The College View - Issue 7 - Volume XVII

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Vol. XVII, Issue 7

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

THE COLLEGE VIEW DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY’S ONLY INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1999

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We wrap up

what you may have missed over winter break

Sport DCU see off Sigerson favourites » 28

Two referenda set to be decided upon on SU election day

DCU ranked in top bracket according to latest Euro-wide survey

DCU students look set to decide whether the Students’ Union will campaign in favour of the upcoming Marriage Equality referendum

DCU is one of two Irish universities to score in the top 12 per cent of European third level institutes according a European study

Finnian Curran Deputy Editor @finnc94

Finnian Curran Deputy Editor @finnc94

TWO referenda are set to be held

in conjunction with this year’s Student Union elections with voting due to take place across campus from 9th – 11th of March.

One of the questions posed to students will ask whether they want DCUSU to support and campaign for marriage equality for same-sex couples, while the other will involve the altering of DCU SU’s current constitution to prepare for the merger of DCUSU,

INSIDE Opinion

»9

Features

» 21

Single on Valentines Day: why the grass is always greener No freedom, until we’re equal

Gaelige

» 19

Ré an vlag

Gaelige

» 20

Slán le geimhreadh eile Traidisiún na Féile Bhríde

St Patrick’s College Drumcondra SU, and Mater Dei Institute SU. DCUSU currently has had a policy of supporting same-sex marriage since last year but if the referendum is passed it will mandate DCUSU to actively campaign to ensure the marriage equality referendum taking place in May will be passed. If the referendum is passed, DCUSU will have just over two months to organise and promote a campaign supporting same-sex marriage.

The referendum is a result of a petition of over 200 signatures gathered by EPL student Sean Cassidy last week. “This Union referendum offers us an opportunity to engage thousands of our students. They (students) will be better informed and engaged for the national referendum,” he said.

Although the date of the referendum is to be officially announced, DCUSU will more than likely hold it alongside SU elections. The current precedent states that once the petition is confirmed valid by the CRC, a vote has to take place no earlier than two weeks and no later than four weeks after the announcement.

Voting for the elections and referenda will take place from 9th – 11th of March while nominations will be accepted from 16th – 26th of February. Campaigning for the elections will begin on March 2nd. It is not yet known whether the vote will take place via a paper ballot or electronically.

DCU has ranked within the top

universities in Europe when it comes to international orientation in a third level institution according to a new European-wide study.

DCU, along with NUIG, scored in the top bracket of over 230 European institutions included in the study. UL, UCC and DIT also performed well in the ratings. TCD and UCD, who are Ireland’s highest scoring universities in commercial surveys, decided to opt out of this ranking.

The survey, U-Multirank, is a non-profit alternative to the likes of QS and the Times Higher Education surveys. Both DCU and NUIG scored an A grade in all four categories involved in the category including, teaching and learning, doctoral training, research and the make-up of academic staff.

Only 12 per cent of universities scored four As in the survey placing Ireland in fifth place alongside Switzerland and Sweden in the table. France topped the table with six universities all receiving top marks while the University of Liverpool was the only British university to receive four As. Orlaith Carmody opening TedX DCU with her exceptional talk on family forum in The Helix Credit Tedx DCU

Full story on page 3

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Editorial DCU’s new standing shows the illusion of academic brilliance that hides behind reputation Michael Cogley Editor-in-Chief

is performing excellently in key areas, we’re seeing immense developments from our doctorate candidates and even in this issue we’re seeing the effectiveness THIS past Monday we saw DCU of our researchers as they made attain top honours in a new a major breakthrough in bowel European university ranking cancer treatment. system known as U-Multirank.

The ranking system offers a The survey is a non-profit ranking refreshing approach, allowing system, partly funded by the colleges like ourselves to be European Commission. ranked fairly for the education The ranking system awarded the college provides. We find DCU with an A grade across all that in Times Higher and QS a four performance indicators of huge portion of the scoring goes international orientation. This towards something called ‘repuindicators consisted of teaching tation’, which is relatively easy to and learning, doctoral training, guess what it means. research and composition of In late last year DCU Presiacademic staff. dent, Briain MacCraith, revealed In other systems we’ve found his frustration with the more it difficult to rank brilliantly. established ranking systems in an U-Multirank has acted as an interview with The College View. alternative to the established QS President MacCraith cited the and Times Higher. over-reliance on the two main Its unbiased nature leads to systems as non-comprehensive. interesting results and can only U-Multirank has awarded help but ask what the results four excellent grades to DCU, and would have been should our city with a growing number of univerrivals Trinity College Dublin and sities taking part in the ranking University College Dublin have system and an evident ambitious partaken in the ranking system. approach from DCU those grades One thing that’s clear from may grow to be even more inthe rankings is that the college valuable in years to come. @michaelcogley

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Michael Cogley Deputy Editor: Finnian Curran Production & Layout Editor: Gianluca Avagnina Deputy Production & Layout Editors: Mark Hogan, Victoria Ivaylova News Editors: Finnian Curran, Sharron Lynskey Deputy News Editors: Katie O’ Neill, Elaine Carroll, Laura Colgan Opinion Editor: Christine Allen Lifestyle Editor: Orlaith Farrell Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Emma Dungan Features Editor: Catherine Devine Deputy Features Editor: Jade O’Leary Irish Editor: Caoimhe Ní Chathail

Deputy Irish Editor: Barry Scanlon Sports Editor: Ruaidhri Croke Deputy Sports Editors: Cian Roche, Kevin Taylor Flux Editor: Odrán de Bhaldraithe Deputy Flux Editor: Bryan Grogan Images Editor: Aidan Broletti Phototographers: DCU Paparazzi Online Editor: David Matthews Online News Editor: Mark Hogan Deputy Online News Editor: Kevin Kelly Sub-Editors: Jordan Kavanagh, Megan Roantree, Nicola Ayres, Anna Kazadojeva, Giulia Luzi, Lisa O’Donnell, Conor Jack Martin, Aoibheann Diver, Chaitanya Brady, Aura McMenamin, Jamie Concannon, Aidan Delaney

CORRECTIONS Contacts editor@thecollegeview.com news@thecollegeview.com features@thecollegeview.com opinion@thecollegeview.com gaeilge@thecollegeview.com sports@theccollegeview.com Printed By Datascope, with the DCU Journalism Society Thanks To Sportsfile, SLC, Office of Student Life

We are JournoSoc, DCU’s Society dedicated to helping all aspiring journalists, freelancers, and broadcasters.

With The College View, you get an incredible shot at earning some valuable expertise in the world of journalism.

A student-ran, student-written, student-focused paper, chock full of stories that matter to you.

JournoSoc is here to help out any way we can, from workshops to guest speakers. The year ahead looks great, and we hope you’re with us all the way…

An article published on December 10th incorrectly stated that a referendum be presented to Class Rep Council this semester to cater for the merger of DCUSU, St Patrick’s College SU and Mater Dei Institute SU. The referendum will involve housekeeping on the current DCUSU constitution in the preparation for the merger of the three institutions. The Merger Consultancy Group, which was said to be formed last semester, will actually be formed this semester.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

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News

USI launches ‘Make Grá the Law’ campaign Laura Colgan Deputy News Editor @Laura_Colgan

THE Union of Students in Ireland

launched its campaign for ‘yes’ votes in the upcoming marriage equality referendum, describing the issue as “the most important civil rights issue of our time”.

USI officially launched the Students for Marriage Equality campaign, along with the website voteforlove.ie on Tuesday January 20th at the Dublin City Council offices.

The campaign adopted the slogan #MakeGráTheLaw from Maynooth Students’ Union, which proved popular among students as it trended on Twitter that day.

Describing this referendum as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, USI President Laura Harmon said that, “a lot of young people want to be part of history”.

“I see this as the biggest equality issue of our time and I think it’s really easy to see where your vote translates. If you vote yes or no, you’re either allowing or disallowing two people who love each other to have the right to get married, the same as everyone else in society. I think it’s something that really resonates with students,” Harmon told The College View.

Harmon said students are passionate about marriage equality and USI wants to provide them with a platform to have their voices heard.

“We’re going to be working to ensure the youth voice is prominent in the media. We’re giving a platform to students who want to get married themselves, students that aren’t actually coupled and students who have LGBT parents,” said Harmon.

USI set up a Facebook page and is sharing blog posts from students on its website and social media accounts.

THE USI President believes large numbers of students will

DCU is one of two Irish universities to score in the top 12 per cent of European third level institutes according a European study Finnian Curran Deputy Editor @finnc94

DCU has ranked within the top

Credit USI.ie

turn out to vote in May, despite the fact that students are one of the demographics least likely to vote.

USI registered over 20,000 students to vote last November and plans to add to this number.

“We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm students have for this campaign,” said Harmon.

“All across the country, young people are very much in favour of this issue. Over ninety per cent of students are in favour (of marriage equality). We

have a unanimous man base from our membership campaign on this issue,” she added.

“One of the main aspects of the campaign is registration and mobilising students to get to the polling stations on the day of the vote itself. We registered 20,000 students nationally last November and in the coming weeks we’re going to be doing the second phase of our voter registration campaign. We’ll be having members of the Gardai on campuses

stamping forms. We’ll be looking in to getting transport deals for students as well,” she said.

USI, which has an equality policy, describes itself as ‘an inclusive organisation that values equality and diversity.’

Harmon said “USI has a long history of being involved in these issues and it’s something we’re very proud of and the membership is very keen to play their part.”

Policy document set to be brought to CRC

The Policy Document & Proposed Motion Lists was compiled by EPL student and student activist, Sean Cassidy over a three month period.

“There’s always been a disconnection between the individual and the SU. This is what it does for you. There is value to what’s in the SU,” he said.

Currently, the only system in place to check motions from previous years by viewing the minutes of the Class Rep Council (CRC) meetings. If passed by the CRC, every registered member of DCUSU will have access to the document.

“It builds an element of engagement, an element of accountability and responsibility. It gives the SU and students a standard to say if we can achieve this then we can achieve more,” he continued.

Cassidy cites UCC SU’s recent “wipe the slate” motion as one of the reasons behind the document.

Last year, UCC SU passed a motion which abolished all mandates and policy decisions made by the council in the past five years.

“That’s why this is positive. They had one motion that wipes all previous motions, now we’ll have one motion that solidifies all motions.”

If the document is passed by CRC, Cassidy will be adding this year’s motions to the document and there will be a mandate that the secretary and education officers will do it in future years.

A document recording all Student Unions’ mandates discussed and passed since 2011 to be presented at next CRC ing every motion passed and discussed by the Class Rep Council dating back to 2011.

It gives details of the title of each motion and amendment, who put them forward, and what date they were brought to DCU Students’ Union (DCUSU) CRC and whether the motion(s) looks set to have a document list- were passed, drawn or failed.

Finnian Curran Deputy Editor @finnc94

DCU ranked in top bracket according to latest Euro-wide survey

universities in Europe when it comes to international orientation in a third level institution according to a new European-wide study.

DCU, along with NUIG, scored in the top bracket of over 230 European institutions included in the study. UL, UCC and DIT also performed well in the ratings. TCD and UCD, who are Ireland’s highest scoring universities in commercial surveys, decided to opt out of this ranking.

The survey, U-Multirank, is a non-profit alternative to the likes of QS and the Times Higher Education surveys. Both DCU and NUIG scored an A grade in all four categories involved in the category including, teaching and learning, doctoral training, research and the make-up of academic staff.

Only 12 per cent of universities scored four As in the survey placing Ireland in fifth place alongside Switzerland and Sweden in the table. France topped the table with six universities all receiving top marks while the University of Liverpool was the only British university to receive four As. Professor Frank Ziegele, who is one of the leaders on the U-Multirank project, said that it showed the performance of many European third level institutions was not properly represented in the more recognisable commercial tables. The purpose of the U-Multirank system means that prospective students can assess an institutions performance over a number of categories.

“Achieving four ‘A’ scores for international orientation is therefore a significant attainment, unlikely to be accomplished by very large numbers of institutions,” he said.

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

News

TEDx DCU The second annual TEDxDCU talk took place last weekend with a calibre of speakers in attendance in front of a packed Helix

TEDXDCU hosted its second

ever annual event at the Helix theatre on Saturday to a crowd of over 300 people.

The speakers invited were engaging entrepreneurial leaders in a variety of professional fields and walks of life.

Broadcaster Orlaith Carmody was the first speaker, she pointed out that 96% of teenagers have self-esteem issues by the time they reach the age of 18, a theme that was echoed by Sinead Kane who spoke poignantly about being bullied at school for her disability.

Kane, Ireland’s first visually impaired solicitor said “bullying is like a shark in the water, we all know it’s there, but we can’t see it”.

AsIAm founder and disability advocate Adam Harris spoke eloquently about the difficulties and hardships faced by those that suffer from Autism related conditions in Ireland.

Harris likened his Asperger’s syndrome to living on an “alien planet”.

Harris said 1 in 100 of the Irish population is affected by autism.

Professionals with a wealth of expertise in matters concerning health, such as DCU’s Niall Moyna who shocked the audience with starting facts, such as “the current generation of children are the first to have to find a way to put physical activity in their lives”.

Moyna added that “Individuals who walk more than 120 minutes a week have the same remission from depression as those on drug treatments”.

Kate Irvine of Dementia Elevator attempted to combat the bias that exists in public perceptions of those that suffer from the condition.

Irvine stressed that dementia “doesn’t happen to a brain, but to a person” advising listeners to adopt a series of preventative habits to reduce the risks.

Freelance Journalist and wheelchair user Louise Bruton said that “There’s no blueprint for disability, it’s ageless, classless and genderless”.

Bruton praised Channel 4’s coverage of the 2012 Paralympics as “giving an equal platform to everyone”.

The final speaker of the day was Dearbhail McDonald, McDonald is a DCU graduate and the current Legal Editor at the Irish Independent.

McDonald said “if we want to live in a tolerant and peaceful society, we have to make a place for our stories to be told”.

She went on to praise women like Rosa Parks, Malala and Mairia Cahill by saying “Our stories are important, because they are our lives”.

DCU President Brian MacCraith closed the event by commenting on how the speakers had succeeded in “educating, stimulating and enriching” their audience.

Irish universities give 22 staff pensions payoffs New study shows over ¤200,000, DCU retiree got the highest that female Elaine Carroll Deputy News Editor @elainecarroll93

A DCU retiree received a pension

payout of almost €250,000 in 2013 according to figures released by Irish universities.

The unnamed staff member was one of three retirees to receive a lump sum payment in excess of €200,000 in 2012 and 2013.

The figures, supplied in response to freedom of information requests, revealed that 22 staff members at Irish universities enjoyed payoffs in excess of €200,000 in 2012 and 2013.

DCU paid out €2.48 million in 2012 and almost €500,000 in lump sums in 2013.

Figures for UCD show one academic received a lump sum of €206,386 in 2013. Three other retirees received €214,064, €208,564 and ¤207,564 in 2012.

Lump sum payments at UCD last year totalled €2.45 million with payouts of €5.3 million in 2012. The university paid out €42.5 million on pensions in 2013

compared to €45.7 million in 2012.

At Trinity College Dublin, two retiring staff members received lump sums of over €200,000 in 2013, with payments totalling at €2.72 million. TCD’s total pension bill in 2013 was €26 million compared to €25.46 million in 2012.

Three retirees from University College Cork received lump sum payments in excess of €200,000 in 2013. There were two retirees in that bracket in 2012, with the highest payout at €237,367.

UCC’s total pension bill exceeded €20 million in 2013 and €19 million in 2012. The university’s total lump sum payments totalled €2.8 million in 2013, compared with €5.19 million in 2012.

University of Limerick had five retirees receiving over €200,000 in 2013 and 2012, the highest at €228,512. UL’s total pension bill for 2013 was €9.6 million, following €9.2 million in 2012.

NUI Galway paid three staff pension sums topping €200,000 in 2013 and 2012, with lump sums of €1.1 million and €2.1 million in that period. The university’s pension bill in 2013 totalled at €15.8 million.

students drink more than their male counterparts Sharron Lynskey News Editor @sharronlynskey

and 67 per cent for women.

Almost 17 per cent of men and 5 per cent of women consume more than six units of alcohol at least four times per week, and occasionally on a daily basis.

Consequences of such drinking habits included missed days of college, health issues, social problems, violent behavior and unplanned sex.

The findings also suggested that men were more likely to report getting into a fight or to have

was led by researcher at UCC, Martin Davoren, who said he and his team were taken aback by the study’s findings. “[The findings are] yet another signpost that our relationship with alcohol as a nation is unwholesome and detrimental to health”, he explained.

“This study highlights the need for effective public policy measures such as a minimum unit price for alcohol and a full ban on sports sponsorship”.

a ‘one-night stand’ than women as a result of alcohol consumption.

The study called for intervention on a national level and further public policy measures “as a matter of urgency” to counter the short and longterm risks of hazardous drinking amongst third level students.

The UCC-based study

His concerns were echoed

by UCC’s Students’ Union President, Mark Stanton.

“The results of this study should be seen as a call to action nationally,” he said. “A national conversation needs to take place and students need to be at the heart of the discussion, not the topic of it”.

FEMALE students are now drink-

ing more than their male counterparts, according to a recent study

by University College Cork.

The study also found that one-in-six young men consumes more than six units of alcohol up to seven times weekly, which is defined as alcohol abuse.

The findings of the study were published in the British Medical Journal and found that hazardous alcohol consumption was now similar among men and women alike.

In total, 2,275 undergraduate students responded to the survey, which found that just over 66 per cent of students reported hazardous alcohol consumption, 65 per cent for men

Credit tLuhrsen.com

Andrew Ralph News Reporter @AndrewRalph7

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News

DCU chosen as preferred bidder for All Hallows DCU set to pay €9.5 million as we’re chosen as the preferred bidder for All Hallows college Scout Mitchell News Reporter @scout_mitchell

A recently released shortlist has

revealed DCU as the preferred bidder for All Hallows college which has been valued on the market at €9.5 million. According to the Irish Independent, “DCU was among 10 interested parties to make provisional offers to the college.” Having accredited its degrees since 2008, DCU’s close ties with All Hallows make it an obvious choice for the partnership.

A lack of state funding and a cap placed on the number of undergraduates eligible for the free fees scheme were influential to the issue. Shortly thereafter, the college announced that it would soon be ending operations. In compliance to the Independent article, the cancellation of an auction of letters between Irish priest, Fr Joe Leonard and former first lady, Jackie Kennedy deprived the college of much needed funding; the 33 letters were estimated to make between €800,000 and €3 million.

Nevertheless,the lost money from the auction would not nearly be enough to sustain the financial situation. All Hallow’s president, Fr Patrick McDevitt estimates that a loan of €10 million and further long-term funding of €25 million would be necessary in order for college operations to continue.

For these reasons, such a deal is Credit dcu.ie inevitable.

DCU scientists develop ¤25 bowel cancer test breakthrough THE DCU-based biomedical Di-

agnostics Institute in partnership with Randox Technologies have discovered a new cost-effective blood test for detecting bowel cancer in its early stages.

The test has been described as a “miracle” and a “groundbreaking discovery” for bowel cancer which is currently the second most common cause of death from cancer in Ireland.

The test is less invasive, quicker and more reliable than previous tests and could potentially save thousands of lives in Ireland and around the world.

There are hopes that the test method (a small amount of blood taken) will mean a higher rate of volunteering for testing. The current test requires a stool sample that is believed

Credit Deirdre O’Sullivan

Nainsi Coogan News Reporter @thecollegeview

to deter patients from taking it.

In addition, the current Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) includes low sensitivity which means early detection of the disease is not made rapidly or reliably. This breakthrough for early diagnosis in bowel cancer is significant considering the survival rates of the disease are much higher if caught early. Each year there are over 2000 cases of bowel cancer in Ireland alone and out of these 2000,

one thousand die. More than half of people with bowel cancer are diagnosed in the later stages with a poorer chance of survival.

There will also be a significant economic benefit by reducing the need for unnecessary and expensive colonoscopies which currently place a considerable burden on the healthcare system.

Every year, the Healthcare System spends 18,550 on each patient at stage one and 45000 on patients at stage 3. With an earlier diagnosis, these numbers can be significantly reduced.

Dr. Sinead Walsh of the Irish Cancer Society said the organization is “very excited” by the results of this research.

“The earlier bowel cancer can be detected the better outcome for patients,” she said.

“This, coupled with the ability to personalise treatments for bowel cancer patients, will contribute to better outcomes for people with bowel cancer.”

Credit Allhallows.ie

Exam results advice from Gary Hayley Halpin News Reporter @HayleyHalpin1 This Thursday, 12th of February, DCU students will receive their Semester 1 examination results online. Gary Gillick, DCU’s education officer, gave some advice and information regarding the potentially stressful time.

Undergraduate students who have just completed semester 1 cannot appeal results until they have received their full set of examination results in June. Appeals are only applicable at the end of February to those who may have done a flexible learning degree, some Master’s programmes, or have taken modules that have just finished at Christmas.

Any student that wishes to appeal must submit the form into the Bea Orpen Building by 4.30pm on Monday 23rd February. In order to lodge an appeal one must have one of the grounds upon which you may appeal; the exam was not conducted under relevant regulations, administrative error, error of judgement on

behalf of the examiner, or illness.

Gary will be providing an email with a link for appeal information prior to the results.

“If a student is unhappy with any results they should first view their scripts – there is a period of consultation from Monday 16th until Friday 20th whereby students may sit down with lecturers to review their result and paper,” said Gillick.

There are options available to students that have failed their exams. There will be an opportunity for the student to resit the module in August. It will cost 190 to resit exams regardless of the number of exams they must resit.

“Failing an exam can for the most-part, be an inevitable situation for a lot of students. Ironically, it should be treated as part of a learning curve rather than the be-all and end-all of college.

If you fail, it’s as simple as keeping your head up, adjusting study habits, possibly utilizing a larger range of resources, and ultimately doing it better next time,” the education officer advised.

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News

Fingal CC make transport change affecting DCU Anna Kazadojeva News Reporter @thecollegeview

A submission made by Fingal

Dublin Chamber suggests that the LR7, an optimised Metro North route, will offer access to highly populated areas which will include Ballymun and DCU. The route will also integrate well with future plans for Swords, Dublin Airport and Dublin city region, Fingal North Dublin Transport Study has heard.

The Chamber suggests that this optimised route is the preferred option as it provides greater support of the system and reduces capital costs.

Metro North (LR6) project, as stated in the submission by the Chamber, will not be completed in the next 10 years and

that local authorities should stop the collection of development levies for the project.

“Given the objective to minimise capital investment, the Chamber’s preferred option is the LR7 route which provides most of the benefits of Metro North at a considerably reduced cost”, explained Chamber CEO, Tony Lambert.

The revised measures for LR7 route will give a saving of €461m in comparison with the original Metro North proposal.

According to Mr Lambert, the route has already been through preliminary planning processes and will provide more opportunities in the future.

“This route provides the most flexible opportunities for the future development of rail connections to the large residential areas of Blanchardstown, the Blanchardstown IT

DCU Fresher of the year Rebecca Lumley News Reporter

FIRST year engineering student,

Matthew Smyth, is DCU’s newest VIP Fresher Competition winner.

The Donegal man received prizes such as free accommodation, free gym membership, free food at DCU restaurants and other prizes for his achievement.

The annual competition took place during 2014 and was open to all incoming first years in DCU. Applicants were tasked with making a short video, a minute or two in length, giving information about the student and why they thought they deserved to win the competition.

“For my entry I basically said what I had done in my final years in secondary, my hobbies, interests and other achievements”, Matthew said.

Adding some creativity to his entry, Matthew had his family members throw him objects symbolising his hobbies. “They handed me stuff relevant to what I was saying”, he explained.

“They threw me a football when I said I liked playing football then my mother soaked me when I said I liked swimming”.

“Funny enough I made the video with me getting soaked with cold water about a week before the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ went big”.

When asked how he is finding DCU as a fresher, Matthew said he is enjoying it, but that it is a big change from Donegal. In order to get involved in campus life, he is an active member of DCU’s Caving Club.

An engineering student, Matthew hopes to pursue a career in the robotics industry. When asked what he would ultimately like to be doing however, he says he hopes to settle back in Donegal and run his own business.

The DCU VIP Fresher Competition is taking place once again this year. Submissions must be completed by August 2015 and once again, are open to all incoming DCU students. Details about entry can be found on the DCU website.

and in particular with the large tracts of industrially zoned lands between the N2 and the N3.”

The Region is home to over 270,000 people and has the fastest growing and the youngest population in the country, with currently over 102,000 residential units in the area.

According to the last Census, almost 30 per cent of students drove into college in 2011, while 28 per cent walked and 5 per cent cycled.

The Census also indicated that over 51% of residents who worked in Dublin city travelled to their workplace with the majority using private cars for their journeys.

Credit Dublinbusstuff.com

College mergers will have to be done on a ‘shoestring’ budget John Casey News Reporter

THE proposed merging of several

of the countries Institutes of Technology into larger Technological Universities will suffer from a lack of funding according to the head of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Tom Boland has said that any such mergers will have to be conducted in “an innovative shoestring sort of way” when speaking to an Oireachtas committee on the matter. He went on to say that the HEA only had a “small amount of funding” to support any of the proposed mergers.

The proposed merger of DIT, IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown will cost an estimated €24 million and the estimated cost of merging Cork IT and IT Tralee is €6.7 million according to recently released documents.

A panel of international experts have expressed concern at the “lack of transitional support” to the institutes.The panel submitted a report to the HEA last year in which they stated: “In our opinion, in the interests of maintaining momentum, minimising overall cost and maximising benefits, some additional financial

support would be very helpful.”

Mr. Boland defended the HEA’s insistence on merging the aforementioned IT’s to the Oireachtas committee last week.

“Better technological universities would be created by bigger institutions” he said. The only way to achieve that was through mergers. He said there were no institutes of technology capable of operating internationally as a TU “with one possible exception” – in an apparent reference to the country’s largest institute of technology DIT. Mr. Boland went on to state that the HEA had received €3 million in recent years to help with the creation of TU’s. But if further funding was not made available their establishment would have to be done creatively.

Staff at the affected institutions have said that they believe the mergers could only be achieved through further streamlining and cuts in services.

The failed plans for a TU in the south-east were also discussed.

This new body would be created by merging Waterford IT and IT Carlow. Mr. Boland expressed hope that talks would get back on track and a quality region for the region could be established.

UCC voSharon Lynskey News Editor

@ sharronlynskey

A staggering 91.4 per cent of

voters in University College Cork voted to re-affiliate with the national student movement, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) last week.

Just over 200 students rejected the motion. Speaking after the announcement of the result former graduate of UCC and current USI President, Laura Harmon, thanked the campaign team in the university and the students of the college.

She added that the ‘Yes’ result “vindicates the work that a growing and strengthening student movement is doing.

It shows that students back USI’s campaigns on education and the fight for a more equal Ireland and clearly demonstrates to policy makers and the political parties that, when USI speaks, we speak with the force, the power and the support of Ireland’s students”.

Harmon explained that: “students know education, we know what’s working and what’s failing. We’re in-

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

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News

NUIG teachers take action against college over alleged sexism in promotion STAFF at NUIG have called for

a review into gender equality as five female lecturers file legal proceedings against the university.

The women are taking the case after they went forward for promotion to senior lecturer positions within the college but were unsuccessful in 2009 and again in 2014, despite being shortlisted as suitable candidates.

There was an internal review of the decision but dealings between the university and the women failed to resolved the issue.

Last year Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, a botany lecturer in NUIG, took a case to the Equality Tribunal after she was passed up for promotion to a senior lectureship post in 2009 and again in

2014.

The tribunal found that she was discriminated against on the basis of her gender and ordered that she be promoted to the position with €70,000 being paid in damages.

The tribunal also found that male academics had a one in two chance of being promoted while females at the university had less than a one in three chance.

Dr Sheehy Skeffington retired in September but has pledged the €70,000 for the legal fees of her former colleagues who she feels have also been overlooked by the university.

In 2009, only one woman was promoted to senior lecturer against 16 men in NUI Galway.

Of the five unsuccessful male candidates in 2009, four were promoted in 2014.

Mary Dempsey, a lecturer at and was awarded €81,000 after it der and disability. the entire higher education sector the university, also took a case was found she had been discrimiNUI Galway says they have re- be undertaken by the Irish Human to the Equality Tribunal last year nated against on the basis of gen- quested that an equality review on Rights and Equality Commission.

Credit ConnachtTribune

Aoife Geary News Reporter

te to re-affiliate with USI formed, we’re engaged and we’re ready for the general election as a united movement working without fear or favour in the interests of our members, their families and this country’s future.”

Martin Lynch, USI’s VP for the Southern Area and campaign

manager for the USI affiliation referendum added that: “When students point out something we could do better, we seek to do better and we’ve shown that commitment. Our job now is to unite the students of Ireland to win a yes vote in the mar-

riage equality referendum and make student issues a priority in the General Election.”

The college also held a referendum to support marriage equality, with over 95 per cent of students voting for the motion.

Credit uccexpress.ie

Millions owed to students victims of English Schools closures Kevin Kelly and Katie O’Neill News Reporters

OVER 2,000 foreign students are

owed up to €6,000 after 10 private colleges had to close in Ireland in the past year.

More and more students are stepping up to admit how they’re losing out on refunds for their money as a series of foreign language colleges closed.

Irish consulates in Pakistan and Brazil have been working with students who have already paid money to colleges but have had visas refused to enter Ireland.

The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) has been supporting those who were to travel to Ireland to go to these private colleges, but some students have admitted they don’t expect their fees back.

ICOS has said that over 550 students lost money from the colleges, and around 100 could not obtain visas to travel to Ireland.

The Department of Justice has backed the students, saying that colleges who took money from students should know that money will not exchange hands until visas have been is-

sued for those coming here to study, with the Department of Education also stating this.

A spokesman for ICOS has said that the total amount owed to students is in the millions of euros, and that this has caused harm to Ireland’s reputation abroad as a high-quality centre of education.

Thirteen different colleges have been listed as having difficulties with refunding students, with more presumed to also have difficulties. Two colleges delayed their opening after the holidays, leaving students unaware of its re-opening date.

While the Government maintains a list of colleges, the Internationalisation Register, that are eligible for students with visas to attend, some on the list do not operate anymore, such as Shelbourne College which has been shut since last November.

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

News

NUIG awarding points for performance and creative arts – UL is one of world’s greenest Universities Stephen Keegan News Reporter

DCU remained the third green-

est university in Ireland but fell to 53rd worldwide in 2014, according to a survey of campus sustainability efforts from 360 universities.

The GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities rate participating universities in respect of their environmental approach in six key areas: Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Waste Management, Transportation, Water Usage and Education.

DCU fell seven places in the overall rankings in 2014 after their 46th place finish the previous year, and placed 26th in a ranking of 192 urban-campus universities.

In contrast, University College Cork retained their impressive second overall ranking, and the University of Limerick rose 18 places to finish 11th overall.

Samantha Fahy of DCU’s sustainability office told the College

View: “While DCUs rank fell by 7 places in 2014 our overall score has increased indicating that we are continuing to work toward a more sustainable campus but we still have much scope to improve.

“Our greatest areas of improvement in 2013/2014 were within transport and waste on campus. In 2015 we are again targeting transport as well as waste and water issues.”

The need for engagement from campus users is “vital” as DCU works towards a more sustainable campus, Ms Fahy said.

Students can get involved in DCU’s sustainability efforts by emailing sustainability@dcu. ie and attending the sustainability office’s Green Committee meetings to see where they can contribute, Ms Fahy said.

Other Irish universities in the rankings include Trinity College, which finished in 104th place falling from 97th in 2013, and Dublin Institute of Technology which placed 193rd overall, falling from 157th last year. Queen’s University Belfast finished 32nd overall.

The rankings, run annually

Trinity Student Union conduct sexual assault survey Chai Brady News Reporter

OVER a quarter of female TCD

students have been victims of sexual assault, according to a study conducted by the Trinity College Students Union (TCDSU).

Five questions were put to 1,038 students. They were asked whether they had a non-consensual sexual experience. Thirty one percent of women said they did compared to 8 percent of men.

Very few students reported being stalked, but 42 per cent of female students reported experiencing verbal harassment compared to eight per cent of males. Five per cent said they had been physically mistreated by their partner.

TCD SU were congratulated by representatives from Women’s Aid and the Rape Crisis Centre for conducting the survey and bringing attention to the seriousness of the issue, and dispelling myths about it. The survey also highlights the fact that men can also be victims of sexual abuse.

Recently in the United States there has been multiple cases of sexual assault being dealt with internally by universities, with little

repercussions for the perpetrator. However last year the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which is a sub-agency of the U.S Department of Education, released a list of 55 universities that are currently under investigation for their handling of sexual assault cases.

The list is constantly updated and can be viewed by contacting the OCR. In DCU harassment complaints are handled by the Equality Office, there is a four step programme outlined in their ‘Policy on Harassment and Bullying’. The office made no comment on the effectiveness of this method in the past.

The TCD SU gender equality officer said: ‘“I’m hoping that the college will take steps towards introducing a policy on responding to sexual assault, as I don’t believe the dignity and respect policy is enough, and that the wider college community will recognise how bad the problem is and be open to participating in a conversation on what consent means.”

When asked about her thoughts on DCU’s policy on harassment the SU welfare officer Eve Kerton referred to the Equality Office, and made no comment when asked if the TCD SU survey was concerning to DCU.

since 2010 by Universitas Indonesia, were topped by the United

Kingdom’s University of Nottingham for the second year running.

Credit wikimedia.org

Rising college take-up ‘damages standard’ Finnian Curran Deputy Editor @finnc94

THIRD-LEVEL

colleges will have to cater for more than 45,000 additional students every year in just over a decade if current participation rates are maintained, experts have advised.

Colleges have warned in recent years that the growing intake of school-leavers and other students, mainly due to population growth, is impacting on quality of the education they provide.

The 56% who go on from Leaving Certificate to third-level is one of the highest rates in Europe, but with projected rises in number coming through schools, keeping it at that level could see enrollments jump from 165,000 to 212,000 by 2028.

The expert group predicts that, even if participa-

tion rates were cut by 5%, student numbers would rise by 26,000 in the same period.

The figures are set out in a consultation paper discussed with stakeholders yesterday, setting out the key issues around demand for higher education and the associated benefits for students, the economy and society.

“Current demographics mean that even in the event of a significant drop in the participation rate, the system is still facing considerable growth in numbers,” says the document from the expert group, chaired by former Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary Peter Cassells.

The document also acknowledges the impact of a 15% cut to public funding in the last six years, and says internal efficiencies and cost-cutting that facilitated increased enrollments of recent years have now been exhausted.

While numbers being admitted to third-level education have grown by 5,000 to 41,500

between 2007 and 2012 alone, the Cassells report says the recession has had a further negative impact on the likelihood of people from poorer backgrounds going to college. The numbers qualifying for grant support to pay the rising student contribution — now at €3,000 a year — rose from 37% to 51% from 2008 to 2013.

The annual income of publicly funded colleges has dropped by €150m to €1.7bn since 2007, but State grants fell from €1.4bn to €860m in the same time. The increased student contribution now accounts for €400m of their income each year, up from €91m in 2007, although up to half it is paid by taxpayers through grant support.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

9

Opinion Credit: insidemyshoe.com

Single On Valentines Day: why the grass is always greener Christine Allen Opinions Editor @AllenChristine2

“HI, my names Christine and I’m single.”

As I type the above I realise that I feel a certain sense of shame about being single at twenty - six. I know I know, it’s not like im on the wrong side of thirty.

However despite this, many of my peers are in the midst of serious long - term relationships, speaking about May’s Marriage Equality referendum with the authority of those who see themselves availing of same - sex marriage in the near future.

And so with Valentines Day approaching, my uncoupled up status has been at the forefront of my mind.

Despite having dated a number of women in the last two years, none have resulted in long

- term relationships for various reasons, the most recent being down to distance.

Premature perhaps, but those worries have begun to set in.

You know the ones - thoughts narrated in the scathing voice of comedian Joan Rivers - “you’ll end up living alone at fourty with nothing but a ton of cats adopted from the RSPCA for company “ and “you’ll be a Guinness World Record holder for the longest running OK Cupid profile” - all perfectly rational concerns (as I’m sure you’ll agree.)

However, at the risk of sounding defensive, finding a girlfriend is easy enough. The hardest part is finding the right person.

To be blunt, I don’t want to settle. I don’t want to commit to someone that I’m not really into.

A girl who just fills the gap.

While there are many couples who are very much in love, making the average singleton mentally compose a Tweet which reads #cantcope, there are just as

Credit: irishmirror.ie

To be blunt, I don’t want to settle. I don’t want to commit to someone that I’m not really into. A girl who just fills the gap.

While there are many couples who are very much in love, making the average singleton mentally compose a Tweet which reads #cantcope, there are just as many who aren’t. many who aren’t.

To quote an Ella Henderson track (I’m mildly obsessed), relationships are ‘Hard Work.’

When in a relationship, you have to take another persons feelings and concerns on board.

Sometimes views on aspects of the relationship will differ, and this is where conflict and frustration can arise.

However when dealbreakers or red flags surface, many often hesitate before calling a halt to their relationship.

Why so?

Well, as much as single people (some, not all) dislike being alone in the romantic sense, those in relationships too fear the idea of no longer being part of a couple.

After all, the process of ending a relationship is in itself a form of withdrawal - an abstinence from a person that you have grown accustomed to.

Yet what I find the most frightening about relationships is not the thought of feeling emotionally tied to someone, but the very real ability that another person has to make you feel happy or sad.

Chemically this has been proven.

Studies undertaken by anthropologist Dr Helen Fisher have found that looking deeply into a loved ones eyes drives oxytocin levels, one of the hormones responsible for the ‘feel good factor.’

While I undoubtedly miss the cuddles and the cute texts, what I do not miss are the arguments, insecurities and stresses that can often accompany any relationship.

That said, when you meet the right person, and can communicate correctly, that feeling of being in sync with another

human being cant be beaten.

That is what for many singletons, Valentines Day represent’s.

With this in mind, for those of us who find ourselves stealthily glancing around a club for a potential partner on Valentines night, or crying into a pack of Milk Tray while watching The Notebook, we need to remember that the grass is always greener The majority of relationships are far from perfect.

Despite what the participants of the show ‘The Undateables’ believe, having a boyfriend/girlfriend does not equal automatic happiness. Remember too that love does come full circle, and your turn will soon come around again.

In the meantime, enjoy the single life, and thank your lucky stars that your not one half of that abusive married couple featured on those Father Ted re - runs.

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Opinion

Students Voices Matter in Marriage Equality Referendum SOMETIME around mid to late

May, a referendum will be held to ask the citizens of Ireland if they are in favor of adding the following amendment to their constitution: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex”.

There are some who believe that the issue of marriage equality for same-sex couples isn’t a student issue.

However, these people often overlook not only the political disposition of our students on such causes but also the historical context of the wider student movement.

The issue of LGBT rights and equality are not new to students and their unions. We were one of the first and few groups to stand as allies with the LGBT community dating back to the mid to late 1970’s.

We helped our LGBT friends gain societal acknowledgement, legal recognition, and cultural acceptance.

Through the national referendum we can help finally realise full societal equality. (It

should be noted that the battles on Bi and Trans* equality acceptance are really only beginning.)

On Wednesday last week I made a decision to seek a petition and gather the 200 signatures required to hold a Union referendum that asks the student body whether they want the Students’ Union to be in support of, and campaign, for marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The uptake and response from students to the petition was wholly positive and it was completed within a single day.

As this was already a Union policy, passed last year by Class Representative Council, people may be asking themselves, ‘Why do we need to hold a referendum on this issue, if we already have it as Union policy?’.

The answer to this question is layered but the simple explanation is that it matters locally because it can influence the result nationally.

The Union referendum process is not merely a democratic tool within our constitution; it is a highly effective engagement mechanism.

In the absence of this Union referendum we are asking our SU Executive and Class Reps to campaign on this issue through workshops and events that could possibly only engage a few hun-

Porn Talk Lisa O’Donnell Contributor

IT would be easy to assume that

by 2015, Irish society would no longer have taboo subjects.

From sex and contraception, to drugs and abortion, most topics are now regularly up for discussion in the media and everyday life.

However, the one issue which still appears to be shrouded in shame is pornography.

Any attempt to bring up the topic in serious conversation

is often met with a lack of eye contact, or a tacky joke, before a swift change of subject.

Whether we blame a lack of sex education or the Catholic guilt that often still lurks in the backgrounds of many Irish people’s psyche, it is obvious that Irish people are reluctant to talk about porn.

Yet ironically, despite our ignorance towards the subject, statistics show that the overwhelming majority of us are regularly viewing pornography.

In a nationwide survey carried out as part of a recent

dred students, regardless of the time and resource commitments they make to it.

This Union referendum offers us an opportunity to engage thousands of our students. It will lead to a more fulsome discourse amongst our student body and will mean they will be better informed and engaged for the national referendum.

It will also give badly needed canvassing experience to the students who intend on campaigning in the national referendum and give the student body a sense of ownership on the issue and build momentum towards the national referendum.

I firmly believe that the student body believes in the principle of equality and equal treatment for LGBT couples and I hope this will be realised in a strong Yes vote in our Union referendum. However the assumption that this is the only viewpoint held by all and that there are no concerns or questions to be answered is arrogant.

In some cases, it has been hard to engage with these issues at a national level due to the political standing held by No advocates - this attitude should not be adopted at a local level.

The concerns and questions of potential No voters must be answered in a civil and re-

spectful manner. The absence of recognising guarantees that potential No voters will become real No voters, and is a missed opportunity to change their position to a Yes vote.

We skip the importance of debate and discussion at our peril.

We must also be cognisant that the student body of DCU is (mostly) sourced from a regional cluster stretching from the North West of Ireland through to the Midlands to Louth and onto North Dublin. When we look at referenda in previous years these are some of the perceived battle ground areas for the Yes campaign in the national referendum. This would mean that the campaigning that is done during the Union referendum could affect the national referendum.

This offers us a chance to turn potential No voters into Yes voters; to turn Yes voters into Yes advocates and to turn Yes advocates into Yes campaigners.

Instead of students heading home on polling day with a passive intention to vote Yes, we can send them home as advocates who have the information and sense of ownership to persuade their families, their friends, their neighbors and their communities into voting Yes. The electoral politics of our

country can be so petty and negative sometimes that it becomes hard to maintain a sense of democratic ownership and participation that should be inherent as a citizen in a Republic.

When Scotland held its Independence referendum it turned it from a stale electoral process into a robust reinvigoration of its democracy. It is in our hands to do the same.

RTE documentary, ‘We Need To Talk About Porn’, 69 per cent of adults revealed that they had been exposed to porn at some point in time.

This poll also revealed that those viewing porn are mainly men, with 83 per cent claiming to be users, in comparison to 56 per cent of women.

Reflecting on figures released by one of Ireland’s most popular pornographic website, Pornhub, the popularity of porn is set to increase, as they report that their site has seen a 77 per cent increase in site hits from Ireland since 2010.

Any rare discussion that does take place on the topic, specifically in the media, often revolves around one question: Is pornography having a negative and potentially damaging effect

on young men? Unfortunately, society appears to still be too horrified by the thought of women watching porn to examine the issue from the stance of the female viewer.

To discuss whether or not porn is right or wrong can be a tedious and potentially useless debate: It is here to stay, despite the efforts of numerous lobby groups worldwide, such as Stop Porn Culture, Antipornograghy. org and Enough is Enough. Any attempt to ban it will simply just drive it underground.

Personally, I do not see a problem with porn being viewed in moderation. Once it does not lead to addiction or isolation for the viewer, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a healthy and balanced relationship with legal and moderate porn if you wish to do so.

However, this ideal, casual relationship with porn is often impossible for some, and is where this discussion steps into a grey area.

Some viewers will struggle to find a balance between online porn and their real life relationships, causing them to become isolated from their loved ones.

Abusing the availability of porn does not just effect the viewer, as extreme hardcore pornography with elements of violence is often linked to cases of domestic abuse, sexual harassment and rape, as well as being completely degrading for

both men and women.

Furthermore, porn can completely distort people’s expectations of sex. Thanks to our generation’s obsession with this phenomenon, women can now feel pressured to look a certain way and to perform sexual acts which they may not comfortable with, while men are also expected to perform to certain levels.

That said, I think that it is completely hypocritical for our society to solely blame porn for the problems that it is perceived to be causing.

We ourselves are partly to blame, as our refusal to discuss the topic in a serious and factual manner means that most of us are largely uneducated in terms of pornography, leading to some viewers being incapable of separating porn from real life and detaching themselves from the often seedy and disturbing world that is portrayed on their computer screen.

It is vital that we become more open to talking about porn if we are to find a balance in this activity, starting with teenagers in schools being taught how to safely engage with porn. After all, porn now forms a large part of modern day sex.

Whether our use of porn becomes healthy and normal, or plummets further into a world of secrecy depends entirely on our willingness to talk openly about the subject.

Credit: PKinja-img.com

Credit: obertmannblog.com

Sean Cassidy Contributor

the suss

11 february 2015

We Wrap up what you may have missed over winter break

arts AWARDS SEASON REMINDS US OF IMPERIALISM

sharp darts

Awards season is upon us again and it has thrown up its usual head-scratching decisions and annual evidence of blind eyes all over the entertainment industry once again.

The Grammys and Academy Awards have often simply whitewashed the industries they supposedly represent and gone with whatever (usually white) face that they think represents whatever category it is that they are awarding, the Grammys’ Best Rap Album’s disrespectful and downright offensive history being the best evidence for this.

-Bob Dylan’s thirty-sixth studio album, Shadows in the Night, has topped the Irish Albums Chart; displacing Ed Sheeran’s X. Dylan’s latest release is a collection of pop standards originally made famous by Frank Sinatra. It is the first new release to top the Irish chart in 2015.

The topic of major industry awards being blind to the work of people of colour is well covered, but another alarming reality became clear when the nominations for the Academy’s Best Actor were announced – hoping to see Miles Teller – Whiplash, I instead read Bradley Cooper – American Sniper.

-Horror film The Hallow, shot in Ireland, funded by Bord Scannán na hÉireann and coproduced by Irish company Fantastic Films has had its American distribution rights acquired by IFC Midnight. The Colin Hardy-directed film, formerly known as The Woods,

The nomination of Clint Eastwood’s biopic of Chris Kyle, the most prolific sniper in US military history is problematic in too many ways to mention. The chosen protagonist has been covered extensively since the film’s release, make no mistake about it: Chris Kyle, the “hero” ofAmerican Sniper, was a psychopathic racist who enjoyed killing “the damn savages” he wrote of in his autobiography.

Any right-thinking person will know that Chris Kyle was no hero, but it is films like American Sniper that constantly position American soldiers as heroes that feed the American militaristic agenda. Films such as Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken also play a less obvious role in making people sympathetic to the cause of the modern day American army.

Unbroken stars the wonderful Jack O’Connell of Skins and Starred Up fame and tells the incredible story of Olympic long distance runner Louis Zamperini, who was captured by Japanese forces in World War II and routinely tortured.

There is no evidence that Zamperini was the reprehensible character that Kyle was, by all reports he was an inspirational man in an awful situation.

Yet stories like this may be even more damaging than films like American Sniper that simply reduce Iraqis to mere targets. Zamperini’s story deserves to be told and his strength should be marvelled at, but that is where the admiration should end. Too often films secretly implant in us an admiration for the “heroics” of the Americans and an aversion to the “savagery” of whoever they are fighting against in these films.

In a time where the USA is threatening to arm the Ukraine to fight Russia, they continue with drone strikes in the Middle East and support Israel’s occupation of Gaza, it is more important than ever to question their military tactics and not simply assume that their cause is noble because Hollywood has repeatedly told stories of their nobility and imprinted the notion that they are constant saviours in us.

American Sniper is just another in a long list of awards season mistakes, should Bradley Cooper win, people will smile and clap politely all the while wondering how a film that used a doll as a baby and Middle Easterns as little more than props was ever taken seriously.

Arts Editor: Odrán de Bhaldraithe Lifestyle Editor: Orlaith Farrell Deputy Arts Editor: BryanOdrán Grogan de Bhaldraithe Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Emma Dungan

11 February 2015 | the suss

Alice, while Eddie Redmayne was named best actor for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

-Tipperary actress Kerry Condon is reportedly in talks to become a part of David Fincher’s upcoming comedy on HBO. Thurles native Condon, best known for her role as Octavia of the Julii in Rome would play Marcy, an “angry record executive” in the Fight Club director’s new project titled Living on Video.

-Tegan and Sara will perform their collaboration with The Lonely Island, “Everything Is Awesome” from the Lego Movie soundtrack at this year’s Academy Awards.

“

-Iconic British actor Michael Gambon has retired from theatre, as memory struggles prevented him from remembering his lines. The Fortitude star has said that he made the decision about six months ago, though he will continue acting in film and TV.

premiered at Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews.

-A lengthy excerpt of Kim Gordon’s memoir Girl in a Band has been published in The Guardian. The Sonic Youth bassist’s writing tells of her relationships with Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love and Sonic Youth bandmate/ husband Thurston Moore, detailing the eventual disintegration of alternative rock’s major power couple. The excerpt also contains a hilari-

Boyhood came out on top at this years BAFTA awards as it scooped the prize for best picture, with Richard Linklater winning for best director

Odrán de Bhaldraithe

Picture Credit: cloudfront.net; pappzd.com; guam.co.uk; HipHop-n-More; trbimg.com;; Flixxy; Wikimedia; HealthyAndHip; DCUStyleSoc; Schwarzkopf; Complex; NewLook; WeddingBee; Katie Shaughnessy; Amazon; etsy.com; tipsted.com; River Island; MissSelfridge; TopShop

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-Boyhood came out on top at this years BAFTA awards as it scooped the prize for best picture, with Richard Linklater winning for best director. Julianne Moore picked up the best actress gong for her role in Still

Bob Dylan’s newest album has become the first new album of 2015 atop the Irish charts

ous putdown of the Smashing Pumpkins, with Gordon claiming they “took themselves way too seriously and were in no way punk rock.”

-Harper Lee is set to publish her second novel, 55 years after her debut To Kill a Mockingbird. The idea for Go Set a Watchman was initially conceived before Lee’s debut,

“

Iconic British actor Michael Gambon has retired from theatre, as memory struggles prevented him from remembering his lines

but she was persuaded to shift attention to what would become a classic. Controversy arose over whether or not the author was actually involved in the publication process as she is now mostly deaf and partially blind, but publishers HarperCollins moved quickly to diffuse the situation and released a statement attributed to Lee, saying she is “alive and kicking”. The book will be released in July and is already at the top of Amazon’s pre-order chart.

Odrán de Bhaldraithe Bryan Grogan

arts

the suss | 11 February 2015

We here at The Suss are well aware that you rely heavily on us for our recommendations and so the space in between our last issue and this one must have been torture for you, dear reader, not knowing what to listen to or which films to go and see. Fret no more, here we have it: the highlights of the gap between our last issue and this one.

Rae Sremmurd SremmLife

13

al-

what you may have missed ready knew: Sleater-Kinney are impossibly good at making politics catchy and fun.

Punk bands reunited is usually a disaster, ask Black Flag, ask Blink-182, but Sleater-Kinney have never been ones to fall into the holes that their male counterparts did. Highlights include the infectious title track and opener “Price Tag”, which immediately sets out to prove that they never lost touch or ability. We’re pleased to report that both are present throughout.

Bolstered by the hit singles (at least in America) “No Flex Zone” and “No Type”, SremmLife is a 45 minute long party. Production is mainly handled by their Ear Drummers label boss Mike WiLL Made-It, with synths pounding and pulverising throughout the course of the album.

Brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy interact wonderfully with the vocals, capturing the effervescent energy the duo have shown at any Panda Bear Panda Bear Meets opportunity in public. Further the Grim Reaper pop success is almost guaranteed with the Nicki Minaj and Young Thug assisted “Throw Sum Mo”, but the album’s real highlight is “This Could Be Us”. Playing off of the “this could be us but you playing” internet meme, the artists better known for brash shout-raps sound positively lovely as Swae sings the heartaching hook.

Sleater-Kinney No Cities to Love It just had to be good. SleaterKinney disbanded ten years ago with a perfect record: seven albums, not a bad one amongst them. The catchiest punk album you or anyone will hear this year, No Cities to Noah Lennox said he wanted Love simply reminds what we to make a more “lively” and

“busy” sound for his follow up to 2011’s grim Tomboy.

Lively and busy are understatements, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper is layer upon layer of sonic exploration that creates a density that’s almost mind-boggling.

The album mixes instances of drone and downright pop masterfully, creating a grey sky that the Animal Collective leader’s voice floats over perfectly. As the title suggests, Panda Bear finds himself dealing with mortality, but lyrics like “when it comes to fill those spaces/ only you can fill those spaces” from “Selfish Gene” bring a surprisingly life-affirming punch to the proceedings.

Charli XCX Sucker Of course the way Charli XCX rose to superstardom was through collaborating with Iggy Azaelia and providing a song for the soundtrack to The Fault in Our Stars.

These two facts alone might

be enough for some people to write off Charli XCX, but the facts remain that her hook propelled the otherwise awful “Fancy” to the top of worldwide charts and “Boom Clap” was an undeniable pop gem.

She had the songs already, but the way she became a star is just how the world works.

Her follow up was just as undeniable, the schoolresisting “Break the Rules” established Charlotte Aitchison as the most punk pop star out there, not that that means an awful lot in today’s climate. Tracks like “Body of My Own”, an ode to masturbation mark XCX out as a pop star unlike any other.

An incredibly self-assured album, especially given that it was clear that this was Charli’s big shot, Sucker sneers its way to being the pop highlight of 2014.

Whiplash Nominated for five, yet still not enough Academy Awards, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash is a cathartic work of brilliance. Anyone who has ever found themselves trying to be the absolute best at anything, not just jazz drumming, will feel an incredible resonance with this incredible story that really has nothing to do with jazz at all.

We’ve all heard about J.K. Simmons’ turn as tyrannical

Terrence Fletcher, but more needs to be made of the subtle and emotionally crippled portrayal of Andrew Neiman by the wonderful Miles Teller.

“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job”, Fletcher tells Neiman toward the end of the story; in this case, it’s definitely applicable.

To Chazelle, Simmons, Teller, et al.: good job.

The Return of Modest Mouse Washington rockers Modest Mouse are finally back with their follow-up to the unfollow-able We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, forthcoming album Strangers to Ourselves. They remain infectiously outraged with world affairs, as first single “Lampshades on Fire”, again portrays pollution as humanities biggest mistake.

Coyote on the other hand is softer and sweet, and sounds similar to the yearning that can be heard on another of their singles, “The World at Large”.

It doesn’t look like Isaac Brock and co. are going to reinvent the wheel with Strangers to Ourselves, but you can guarantee that their comeback will stir up a bit of controversy.

Odrán de Bhaldraithe Bryan Grogan

arts

14

11 February 2015 | the suss

festivals returning to their communal roots is good news for everyone Ireland’s summer festival scene has gone from being a predictable two-party system just a few years ago, to an eclectic barrel of options and experiences. With line-up announcements coming thick and fast, it’s hard not to get excited by the wealth of options available this summer.

From the zenith of Oxegen’s success we have come a long way as festival life is no longer about seeing the year’s biggest chart stars and drinking your weight in warm beer. The possibility of escapism into a communal, childlike land of fantasy has become ever more attainable.

The selling point is still the line-up, that’s undoubtable. Longitude has positioned itself as one of Ireland’s biggest festivals,

mostly down to its ability to attract big name acts. Based in Marley Park, Rathfarnham, there’s no camping available and drink can’t be taken into the site. You’d think this would write off its chances, but bands like Alt-J and The Chemical Brothers have lent legitimacy to the festival.

While Longitude represents Parklife, the majority of up and coming Irish Festivals have preferred to find a musical niche rather than try to

“

Festival life is no longer about seeing the year’s biggest chart stars and drinking your weight in warm beer

spread themselves across the whole spectrum of modern music. Life Festival in Westmeath lays claim to dance music, with big-name electronic musicians like Pantha du Prince, Alle Farben and others propping up surprise headliner (and possibly the biggest coup for any festival so far this year) Nas, performing his classic debut Illmatic in full.

ing the feeling of a carnival of illusions.

The communal lifestyle of the festival atmosphere has become a mainstay.

Synonymous with events like Woodstock and Burning Man, the vision of an inclusive and selfless society is available for those willing to work towards it.

Electric Picnic offers you the possibility of buying your ticket for just 50, if you’re willing to raise 330 or more for charity and cycle 80km or run 15km to the campsite.

It has never been more obvious that festivals are returning to their 60’s loveculture roots and, in doing so, the best parts of the arts are floating to the top, invigorating the creativity of excited young people.

If you’re looking for a holiday, why not venture into a society based on art and the imagination? Forbidden Fruit illustrates this point perfectly when it markets itself as a Modern Day Garden of Eden, set slap-bang in the middle of Dublin City.

Electric Picnic takes this a little bit further, as areas like Trenchtown, Trailer Park and the Salty Dog are like culturally drenched enclaves with little or no similarities, creat-

Bryan Grogan

arcade fire multi-instrumentalist takes advantage of his luxury 2013 saw the release of Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire’s highly anticipated fourth studio album, Reflektor. The seven person band have celebrated numerous musical successes over the years including a 2015 Grammy nomination for Reflektor and as the new year reels

in, it appears that there are greater gains to come.

Founded in 2001, the band is fronted by eccentric husband and wife, Win Butler and Regine Chassagne.

However, a spotlight shift may be in order as the frontman’s brother, Will Butler prepares to release his first

Will Butler plays Dublin CAPTION on April 25th to promote his new album

DCU Drama Society ended up as winners

solo album, Policy.Butler has already released two songs from his LP which have been well received yielding high hopes for the official release on March 16th.

Dabbling in bass, guitar, synthesizer, percussion, and vocals with Arcade Fire, this

multi-instrumentalist has talents in many areas and it certainly shows in his solo work.

Bulter’s first single “Take My Side” is entirely different to Arcade Fire’s personalised alternative genre. Featuring old school rock n’ roll guitar and steady beats, the track’s raw sound make for a catchy tune that would no doubt sound excellent live.

Butler’s second track, “Anna” however is quite similar to Arcade Fire’s heavily synthetic sound featured on Reflektor. The vocals on the track also echo that of his brother’s distinctive hushed, trebled range - a bonus for original fans of Arcade Fire.

Both tracks are an exciting preview of the Policy collection.

To promote the release of his album, the singer will also be embarking on both a US and European tour, ending in Dublin itself with an intimate show in Whelan’s on April 25th. Other shortstops include New York’s Baby’s All

Right venue as well as Austin’s famous South By Southwest festival.

Butler has stated in an interview with Pitchfork that he’s aware of the benefits of coming from a popular band commenting, “it’s extremely luxurious… people will pay some attention to it regard-

“

This multiinstrumentalist has talents in many areas and it certainly shows in his solo work less of the quality.” He asserts that his record is “driven by an artistic drive” despite having “a sense of how luxurious it is.”

Already having a 2014 Oscar nomination under his belt for his work on the soundtrack for Spike Jonze’s Her, the beginning of Butler’s solo career is looking rather optimistic as voiced by his comments on his tour, “I’m really excited to fill small venues with a 4 piece. We’ll still be plenty loud.” It looks like there is star quality in not one Butler brother, but two and audiences everywhere are excited to hear it.

Scout Mitchell

arts

the suss | 11 February 2015

15

the next superstars of cinema Following the release of Unbroken and Jack O’Connell’s show-stealing performance in an otherwise average film, we here at The Suss decided to take a look at just what is in store for film goers in the future with stars such as O’Connell on the rise.

Jack O’Connell Best known this side of the Atlantic for his gritty and gut-wrenching performance as James Cook in Skins, O’Connell made it clear that he has the charisma and talent to carry a feature in David Mackenzie’s prison drama Starred Up. A take of $150.2 million at the box office for Unbroken proved that O’Connell can carry a major motion picture.

Expect to see more of the man who introduced himself to our screens by showing the teachers in Skins the tattoo on his penis.

Shailene Woodley With only five feature film credits to her name, you could be forgiven for thinking that Shailene Woodley is nothing but a newcomer, but since her breakout as Alex King in The Descendants, Woodley’s star has only risen. Showing a keen eye for the balance between blockbusters and indie darlings, her performance in The Spectacular Now beside fellow

future superstar Miles Teller remains her career highlight to this date. With Woodley rumoured to be playing Edward Snowden’s girlfriend Lindsay Mills in Oliver Stone’s upcoming project about the WikiLeaks scandal, that may be about to change.

Michael B. Jordan Best remembered as the tragic Wallace and the inspirational Vince in cult shows The Wire and Friday Night Lights, Jordan’s star has steadily rose since Vince Howard threw that state championship-winning touchdown pass. Winner of five awards for his portrayal of Oscar Grant, a man fatally shot by police in Oakland, California, in Fruitvale Station, Howard looks set to step into the mainstream with this year’s Fantastic Four reboot. 20th Century Fox

Jack O’Connell is best known for his role as James Cook in Skins Left: Michael B. Jordan

showed bravery in casting a black actor as the Human Torch (yes it is ridiculous that this is considered brave, but the reality is that it unfortunately is to be considered so), the smart money’s on their gamble paying off.

Justin Simien Not an on-screen talent like the three above, but last year’s debut Dear White People showed Justin Simien to be one of the most exciting

young directors and screenwriters in film today. Following on in the footsteps of Spike Jonze in making what he refers to as “these types of black movies”, the mixture of biting satire and the search for identity in Dear White People, while not perfect, was enough evidence that we might be witnessing the start of something special.

Odrán de Bhaldraithe

the rise of the scandinavian drama The frosty soils of Scandinavia have given rise to creatures like trolls, elves and the trickster god Loki. So it makes sense that the landscape, the architecture and the general atmosphere is great at channelling the idea of the monstrous and the unknown.

Certainly the idea of the wilderness of the Scandinavian countryside, especially in this information age, has given rise to a number of crime and drama programmes in the past few years. Most recently Fortitude hit our screens, on Sky Atlantic, while shows like The Killing, Borgen and The Legacy have achieved cult followings.

Fortitude is a British TV show, created by Simon Donald and plays host to an all-star cast which includes Michael Gambon, Christopher Eccleston and Sofie Grabol, who also plays the lead role in The Killing. With a grisly murder just commit-

ted in a supposedly peaceful and crime-free community, there is no telling which of the characters has committed the crime, as more than a few seem to harbour motive.

This community setting, which is based around a fairly self-sufficient population, gives the show a very distinctive Cluedo-like feel. It also provides the perfect back

“

The idea of the wilderness of the Scandinavian countryside has given rise to a number of crime and drama programmes drop for an investigation into

the limits of trust and honesty.

This isn’t the first time Sky’s Fortitude is just one of that a number of Scandinavian drama on our screens we’ve seen Scandinavia become all the rage. favourite director, Ingmar The sub-continent is well Bergman, was at the height known for having a high intel- of his fame in the 1950’s and lectual output, and can boast 60’s, as he portrayed the vast an array of lauded writers, amount of guilt that seemed filmmakers and artists who to preoccupy the people of have contributed to the wider the north. world’s perception of a very In the recent past places idiosyncratic culture. like Sweden and Denmark Danish writer Søren Kihave been painted as quite erkegaard helped get the ball bleak, with the general rolling in the 19th century populous laden with anxiety by presenting a picture of a and neuroses; to add to this perplexed prototype, coming twisted, fantastical percepto the realisation that nothtion, Sweden has become ing is essential. Woody Allen’s one of the more likely places

to meet a vampire, since Let the Right One In came out, while Stieg Larsson achieved worldwide fame with his Millennium Trilogy.

It’s important to note that as the world shrinks, with lines of communication growing broader every day, so should the impact of international drama increase. If this be the case we may even see the creative world finally shift back into a state of balance.

Bryan Grogan

lifestyle arts

16

good fad or plain bad?

Fashion trends change with the wind and that’s no surprise to any of us. However some of the things these fashion cats drag in with them can be more than a little questionable. Here are but a few of these recent fads - are they good or just plain bad?

Chokers What a 90s flashback these babies are.

They give us a chance to channel our inner Tia and Tamera, but really and truly, are we actually going there again? Is the next step going to be us leaving

two strands of hair out on either side of our faces and wearing belly tops with flared jeans again? I for one certainly hope not. I can however appreciate the appeal of the choker. They are bang on trend at the moment and with the right outfit they can actually be really cool. If they fit right they elongate the neck, if they fit wrong they make your neck look like one of those Christmas hams with the string wrapped around it.

Thigh High Boots I am all for these on the most part, but I have seen these worn so, so wrong. I get that we are all trying to capture that pretty woman style with this particular footwear choice, but let us at least try to bear in mind dear Vivian’s profession in the movie.

There are ways to wear these boots, and with bare legs and a body con dress is not one of them. A cute skirt and tights is the way to go with these thigh highs, you’re instantly more Cher from Clueless than Crystal from the street corner.

cleantella

Alex and Ani If there was ever a fashion trend that embodied the phrase “everything in moderation”, it was this one. These bracelets are cute. There is no denying that. They can be a really thoughtful gift and they’re definitely a trend that’s going nowhere fast. I will just say this; you do not need fifteen of these. If you do have fifteen of these, please

“

They are bang on trend and with the right outfit they can actually be really cool

(believe it or not) and boasts less than half the calories of normal Nutella; result. Don’t undo any good intentions for a cleaner New Year, next time you feel like reaching for the Nutella jar and a spoon, try this instead.

Ingredients 200g raw hazelnuts 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla essence 1/4 cup raw cacao powder 1/4 cup plus 2tbsp honey 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup of milk of your choice.

2 tbsp coconut oil

We’ve battled through the January gloom and emerged from our cocoons, brighteyed and bushy tailed, ready for spring. However, some of us did a better job at sticking to those pesky New Year’s resolutions than others. The fitness craze that’s sweeping the country isn’t going anywhere, but thankfully it isn’t about berating ourselves anymore. Now, it’s geared more towards creating

delicious, clean alternatives to our favourite foods and treating ourselves without the guilt.

Cleantella is the new craze that is taking the fitness and foodie world by storm. This delicious spread is a healthy substitute to our beloved chocolate Nutella, containing nothing but hazelnuts and high protein natural ingredients. It actually tastes better

Instructions -Roast hazelnuts for 6-8 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

-Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skin off.

-In a blender or food processor, blend the nuts until they turn into butter.

-Then add all other ingredients and blend for quite some time, till it gets as smooth as Nutella. This will take about 2 minutes.

-Enjoy whatever way you please, guilt free!

Katie Shaughnessy

11 February 2015 | the suss refrain from wearing them all simultaneously, we can hear you jingling from the top of Collins Avenue, and you kind of look like you’re showing off. Three is cute, twenty is overkill.

Balyage I almost feel like that’s a bad word at this stage.

It’s one of those hairstyles that just spread like wildfire, like spikes and whopper side fringes back in the Dj Cammy days. When a balyage is done well, it’s beautiful and so subtly glam.

When it isn’t well done, problems arise. If you have black hair, you should not have blonde ends. There should

dcu style’s fashion week DCU Style Society will host their annual fashion week from the 17th to 19th of February.

Each year major cities across the globe celebrate the fantastic fashion houses in the industry. From Burberry in London to Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, the fashion community rejoices together for a glimpse at next season’s collections.

Bringing the excitement a little closer to home, DCU Fashion Week will take place during week three this semester, finishing off with the acclaimed DCU Fashion Show 2015: 10 Years of Style on the 25th of February.

Events during the week include a Swap & Sell clothing exchange and Pop-up Shop, the Bank of Ireland press launch with prizes and competitions, stylists from Oasis to assist with tips and tricks and the preliminary

be a blend between the two shades; it should not resemble the stripe on the back of a skunk in any way, shape or form. It might not bother you so much, but think about the people who have to sit behind you in lectures.

Emma Dungan round of the national competition Project Young Designer on the 19th of February.

The competition is being judged by Brendan Courtney, Sonya Lennon, Natalie B Coleman and Ruth Ní Loinsigh of Om Diva boutique and Stellar’s Fashion editor Linda Conway. The lucky winner will have the incredible opportunity to showcase and sell their designs in Om Diva boutique based in the heart of the city. The winner will be announced during the DCU Fashion show.

Chairperson of DCU Style, Emma Kearney, said: “This year we are celebrating the 10th Anniversary of DCU Style Society. We will be taking a look back at the DCU Fashion Shows since 2005 and as always, the show will be produced, styled and choreographed by DCU students.

The DCU Style committee have been working hard since August to make this show the biggest one yet.”

Orlaith Farrell

the suss | 11 February 2015

best budget gifts for valentine’s day As Valentine’s Day approaches, many people find themselves stuck for meaningful presents to give to their significant other. Here is a list of gifts that will not only impress your partner but also save you a bit of money.

glitter, ribbons, etc. will make your love jar look more presentable. This present is guaranteed to pull heartstrings.

Romantic Scavenger Hunt Never underestimate the benefits of a good scavenger hunt, especially on Valentine’s Day. Love Jars For this, you will need to buy As the name suggest, this is a various items and hide them jar filled with love! On printed in significant places. Give or handwritten squares of yourself enough time to plan paper you will need to write ahead and make sure your down things you admire about your partner, your special memories together, important dates or even silly private jokes. For this to work effectively a good memory would be ideal. You can purchase Love Jars at most gift shops at a low price or simply make one yourself to add that extra personal touch. Materials such as coloured paper,

“

Give yourself enough time to plan ahead and make sure your gifts are well hidden

lifestyle gifts are well hidden. Each clue you leave must lead to the next until they manage to find the last gift. This simple activity will be fun for you and your partner. It shows that you devoted time into coming up with this activity meant just for them.

Valentine’s Day Tickets Rather than buying your partner many expensive gifts just for one day why not create a ticket system central to Valentine’s Day. This system requires you to write down things you usually wouldn’t do on a regular basis but would be willing to with due notice. When your partner checks in their ticket you are obliged to treat them to whatever is on the ticket. This gives you time to save money and you can budget the overall cost of each treat. Things like; Dinner for two, Romantic Movie at the Cinema, Breakfast in Bed, Car wash are ideal. Websites such as www. homemade-gifts-made-easy. com have free downloadable

my j1 experience

O

n the 8th of June last year, my two best friends and I embarked on what turned out to be the most amazing summer of our lives. We bundled into the airport at 6am, nine bags between us and the journey began.

When I booked my J1 I said to myself, ‘No way are you slumming it Emma. You like your creature comforts.

You’ll get a cute studio apartment in the city with the gals, it’ll be so sex and the city’.

HAH. How wrong I was.

After a week of staying

in a hostel in San Francisco, eating in the Cheesecake Factory and doing all the touristy stuff, the girls and I moved into a two bedroom apartment with nine boys, who were then strangers to us. We slept on air mattresses for the duration of our time

in the US. At one point we even used a burst air mattress as a shower curtain. I’ll admit it was a little grim but the darkness actually made the shower strangely tranquil, unless of course one of the nine male roomies was tinkling while you rinsed and repeated. I can say now hand on heart, there wasn’t a single luxury you could have given me that would make me change my experience in any way shape or form; this

17 “love coupons” which you can choose from or just create to suit you.

Indoor Picnic

Surprise your significant other by turning your kitchen or sitting room into a five star picnic room rather than wasting money in an overpriced restaurant. Prepare a nice meal for two and don’t forget to have a picnic basket filled with yummy desserts.

Do an activity together Most recreational centres

coming from a girl who at one stage had nothing to use as toilet paper except for the napkin from her Aunty Anne’s pretzel that morning.

Living with that many people had its challenges (mainly the influx of random socks scattered across the apartment floor) but it worked out fine. There wasn’t really any alone time to be had over the couple months, someone was almost always home. But because of this, we all became really close and took some great trips together.

The day before the 4th of July, 16 of us rented an RV (13 boys, 3 girls; solid ratio I know). We travelled five and a half hours to Lake Tahoe and spent our first night camped in a CVS pharmacy car park. We got settled in a campsite the following morning and the weekend was hands down one of the best I’ve ever had. We saw the fireworks, went to the casinos, melted marshmallows like real campers, had barbeques, visited waterfalls and had a few drink fuelled sing songs that actually made

offer short term activities that you can pay for in weekly or monthly instalments. Around this time there are offers for couples that you can avail

of. The activities offered mig not be as daring as simultaneously skydiving out of a plane but you can still choose something you both haven’t done before, a water sport or maybe even dance classes?

What’s important here is you’re spending time with them and learning something new together.

Zainab Boladale

us a big hit with the other ‘camper-vanners’. The sleeping arrangements were tough though. It was an RV made to sleep 8 people, 8 Americans to be fair, but nonetheless it was quite a squeeze.

I can’t recommend doing a J1 enough, I enjoyed it so much I have one booked for this summer already. Don’t worry about leaving your part time job in whatever shop or café you’re in. You’re not going to work there for the rest of your life, and you only have that job so that you can do things. Make doing a J1 one of these things.

Emma Dungan

lifestyle arts

18

budget beauty We all want to look our best without breaking the bank, but sometimes we can get fooled into buying high-end beauty products unnecessarily. Try some of these cheap beauty tricks to achieve a Hollywood makeover look.

Vaseline Small but powerful. Every night, use an eyebrow brush to apply Vaseline to your eyelashes to make them longer and stronger. Another tip is to apply it on any spot where you put your perfume for a longer lasting fragrance.

Exfoliating It can be a difficult task when it comes to clearing blackheads and cleansing pores.

Simply mix together the juice of half a lemon with 3-4 drops of honey and rub on your face. Leave the mask to sit for 5 minutes before rinsing off with cold water. You will see the results instantly.

Nails For long and strong nails the best tip is to mix chopped garlic in to a bottle of clear nail polish and apply to your nails as often as possible.

Perfume When you get to the bottom of your favourite bottle of perfume and it won’t spray anymore, pour it into your body wash for a long-lasting effect.

Lips Cinnamon is often the active ingredient used in many expensive lip plumping glosses.

You can buy cinnamon oil at any natural-food shop and mix it into your lip gloss to get that full lip effect.

what to wear: valentine’s day

Whether it’s your first date, an anniversary or a night out with the girls, the season of love is swiftly approaching and the time to find your perfect outfit is beginning to run out. Whether you hate it or love it, we should embrace Valentine’s Day by spending it with those who we love to be around – be it boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, father or dog. Who said that it has to be all about flowers and watching The Notebook repeatedly?

Here are my top outfit picks for every Valentine’s occasion.

Carina Canavan

mantalk: textiquette

I

magine the situation.

You’ve just put in the hardest night’s work and miraculously it has paid off.

You have managed to swap spit with the bombshell on the dance floor. The night is coming to a close so you get their number in the hope of more slippery tongue action in the future.

So what to do with this series of numbers that when used

11 February 2015 | the suss

telephonically will put you in contact with the possible love of your life? DO NOT TEXT THEM THAT NIGHT. I don’t mean wait three days like everyone will tell you. Three days is the length of time it took Jesus to rise again. Optimal amount of time: midday the next day to 8 p.m. the second night.

Too soon and you come across too eager, too late and you aren’t interested.

First Date – River Island

Anniversary – Miss Selfridge

Night out – Topshop

Choosing an outfit for a first date is already stressful, but throwing the ‘V-day’ card into the works, does not make the situation any easier. When going for a look, choose one statement piece of clothing that draws attention to your best asset; be it your lean, long legs or a slender waist.

For this look I’ve chosen a pair of statement cigarette trousers, a sweet embellished bib and a relaxed, slouchy jumper with a chic pair of white heels. The outfit is relaxed and cool, but still accentuating your best features and looking effortlessly sophisticated at the same time.

Winner? I think so.

Whether you’re celebrating your first or fifth anniversary, they are always extremely special and finding the perfect ensemble can be a difficult feat. I suggest going for a simple but elegant look with a touch of sexiness.

Remember simplicity is key; stick with a basic piece and dress it up with accessories.

When you look back on old photos, you’ll be glad for it!

I’ve chosen a fabulous black polo-neck dress with short sleeves and a simple, layered necklace with statement red pumps. It’s classy, elegant and sexy; the perfect combination for Valentine’s Day.

So what if you’re not matched up on the 14th? That gives you the perfect excuse to strap on your favourite heels and hit the town. Speaking of heels; I’ve chosen these beauties from Topshop as my favourite pick paired with this amazingly chic culotte jumpsuit and fringe clutch bag. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, the minimal jumpsuit is the perfect staple piece for your wardrobe this season. Easy to wear and effortlessly cool, it gets the seal of approval.

The next piece of advice to feel like they are interestis probably the most cliché ing, so take a back seat and and trite thing you will ever give them centre stage. be told: play it cool. It’s good to be interested in someone, but don’t be an eager beaver. Gauge their responses to know their level of involvement. “Hi, hello, I love you” is not the way your first postshift interaction should go with someone.

Struggling to find something to talk about? Show an interest in them. I mean this is more than a ‘what did you do today?’ way. Everyone wants

“

I don’t mean wait three days like everyone will tell you. Three days is the length of time it took Jesus to rise again

Orlaith Farrell

This doesn’t just apply to texting either, but all forms of contact. We live in an information society so it can be easy to suffocate people with an ‘add’ on a social network, which leads to snaps and texts and messages galore. No one wants to be annoyed on social media.

Above all, do what suits you. If you want to text them at four in the morning as soon as you get home, fire ahead.

I’m just giving some advice.

Chris Kennedy

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

19

Gaeilge

Ré an vlag

Caoimhe Ní Chathail Eagarthoir Gaeilge @caoimhechats

SAMHLAIGH tú féin ag suí an-

sin i do sheomra leapa, ceamara ar siúl agat agus tusa ag labhairt leis agus ansin ag uaslódáil an físeán go YouTube. Ansin samhlaigh go bhfuil tú anois ar chainéal mór teilifíse, ag tabhairt agallamh faoin táirge is déanaí leat agus ag brath ar dhuine den lucht slándála tú a iompar ar ais chuig an carr atá ag fanacht taobh amuigh duit i measc na sluaite daoine ag iarraidh tú a fheiceáil ar feadh soicind fiú.

Sin saol an ‘vlagálaí’, saol an duine atá tar éis dul ó neart go neart ar shuíomh gréasáin YouTube. Is slí beatha é anois do na mílte daoine. Post lán aimseartha é a bheith ag déanamh taifead ar achan uile rud a mbíonn idir láimhe acu i rith an lae agus ansin a bheith ag suí síos arís agus ag labhairt leis an cheamara ina n-aonar faoi chibé ábhair.

Is coincheap é an bealach saoil seo nach bhfuil intuigthe do chuid mhór den phobal go fóill ach cinnte go bhfuil sé ag tarraingt níos mó suime, measa agus tuisceana le déanaí.

Don chuid is mó, thosaigh na vlagálaithe is rathúla timpeall cúig bhliain ó shin. Déagóirí a bhí iontu ag an am a rinne an cinneadh lá éigin go mbeadh sé ina smaoineamh maith físeán a uaslódáil go YouTube.

Bunaíodh YouTube sa bhliain 2005 ach ní thiocfadh samhlú ag an am cé chomh rathúil agus a mbeadh sé faoi cheann cúpla bliain. Tá anois os cionn 100 uair físeáin curtha ar an suíomh gach bomaite agus tá daoine ag féachaint ar 6 bhilliún bomaite de, achan mí.

Tá thar milliún duine, de bhunadh níos mó ná 30 tír mar chruthaitheoirí ar YouTube a shaothraíonn airgead as a gcuid físeán. Ciallaíonn sé sin go bhfuil na mílte cainéal ag tuilleadh na céadta míle euro achan bliain. Sin iad na cainéail agus na daoine atá ag dul is mó i bhfeidhm ar an phobal agus go háirithe ar an aos óg.

Níl aon dabht ach go bhfuil i bhfad níos mó aithne ar chailín darb ainm Zoe Sugg na laethannta seo nó a bhí riamh. Bhunaigh Zoe a cainéal ar YouTube sa bhliain 2009. Ar an fhéachaint deireanach dom, bhí thar 7 mhilliún duine á leanúint ar YouTube.

Arís, samhlaigh é sin. 7 mhilliún duine ag faire ort.

Cha dtiocfadh le éinne réamhaithris a dhéanamh air.

Is faoi smideadh agus éadaí a labhraíonn Zoe don chuid is mó

ar a cainéal ‘Zoella’. Tá na milliún cailíní faoina draíocht agus sásta a comhairle agus a sampla a leanúint. Baineann Zoe úsáid mhaith as an stadás a bhronnadh uirthi. Impíonn sí i gcónaí ar a lucht féachána a bheith dearfach, seilbh a ghlacadh ar dheiseanna agus aire a thabhairt dá sláinte aigne. Ar ndóigh, tá sí faoi thionchar a taithí diúltach agus dearfach féin ach ar a laghad tá úsáid a bhaint aici as an ardán cumhachtach ar a bhfuil sí ag seasamh.

An áit go dtig tionchar YouTube a fheiceáil ag dul chun cinn is mó ná sna meáin thraidisiúnta. Is sampla foirfe í Zoe í féin. An bhliain seo chuaigh thart, shuí sí ag bord na mban de chuid ‘Loose Women’ agus níor stad sí leis na hagallaimh ó shin.

Rinneadh fogrú le déanaí ar iomaitheoirí ‘The Great Comic Relief Bake Off’ agus cé a bhí ina measc ach Zoe. Ar vicipéid s’aici tá iontráil anois faoin teideal ‘Ceol’ mar gheall go raibh sí féin, a buachaill Alfie Deyes agus a deartháir Joe Sugg atá ina vlagálaithe fosta mar

FOCLÓIR vlagálaí = vlogger cruthaitheoirí = creators impireacht = empire

pháirt den ath-taifeadadh ar ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’.

de vlagálaithe rathúla na Breataine. Is cosúil go bhfuil teagm-

Ní féidir réaltaí YouTube a sheachaint.

Tá duine ag éirí cliste anois agus ag baint úsáid as an chumhacht agus an tionchar atá acu.

Ní féidir réaltaí YouTube a sheachaint. Tá duine ag éirí cliste anois agus ag baint úsáid as an chumhacht agus an tionchar atá acu.

Faoi stiúr na bainistíochta ‘Gleam Futures’ atá mór-chuid

hálaithe ag an chomhlacht in achan cearn den ré siamsaíochta.

I mí Mheán Fómhair na bliana seo chaite, scaoileadh ‘Zoella Beauty’, réimse i gcomhair an fholcadáin agus na háilleach-

ta. I mí na Samhna, d’fhoilsigh Zoe leabhar dá cuid. Úrscéal é darb ainm ‘Girl Online’. D’éirigh leis an líon is mó díolacháin do chéad leabhar údair sa chéad seachtain a bhaint amach.

Is cosúil gur impireacht atá a thógáil ag Zoe agus níl sí léi féin.

Tá a comhghleacaithe ar nós Alfie Deyes, Joe Sugg agus Tanya Burr uilig tar éis leabhar dá gcuid féin a fhogrú nó a fhoilsiú.

An gné is cliste futhu ar fad ag cur táirgí éagsúla amach ná go bhfuil réamh-fhios maith ann go mbeidh rath ag baint leo. Tá na milliún ag faire orthu achan lá den seachtain, cad chuige nach dtabharfadh siad tacaíocht dóibh in earnáil eile?

Cinnte go bhfuil cáil YouTube agus a vlagálaithe ag fás go mór agus ag spré anonn go hoileán iathghlas s’againne. Is ar luas gasta atá sé ag reachtáil ach coinnigí súil géar air. Is cinnte an rud é gur i lár ré an vlag atá muid agus níl aon muinín agamsa go mbeidh sé ag stopadh ar feadh a bhfad.

Tá thar 7 mhilliún duine ag leanúint Zoella ar YouTubeCredit: Tzingerbugimages

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Gaeilge

Slán le geimhreadh eile - Traidisiún na Féile Bhríde Barra Ó Scannláin

Leas-Eagarthoir Gaeilge @barryscanlon

MHOTHAIGH mé nath cainte

ar na mallaibh, de bhunadh Oirthear Uladh, a bhí mar seo, “Téann an saol thart mar a bheadh eiteogaí air agus cuireann gach aon Nollaig bliain eile ar do ghualainn.” Má chuireann féin, i mbliana ní amháin ar chuir sé bliain, ach cúpla orlach de sneachta orainn fosta. Leoga, ní raibh sé i bhfad go dtáinig an ghaoth agus a comrádaí Stoirm Rachel, len ár ngualainn a ghlanadh arís (nach mé atá fileata!).

Bhail, le teacht na bhFaoilleach (tús mí Feabhra), tá súil againn uilig go bhfuil ár sáith de dhrochaimsir fulaingthe againn agus cuirtear fearadh na fáilte roimh Bhríd, naomh Caitliceach na hÉireann, atá mar ábhar féile dúinn fán aimsir seo. Imbolg a thugtar ar an fhéile seo, ach Lá Fhéile Bhríde is fearr aithne atá uirthi. ‘Sí ceann de na féilte Ceilteacha is mó agus is ársa dá mbíonn á gcéiliúradh againn agus sin mar is ceart.

Chomh fada siar leis an 18 haois in áiteacha fá Éirinn agus Albain go háirithe, bhíodh nós

ann féasta mór a ullmhú, le lear mór bia agus dí, agus cuid de a chur ar leataobh do Bhríd féin.

Dhéantaí leabaidh don naomh agus d’fhágtaí an bia agus gloine fíona amach di. Mar shampla, ar Inse Ghall na hAlban, ba ghnáth leofa “a Bhríd, a Bhríd, thig a sligh as gabh do leabaidh” (a Bhríd, a

‘Sí ceann de na féilte Ceilteacha is mó agus is ársa dá mbíonn á gcéiliúradh againn agus sin mar is ceart Bhríd, tar isteach is gabh chuig do leabaidh) a rá trí huair agus iarraidh uirthi teacht isteach agus an teach a bheannú. Dhéantaí crosa Bríde fosta as luachair agus

chrochtaí os cionn an dorais iad le cuireadh isteach a thabhairt do Bhríd. Théadh grúpa girsigh, agus iad gléasta i ngúnaí bána, thart fán bhaile agus “Brídeóg” (léiriú bábóige de Bhríd) leo.

Mar is eol d’achan duine, bíonn daoine in Éirinn go fóill ag déanamh cros Bhríde ar an 1 Feabhra in ómós don naomh, ach ní hé seo an t-aon traidisiún amháin de Imbolg a mhaireann. Tá daoine i gCondae Chiarraí a bhíonn go fóill ag dul thart fán bhaile, gléasta i róbaí bána (mar a bhíodh), ag ceol is ag damhsa agus ag bailliú airgid do chúiseanna mhaithe. The Biddy Boys a thugtar orthu údaí agus caitheann siad hataí móra tuí. Tugtar duais don Bhiddy is fearr. Bhí an traidisiún seo iontach láidir sa chondae i lár an 20ú haois agus fiú ba ghnáth leis na Biddy Boys úsáid a bhaint as gruaig a máithreacha móra leis na Brídeoga a dhéanamh.

De reir an tseanchais, más olc atá an aimsir ar Lá Fhéile Bhríde, ní mar sin a bheas sí don chuid eile den bhliain. Beidh mé féin ag dúil go mór le giota beag dea-aimsir amach anseo, ach mar a insíonn mo mháthair dom i gcónaí, nuair a rugadh ise i mí Áibreán dornán blianta ó shin bhí na bealaigh clúdaithe le sneachta!

Calraí ar an scála Áine Marie Ní Mhainicháin Scríbhneoir @ainemonk

BEIDH an líon calraí i ngach

saghas bia ar fáil i mbialanna ar fud na tíre le feiceáil ar bhiachláir ó 2016 ar aghaidh. Beidh an t-eolas ar fáil ar bhiachláir gach caifé bia gasta, bialann agus deilí in Éirinn.

Tá sé mar aidhm ag an rialtas an t-eolas seo a chur ar fáil don phobal ar bhiachláir na mbialann chun moladh a thabhairt dóibh a bheith níos feasaí faoin a gcuid réimse bia agus sláinte.

Tá an cuma air go gcosnódh an t-athrú suntasach seo thart ar cúig mhíle euro chun biachláir nua a dhearadh agus córas nua a chur i bhfeidhm maidir leis an bia féin agus an chaoi ina mbíonn an bia ullmhaithe.

Scéal difriúil atá i gceist do Voilá Café, suite ar Shráid Bhagóid i mBaile Átha Cliath.

Bíonn custaiméirí na bialainne seo ag iarraidh bia sláintiúil agus úr a ithe achan lá den seachtain. Thosaigh Voilá Café ag cur

an líon calraí ar na biachláir in aice le hainm an bhéile thart ar chúig bhliain ó shin – i bhfad roimh aon reachtaíocht rialtais. Tá neart giomnáisiam ar fáil géar don chaifé agus sin ceann de na fáthanna is mó go bhfuil ag éirí chomh maith leis.

Ach caithfear plé a dhéanamh ar an cheist tábhachtach.

Bhfuil aon bhunús leis an dearcadh go réiteoidh comhaireamh na gcalraí ar bhiachláir fadhb reatha na hotrachta sa tír seo?

An mbeidh suntas a thabhairt ag duine ar bith don líon calraí ina gcuid bia agus an ndéanfaidh sé aon difríocht do roghanna s’acu agus iad amuigh i mbialanna?

Ní aontaíonn Restaurants Association of Ireland leis na hathruithe in aon chor. Tá an dearcadh acu go mbeidh deacrachtaí ag úinéirí na mbialann an córas a chur i bhfeidhm mar gheall ar athruithe a thagann ar bhiachláir chuile lá agus mar gheall nach mbíonn béilí mar an gcéanna gach babhta a ullmhaítear iad.

Is deacair a rá cad iad na tuairimí a mbeidh ag an bpobal agus an mbeidh suim acu sna

hathruithe. Tá an seans ann go mbeidh daoine scanraithe ag an gcomhaireamh calraí nuair a fheicfidh siad na figiúirí in aice leis an mbéile is fearr leo. Ní bheidh a fhios againn go dtí an bhliain seo chugainn!

FOCLÓIR Lá Fhéile Bhríde = St Brigid’s Day ómós = homage seanchas = tradition

Bíonn daoine in Éirinn go fóill ag déanamh cros Bhríde ar an 1 Feabhra in ómós don naomh Credit: janegmeyer.com

FOCLÓIR calraí = calories

biachláir = menus

otracht = obesity

Beidh comhaireamh calraí le feiceáil ar bhiachláir ó 2016 Credit: Rebootedbody. com

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

21

Features

No freedom, until we’re equal Catherine Devine Features Editor @Catherinedevin1

TRANSGENDER rights should

not be affected by the upcoming same-sex marriage referendum, according to the Chairperson of Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI), Sara R. Phillips.

“If the marriage referendum passes for gay people or not shouldn’t have anything to do with us. The Government fear that it is an opened door to same-sex marriage,” said Sara.

“We are different from the gay community and should be accepted for who we are.”

The Irish Government are currently the only country in the EU that doesn’t recognise transgender people. Sara has lived her life as a women. It says so on her passport, her driver licence and her bank details, but remains male on her birth cert due to Irish legislation.

The transgender community have demanded new legislation to be passed in the Dáil to allow them to have basic human rights. The Gender Recognition Bill 2015 is currently being debated in the Seanad, but has many flaws according to TENI. A major flaw with the Bill is that it is tied in with gay marriage. In the proposed Bill, if

The Transgender Community in Ireland are continuing to fight back as the Government propose a new Bill on transgender recognition a married person wants to be recognised as transgender in Ireland, they must divorce their spouse. “This is hypocritical of the state as the Constitution states that in order for a divorce to be granted, there must be irreconcilable differences and the spouses must be separated for four years,” said Sara. Many families are faced with having to split up in order to be accepted for who they are. “It’s ironic that in a time when gay marriage is being supported in society and Government, transgender families are being asked to split up,” said Sara.

Another flaw in the Bill is the need for medical proof of the transgender process in order for recognition. “Joan Burton doesn’t ask for a medical diagnosis from citizens but she is asking us for one. Transgender people shouldn’t need a third party to identify themselves. They can self-identify,” said Sara. “Being transgender isn’t a disorder and shouldn’t be treated like one,” she added.

The proposed Bill makes it extremely difficult for young people to complete the transgender process. Under 16’s aren’t

allowed to transgender while those aged 16-18 must complete a troublesome process. Teens who wish to become transgender must have their parent’s consent, a primary treatment practitioner, a second treatment practitioner to confirm that it is in their best interest, and they must take a case to the circuit court. “By the time these teens go through the process, they will be adults,” said Sara.

The transgender community are living in an arbitrary system in which they need permission to live as they truly are and feel to be.

Sara expressed the need for acceptance and understanding of the transgender community in Ireland. “People are afraid because they don’t understand,” she said. “People need to be willing to learn and understand the struggles of the transgender community.”

The transgender community face many struggles on a daily basis. According to a survey carried out by TENI, called ‘Speaking from the Margins’, 78% of the 210 transgender people who took part had considered suicide. 44% said that they had

self-harmed.

According to Sara, these issues are a result of mental health problems which stem from not being accepted in society. It is hard for people to accept themselves if they aren’t accepted in society. According to the survey, 64% had been mocked or verbally abused.

Verbal abuse and bullying is most common among teens and children according to TENI. It is hard for children to be accepted when they can’t wear their preferred choice of uniform or bathrooms in schools.

Last December, 17-yearold Leelah Alcorn from Ohio committed suicide as she wasn’t accepted as transgender by her Christian family or society.

Leelah who identified as a girl since the age of 4 was refused by her parents to begin the transgender process. In her suicide letter, Leelah wrote; “the life I would’ve lived isn’t worth living in… because I’m transgender”.

According to TENI, 1% of people have a gender variance, with 10% of that category being transgender. In a population of 4.5 million in Ireland that means that there could be up to 4,500

transgender people in Ireland.

Sara, who has been the facilitator of the Dublin Trans Peer Group Meeting has met over 185 transgender people in the last three years alone.

Recently, Bruce Jenner, step-father to the Kardashian sisters, has been rumoured as coming out as transgender.

Whether he is or not is still to be confirmed, but hopefully the transgender community will be able to gain the media attention that it deserves in order to gain basic human rights.

“We should be respected as citizens, as tax-payers, as sons, daughters, mothers and fathers.

It is important that things start to move forward,” said Sara.

“It’s disappointing that the government aren’t listening to us when we say that this legislation is not inclusive, it’s not progressive, it’s behind other parts of Europe and will very quickly be eclipsed by other countries in Europe,” said Sara.

As the old Irish proverb goes: It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.

Credit: TENI twitter page

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Features

Has ‘plus-size’ gone too far?

Jade O’Leary Deputy Features Editor @ JadeOdette_

WORLD renowned modelling

agency MiLK London recently signed Tess Holliday, the world’s biggest ever plus-size model. The 29-year-old Mississippi native stands at five-foot-five and is a US dress size 22 (or UK 24). She is the creator of the online campaign #EffYourBeautyStandards, which showcases the beauty of women no matter what shape or size they are, and has taken the beauty industry by storm.

Tess has been described as an ‘inspiration’ and perceived as a positive body image advocate ever since she hit the headlines in January. Speaking to the New York Times following her signing, she said: “I feel like its breaking ground. This is a milestone. I never could have imagined that I could be here.”

But this begs the question – is the signing of a size 22 model really breaking ground? Or is it simply replacing the promotion of one unhealthy body ideal with another?

“I think we’re the only agency with a model of her size. She is by far the largest model I have in the Curves division,” Anna Shillinglaw, said owner and director of MiLk Model Management. And the reason for this is probably because Tess’ size is not normal.

Size zero models are slammed on a daily basis for being too thin, and are regularly accused of being anorexic or bulimic because of the way they look. Being a size zero is far from the norm and certainly isn’t the picture of health. It most definitely should not be projected onto people - women in particular - as the perfect figure.

However, being a size 22 is also not normal, and is equally as problematic as being too skinny.

We all know that being underweight can have some serious effects on your health.

It can weaken your immune system, derail the absorption of vital nutrients and vitamins into the body, play havoc with your hormones and even cause hair loss. Some may argue that being too big is a healthier equivalent to being too thin, but this is not the case.

Visceral fat is fat that is stored within the abdominal cavity and

Jade O’Leary takes a look at what really constitutes as positive body image in today’s society surrounds a number of important organs such as the pancreas, liver and intestines. Too much visceral fat is potentially dangerous to the body, as it can cause insulin resistance – leading to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. It also increases the risk of heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

According to experts, the average person’s total body fat is made up by 10 per cent visceral fat. Therefore, the bigger your waistline the higher the percentage of visceral fat you carry, thus the more at risk you are to a number of different health complications.

Just like unnaturally waif

thin models are promoting a negative image, obese ‘plus-size’ models such as Ms Holliday are also glamorizing an unhealthy weight.

Not wanting to jump on the ‘obesity is terrible’ bandwagon, but it is a growing epidemic, particularly among children and young people. In 2014, studies showed that 26.5 per cent of Irish females and 16 per cent of Irish males under the age of 20 are obese. Worldwide, childhood obesity has grown by 47 per cent since 1980.

We blame the advertising industry for pushing unrealistic ideals on the younger generation in the form of skeletal models, causing them to go to extreme

lengths in order to achieve this look. But if seriously overweight models also become a normal occurrence in the world of fashion, are we not essentially forcing another unrealistic ideal upon them? Neither ideal is desirable, and neither should be revered.

Modelling agencies and the advertising industry need to focus on promoting a healthy medium, and celebrate models who are of a normal and maintainable weight for their height, age and gender. It shouldn’t be a case of somebody being ‘too short’ or ‘not thin enough’ to model, as long as they are healthy and confident in who they are, therefore promoting a

sense of positive body image.

I agree wholeheartedly that everybody is beautiful in their own way, and that looks and weight in no way define a human being. But we can’t skinny shame models like Cara Delevingne while showering models such as Tess Holliday with adoration. Neither woman’s size can be deemed as regular or the norm, and neither deserve to be ridiculed for it either.

Everybody should love who they are, but everybody also owes it to themselves to be the happiest and healthiest version of themselves that they can possibly be.

Credit: RTE.ie

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

23

Features

From Lisdoonvarna to Tinder – what’s the best dating option this Valentine’s Day? Sharon Lynskey News Editor

@ sharronlynskey

IT’S that time of year again.

That time when 6ft teddy bears take over newsagents across the country and the CEO’s at Hallmark gleefully rub their hands in delight as they dream about the estimated €540m that will be spent on Valentine’s Day cards this year.

St Valentine is the patron saint of love… but also the plague Yes, Valentine’s Day is well and truly approaching with all its glory and trimmings intact.

Who could have predicted that after his canonisation in the 19th Century that one man could influence such a grand profit for the gift card industry?

St Valentine, as many will know, is the patron saint for love

and both engaged and married couples. But in his spare time, the man is also the patron saint for beekeeping and epilepsy, as well as the plague, fainting and travelling. A man of many talents.

It’s hard to know what a man like that would make of Tinder and other contemporary dating

traditions.

The dating, or ‘courtship’ scene as it was once known, has changed drastically over the past few years. The days of meeting a potential suitor at the local dance under the watchful eye of the parish priest are long gone.

Instead, you’re now more likely to find your match slobbering over a pint in Coppers while aggressively dancing to S Club 7.

How has this influenced the dating scene? Are people more inclined now to meet a partner after a round of Jagerbombs?

Or after an extensive Facebook, Twitter, Instagram AND Tinder creep… as well as maybe sifting through a few selfies.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Willie Daly, one of the few Irish matchmakers still working the trade claims that the internet has ruined the essence of dating.

“I know a lot of people are going on the internet now,” he explains. “But it’s cold — it’s a machine.”

Apps such as Tinder have dominated the way we date and meet people. Recent figures from Tinder claim that one in five Irish adults have an account, with usage of the app most prevalent among younger people.

Does this mean that in years

to come most dating will be done through our phone screens?

One of the problems with dating today is that there are too many options and too much choice and the process itself has become a little over-complicated. With Tinder, online dating and speed dating becoming increasingly popular there is more focus placed on looks rather than getting to know a person and sharing common interests.

These advancements have made dating quite hard work for young people.

Willie Daly is very involved in the annual Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival and praises traditional events like that for bringing people together.

“It’s very social,” he says.

“In the beginning it starts fairly slowly then it heightens up in the night. It’s a great opportunity for people to meet others in the normal social setting. It’s more natural”.

Coming from a man who’s arranged over 3,000 successful partnerships so far – it mightn’t be long before we revert back to the old hall dances and the local matchmakers for potential matches this Valentine’s Day.

TEDxDCU spreads ideas, passions and knowledge Kevin Kelly Contributor @ AlsoKevinKelly

IN its second year in DCU, the

2015 TEDx event saw a series of DCU alumni, faculty members and researchers take to the stage of The Theatre in The Helix to help spread the ideas they have or have had.

The “x” suffix to the name indicates that this TED event is independently organised, allowing DCU to put its stamp on it by inviting people who have come through its hallowed halls, giving the university a stage to showcase its range of output and learning.

The topic of this year’s series of talks was “Changing Lives, Challenging Perceptions”, a general enough range to let the speakers instil their ideas and thoughts into the 10-15 minutes of time they’re allowed on stage.

Within the first two talks, you

could already notice the range of ideas that would be brought to the fore on stage. Journalist Orlaith Carmody began with talking about her Family Forum, an idea that lets her family openly communicate, something she felt was lacking in society.

She was followed onstage

by Sinead Kane, Ireland’s first visually impaired solicitor, who gave a rousing and powerful talk on the effects of bullying. She likened bullying to a shark in the water, “we all know it’s there, but we can’t see it.”

The following talks of the first session including David Moloney, Chief Technical Officer of Movidius, explaining how machines are slowly but surely learning to see, Dr. Mary O’Connell giving a lightheartedly but informative talk on how the world today is in its sixth mass extinction event, and Niamh Bushnell, Dublin’s Commissioner of Startups, talking up the entrepreneurial spirit in the university and the city.

The second session, after a lavish feed of tea and pastries, started with another stirring talk, this one from Louise Bruton, a journalism graduate of DCU. She asked the audience “how would you like to be treated?” as she discussed her experiences as a disabled person in an able body-favouring world.

Prof. Niall Moyna, of DCU’s School of Health and Human Performance, told the audience of our stone age genes’ need to be exercised, and how space age technology will help that, calling exercise “the only prescription with unlimited refills”.

The next two speakers, Kate Irving and Adam Harris, continued the health theme, talking about the four myths of dementia and autism in Irish society respectively. Irish Independent Legal Editor Dearbhail McDonald wrapped up the show describing the love of stories in Irish society and life in general.

The range of topics talked about are indicative of the out-

put of ideas that can come from DCU, and indeed any university, when someone with an idea are allowed go with it and work on it, whether scientific, medical, or social.

DCU President Brian MacCraith, when I asked about the

university’s ability and drive to hold a TEDx event, said “DCU is a particular sort of university where we like to not only create knowledge but to share knowledge”, a fine way to sum up the event.

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Features

Through My Eyes- Living with Schizophrenia Nainsi Coogan Contributor

IT is said that 1 in 100 people are schizophrenic. Yet the myths surrounding the illness have created fear and ostracisation towards those suffering and the stigma attached to the illness has led those who suffer to suffer in silence.

Marion*, a student in DCU,

me.”

She recounts how she believed she was being followed by people. “I thought they were speaking in codes, I was convinced I was a victim of Freemason Persecution and the Illuminati. It’s called a Targeted Individual online.”

She continued with this stream of thought for over a month, going as far as to stay in hotels in order to escape the

“

head. I started taking my medication, started meditation, got a job and started to get better.”

After recovering from psychosis, she experienced a period of depression that further complicated her recovery. Recover she did however, and she intends to continue her studies into the postgraduate level.

“What people don’t seem to understand,” she says “is that it’s not a death sentence. I hopefully won’t experience another episode of psychosis for the rest of my life. It’s different for everyone. It’s a progressive illness and

if you’re very careful, it might not ever effect you again.”

Marion* didn’t experience the hallucinations (auditory or visual) usually associated with schizophrenia.

“Schizophrenia takes different forms for everyone. People are so blinded by ignorance when it comes to it, rather than offering support, they act scared you’ll do something ‘crazy’. Even when I was in psychosis, I was never a danger to anyone yet I lost three friends over it. For a medical condition that is completely treatable. I don’t think I

would’ve lost those friends if I had broken a leg, and that’s the problem.”

In reality, schizophrenia is an illness that is highly treatable and affects people in all walks of life. Society desperately needs to be rid of this stigma and its brave souls like Marion* speaking out, along with mental health awareness campaigns that will achieve this. And remember, if you have suffered or are currently suffering from a mental illness; you are not alone. *Marion wished to keep her name private

I started to think that other people were talking about me, I thought that everything they wrote was about me is one of the 51 million that suffer this illness. Coming from a family with mental illness, she had sworn that she would never end up mentally ill. However, as she soon learned, the universe has other plans.

“It all started on my twitter account,” she said. “I started to think that other people were talking about me, I thought that everything they wrote was about

perceived persecution. Eventually her family noticed her odd behaviour, informed the police and she was placed in a psychiatric ward.

“I was only in the psychiatric ward for four days, I was eager to leave because I hated psychiatric wards having been in some because of my mammy over the years. But it was long enough for me to realize that it was all in my

Credit: Google Images

Niteline are always there Áine Marie Monk Contirubtor @ainemonk

NITELINE is a listening, sup-

port and information service run by and for the students of DCU, NCAD, RCSI, TCD, NUIM and other colleges affiliated with those. It is a confidential service offered to students from 9p.m to 2:30a.m every evening of term.

The service is anonymous, meaning that none of the student counsellors can identify you at any point, non-judgemental and non-directive, meaning that

they cannot tell you what to do but rather advise you as to the options available to you.

Niteline offers students the chance to talk about any worries or stresses they may be experiencing, be they big or small!

The most commonly discussed topics include concerns with academic life, body image issues, feelings of loneliness, relationships, family issues and addiction.

Niteline emphasise that ‘you

can call if you simply feel like having a chat or need the number for a taxi after a night out.’

If you would rather not talk over the phone, an instant-messaging type service is also on offer and can be easily found via the website www.niteline.ie/ onlinelistening It is also worth noting that this service has an active presence in the world of social media. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and, of

course, via their website.

There is no need to feel alone if you are feeling down, stressed or overwhelmed. A problem shared is a problem halved and Niteline is an ideal outlet to do so!

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

25

Sport

Triumphant DCU make it two Plate successes in a row O’Sullivan and Pender star as DCU take home silverware Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor @Ruaidhri_Croke

DCU made it two in a row on

Sunday in UCC by beating city rivals UCD to claim their second Harding Plate in as many years.

Goals from Sean Pender and Jack Watson were enough to see of the side that were going for their third consecutive Harding Cup victory but surprisingly crashed out of the main competition on Friday at the hands of University of Limerick.

For DCU it was also a disappointing first day as they looked to advance past the quarter-final stage of the cup competition but failed to do so after a dramatic 3-2 loss to UCC. Sean Pender’s early goal put the Dublin side ahead in the tie but two goals before the break from Pierse O’Riordan and Dave Walsh put the home side well in command.

DCU weren’t lying down however and won a penalty on the hour mark but UCC goalkeeper Charlie Bornermann saved well from Alan O’Sullivan’s effort.

Eight minutes later the Cork side stretched their advantage thanks to a Sean O’Mahony header.

DCU continued to press and did pull back one late goal thanks to the head of Luke Kelly but it was too little too late for Declan Roche’s side.

Saturday saw an easier clash for DCU in the Plate semi-final as they came up against Trinity College.

It was a comfortable 90 minutes for the Glasnevin university after a first half brace from Alan O’Sullivan as well as a Mark Walsh goal gave them a comfortable victory.

Sunday morning’s final at The Mardyke looked like a much tougher affair on paper as DCU came up against a much fancied UCD side.

The southside university have proved a tough opponent at both fresher and senior level for DCU in the last number of year’s so it was extra-sweet for Roche’s charges to put them to the sword.

UCD were possibly still reeling from being dumped out at the first stage of the Harding Cup and DCU took advantage with another goal from the excellent Sean Pender, as well as a strike on the hour mark from Jack Watson giving them a well-deserved 2-0 win.

Shelbourne’s Alan O’Sullivan shone again for DCU over the weekend Credit Sportsfile.com

Stuttering DCU slump to second Fitzgibbon defeat

DCU 1-14 UCD 2-16 Cian Roche Deputy Sports Editor @cian_roche

DCU failed to get their Fitzgibbon

DCU’s Killian Fitzgerald attempts to win the sliotar of Ross King of UCD Credit Sportsfile.com

campaign back on track after a 5 point defeat to city rivals UCD. After a disappointing opening round defeat to Cork IT, DCU made the difficult trip to Belfield to face a UCD side in a fine run form.

Having come off the back of a resounding 17-point win over St.Pats in their inaugural game of the 2015 campaign, the Southsiders entered last Thursdays encounter with high expectations.

The home side made the best of the opening exchanges, surging to a two point lead in the opening ten minutes.

UCD’s Ross King looked particularly dangerous in the full forward line, moving into space and feeding the on-rushing half forward line. The Laois native was a picture of composure, slotting over two frees to bring his side in at the break leading by a point.

DCU remained in contention and will have considered themselves fortunate that the home side’s wayward shooting was a large factor in a flattering score line.

With only 6 minutes gone in the second half, UCD dealt the first major blow of the afternoon.

Jack O’Connor’s free re-

bounded off the bar and the ball dropped to the feet who Oisin O’Ruairc, who duly dispatched.

O’Ruairc looked lively all afternoon, slotting over the bar shortly after and his physicality made life hard for the DCU full back line.

Donal Breathnach urged DCU forward with two quick-fire points limiting the damage of the goal.

Nicky English would have been pleased with his side’s ruthlessness in the second half and it wasn’t long after that UCD put the game to bed.

With the score 1-12 to 0-10, the Southsiders put together the move of the game.

A quickly taken sideline ball

by Joe Lyng found Oisin O’Ruairc rushing into space. O’Ruairc carried with pace and instead of taking his point, slipped a hand pass into Colm O’Cronin who found the back of the net from close range.

With the lead then eight points, it was hard to see how DCU would get back into game. A well taken goal from the industrious Kevin O’Flynn five minutes from time wasn’t enough to avoid a second defeat for the Glasnevin side.

A well-deserved victory for the home side but Nick Weir will take some positives from the defeat. DCU will be hoping to finish the competition with at least one scalp, that of local rivals St Pats.

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Wednesday 11 February 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Sport

Moyna relishing St Mary’s challenge Cormac O’Shea Sports Reporter @CVSport

DESPITE DCU’s nine point vic-

tory over Jordanstown in the Sigerson Cup first round, manager Niall Moyna has refused to get carried away with things and insists they are taking things “one game at a time”.

“In Championship football you cannot think of the next round, as far as I’m concerned every single Sigerson game is a final and that’s how we will treat it.” Moyna said.

Reacting to DCU’s big win over last year’s beaten finalists and one of the favourites for this year’s competition Moyna said: “We are delighted to win, anytime you win a Sigerson game you are very very happy but there is a long way to go yet.

“Obviously Jordanstown were an outstanding team and we knew we had to be on the top of our game to play them but sometimes

you get the rub of the green.”

After limiting a star studded forward line that included Cillian O’Connor, Paddy McBrearty and, in Moyna’s opinion “probably the best of them” Kieron Hughes, to just ten points, the manager was quick to praise his defence.

“Our defence were outstanding. It’s a team game and obviously what other players do in other areas impacts on the amount of work our defence has to do, it really was a team approach.

“I think people have underestimated the quality of the players we have, we don’t have many household names but I think many of them will be in the near future” he said.

Moyna was also full of praise for his management team that includes Mick Bohan and Sean Boylan.

“We have a phenomenal management team, Mick Bohan has been with us since 2010, he has made an enormous difference and I think it’s

DCU manager Niall Moyna is confident of his side’s chances this year Credit Sportsfile.com

important we recognise that.”

“Sean Boylan is Sean Boylan. The man’s a legend, we are all learning from him. It’s great to have him involved; it just enriches the experience the guys get playing in the club.”

Up next for DCU is the quarter final where they will face off

with St Mary’s. Speaking about the game ahead Moyna said: “they are a very, very tough team, they play a very defensive brand of football, they’re extremely well coached by Paddy Tally, like any Sigerson game it will come down to the wire.”

Corner forward Enda Smith

who scored two goals in the win over UUJ said he was “very happy” with his own performance and speaking about the upcoming game against St Mary’s the young Roscommon man said “it will be a tough enough game but we are looking forward to it.”

Collingwood calling for DCU after previous heartbreak DCU will be desperate to capture first senior trophy Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor @Ruaidhri_Croke

AS the university sports season

clicks into gear with Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Ashbourne Cups getting to the business stages, preparation for the Collingwood Cup steps up before it kicks off in NUI Galway in two weeks.

DCU will go into the competition on the back of a semi-final defeat last season, searching for their first ever Collingwood success.

Declan Roche’s side come into the competition on the back of a disappointing league campaign that saw them crash out at the quarter-final stag-

es at the hands of Waterford IT. However there were positives to be taken from the group stage campaign with only one loss suffered and impressive performances from some of the new faces in the college, such as Mark Walsh and Alan O’Sullivan.

The Shelbourne striker’s goals will certainly give DCU confidence as they go into their opening round game against NUI Galway – the side that knocked the Glasnevin side out in last year’s instalment.

The four days of hectic action will kick off on Monday 23 February and conclude the following Friday with the final in Eamon Deacy Park, home of Galway United.

DCU don’t come into action until the quarter-final stage on the Tuesday against NUIG. The hosts have lost four of the last six finals, including last year to NUI Maynooth and are looking to claim their first Collingwood since 1999.

Michael Isichei will play a key part in DCU’s search for a first Collingwood success Credit Donegalnews.com

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 February 2015

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Sport

Super Smith spells Enda the line for UUJ Forward’s brace sees off tournament favourites Carina Canavan Sports Reporter @CarinaCanavan Continued from back page Points from O’Neill and Killian Clarke narrowed the deficit before half-time, leaving the score at 2-5 to 0-04 at the break.

McHugh opened up the second half with another free from the 21-yard line to give DCU a confident push to continue their dominant play from the first half.

Jordanstown battled on bravely with McBrearty and the younger of the Donnelly brothers, Richard, leading the charge.

In the space of 15 minutes UUJ outscored DCU six points to three and with the replacement of Liam Gervin for O’Neill, Jordanstown were looking more comfortable.

That soon changed when Brian Sankey was awarded a black card for a blatant body check on Smith only six minutes after he was brought on.

Both teams were making great runs up along the wings however DCU’s hunger and sheer determination appeared to be the difference between scoring a point and getting dispossessed. Mooney and Mattie Donnelly made numerous attempts to break the Dublin side’s defence, but with impressive performances from Laois’ Colm Begley, Cavan’s Conor Moynagh and Monaghan’s Conor Boyle their efforts were futile.

DCU made some important changes with the introduction of Donie Smith and Conor McGraynor in the forward line.

Although McGraynor had a

DCU’s Conor McHugh fends of Killian Brady in the Dublin side’s Sigerson win Credit Sportsfile.com

few scoring opportunities from frees and failed to convert them, he was still a strong presence around the middle of the field.

Apart from a minor scuffle between a DCU substitute and UUJ player along the side of the line, it was a very clean game with a total of three yellow cards for DCU along with Jordanstown’s black card.

DCU finished off the game in style with a second goal from Enda Smith deep into injury-time, followed arguably by the best point of the day from older brother Donie in what was to be the last kick of the game.

Tadgh Lowe, Jack Smith, Conor Boyle, Conor Daly, Dessie Ward, Conor Moynagh, Colm Begley, Tom Flynn, Steven O’Brien, Diarmuid O’Connor, Conor Meredith, Davy Byrne, Enda Smith, Niall Muprhy, Conor McHugh.

Subs: Rory Connor for Meredith (39), Donie Smith for Murphy (45),

Conor McGraynor for O’Connor (46), Eoin O’Connor for Byrne (52), Shane Carey for Moynagh (55), Donal Wrynn for McHugh (58) Scorers: Enda Smith 2-0, Conor McHugh 0-5 (0-4f), Niall Murphy 1-1, Donie Smith 0-2, Rory Connor, Conor Daly 0-1 each.

Classy UCC crush DCU camogie dreams DCU

1-9 UCC

1-15

pense of DCU last Wednesday, with a ruthless shooting display the difference between the sides.

Despite the sunny conditions, temperatures plunged as low as 2 degrees and the freezing conditions took its toll on the playUCC progressed to the Ash- ers, with injuries and stoppages bourne Cup semi-final at the ex- littering the 70 minutes of play.

Cian Roche Deputy Sports Editor @cian_roche

UUJ

DCU

UCC started the brighter of the two, firing three points without reply and dominating in the middle of the park.

A very physical display by midfielders Teresa Ní Riain and Jennifer Dé Bhora meant the Cork side continuously swept up the breaking ball and the DCU ladies were left to feed on scraps.

DCU were let off the hook after an early goal for UCC was ruled a square ball and the full back line

Rory Beggan, Killian Brady, Ricky Johnston, Marty Johnston, Killian Clarke, Mattie Donnelly, Stephen Sheridan, Michael Argue, Caolan Mooney, Kieran Hughes, Ronan O’Neill, Richard Donnelly, Patrick McBrearty, Caolan O’Boyle, Cillian O’Connor Subs: Brian Sankey for

seemed to tighten up after that.

The home side found it difficult to cope with Orla Ní Cronin in the full forward line, her pace forcing the full back line to play higher up the pitch, eliminating the threat of Cronin breaking into wide space.

DCU drew level after 20 minutes, a long ball gathered by Aoife Bulger was duly dispatched when the full forward dropped her shoulder and drove the ball into the top corner, leaving keeper Shauna Ní Cearuil no chance.

The goal made the score DCU 1-3 UCC 0-6, but the Cork side once again pulled away in the 25th minute, when Ciara Buchanan was left with no choice but to take down Ní Cronin.

Katrina Ní Mackaí was on hand to convert and restore a three point heading into the break.

The Glasnevin side remained in touch at half time,

Argue (29), Danny Savage for Sankey (BC, 35), Liam Gervin for O’Neill (40), Frank Burns for O’Boyle (44) Scorers: Patrick McBrearty (0-2f), Richard Donnelly 0-2, Killian Clarke, Stephen Sheridan, Ronan O’Neill, Caolan Mooney, Danny Savage, Cillian O’Connor (0-1f) 0-1 each.

with only two points the difference. This however was partly thanks to the five poor wides amassed by UCC in the first half.

Two quick fire points from Emer Reilly after the break brought the sides level and the home side looked in the ascendancy.

Just as the home side tried to build up any sort of rhythm, injuries and prolonged stoppages for treatment took the momentum out of DCU’s favour.

Instead, UCC were awarded a number of frees which they made no mistake slotting over. The Cork natives kept the score board ticking over and with 10 minutes to go, built up a four point lead.

The winning margin was increased in the dying minutes, UCC looked an organised outfit and one which looks destined for success in the semi-final.

Sport THE COLLEGE VIEW

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

www.thecollegeview.com

MOYNA Reaction to DCU’s Sigerson win Read more on page 26

Super Smith spells Enda the line for UUJ

David Mannix, Donal Smith and Dessie Ward celebrate after the game Credit Sportsfile

Carina Canavan Sports Reporter @CarinaCanavan

COMPETITION favourites UUJ

crashed out of the Sigerson Cup today following a defeat to an impressive DCU side, with the score line finishing 3-10 to 0-10 at Jord-

anstown.

Despite the side’s stellar forward line including Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor, Donegal’s Paddy McBrearty, Tyrone’s Mattie Donnelly and Down’s Caolan Mooney, the Antrim based university failed to deny DCU from advancing to a quarter final against St Marys, Belfast.

UUJ started off strong with a point from Richard Donnelly in the opening minutes of the game; however that was to be their last score for another 20 minutes.

With a succession of wides including two from Paddy McBrearty, DCU put on the pressure by adding on two goals to the scoreboard from Roscommon’s Enda Smith

and full-forward Niall Murphy.

There were scoring opportunities for UUJ after the goals; however a disappointing wide from Ronan O’Neill straight after Murphy’s goal in the 27th minute left the side with a lot of work to do before the closing minutes of the first half.

Sloppy fouling from Jor-

danstown’s defence created a few handy frees for Dublin’s Conor McHugh, which he slotted over with ease.

Continued on page 27