny, which consisted of shooting, running, swimming, show
jumping and the tetrathlon. It was a stern test of skills for the competitors. The DCU Equestrian Club sent two teams to this event. The team consisting of Bailey, Higgins, Sara Rennick and Elizabeth Dermody finished an overall third, only beaten by Dublin rivals TCD and the UCD Vets. The second team consisting of Fagan, Caoimhe Moore and John Skelly also competed very well. Individually, there were also some great results for DCU, as Bailey and Rennick won second and fourth respectively.
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2-12 DCU 0-3 UCD
Sport
Sun sets on Collingwood dreams for another year >> Continued from page 20 Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor THE IMPROVEMENT THAT was needed certainly came and, with 30 minutes gone, Madigan fired DCU into the lead courtesy of a deflection after an excellent passing move down the left wing involving Daniel Mahon and Darren Craven. DCU were looking very solid, especially the back four who played a disciplined line, catching the Northerners offside on a number of occasions. A notable mention must go to the centreback partnership of Gaul and Tom Lahiff, who have impressed all season for DCU. However, UUJ would eventually break through the defence and equalise, with the goal coming in the 86th minute courtesy of James McCabe. After defending well for al-
most the entire game, the goal came as a blow to DCU, but it only helped bring out the strong character among the squad as they went up the other end of the pitch and netted a last minute winner thanks to a sublime strike from Craven. For the semi-final, DCU were without the injured Madigan, but did benefit from the positive of having Michael Isichei back from injury. Although the final scoreline saw DCU lose by two goals, it was far from an easy victory for NUIG. A deteriorating pitch that had seen more than enough football over the previous two days certainly didn’t help either side as they failed to create any sort of significant passing moves. It wasn’t until right on the stroke of half-time that the deadline was broken when a long free kick launched into the box caused a stir among the DCU de-
DCU’s Michael Cogley attempts to win the ball during the Collingwood Cup semi-final versus NUIG. | Credit: Ed Scannell fence, who had lost Gaul 15 minutes previous, allowing Mikey Creane to head into the net at the back post. Again, though, the fighting spirit of DCU came to the fore in the second-half as they dominated possession in pursuit of an equaliser. Chances came the way of Mahon, Isichei and Conor Ralph over the 45 minutes but none could convert. As the clock ticked into injury-time, DCU pushed higher and
higher up the pitch looking for the equaliser. But this only allowed NUIG’s Shane O’Rourke to latch onto a crossfield pass in the 94th minute and calmly slot the ball past Dale and into the bottom corner to send the Westerners into the final. The loss was a hard one for DCU to take after going out in the same round last year and, as is always the case with university football, a rebuilding process must now begin to replace the
players that will leave the college at the end of the year. It was another impressive Collingwood performance from a side that had been ranked as outsiders by most commentators and bookmakers prior to the tournament, yet the loss was still a blow. The early exit of UCD had left the door open for perhaps one of the lesser sides to come through and take the title but, despite performing well, DCU ultimately couldn’t do that.
Impressive O’Connor Cup win for Ladies football team Bryan Grogan Sports Reporter DCU LADIES CONTINUED their impressive form in the group stages of the O’Connor Cup with what appeared to be a comprehensive win over UCD in St Clare’s on February 26th. The scoreline didn’t reflect the actual nature of the match, however, as both teams had an equal share of possession and scoring chances for large portions of the match. DCU opened the scoring after nine minutes with a coolly taken free from corner-forward Siobhan Woods. The resulting kick-out went straight to midfielder Clodagh McMenamin. She passed to Woods who went on to score the second point of
the game. DCU settled down after opening the scoring and began making headway in the UCD half, looking strong when breaking up the field. After good buildup play by DCU’s forwards, the ball fell to full-forward Cliodhna McHugh, who scored the opening goal of the game. DCU didn’t have to wait long before their next goal, as halfforward Leah Caffrey struck the ball into the bottom corner to give them an early lead of eight points midway through the half. The UCD team had plenty of possession close to DCU’s goal at times, but weren’t able to convert it into scores. UCD were able to find plenty of space in midfield but their forwards struggled to get free of their markers, with play inside DCU’s
20-metre line very congested. They got their first point of the match on 19 minutes when wing-forward Martha Byrne scored for the visitors. DCU got the last score of the half. Caffrey made space for an excellent point after a strong run to leave DCU leading by 2-4 to 0-1 at half-time. Immediately after the game resumed, Laura McEnaney and Woods both scored points for the Glasnevin side. It was an explosive start but DCU seemed to peter out a bit afterwards, allowing UCD to maintain possession in their half for long periods. The game should have been tighter than it was. UCD missed plenty of chances to pull themselves back into the game and hit far too many wides. They scored their second point of the game
after 10 minutes of the second half. Full-forward Laura Nerney managed to keep the ball inside the post to make the score 2-6 to 0-2. DCU allowed just one more point from UCD in the game. DCU corner-forward Woods scored four points in the last 10 minutes, bringing her tally to seven points for the day. Sub Róisín Colleary and wing-back Sinéad Greene added one point apiece to leave the full-time score at 2-12 to 0-3. DCU face University of Limerick next with both teams on two wins and already qualified for the finals weekend in Queens University Belfast. DCU manager Mark Fitzpatrick said, “The last three games we’ve played against UL have been decided by a point so we’re expecting a tough match.”
DCU: 1. Aisling Tarpey 2. Naomi Doonan 3. Leona Ryder 4. Amy Bell 5. Sinéad Greene (01) (17. Lauren Farrell) 6. Mary Naughton 7. Deirdre Murphy 8. Becky Walsh (20. Lyndsay Peat) 9. Clodagh McMenamin 10. Fiona Skelly (23. Lorraine O’Shea) 11. Laura McEnaney (0-1) 12. Leah Caffrey (1-1) 13. Lucy Collins (21. Róisín Colleary (0-1)) 14. Cliodhna McHugh (1-1) 15. Siobhan Woods (0-7) UCD: 1. Hannagh Tyrell 2. Ciara Murphy 3. Deirdre Kearney 4. Ciara McDermot 5. Karen McGarth 6. Jane Moore 7. Molly Lamb 8. Niamh Collins 9. Clara Fitzpatrick 10. Sinéad Kennedy 11. Louise Monaghan 12. Martha Byrne (0-1) 13. Gillian Dufficy 14. Laura Nerney (0-1) 15. Áine Heslin
SPORT
THE COLLEGE VIEW 05.03.1 4
The College View
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Double delight for fresher soccer team.
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Sun sets on Collingwood dreams for another year Collingwood cup A strong NUI Galway side put paid to DCU’s Collingwood campaign last week. | Credit: Ed Scannell Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor A SHARP MENTAL STATE IS paramount in achieving success in any sport, university football being no different. The slightest advantage over your opponent can make all the difference to the end result. There are few competitions in intervarsity sport where this can make as much of a difference as the Collingwood Cup. The premier intervarsity football tournament, and one that has been running for 100 years, the Collingwood Cup is a gruel-
ling week of hard-fought, physical football that demands of the eventual champions to win four games in four days unless, of course, you are lucky enough to receive a bye in the first round. The benefits of receiving a bye were seen on Thursday afternoon in Belfield, when DCU were knocked out of the competition in the semi-final stage by an NUI Galway side that had only played one match previous to it, compared to DCU’s two. On top of that, both of DCU’s previous games had been far from easy, firstly requiring penalties to get past Mary Immaculate College in the first round, and then a last-
minute winner to overcome UUJ in the quarter-final. An injury to midfielder Shane Madigan in Wednesday’s quarter-final, supplemented by a shoulder injury to captain Robbie Gaul in the semi-final, showed just how demanding the competition is. Both were crucial blows to a DCU side that was looking to take home its first ever Collingwood title, having been denied at the semi-final stage last year as well. Going into the week, DCU would have been quietly confident after a league campaign that saw them reach the semi-finals
before being beaten by an excellent IT Carlow team. Another boost, not just for the Glasnevin university but for all teams in the competition, was the early exit of hot favourites UCD at the hands of NUI Maynooth. In DCU’s opening game they came up against a well-drilled Mary I team that were not going to give anything away easily. There was no doubting the Dubliners were the better side on the day but they simply couldn’t add to their 1-0 lead, courtesy of a Michael Keating own goal, eventually allowing the Limerick side to snatch an equaliser and send the game into extra-time.
The extra 30 minutes of play still failed to provide a winner, forcing the dreaded penalty shootout. A total of 16 penalties were needed to separate the sides, with Ben Dale eventually denying Mary I’s Daniel Sheehy, before Gaul slotted home to give his side the victory in a game they very nearly let slip. The Northsiders needed to step up their performance if they were to see off UUJ in the next round, a team they had already beaten 5-2 in the league earlier in the year.
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