Issue 9 - Volume XVI

THE COLLEGE VIEW News » 4

Gaeilge » 10

Staff in the School of Communications frustrated with server problems that are affecting students’ work.

An Chrimé – Súil Siar, an Iarthar agus Tuaisceart Éireann.

Wednesday 19th March 2014 Volume XVI - Issue 9 www.thecollegeview.com

Opinion » 8 Heroic or treacherous? What are our perceptions of whistleblowers?

Flux » inside Rachel McLaughlin has the lowdown on Foxes at Academy 2.

Features » 15 With Phantom FM gone, what’s the alternative for radio heads?

SU elections 2014 Students’ Union President Aaron Clogher speaks to The College View about the upcoming elections on March 26th & 27th. Read more online. | Credit: Nicola Leddy

Some Access students may have subsidised accommodation revoked Finnian Curran Deputy News Editor A NUMBER OF DCU STUdents who receive subsidised accommodation provided by the DCU Access Service could have it revoked, The College View can reveal.

In an email received by some Access students last week, the students were informed that they may not be in a position to receive subsidised accommodation for the upcoming 2014/2015 academic year and will instead be offered a €1,000 scholarship.

The aim of the DCU Access Service is to support students who come from socio-economi-

cally disadvantaged backgrounds by providing scholarships and subsidised accommodation for those who cannot afford it.

Some Access students who received emails regarding their subsidised accommodation for the next academic year spoke to The College View.

One student told of how he simply cannot afford to attend DCU if the subsidised accommodation provided by Access isn’t available to him next year.

“I have very little financial support from my mother and receiving the Access scholarship was such a relief as it ensured I wouldn’t have anything to worry about financially while at college,” he said.

“It seems like they’re prioritising 1st and 2nd years and trying to attract more people to the university. My circumstances haven’t changed and I need the scholarship to stay in college,” he added.

The service currently supports 700 students whose financial and social situation is thoroughly assessed. 70 on-campus rooms are allocated to Access students every year which are subsidised by the Access Service. Access students receive either 100 per cent subsidised accommodation, 50 per cent subsidised accommodation or a scholarship of €1,000 a year.

Another Access student, currently studying abroad on an

Erasmus Programme which is a compulsory requirement on his course, received the same email regarding subsidised accommodation.

“I was sent an email saying that Access would not be in a position to offer me on-campus accommodation and that I would have to make my own arrangements. However, they did say that they could provide me with the €1,000 scholarship in lieu,” he said.

“My family’s circumstances have become worse since I entered college, my compulsory year abroad has cost more than I can afford.”

Read more on page 3

Lifestyle » 12 J1 stateside - Sunny California and alternative Portland.

Sport » 24

Conor McHugh speaks to The College View.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW 19.03.1 4

THE COLLEGE VIEW Editorial

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Time to campaign against opportunistic employers and stand up for interns.

here’s no doubt that in recent years with the downturn in the economy and shrinking jobs market that internships have become increasingly popular with both the unemployed and employers.

But many of the internships on offer are unpaid and offer questionable ‘experience’ in questionable ‘professions’. It’s time we start questioning the quality of internships on offer and whether some employers use them for free labour.

JobBridge, the national internship scheme, was launched by the government in July 2011 after Fine Gael and Labour took power.

An evaluation of the scheme by consultants INDECON in 2013 boasted that 63 per cent of people who finished their JobBridge internships early did so because they found employment, either with their JobBridge employer or elsewhere. For those who completed their internship, 36 per cent entered immediate employment.

JobBridge interns are paid €50 a week for the duration of their internship on top of their social welfare payments. But do some employers use the scheme to take advantage of the unemployed to work full-time for free instead of hiring someone to do the same job for at least the minimum wage of €8.65 an hour?

Waitressing, a common part-time job for many students and graduates, is a regular internship advertised on the JobBridge website.

One internship I found on the site over the weekend was for a Waiter/Waitress in County Louth to work for nine months, including weekends.

The internship was for 30 hours a week - for the €50 they get for the week, it works out at €1.67 an hour. For what, experience in settling

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

tables, taking orders and serving customers?

Hardly something you need a nine month €1.67-an-hour internship to get experience in and not experience in a profession where you can build your skills and continue to progress.

What about unpaid internships offered by companies and businesses? I was disgusted recently to discover that some INTRA placements on offer to final year students didn’t even offer expenses to students.

For some interns, the daily cost of the bus into their internship is €2.35 (that’s if you’re lucky enough to be living in Dublin and commute on Dublin Bus). Add to that lunch of around €6 and the bus journey home. That leaves the cost of doing an internship at €10.70 a day or €53.50 if it’s five days a week.

For many, it costs even more than €10.70 a day to do the same work as a full-time employee who, if being paid just the minimum wage for an eight hour day, is being paid €69.20 a day.

We need to question whether it is acceptable for employers to not even pay their interns for their expenses.

For those doing internships, there is no alternative option. Either be out of pocket and get the experience needed in today’s competitive jobs market to make yourself more attractive to employers, or end up on the dole with a JobBridge internship, learning skills that may be of no use to you.

We need to up the campaign against employers who take advantage of the JobBridge Scheme. JobBridge must introduce rules and regulations on what businesses and companies can use JobBridge and the types of internships that are offered. Regulations must be brought in to ensure those trying to get ahead in their professions aren’t suffering financial because of their ambitions and to ensure employers at least pay their interns expenses.

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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THE COLLEGE VIEW 19.03.1 4 NEWS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

Last week’s ‘Nominate a Mate’ week and the recent SU candidates workshop were both successful. Clogher described the turnout as “unbelievable” compared to previous academic years.

Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

Calls for referendum defeated as labyrinth construction commenced Sarah Bermingham News Editor CONSTRUCTION WORK HAS begun on the campus labyrinth, amidst concerns expressed by some that the student body was not consulted for their views on the new addition to the university landscape.

Student representative Seán Cassidy has called for a referendum to establish whether students support the installation of the stone structure believed to positively impact upon mental health.

Having had a motion in this regard voted down at last week’s Class Rep Council meeting, he now intends on presenting a petition to the Students’ Union which would force a referendum on the matter, as per the DCU SU constitution.

The artistically-designed structure is expected to be in place in time for the semester two exams and will provide members of the DCU community with a meditative and reflective space on campus.

Debate on the issue ensued at the emergency Council session which took place last Friday lunchtime after a Class Rep Council meeting scheduled for the previous evening failed to reach quorum.

Former Council chairperson, Rónán Ó’Dálaigh described the lack of knowledge amongst several students about the construction as “pitiful” and said “that the university haven’t engaged with us is a bit ridiculous”.

A secularism advocate, Cassidy feels the labyrinth concept has religious associations, however Jones asserts that it pre-dates Christianity and feels it is unfor-

tunate he, as a priest, is leading the initiative.

The chaplain believes student concerns about the project arise due to a lack of knowledge about the potential benefits of the labyrinth.

Costs for the structure are in excess of €30,000 with the funding being raised privately by a number of DCU and local community members over the past six years.

A 2012 referendum, which received the highest turnout of any such referendum to date, saw students reject a motion proposing their union make a €10,000 donation.

Students’ Union Education Officer Ciarán O’Connor highlighted his conviction that “regardless of what the students think, this is going ahead… this is not our issue to debate”.

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Some Access students may have subsidised accommodation revoked >> Continued from page 1

Finnian Curran Deputy News Editor “THE AGREEMENT WE signed in first year states that we are entitles to the accommodation for the duration of our studies. They then changed the rules of the agreement saying that it would come under review every year,” he added.

Ita Tobin, Head of DCU Access Service told The College View they review every Access students’ financial details. “We check whether they receive a SUSI grant, a Student Assistance Fund and their financial

situation at home,” she said.

“Each year we spend over €1 million helping these students, which is all privately funded,” she added.

DCU Access Service has a “critical” list where a number of students who are in great need of the service are top priority to receive help.

“It all comes down to our funding year by year and how the circumstances of an individual changes. Our aim is to help every student that needs us and that is exactly why we’re here, to help students,” Tobin said.

Tobin also stated that any student who is feeling under pressure is always more than welcome to talk to her or a staff member.

THE COLLEGE VIEW IS HIRING! Do you want to be on The College View’s editorial team?

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Deadline for applications is Friday April 4th at 5pm.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW 19.03.1 4

Last week’s Strictly Come DCU saw Dance Society members partner with well-known faces around the campus to perform routines in a wide variety of styles including Bollywood, salsa, jive and 80’s disco.

NeWS Server problems affecting School Graduate of Communications ‘devastating’ starting salaries at Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

Rachel McLaughlin News Reporter

STAFF IN THE HENRY GRATtan building are desperately seeking a solution to server issues that are affecting students’ work.

Students in the School of Communications have been having major difficulties doing assignments in the three Mac labs since the beginning of semester two.

Administration and technical staff member Eoin Campbell told The College View that the school stopped using a Macbased Spartan server in December last year. “A Windows-based server was adopted in January.

After many tests, staff were

satisfied that this newer server would work well,” he said.

The beginning of semester two in February saw media students experiencing extreme difficulties with Mac computers. Problems ranged from login issues, slow operations and file-saving difficulties. Many students have been unable to complete necessary practical assignments.

Campbell expressed his grief over the inconvenience that students are experiencing. “I have to say that it’s devastating for me. Our jobs here are for the students, and we have failed our job to the extent that students can’t work effectively.”

Staff are currently testing the recently-introduced server, which is proving to operate well. The problem, Campbell

said, may lie elsewhere. “We’re just desperate to get a solution

by Friday, the end of reading week, that works.”

The larger problem with the Information Systems & Services (ISS) lies with administration and investment, said Campbell.

A dedicated administrative team or staff member is needed to ensure that server systems run smoothly, he added.

Continuous investment is also needed every five years to ensure that hardware and technologies run well, but financial restraints on the School of Communications are preventing these updates, he said.

The student cohort within the Henry Grattan building has a higher demand for Mac-based operating systems than other

schools, Campbell said, considering that their projects require using desktop audio, video, and photography software.

Mac system changes will be carried out during Reading Week, a Journalism programme board meeting heard last Wednesday. Students may be required to connect to a shared account and save their files and projects to external hardware.

In the meantime, Campbell advised students to report issues with the server, networks, accounts or passwords to ISS through the online ticket system.

He said that he and the School of Communications technical staff are willing to help students with any case-specific projects.

Naked strippers overshadow DCU’s ‘most successful’ charity event DCU’S WELFARE OFFICER has defended the recent mock wedding which was overshadowed with controversy following a fake stag party where naked strippers performed in NUI Maynooth’s college bar.

The mock wedding, which was a joint venture by both DCU and Maynooth’s Students’ Unions, raised over €8,000 for CARI, Smiles for Shauna and HeadstARTS. It was described

by Lorna Finnegan as DCU’s “most successful” charity event this year.

In a statement to The College View, Finnegan said: “It is extremely unfortunate that these events [in Maynooth] are overshadowing what we can only describe as our most successful RAG event in recent years.

“We have received nothing but positive feedback from students since the event. The students bought into the theme positively throughout the week”.

Maynooth SU President, Ben Finnegan said the fake stag party was “totally unacceptable”.

He also clarified that although the mock wedding in conjunction with DCU SU was an official event, the fake stag party held at the college bar was un-

▣ Credit: Rachel Byrne

Sharron Lynskey News Reporter

official and denies the strippers were paid using SU funding.

A number of female strippers performed at the event and allegedly stripped completely naked. It is understood that the performers were arranged by outside students and not by any member of the SU. The “Shite Hen Night” held in the NuBar prior to the mock

wedding was “not taken seriously” according to Finnegan and did not intend to offend.

The student “stripper performed on his own accord and as a joke more so to add to the theme of the event.”

Students around DCU agree that DCU SU’s events were done in good humour, with first year Communications student Beth

Healy saying the hen night held in the NuBar was “a bit of craic more than anything else. Everyone was just laughing.”

First year Journalism student, Leandro Pondoc said the events were altogether entertaining. “I knew they were not going to take it seriously, it is a ‘mock wedding’ after all. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.”

all-time low Sarah Bermingham News Reporter

FINAL YEAR DCU STUDENTS are weighing up their options for life after graduation as new research has revealed the average starting salary for a new graduate has fallen to its lowest point in ten years.

The average starting salary for newly-graduated employees in 2012 was less than €24,000, a drop of 11.7 per cent on the same figure for 2007.

Those who studied arts and architecture were worst hit, with arts graduates receiving an average pay of €19,748 in 2012.

A survey conducted last week

by The College View found that just 26 of 73 students intend on seeking employment when their course concludes this year.

With one in four under-25 year olds in Ireland currently unemployed, a significant 40 per cent indicated they intend relocating to the UK for work when they finish at DCU. Some 25 per cent of those surveyed intend on pursuing further studies to increase their career prospects, with over half stating they wouldn’t be happy to undertake a JobBridge internship if they were seeking work.

There was an almost even split between those who would choose to study the same or a different course were they starting over at DCU again.

One Law and Society student commented “our lecturers are approachable and encourage us to be our best”, while an International Relations student feels their course “just isn’t very job orientated”.

An anonymous student voiced their dissatisfaction with course hours, stating “in final year I have three lectures per week. I think this is pathetic”.

According to Union of Students in Ireland President Joe O’Connor, the body “is committed to working towards an end to the graduate employment crisis in Ireland”. The organisation recently launched their ‘Future Focus’ campaign on graduate employability and entrepreneurship.

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DCU Student David Atkinson, who was announced as the backstage online V-Reporter for The Voice of Ireland live shows last week, said he applied for the competition on a whim minutes before the deadline.

Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

Young and running for politics T

▣ Credit: The Labour Party

Theresa Newman Deputy News Editor

Declan Meenagh went to school in Pobalscoil Rosmini in Drumcondra. Raised in Cabra with his two younger siblings, he was born visually impaired and has only five per cent vision.

HE STUDIED COMPUTER SCIence and Software Engineering in NUI Maynooth and at age 24, is one of the youngest candidates that the Labour Party are running in the local elections in May. At present, 211 Local Election candidates across Ireland 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 the ‘young ones’ are male, and sixty (28.4 per cent) are female.

Active in the Labour Party since 2009, Meenagh is currently unemployed, having graduated from NUI Maynooth in 2012.

“From an early age I was always very opinionated and always ready to speak up. I hadn’t thought about going forward myself until recently, but I suppose it was kind of obvious that it would happen,” he says.

He considers himself to be a democratic socialist, who supports workers’ rights and admires the trade union movement.

“I believe in a fairer society and I think Labour is the best way to get that,” he says. “Lying to people isn’t very good, and if the highest ambition you have is to march around Parnell Square for the rest of your life, as some of the far-left parties are at, you know, that’s not actually doing anything.”

He wants to fight for a more progressive society and achieve it, something he feels won’t be achieved by the far left. He thinks that groups encouraging or “hinting” at people not to pay certain government taxes “is a cowardly way to go about it”.

Meenagh says the Socialist Party have got people running under the banner ‘Anti-Austerity Alliance’ but he prefers to call them the “Alliance Against Anything”.

He questions what sort of message that sends, and alludes to the famous Monty Python sketch where ‘The Judean People’s Front’ is vehemently against ‘The People’s Front of Judea’, in a satirical look at how politics can descend into opposing factions of fundamentally similar beliefs.

A class representative in the NUIM Students’ Union, he also served as Equality Officer and Finance Officer while at university and was very active in the student movement. He feels that this has given him the experience of representing people, and that Dublin City Council needs new ideas as well as experience.

From a disability perspective, Meenagh thinks we need more people with disabilities to put themselves forward for election.

If representatives are supposed to represent everyone in society, then he believes there should be more diversity of representation among the candidates. “I have enough sight to get by, and of course it is frustrating sometimes, but you just have to get on

with it,” he says of his disability.

He is campaigning for more police resources for the Cabra area and wants to see stricter penalties for dog-fouling throughout the city.

“It is absolutely disgusting. I can’t see it, so I deal with it more than most people, but it’s a massive issue, we need tougher laws and more information about it,” he says.

When it comes to politics, it’s lots of little ideas that will make the difference, not one big idea, says Meenagh, “and that’s what I’m about”.

The response he has been getting on the doorsteps has been quite good, he says, people are happy to meet a new candidate.

People can be a bit angry and frustrated sometimes, and he recently had someone from Kerry ring him up and give out to him about something he said on Twitter.

While on the topic of abuse or vitriol, he recalls: “Someone put up on Twitter that I was out canvassing, and I got this Tweet saying ‘he should get a girlfriend’, like I should be focused on that rather than running for election”, but by and large, he says the response has been largely positive.

“Some people say things like ‘you’ve betrayed the working class’, and I just think, I’m barely able to deliver all these leaflets, how do you think I’ve time to betray the working class?”

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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

installed next April remove video Labyrinth to beover content

Domino’s asks MPS to

Minister advises students on EU careers Laura Colgan News Reporter IT IS IN THE PERSONAL INterests of Irish graduates to consider a career in the European Union, according to the the Minister for European Affairs.

Minister Paschal Donohoe was speaking during a visit to DCU last week as part of a recruitment drive to encourage Irish graduates to consider careers in EU bodies.

“The variety of jobs, the opportunity to work in different countries, to do different kinds of roles is absolutely extraordinary,” said Minister Donohoe.

“Given the variety of degrees

and disciplines within DCU there’s definitely lots of opportunities available to people.”

The minister spoke about Ireland’s strong presence in the EU, especially at “medium and senior management level”. However, he expressed concern over a possible lack of Irish representation in the EU’s future.

“The big problem is that in five to 10 years’ time, people who are doing those roles at the moment will either retire or they will go onto other jobs or other roles within their career.

“That level of representation that we have at the moment is at a very high level but it is going to begin to decline very quickly.

The less representative those

“

The variety of jobs, the opportunity to work in different countries, to do different kinds of roles is absolutely extraordinary.

Given the variety of degrees and disciplines within DCU there’s definitely lots of opportunities available to people.”

bodies are, the less representative they will be of countries like Ireland.”

Joan Flanagan of the European Commission spoke about the selection process for graduates applying for roles through the European Personnel Selection Office and open competition, explaining that graduate positions are advertised every spring around St Patrick’s Day. For these roles a person requires two EU languages; the first being one of the 24 official EU languages and the second being English, French or German.

Minister Donohoe advised “not to let the language requirements put people off completely”.

Applied Language and In-

tercultural Studies student at DCU, Niamh Hickey, said: “As a translation student studying two foreign languages, in addition to speaking English and having learned Irish, I was not put off by the two languages requirement for positions within the EU. Although I can understand how others would be worried by this.

“At present, DCU promotes EU careers very well by email and through social media, though I am not sure what supports exist for students that are actively applying for these positions within the EU.” Students considering an EU careers can find more information on eujobs.ie or visit the Facebook page at EU Careers DCU.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW 19.03.1 4 NEWS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

NUI Galway has extended its Elite Athlete Scholarship scheme by awarding CAO ‘Performance Points’ to athletes applying for undergraduate courses.

Read more online on www.thecollegeview.com

NeWS

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Bryan Grogan News Reporter

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TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN’S Students’ Union are holding a referendum on whether to change their stance towards direct provision for asylum seekers.

The decision comes after a petition to hold the referendum, signed by 250 people, was presented to Trinity’s Electoral Committee.

The referendum, taking place today and tomorrow, is being held alongside a referendum to adopt a new constitution. This

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will bring the total number of referenda in the university this year to seven.

TCD SU Education Officer, Jack Leahy told The College View that the group who initiated the petition looked at the number of referenda held this year and felt they had an opportunity to push it through.

Direct Provision provides accommodation for asylum seekers but has been criticised for the length of time that some asylum seekers spend in the system.

Sue Conlan, Chief Executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said “many people who have been in accommodation for long periods have had four or five moves

▣ Credit: Viktorija Drozdova

Trinity students go to polls for seventh referendum this year

around the country. They can’t work or study beyond secondlevel.”

The referendum will propose that asylum seekers who haven’t had their applications processed for more than six months should have the right to work and that

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

the government should join the EU Receptions Conditions Directive.

President of TCD SU, Tom Lenihan, said the number of referenda this year is a worry. “It’s a concern with so many referenda that there might be an overload.

“I don’t expect the referendum to cause a massive debate, it could be cut and dry,” he added.

A talk by the Irish Refugee Council on the impact of living in Direct Provision on mental and physical health will be held in DCU on April 2nd at 2pm.

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DIT campus construction to create over 5,000 jobs

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Padraic Kilcoyne News Reporter

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Domino’s asks MPS to

NUIG students pass marriage equality motion after protest Eimear Ní Mhuircheartaigh News Reporter STUDENTS IN NUI GALWAY have voted yes to their Students’ Union supporting marriage equality in Ireland following protests held at the university last week.

Last Wednesday, Gardaí were called to the University regarding a protest between students and members of the university’s Christian Union Society.

The sit-in protest with over 300 participants started in response to the Christian Union Society’s campaign for ‘no’ vote in the referendum.

Anti-same-sex marriage posters and pamphlets were dis-

tributed, some comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and incest.

Despite the standoff, the majority of students who went to ballot voted for the union to support marriage equality.

“The turn-out for elections saw a 400 per cent increase from elections last year. Out of 2328 votes, the proposition got 2214 votes and won by over 95 per cent,” said Seán Kearns, President of NUIG SU. “It has been fantastic to see such acceptance of diversity on our campus and our students came out and voted in huge numbers. What we saw over the last few days on our campus is that students do have strong views and are willing to stand

up for them.”

Director the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Tiernan Brady says that he agrees with freedom of expression but also respect for those with different opinions.

“Both sides have to be careful over what they say, especially with younger people coming to terms with their sexuality. Cruel and isolating language is not where modern Ireland is heading,” he said.

Last year, ‘IFES Ireland: The Christian Union’ disaffiliated with the NUIG Christian Union for a failure to engage with them on a number of concerning issues and said that they should refrain from using the name Christian Union.

AN ESTIMATED 5,700 NEW jobs are due to be created in the relocation of Dublin Institute of Technology to Grangegorman.

There will be 4,500 new jobs created in the building of facili-

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DIT plans to move 10,000 students to the new campus by 2017. The project plans to build new healthcare and school facilities to accommodate up to 20,000 students.

ties on the site of the former St Brendans Hospital, in Dublin’s north-west inner city. The construction of the first phase of development is due to start in 2015.

A further 1,184 permanent jobs will also be created on the campus with the majority of these new positions related to a new science and technology park DIT hopes will be a ‘business and research space’ for industry.

The project plans to build new healthcare and school facilities to accommodate up to 20,000 students.

DIT currently has 20,000 fulltime and part-time students studying in 39 separate sites across the city centre. They plan to move 10,000 students to the new campus by 2017.

The European Investment Bank will advance €110 million for the initial phase of construction of the new campus. The other half of the cost for the campus will come from private investors as part of a Public Private Partnership scheme.

DIT aims to finance some of the costs of the new campus with the sale of three buildings which are currently used by 1,000 DIT students on Denmark Street, Mount Street and Bride Street.

The most substantial income from the sale of DIT’s old property will come from buildings in Cathal Brugha Street and Kevin Street which are expected to sell for over €50 million.

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Ireland ranks fifth in the world, alongside India, for corporate whistleblowing.

Despite the campus turning into an electoral carnival every year, DCU SU has found it difficult to break beyond a 20 per cent voter turnout rate.

Heroic or treacherous?

Tomas O Ruanaidh is a final year Journalism student in DCU.

WHISTLEBLOWER. THE ESsence of a paradox. Standing alone, speaking for the masses. Ostracised, excommunicated.

It doesn’t sound very nice does it?

That’s a problem, a real one, because the act of ‘whistleblowing’; shining a light on the wrongdoings, corruption, and abuse of power, is unquestionably an act of bravery.

How they are portrayed has to change.

They don’t just deserve a medal, monetary incentives should be made available for Irish whistleblowers; the US have been doing so for over 150 years.

Let’s face it, going by the recent history of this country, there’s an infinite amount of cover-ups that have yet to be uncovered.

The Anglo tapes emerged in the Irish Independent last summer, six years after the incriminating phone calls were actually recorded. That indicates both a dearth in investigative journalism in this country and a deliberate collusion on the part of the employees.

Had money been made available to whistleblowers in the banking

sector, surely an employee would have come forward with information that would save both the state and taxpayer millions.

Take Sergeant Maurice McCabe, the whistleblower of the moment, he’s been consistently reporting incompetence within the Gardaí for nearly a decade.

Even when doing so ‘anonymously’ to the now sacked Garda confidential recipient Oliver Connolly, McCabe’s name found its way to the upper echelons of the force.

Connolly let the ‘whistleblower’ know that if Justice minister Alan Shatter “thinks you’re screwing him, you’re finished”.

McCabe has pledged that “they are not going to shut [him] up” as he is determined to reveal the true extent of what he deems incompetence within the force. Just as Sheena McMahon persisted with allegations of Gardaí malpractice in the nineties, eventually leading to the Morris Tribunal.

Another recent Garda whistleblower, John Wilson, who quit the force following allegations that mirror McCabes, has said that Gardaí who suspect wrongdoings “have no one to turn to”, and who can blame him?

When Gemma O’Doherty, an award winning journalist of sixteen years for the Irish Independent, dared to approach the house of the Garda Commissioner to investigate whether or not he had been involved in a cover up, she was sacked, branded a ‘rogue reporter’,

▣ Credit: wsmireland via Flickr

Perceptions of a whistleblower

and left to rot by the rest of the Irish media who provided the feeblest of coverage.

Currently, there is an act for the protection of whistleblowers, the Public Disclosures Bill of 2013, which is close to being

passed in this country. Yet, it’s nowhere near enough.

The Government, the church, the Gardaí, the banks, you name it, hundreds of wrongdoings have been exposed by Irish whistleblowers and the public coming forward

with information in recent years.

The Independent reported that we rank fifth in the world, alongside India, for corporate whistleblowing. Again, it’s not enough. It never will be, until the veil has been lifted off our cloaked society and pure transparency is achieved.

Whistleblowing carries an association with deception, with shadiness; ‘grasses’ aren’t too far down the scale.

Perhaps it’s due to our history, looking back on those centuries of oppression, and even the civil-war era, where the ‘Irishness’ was literally suffocated from our lungs; it took ‘flying columns’, and guerilla warfare for us to survive, and we mastered it. ‘Informant’, the dirtiest of words to be associated with in this country carried such heavy repercussions during those days.

Today, however, we face a different type of oppression; one of white-collar corruption and collusion on many levels. It’s one that has to be combated, and whistleblowers may be the key.

It’s embedded into our brains as children not to ‘tell-tales’, because nobody wants to be known as a ‘big-mouth’.

But when has ‘looking the other way’ ever averted a disaster? When has hindsight ever saved the taxpayer billions?

Whistleblower; a word that commands solitude, emerging off the tongue with a hiss, bereft of warmth.

They deserve a better description; national hero isn’t too far way.

Engage with candidates and vote in SU elections Sean Cassidy is an activist within the DCU Students’ Union and DCU Societies.

THE STUDENTS’ UNION ELECtion season is upon us. The nominations period has opened and following its closure, campaigning is expected to begin with gusto on Wednesday morning.

There will be thousands of flyers passed out, hundreds of posters erected, the odd funny video

and a gaggle of campaigners scattered across campus for the various candidates. Prepare to be canvassed.

Despite the campus turning into an electoral carnival every year, over the last number of elections our union has found it difficult to break beyond a 20 per cent voter turnout rate.

Apathy and disengagement seem to be the status quo. It is always the easier option to become disengaged from the democratic process. But that easy option has consequences.

Disengagement leads to elections where candidates and their ideas aren’t as robustly tested as they should be which creates bad leaders and bad governance, creating an apathy cycle of further and further disengagement. The eventual end of this scenario is a bad union that cre-

ates a bad college experience and a poor student life.

One of the largest apathy creators is the idea that student activism and student engagement doesn’t matter.

This is simply a myth and one that should have been killed long ago.

The influence and power of students in Ireland has been seen throughout history in a number of areas such as in LGBT rights, reproductive rights and during the anti-apartheid movement, which was recently highlighted following the passing of Nelson Mandela at the end of last year.

Students’ Union leaders at a local and national level have helped transform the shape of third-level education through campaigning for lessening the burden on students and widening access to university

for many citizens via the introduction of the free fees system and the grants system.

The high level of representation students have within universities and colleges translates into a relatively positive experience for the majority of students. This is the real success of student activism.

In the past few years DCU SU has turned a corner and has rejected the material and selfish culture that suffocated our society during the Celtic Tiger Era. We have changed our union constitution to start engaging with issues that affect students; we have started to hold referendum ballots to find out what students opinions are on issues; we have decided to rejoin the national student movement and year on year the quality

of our candidates is improving.

This election presents an opportunity for students to be the ones that become involved and that actively engage the candidates. Students need to meet the candidates, ask them questions, read their material, judge them and vote for the one they think is the most competent and would best serve the students of this union.

The students of today only have such a positive college experience because of the hard work and determination of students leaders over the generations that came before us. This is a debt and one that is repaid by students beginning to engage with their union and participate in the democratic process by voting.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW 19.03.1 4 OPINIONS@THECOLLEGEVIEW.COM

As students come in their masses, like puppies to a stick, neither the promoters nor the venues are doing anything to ensure their safety.

Drinks promotions nights heading for disaster

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▣ Credit: Staffs.Live via Flickr.com

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Options needed for nondrinkers and students on ban Eve Kerton is the Societies Officer in DCU Students’ Union.

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Eamon Donoghue is Opinions Editor of The College View.

WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO take before any genuine action is taken against anything within our society?

Student promotion nights across the country are on the precipice of a fatal disaster, and have been for a while now.

In late January the popular ‘Messy Mondays‘ night provided 1,500 students with the ‘Copper’s crush’. Seven people were seriously injured in the queue for Copper Face Jacks, with one young girl being left in a critical condition.

Two weeks ago another promotions night, this time in Galway city, provided students with another major crush. Security at the Electric Garden nightclub were forced to close their doors due to dangerous overcrowding within their queues.

At the source of most of these promotions nights is the Nightlife Promotions company.

A brief bio of the company

shows up a vacant address as their registered company HQ; a telephone number which connects to a taxi firm; and an unhosted website.

A company more suited to a scene from ‘Only Fools and Horses’, than a company entrusted with running safe student nights.

Since 2009 the company has grown and grown with students from across the city flooding in for €2.50 drink combo’s and various guestlist incentives. Although after a number of close calls, it took only one night in the Copper Face jacks venue for the inevitable to occur.

The iconic Harcourt street nightclub put the “crush’ down to a lack of experience in running such nights. And they vowed it would be the last such night they’d ever have.

Ironically though, less than 24 hours after the incident, while a young girl remained in a critical condition in hospital, the same promoters were back in the same venue, hidden behind another name; Chooseday at Coppers.

In fact, the Nightlife company have actually been running events in Coppers for over a year now.

So what was the cause?

Nightlife Promotions is a young and successful company.

Clearly having the realms of Social Media entirely mastered, and equally so the desires of their young audience. Come to Choosedays at Coppers where you’re “guaranteed the shift”.

And let’s be frank, for the nation and generation who brought us Neknominations, the stimulus is pretty obvious.

But all that aside they are providing a huge revenue for these pubs and clubs. You’re talking about the difference between a handful of people on a quiet Monday night, and a couple thousand thirsty teenagers filling your tills.

But as these students come in their masses, like puppies to a stick, neither the promoters nor the venues are doing anything to ensure their safety.

And if natural blinded greed was their excuse at first, after the two lucky escapes in the past six weeks, what excuse is there for the continuation, and furthermore the increase, in negligence?

Amazingly, giving our drink culture in this country there are no laws on door staff requirements, although Garda inspectors do recommend one door

staff per 100 people.

Messy Mondays is now back in business in the Dandelion club, off Stephen’s Green. Under the new name Messi Mondayz (a move one Dublin city radio stationed likened to the ploy of a tax evader).

They have been boasting over a thousand attendees at this event, a number which is supervised by a handful of door staff, but above all maxes their 890 capacity.

Worse still, since recent media criticism these nights have reduced drink prices to €2 and added the promise “guaranteed to be busy”.

In New York city promoters are typically given tables with a certain quota to fill. Going over this is not an option. In many European cities such as Barcelona, there are strict guidelines on alcohol advertisements and on the supervision of alcohol centred activities.

It’s worrying to think that these promoters have so little care in providing a secure environment for their patrons. It’s longevity which makes the good companies great. But in my eyes these promoters are more interested in making their quick killing. And maybe they will.

SECOND SEMESTER CAN BE A particularly tough time for athletes, whether they are GAA players or competitive dancers. January bears the first few grueling training sessions of the Gaelic football season.

Football pitches around the country get painted with the sweat and vomit of unfit sportsmen and women.

Alcohol abuse is a widely discussed topic in relation to college life, however the drinking culture of thirdlevel education can be particularly difficult for those who are dedicated to their sport. ‘Drinking ban’ is a word feared by athletes countrywide.

It’ll be “a Mi-Wadi please” and a head hung low in a pub corner as to not attract attention toward their shamefully sober, ‘no craic’ beverage.

On a similar note, dancers approaching competition time must lay off the drink and focus on rehearsals.

In my own personal experience as a dancer I’ve witnessed my Irish dancing friends prepare for the World Championships.

Drinking bans are difficult, not in a ‘craving a can of Druids’ way, but the fact that your friends think less of you for committing yourself to your passion. In other countries this decision would be respected and encouraged, whereas Irish students are impartial to the odd, “lad you’re zero craic, come on the beer before the Ball”.

I feel that DCU should have more options available for those who do not drink, or those who are on the infamous drinking ban. Sober nights for example, where the Society Life Committee (SLC) or the Club Life Committee (CLC) sponsor non-alcoholic events like cinema trips, movie or quiz nights and open mic events.

I have recently found out, with great delight, that a Sober Society (SoberSoc) has been approved and I cannot wait to see what plans they have in store for us.

To clarify, I am not anti-drink, I am anti-alcohol abuse, we’ve so many opportunities here in DCU let’s not jeopardise them for the sake of Jaeger.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW 19.03.1 4

Tá deireadh tagtha le stáisiún teilifíse na Crimé, agus tógann ceann Rúiseach a háit.”

An Chrimé – Súil Siar, Gráinne Ní Aodha Rannpháirtí I MÍ BHEALTAINE NA BLIANA 1944, chuir airm Stalin ‘X’ dearga ar thithe na Tataraigh Chriméacha agus taobh istigh de cúpla lá, bhíodar ar fad, beagnach 300,000 díobh, curtha ar thraenacha chuig Lár an Áis. B’aistear cruálach é an t-aistear soir, le gol is screadach, agus tá cuimhne acu siúd a mhair ina dhiaidh, ar dhaoine ag caitheamh chorp a gclainne as an dtraein agus é ag imeacht ar lánluas – an t-aon fhoirm de shochraid ar an mbealach go dtí an Úisbéiceastán. Agus rinneadh é seo ar fad, mar gur cuireadh ina leith gur chabhraigh siad le forghabháil Naitsíoch an Chrimé (rud a léiríonn staid paranóideach ceannaire na Rúise thar aon ní eile).

Anois tá marcanna nua á chuir ar dhoirse na Tataraigh Criméacha – agus arís, is ó lámha an airm Rúisigh a dtagann siad.

Deir dream amháin sa Chrimé nach bhfuilid ach ag magadh, ach go gcabhródh sé le gach duine dá stopfadh an tacaíocht leis an Rialtas san Úcráin.

Deir an dream eile –“Tá siad ag cur pionóis orainn mar nach bhfuil smacht Putin uainn anseo.” Tá deireadh tagtha le stáisiún teilifíse na Crimé, agus tógann ceann Rúiseach a háit, ag tabhairt gealltanais agus ag ofráil tacaíocht do phobal uathúil an Chrimé.

Deir Putin go bhfuil sé mar dhualgas air Rúisigh an Chrimé (a ndéanann suas mórlach na tíre) a chosaint ó náisiúnaigh, aontoiscigh agus frithghiúdacha. Chaith Rialtas réigiúnaí an Chrimé vóta ag deireadh an mhí seo caite agus ba é an toradh air seo ná gur ainmníodh an leithinis mar chuid den Rúis.

Athraíodh an reifreann (a bhí sceidealta don 30ú Márta) go dtí an 16ú Márta, agus athraíodh an cheist ó níos mó rialacháin a thabhairt don Chrimé go dtí ar mhaith leo a bheith mar chuid den Rúis.

Deir Cameron agus Merkel, ceannairí na hEorpa faoi láthair, mura nglacann Putin páirt sa phróisis taidhleoireachta go mbeidh tionchar diúltach aici seo ar chaidreamh idirnáisiúnta.

Deir Rúnaí Gnóthaí Eachtracha na Breataine, John Hague, go bhfuil “dhainséar ann de choim-

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Tuigimid thar aon dream eile cé chomh huafásach an rud é nuair a chasann cairde a hairm in aghaidh a chéile.

hlint gunnaí” dá rachadh fórsaí na Rúise aniar go dtí oirthear an Úcráin (áit a gcónaíonn muintir thacaithe an Úcráin).

Deir Obama agus Rialtas Mheiriceá cuid mhaith den rud céanna ach is deacair a rá an bhaint atá acu leis an ngéarchéim – seachas gurbh iad an tír is

▣ Credit: Flickr via creative commons

an Iarthar agus Tuaisceart Éireann

cumhachtaí faoi láthair, agus go mbraitheann siad go gcaithfí iad súil a choimeád ar gach rud a dtarlaíonn ar dhomhan. Ach cad a deir na Tataraigh Criméacha faoina gcás?

Braitheann siad go bhfuil feall déanta orthu ó thaobh an Rialtais sa Chív. Tar éis na héileamh ar fad acu, ar nós aitheantais d’íospartaigh Stalin, agus scoileanna Tatairis na Crimé a bhunú, an t-aon rud a tugadh dóibh ná neamhaird. Tá eagla an domhan ar mhuintir an Chrimé go gcaillfear an chultúr, an teanga, agus an t-aitheantas acu agus ag deireadh an lae tá sé sin mar thosaíocht acu. Ofrálann an Rúis – áit sa Rialtas acu, cúnamh airgeadais, cearta teanga oifigiúil, agus cláir forbartha tuaithe. An t-aon rud a bhfuil ag cuir stop le ná go mbraitheann muintir na Crimé nach féidir brath ar an Rúis ina dhiaidh gach ar tharla i rith an Dara Cogadh Domhanda.

Deir na saineolaithe go bhfuil an Úcráin agus a pobal ag bogadh i dtreo cogadh cathartha,

agus is deacair é seo a chloisteáil agus gan é a chuir i gcomparáid le cás na hÉireann. An t-aontas mór agus tír bheag ag troid go paiseanta I gcoinne a chéile le seilbh a ghlacadh ar ghiota beag talaimh a bhfuil a phobal i gcomónta acu agus ar mhaith leo a gcultúir agus a dteanga a chosaint ón cheann eile.

Suimiúil le feiceáil go bhfuil an dá fhadhb an cosúil lena chéile agus nach bhfuil réiteach cinnte ar ceachtar taobh. D’ainneoin domhandú fairsing an lae inniu, nó b’fhéidir mar gheall uirthi, is cosúil go bhfuil tíortha ag scoilt ina gcodanna chun a gcuid aitheantais agus cultúir a chaomhnú – An Chatalóin sa Spáinn, agus an Albain sa Ríocht neamh-Aontaithe mar na samplaí is cáiliúla.

Cibé taobh atá an lámh in uachtar acu, déanaimis cinnte de go dtiocfar ar réiteach gan foréigean – mar tuigimid thar aon dream eile cé chomh huafásach an rud é nuair a chasann cairde a hairm in aghaidh a chéile.

Gluaiseanna An Chrimé – Súil Siar, an Iarthar agus Tuaisceart Éireann Forghabháil Naitsíoch = Nazi occupation Próiseas taidhleoireachta = diplomatic process Cogadh cathartha = civil war

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Téann Trádáil coir i ngleic leis na héagóracha den trádáil coinbhinsiúnach, a dhéanann leatrom go traidisiúnta i gcoinne na tairgeoirí ab bhoichte agus ab laige.”

Seachtain na Gaeilge i DCU Barra Ó Scannláin Rannpháirtí

MAR IS EOL DÚINN UILE, NÍ seachtain é Seachtain na Gaeilge - leoga, maireann sí, de ghnáth, coicís, agus i mbliana mhair sí coicís go leith. Conradh na Gaeilge atá ar bun na seachtaine, agus shocraigh siad go gcríochnódh sí ar Lá le Phádraig gach aon bliain. An príomhchuspóir atá leis an tSeachtain nó cultúr agus teanga na hÉireann a chur chun cinn, tírghrá a thaispeáint, agus an Ghaeilge a spreagadh i measc an phobail. Anseo i DCU, agus in ollscoileanna ar fud na tíre, tá sin idir lámha ag an gCumann Gaelach cheana féin, ach le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge déantar é a aibhsiú agus éiríonn cuid mhaith cumann eile páirteach ann fosta. Mar a deir an fógra raidió sin a chuir Conradh na Gaeilge amach an tseachtain ‘s a chuaigh thart, is linne ar fad an Ghaeilge, agus bhí sin soiléir le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge.

Cuireadh tús le Seachtain na

Gaeilge DCU dé Luain seo chaite (10ú) le Maidin Chaife sa Mezz.

Bíonn seo ar siúl go seachtanúil ag 11rn agus tá sé thar a bheith taitneamhach - tae agus caife saor in aisce agus comhrá as Gaeilge.

Níos moille ar an Luan, i gcuideachta le Dance Soc agus Music Soc eagraíodh Céilí Mór. B’é an Grúpa Traid a rinne ceol beo ag an ócáid - chuir seo go mór leis an Ghaelachas.

Ar an Mháirt cuireadh ceardlann t-léinne ar siúl i gcuideachta le hArt Soc - thosaigh muid le 51 t-léinne agus d’imigh muid gan ach 12. Bhí an-rath ar fad ar an ócáid, ní amháin an raibh mic léinn Éireannacha ann ach bhí mic léinn iasachta againn fosta.

Dearadh na t-léinte i stíl tie-dye le dathanna na hÉireann orthu agus bhí siad thar a bheith galánta.

B’é an Chéadaoin an lá is mó den tseachtain - Lá na Gaeilge. Bhí cuid mhór daoine ag caitheamh na t-léinte a rinne siad an oíche roimhe agus rinneadh sáriarracht an Ghaeilge a labhairt - do dhaoine áirithe níorbh shin ach focal nó dhó ach ba mhór linne é!

Bhí ár gcairde Art Soc sa Hub ag péinteáil aghaidh fosta; b’iomaí seamróg a bhí le féacáil thar ar DCU. Thángthas le chéile do Thráthnóna Caife sa Mezz, cosúil lena raibh ar siúl maidin dé Luain, ach bhí an t-am níos oiriúnaí agus mar sin bhí an slua níos mó. Fiú bhí ar an choiste cúpla euro a fháil ar iasacht ó na Gaeilgeoirí le níos mó cupán a fháil. Ina dhiaidh sin bhí na ranganna Gaeilge ar siúl (mar a bhíonn gach seachtain i CG05) - bunrang ag 3, meánrang ag 4. D’fhreastal níos mó ná riamh ar na ranganna agus bhí meascán naisiúntachta ann. Ach thiocfadh buaicphointe na seachtaine an oíche sin le turas chuig Chlub Chonradh na Gaeilge ar shráid Fhearcháir - oíche ar dóigh, mar is gnáth, sa chlub le Cumann Gaelach DIT agus an slua a bhí ag an gcéilí mhór a d’eagraigh siad.

Agus deireadh na seachtaine ag druidim, agus lucht na Gaeilge ag fulaingt de bharr an olacháin a tharla sa Chlub, ligeadh scith ag Mic Oscailte i gcuideachta le Music Soc sa Mezz ar an Déardaoin. Bhí daoine ag ceol agus

ag comhrá agus mar a tharlaíonn go minic ag ócáidí Music Soc, bhí an Mezz dubh le daoine.

Ní féidir a shéanadh go raibh seachtain den scoth againn i DCU; chuir daoine spéis sa Ghaeilge nach gcuirfeadh murach an deis seo; bhí an Ghaeilge le cloisteáil níos mó ná gnáth; scaipeadh tírghrá i measc na mac léinn, fiú na mic léinn nach Éireannaigh iad. Ach tá mise go hiomlán scriosta. Níl a fhios agam faoin chuid eile den choiste ach tá seachtain léitheoireachta (seachtain chodlata) tuillte go sármhaith agamsa.

▣ Credit: Flickr via creative commons

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An Cóirthrádáil agus an cumhacht atá agatsa Maire Aine Ni Shuilleabhain Eagarthóir Gaelach TÁ DEIREADH ANOIS TAGtha le choiscís an trádáil chóir.

Is coicís í seo a n-eagraítear gach uile bhliain chun aird a tharraingt ar chás an trádáil chóir go domhanda, agus ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar an dul chun cinn atá á dhéanamh. Is éard atá i gceist leis an trádáil chóir ná go gcinntítear praghsanna córa, coinníollacha oibre níos fearr agus níos sláintiúla, inbhuanaitheacht áitiúil agus téarmaí córa trádáil d’fheirmeoirí agus d’oibritheoirí sa domhan forbraíochta. Trí iarradh ar comhlachtaí praghsanna inbhuanaithe a íocadh leis na tairgeoirí/ feirmeoirí (níl cead ag na bpraghas seo titim faoi phraghas an mhargaidh riamh), téann Trádáil coir i ngleic leis na héagóracha

den trádáil coinbhinsiúnach, a dhéanann leatrom go traidisiúnta i gcoinne na dtairgeoirí ab bhoichte agus ab laige. Ligeann an trádáil coir dóibh a shuíomh a fhorbairt agus níos mó smacht a bheith acu thar a saol féin.

Is eagraíocht neamhspleách neamhbhrabúis í Coir thrádáil na hÉireann, a dhéanann ceadúnú ar úsáid an Marc Cóirthrádála ar tháirgí in Éirinn, i gcomhréir leis na gcaighdeáin Cóirthrádála a bhfuil aontú idirnáisiúnta fúthu.

Bunaíodh Cóirthrádáil na hÉireann i 1992.

An mana a bhí ag an gcoiscís Cóirthrádála i mbliana ná ‘An chumhacht atá agat féin’.

An teachtaireacht a raibh an eagraíocht Cóirthrádáil ag iarraidh a sheoladh amach go hidirnáisiúnta ná go bhfuil an chumhacht ag gach tomhaltóir anseo in Éirinn rud éigin dochreidte a dhéanamh. Tá sé de

chumhacht againn uile cabhrú le feirmeoirí todhchaí níos fearr a thógáil dóibh féin, agus coinníollacha oibre mór thimpeall an domhain a bhfeabhsú. Má bheartaíonn gach tomhaltóir in Éirinn táirgí leis an marc Cóirthrádála orthu a cheannach, is féidir linn an domhan a athrú, ceannachán amháin ag an am.

Bhí sé de phribléid agam a bheith i láthair ag ócáid de chuid Cóirthradáil mo shráidbhaile féin, a bhfuil ina ‘Baile Cóirthrádála’, tá an stádas sin bainte amach aige trí na coinníollacha atá leagtha síos ag Cóirthrádáil na hÉireann a chomhlíonadh, sé sin, go bhfuil na táirgí ar dhíol sna siopaí, agus in úsáid sna bialainne agus sna tithe tábhairne. Bhí beirt fheirmeoir in Éirinn ar feadh an coicís, Alex Flores a thagann ó Chalatenango, El Salvador agus Alfredo Ortega a shíolraíonn

Seachtain na Gaeilge i DCU

Gluaiseanna

Fógra raidió = radio advertisement Ag péinteáil aghaidhe = face painting Tírghrá = patriotism

ón mBeilís. Labhair an bheirt fhear ag an ócáid a bhí á reáchtáil againn, agus bhí siad thar a bheith ionspráideach.

Ar dtús labhair Alex Flores. Tagann sé ó cheantar bocht tuaithe nach bhfuil mórán deiseanna ann. Oibríonn sé in Aprainores, comharchumann beag ina bhfuil thart ar 55 ball.

Déanann siad thart ar 60,000 lbs de chnónna caisiú a heaspórtáil gach bliain, don Fhrainc agus don Bhreatain go príomhúil. Bhí go leor fadhbanna ag Aprainores ag an tús, ach tá sé deimhnithe ag Cóirthrádáil ó 2005. Deir sé go bhfuil sé seo tar éis difríocht ollmhór a dhéanamh dó agus don chomharchumann agus don phobal go ginearálta. Tá sé seo tar éis rochtain a thabhairt dóibh ar margadh slán. Deir Flores gurb é an príomh bhuntáiste a bhaineann leis an deimhniúcháin seo ná go ligeann sé dóibh an

tsláinte sóisialta, eacnamaíoch agus comhshaoil a bhaill agus fostaithe an eagraíocht. Deir Flores go bhfuil siad anois andóchasach faoin todhchaí atá rompu. Braitheann siad go bhfuil siad níos iomaíochtúil, níos láidre agus níos cumhachtaithe.

Agus tá sé seo ar fad de thoradh ar an gcóirthrádáil. D’iarr Flores ag deireadh a óráid ar an lucht féachana chun leanúint orthu ag ceannach earraí leis an marc cóir thrádála ar, agus chun an deánuacht a scaipeadh. Is rud thar a bheith simplí é dúinn mar thomhaltóirí, ach déanann sé difríocht ollmhór dá leithéid de Flores agus a chlann. Mar sin, ba chóir dúinn tuiscint a bheith againn ar an gcumhacht atá againn athraithe ollmhóra a dhéanamh i gcinntí fíorbheag.

An Cóirthrádáil agus an cumhacht atá agatsa Domhan forbraíochta = developing world Praghasanna inbhuanaithe = sustainable prices Earraí coir-thrádála = fairtrade products

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J1 Recipe: find out how to make a scrumptious Mississippi mud pie online at thecollegeview.com

J1 eXperIeNCe ▣ Credit: matt.tourdot via Flickr

California dreamin’ TV shows like The O.C. and Laguna Beach have had many of us dreaming about a summer in Cali.

Lifestyle Editor Freya Drohan recounts her J1 experience in Pacific Beach, San Diego.

EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER witnessed on a California-based TV show is the real deal. From celeb-spotting in Hollywood to pep rallies and bonfires on the beach; if a West Coast summer appeals to you, enlist your Entourage and hot foot it to The Hills.

I spent summer 2013 living in a miniscule one bedroom apartment with six of my closest friends in the Pacific Beach suburb of San Diego. From Taco Tuesdays to Sundays spent in Mexico, if having fun is your main preoccupation for summer 2014, there is no other contender for a J1 destination.

As San Diego is a J1 hotspot, jobs and accommodation can be difficult to come by. Research is

key. We arrived a week too late, eager to set up our blow up mattresses and unpack three months worth of Penneys bikinis. The result was forking out an extortionate amount for an unfurnished apartment. In hindsight, the best advice I can offer is to get there in mid/late May and hit the pavement to search for short term rentals. The best offers will be snapped up by US college students who head to the beach for summer so don’t delay. Book into the infamous Banana Bungalows hostel for your first few days.

Ensure you have your CV converted into an American Resumé format. A word to the wise, Yanks want to see a short and snappy skills summary, not a long winded

Paradise in

Portland Hannah Bowler Contributor

PORTLAND IS OFTEN REFERRED to as the ‘hipster capital’ of the USA, which may sound like your worst nightmare but it really is a very cool place.

Its large population of bearded and tattooed men, skaters, musicians and craft ale make it the perfect place for an alternative J1 summer. It’s home to hundreds of

independent coffee shops, restaurants and bars; the city has banned franchises in the down-town area so you won’t find a Starbucks or MacDonald’s for miles, which gives a real sense of community that is often lacking in big American cities.

Portland is ranked one of the greenest cities in the USA, so expect beautiful parks and a real feeling of being surrounded by nature.

Although parts of the city do echo the shiny skyscrapers of NYC, it generally has a relaxed downtown feel and the rustic architecture pro-

A

document, so take a look at samples online. Hospitality jobs are notoriously hard to come by for the Irish, but jobs in beach shops, ice-cream carts, Sea World and the Zoo are plentiful. Just grin and bear the humiliating uniforms complete with umbrella hats.

San Diego nightlife is a world away from the fast paced buzz of cities like New York and Boston. Denim shorts, flat sandals and baseball caps are the look for guys and girls, and the locals hit the bars for relaxed cocktails at 4pm. During a summer in San Diego, you’re guaranteed to sink enough Margaritas and Coronas to last you your adult life. The aforementioned Taco Tuesday is the biggest night of the week,

where you can expect $1 Mexican street food and pitchers of salty tequila at every turn.

Ask any Irish person about their experience in San Diego and you’re sure to hear mentions of Typhoon and Hollywood Ray. Typhoon is the institution that the inhabitants of Pacific Beach worship. If Coppers had a Californian counterpart, Typhoon is it. Typhoon is closed one day of the week - Sundays. While bars and clubs are ten a penny on the Pacific Beach strip, Sundays call for one thing only; Mexico. Fork out $20 to a representative of the elusive Hollywood Ray and you won’t look back. Before you know it, you’re boarded onto a bus to the Mexican border with

Ray himself and hundreds of rowdy buachaillí agus cailiní. A quick security check at customs and you’re on route to an all day session in a makeshift club on Rosarito Beach.

Mexico is synonymous with drugs and crime, but these trips are supervised and safe. The craic, however, is not compromised. Between mechanical bulls, sumo suits, tequila pong and drunken ceilís to Galway Girl as the Mexican sun sets; you’ll never want to leave.

Similarly Las Vegas is only a few hours’ drive, and Los Angeles is a mere bus journey away. The only downside is you’ll be tight fixed to fit in everything on your Cali Bucket List. Log on to j1online.ie for more details.

vides a worn but loved appeal. Outside of the city you will find some of the world’s most beautiful scenery for hiking and cycling, with stunning attractions such as the Columbia River Gorge or Mount Hood; as well as wine country for those that fancy a weekend touring vineyards and sampling the goods!

If bars and nightlife are more your thing, then you’re in luck as Portland comes alive after dark.

With more bars and pubs than you’d care to count and gigs every night of the week, Portland natives love their nights out as much as the Irish, so you’ll feel right at home.

The city is famous for its amazing street food, you can find every type of cuisine; from Indian and Mexican to coffee and pastries; and all cheap as chips. One food cart enthusiast even set up a website dedicated to helping visitors find what they’re looking for, check

out foodcartsportland.com. While you’re there make sure you visit Voodoo Doughnut, a world famous doughnut shop that is quirky beyond belief and has the best flavour combinations imaginable.

The locals in Portland are friendly, fun and creative. Everyone is a bartender slash artist, musician or poet. And if you want to be in a band it’s definitely the place to go, with Craigslist advertising hundreds of openings. The general attitude is open and accepting, it’s one of the only US cities where the liberal idealists outnumber the right wing conservatives, and you sense it the minute you step off the plane.

The weather isn’t always beaming sun, and Portland does have rain most of the year (sound familiar!?). However in the summer it dries up and temperatures sit comfortably in the 20s, so it’s a good place if you aren’t a sun worshiper

and have a pasty Irish complexion.

As for jobs, the abundance of coffee shops and independent restaurants means there’s usually openings. But as with all J1s, it’s a good idea to start looking before you book the tickets, jobs are hard to come by today and Portland is no exception. Rent averages between $400-$600 a month, so if there’s a group of you travelling together start looking in advance.

Portland is also home to several universities so it’s worth contacting them to find out about temporary accommodation.

So if you decide to spend your summer living and working in Portland you may comeback with a new outlook on life and a slight hippy, but you’ll have an experience you won’t find in LA or New York. Just warn your mum before you return home with tattoos and a moustache.

▣ Credit: eleephotos via Flickr

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ARE GENDER QUOTA AN INcentive for women to join politics or nothing more than an insult? Do they encourage women to pursue this career path or simply force them into it?

This year’s upcoming local elections will be the last not have gender quotas in place. But what was intended to be an action to empower women by promoting gender equality now appears to have been turned completely on its head, igniting fierce feminist debate.

In November last year, the Irish Independent reported that Ireland has one of the lowest numbers of female politicians in the developed world with only 15 per cent of TDs and senators female, half the average in 34 other countries. The article also revealed how the number of female politicians in Ireland has barely risen since the 2002 general election.

In December, the Irish Head of the EU Commission Representation in Ireland, Barbra Nolan noted that while over a third of Irish women have a third-level degree, the percentage of female representatives in the Oireachtas is comparable to that in Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Such startling figures may explain the reasoning behind seeking an incentive to encourage women to pursue a career in politics, especially when gender quotas have proven successful in other countries.

Sweden has voluntary party quotas and figures for female political representation there are as high as 45 per cent. Other countries with quotas like Belgium and Spain have numbers in the high thirties.

Steps have been taken to see the same figures here, with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government Phil Hogan introducing a law stating that at least 30 per cent of party candidates for city and county elections must be women, or else parties will lose half of their state funding.

Despite the measure’s success in other countries, its implementation has faced somewhat of a backlash in Ireland.

Certain independent female TDs have been vocal about op-

This year’s local elections will be the last without an imposed female gender quota. The College View examines the affect this policy could have and whether it really is fair.

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At least 30 per cent of party candidates for city and county elections must be women, or else parties will lose half of their state funding.

▣ Credit: Flickr via creative commons

Sharon McGowan Contributor

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Ireland has one of the lowest numbers of female politicians in the developed world with only 15 per cent of TDs and senators female, half the average in 34 other countries.

Are we forcing women into politics?

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posing gender quotas.

Maureen O’Sullivan, TD for Dublin Central, believes that despite the overwhelming male presence in the Dáil, female representatives are more than able to fight their corner. “It’s very obvious physically looking at it there are far more men than women. I think the women are well able to hold their own however.”

Independent socialist TD Clare Daly agrees that undertaking such measures is “not the solution”.

She said: “There needs to be a revolution in local government making it more relevant and devolving powers, so that women, people from a manual working background, and non-Irish born citizens will feel that their participation is relevant. Gender quotas are a sop. Positive role models are more important.”

While it may be unsurprising for independent representatives with no ties to any party to speak out about such matters, even members of Fine Gael have

been critical of the quotas.

Recently, Tralee Town Councillor for Fine Gael, Mairead Fernane said gender quotas “weaken” the standing of female politicians. Taking into consideration the low numbers of women that tend to run in comparison to men, if a certain number of women must be elected it is obviously going to be easier to get elected purely on the basis of being a woman.

While gender quotas have been proven to increase female representation, they haven’t necessarily led to their empowerment. A 2013 report by the Directorate General for Internal Policies in the European Parliament concluded that the number of women involved in crucial decision-making is still low.

Things seemed to come to a head recently when the Mayor of Tralee, Pat Hussey resigned from Fine Gael after claiming women were being “pushed in” by the party and that he was being discriminated against after

he was not chosen as a candidate for this year’s local elections.

He slammed the introduction of the quota saying: “You could have a fantastic candidate overlooked for someone who doesn’t know anything at all about politics.”

Though he describes himself as a supporter of increasing female representation in politics, Hussey said “they have families and if they want to be politicians they’ll have to pay exorbitant money into creches — it’s all wrong”.

Whether or not you agree with Hussey’s controversial statement, something can be said for his first point. Is it completely fair to select one candidate over another because of their gender rather than their suitability for the role? Or is it insulting to women and discriminating against men?

Whether or not that is the case, as Councillor Fernane bluntly put it, “no female councillor I know wants to get handed it on a plate”.

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Irish students’ optimism of finding a job when they graduate has dropped by almost 20 per cent since 2009.

The European Graduate Barometer ▣ Credit: Flickr via creative commons

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Time to accept working for free, even after college?

Suzanne Cooper Contributor

INTERNSHIPS AND WORK EXperience are an important part of college. But once you get your degree, you can sleep safe in the knowledge that you will get a permanent job and be rolling in your piles of money, right? Wrong.

Ever since the start of the recession, internships have become more and more common for post graduate students, with a lot of them even being unpaid. But should students be accepting these internships? Is it now essential to gain this unpaid experience before you can apply for a full time job?

The European Graduate Barometer, a survey conducted in 2012 across European countries, indicates that Irish students’ optimism of finding a job when they graduate has dropped by almost 20 per cent since 2009. More worryingly, Eurostat data shows that our youth unemployment rate is at 25 per cent.

Sean Buckley, Youth Engagement Officer at SpunOut said that whether or not students should do unpaid internships is a tough question: “Internships are impor-

tant as they are a way to learn skills. College courses can’t give you practical experience, but employers often don’t have the capacity to take people on.”

Lorna Finnegan, DCU Students’ Union Welfare Officer was not quite as enthusiastic. She said: “In my opinion companies do this simply because they can. I’m of mixed opinion as to whether it is fair or not.

“Yes I can see that graduates in some cases are gaining experience and boosting their CV and employability. However there has to be some sort of limit as to the period of time students are expected to work for free and the hours they work must also come into the equation.”

The Youth Guarantee Scheme is currently in development in Ireland and across the EU. The scheme involves giving young people the training and education that they need and setting out a quota of young people that must be met on every employment scheme. People will also be able to access this scheme after four to six months of unemployment instead of 12 months.

So when asked if students should just accept that they have to work for free in the current

climate, Finnegan said: “Unfortunately, yes. They have to accept that every open door leads to another, and sometimes working for free is the only stepping stone available into the career they are chasing.”

And what about students who can’t afford to work for free in the long-term? Finnegan said that’s where she draws the line.

“I think students who are completing unpaid internships should be working a minimum amount of hours a week to allow them to maintain a part-time job in order to obtain a living. Overworked and unpaid is unacceptable and students should be receiving some sort of expense for living if expected to complete a full-time unpaid internship.”

Joe O’Connor, President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) said that some employers seem to be using these unpaid internships as a free labour market..

O’Connor said that employers are taking on fully qualified and highly skilled graduates and not paying them for doing an almost full-time role. “We are not against internships, but they shouldn’t become an integral part of the hiring process. Sometimes they are necessary, but young people seem

to be being devalued in the workplace.”

But what do employers think about unpaid internships?

Clare Bermingham, HR officer at Eversheds law firm, which offers paid internships to both under and post graduates, gives an employer’s perspective. “Although the internships that we provide are paid, I think that absolutely unpaid internships are good experience.

“Paid internships are not always easily accessible for employers.

Unpaid experience can lead to a paid job.”

She also thinks that doing internships in general is a great way for students decide what they want to do: “I think that sometimes people are unsure when they come to us about whether they want to be a solicitor or not. Then they might finish the internship and then decide they want to be a barrister.”

Claudia-May Gocoul is a final year Journalism student in DCU and has been interning at OohLaLa magazine since January. While her internship is unpaid, it covers expenses and has future job prospects.

When asked if she would consider continuing with an unpaid internship after she graduates, she said: “Realistically, you might have to do an unpaid internship upon

graduating. I would have no problem doing an unpaid internship if the experience would set me up for a good job in my chosen field.”

However she added: “If you are doing the same work as a full time employee or even more, then you should be compensated.”

Ross McBride, a second year Computer Applications student also did an unpaid internship, but thinks that they are only something you should do once: “I probably won’t do it again. I think there’s only so much you can learn while on an unpaid internship, and doing it once for a few months should give me enough experience so that I don’t have to do it again after I graduate.”

Sean Buckley from SpunOut gave some simple tips to follow when it comes to unpaid internships. “There’s no quick solution to the problem. But graduates can avoid exploitation by setting boundaries, not working outside their designated hours, asking questions about future employability, and making sure that they have choices and aren’t stuck with that company for the foreseeable future. If you are being exploited or taken advantage of, speak to someone.”

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8radio.com was founded by Phantom FM founding member Simon Maher. It will broadcast on radio for seven weekends and eight weeknights in the summer.

No alternative for radio heads?

Aura McMenamin Contributor

VALENTINE’S DAY 2014 shattered the hearts of alternative radio lovers nationwide as their favourite station was effectively declared dead.

Eight years after receiving its broadcasting license, Phantom FM is leaving its corner on Friday as one of Dublin’s few alternative music stations.

By leaving the same void it was borne out of, the question remains: is there a place for niche radio?

The station was the antiSpin, the anti-Adrian Kennedy.

For anyone who was sick of listening to Pitbull declare his love of female anatomy, they could turn the dial to 105.2 and hear anything from a 1986 Nick Cave B-side, Swedish synthpop, or the latest single from ‘AM’.

However, its popular status as an indie station was a far cry from its humble beginning as a pirate station called ‘Spectrum’, operating out of a shed in Sandyford and later, a room above Whelan’s pub in Dublin.

Simon Maher, one of the station’s founding members, explained its early success: “It was word of mouth, people saying ‘I put on the radio and heard Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ or National Prayer Breakfast’s ‘Feeding Frenzy’.

“There was enough talk about it when it started to spread.”

Despite being granted a license by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland in 2004 (now the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland), there was a two year delay until the station began broadcasting on Halloween night 2006. “We lost a lot of momentum,” Maher said.

Financial troubles first began in 2009, leading to an intervention by Communicorp.

The Denis O’Brien-owned media group owned one third of Phantom. It was largely responsible for its commercialisation in recent years and Maher’s exit.

He said: “Dennis O’Brien

was brought in to rescue the station and given executive control. That came down to a board vote and I voted against it.”

The station lost shows with cult followings such as Villagers drummer James Byrne’s Nightlink, and Pearl’s ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’. With them, dissatisfied fans soon switched off.

“By eroding it over time, people became apathetic.

Then it was doomed,” Maher said.

With Phantom’s current survival strategy also comes the loss of 24 staff and a new moniker, TXFM to be ‘more

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By eroding it over time, people became apathetic.

Then it was doomed.

▣ Credit: Highway Agencys

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aligned’ with Today FM. The death of niche shows like Metal Notes, The Lounge or I-CON, a show dedicated to giving audience to undiscovered Irish bands, demonstrates that the indifference to the problem will probably continue.

Speaking on the eve of his last show ‘The Lounge’, Derek Byrne talked about the presence Phantom had in Dublin’s music scene with events in venues like the Workmans Club and Whelan’s, saying “They’re very good for Irish bands. It gives them a stage to play on.”

Like Maher, he explained that Phantom never found the right business model, saying: “We went in as a little naïve with business and how a station could be run.

“But we served Irish music well. I don’t think anyone who’s worked in Phantom won’t look with a lot of pride at what we’ve done. If we didn’t have a licence would have been on air for seven years? No.” The end of Phantom begs the question: What is the future of alternative music radio?

Not much is known about the future of TXFM except that most content will be automated with three staff members left.

“To be honest, I don’t know what the new plan is going to be. I probably know as much as you’ve probably read in the Irish Times,” Byrne said.

The end of the distinctive ‘Lounge’ won’t stop him presenting eclectic music: “I can only hope that something will happen in the next few weeks.

I definitely won’t stop trying to find some space to broadcast.”

Maher has found a way to return to broadcasting without the ‘soul-destruction’ of FM. He founded 8radio.com in March 2013.

He explained the station’s concept as “finding a load of records we like and playing them”.

“It’s not because of a focus group saying you should or shouldn’t. It’s because it’s a good song. You trust people to make their own judgements.”

However, he knows the convenience of FM radio versus relying on an internet connection.

He said: “Obviously the easier it is to access your audience type, the better. It’s still tricky trying to access radio because you’re on the move.”

8radio.com will broadcast on radio for seven weekends and eight weeknights in the summer under a temporary licence. With Phantom gone, alternative enthusiasts may now have a new place to tune in.

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▣ Tabloid Media | Credit: brownpau via Flickr.com

BREAKING: It’s raining in Ireland

Earlier this year, The Daily Mail broke the shocking news to the world that Lauren Goodger narrowly avoided utter shame after she managed to sidestep a puddle in Essex. The story proceeded to divulge some harrowing details about the TOWIE star’s dress code at the time of the incident and her recent breast enhancement.

Celebrity break-ups, Oscar selfies, and Miley Cyrus twerking. These are the stories and guilty pleasures that we indulge in over a cup of coffee, but every so often the ‘rags’ publish gossip that is both mundane and bizarre. Contributor Katie Coyle gives us some not so shocking reports from Irish papers.

Natural speed ramp Motorists in Drogheda are deterred from speeding by “traffic calming” tarmac and there is a pothole on St. Francis street.

An article appeared critcising the maintenance of the road: “If you travel down Francis Street you’ll know this spot well. In fact, you can’t just avoid it.”

Interestingly the article concludes that the pot hole isn’t such an annoyance after all as drivers must slow down to cross it. “One big issue I see on Francis Street is the speed of cars and trucks and one thing about a road like this – you just have to slow down, so making it a natural calming measure.

Not much money spent on this one then.”

Jennifer Maguire has stopped Colin Farrell drinking during the week smokes fag It isn’t all smooth sailing for the rich and the famous. outside film set Jennifer Maguire (from Republic of Telly) has admitted that she is no longer able to enjoy a midweek tipple after she secured a spot on the 2fm breakfast show. Sob. Maguire’s new job means she has to refrain from midweek partying and must keep her socialising to the weekends. “It’s just about getting to bed early now.”

War zone in Kilkee

Uneven surfaces are not only a menace to the east half of the country as Kilkee, County Clare is apparently “a war zone”.

However, this war zone isn’t like the protests of Kiev or Syria. This ‘war zone’ is a stretch of uneven pavement, the aftermath of recent storms.

While the Kilkee strand is currently in a poor state and requires repairs, calling it a war zone might be a bit of a stretch.

While one star has given up a vice, another star can’t seem to resist. Readers were treated to an exclusive feature about Colin Farrell smoking a sneaky cigarette outside a film set.

“He and a pal were papped getting their nicotine fix in a car park beside the beach — despite the actor’s previous claims that he was ‘done with’ smoking.”

The actor claimed to be off the fags last year but has picked up the habit again. Lucky thing that the paparazzi were on site to snap the harrowing moment.

Petrol station workers double as paranormal investigators Two petrol station workers, James Moore and Raja N. Khan in Galway have teamed up to form a paranormal, ghost busting team. Armed with little more than a camera and recording equipment, the duo have been spending nights in Galway graveyards. While they admit that they haven’t yet come face to face with any restless spirits, they have documented ‘orbs’ or bluegrey floating fuzz.

Finally, it seems orbs are not the only unpleasant surprise that Galway walkers might encounter during an evening stroll “Galway City Council has introduced a new pilot scheme to tackle the problem of dog fouling in Cappagh Park – but forgot to include the new bins on its waste collection rota.” Luckily for the nation the issue has since been rectified.

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Of Irish adults bet with a bookmaker weekly and 2% of Irish adults gamble online, with less than 1% of those who need treatment actually receiving it.

It’s not always just a harmless flutter Chris Jordan Sports Reporter WITH THE CHELTENHAM Festival recently taking place, many of us fancy a flutter on the horses. For non-regular punters, it all seems to be nothing more than a harmless bit of fun. For others, it is a lot more than that.

According to statistics on GambleAware.ie, approximately 12 per cent of Irish adults bet with a bookmaker weekly and two per cent of Irish adults gamble online, with less than one per cent of those who need treatment actually receiving it.

Former Armagh captain and two times All-Star Oisin McConville is one of many high profile names to have spoken publically about his gambling addiction.

Speaking exclusively to The College View, McConville said:

“You get drawn in and you start losing. You start chasing money and it becomes a vicious circle at that stage, you feel it’s something you need to do, you get a buzz out of winning, you get a buzz of just putting on a bet and then there’s no buzz, you are just addicted and you still don’t stop.”

Indeed, Ireland seems to be a gambling nation, with just under half the population playing the Lotto each week. In 2012 alone, National Lottery sales were €734 million, and although many would not consider buying a lottery ticket gambling, McConville emphasised how menial games such as bingo can lead to serious gambling addictions.

“We’ve got a completely different dynamic now; we’ve also got housewives and people like that coming into Gamblers Anonymous because of bingo

“

and things like that. There are so many more things to gamble on and because of that we’ve got more problems and we are exposing more people to it.”

The ability to gamble online has increased numbers going to Gamblers Anonymous meetings,

but McConville also touched on how large audiences watching sporting events are heavily exposed to a gambling atmosphere, and how it’s difficult for people in a similar position to McConville to stay clear of gambling related sports.

“Cheltenham is not just back page news but front page news, and it’s very hard for people in my position to avoid. No matter what sporting event you watch it’s all surrounded by gambling, we’ve got so many sponsors whether it be darts, horse racing or football; every sports event is saturated with gambling.”

In fact, when walking through most towns in Ireland, it is difficult not to spot at least one or two bookmakers located within walking distance of a main gathering point of the town. However, McConville says that he looks at the positive side of things

when he sees these constant reminders.

“It helps me. From my days of gambling I don’t have a lot of good memories. Most of them were destructive and were memories of pain and suffering for me. You get so far removed that you feel sorry for the people still out there who are going down the path that really only has one end. It didn’t matter if it was Ludlow, Wolverhampton or Cheltenham, I was a gambler and I wasn’t in it for the sport.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the horses; I was purely in it for the punt.”

Although events such as Cheltenham are mainly seen as harmless bets, there is always a danger that the buzz of excitement can consume the person and lead them down the same dark path McConville went down.

placed finish with Laura Behan, coming in at 15th, anchoring the team to ensure a silver medal place.

Harriette Robinson (21st) and Elizabeth Carr (22nd) ran great debut races at IUAA XC as did Aislinn Moorhouse (27th), Rachael Kilgallen (39th) and Emily Milner (44th). The ladies set the standards for the men’s squad to follow.

The last event of the day was the men’s varsity race when conditions had significantly worsened resulting in a truly epic race.

John Coughlan, DCU’s first scorer, was magnificent from gun to tape and stamped his authority all over the race from

early on, winning by 20 seconds from Ben Thistlewood (UCC) and John Travers (Athlone IT).

UCD were the defending team champions and it was clear from early on that they meant business, with Athlone IT the other main challengers. Team tallies ebbed and flowed for the first three laps of five. Strong debut performances came from two of the DCU first years: Ian Guiden, who came in in 10th place, and Michael Carey (16th) along with good running from Joe Warne (13th) and the experienced Darragh Greene, who rapidly moved through the field over the last two laps to cross the line one place behind Guiden.

DCU’s anchor man was Matt

Horrigan, who made steady progress through the field to track Carey home in 17th.

UCD, with 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th places recorded, managed to just pip DCU to the post in the overall standings with a score of 74 points to the northsiders’ 68.

It was a very strong team performance overall, especially considering the notable absence of some of DCU’s top athletes, including David Mc Carthy who was competing for Ireland in the 1500m at the World Indoors in Sopot, Poland, finishing 10th with a time of 3.39.46, an impressive performance at world level.

You get drawn in and you start losing. You start chasing money and it becomes a vicious circle, you feel it’s something you need to do.”

DCU take home cross country title Mary Ann O’Sullivan Sports Reporter A MEN’S TEAM GOLD MEDAL, a women’s team silver medal and the overall trophy saw the DCU Athletics Club reign supreme at the Intervarsity Cross Country Championships in Cork Institute of Technology recently.

The women’s team were first in action, midway through the Irish School’s Programme, meaning that the course, which was already tough in places, resembled a mud bath before the athletes took to it.

The race upfront was a battle between two members of the Trinity College squad, Maria O’Sullivan and Becky Woods, with O’Sullivan eventually proving to be the stronger of the two

over the 5.1km distance.

TCD were deserving winners of the team trophy, with four scorers in the top 10. DCU closely followed the winners in the team competition with a strong performance.

Mary Mulhare was the first scorer on the DCU squad. She went out hard and was always in the top six, eventually finishing sixth as she was chased home

by Mary Anne O Sullivan who moved her way through the field to finish one place behind Mulhare.

Deirdre Doyle, who was running for the team while on antibiotics, knuckled down to her task and paced herself well throughout to record an 11th

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Over 300 students from 14 colleges competed in the Irish Kayaking Intervarsities for titles in a number of divisions such as whitewater, freestyle, canoe polo and long distance.

Sport

DCU Men’s Tennis Team achieve Intervarsity glory

▣ Credit: Aidan Broletti

Padraic Kilcoyne Sports Reporter AFTER TWO YEARS OF HARDship, the DCU men’s tennis team have returned to the top of the Irish collegiate tennis hierarchy following their 5-4 win over defending intervarsity champions Trinity College recently.

DCU began the event in superb form, defeating the TCD second team in the opening match 5-0.

They carried their momentum into their semi-final match, silencing the UCC supporters with a dominant 5-0 win to book their place in the final.

On the other side of the draw was an eagerly anticipated semifinal clash between TCD and UCD. Despite strong perfor-

mances from Fergus O’Connell and Ben Dillon on the UCD team, the TCD players ran out clear winners in the end on a scoreline of 5-2.

The final took place in the Westwood Leopardstown Tennis Club on Sunday March 2nd. The format of playing the three doubles matches first, followed by six singles matches, made for a very exciting finish to the event.

Outstanding doubles performances from Roman Grogan, Lucas Hennessey, Craig O’Neill and Mick Lynch gave DCU a strong 2-1 lead going into the singles matches. The standout performances in the doubles matches carried over to the singles with wins for Lynch over Mark Carpenter 6-3, 6-4.

Grogan, who has never lost an intervarsity match for DCU in

his third year representing the college, also recorded a straight sets win over Tommie Murphy.

TCD, however, were determined to defend their title and wins at the number one, five and six positions tied the final at 4-4.

The deciding match was played out by DCU’s O’Neill and TCD’s Jack Devine. O’Neill took the first set 7-5 and had a chance to serve for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Devine fought back, however, winning the second set 7-5 to take the match into a deciding set.

Devine started off strongly, breaking the DCU man’s serve in the opening game of the third set and O’Neill, who was suffering physically, looked down and out.

As nerves set in, though, O’Neill, the more experienced player of the two, managed to grind his way back into the match. With a netted forehand from Devine at 4-5 match point down, O’Neill took the set 6-4 and secured a historic win for DCU tennis.

“I am absolutely delighted for the players. It is one of the closest intervarsity championships I can remember,” said DCU Tennis coach Jamie Pilkington.

The DCU women’s team were not able to defend their final showing of last year and bowed out in the quarter-finals to a strong NUI Galway team.

The women’s event was won

by TCD, who managed to retain their intervarsity title with a comprehensive win over UCD in the final.

The championships, which were hosted by DCU, involved over 150 players from eight universities and colleges.

DCU kayakers have to settle for second at intervarsities Anita McSorley Deputy Sports Editor DCU KAYAKING CLUB WERE pipped to the post recently at the annual intervarsities by University of Limerick, settling for a second place finish after a tough weekend on the water.

Over 300 students from 14 colleges competed in the Irish Kayaking Intervarsities, which was co-hosted by DCU, Dublin Institute of Technology and NUI Maynooth. The event took place between Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare.

The annual event gives kayakers from colleges all over the island the opportunity to get together and compete for prestigious titles in a number of

divisions such as whitewater, freestyle, canoe polo and long distance.

The event kicked off with the canoe polo held in Kilcock, Co. Kildare. Canoe polo is unlike any other canoe sport. The game consists of two halves of 10 minutes each, where teams of five battle it out with a water polo ball. The aim is to score into a goal, which is suspended above the water at each end of the ‘playing pitch’. In the final, DCU drew with NUIM, sending the game into overtime. In the end, DCU prevailed with captain Robbie O’Shea scoring the winning goal.

Saturday commenced with the whitewater event on the Avonmore River in Co. Wicklow. Each college was represented by four

“

The river surprised many, throwing fast rapids and sharp turns their way, leaving a carnage of boats, paddles and students being swept down the river.

paddlers, who had to make their way down the river as quickly as possible. The river surprised many, throwing fast rapids and sharp turns their way, leaving a carnage of boats, paddles and students being swept down the river. DCU again showed their paddling talents by claiming first prize.

In the afternoon, students pitted their endurance against each other on the long distance race course at the Salmon Leap Canoe Club in Leixlip, Co. Kildare.

This was one of the most popular events, with over 200 competitors taking part.

There are many different categories in this event: K1, high performance, canoe doubles and general purpose kayaks. There is a long and short course; the long

course consisted of two laps of eight kilometres while the short course was four kilometres. DCU came eighth overall in this event, with Shane Little coming sixth in the men’s high performance and Laura Griffin coming second in the woman’s high performance.

The weekend drew to a close with the Freestyle competition at the Canoeing Ireland Liffey Centre in the Strawberry Beds, Co. Dublin. Canoeing, which is typically a relaxing outdoor pursuit, becomes more strenuous and unusual in this category. The entertaining event lets competitors do tricks, such as front and back flips, in their boats. DCU managed a third place finish in the final event, securing an overall second place finish behind the eventual winners, UL.

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DCU Boxing club will host an intervarsity tournament on March 31st in memory of Olympic bronze medallist Darren Sutherland, who tragically died in 2009.

Golden day for DCU boxers Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor

DCU BOXING CLUB TOOK home two senior elite medals recently as Claire Grace and Ceire Smith won gold in their respective divisions.

Grace saw off Joanna Barkley of Holy Family Boxing Club in the semi-final before winning all four rounds against Laoise Trainer in the final to claim 69kg gold. Smith had a considerably easier path to her medal, with her domination of the 51kg category meaning she was uncontested for the gold medal.

The success didn’t stop there for one of DCU’s fastest growing clubs, however, as eight DCU boxers qualified for the finals of the All-Ireland Third Level Championships after strong performances in qualifiers recently.

The first day of qualifying saw seven boxers take to the ring in the DCU colours, with the only loss for the Glasnevin university coming the way of Ciarán Ferry.

A consolation, though, is the fact that the fighter who beat him in

a tight contest, Faolan Rahill, is also a DCU boxer and sparring partner of Ferry’s.

Another successful day on the Saturday resulted in four wins and one loss for DCU, leaving the side in a very strong position to bring home a number of medals over the finals weekend.

Tough preparation for the tournament stood to DCU in the end after the team had been involved in a number of bouts the week before.

While John Quigley was narrowly beaten in his bout, Danny McGowan put on a scintillating performance in Trinity College, knocking out his opponent in the second round.

More preparation came in the form of a fight night at The Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley, which saw Ferry don the gloves for the first time in almost four years.

This didn’t faze the DCU man as he fought hard and was only beaten on a split decision.

A highlight of the night was

Ceire Smith and Claire Grace with their medals at the recent elite finals. | Credit: Terry Keegan Charlie Norton stepping into the ring for the first time and dazzling the crowd with an impressive performance that saw him win by result of a third round knockout.

In other DCU Boxing news, the club will host an intervarsity tournament on March 31st

in memory of Olympic bronze medallist Darren Sutherland, who tragically died in 2009. The Darren Sutherland Memorial Cup will see his parents, family, old coaches and mentors in attendance in DCU as well as some special guests. The event will see DCU take on a college

select team made up of fighters from different colleges around the country.

Known as ‘The Dazzler’, Sutherland went down in Irish boxing folklore when he took home a bronze medal at middleweight in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Not all doom and gloom at Old Trafford Michael Cogley Sports Reporter LAST SUMMER WE SAW AN unusual figure walk into the manager’s office in Carrington.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s office was now occupied by his fellow Scotsman and chosen protégé, David Moyes.

Moyes brought with him a ‘never say die’ attitude and a magical ability to work wonders with an annual transfer kitty that could only be labelled as ‘modest’ for a Premier League side.

However, this modesty evaporated as the pressure to make a signing got the better of him and forced him into overpaying for his former player Marouane Fellaini.

Now, as we near the end of his first season as Manchester United manager, people are finding it hard to see the good points of the campaign, and rightly so. With that in mind, there are plenty of reasons for optimism for the Old Trafford faithful.

Captain Rooney

It’s been a long time coming, but some would say it was destined to happen once he’d signed for the club. Rooney’s aggression, desire and drive gained him huge support in very little time.

His performances didn’t exactly hurt either.

While many may not be overjoyed with his image or some of the things he has said, Rooney has seen off every challenge he’s faced within the club, including Sir Alex Ferguson.

With the likelihood of Van Persie departing the club in the summer becoming greater, it leaves a vacant space for Rooney’s desired position and, interestingly enough, opens another in the position just behind the striker, perhaps one for Juan Mata to occupy.

The Next Transfer Window

With rumblings coming out of the Glazers’ camp of a €200 million transfer kitty, the fans are in for a very exciting period.

Whether the value of that kitty depends on departures remains to be seen, but one thing that can almost be guaranteed is that Moyes’s current squad are not good enough to compete with the reinforcements made by the league’s elite.

Reus? Kroos? Gundogan? It

really is one of the joys of being a supporter of a top club; the world’s best players are all reasonable targets.

What will excite United fans is the vast amount of variations that could make up next year’s Manchester United XI. With Vidic leaving and Evra and Ferdinand arguably too old to play at such a high level, the defence may well be one that has never been seen before at Old Trafford.

Add to that the well-documented midfield problem and you’ve got a very unfamiliar starting eleven, which, admittedly, may not turn out to be a bad thing for the reigning champions.

Januzaj – The boy born to wear number seven

Adnan Januzaj is 19 years

old. That should never cease to amaze. The brilliant Belgian has shown such a range of talent that one would fear whether or not Moyes has the ability to mould him into the world-beater he should be.

A certainty to be nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award and, one must assume, a shoe-in to win it, the teenager has been the blinding beacon that has kept the United faithful alive over the difficult season of regression.

For these and so much more, there are plenty of reasons to be an optimistic Red Devil. While the season’s opening day win against Swansea does seem like a long time ago, it shouldn’t be too long before the Reds are seen to be rolling over such sides as we are all so accustomed to.

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Historic win for DCU Tennis.

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College football as high a level as any, says McHugh

DCU GAA McHugh has had a stellar year capped off with a recent call-up to the Dublin senior panel. | Credit: Sportsfile Kevin Taylor Sports Reporter NA FIANNA MAN AND DUBlin under-21 forward Conor McHugh has praised the standard of Sigerson Cup football, saying it’s the “next best thing to inter-county.”

In a year when DCU failed to regain the Sigerson crown, however, it was a dramatic win over the Dubs in Parnell Park that was a real highlight for McHugh and his teammates.

DCU reached the O’Byrne Cup semi-final by defeating Jim Gavin’s men in what was a huge win for the college and for all of the team members.

“It was great to beat Dublin in Parnell Park and advance in the O’Byrne Cup. What was especially pleasing was the way the lads battled to come back in the second half. Everyone wants to beat the All-Ireland champions.”

McHugh believes big wins over big opposition are important in improving team chemistry. The All-Ireland minor medal holder said the win “brought us closer together as a team.”

The young dual player has played many different levels of football, from club senior to inter-county under-21. He was part of a Na Fianna under-21 team that won the Dublin title in 2013 and has featured in hurling

and football minor All-Ireland finals in Croke Park. He sees the quality of the Sigerson Cup, however, as the next best thing to inter-county football.

“The standard of Sigerson Cup is a very high standard. It’s definitely the second highest standard of football in the country after inter-county. I think playing against and with such quality footballers has helped to improve me as a player.”

GAA chiefs have come in for some criticism from DCU manager Niall Moyna, who believes too much strain is being put on young players’ bodies. McHugh thinks that fair managers, who understand players’ physical ex-

ertions and are good communicators, can ease the pressure on young athletes.

“It’s very tough to juggle all the different teams you play for.

I found myself playing for up to four different teams at the start of the year between club under-21 football and hurling, Dublin under-21 football and then of course Sigerson.

“It’s a lot of work and it’s important to be always communicating with your different managers. Factoring in college work and exams made it even tougher, but Niall was very good during the year and he always preached about how our first priority is our education and football al-

ways comes after.

“If I needed to miss training to study for an exam or finish an assignment there was never any trouble, so it was good in that way.”

The future looks bright for DCU’s young star, and after being knocked out this year by UCD, he would love to add a Sigerson medal to his growing collection in 2015.

“It’s definitely something that myself and the lads would love to win. It’s a massive competition and it would be amazing to lift the cup. My focus for now is elsewhere, but when next year’s Sigerson comes around, I’ll be raring to go.”