The College View - Issue 9 - Volume XVII

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Vol. XVII, Issue 9

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

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

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Sport GAIMAN

The author names the best script of the past 20 years

DCU Ladies march into O’Connor Cup semi-finals » 28

Single parent students set to lose SUSI grant This July will see lone parent students’ SUSI grants cut by up to €657 Laura Colgan Deputy News Editor @Laura_Colgan

SOME students that are single

parents are set to lose their SUSI maintenance grants as changes to social welfare payments come in to effect this July.

Lone parent students with children aged seven or older could lose up to €657 per month as changes to the one parent family payment mean they will no longer qualify for the maintenance grant.

Recipients of the payment who have a child aged seven or older will be moved on to jobseeker’s allowance or the back to education allowance, if in full-time education.

This switch of payments means that single parents will not be able to receive both the back to education allowance and SUSI maintenance grant at the same time.

Up until now, it was possible for single parents to receive both payments.

Single parent students could receive a maintenance grant if they gave up their back to education allowance, but if they did so, they would be worse-off financially.

This group of single parents will be able to apply for a SUSI grant to cover their fees, but they will not automatically be entitled to it.

32,000 single parents will be affected by the changes to the one parent family payment, but the exact number of those single parents who are in third-level education is unknown.

The newly-elected Stu-

dent’s Union President at Trinity College Dublin has branded the changes of payment ‘anti-education’ and ‘anti-woman’.

Lynn Ruane, a single mother who is set to lose €135 per month herself, described the changes as “a step backwards for gender equality, in terms of women moving on with education and gaining employment.”

Some ninety-eight percent of the one parent family payment are female, according to figures obtained from One Family.

Ruane said Tanaiste Joan Burton dismissed the issue when it was raised at ministerial questions.

“I did have it raised at ministerial questions and Joan Burton is trying to pass it off on the Minister for Education. She did try to say that it’s an irrelevant amount of women it impacts,” she said.

Ruane also said that university officials play an important role in lobbying the government to reverse this change in payments.

She told The College View that, “I think that colleges should actually start to act. There are directors of diversity in colleges.

Trinity College has a director of diversity and it should be their role to be protecting those people from diverse backgrounds.”

She added “we wouldn’t appear to be such a minority group if people actually knew that was happening.”

A spokesman for One Family said “this further disadvantages one-parent families on low incomes with limited resources and high levels of caring responsibilities. It will be too much for many who will now not take up education and training opportunities as a result.”

CELEBRATING STYLE: DCU Style celebrated 10 years since its creation Credit Dan Farrell

DCU STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTIONS COVERAGE

page 4,5,6

INSIDE

The College View speaks to the SU Presidential candidates

Opinion

»9

Katie O’Neill and Laura Colgan News Editorial @thecollegeview

Opinion

» 10

Features

» 23

THREE candidates: Sean Cassidy,

Timmy Crowe and Kim Sweeney, compete for the role of DCU Students’ Union President 15/16 in the SU election. The College View spoke to the three candidates about their SU presidential ambitions.

Second year Economics, Pol-

itics and Law student, Sean Cassidy is no stranger to the DCU political-landscape, a self-proclaimed ‘student activist’, he has maintained an undeniable presence in campus politics throughout his time as a student.

“At the moment I’m the largest

Gay shouldn’t be a character definition Don’t underestimate the power of podcast Paddy’s day and Prejudice

Gaelige Full story on page 4

» 19

Oileán na flaithiúlachta

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Michael Cogley Deputy Editor: Finnian Curran Production & Layout Editor: Gianluca Avagnina Deputy Production & Layout Editor: Mark Hogan Production Assistants: Katelyn Harrop, Scout Mitchell 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

Gateway students out in the cold as bomb scare forces closure on Ballymun Road

Online Editor: David Matthews Online News Editor: Mark Hogan Deputy Online News Editor: Kevin Kelly Chief Sub-Editor: Nicola Ayres 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

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

Finnian Curran and Gianluca Avagnina News Editorial @thecollegeview

THE Ballymun Road was closed for

a number of hours on Sunday night following the discovery of a suspect device.

The device was discovered shortly before 9pm at 10 Gateway Avenue, just metres from Gateway Student Village which houses hundreds of DCU students. Gardaí have said that anything further than 400 yards from the device is deemed as safe.

Gardaí then moved to close the road from Gateway Avenue as far down as Glasnevin Avenue.

The army bomb disposal team were called to the scene and the device has since been removed from the scene for further examination.

Students weren’t evacuated from Gateway as Gardaí deemed it as not close enough to the device to be in any immediate danger. The road was reopened shortly before 11pm following an all-clear from the Gardaí.

This is the second suspect device discovered in Ballymun in recent months. In January, an army bomb disposal team made safe a viable explosive device in the Belclare area of Ballymun.

Local Fine Gael councillor, Noel Rock, arrived at the scene shortly after 9:30 on Sunday night.

“I was delivering leaflets close by and finished for the night, so I headed across. It seemed to be under control (by the Gardaí),” he said. “I got talking to a Garda at the scene and he said it was an explosive, but didn’t specify.”

“This is the second such incident recently in Ballymun so it is a bit concerning,” he added.

A number of students were left waiting to enter Gateway accommodation following the discovery on Sunday night Photo Credit Gianluca Avagnina

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

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News

DCU Educational Trust to launch National Education and Research Centre Michael Cogley Editor-in-Chief

Students’ Union to hold two referendums Two referendums set to take place along with the SU Elections this week

@michaelcogley

WITH alumni who hold a keen in-

terest in the college to businesses investing in their future employees the DCU Educational Trust is gaining some serious investment.

This year will see the launch of a National Education and Research Centre for the GAA in St. Clare’s Sports Grounds which will act as a central hub for development in the sport.

Speaking to The College View, Educational Trust CEO, Steve Aiken, said that he hopes the centre will build on the recent successes by the GAA club.

“The centre is an all-island institution that will be able to reach out across the whole GAA structure to help with coaching, training, education, networking and using technology like that used in the smart stadiums,” Mr. Aiken said.

As well as the new research centre, the Trust is investing into displaying new art across the college that tells the tale of decades of change in Ireland.

“It (the art) is quite important in that it represents a time in Ireland, when you consider a lot of the art is coming from the 50s and 60s where Irish art saw a huge improvement,” Mr. Aiken continued.

As well as much more the Trust will be continuing its investment in a host of programmes including UStart.

UStart is DCU’s entrepreneur start-up competition that DCU Educational Trust’s CEO Stephen Aiken Credit Gianluca Avagnina sees investment placed into the ideas of graduates, undergraduates and postdoctoral students. much harder to push the pro- cal about how good we are at ties lie in launching their promoThe program has received gram out to the student body. what we do,” Mr. Aiken said. tion, campaign and continuing to huge acclaim but Mr. Aiken “One of things DCU needs The CEO concluded that the make DCU the ‘college of entersaid that this year they will try to do is be much more vo- future of the Trust’s responsibili- prise’.

Petition created to move exams for marriage equality referendum Katie O’Neill News Reporter @_Katie_ONeill

THE second last day of the May

examinations clash with the date set for the marriage equality referendum which has prompted a petition to change the date of the exams.

The marriage equality referendum is set for Friday May 22

which the DCU academic calendar stipulates is the second last day of exams for students.

Student activist and Students’ Union (SU) Presidential candidate Sean Cassidy has created the ‘Equality Not Exams’ petition to urge the university to remove exams from this date.

Explaining the motive behind the petition Cassidy said: “I’m from Dublin, this won’t affect me regardless of what time I have an

exam at but not all our students are from an area where they can easily access their polling station.”

The timetable has not yet been finalised for the day, Cassidy says the university does have room to manoeuvre with the scheduling of exams. Registered voters are obliged to vote in their own constituency so non-Dublin based students completing exams in DCU on the day may be unable to vote in the referendum as a result.

Outgoing SU Welfare Officer Eve Kerton has taken over the running of the petition. “We’ve been mandated by Class Rep Council to make sure a ‘yes’ vote is encouraged within DCU and it is the ideal of the representatives of DCU.” She said.

Kerton believes the petition is:

“a very positive step from DCU students and staff to let the university officials know that this is something we really care about and have a strong stance on.”

Kerton said this is the first time she has really seen students excited about a political issue and believes the referendum will see a big student turn out. She described students as the “driving power” behind securing a yes vote.

Both Cassidy and Kerton believe the student vote and the DCU vote is pivotal to the passing of the referendum. “We are one of six to seven institutions that are affected by this.

It’s such a huge challenge. If we don’t get that vote in this fails.

Students are key.” Cassidy said.

Nicola Ayres Chief Sub-Editor @thecollegeview

DCU Students’ Union are set to

hold two referendums, which will take place along with the SU elections this week. In the first referendum students will be voting on whether they want DCU Students’ Union to support the campaign for Marriage Equality for samesex couples in the national referendum on May 22nd.

Union of Students in Ireland’s (USI) Vice President for Equality and Citizenship, Annie Hoey told the College View about the Marriage Equality referendum is taking place to allow people of the same sex to marry and also have their relationships recognised in the same way as opposite sex couples currently are.

Annie explains why it is so important to vote and to voice your opinion; “We don’t know how long it could be until it comes again when the divorce referendum fell in the 1980’s it took ten years before that was brought to the people again and that still only won by about 9,000 votes”.

The one main amendment that will take place is the wording of the Constitution under Article 41, which will allow a civil marriage between two people regardless of their sex. This provision will be added to the constitution as a new number 41.4.

The second referendum that will be taking place on amendments to The Students’ Union Constitution. The referendum is to ensure the Constitution remains a modern document that serves the needs of the students in DCU. There are just a few key areas that will experience changes such as, Grammatical and formatting, governance, Elections and referendum procedures and fundamental rights of Students’ Union membership.

Chairperson of the Constitutional Review Committee, Allan Stevenson said; “We have introduced a first year officer which is quite a big change, that’s obviously if the proposed constitution is accepted. The first year officer will be chosen by the first year students to sit on exec. We have never had a first year sit on the executive, we just felt this would be able to help our new students especially from St. Pats and Mater Dei with the change over. They would have someone representing them”.

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

News

The College View speaks to the SU Presidential candidates Katie O’Neill and Laura Colgan News Reporters @thecollegeview

THREE candidates: Sean Cassidy,

Timmy Crowe and Kim Sweeney, compete for the role of DCU Students’ Union President 15/16 in the SU election. The College View spoke to the three candidates about their SU presidential ambitions.

Second year Economics, Politics and Law student, Sean Cassidy is no stranger to the DCU political-landscape, a self-proclaimed ‘student activist’, he has maintained an undeniable presence in campus politics throughout his time as a student.

“At the moment I’m the largest policy creator in the Union, that’s a great thing for me to say. When I leave college I can say: ‘I’ve made more changes than most people do in college regardless of what positions they hold and I’ve done that as an ordinary student’ ” said Cassidy.

His objectives include: creating a self-catering area, transcending the SU into an “activist union”, strengthening engagement between students and the SU and creating a bike scheme between the Glasnevin (DCU) and Drumcondra (currently St Pat’s) campuses.

To rectify poor postgraduate engagement with the Union, Cassidy proposes the creation of a Graduate’s Students’ Union “The reason why they’ve stopped it is because you’re literally giving off a piece of Union funding to a Graduate’s Students’ Union. We’re just spending their money and they’re getting no value for it.” He continued: “Postgrads need to represent postgrads.”

Asked about solutions to

hefty fines imposed by campus accommodation on students, Cassidy said he is considering establishing a campus residents’ association to represent tenants.

Candidate Timmy Crowe is a Education and Training student who would make “fun” a priority throughout his year as president.

His ideas include having a shuttle bus home from town after nights out, large-scale events such as an end-of-year ball, a sports day and barbecue as well as convincing Campus Residence to allow students to sign in guests after 11pm.

experience in DCU has prepared her for the role of SU President “I’ve been involved in the DCU community and life for the last four years even though I’ve been really busy with a very hectic course. I’m passionate, I’m hardworking.” She said.

Her manifesto boasts ideas such as the introduction of a multiuse student card that can be used across campus for various purposes like purchasing food in the canteens or in Spar and for printing, making transactions more efficient.

Sweeney prioritises mental health, if elected she intends to continue the pursuit of an amber flag for the university.She also wants to create an appeals structure for students who have fines imposed upon them by campus accommodation, which they deem to be unfair.

The amalgamation of DCU with St Pat’s and Mater Dei, Sweeney interprets as a positive for the SU. “It’ll add competition for the Student Union, which I think is great because you need the best quality candidates running. People that are getting competitive will make the effort to go the extra mile.”

Terry Keegan was the fourth candidate in the SU Presidential race but withdrew from the election last Thursday. A heavy workload, the media and public relations aspect Finnian Curran and of the campaign and naivety as to John Casey what the role entailed were the fac- News Editorial @thecollegeview tors Keegan citied for his dropping out. “My heart just isn’t really in it so

Education candidates talk CRC and a bilingual campus

“The most important thing is education. We’re all here at a third-level institution but I also want to make everyone’s time here as enjoyable as possible and university life is really where you make your memories and friends and it’s setting you up for the working world afterwards,” he said.

Group gym memberships and discount cards are also priorities for the athlete, who represented Ireland at the European Indoor Championships last weekend.

The second-year student entered the presidential election at the last minute, after being encouraged by Welfare candidate Domhnaill Harkin.

“Domhnaill actually inspired me to run. I have the utmost respect for Domhnaill and I think he is an amazing guy. I was going to go next year but I decided I’d go this year just because I want to be in that buzz that Domhnaill is bringing,” said Crowe.

Kim Sweeney is a final year Analytical Science student, a seasoned Class Rep (holding the role for three years) and the current Science and Health Convenor. She believes her

JACK BUTTERLY JACK Butterly, the current Busi-

I just decided to pull back out.” Keegan told the College View last week.

Voting begins on Monday March 9 at 10am and closes at 5pm on Wednesday March 11. Voting will be done electronically via Loop where students will have the opportunity to vote on two referenda also.

ness Convener is running for the position of Vice President for Education. He spoke to The College View to tell us why he’s the suitable candidate for the job.

Butterly feels that the biggest challenge facing the current Class Rep Council (CRC) system is making sure that everybody feels engaged.

“There are over 300 class reps and this year Gary has made great progress with the training days. I went on one of the training days and 45 out of the 50 who went are religiously at CRC. The biggest thing really is building on further training,” he said.

He deems striking early in the year with training, just after Freshers week, is the best way to get class reps engaged.

Butterly also thinks that the SU campaign weeks, such as SHAG week and Mental Health Week, should be spread out across campus, and not just be centred primarily in the Hub. “Class reps exist in all four faculties. There’s no reason that class reps can’t be bringing these campaigns to each school.”

“Class reps are the grassroots of the SU. As long as they’re well trained and engaged with their individual classes the SU surely should be seen as being approachable,” he said. see more at www.thecollegeview.com

IARIA CARTY IARLA Carty is satisfied with the

performance of the Class Rep Council (CRC) during his time in DCU. He feels that there is little need for change.

“They’re doing a good job and if I’m elected I’ll work very closely with them to make sure that

FACULTY CONVENOR PROFILES BY Elaine Carroll (Deputy News Editor) – Humanities & Social Sciences Candidates

HUGH DALY

JORDAN KAVANAGH

HEATHER RAINEY

SHAY WARRETH

HUGH Daly is a second year multimedia

SECOND year Journalism student, Jordan

HEATHER Rainey is in her second year of

SHAY Warreth is a first year Joint Honours

student who hopes to make INTRA available for all students if elected Humanities and Social Sciences convener.

DALY would like to create an Irish ac-

commodation scheme for Gaelgoirí in DCU and review the mentoring process involved for the final year thesis students.

Kavanagh, says he will set up a social media page for campus activity if he secures the position of Humanities and Social Sciences convenor.

KAVANAGH also proposes a peer mento-

ring system between different courses and a USB charging station in the Henry Grattan for students to charge their phones.

Communications and hopes to introduce a Humanities Week where students within the faculty can come together to host a careers fair, show cases and a Humanities Ball.

RAINEY also hopes to improve the awareness of jobs and internships for Humanities and Social Sciences students through weekly emails.

Programme Politics and French student running for the position of humanities convenor.

WARRETH says she would like to improve the communication between class reps and convenors by setting up a Facebook page. She also hopes to make Fiontar facilities available to JHP students.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

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News

Accommodation and mental health prove to be hot topics in Welfare Race Sharron Lynskey and Elaine Carroll News Editorial @thecollegeview

SECOND year Contemporary Cul-

Elections are underway to determine the sabbatical team’s replacements Credit SU

the proper support systems (for class reps) are there,” he says.

When discussing how to combat the low attendance of class reps at council meetings he stated that there should be better social incentives for those attending.

Carty also spoke of his desire to keep class reps better informed.

“Communication is key,” he says. “If they know what’s going on they’ll get involved a bit more.”

With regards to the merger of St. Patricks and Mater Dei into DCU Carty promises give the new students “all the information they need”. see more at www.thecollegeview.com

JAMES DONOGHUE JAMES Donoghue, a final year

journalism student from Co. Wexford is running for Vice President for Education. An SU careers week, DCU’s first Darkness into Light run, and a peer to peer mentoring system are what he plans to introduce if elected as Education officer for DCUSU. “I’ve loved my time here in DCU and the more I got involved, the more I realised I enjoy coaching roles and helping people out.”

Donoghue feels that his Donoghue gained relevant experience for the position through his role with the hurling club.

“It’s a big club, it takes a lot of

money and funding and it takes a lot of organisation to make sure it’s run successfully. I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress this year.”

He considers his potential peer to peer mentoring system as the most important aspect of his manifesto. see more at www.thecollegeview.com

JAKE RYAN JAKE Ryan feels that maintaining

a high CRC attendance throughout the year is a priority for the incoming Education Officer.

“The biggest challenge is keeping engagement,” he says. “I think it starts off very good and by this time of the year it’s going down.

Ryan is in favour of introducing more social events for class reps in the second semester to keep interest levels high.

Ryan believes that the upcoming merger of St Patrick’s and Mater Dei with DCU is the “biggest challenge facing DCU in the upcoming year”. He believes that integrating the students of St. Pats and Mater Dei into DCU life should be the SU’s top priority.

see more at www.thecollegeview.com

ture and Society student Gillian McInerney is the current chairperson of DCU LGBTA and the Equality Officer for Gender and LGBT Issues in the Class Rep Council.

If elected Welfare Officer, McInerney says her biggest priority next year will be a small student assistance fund which she hopes to have ready by September.

“The idea is that there will be a small pool of money raised and put aside for emergency cases. This fund will be a non cash fund so students accessing it would receive food vouchers or Leap Card top ups.”

McInerney told The College View that she also intends to start the conversation about “good sex, consent and communication”.

“Sexual Health is so much more than condoms and STIs” says McInerney “I’d like to broaden the S.H.A.G. campaign to include LGBTQ information and not just for people who are LGBTQ - it’s about thinking outside the box, sexually.”

Katie Drea is a final year Contemporary Culture and Society student who proposes appointing a Welfare Officer for each of DCU’s clubs and societies “to make it easier for students to talk about their problems with someone they know”.

Drea told The College View she would also like to “bring in puppies at exam time to relieve stress”. “I’m in CCS so I don’t have a huge amount of exams but when I do they’re really stressful. I think this would really help students to relax during exams”.

If elected, Drea added that she’d like to organise “fun cooking demonstrations” aimed at students who are away from home and need to eat on a budget.

Another policy Drea stressed is an anonymous support service for students who have experienced forms of sexual assault. “It’s is a problem that I feel isn’t addressed enough in Ireland and isn’t taken as seriously as it should be.

Education and Training student, Mikey Flanagan proposes a bike scheme between DCU, St. Pat’s and Mater Dei. “Cycling is a low cost way to

improve health and to be happier. If a student ever has a gap in their day they could use these bikes to go home, go shopping or simply just to have fun.”

Flanagan says he would also like to “boost the Irish language on campus” by creating a ‘Seomra Gaeilge’.

“This room could prove so crucial, if students wanted to speak Irish and have some fun they could use this room, but also for those students who do not have a high level of Irish, this room is also for you”.

Pat’s and Mater Dei. “Cycling is a low cost way to improve health and to be happier. If a student ever has a gap in their day they could use these bikes to go home, go shopping or simply just to have fun.”

Flanagan says he would also like to “boost the Irish language on campus” by creating a ‘Seomra Gaeilge’.

CIARA O’DWYER

KATIE Drea is a final year Contem-

see more at www.thecollegeview.com

KATIE DREA porary Culture and Society student

CIARA is a third year Communica- who proposes appointing a Welfare tions student from Tipperary, who has wanted to get involved in the Students’ Union from early on in her time at DCU. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about since the end of first year, start of second year” she says.

Ciara availed of the SU’s help when she started first year in DCU and says they were a great support to her during her first year of college.

“In first year, I found it really difficult because I didn’t like my course … I moved up to the city and I was really homesick so I really didn’t like first year” she admits.

Officer for each of DCU’s clubs and societies “to make it easier for students to talk about their problems with someone they know”.

Drea told The College View she would also like to “bring in puppies at exam time to relieve stress”. see more at www.thecollegeview.com

GILLIAN MCINERNEY SECOND year Contemporary Cul-

ture and Society student Gillian McInerney is the current chairperson of DCU LGBTA and the Equality Officer for Gender and LGBT Issee more at sues in the Class Rep Council. www.thecollegeview.com If elected Welfare Officer, McInerney says her biggest priDOMHNAILL HARKIN ority next year will be a small student assistance fund which she DOMHNAILL Harkin is a final hopes to have ready by September. year law student from Donegal. He has been heavily involved in youth see more at representation form an early age www.thecollegeview.com through his role as head boy in his school. Upon moving to Dublin KATIE MCGOEY then, Domhnaill became involved in SpunOut.ie’s action panel and KATIE is in her final year, studying since then, has been actively in- Multimedia in DCU and feels that volved in most of their major proj- she can give a lot to the Students’ ects and campaigns.

Union.

HE believes that his connections She chats about her origiwith SpunOut.ie will prove bene- nal ideas, and feels she can out ficial to him in his role as Welfare a fresh spin on Mental Health Officer, particularly when it comes campaigns by introducing inito organising mental health cam- tiatives such as Laughter Therpaigns. apy and Colour Therapy. see more at “It’s proven to relieve stress www.thecollegeview.com levels by 50 to 70 per cent” she explains.

MIKEY FLANAGAN

EDUCATION and Training stu-

dent, Mikey Flanagan proposes a bike scheme between DCU, St.

see more at www.thecollegeview.com

FACULTY CONVENOR PROFILES BY Elaine Carroll (Deputy News Editor) – Science and Health , Engineering and Computing

JASON BOLTON

IVAN HYNES

MARIANE GALPO

BRID O’NEILL

JASON Bolton is a second year Analytical

IVAN Hynes is a third year Chemical

MARIANE Galpo is a third year Mechan-

THIRD year Mechatronic Engineering

Science student and says he would like to increase the information available to science students through information sessions, CV workshops and interview skills to help students with their Intra.

BOLTON would like to improve the visibility of the Uaneen module for DCU students and set up a workshop.

and Pharmaceutical Science student and hopes to tackle the lack of communication between staff and students in the INTRA system.

HYNES intends to promote and support

nursing students’ campaigns against the intern wage and introduce workshops in the library for ACS and RSC referencing.

ical & Manufacturing student running for Engineering & Computing Convenor.

GALPO wants more vending machines around campus and would also like to improve access to computers in the engineering building.

GALPO has also expressed dissatisfaction with the current convenor system and promises to be an active and accessible convenor if elected.

student, Bríd O’Neill, says her experience as a class rep for three years makes her the right candidate for the position of Humanities and Social Sciences Convener.

O’NEILL proposes one-to-one meetings

between conveners and class reps once per semester and before programme board meetings.

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

News

Societies: Browne and O’Ceallaigh on society events, grants and funding “I’d like to team the small societies up with the larger ones so the larger society gets the help putting on the event while the smaller one gets the experience and exposure....so they can build, put on successful events of their own and recruit more members”. She also hopes that the chasm between funding for small and large societies will narrow as smaller societies grow. Browne also hopes to introduce more training for society committees so society trips and events are better organised. She also wants to have more collabora-

tion with the Welfare Officer so societies can act as a platform for causes such as promoting positive mental health.

O’ Ceallaigh, meanwhile, is hoping to engage more people and encourage more involvement by introducing an inter-society competition like a “Society Cup” in which a number of inter-society events would be held throughout the year, culminating in the society which is top of the leaderboard being crowned champions.

He also wants to reform the grant application which

societies must submit for their yearly funding from the SLC so funds are distributed with more fairness - “I’d like to see someone from the SLC sit down with the treasurer from each society before submitting the grant application which would help the SLC and ensure funds are distributed according to societies’ needs”.

Both agree on one thing – societies are the heartbeat of DCU. Browne says that “DCU thrives on society life” while O’ Ceallaigh believes that “some of the best societies in the country are here in DCU”.

Clubs: Gorman on interclub events and grant applications Stephen Murphy News Reporter

@thecollegeview

AMONGST the hustle and bus-

Stephen Murphy News Reporter

@thecollegeview

THE Societies Officer race

may not have the same glitz and glamour as the sabbatical positions but it is undoubtedly one of the most important roles up for grabs. Societies are one of the most important and prominent aspects of DCU and either Eoin Lúc O’ Ceallaigh, a 2nd year Journalism student, or Bríd Browne, a 2nd year

Irish and Media student, will be responsible for them from September.

Both candidates are active members of various societies – O’ Ceallaigh is vice-chairperson of RAG and involved with MPS, Cumann Gaelach and Enactus while Browne is on the committee of Music Soc, Friends Soc and Cumann Gaelach.

The headline of Browne’s campaign is the lack of funding for smaller societies and their struggle to stage events because of this.

tle of campaigning for votes and investing time and effort into social media and making their presence on campus known, there is one candidate sitting a little more comfortably. Thomas Gorman, a 1st year Computer Applications student, is the sole candidate for Clubs Officer.

Although it is a one horse race, he has experience of being on the committee of Ultimate Frisbee for two years and thinks that his ideas will have a positive impact on DCU’s clubs. He is aware of the possibility of RON (Re-Opening of Nominations) and has put together a manifesto which he believes will be strong enough to see him get elected.

Gorman wants to see more engagement from the CLC – “I want a rep to come down to training sessions, get a feel for

Credit Steve Kampff

the club and sit down with the treasurer when grant applications are being made”. He also hopes to introduce inter-club events so there is more of a link between them and to “have some fun in clubs rather than just the

serious competition”. He is also looking at creating video reels and posters for different clubs “so people have a better understanding and to get the message out there of what clubs are doing and achieving”.

FACULTY CONVENOR PROFILES by Elaine Carroll (Deputy News Editor) – Engineering and Computing, Business

JAMES NOLAN

ABIR ABBAS

JOHN DOLLARD

JAMES Nolan is a first year Computer Applications stu-

ABIR Abbas is a first year Business Studies student who

JOHN Dollard is in first year Marketing, Innovation and

NOLAN also proposes a Computer and Engineering Fort-

ABBAS also proposes updating IT facilities in the Busi-

dent who hopes to improve communication between Engineering and Computing courses if elected Humanities Convener. night with careers fairs and workshops for Computer and Engineering Students

hopes to organise a grinds service between final years students and students from other years if she secures the position of Business Convenor. ness building if elected.

Technology student and Business Convener candidate who wants to create more events for Business Students to boost ‘school spirit’ such as a Freshers Week BBQ and an end of year concert.

DOLLARD also proposes a jobs fair for School students and regular free CV workshops.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

7

News

Catherine Devine Features Editor @Catherinedevin1

THE opening lap of DCU Relay

for life was completed by four survivors, followed by 11 teams as DCU Cancer Society set out to raise a target of €2,000 for the Irish Cancer Society.

Relay for Life is a 24 hour team event, where one member of each team is on the track at all times. The slogan is to ‘celebrate, remember and fight back’ as one in three people fight cancer.

Sinéad Reilly of DCU Cancer Society said “Relay celebrates survivors, remembers those we’ve lost and encourages us to fight on to find a cure. This was our yearly goal in one event which involves both students and staff in a unique 24 hour event”.

Despite the cold, 11 teams including societies such as Young Fine Gael, Enactus, MPS and Rag, walked the track all day and night in high spirits. “The teams were committed in raising as much money as they could and remembering those who have survived, those still fighting and those we’ve lost,” said Sinéad.

Jordan Kavanagh who took part in the 24 hour event said “I really enjoyed doing the relay, the morning laps were a

lot warmer than the night, but I’m so glad I could be part of it”.

Entertainment was provided for the 24 hours with bands such as Touchwood and the Dublin Gospel Choir, Zumba and a colour run.

A highlight of the 24 hours was the candle of hope ceremony, which was the remembrance element of the event. “It was an emotional time for those remembering lost friends and family members, as well as for the survivors reflecting on their own experiences. The Dublin Gospel Choir gave an amazing performance making the ceremony so special and significant,” said Sinéad.

“The fact that there were always people walking throughout the 24hrs highlights how many of us have been affected by the disease and the strength that lies within us to find a cure and finally beat cancer,” said Sinéad.

“1 in 3 people are diagnosed with cancer in Ireland. A patient lives with cancer and the pain that comes with it 24/7, so to test ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally for 24 hours is minimal compared to what others go through.”

The event received much attention with Enda Kenny tweeting his support to the society.

Support was also given by the CEO of the Irish Cancer society, John Mc Cormack, Ardal raise awareness about the cause. raised over €3500 for Irish Can- ‘The Bros of Tralee’ and ‘Shave or DCU Cancer Society which cer Society. Throughout the year Die’ which were hugely successO’Hanlan, Chris O’Dowd and Neil Delamare, which helped is in its first year, have already they’ve planned events such as ful events.

NUI Galway students vote yes in cannabis referendum Kevin Kelly News Reporter @AlsoKevinKelly

voted yes to a referendum that will see the university support the legalisation of cannabis in Ireland.

68% of the students voted yes, which was just shy of 1,800 votes.

The referendum was held after over 500 students brought the motion to the NUIG Student’s Union in late February. It is the first student body in Europe to support the legalisation of cannabis.

The referendum asked if the Student’s Union should “actively support the legalisation and regulation of the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis for adults aged 18 and over.”

Campaigners on the prevailing yes side have said that over 100,000 people in Ireland have criminal convictions for possession of cannabis, which they claim is a substance less harmful than tobacco and alcohol.

The legalisation of cannabis would see it become highly regulated and taxed, something that

Credit Mirror.co.uk

STUDENTS in NUI Galway have

the yes side also campaigned for.

The yes side was supported

by NUIG’s Students for Sensible Drugs Policy (SSDP) branch, the Socialist Society, and the

NUIG Sinn Féin Cumann, as well as Midlands-North West MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Garda whistleblower John Wilson.

While the Class C drug is far from being legalised nationwide, this result now means the NUIG SU is mandated to support the legalisation of cannabis should a national campaign arise.

Ciarán Maher from NUIG’s SSDP said the referendum outcome was a “strong statement against the current system of handling cannabis in Ireland, which allows this very profitable industry to be controlled by criminal gangs”.

Speaking to The College View, Aaron Harper of DCU’s branch of SSDP said “The idea of the referendum is to force people, not just students, to have a conversation on the [cannabis] issue.

Many students support the idea of a change in our drug laws but very few come out publicly about their views. This forces them to.”

When asked about a similar referendum happening in DCU, Harper said “we have no plans on a referendum as of yet but that could change in the future.”

Newly elected UCD SU President under fire for social media activity Aoife Geary News Reporter @geargears

A MALE candidate has been

elected UCD SU President despite concerns over his activity in a Facebook group objectifying women.

Marcus O’Halloran liked various posts on a group page titled “Girls I’d shift if I was tipsy”. The most recent post he liked was of a mixed race couple kissing in a nightclub. The caption read “bitta cross breeding going on here” with two emojis depicting one Caucasian person and one person of colour in a turban.

UCD publication, The University Observer, ran the story of O’Halloran’s membership of the group, which has since been deleted.

The president elect issued a

statement of apology, claiming he never wished to offend and that membership of the group was not representative of his views on women’s rights or gender equality.

The story was met with mixed reaction. While some students found the page derogatory others condemned its discussion as petty tactics by political competitors.

Former SU Welfare Officer Cian Dowling referred to the story as an attempt by a “rat candidate” to “tank a competitor’s election, hiding behind the pretence of equality”.

Valerie Tierney, a third year UCD student found O’Halloran’s participation in such a group highly offensive and asked “Is this the person you really want to trust with your problems and issues for the forthcoming academic term?”

Marcus O’Halloran released his statement on the issue but was unavailable to comment further since his election.

Credit Gianluca Avagnina, Katelyn Harrop

Relaying together for a cure for cancer

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

News

Irish colleges running fewer courses for those with disabilities, report finds Andrew Ralph News Reporter @AndrewRalph7

Grainne Birrill, Co-Ordinator at WALK PEER and Therese Danaher, Lecturer at DCU Credit WALK

A REPORT has found that col-

degree while 63% do not progress to second level education.

In addition to the low amounts of students with intellectual disabilities obtaining third level degrees, far fewer are able to access grants when attending

NUIG suspends job form Scout Mitchell News Reporter @scout_mitchell

FOLLOWING publication of a

controversial health questionnaire by NUIG, The National Women’s Council of Ireland has expressed doubts about the college’s message on gender bias.

The questionnaire was designed for prospective female job applicants, and included several intrusive questions regarding their breasts and menstrual cycles.

Consisting of forty questions, the questionnaire included enquiries such as, “Do you suffer with any problems with your menstrual periods? Do you suffer any breast problems? Have you ever been treated for gynaecological problems?” According to the questionnaire, such questions were necessary to determine if the employee was “fit for

Credit connachttribune.ie

the job” and determine the likelihood of “regular attendance.

The poll was predictably met with opposition from many. A senior lecturer from NUIG found the questions “invasive” and “borderline misogynistic.” DCU SU welfare candidate and member of the National Women’s council, Gillian McInerny also found the questionnaire unacceptable.

“I think it is extremely inappropriate to question anybody about such personal issues. If a medical is required for a position then it should have been conducted by doctors, privately and for all candidates” stated McInerney.

McInerny’s insights echo that of many, especially the council who believe the questionnaire ultimately “points to a gender bias.”

Membership development officer, Eilis Ni Chaithnia is deeply concerned of what this questionnaire means for women in the workplace. The form “needs to be considered in the context of what is already an ongoing campaign to highlight the absence of women in senior positions in NUIG” she argued.

Although the university provided initial justification for the content, they have now suspended use of the form. NUIG plan to reconsider their pre-screening process for applicants, ensuring “it follows best practice in the area.” It is hoped that review and reform will eliminate gender discrimination of the process for future applicants.

college part-time or studying for courses below FETAC level.

From the 8,840 students with intellectual disabilities in higher education in the year 20072008, only 3.7% accessed grants.

According to parents and ser-

vice providers, an attitude exists within educational circles that questions the point of a student “who isn’t going to qualify” going to college. They went on to say that: “Several people felt this was a particular barrier that undercut

a lot of attempts to mainstream access – the idea of education and learning as an economic output rather than as an entitlement.”

The Walk report received funding from the EU and Irish equality authorities.

USI launch new phase of alcohol awareness campaign Aaron McElroy News Reporter @thecollegeview

THE Union of Students in Ire-

land launched the new interactive phase of their alcohol awareness campaign mentaldrinking. ie, earlier last month.

The initiative makes up part of ‘USI’s Mental Drinking Roadshow’.

Along with Alcohol Action Ireland, the campaign aims to explain the link between binge drinking and mental ill-health.

It encourages students, especially those who are older siblings, to set a good example for the younger generations coming up behind them.

The roadshow traveled to colleges and universities across the country with merchandise and information packs for students, starting in University College Cork on February 23rd and ending in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology on February 26th.

Speaking to The College View, USI President Lau-

Credit usi.ie

leges are not doing enough to provide courses for students who suffer from intellectual disabilities.

The report compiled by the organisation Walk, identified a “culture a low expectations” and a “limited supply of appropriate training courses” with regards to courses catering for those with intellectual disabilities.

The report said that: “colleges run fewer courses at FETAC/QQI level 3 and below, which is the level that many prospective students with intellectual disability are seeking. Such programmes are being delivered, if at all, by other providers, such as community education organisations.”

The report found this to be “perhaps the most significant” obstacle for people with intellectual disabilities seeking post-primary education.

The Economic and Social Research Institute said in 2011, only 4% of people with an intellectual disability had a third level

ra Harmon said she was very pleased with the week-long event and with the feedback that they received from it.

She said that USI distributed over 10,000 alcohol awareness packs to students over the course of the event and received positive responses from those participating in the event.

Harmon also said that there was a strong media interest in the roadshow and support from professionals as it was

the first independent alcohol awareness campaign in Ireland.

When asked about the future of the roadshow, Harmon said that they will give a 360 degree evaluation but are look to expand the event after the success of its inaugural year.

USI broke its links with the alcohol industry last year. and speaking at the launch of the roadshow.

USI Vice-President for Welfare Greg O’Donoghue said that this independence has been vital for creating a genuine and credible alcohol awareness campaign among students.

“We present no-holdsbarred information, based on the best research, to students, so they can protect themselves from the industry’s marketing hype and unpick the conflicting messages which float around about alcohol,’ he said.

“We make it clear in our campaign that there can be a damaging impact for both the short and long-term mental health of young people when they binge drink…It’s simply not worth it,” he added.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

9

Opinion Credit: huntermagazine.ie

‘Gay’ shouldn’t be a character definition Christine Allen Opinions Editor @AllenChristine2

uary of this year, he stated that being gay didn’t ‘define’ him that his sexual orientation was merely just another facet to his character.

IT’S official - I’m one burnt out Upon hearing this, my initial Lesbian. and in hindsight ignorant reacAs I sit here, typing this artition went along the lines of “well cle in a crisp checked New Look that’s because he’s been in the shirt, I feel exhausted and weary. closet.”

With what?

Hearing too that he had Well, to be blunt, my gayness. never stepped foot inside a gay No, I’m not unhappy with the bar further cemented my initial fact that I am attracted to womdismissive attitude. A gay man en, nor am I ashamed of who I who had never been on the gay am. What I am however is bored scene? Was this guy really as gay - bored of defining myself solely as he claimed to be? by my sexual orientation.

In my view at the time, Leo Take my Facebook profile.

Varadkar’s lack of engagement Shared posts from the Lesbian with gay nightlife, coupled with Pride page litter my timeline; his decision not to shout his while my status updates consist sexuality from the rooftops, of references to attractive cedidn’t in my mind live up to the lebrities such as Ella Henderson behaviour that I then associated (any reader will now be aware with gay people who were out that I’m ‘mildly’ obsessed.) and proud.

In fact it was my social media However as the weeks use which first alerted me to the passed, I found myself thinking fact that I was publicising my about our Ministers statement sexual orientation at an excesand what it meant for me. After sive rate. all, wasn’t I a writer, an avid This realisation took the form thriller fiction fan - not to menof a half typed status update, tion a bit of an I.T geek? Was my relating to neck pain that I’d sexual orientation really all that I been experiencing. In order to wanted to be known for? hammer home the severity of I also began to ask myself my injury, I was in the process of whether I had at some level referring to my inability to check defined myself, and the LGBT out ‘hot girls.’ community, as a separate entity As I deleted the half formed from straight people. post the following thought This concern came to the fore crossed my mind - I have bewhen a straight woman reacted come a Les - being as opposed to negatively to my (slightly tipsy) a Lesbian. observation that she was “sound At twenty - six, I had lost my for a straight girl.” identity to another.

Her frank response however When our Minister for Health swiftly put me in my place.

Leo Varadkar came out in Jan“Don’t get me wrong, I’m all

“I believe that the acceptance and subsequent confidence that I gained in regards to my sexual identity from attending the youth group Belong 2, altered my view of what it meant to be gay” for gay pride and equality, but I don’t get why you need to wear your sexual orientation on your sleeve - or label others by theirs.”

Needless to say, I sobered up pretty sharpish.

What’s ironic is that not too long ago, being perceived to be a Lesbian by my peers was my idea of Armageddon. In fact, between the ages of 12- 18, I strenuously denied any ‘accusations’ that I was attracted to women.

So what changed?

On reflection, I believe that the acceptance and subsequent confidence that I gained in regards to my sexual identity from attending the youth group Belong 2, altered my view of what it meant to be gay.

While this in itself was nothing but a hugely positive transition, my decision to align my whole self with my sexual orientation wasn’t.

By tying every aspect of my life - music, nights out and fashion sense with the G factor, I was essentially just cementing the divide that can at times already exist between the gay and straight community, not to mention feeding into stereotypes - that gay people have some sort of alternative ‘lifestyle’ for one.

I should find some solace however in the fact that I am far from the only gay person to have latched onto their sexual orientation and let it define their character upon coming out.

Looking at the reasoning behind this, perhaps at some level those of us who in the past were oppressed for who we were, and in turn made to feel ashamed, over compensate by aligning ourselves to the extreme with all things LGB or T. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for making your voice heard in relation to the Marriage Equality campaign, speaking out publicly against homophobia from a non dispassionate point of view, or off - handily commenting on the attractiveness of a celebrity. That isn’t excessive - that’s just being yourself.

I also am aware that many of us are not yet welcome within straight venues and have in fact been turfed out for expressing who we authentically are while within them.

However, making a conscious decision to only RSVP to LGBT club nights, or going out of your way to make your sexual orientation known, either on or

off - line isn’t necessary - unless asked directly (even then it’s the individuals prerogative on how or if to answer.)

In fact, one could take the view that an individuals lack of a need to reveal their sexual orientation to all and sundry belies a comfort in their own skin that those of us who feel compelled to push our sexuality onto others can only dream about.

Now, before I get it in the neck, I’m not claiming to speak for every gay person on the island. Nor am I encouraging anyone to hide who they are.

With regard to our social lives and fashion sense, perhaps those of us from the checked shirt brigade (again, guilty as charged), who pledge allegiance to the lesbian night Crush on a monthly basis, are merely just living the lives that we want to lead, in a setting that we feel comfortable.

That said, I can’t help but feel that we should take a leaf out of Leo Varadkar’s book and refrain from solely defining ourselves in tandem with who we are attracted to.

At the very least, we should examine our motivations behind doing so.

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Opinion

Sharron Lynskey News Editor @sharronlynskey

THE changing role of media is

a topic which has been widely discussed in recent years.

The vast majority of people have moved from the prehistoric physical newspapers of days gone by and now consume their media on a myriad of applications and social networks - (Some might even cringe at the thought of breaking a five euro note in their local Centra just to buy the daily Irish Independent.)

Of course, this radical change in such a short time frame has meant that media outlets are now, more than ever, adapting and evolving to keep up with these new technologies. Gone are the days when a News Editor decided what you should or shouldn’t read.

Now, you only have to click into a headline that grabs your attention and people have the freedom to pick and choose what articles to read. On the internet, there are no double page spreads or flashy headlines that suggest what is the most important material – that is decided by the reader alone.

Although the print industry has suffered a major blow due to the onset of new technologies and the emergence of online journalism, how has radio fared in the midst of all this madness?

In 1922, Thomas Edison stated, “The radio craze… will soon fade”.

It seems that even geniuses can get it completely wrong.

Almost a century later, radio is as captivating and as popular as it ever was. You can’t walk into a shop on Grafton St without some high energy, young Dublin City station pumping in the background.

And I have yet to find a mammy who doesn’t tune in to Joe Duffy every afternoon.

The latest JNLR figures from July of last year state that a whopping 76pc of young people aged between 15 and 34 listen to radio stations on a daily basis. There is no doubt that unlike its print counterpart, radio has not witnessed a major decline in popularity.

However, the way we consume radio is changing and both broadcasters and reporters alike should be in tune with such changes.

According to The Pew Research Centre’s Report on American Journalism in 2012, 40pc of the American radio audience listened to radio on digital devices, with that

figure expected to double by this year. The findings also revealed that the number of Americans who owned an AM/FM radio witnessed a steady decline.

The steady decrease in AM/FM radio ownership signals the move from traditional media to outlets such as apps or podcasts.

Podcasting has been around much longer than people think.

In fact, it dates as far back as the 1980s.

With the advent of broadband internet and portable digital audio playback devices such as the iPod, podcasts began to really take hold in the mid noughties.

Podcasts in Ireland are still widely popular, with sports podcast Second Captains proving that there is a strong market for podcasts in this country, boasting more than 160,000 followers on Soundcloud to date.

Across the pond, This American Life is undoubtedly the boss of podcasts with over one million people downloading every single episode. Ira Glass and his team produce a podcast that consists of short stories that are told in a compelling and approachable way.

Most recently, the team followed two high-school girls throughout a day in which they

Under Pressure: how do I look?

Odran De Bhaldraithe Arts Editor

IF you watched the soccer last

weekend, you might have noticed a bit of a trend.

So what is it that Wayne Rooney, Leigh Griffiths and Anthony Stokes all have in common? They have all undergone hair transplants, a cosmetic procedure to combat hair loss that has become increasingly popular amongst men.

The increase in cosmetic procedures in our leading sport stars is telling and points to the newly-found pressures placed on men to look good and meet certain beauty standards - a full head of hair being one.

Males are/were often portrayed in the media as the sex who couldn’t care less about their appearance, so why the shift towards vanity by the men on our screens?

Well, one easy answer is the other men on our screens; switch over to Sky Movies and you will inevitably be confronted by Adonis after Adonis.

Yes, those quirky rom-coms that you watch of a Friday night are littered with the bulging biceps of Ryan Gosling or the sculpted abs of Ryan Reynolds.

Credit: Huffpost.com

The impressive physical condition of the movie stars is rarely more than an aside or a selling point, but subconsciously the physique of the boy who gets the girl registers with both the male and female viewer.

Case in point, Ryan Goslings ability to do that iconic lift from Dirty Dancing due to his ridiculous strength results in him winning over over Emma Stone in Crazy, Stupid, Love and so

what we take away post watch, whether we know it or not, is that to get our own Emma Stone, we men should be built like Ryan Gosling.

The shift in emphasis toward men’s appearances may be an unfortunate result of a positive change in today’s society.

Years ago, it was understandable that a women would factor in a man’s earning power when choosing a life partner; wage

cared for a robotic baby – feeding it, changing it and comforting it.

The podcast provided a fascinating insight into the lives of these teenagers (Rachel and Paige), documenting how they coped with the robot-babies as they went about their day – going to drama school, to class and doing their homework.

Another podcast, which is garnering interest worldwide, is the production ‘Serial’. It comes from the makers of This American Life (TAL) and is hosted by Sarah Koenig, who has been looking at a past murder case.

In 1999, in Baltimore, a young woman called Hae Min Lee went missing. After a few weeks, her body was found in Leakin Park. She had been strangled. Her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was charged with her murder, convicted and sent to prison for life plus 30 years.

What makes the examination of this case so interesting however is that Syed has always protested his innocence.

Koenig looks into the case by talking to Syed over the prison phone, recording their conversations in the process. The complicated friendship that they develop

throughout the course of the documentary is one of the main draws of the series.

Koenig’s meticulous examination of the evidence, interviewing people 15 years after the murder for example, is fascinating. Her sometimes tentative presentation of the evidence to Syed, and his reactions first-hand makes makes great radio.

I suppose traditional stations and other media outlets don’t have the time to create such original radio. But maybe the real reason is that they just lack the drive and passion to create such interesting, compelling, fascinating content and hunger that is evident in each of Koenig’s episodes.

Original, interesting content such as This American Life and Serial shows the freedom podcasting teams have.

The US is paving the way for great podcasts with captivating storylines and real human-interest topics, while the rest of the world has yet to catch up.

Whether we’ll get there before we discover what really happened Hae Min Lee in 1999 though, has yet to be decided.

disparity made this a necessity.

While, wage disparity still exists, and its existence is inexcusable, the gap is unquestionably closing, meaning that some women no longer need to factor a man’s pay packet into the equation, leaving aesthetic qualities open to being placed under greater scrutiny.

There are negative consequences to the increasing focus on men’s appearances; studies suggest that up to a quarter of those who suffer from the eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are now male.

However, researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Glasgow found that instances are largely under diagnosed and under reported, partly due to the disorders reputation as being a ‘girls’ disorder.

While men in 2015 are now facing a pressure that is relatively new, it is important to remember that the pressure that we face does not match the scrutiny that our female counterparts are under. As feminist writer Julie Bindel put it: ‘Men can ultimately flirt with it. Women live by it.

They’re judged by it.”

Her quote brings me back to a conversation that I partook in with a group of friends.

Glued to his phone, a friend announced that Chelsea Ferguson had sent out a new Snapchat update (Ferguson is an erotic dancer who has garnered internet fame due in part to her

posting nude photos on social media platforms.)

After soaking in the picture, the friend made the following observation - “Jesus, all she’s good for is getting her tits out.”

Now I struggle to imagine that a man would ever be subject to such a sentence, nor the typical “she’s sound BUT rotten/she’s a bitch BUT unreal looking” descriptions; the “BUT” betraying how the real value is measured – by how the woman looks.

Another bit of leeway given to men is that male stars are allowed to age gracefully, to proudly wear the label of the ‘grey fox’ or the ‘silver bear’ think George Clooney or Tom Jones from The Voice. Aside from outliers like Meryl Streep, most of Hollywood’s leading ladies don’t have a wrinkle or a grey hair to be seen.

In relative terms, sure - we men are under less pressure to look our best when compared to women, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t feel the pressure to look good (or ehem ‘measure up’ if a recent article which has taken the Internet by storm on the average penis size is anything to go by.)

Like most things, the pressure that an individual feels to look good is all relative. While disparity in terms of this pressure does need to be closed, we’re currently closing it in the wrong direction.

Credit: cmgdigital/com

Don’t Underestimate The Power Of The Podcast

the suss 11 march 2015

Gaiman

The author names the best script of the past 20 years

S W E I REVlic Pub ice Serv dcasting Broa Tuxedo and

Orlaith Farrell talks about the DCU Fashion Show while Emma Dungan lists the best things to give up for Lent

arts

12

Picture Credit: myfrugaladventures.com; StyleSoc; Twitter; MarieClare; discoveryeducation.com; whatcalireloves.com; deliciousyella.com; web4.com; GoldenPlec; Wikimedia; sixpencestudio.comtrendland.com; lifeisnoise.com; npr.com; acclaimmag.com; AdrienDeggan

WHY ALWAYS KANYE? In the past few weeks, the same sentiment has been bandied about time and again in the populous conversation, i.e. my Facebook feed: Kanye West should shut up, his music isn’t even as good as it used to be.

Whether it was the “what was that?” reactions to his triumphant performance of “All Day” at the BRIT Awards, or the continuing discussion over his post-Grammys outburst, the conversation about Kanye West always seems to take a vitriolic turn that is usually saved for conversations about people like Margaret Thatcher or Islamic State.

“He should be put down like the dog that he is” is an actual sentence that was said to me last week after an incorrect report about Kanye refusing to speak to Jonathan Ross on the comedian’s talk show. Before even dealing with the awful and all too common racism of comparing a black man to an animal, an animal that should be put down, no less, the question needs to be asked: why does everything controversial involving Kanye West inspire such hatred?

Contrast can be drawn between the reactions of people to what West has to say and their reactions to what other controversial acts, like the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam, have to say.

After Kanye’s BRITs performance, Liam tweeted that his performance was “utter shite”, something far more disrespectful and dismissive than anything Kanye West said about Taylor Swift or Beck. Yet the reaction to Gallagher’s tweet seems to be some varying form of “hahaha yessss Liam Gallagher is a legend”. Why? Is it because his target is Kanye West? In part, definitely. Nobody liked what Kanye did to Taylor Swift, mainly because Swift was just a young girl at the time, left looking very lonely in front of the world. Kanye West is a grown, arrogant man, who people think could stand to be taken down a few pegs.

When you move onto Liam’s brother Noel, support for the Gallaghers’ opinions becomes a little sickening. Speaking to the NME, he insulted various musicians, something people seemingly cannot handle when Kanye West does it, while also saying some truly awful things about the working class. The man said he sends his children to private schools because he doesn’t want them to speak like Ali G, but it’s all brushed under the rug as classic provocative Noel Gallagher.

People with a greater understanding of how racism works could articulate the difference in the reception of things said by working-class arrogant white Mancunians and an arrogant black man from the Chicago ghettos, but another factor that might play into these seeming prejudices is the musical output of the parties.

When people think of the Gallagher brothers, they seemingly forget the terribleness of Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and immediately jump to major Oasis sing-alongs like “Wonderwall”. Perhaps the awful truth is this: the criticism of what Kanye has to say stems from wanting less “All Day” and moar “Gold Digger”?

Odrán de Bhaldraithe

Arts Editor: Odrán de Bhaldraithe Deputy Arts Editor: Bryan Grogan

Lifestyle Editor: Orlaith Farrell Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Emma Dungan

11 March 2015 | the suss

sharp darts -Kanye West has announced the title of his seventh solo studio album. No release date has been announced for So Help Me God, but recent weeks have seen the release of singles “All Day” - featuring Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London and Paul McCartney - and “Wolves” - featuring Sia and Vic Mensa.

Kendrick Lamar has announced the release date for his follow-up to the blockbuster good kid, m.A.A.d city. The apparently untitled

“

Every song from Drake’s surprise mixtape has charted on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart

Kanye West at the BRIT Awards

album will be released on March 23rd and will include song of the year candidate “The Blacker the Berry”.

-Modest Mouse have announced that they will be paying a visit to DCU - they play the Helix on July 11th. Tickets are €30+ from usual outlets.

-Nile Rodgers and Chic are back in Dublin this summer, they play the Iveagh Gardens on July 9th. Tickets are €51.50 and go on sale Thursday 12th March.

-Every song from Drake’s surprise mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late has charted on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.

The Canadian rapper also tied a 51-year-old record set

One Line Earl Sweatshirt collaborating with Future Islands (sort of ), a re-ignited beef and Kanye’s BRIT preformance.

Kanye’s performance at the BRITs: How long you been

Modest Mouse’s Strangers to Ourselves: Dare we say that it’s their strongest since The Moon and Antarctica?

We dare.

Heems’s debut album Eat. Pray. Thug. is out now

laughing at Lionel Richie and Taylor Swift? All day.

Sufjan Stevens’s Carrie & Lowell: This might sound weird, but this album actually makes

by The Beatles by having 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart simultaneously.

The initial line-up announcement for Electric Picnic has been made. Stradbally, Co. Laois will play host to Florence + the Machine, Underworld, Future Islands and the War on Drugs amongst others.

-In crap sells in large quantities news: 50 Shades of Grey has broken the $500 million grossing mark worldwide. In other 50 Shades news: the film has been banned in India, despite Universal submitting a censored version for consideration.

Odrán de Bhaldraithe Stephen Keegan getting your soul crushed seem enjoyable.

The amount of attention Skepta has been getting recently: We approve wholeheartedly, “That’s Not Me” still bangs.

Taking Back Sunday vs.

Brand New beef being reignited: Adam Lazzarra got arrested for drunk-driving a couple of weeks ago and he called Jesse Lacey “not a good person”; sweet sweet irony.

Finding out that Taking Back Sunday still exist: Kind of a letdown given that I am not a whiny teenage anymore.

Gangrene collaborating with Earl Sweatshirt and Samuel T. Herring of Future Islands: This is one of those things that happens when you don’t realise that you’ve wanted it to happen all your life until it happens.

Tobias Jesso Jr’s Goon: This sounds like John Lennon singing songs that a heartbroken Bob Dylan wrote on a piano.

Odrán de Bhaldraithe

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the suss | 11 March 2015

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neil gaiman says sandman script is “best in 20 years” Author Neil Gaiman has said the movie script for the adaptation of his Sandman comics is the best he has read in 20 years. He also said that he is happy with how the television adaptation of American Gods is progressing.

The Bram Stroker Award winner was in Dublin last week accepting an award in UCD. He spoke with caution about a new project he is working on for the BBC. He would only say it is a new 6-hour project.

The BBC is known to be working on a six-part adaptation of his novel, Anansi Boys, but this was announced over a year ago, meaning whatever Gaiman discussed may be something different. Despite the crowd’s oohing, he would say no more about it.

Gaiman also spoke of writ-

Neil Gaiman spoke in UCD last week

ing new Sandman comics.

Not surprisingly, he says the biggest issue with him is time, meaning a monthly comic is impossible.

The Eternity’s Wheel author gave a brief background of how he got to where he is now. He spoke of a novel, written in his early twenties, whose rejection led to him getting into journalism.

However, he thinks he lacked the “killer instinct” to be a

electric picnic’s bottom line acts: who are they?

Hinds (Formerly known as Deers): An all-female Spanish group who have the look of a Haim cover band. Their massive hair hides lo-fi tendencies with all the messiness of that genre inherent in their music.

High-pitched vocals match up with dull throbbing acoustic lines to create something equal parts noise rock and punk.

Shura: Shura, aka Aleksandra Denton, makes very relaxed

Ben Khan

rhythms out of downbeat electronica. Think FKA Twigs without the sex, but also making use of ambience to get across the feeling of deep comfort. She maintains full creative control of her music having taught herself to produce and edit her work.

Ben Khan: We’re absolutely convinced that mystery man Jai Paul has given up his original moniker and started recording under the name Ben Khan.

When you listen to Khan’s music the similarity between the two is unbelievable.

His music

journalist.

Speaking about his experiences in journalism, Gaiman recalled being asked to write an article about comic books; having interviewed different artists and writers, he sent it into the newspaper and didn’t hear anything back so he rang their office. The editor said to him that they were unsure about the piece as they thought it lacked balance. Gaiman asked them

is funky, effervescent with shades of trip-hop distortion and plenty of very quick, very striking samples, a la J Dilla or DJ Shadow.

Curtis Harding: From Atlanta, Georgia, Harding brings a bit of soul to the Electric Picnic line-up. His Motown vibe will provide a healthy reprieve from the droning electronica that is set to be the big selling point at festivals around Ireland this year. His music is infectious, romantic but also really fun to dance along with. He could be one of the big surprise hits at this year’s EP. Aquilo: Aquilo are hard to describe.

They sell themselves as an electronic duo, but what really stands out is the strength of the vocal. They can be hard listening if you’re not in the right mood as there’s

“

He said that he was feeling good about writing it until the person on the phone said that they wanted the article to show how playing Dungeons and Dragons leads people to Satanism.

what they meant and the editor said, “Well, you seem to think comics are a good thing?” The article was never published but he said he got more money for a kill fee than he ever did for a published article off of the paper.

Another phone call from a different newspaper centred on Gaiman writing about Dungeons and Dragons.

Gaiman was excited because he knew lots of people who played the role-playing game.

He said that he was feeling good about writing it until the person on the phone said that they wanted the article to show how playing Dungeons and Dragons leads people to Satanism.

Gaiman said he was silent on the phone for so long that she asked him, “Hello? Are you still there?” And he said, “Yes… I don’t think I work for you anymore.”

Gaiman said that he doesn’t believe in writers’ block and that writers “made up writers block for people to feel sorry for us.” He said that he gets stuck but when you say you’re stuck nobody pities you. But when you say you have writers’ block they say, “Aw, do you want a drink?”

Colm Quinn

Electric Picnic in 2014h

something of a hymn-like intensity to their music. They try to paint a mood with every word, you could go so far as to say that they’re actually more inclined to folk, although they are capable of making you dance, as seen on “Losing You”, their collaboration with Vanic.

Little May: Perfect for a summer festival, their music is the kind of

summer-y, outdoors folk that can sometimes encapsulate the festival atmosphere. Little May hail from Australia but sound more like they have roots in Devon, or have relations with the crew behind Ben Howard. That kind of Boho charm does sometimes give way to Coldplay inspired pop-rock, but don’t hold that against them.

Bryan Grogan

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they should’ve stopped at one: sequels that never should have happened Chuck Palahniuk shocked fans when he announced Fight Club 2: The Cult, a sequel to his cult novel Fight Club and the cult film of the same name starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.

The soon-to-be-released sequel will be a continuance of the book in graphic novel form. It’s a safe bet to say that if it is any way successful then it will be adapted for the big screen regardless of its quality.

“If the first one made money, the second one will make more” seems to be justification enough to bring back the same characters, have bigger stunts and move to some new locales in a vain attempt to make near enough the same film.

Here is a list of films that should have stopped after their first outing: Pirates of the Caribbean 2, 3 and 4:

The idea for the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl came from a Disneyland rollercoaster. It was a big enough risk to make the first film, but due to a half decent plot and some charismatic acting from Johnny Depp, the film became a critical and financial success. One would have been enough but the dollar signs were clear for all to see so the sequels came with their ridiculously convoluted plots and not even Depp’s swagger could save these films from sinking.

Taken 2 and 3: Liam Neeson thought the first Taken would go straight to DVD and only took on the project because he was getting paid to spend a couple of weeks in Paris. That phone call and the Bourne-style action sequences and this film relaunched Neeson’s career as an action star. Neeson seemed to lose interest after the first one with him just

Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground: The first one was bad enough, but there was enough interest in it to warrant a sequel. Stand The Hangover Part 2 and 3: Your Ground went straight The idea of the first Hangover to DVD and a lot of people was pretty good; having a don’t even know it exists. It wild stag night and losing the carries on from the first one groom would be a nightmare where some of the members to most groomsmen. A great setup for a standalone comedy film, but then the second was just the first in Thailand and in the third one they’re not even hungover!

Logic need not apply. going through the motions in the next two. At least the third one has Forrest Whittaker in it.

11 March 2015 | the suss of the GSE are sent to prison for their part in the brawl at the end of the first film. From there on it rolls through most prison film clichés of crooked guards and shower assaults. It actually ends with them having a game of football against a rival firm where the winners get to be released. Seriously.

The Human Centipede 2: Why did they even make the first one?

Gavin Nolan Liam Neeson stars in Taken

the suss’s spring playlist Spring has finally sprung. A week after the odd snowfall that inspired thousands of hilarious and totally original “lousy Smarch weather” social media posts, the sun is out, kind of, and it’s getting warm, kind of.

Yes, the Irish calendar says that Spring begins in February, but if you call whatever this February was “Spring”, well then you can stop reading this now and go enjoy the summer outside.

As the weather gets better, so do our moods, which means what we listen to generally gets happier too. So when we at The Suss looked to make a playlist for this season, we sought swelling strings, big choruses, songs that can be referred to as “slappers” and outlawed anything by the band who made the last two songs on our winter playlist, teen suicide.

Spring is for long midday walks and enjoying the fact that it’s bearable to be outside again, so with that in mind, we’ve aimed to make this playlist something like those springtime strolls; passive in their methods, but also attention-stealing due to their great beauty. It’s a fact that we at The Suss listen to the most beautiful music there is, so with that in mind, enjoy this collection of swellers and slappers.

Brian Sella of The Front Bottoms

1. The Front Bottoms - “Maps” 2. Broken Social Scene - “Pacific Theme” 3. Donnie Trumpet Feat. Chance the Rapper & Vic Mensa - “Zion” 4. Slowdive - “When the Sun Hits” 5. Foxes in Fiction - “Fifteen Ativan (Alternate Version)” 6. Mac DeMarco - “Go Easy” 7. Aphex Twin - “On” 8. Future Islands - “Lighthouse” 9. Bjork - “Hyperballad” 10. J Dilla Feat. Common & D’Angelo - “So Far to Go” 11. MNDR & Sweet Valley - “Dance 4 a Floor” 12. The Doors - “The Changeling” 13. Sufjan Stevens - “Chicago”

Odrán de Bhaldraithe Stephen Keegan Bryan Grogan

arts

the suss |11 March 2015

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as we see it

Public Service Broadcasting The Race for Space

political race for space, and is told through the voices of the politicians, T.V. presenters and space crews involved, along with underlying music.

As a concept album, the It’s a mid-Autumn afternoon idea works, creating an abin Houston, Texas. Some sorbing, spacious ambience.

35,000 people are gathered in A long pause in “The Other an American football staSide” captures the silent, dium, but there is no game lonely and uncertain nature to be played. Instead, Presiof space travel, while lines like dent John F. Kennedy steps “Go!”’s “Okay keep the chatforward. ter down in this room!” reflect The year is 1962, and the the excitement and pressure space race is in full swing. involved.

“We meet in an hour of At a time when lyrics seem change and challenge”, JFK to be largely ignored by auditells the crowd, “In a decade ences, Public Service Broadof hope and fear.” casting does a great job in And so begins Public utilising quotes; the euphoric Service Broadcasting’s latest “Go!” is testament to that. Deconcept album, The Race for tailing the 1969 Moon Space.

Landing, listeners are Public Service Broadmade to feel like they casting is a duo made up of are in NASA’s two friends from London command centre who like to mix samples as the story of of old speeches and Apollo 11 uninformation tapes folds. with electro-rock But music, producing while a unique sound. the pair As the title fulfil their suggests, the promise album forms to “teach around the the lesnarrative of the sons of Tuxedo Tuxedo

There’s no question that the mainstream music industry has been attempting to repackage funk through pop artists such as Pharrell Williams and Bruno Mars, but few groups have been able to channel the sharp percussion, blaring horns and tight rhythms that categorized the movement as seamlessly as the Grammy award-winning duo that make up Tuxedo.

Based on a partnership that began almost 10 years ago with the exchange of mixtapes, soul vocalist Mayer Hawthorne and veteran producer Jake One have combined their years of production, vocal, and composition experience into a ‘70s–inspired, self-titled debut album. Tuxedo combines the dance spirit of the funk era

with modern sound engineering and DJ stylings to create a record that is as infectious as it is unique.

From its first track, Tuxedo’s emphasis on authentic funk percussion and modern synth rhythms make the album both deeply nostalgic

“

Along with the creativity of the album is a playful, almost goofy commentary on the sultry nature of classic funk. and openly accessible. The album’s high production quality is no surprise considering One’s reputation as one of the most sought after producers on America’s west coast, boasting liner credits

Public Service Broadcasting’s J. Willgoose, Esq. and Wrigglesworth.

LEFT: JFK speaking in Rice Stadium, 1962

the past through the music of the future” with this, their second album, the music sometimes isn’t as pleasing compared to their previous releases.

“Fire in the Cockpit” is appropriately silent as it deals with the death of three Apollo astronauts in 1967, but sounds more like a radio report than a song. “The Other Side” seems to take on a cinematic/story-telling structure (beginning, suspense, climax and end) halfway through and loses the momentum in its synth built up. from hip-pop and rap artists including 50 Cent and Drake.

One’s multi-instrumental, diverse creativity is pronounced in the catchy beats that characterize album tracks such as “Number One”, “Lost Lover” and “Tuxedo Groove”, all of which are coloured by strong synth and tight percussion backups.

Mayor Hawthorne’s soulful vocals shine through as the perfect backseat complement to One’s beats and instrumentals. Little imagination was put into the album’s vocal arrangement or lyrics, but their catchy, repetitive nature stay true to the record’s ‘70s inspiration.

Along with the creativity of the album is a playful, almost goofy commentary on the sultry nature of classic funk.

This good natured humour paints the lyrics of tracks such as “Roll Along” and “Get U Home” which conjure up images of the smoky lounges and pastel-suited wedding

Tracks like “E.V.A”. and the upbeat “Gagarin” show what the band is capable of

“

Public Service Broadcasting does a great job in utilising quotes however and are the best mixes on the album, blending the music and old tapes seamlessly. It’s hard to listen

bands that epitomised the funk era as much as the clubpacking headliners.

Driving the satire home is the album’s final track, “Number One”, which is inspired by samples from Snoop Dogg’s raunchy 1993 track, “Ain’t No Fun.” With new lyrics and quiet horns, Tuxedo miraculously transforms the early rap single into a feel-good, pop-funk romance track. If that’s not imagination, nothing is.

It is this humorous honesty that keeps the

to “Sputnik” without thinking of Daft Punk’s “Contact”, perhaps unsurprising with the space theme so prevalent.

Concept albums are often ambitious and criticised when they don’t live up to expectation. Add to that a record dealing with moon landings, cosmonauts and failed missions and a lot could go wrong. Not for the first time, Public Service Broadcasting has produced a satisfying and educational release to defy this.

Mark Hogan album from falling into the trap of attempting to mimic the work of ‘70s staples such as Earth, Wind and Fire and the Commodores. Tuxedo is not attempting to join the Funk Hall of Fame: instead, the duo has sampled decade old styling while tying in their own hip-pop and soul backgrounds to make something danceable, fresh, and undeniably unique.

Katelyn Harrop

Tuxedo

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11 March 2015 | the suss

what to wear: internship Like any other final year student, the inevitable fate is looming its ugly head. Our days are finishing up here in DCU, and many of us fear what’s coming next. So what does any undergraduate do with no money, no experience and a degree that they don’t know what to do with?

An internship, of course. We must bid farewell to Coppers Tuesdays and the hangover days getting lost in a ‘3 in 1’ on the couch, and instead email every business/company/publication to secure a position in the hope of getting the dreaded J.O.B. at the end of it.

What’s even more frightening is that we can no longer

sweet potato brownies This simple and delicious recipe turns one of the most praised superfoods into an all-time favourite treat, the healthy way.

There is a lot of talk about the never-ending benefits of sweet potato, so why not give it a try?

To begin, bake one sweet potato in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius), being sure to puncture it with a fork.

When the sweet potato is soft, remove from the oven and turn it down to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius), then peel off the skin and mash it all up in a bowl.

Next add all wet ingredients: 3 eggs (whisked), ¼ cup of melted coconut oil, 1/3 cup of raw honey and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

drag ourselves out of bed at 8am and throw on a DCU hoodie, Adidas tracksuit and runners and slum it to class, but we now must make ourselves look somewhat presentable. The real world does not sound overly-appealing right now, but here are a few simple tricks to make your wardrobe go a long way, without breaking the bank.

Investment pieces Don’t panic; usually when people say an investment piece that usually involves a considerable sum of money.

It doesn’t have to be. Get your investment pieces over a period of time, not all at once – that will just break your heart.

Invest in a good pair of black trousers, a pair of black heels that you can actually walk in (stay away from high

to the bowl and mix them all together.

Finally, mix in all the dry ingredients: 3 tbsp coconut flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, ¼ tsp of baking powder, ¼ tsp of cinnamon and ½ a cup of chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into a glass baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Last but not least, remove from oven and leave to cool before trying not to devour all of these gooey brownies in one sitting.

Aoife Marnell

platform wedges please – they are for Coppers not for the office), a classic white shirt that fits perfectly and finally a good coat. If you have the good coat, it can transform even the most simple of outfits.

Less is more I do not mean this in terms of clothing, it’s all about the makeup. Don’t feel the need to spend an hour putting on your face in the morning; that is valuable sleeping time you’ll be missing out on. It looks over-done and you will

be making the wrong impression with your new co-workers. Remember, you’re here to impress – you’re now a mature, working woman; fake eyelashes are not in any way acceptable. Go for a minimal, fresh-faced look but do make sure that you are presentable.

Clean hair is a must.

Recycle, recycle While it’s so tempting to wear the outfit on repeat, it doesn’t exactly look the best on your character. Especially if you’re working in fashion, you want to impress your po-

tential employers by showing your creative side. Layering is always a great and useful tip when it comes to outfit creation. Pair a crop jumper over a white shirt with black jeans and boots, and use the same white shirt tucked into a pencil skirt with some cute brogues and tights the following day. Obviously ensure your recycled clothes are clean, no one wants to see your foundation marks on your shirt 3 days in a row.

Orlaith Farrell

making the lifestyle change Here is a quick guide for better living: Set yourself goals for semester two: Although we’re one month in, there is still plenty of time to make a change. Whether these are academic goals inspired by semester one exam results, or a pledge you made to exercise while watching Ex on the Beach (guilty), they will leave you with more than just the pride of accomplishment. Goals challenge you, force your life to move forward and improve your organizational, planning and productivity skills- essentially bettering other areas of our life without realising.

Wear sunscreen everyday: Many beauty experts, as well as Jennifer Aniston (the woman who doesn’t age), say that this is the key to better skin and prolonged ageing.

Not convinced? A study in Queensland showed that regular sunscreen use protects against ‘photoaging’: the wrinkling, spotting and loss of elasticity caused by exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Luckily for us, most foundations and moisturisers (yes boys, you should be using that too) contain SPF nowadays – so no excuses!

Change your night-time phone habits: Find yourself opening Facebook in an attempt to

bore you to sleep? We’ve all been there. However studies have shown that using smartphones before attempting to sleep has the opposite effect. They emit short wavelengths of a blue light which suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep and wake cycles. It basically tricks your body into thinking it is time to be awake. Experts recommend staying electronic-free for thirty minutes before hitting the sack. Sound impossible? Try checking your social media pages and then getting ready for bed, nearly half an hour will have passed before you realise.

Michelle Martin

lifestyle

the suss | 11 March 2015

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things to give up for lent and life

dcu fashion show: 10 years of style On the 25th of February, fashion lovers united to witness the annual Style Society event, the DCU fashion show in the Helix.

The show celebrated a monumental milestone in Style Society history, being the 10th Anniversary of the first show.

The theme of the night was a celebration of delight and excitement, represented through the fabulous styling of brands that included Tommy Hilfiger, American Apparel, Folkster and more.

The show, which was held in the O’Mahony Theatre in the Helix, was sponsored

by Bank of Ireland, FM104, Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and Bodywhys, which received its own recognised walk in the show.

Bodywhys is a national voluntary organisation supporting people affected by eating disorders.

DCU Style Society wished to produce a show that did not fit into the typical fashion show norm, and selected models of all different heights and sizes. The society also decided to omit the annual underwear walk from the show as they felt it was unimportant and highlighted the wrong image for models and the audience.

The show opened with a video message from past Style Society member, Laura Whitmore, who wished the committee and all involved

luck in producing the show.

Whitmore recalled taking part in the first DCU Fashion show and remarked on how proud she was of the society.

Whitmore studied Journalism in DCU and established The Look Magazine, the Style Society’s own fashion magazine. The show also featured a video message from former chairperson and DCU graduate Mikey Robinson, who established the society with co-chairperson, Dee Moran in 2005.

The first walk featured H&M, which presented the audience with an array of fresh and new trends for SS15.

H&M displayed a lot of dark silhouettes with splashes of monochrome. While American Apparel represented its signature style of clean cut pastels with a fun twist of leather-look skirts and crops.

The show also featured Irish-owned companies such as Feature clothing, Om Diva Boutique and Folkster.

Feature is a newly established clothing company specialising in street wear and wintersport clothing. The fabulous vintage boutique Om Diva displayed quirky, fun loving designs for this season. The boutique which is located in Drury St offers both a vintage

and contemporary, fashionforward fix. Folkster is a wellknown and respected Irish company, previously known as Shutterbug, which was set

up by stylist Blanaid Hennessy. The brand is popular with personalities such as Amy Huberman, Angela Scanlon, Binky Felstead and Vogue McFadden.

High-end labels such as Tommy Hilfiger and Louis Copeland also featured in the show. Tommy Hilfiger presented a re-launch of the dropped waist and classic white shirts and Khaki combo while Louis Copeland represented its clean-cut style perfectly with a variety of tailored suits and quirky accessories.

Inglot and Dylan Bradshaw were the resident hair and makeup stylists for the night, keeping a minimal and dewy, fresh-faced look with slicked back hair, emulating the style of the Milan fashion week catwalks.

The show also held the finale of the Project Young Designer competition which saw six finalists produce their own designs and

display them on the catwalk.

The judges for the competition included Brendan Courtney, Natalie B Coleman, Linda Conway of Stellar Magazine and Ruth Ní Loinsigh.

The winner of the night competition was Geraldine Breen from the Grafton Academy with her design, Masquerade, which was announced at the end of the show by Brendan Courtney. The DCU model of the year, Emma Prenty, was also announced on the night, winning a contract with 1st Option Models.

Orlaith Farrell

The Fear: Some people say that this one is easier said than done, but it is possible. The fear is a self-inflicted pain that none of us need in our lives. Nothing that you did last night is the end of the world; it will pass in 48 hours and never be spoken of again. Breathe and in the wise words of Elsa from Frozen: let it go.

“Fat Nights” with the girloz: These are fun, but not for your hips. Next time get low fat yoghurts, crackers and hummus or pistachios to accompany your gossiping and moaning. You’ll feel a lot better for it.

Always blaming the other woman: If you have ever been unfortunate enough to have an overlap between your boyfriend (or crush) and another girl, please, for the love of God, know where to place the blame. He is responsible for the overlap. She owes you nothing, it was his fault.

Remember that and learn to love your ladies.

Binge watching Netflix: Many a brave soul has lost their life before this cruel mistress. You can literally spend your entire day watching Suits and not even realise it. This is a colossal waste of your valuable time. Watch two episodes in a row so it feels like a movie, then get off the couch.

Gym clothes outside of the gym: This one doesn’t even need to be justified. Stop it.

We know and you know that you are just shopping and are neither on your way to the gym nor are you just finished in the gym. You ain’t fooling nobody.

Tea and Biscuits: Here’s a little secret: it is actually possibly to consume a warm beverage without having a couple biscuits with it. Simple as.

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mantalk: sexual healing

E

veryone is always saying use protection when you’re having sex. Everyone. Always. But is it that important? Maybe you don’t trust having the equivalent of a party balloon suction cupping your most valuable area or maybe you just don’t like how it feels. What’s the worst that could happen?

Sure, safe sex is a two-way street. Is the onus of blame not on both parties involved?

You might think if your partner is taking the pill, you don’t need to cling film your

lifestyle arts

different country. You would get all of your vaccinations, learn a little about the place party piece. The scariest thing you are going and when you that could happen is you have get there, you would take precautions and be extra safe to get an STI test (imagine having a giant cotton bud put until you get used to your new surroundings. Does the same in an orifice that’s marked ‘exit only’). And sure, you may not apply to a new sexual partner? Would you not take have a small bit of blood in your wee for a while after but extra precautions until you get the lay of the land? Maybe if the test comes back clear, know a little history of where feel free to continue rocking you are visiting? Possibly talk out with your phallus out.

Plus, gonorrhea can be cured to people who have been there before? (I wouldn’t go with a few tablets from the pharmacy. Could it get worse? for that last step, it’s weird.)

Irish people have this Unplanned pregnancy. strange way of talking about They don’t go away (under sex. It’s easy to talk about the current laws).

Imagine you are going to a people you have had sex with.

bringing back the bob Cutting your hair short is not an easy decision to make and it can be a very daunting idea, you’ve being growing your hair since you were a child, it’s all you know.

It is a decision you won’t regret however, take it from experience.

Short hair is great for loads of reasons, here’s just a few.

Less effort For those girls out there who don’t have all day to straighten, curl or style your hair and just want a quick and easy run to looking great, short hair is the answer. Spend 10 minutes on your hair in the morning and you’re set for the day and night.

It’s healthy for your hair You can use the most expensive, recommended conditioners and serums but none will make Cheryl Fernandezyour Versini hair look

“

Victoria Beckham

as healthy and full of life as chopping it up will. Not only will it get rid of those split ends, if you get tired of short hair it will grow back twice as thick as it was before.

Cost effective If you’re trying to hold on to those pennies short hair will help you out. It’s simple: less hair, less shampoo, less money.

It gives you a mature look Short hair is sophisticated, plain and simple.

It gives you that mature look, not grandma-mature but more like a “Yes, I know what I’m doing with my life” mature. Even if you have no clue at all.

It’s all the rage From classic beauties like Marilyn Monroe and Halle Berry to the more recent celebs who have taken the plunge, including Kim K and Cheryl, short hair has always been a favourite with the Stars. If it’s good enough for them, surely that’s reason enough.

Carina Canavan

11 March 2015 | the suss

“Would you not take extra precautions until you get the lay of the land? Maybe know a little history of where you are visiting?

It’s easy to talk to your friends about sex. But actually talking to the person you are having sex with is a bit more difficult.

Try having a little DMC with your partner about sex. Not just about protection (which is very important) but also about the sex that you are having. For a lot of guys, sex is a race to the finish with no thought given to whether or not the other person is having a good time. Give jackhammering a little break and ask if there is anything they would like or even if they are comfortable. It takes two to tango.

Chris Kennedy

cold weather problems In light of the incredibly strange March weather we’ve been getting, there are two tricks that need to be shared. We all know how harmful the cold, dry weather can be for our hair and how damaging the freezing temperatures can be for our lips, so here are two quick and easy home remedies for dry hair and chapped lips.

Honey and Sugar lip scrub: This really does what it says on the tin. Get a spoonful of good, natural honey and mix it in a small dish with a spoonful of sugar.

Scrub your lips with the grainy mixture to remove all chapped and dead skin and voila, shiny new perfectly plump lips.

Egg hair mask: This is even simpler than the one above.

Just grab one egg, beat it in a bowl

and apply it to your hair. It might seem a bit gross but all the protein is so good for strengthening, softening and adding shine. I recommend you apply it over the kitchen sink and then wrap your head in cling film. Do not wrap your face as that would be dangerous. Put a towel turban on your head then and leave it for as long as you have time and shampoo afterwards.

Emma Dungan

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

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Gaeilge

Oileán na flaithiúlachta Caoimhe Ní Chathail Eagarthoir Gaeilge @caoimhechats

BÍMSE i gcónaí beagainín ci-

niciúil i dtaobh suirbhéanna.

‘Tuairimí muintir na hÉireann i dtaobh …’ “Ah cha dtiocfadh leo tuairimí a nochtadh d’achan uile dhuine sa tír seo, i ndáiríre. Ní fheicim fiú mo thuairim féin sa suirbhé seo!”

Ar ndóigh, ní bhaineann staitisticí leat go dtí go mbaineann siad leat.

Achan bliain, foilsítear ‘World Giving Index’ na bliana. Ag cur 135 tír san áireamh, déanann an suirbhé imscrúdú ar iompar carthanach muintir na dtíortha sin. Bunaithe ar an chéatadán de dhaoine a bheireann airgid do charthanachtaí, a dhéanann obair dheonach agus a chuidíonn le strainséir achan mí atá sé.

Tá cáil ar oileán iathghlas beag s’againne mar gheall ar fhlaithiúlacht muintir na tíre agus ní dhéanann an ‘World Giving Index’ ach an steiréitíop seo a dheimhniú. An bhliain seo chuaigh thart, d’éirigh le hÉirinn an ceathrú áit a fháil. Ciallaíonn sé sin gur muidne an ceathrú tír ba fhlaithiúlaigh ar an domhain.

Anois, ní seo suirbhé a bhí mé ag iarraidh neamhaird a dhéanamh de. Cur ceist ar éinne a bhfuil aithne dá laghad acu orm agus déarfadh siad go mbím i gcónaí ár gcosaint. Chuir sé gliondar chroí orm staitisticí a fheiceáil ag rá cé chomh flaithiúil agus atá muid mar thír.

Ach sin a bhí siad, staitisticí.

Agus mar a dúirt mé, ní bhaineann staitisticí leat go dtí go mbaineann siad leat.

Cúpla seachtain ó shin, ghlac mise agus mo chara Éadaoin páirt in imeacht carthanais darb ainm ‘Lost and Astray’. ‘Séard a bhí i gceist leis ná gur chaith muidne agus naoi bhfoireann eile dhá uair go leath ar bhus, púicín orainn agus gan cliú faoin spéir againn cá háit a bhí mar cheann scríbe againn. Bheirtear síos go trá muid (an t-aon fáth go raibh a fhios againn ná gur mhothaigh muid an diabhal gainimh sin faoinár mbróga) agus faoi dheireadh ligtear dúinn ár bpúicíní a bhaint agus imeacht linn. An sprioc romhainn ná Baile Átha Cliath a bhaint amach gan airgead, fón nó idirlíon. Bhí muid sáinnithe i Loch Garman.

Cinnte gur cheann de na laethanta ba hamscaí, ba chorraitheach agus ba dhúshlánaigh a bhí ann. Le hurraíocht faighte againn ar fad do Barnardos agus Blossom, carthanais de chuid 100minds na bliana seo, bhí bród ag baint leis chomh maith.

Ní thiocfadh liom samhlú áfach an oiread a chuirfeadh an imeacht ag smaoineamh mé, ag smaoineamh faoi fhlaithiúlacht muintir na hÉireann.

Tar éis dúinn éalú ón trá, thuig mé féin agus Éadaoin go raibh sé in am dúinn dul ar an ordóg.

Caithfidh mé admháil go raibh mé saghas neirbhíseach faoi ach caitheas go raibh duine nó dhó ag faire aníos orainn. Stad bean, aingeal b’fhéidir, dúinn agus lig isteach sa charr muid. Mhínigh muid go raibh síob go baile Loch Garman de dhith orainn. Ní raibh sé i bhfad gur thuig sí nach raibh fiú airgead i gcomhair bia againn agus leis an mheon steiréitipiciúil sin a bhíonn ar achan sean-mháthair Éireannach, thug na bhaile muid sula dtógfadh sí isteach sa bhaile mór muid.

Shuí muid léi ina cistin ag ithe uibheacha, tósta, caifé agus cáca agus comhrá breá eadrainn. Bhí cineáltas ina croí aici agus mian iontach aici a bheith ag cuidiú le daoine. Cha raibh muid ábalta ár mbuíochas léi a leiriú ach trí ‘go raibh maith agat, go raibh míle maith agat’ a rá arís agus arís eile.

Thug sé taithí éagsúil dúinn a bheith buíoch as duine agus a fhlaithiúlacht agus gan ach focla againn chun an buíochas sin a chur in iúl. Ní raibh a dhath le bronnadh againn uirthi agus ní bheadh i choíche. Chuir sé ag machnamh go mór muid ar an oiread béime a chuirtear ar an léiriú fisiciúil lena bhfuil muid gafa leis na laethanta seo. Ní raibh againn ach focla, ach focla buíochais ó chroí a bhí iontu.

Tar éis cúpla babhta de mhíádh le heagraíochtaí iompar éagsúil bhí ísliú brí orm féin agus Éadaoin. Chuir muid ceist ar thiománaí Wexford Bus cibé agus bhí sé deacair againn é a chreidbheáil nuair a d’aontaigh sé muid a thabhairt go Baile Átha Cliath.

Tharla sé gur chuala roinnt daoine ar an bhus muid ag míniú scéal agus cúis s’againn agus d’éirigh linn roinnt airgid a bhailiú uathu ar son cuid eile an turais go OCBÁC. Gan aon dabht, d’aimsigh mé finaise a leithéid den ‘World Giving Index’ an lá sin. Arís, bhéinn i mo fhimíneach gabháil go hiomlán le mo thaithí féin den dhuine nó triúr sin mar nochtadh iomlán de fhlaithiúlacht muintir na hÉireann ach ar ndóigh tá an taithí sin i bhfad níos realaíoch ná staitisticí dom féin.

Ní dhéanfaidh mise dearmad go deo ar na daoine flaithiúlacha sin a chuidigh linn ár mbealach a dhéanamh ar ais go Baile Átha Cliath. Ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad go deo ar a bhflaithiúlacht nó ar

FOCLÓIR flaithiúlacht = generosity léiriú fisiciúil= physical representation fianaise = evidence

Tá cáil ar oileán iathghlas beag s’againne mar gheall ar fhlaithiúlacht muintir na tíre agus ní dhéanann an ‘World Giving Index’ ach an steiréitíop seo a dheimhniú

an fhonn a bhí acu cuidiú linn. Ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad go deo ar m’imní nach raibh bealach ar bith mo bhuíochas a léiriú ach amháin trí mo chuid focal agus ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad go deo ar an lúchair a bhronn an lá orm.

Sea, tá muid anois in 2015.

Sea, tá daoine ag iarraidh níos santaigh agus gan dada ar a n-intinn acu ach iad féin, ach bíodh dóchas agaibh. Tá daoine amuigh ansin agus neart daofa a chuideodh ar chibé bealach go dtiocfadh leo. Níl ort ach a bheith mar cheann acu. Cruthóidh muid Oileán na ‘bhFlaithiúlacht-aithe’ le chéile!

Sprioc ‘Lost and Astray’ ná Baile Átha Cliath a bhaint amach gan airgead, fón nó idirlíon Credit: Lost & Astray

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Gaeilge

Stadás na Gaeilge ag fás sna Toghcháin SU Barra Ó Scannláin

Leas-Eagarthoir Gaeilge @barryscanlon

TÁ sé le feiceáil le míonna anu-

as go bhfuil athrú mór tagtha ar stádas na Gaeilge in DCU. Baineann seo le go leor cúiseanna, cuir i gcás fostú Oifigigh Gaeilge, Siobhán Seoighe, an chéad uair ar fostaíodh duine sa ról seo ó bhí 2002 ann. Ní amháin an ollscoil féin atá freagrach as an athrú seo, ach Aontas na Mac Léinn s’againn fosta. Tá obair mhaith ar siúl acu siúd, i gcomhpháirt leis an Chumann Gaelach, leis an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn ar champas.

Mar a tharlaigh sé i mbliana thit Seachtain na Gaeilge DCU ar an chéad seachtain feachtasaíochta. Ní raibh anseo ach cuidiú do chás na Gaeilge, agus ghlac go leor iarrthóirí orthu béim a chur ar an teanga ina gcuid feachtais, agus aitheantas a thabhairt di mar gheall ar thábhacht na seachtaine úd.

Thug Cumann Gaelach DCU faoi stocaireacht a dhéanamh i dtaobh na Gaeilge sular thosaigh an fheachtasaíocht. Cuireadh trí príomhaidhm faoi bhráid na n-iarrthóirí uilig go dtiocfadh leo

tagairt daofa agus iad ag ullmhú na bhforógraí toghcháin, chomh maith le comhairle ar bhealaigh níos simplí Gaeilge a úsáid le linn na feachtasaíochta. Mar gheall ar an stocaireacht sin bhí tréan Gaeilge le feiceáil, ní amháin ar phostaerí na n-iarrthóirí, ach i bhforógraí toghcháin s’acu

Thug Cumann Gaelach DCU faoi stocaireacht a dhéanamh i dtaobh na Gaeilge sular thosaigh an fheachtasaíocht chomh maith. Ar beagnach achan phostaer bhí an focal “Vótáil” le feiceáil in áit “Vote”, rud nach raibh ann ar chor ar bith anuraidh. Ar phostaer de chuid Jordan Kavanagh, iarrthóir do ról thionólaí na léinn daonna, bhí “Béim ar an nGaeilge”, agus fiú

rinne Eoin Lúc Ó Ceallaigh, iarrthór do ról oifigigh na gcumann, postaer s’aige a aistriú go hiomlán agus dhá leagan a fhoilsiú.

Bhí deis eile ins na hustings stocaireacht a dhéanamh don Ghaeilge. Labhraíonn na hiarrthóirí ar feadh trí bomaite ar cad chuige ar cheart vota a thabhairt daofa, agus ina dhiaidh cuirtear ceisteanna orthu uilig. Ag an dá sheisiúin cuireadh ceist faoi cad é a dhéanfadh siad ar mhaithe le campas dátheangach a chruthú agus pobal Gaeilge a chothú in DCU. Cloiseadh go leor freagraí suimiúla, agus ní hé nach raibh cuid mhór daofa sasúil. Labhair cuid acu as Gaeilge ar feadh cuid don fhreagra, ina measc iarrthóir do róll oifigigh leasa, Mikey Flanagan (a raibh Gaeilge mar chuid lárnach dá fheachtas), iarrthóir do ról an uachtaráin Kim Sweeney, iarrthóirí do ról oifigigh na gcumann Eoin Lúc Ó Ceallaigh agus Bríd Browne, agus iarrthóir do ról thionólaí na léinn daonna Jordan Kavanagh. I measc na ngealltanas a rinneadh, bhí iomrá ar scéim chónaithe a bhunú, seomra na Gaeilge a chruthú, níos mó aistriúchán a dhéanamh ar chaipéisí oifigiúla SU, agus comhoibriú leis an Chumann Gaelach agus Fiontar.

Beidh le feiceáil, cibé dao-

Triail do theanga ar Tinder Áine Marie Ní Mhainicháin Scríbhneoir @ainemonk

TÁ gach mac máthair tuirse

traochta ag léamh scéalta agus blaganna éagsúla faoi Tinder, ach ar chuala tú riamh faoi dhaoine ag iarraidh an feidhmchlár a úsáid tríd do theanga dhúchais?!

Chaith mé seal ag lorg an fear foirfe le Gaeilge líofa ar a dtoil aige ar an bhfeidhmchlár aisteach (ach siamsúil!) seo ar feadh míosa.

Ar dtús, d’aistrigh mé mo ‘Bio’. Scríobh mé an abairt deá-shimplí seo a leanas: ‘DCU. Labhair Gaeilge liom.’ Bhí na focail sin mar ‘tráth den shaol’ domsa i dtaobh an finscéal fíorúil a bhí á chruthú agam.

Ní raibh mé ach ag iarraidh cúpla focal ó chúpla buachaillí cróga. Bhí mé ag tnúth le hábhair scrúdú na hArdteiste a léamh agus iad ag meabhrú dom nathanna cainte ón scrúdú béal a bhí curtha chuig cúl mo chloigeann agam nu-

air a d’fhág mé an mheánscoil.

B’fhéidir go mbeadh stór focal nua le foghlaim agam ó mo chuid ‘Matches’ a bhí ina nGaeilgeoirí, ní raibh mé go huile is go hiomlán cinnte. Smaoinigh mé ar an bhféidearthacht feidhmchlár nó slí rúnda a bheith in úsáid ag Gaeilgeoirí singile ar an idirlíon, ach níl (go fóill…)

Fuair mé an iomarca téacs tríd an fheidhmchlár leis an frása bunúsach ‘Dia duit, conas atá tú?’. Nílim ag cáineadh ná buachaillí a sheol na focail sin cé go ndearna siad iarracht Gaeilge a labhairt ach tar éis tamaill, bhí leadrán orm é sin a léamh agus stop mé ag seoladh téacs ar ais chucu.

An t-aon rud a thug mé

Is iomaí bealach gur féidir Tinder a úsáid Credit: Huffpost.com

FOCLÓIR stádas= status stocaireacht = lobbying normálú = Normalization

Bhí tréan Gaeilge le feiceáil, ní amháin ar phostaerí na n-iarrthóirí, ach i bhforógraí toghcháin s’acu chomh maith Credit: Deirdre O’Sullivan

ine a bhainfeas an tseachtain seo chugainn, an gcoinneoidh siad na gealltanais atá déanta acu ó thaobh na Gaeilge de, agus eile? B’fhéidir nach gcoinneoidh féin, ach nach maith an rud é go bhfuil traidisiún ag fás ó chean go ceann bliana go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar chuid lár-

nach de na toghcháin? Thar aon rud eile, leis an mhéid Gaeilge a labhraíodh le linn na seachtaine seo, idir toghcháin agus ócáidí Sheachtain na Gaeilge, tá normálú á dhéanamh de reir a chéíle maidir leis an Ghaeilge agus ní thig leis sin ach forbairt amach anseo.

FOCLÓIR

Feidhmchlár= app Stór focal= vocabulary Todhchaí= future faoi deara ná, níos minice ná a mhalairt, bhí mo chuid ‘matches’ in ann comhrá iontach spéisiúil a chruthú liom trí Ghaeilge in ionad an gnáthchómhrá a thosaíonn (agus a chríochnaíonn..) leis an ceist tipiciúil ‘What’s up?’

Bhí siad ag iarraidh fáil amach cén fáth ina raibh mé ag tabhairt faoi chéim Ghaeilge in ionad céim iriseoireachta trí mheán an Bhéarla. Ina dhiaidh sin, chuir siad an cheist chéanna nó cosúil orm ‘Do you want to work in TG4 after you graduate?’

Ní hé TG4 ná an t-aon bealach chun obair a fháil i dtaobh na hiriseoireachta Gaeilge! Mar sin, chuirtear an cheist orm faoin múinteoireacht. Ní bheidh mé ag múineadh páistí nó déagóirí sa todhchaí (ná bí suaite!).

Shíl mórán ‘matches’ nach mbeadh suim agam iontu cé nach raibh siad in ann Gaeilge a labhairt liom agus iad tar éis mo Bio a léamh agus dúirt buachaill amháin ‘If I can’t speak Irish, will I be thrown into the ‘no’ pile?’

Bhí an t-ádh dearg liom go raibh cúpla Gaeilgeoirí ag úsáid an feidhmchlár freisin agus iad ag tabhairt faoi chéimeanna éagsúla Gaeilge freisin sna hollscoileanna eile i mBaile Átha Cliath agus ó am go ham ó Maigh Nuad (nuair a mhéadaigh mé ‘Distance in Discovery Preferences’ go 40 nó 50km).

Bhain mé an-sult as an turgnamh sóisialta beag seo agus b’fhéidir go mbeidh an chéad pósadh idir Ghaeilgeoirí a d’fhorbair as Tinder eagraithe ar ball!

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

21

Features

Setting sail or an empty Vessel – are the days of YouTube numbered?

Fionnuala Jones Contributor @thecollegeview

FOR most kids, turning ten is an

exciting milestone. I mean, it’s not every day you enter double digits. For video-sharing site YouTube, however, its birthday on Valentine’s Day just gone is even more significant.

At a time when Facebook was just a year old, MySpace was fading into obscurity and Bebo didn’t exist, YouTube became a niche social network, YouTube is responsible for the birth of virality, as well as for thousands of memes. It is now home to content creators who share similar fan bases to that of actors and recording artists.

But its tenth year in existence is marred by the prospect of another shark in the water.

Vessel is a new subscription-based video service, launched by the team behind Hulu. The service looks at increasing monetization for online video creators, musicians and production companies – in lay-man’s terms, your favourite video-blogger will earn more money for their videos.

However, in contrast with

YouTube, Vessel plan on doing this by charging consumers a subscription fee - £2.99 per month – for early access to their videos. Vessel is pitching that content creators look set to earn more money this way, as opposed to on YouTube’s free, ad-supported sites.

A free version of the site will also be available, with more ads and without the exclusivity.

Vessel CEO Jason Kilar estimates that the average partner on YouTube earns $2.20 per thousand views. With his model, however, he believes it could earn them up to $50.

In exchange? Vessel gets exclusive rights to videos for 72 hours, though this can also be extended further. Content creators already on board include beauty and lifestyle vlogger Tanya Burr, who just released her own book, and entertainers Rhett and Link, of popular online talk show Good Mythical Morning. Combined, they have a following of close to six million users. Media giants Buzzfeed and the New York Times have also been confirmed as partners.

However, not everyone has been won over. DCU alumni and popular YouTuber Melanie Murphy. In a recent Facebook post,

Murphy said she would “never be using the site”.

“I’d never make [my viewers] pay to see my videos early,” she said. “I don’t agree with it.”

Vessel looks set to challenge YouTube in the same way that the latter threatened television ten years ago. However, the launch comes at a busy time for the online video market, as Facebook, Netflix and Amazon

continue to wade in.

Killar is insistent, however, that Vessel is not being established as a direct threat to YouTube.

“Everybody we’re working with today, we’re strongly encouraging them to keep doing the business in the free window that they’re already doing,” he said.

Kilar hopes that Vessel will

also help dispatch a common view within the television industry: that online short-form video is still just a training ground for “proper” TV, with YouTubers eager to graduate to shows on traditional networks.

The real question is – will YouTubers be motivated by money or remain committed to provide good quality content for their loyal following?

people she once idolized on the video site “Meeting Michelle Phan was amazing because in all her success she is still so humble.”

Melanie has overcome an eating disorder and depression

and now uses her experience to encourage others to do the same.

Without YouTube she would not be who she is today, proving that taking a chance can be incredibly rewarding for even the shyest of people.

Melanie Murphy on depression, disorders and becoming a role model Megan Roantree Contributor @Tmegafred

DCU has been host to many

of Ireland’s best known faces, from Ardal O’ Hanlon and Neil Delamere to Charlene McKenna and Laura Whitmore. It seems that in more recent years with the help of social media that a new wave of DCU faces are achieving similar success.

A perfect example of this is former education and training student, Melanie Murphy. Melanie’s YouTube channel currently has just under two hundred thousand subscribers with one of her videos gaining 8.7 million views within the last year. I sat down with Melanie to talk about how life has changed since her “wasted” shy years in DCU. Although the vlogger now describes herself as confident she says it took her a long time to

achieve. “I’m light years ahead of who I used to be, It was only when I got involved in Class Rep Council meetings as secretary that I gained confidence, just by talking to new people. “ Melanie was still hesitant about doing YouTube for about 3 years however, “I said I’d never do it, but then when I saw Irish channels I really wanted to do it, my boyfriend bought me a camera and I made a video that got 100 subscribers so that was amazing.”

Melanie has suffered from an orthorexia as well as depression and anxiety and has spoken openly about her journey through the medium of YouTube, however this was not her initial idea, “My aim was lifestyle videos and I just wanted to it be personality based, I would get bored with one topic.”

When Melanie did begin to make videos about her mental health she received an influx of messages from viewers, all of whom consider her a role model.

“I don’t think you can ever call

yourself a role model but when other people do its very nice. I think because of the things I’ve overcome I’m now happy with people calling me that.”

Being considered a role model means that she now receives a minimum of twenty emails a day as well as questions and comments across all social media platforms. “I try to delegate four hours a day to replying to people, but I’m always careful because I’m not a professional so I give them links to where they can talk to experts, and it’s always really nice when people follow up with me weeks later.

It’s so gratifying. “ While so many positive comments come her way, she has also been subject to some negativity, but doesn’t let bad comments affect her saying “I know it’s a reflection of them and not me.”

YouTube has opened up a world of opportunities for Melanie such as winning blogger of the year and getting to know

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Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Features

Out on the full: has rugby lost its skill?

Aidan Delaney Contributor @thecollegeview

THE country was overcome with joy once 80 minutes hit following Ireland’s massive victory over the English in the Aviva last Sunday.

Well no, that’s not entirely true.

Relieved is a better term to use. We were relieved to see that our big boys bullied their big boys off the park.

But it wasn’t an easy game to watch. It’s tough to sit there watching every bone-crunching tackle, every injury stoppage and every player limping to the sideline. But rugby wasn’t always

like this. Where are the dancing feet? The intelligent line breaks?

Ultimately, where’s the skill?

Well, it’s quite an obvious answer really. Teams are sacrificing these athletic feats for brutal strength and aggression.

It’s not hard to find when we look across the rugby world.

Take France for example, a team that is struggling to deal with the new age of rugby. A team that was once noted for its flair and the beauty of their attacking rugby has been transformed into a team of large ball carrying unit.

Take the formidable Mathieu Bastareaud. He’s six foot tall, 271 lbs and an absolute battering ram. However, a quick scan of his stats show that he’s not quite the attacking force he seems,

Behind the scenes at the Aviva Eidhne Gallagher Contributor @thecollegeview

SUNDAY 1st March 2015 was

definitely a memorable event.

Everybody was celebrating Ireland defeating England in the Six Nations rugby match 19-9. Well, everybody except me. I was too busy to celebrate. I was too busy, working behind the scenes in the Aviva Stadium where the match was taking place.

Arriving at the Aviva, you collect your job-card, get changed into your uniform (white shirt, dark green tie, black trousers and hideous green-and-grey apron) and line up to collect your lunch bag and leave your things with staff. The head staff divides you all up into different areas of the stadium; in my case, I was in the President’s suite that has an 800+ capacity.

Thankfully, on Sunday, we didn’t have over 800 guests- I’d say only around 300-400 people dined with us in the suite. The President himself didn’t turn up, but we didn’t have time to be disappointed. We had to get ourselves ready to serve the lunch, and clear the tables, when they were finished eating.

At last, after about two-and-

a-half hours of serving salads, clearing dessert dishes and dropping knives, it was time to start stripping the room down for the after-match drinks. Eventually, after lugging tray after tray of glasses into the kitchen (and suffering a few squashed toes, while rolling the tables into the storage area), we were ready for the after-match drinks.

Soon, very happy Irish fans started making their way back inside for celebratory drinks. I and two other girls spent another hour pouring tea and coffee for customers, keeping a smile on my face as they came inside in their dozens. Several people informed us that Irish actor, Jamie Dornan (aka Christian Grey) was among them. My reaction? ‘Oh my God.’ Unfortunately, Aviva staff are not allowed to take photos – we were taught to keep our heads down and continue working. Still, just actually seeing Mr Grey himself was good enough for me.

Working at the Aviva is definitely no picnic- sometimes you wonder if the day would ever end. But, in my opinion, as long as you keep your head up and keep going, it’ll be worth it in the end- and €10 an hour is definitely not something to be laughed at!

with only two tries in his 31 tests for Les Bleus. Compare that to a more agile player in Vincent Clerc and the differences are astounding. The nimble Clerc had 10 times as many tries by his thirty first cap owing to his speed and explosiveness off the line.

However, we don’t need to look too far to find this lack of scores creeping into our own game.

The Irish national team is winning all around them at the minute but the lack of try scoring is a cause for concern. Ireland have scored only three tries in this year’s competition while they had six at this stage last year, eventually going on to top the table with 16.

Players with the build of the likes of Gordan D’arcy are

being passed over for strong ball carriers such as Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw. While there’s no doubting Henshaw’s ability, the team are struggling in attack recently and look to Johnny Sexton to kick them out of some difficult spots.

As Brian O’Driscoll was once taught, the secret to rugby is simple. “Get your hands on the ball, run fast and avoid being tackled”. However, these are not the lessons being taught to our up and coming stars for the future. Many articles and reports have been written in relation to the bulking up phenomenon that can be found in schools rugby today. Children are encouraged to eat more and spend more time in the gym all at the

expense of learning the basic skills. This is not only a worry for their coaches but also for the parents and guardians of these kids who will grow too quickly to the detriment of their health.

Yet, as the expression goes, “You only sing when you’re winning” and right now, the big teams are dominating.

There was one thing to take away from the match on Sunday that proves all is not lost for the game. The kick and catch for the Irish try was a superb training ground move. Nobody got battered, everyone was in awe and the only thing that came away hurt was the Englishmen’s pride.

A winning team is a happy team and the age of big-man rugby is well and truly upon us.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

23

Features

Paddy’s Day and Pre j udice Jade O’Leary Deputy Features Editor @JadeOdette_

ST Patrick’s Day is fast approach-

ing, bringing with it a jam-packed few days of booze, debauchery and general divilment. Most of us are still haunted by the ghosts of Paddy’s Days past – after all, there’s nothing like an entire day’s worth of drinking to make some seriously questionable life choices. But why do we celebrate this day, dedicated to our patron saint, in such an unholy manner?

Why is the day renowned worldwide as a legitimate excuse for a massive piss up?

Because apparently, that is just what we do.

We all know the stigma attached to us Irish folk. We like drinkin’, fightin’, and farmin’.

But mostly drinkin’. The ‘drunken paddy’ stereotype goes back to the time of the famine, when many Irish people were forced to emigrate to England and America. According to one paper on the topic, those who were caught intoxicated on the streets by police had to pay an on-the-spot fine or spend the night in the drunk tank. The prosperous English and Americans could afford the fine, but the (literally) poor Irish couldn’t, and therefore were banged up for being publicly inebriated more often than their British counterparts.

Fast forward to 2015, and the stereotype still exists, but this time not without good reason.

We are a nation of binge drinkers, whether we like to believe it or not. The whole nation was up in arms recently after Dr Ciara Kelly chastised Operation Transformation Leader Eilish Kavanagh for consuming a week’s worth of alcohol units in one day at the races. Dr Kelly was mocked for being a ‘dryshite’ on social media, while Eilish was defended by the masses because “sure she was only having a few drinks like”. This nonchalance towards excessive drinking is the perfect example of just how ignorant we are of our nation’s bad habit.

It’s time to hit y’all with the stats: A 2013 survey carried out by the Health Research Board, revealed that more than half of Irish drinkers aged between 18 and 75 could be classified as harmful drinkers. That means a whopping 1.35 million of us are guilty of drinking irresponsibly.

It was also shown that one in five drinkers engage in binge drinking at least once a week, while 64.3 per cent of 18-24 year old drinkers consume six or more standard drinks on a typical drinking session. Many of us college students probably wouldn’t deem that as a lot, but technically every time we go out we are drinking in excess.

Basically, it doesn’t matter how many times a week you take a drink, what matters is the manner in which you consume it. Drinking once a week may not seem like all that much, but when you are drowning your body with six pints, three Jagerbombs and countless shots of Sambuca it is a problem.

Bringing us back to the holiday dedicated to the man who banished the shnakes from Ireland (although he seems to have a left a few behind in Coppers), St Patrick’s Day has pretty much become a medley of alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour worldwide. A South Carolina island even wants to ban its annual Patty’s Day - yes, that is

“the stereotype still exists, but this time not without good reason.

We are a nation of binge drinkers, whether we like to believe it or not.” what they refer to it as. *shudder* - party due to the huge amount of public drunkenness. Sullivan’s Island attracts thousands of tourists every year for their shamrock shindig, but the locals have had

enough of the party-goers’ bad behaviour.

‘We’ve had problems with public drunkenness and lewd behaviour on the streets and in public last year and so because

we are a residential island, we don’t want to invite those kinds of people to come to the island to be publicly drunk,’ said the Island’s Mayor.

Perhaps it’s time we change the way in which we celebrate.

Sure, knocking back a couple of Guinnesses or hot whiskeys is a perfectly appropriate thing to do. But more alcohol-free events should be promoted, at least during the day.

Do we really, as a nation, want one of our public holidays to be associated with consuming too much alcohol and causing a helluva lot of trouble? Do we ever want to shed the silly drunken leprechaun image that we were unfairly landed with (but have since lived up to) so many years ago?

Give that some thought before you show up to the parade pissed, dressed in nothing but a tricolour with ‘POG MO THOIN’ written across your backside. It’s neither aesthetically pleasing nor original.

La Fheile Padraig Shona Duit.

24

Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Features

‘Kidstagram’ Should we be worried about children going viral?

Laura Colgan Deputy News Editor @Laura_Colgan

THEY’RE the bane of Face-

book. Parents oversharing every aspect of their children’s lives, that is.

Almost all of us have deleted or unsubscribed from somebody on social media who shares a photo of their baby in every single outfit they own, or every time they laugh or every time they take a breath of air.

One of my Facebook friends recently shared a video of her

toddler that went ‘viral’. I say this somewhat sarcastically because I’m not sure it was a viral sensation, given the fact that it was circulated to various media platforms by the parents themselves.

Most of us think of viral videos as naturally-occurring internet sensations. This was anything but. It was deliberate and strategic.

It was a very cute video that of a baby arguing with her dad, despite the fact that she can’t speak and so her side of the argument consisted solely of gobbledygook.

It is a home video that I’m sure her parents will cherish for years to come.

However, I am not one of her parents.

I really shouldn’t have seen this private family memory between a dad and his daughter. It is not the type of thing I should see twenty times a day in my newsfeed. I shouldn’t see it being retweeted and shared from other websites.

It shouldn’t be a topic for strangers to ‘comment’ on.

It should be a video that they dig out on their little girl’s 21st birthday to embarrass her in front of her friends.

As the video of my Facebook friend’s daughter spread across the internet, she said that the goal was to make it on to the Ellen DeGeneres show.

At first, I thought it was a joke but as time passed, it dawned on me that she was deadly serious.

Personally, I thought this was delusional. But it opened my eyes to the fact that this Facebook friend of mine honestly thought that sharing home videos of her daughter would bring her fame and fortune.

But then I thought of the countless children that I could name off the top of my head that I know from viral videos.

Sophia Grace and Rosie, who sing Nicki Minaj songs on the Ellen show. David, who visited the dentist with his dad. Charlie and his big brother from ‘Charlie bit my finger’. Katy Perry fan Keenan Cahill. Even Keyboard Cat, who is technically not a child but you catch my drift.

The little girl’s parents have

“Personally, I thought this was delusional. But it opened my eyes to the fact that this Facebook friend of mine honestly thought that sharing home videos of her daughter would bring her fame and fortune.” since set up a Twitter account to document the trials and tribulations of their family life.

An Instagram account followed soon after, complete with a logo and hashtag.

I will admit that I rolled my eyes at the discovery of this but the more I creeped through the Twitter feed, I realised there was something quite special about her dad investing so much time in to creating a digital profile for his little girl in the hopes that he could make money from it and give up his day job to be a 24/7 family man. The more I thought about it, the more I thought that he was dead right. If I could avoid slaving away at a job I hated, I would.

And, it makes economic sense. Charlie and his brother have made £158,000 and counting. David Devore made $150,000. Sophia Grace and Rosie are set to make $50,000 for their first movie and $100,000 per sequel thereafter. Keenan Cahill is worth $425,000. The company behind Keyboard Cat are valued at over $1 million.

Let’s be honest, most of us would jump at the chance to make that amount of money

that quickly. But can you put a price on your child’s right to privacy?

There is something unsettling about a baby having a digital footprint before it can even lift its own head up. Now I know that the majority of parents don’t post their home videos online with the hopes of making money from it. But they do make the decision to showcase their child on a somewhat public forum, and that’s scary.

We don’t know how this will affect children in years to come. YouTube and Facebook haven’t been around for that long. Then again, neither have the babies. It’s up to their parents to make the decision. If a parent wants to plaster their baby’s most precious moments all over Facebook, that is their decision.

It means that future Facebook users will inherit their digital footprint rather than create their own online identity. Now, there’s a scary prospect. I would never have allowed my mam or dad to set up my profile. But I guess the Twitterers and Instagrammers of the future won’t have that choice.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

25

Sport

‘We’re just desperate to get across the line’, after disappointing year, says DCU Soccer director Ruaidhrí Croke talks to Fran Butler about DCU’s quest for a first trophy Ruaidhrí Croke Sports Editor @Ruaidhri_Croke

AFTER reaching a league fi-

nal two years ago followed by a Collingwood Cup semi-final last year much was expected of DCU’s senior soccer team in 2014/15, but it proved to be quite the opposite.

A satisfactory league stage was undone by a disappointing defeat to Waterford IT in the quarter-finals while NUI Galway proved to be DCU’s Collingwood undoing yet again as they crashed out in their opening game.

While the senior team will feel that they could have done more this year there was at least some silverware claimed by the freshers team when they won the Harding Plate for the third consecutive year.

However, DCU Soccer Director Fran Butler feels that it could have been a better campaign for both sides.

“On the pitch it’s been disappointing in terms of the tournaments that we would have targeted at the start of the season – the CUFL, the Harding Cup and the Collingwood Cup. We won the plate at the Harding but ourselves and Cork probably had the two best squads there. We were unfortunate to meet them in the first game and they fairly battered us.”

There’s no doubting how far the club has come over the last few years however with Declan Roche revolutionising the side since coming in in 2012.

Butler recognises this and is very happy with the progress the club has made in terms of numbers and funding but he feels that they are now ready to take the step up to next stage.

“Our goal now is to win a main tournament. We’ve come a long way from when if we got to a plate final in the Collingwood we’d be very happy with that.

“We’re all at the stage now that we’re absolutely sick to death of being told that we have good players and a good team that play fantastic football but we’re just not getting there. We’re just desperate to get across the line.

We don’t care how we win it we just want to win it and then other

A defeat to Waterford IT in November saw DCU crash out of the league Credit Gianluca Avagnina

things will come from that too.”

So what is the reason that DCU haven’t yet got across the line and won a major university soccer trophy?

There is a wealth of talent in the college and has been for the last few years with the current crop of players including such League of Ireland players as Alan O’Sullivan, Robbie Gaul and Mark Walsh. With the number of soccer scholarships now 11, and rising, it’s surprising that the trophy cabinet remains sparsely populated.

To paraphrase a certain Irish footballing legend Butler feels that it’s a failure to prepare properly that has led to the failure trophy-wise.

“We need more preparation.

For example the lads played a different system against Galway, they tried to surprise them and play 3-5-2. The lads were able to implement it but if they had had time to work on it and perfect it, it would have gone better and you can then work on a plan B.” With many of the college’s elite

players playing for League of Ireland teams or local clubs, as well as academic responsibilities it was a rare occasion that the team could all train together this year.

Naturally this makes it very difficult to work on the tactical side of things meaning that the players aren’t completely familiar with each other’s play.

Such problems don’t pose themselves as much to teams such as UCD, UCC or NUI Galway as they all have teams that play in regular weekend leagues.

Butler says that DCU aren’t looking to explore that avenue at senior level but there are new ideas in the pipeline – one of which is reducing the number of training sessions per week.

“The general consensus between myself, the staff and Declan is that we’re close to making a breakthrough but we possibly haven’t demanded as much from the players as we could have.

“Over the course of the week they might all be there at some stage, but in pockets of six or sev-

en. So we’re now looking at having less sessions [cut from between three and four to one or two] but they’re compulsory for the whole squad to turn up. Like any university team we play as a team together enough, and time spent on preparation is important.”

An idea that has been floated to improve team preparation and familiarity is that of setting up a team to play Saturday football in the Leinster Senior League. The team would be made up of freshers and would be quite beneficial, says Butler.

“We think it’d be a big benefit because there’s usually quite a big drop-off rate after first year for players who don’t make it to the senior team. So we think that if we had a weekend team that you could get players to commit to for one year. That weekend team would then be the Harding team, supplemented by players who are playing a higher level and are on scholarships. So we’d have it set up so that players would play here and train here, not

having to travel in the evenings to train with their local club.”

A weekend team is a common idea in university football and has been very successful for UCD (the record Collingwood Cup winners), NUI Galway (this year’s hosts and last year’s finalists) and UCC (this year’s winners). As Butler is quick to point out, playing as many games as possible is key for any team and increasing that from six or seven before the Harding Cup to 12 or 13 would be hugely positive for the fresher side.

“Until we exhaust all the different options we won’t be happy.

At the moment I don’t think we’re giving ourselves the best possible opportunities with the talent that we have. We want to get to a stage where we can’t point at the players and say they’ve done it wrong and they can’t point at us and say we’ve done it wrong.”

One thing is for certain is that no one within the club will be happy until that final step is made and a trophy is brought back to Glasnevin.

26

Wednesday 11 March 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW

Sport

UL prove a barrier to high as DCU crash out in semi-final DCU missed out on a final berth as UL ran out victors at St Clare’s Catherine Devine Sports Reporter @CatherineDevin1

DCU Force suffered a heavy 15-3

defeat at the hands of UL at St Clare’s last Wednesday, seeing them knocked out after a great run to the semi-final.

In the first five minutes of the match DCU held their own and out-half Richie Keane slotted a penalty giving them their only points of the match.

UL were a physically stronger team but DCU held a strong defensive line with UL unable to break the tackles in the first half.

Second row, Ben Mortimer, and Irish youth international, Collie Joyce-Ahern, made strong tackles against the physical UL players.

UL failed to keep their discipline in the early stages of the match, conceding 13 penalties in the first half in comparison to DCU conceding five, with referee, Paddy Mann, quick to call on fouls.

Both teams failed to capitalise on the penalties, with UL even missing a kick in front of the posts from inside the 22.

UL fullback, Callum McElligot, scored a try halfway through the first half, giving UL a two

Conor McGraynor celebrates at the final whistle after sealing DCU’s victory Credit Gianluca Avagnina

point lead, as DCU continued to battle the wind.

Tempers boiled over between the two teams towards the end of the first half as handbags were exchanged a f - ter a late tackle.

The second half kicked off with UL scoring a try, as DCU’s back line seemed afraid to

tackle the aggressive UL players.

DCU came very close to a try as openside flanker, Jacob O’Keefe, broke clear of the UL line but was chopped down five metres out.

DCU had many chances and remained in UL’S 22 for much of the second half but were unable to break down the visitors.

DCU showed great ball skills and kept their discipline throughout the game but this was eventually compromised by UL’s brutal strength.

At the end of the second half, UL kept DCU camped within their

DCU Tennis prove they are top of the pack yet again Cian Roche Deputy Sports Editor @cian_roche

DCU clinched their second con-

secutive men’s intervarsities title last month, beating UCD in the final 5-3.

The reigning champions looked in good form heading into the final recording victories over UCC and Queens University Belfast already in the competition.

Their final obstacle was a young UCD side that had just come off the back of an im-

pressive previous round victory over Trinity College Dublin.

DCU have enjoyed some good form in the men’s intervarsities, winning eight of the last 10, six of which were consecutive victories.

Head coach Jamie Pilkington said he isn’t surprised at the level of success that the team has enjoyed.

“We won the [class one] Leinster title five years ago.

There are a lot of things we’ve won and not that we haven’t gotten recognition for it, but people don’t seem to realise how much we’ve achieved.

“We play in the Leinster

league and that’s not just universities. That’s against some of the best teams in the province. We’ve been up against the likes of Donnybrook and Landsdowne [Lawn Tennis Clubs] for probably the last seven years.”

Mik Lynch and Jack Hughes got the Glasnevin side off to a winning start, claiming victory in the first men’s doubles match against UCD number one pairing Stephen Martin and Rory Curtis.

David Sutherland and Alan Bowden couldn’t make the most DCU’s advantage and lost the second round match.

DCU, however, secured

22 but the home side showed grit and determination to prevent UL from crossing the line again.

DCU had another chance to score a try with winger, Cathal Boyle, flying down the pitch, only to end up knocking the ball on.

In the last 15 minutes of the game, DCU upped the intensity and had another opportunity to score a try, but a choke-tackle saw the turnover go in the favour of the Limerick side.

UL, who had a 7 point lead over DCU, began initiating time-wasting techniques.

Concentration was high in the final minutes of the game.

UL had two chances to score a try, with DCU maintaining their strong defence. A scrum in DCU’s 22 led to UL player Callum McElligot scoring his second try of the match, enough to see the visitors over the line.

DCU now look forward to hosting the annual All-Ireland Intervarsity 7’s tournament in April in which they hope to avenge last year’s defeat in the final against Queen’s University Belfast.

the win heading into the singles events. Liam Byrne and Phillip Sheehan proved too strong for the third seed pair of Ben Dillon and Ross Hurley.

Lynch, playing as the top seed for DCU men’s singles, got the team off to a strong start romping to victory in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

UCD fought back claiming victories in the fifth and sixth positions, Dillon and Curtis overcoming Sutherland and Bowden in their respective fixtures.

But an outstanding performance from Byrne, rallying from 5-2 in his third set tie breaker against Eoin McGovern, was enough to hand DCU the momentum.

He picked up eight consecutive points to win the match and turn the tie in the Glasnevin side’s favour.

It all rested on Hughes to bring home a second consecutive title for DCU and he

didn’t disappoint, dispatching Hurley 6-0 in the deciding set.

The preparation, it seems, is one of the key factors to the club’s impressive victory.

“The lads trained at 6.30am three days a week and we’ve travelled to play at least three times outside of Ireland.

“I think playing at a premier class event every week really helps the guys, so when you’ve got the momentum going into the singles [events] it takes some of the pressure off.

“The lads all know each other, they know how to root for each other and most importantly they know how to fight for each other.”

The win means that Pilkington’s squad are now eligible international university competitions this summer.

The event, which took place in the Lawn Tennis Club in Galway, hosted 150 students from around the country.

THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 11 March 2015

27

Sport

O’Connor Cup finals weekend awaits after late heroics Continued from back page Aaron Gallagher Sports Reporter @CVSport

no reply from DCU, the scores coming from Healy, bringing her own tally to 1-02 before the break, and Amy Connolly.

The second half proceeded to bring out the best in both sides in this hotly contested affair. UCD bringing all of their aggression and vigor of the first half to match DCU’s tenacity and quick counter attacks. A game of tit-for-tat ensued for the opening ten minutes of the second half as another point from UCD’s Amy Connolly was cancelled by a milestone point from DCU’s Sarah Rowe.

As six UCD defenders fiercely shut down the DCU counter, the ball was gathered up neatly by Rowe who smashed the ball between the UCD posts – the score marking a change of fortunes for the visitors.

A UCD point didn’t dampen DCU spirits for long as the Glasnevin side finally capitalised on one of their aggressive, tempo-ridden counter attacks.

Excellent passing from the visitors saw Rowe in behind the UCD fullback line, with the forward taking the ball in her stride and dispatching it calmly into the back of the net. UCD were now only a single point ahead, 1-07 to 1-06.

Another DCU score came

from a Laura McEneaney point before UCD added one more, which turned out to be their final score of the game, as DCU once again countered the home side’s efforts by winning a free twenty-five yards from goal.

Lucy Collins took command of the ball, kicking high and straight into the night’s sky before, in a case of deja vu, dropping rapidly over the goalkeeper. Almost identical to that Healy’s goal for the home side early in the first half from a free of a similar distance, Collins’ strike simply had too much power in it and could only be panned away into the side netting by the UCD keeper.

The drama was unending in Belfield as UCD went searching for the equaliser, putting numerous chances wide before an astonishing shot from a UCD forward caught all but DCU goalkeeper Aisling Tarot off guard, as she dived low to her right to save the shot and, ultimately, the game for DCU. A delighted DCU manager spoke of his side’s relief at Lucy Collins’s winning goal.

“It’s a huge relief. We had kind of let a soft goal in ourselves in the first half so we were delighted to see it hit the back of the net and it gave us that bit of breathing space

UCD

1-07

DCU

2-07

DCU will be looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s O’Connor Cup semi-final defeat Credit Gianluca Avagnina

to see the game out. UCD came at us again but thankfully the girls are headstrong and we won it out,” he said.

“Ten minutes into the second half we were wondering was our time up because they were starting to pull away from us and kick scores. Then we just etched our way back into it and we stayed focussed and stayed hungry and the girls did great.”

Speaking about the last-gasp,

game-winning save from DCU goalkeeper Aisling Tarot he remarked that she had been putting in such performances regularly and that the save was of no surprise.

“That’s what goalkeepers are there for, that’s how she earns her crust. She was outstanding, she’s been outstanding for us all year and hopefully she’ll take it into the O’ Connor weekend.”

DCU now go into the O’Connor Cup finals weekend where

they will face University College Cork in their semi-final.

Putting last Thursday’s defeat against University Limerick behind them, they will now focus all priority on Saturday’s fixture against UCC. “We’ll take one game at a time.

I think we’re in against UCC now in the semi-final so we’ll just have to go away and prepare for that and hopefully we’ll do the business.”

DCU’s Céire Smith set to join Katie Taylor at European Championships Aidan Delaney Sports Reporter @CVSport

ONE of DCU Boxing’s finest young talent’s, Céire Smith will represent Ireland at the upcoming European Games which take place later on this year in Baku.

Smith will join a team of Irish boxers which will include fellow DCU student Clare Grace and the dominant Katie Taylor in Azerbaijan’s capital between the 12th and 28th of June this summer.

The 2015 European Games will be the first of its kind in Europe and will follow the model of the Pan American games.

The event will feature 6,000 athletes from 50 countries.

Speaking to the College View, Smith said it was an honour to represent her country at the first ever European Games where she will be one of the 62 Irish athletes that will participate in 20 events.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s a big honour to represent your country at an event like this.”

Looking ahead, Smith said that she was “fairly confident” of doing well in the Games but was looking to give it her best shot.

This isn’t the first time that Smith has represented Ireland across the globe as she has fought for Ireland at the 51kg weight division at the World Elite Championships in 2010 and 2012.

The Sports Science and Health student spoke of her training regime with the Irish squad. She said she felt that

being able to work with the likes of Katie Taylor would definitely help her improve.

“The training camps are great because it gives me a good idea of where I am and what I need to work on.”

Smith also believes that the DCU Boxing club on campus has played a big role in her international success.

“I think there is a fantastic set-up here in DCU. You’ve got people like Derek Aherne and Terry Keegan and a whole dedicated team behind you. You can see the success we have at the intervarsity fights how the set-up is working well.”

Smith gave her opinion on the exposure that women’s boxing is starting to get in this country saying that it’s good for

Ceire Smith, pictured in red Credit DCU Amateur Boxing Club

the sport and women’s boxing has “definitely gotten far bigger” thanks to the success of the Irish ladies on the world stage.

When asked about her goals, the Cavan woman commented that qualifying for Rio is the aim but she is focusing

on using the upcoming All Ireland’s to help further her training which will help her qualify.

“Rio is a long term goal for me. Right now, doing well in the European games the main goal at the moment and I’m just glad to be a part of the team.”

Sport THE COLLEGE VIEW

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

www.thecollegeview.com

FRAN BUTLER DCU soccer director talks to The College View Read more on page 27

O’Connor Cup finals weekend awaits after late heroics Credit Gianluca Avagnina

Aaron Gallagher Sports Reporter @CVSport

IT was a game of two halves, two

teams, two extraordinary 25 yard goals and one improbable last gasp save on Thursday night as DCU’s ladies football team saw

off UCD to claim their place at the O’Connor Cup finals weekend.

Almost identical but at the same time polar opposite to one another, the game was split into two halfs of dominance, one for both teams, summarised by each side’s outrageous goals both coming from frees no less than twenty-five yards from goal.

The visitors ran into an early three point lead with scores from Lindsey Peat and Laura McEneaney making the opening ten minutes a comfortable ride for DCU. But that was before UCD’s Noelle Healy kicked what appeared to be a standard free over the DCU crossbar before the ball took a rapid and unanticipated

dip at the last second, dropping er’s seat and two points ahead. over DCU goalkeeper Aisling TarHowever the home side rerot’s head to level proceedings. acted immediately and effecSarah Rowe showed that tively, scoring three points with DCU would not take the setback lying down as she converted a free of her own to put her side Continued on page 27 back into the lead. This was followed by a Lucy Collin’s point that put DCU back into the driv-