THE COLLEGE VIEW
Vol. XVII, Issue 12
www.thecollegeview.com
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY’S ONLY INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1999
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Academic hits out at SU over email dispute Chaitanya Brady Images Editor @Chai_108
A DCU staff member has hit out
at the Students’ Union after they refused to allow her to send an email to students, regarding a leftwing seminar on Greece. Helena Sheehan, was refused permission to publicise the talk by using the full student e-mail list on the grounds that it wasn’t relevant to all 12,300 DCU students. Over 30 academics expressed solidarity with Sheehan in her request to send the email. “It’s insolent as well as anti-intellectual. I think the way the world is governed and how wealth is distributed is directly relevant to every individual student,” Sheehan told The College View. Sheehan argues that in order to have a proper university atmosphere students need to be getting invitations to talks that express strong points of view about the wider world. Although the talk was politically one-sided, attendees were welcome to challenge what was put forward.
INSIDE Opinion
»9
You say goodbye, if I say hello
Features
» 21
Yes Equality: A final plea
Features
» 23
The Great Debate: “Social Media Is Ruining Our Lives.”
Gaelige
» 19
Feabhas foirfe ar featuring X
MPS and RAG won Best Society in a Cultiral, Academic or Social Field and Best Society in a Charity or Civic Field respectively at the Board of Irish College Societies (BICS) Awards on April 18th Credit: www.facebook.com/pages/Board-of-Irish-College-Societies-BICS
“I think educationally it’s better if you have a debate, and people argue honestly about ideological positions, that’s the spirit of a University,” she said. SU President, Kenneth Browne, and Education Officer, Gary Gillick, are responsible for approving e-mails that are sent out to this list.
Browne told The College View that the SU try to refine emails after feedback from students saying that the amount of emails being sent was overwhelming. “Certain students stopped using their DCU accounts as a result of excessive emailing,” said Browne. This led to fears that emails about health and safety messages from
the university and updates from the Union wouldn’t be read. “If a talk such as this one is directed at a particular cohort of students, we would advise that it be refined to a certain amount of class lists or look at an alternate method of publicising the talk,” said Browne. “If it’s your baby it’s the most important thing in the
world to you, but it may not be the most important thing in the world to everyone else,” he continued. Finance lecturer, Michael Dowling, said his students tell him they “don’t even read the career centre emails as there’s Full story on page 3
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
Editorial
Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Devine Deputy Editor: Katie O’Neill Production & Layout Editor: Scout Mitchell Deputy Production & Layout Editor: Niall Connolly Production Assistant: Scout Mitchell News Editor: Katie O’Neill Deputy News Editors: John Casey, Aura McMenamin, Hayley Halpin Opinion Editor: Lisa O’ Donnell Lifestyle Editor: Aoibheann Diver Features Editor: Megan Roantree Deputy Features Editor: Rebecca Lumley
Images Editor: Chaitanya Brady Online Editor: Kevin Kelly Deputy Online Editors: Hannah Moran & Stephen Murphy Chief Sub-Editor: Jamie Concannon Contacts editor@thecollegeview.com news@thecollegeview.com features@thecollegeview.com opinion@thecollegeview.com gaeilge@thecollegeview.com sports@thecollegeview.com
Printed by Datascope, with the Irish Editor: Aíne Marie Monk DCU Journalism Society Deputy Irish Editor: Cáit Ní Thanks to Sportsfile, SLC, Cheallacháin Office of Student Life Sports Editor: Aidan Geraghty Deputy Sports Editor: Aaron Gallagher & Cormac O’Shea Arts Editor: Fionnuala Jones Deputy Arts Editor: Stephen Keegan Chief Arts Contributor: Ryan McBride
The 2015/2016 College View editorial team Credit Jordan Kavanagh
Grand Slam for DCU Catherine Devine Editor-in-Chief
@CatherineDevin1
LAST week was a great one for
societies in DCU as our students won at national awards throughout the country. Both MPS and RAG won ‘Best Society’ in their fields at the Board of Irish Societies (BICS), with RAG continuing their dominance in their field since last year. It was a further win for DCU, when Cáit Ní Cheallacháin from MPS was named ‘Best Fresher’at the ceremony, an award that DCU has won for two years in a row. DCU also shined at the National Student Media Awards (SMEDIAS), with DCUfm winning all six radio awards. Eoin Sheehan was the star of the night winning four of those awards, including Radio Journalist of the Year. Something that prevailed at both national awards, was the sense of community emulating from DCU students. While usually our societies are competing against each other to be the very best, there was a shared goal of seeing DCU rise on the national platform. Our Sports section this week also takes a look at the achievements that DCU clubs have
made in the past few weeks. We look at how for the tenth successive year, DCU Athletics Academy won the IUAA outdoor track and field championships, taking home 46 medals last week alone. These awards proved to us that DCU is the best college for societal life and kept our new Editorial Team busy all week. It’s great to be able to start our time at The College View on such a high. I’m delighted to be the new Editor-in-Chief and am looking forward to the challenges and rewards that may come my way. I have a fantastic team standing with me and I hope that we can continue to produce a great paper that you will all enjoy. Trinity’s magazine ‘MISC’ showed us this week how important it is to pay attention to detail. The student run magazine was heavily criticised after it published a story which appears to detail two boys dressing-up and raping a girl at the Trinity ball. It states that two students dressed up as paramedics complete with ‘a kit bag full of alcohol and a chicken fillet roll’. It continues to say that they took advantage of an intoxicated ‘young damsel’, having an ‘STI to prove it’. The magazine was recalled and
the team behind it have deemed it an “editorial oversight”. In a time where we have sub-editors, section editors, deputy editors and an Editor-in-Chief, stories like this should never see the light of day. The story was also highly condemned by the Trinity SU, who said that the story could deeply affect those who have experienced issues such as rape. As Editors we have the responsibility to ensure that all content is fit for publishing. This basic duty was not upheld by the Editorial team at Trinity’s MISC. Our new Editorial Team is enthusiastic and excited for the year ahead. We’re eager to bring you more stories that we can celebrate together, such as the fantastic achievements made by our students nationally this week. We’re taking the reigns from a very competent Editorial Team and we wish them the very best in the future. They’ve taught us everything we know and we hope that we can live up to their standards next year. We look forward to bringing you the best of DCU news next year, Catherine.
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
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Pressure mounts on DCU President for Diageo link Katie O’Neill Deputy Editor @_Katie__ONeill
DCU President Professor Brian MacCraith has remained tightlipped about his involvement in the highly-controversial ‘StopOut-of-Control-Drinking’ campaign which is backed by drinks giant, Diageo. The responsible drinking campaign has been widely-criticised for its links to Diageo whom are providing €1 million worth of funding to the project. In the wake of wide-spread criticism, the head of Diageo David Smith, stepped down from the board of the project. Smith’s is the fourth high profile resignation to come from the board in recent weeks. Ordinary member of Class Rep Council (CRC), Sean Cassidy, is expected to bring a motion to CRC this week regarding the controversial campaign and its apparent links to DCU. “I will be proposing a motion at the next council meeting that the Students’ Union has no confidence in the ‘Stop-Out-ofControl-Drinking’ campaign and that the Union shall not participate in its events and shall not facilitate any events connected with the organisation in the student centre. I will also be proposing that the University President should reflect on his membership of the board in light of the position of the students’ union,’” Cassidy told The College View. DCU is cited as one of the supporting partners to the
DCU President Brian MacCraith Credit courses4u.ie
campaign and DCU has further links to Diageo. A spokesperson for the university confirmed to The Irish Independent that Diageo had pledged €20,000 in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for the DCU Access scholarship programme. The college also confirmed that
Hub build delayed until next year Katie O’Neill Deputy Editor @_Katie__ONeill
CONSTRUCTION on the €14
million extension to the student hub will begin early next year according to Students’ Union President Kenneth Browne. The progress of the building of the new student centre was hindered by delays this year because of “technical stuff and planning issues,” Browne admitted. “Architectural planning should be over the next couple of months and into semester one of next year. And then Early next year they should break ground. It’ll be about an 18 month build,” Browne explained.
DCU Business School lecturer Tony Foley produces reports for the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland on a “consultancy basis”. The USI have called for the project to be abolished. USI VP for Welfare, Greg O’Donoghue, told The College View: “It’s still linked
to the drinks industry so I do believe that it should be disbanded.” MacCraith has not responded to request to comment from The College View, The Irish Independent and magazine the Phoenix.
News
SU email dispute Continued from page 1
Chaitanya Brady Images Editor @Chai_108 so much nonsense they have to wade through.” Dowling suggested that to ‘bombard’ students with e-mails is exploitative. “We should be concentrating on not distracting people sitting life-determining tests,” he said. Various academics have spoke out in Sheehan’s defence, favouring the free-flow of information as long as it is strictly intellectual not commercial. Dr Jane Suiter, political scientist in the School of Communications, shared Sheehan’s views: “I think for the Students’ Union to be putting themselves in the place of a censor and deciding what might be intellectually engaging to the student body is completely inappropriate and utilitarian.” Professor Steven Knowlton, also of the School of Communications, said: “I think the talk was perfectly valid for dissemination to the student body. This is legitimate EU politics and that’s something DCU students should be involved in.” An issue was raised by Ryan Hunt, a student of Economics, Politics and Law, and a member of the Young Fine Gail society. He said it is a slippery slope once the SU began publicising political parties or political societies’ activities, and that like all parties they should look for alternative ways of pursuing publicity. Law student, Mogue Cunningham said: “It’s a very relevant topic to all students as we’re in the EU we should have a community outlook. It concerns Ireland to the same degree as it concerns Greece, especially because of our recent, similar, economic history.”
Trinity magazine in rape story scandal
The student levy will account for €8 million of the finance behind the build. The rest Browne told The College View, is coming from “external sources which we were lucky to get this year.” Katie O’Neill While a general vision of Deputy Editor the aesthetic of the exteri@_Katie__ONeill or of the building is in place, nothing has yet to be finalised in regards to what purMISC magazine, a Trinity pose the space inside will fulfil. College student-run publicaBrowne explained: “It’s very tion has been heavily criticised difficult to accommodate ev- for their story which chronicles eryone with their own room but a student raping an intoxicated there’ll be a lot of multi-purpose fellow student at the Trinity ball. space similar to our venue now The narrator of the story deor our old bar.” As opposed to scribes how he gained access to assigning different rooms differ- the ball by dawning a paramedent functions the extension will ic’s uniform and how he subconsist of versatile, “transform- sequently, along with his “eskiable space” not specified for one mo brother” took advantage of certain activity. the “young damsel” put in his
care having the “STI to prove it”. VP for Welfare in the TCD Students’ Union, Ian Mooney has condemned the story. Speaking to The College View, he said: “The story isn’t ok. It can be triggering for people who may have been through this before.” He continued: “Sexual consent is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed and not something that should be taken lightly.” The magazine has publicly apologised for the article online citing it as an “editorial oversight”. The magazine, which was
due to be distributed to students at the Trinity Ball, has been recalled. The online version of the article has been taken down. Twitter users have expressed their fury at the publication of the piece. Among the angered comments, one user describes the article as a “disgraceful promotion of rape culture”. The author behind the piece is unknown. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article please contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on the 24-hour hotline 1 800 778 888.
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
USI student summit News
John Casey Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview
THE Union of Students in Ireland
held their second annual Student Summit in the Mansion House on Dublin’s Dawson Street last week. The summit was held in order to help student entrepreneurs follow through on their ideas. It offered students the chance to hear from established entrepreneurs as well as giving them networking opportunities within the business world. “The aim of the summit is to create a sense of community amongst student entrepreneurs,” USI Welfare Officer and event organiser Greg O’Donoghue told The College View. “We hope that people will network, gain contacts and gain experience from other entrepreneurs.”
The summit was opened by USI president Laura Harmon. She discussed how the USI was committed to fostering an enterprising spirit amongst the students of Ireland.“The vision for the summit is to bring students and enterprise together in their own interests to talk about the bravery required and the opportunities out there for students,” Harmon said. Attendees were treated to a number of panel discussions from a diverse group of successful business people. Speakers included MCD co-owner (and manager of Hozier) Caroline Downey and the owner of Hangar nightclub Eileen Denham. The event was held in association with a large number of sponsors. Companies sponsoring the event ranged from well established brands like Microsoft and Uber as well as start ups
such as recruitment app Jobbio. “We picked out some key companies, particularly start-ups because it is a student entrepreneurship and innovation event,” said O’Donoghue. “We approached companies such as Jobbio to speak at the event and they ended up coming on board as sponsors so we’re delighted with that.” Each of the sponsors had a strong presence at the event. Stalls were set up by each advertising their products and services as well as giving away free goods to those in attendance. In addition to the panel discussions, those in attendance were given motivational speeches by adventurer Allan Dixon and author Patrick Hamilton Walsh. Audience members were also treated to an impromptu rave courtesy of self help dance enthusiasts Morning Gloryville.
DCU prepares for same-sex referendum Hayley Halpin Deputy News Editor @HayleyHalpin1 DCU showed their support for the upcoming same-sex marriage referendum, by raising a rainbow flag outside The Hub, last week. A ceremony was held to unveil the flag where Chairperson of LGBTA, Gillian McInerney, who was joined by DCU lecturer and
member of Yes Equality Steve Conlon, and student Benji Foley, spoke about the significance of this event. “It’s a symbol of community. It’s a symbol of recognition of the struggle that the LGBT community has undergone in the last 50 years in Ireland. It’s a symbol of unity. It’s a symbol of strength and a symbol of commitment from the committee of DCU to support the LGBT community on May 22nd,” said Conlon. In a referendum held by the SU
Credit: Ana Kazadojeva
Credit: Andres Poveda
Spring break flop, outdoor festival scrapped
Katie O’Neill Deputy Editor the outdoor summer festival. I did earlier this year 98% of DCU stu@_Katie__ONeil look into it and I got permission from dents voted in favour of Marriage the university to have it. It just came Equality. A Marriage Equality panel down to budgets at the end.” Browne discussion was also held in DCU by said. “Our Spring Break week didn’t the LGBTA Society and the Students’ Union to prepare for the referendum. POOR student-interest in the go as well as planned so we didn’t Senior lecturer of Expressions, ‘Spring Break’ events organised have enough money in the end to go Research, Orientations & Sexu- by the Students’ Union meant all out for a massive summer thing.” Instead of the festival the Sumal Studies (EROSS), Jean-Philippe SU president Kenneth Browne Imbert, chaired the panel. Other couldn’t replace the Summer Ball mer Ball will take place on Thursday April 23 in the Hub. Musician members included Annie Hoey with an outdoor music festival. In the run up to the Students’ Basshunter will play the event. from Union of Students Ireland, The sale of ball tickets attracted including representatives from Yes Union election last year, then Browne expressed large queues however they were no Equality, and local TD John Lyons. candidate, The panel gave an informative that he would like to throw an where near the turn out the sale atdiscussion on the campaign for outdoor summer music festival tracted last year. 1200 tickets were Marriage Equality in Ireland and but he has told The College View put on sale for this years event. Sevwelcomed questions from audi- budget restraints prevented him en individuals manned the ticket ence members. Each panel mem- from following through on this. desk on the day tickets were released “I really would have liked to do catering to the large queue. ber took time to discuss in detail, their views on the referendum. “I want it to pass personally, but I think it will say an awful lot about Irish society, about how we value ourselves, how we value the future and how we value LGBT children,” Annie Hoey said. One of the issues raised during the discussion was that students should ensure to exercise their vote on the referendum on May 22. “We need to realise that the students managed to make it to university. We must acknowledge that there is a responsibility to try and meet the campaign half way. There’s only so much we can do. It’s up to you to turn up and vote, at the end of the day,” TD John Lyons said. Yes Equality also set up stands in The Henry Grattan Building to register students on the Supplementary Register of Electors, which closes May 4th. Many students also pledged Gary Gillick promotes the summer ball Credit: Ana Kazadojeva to vote Yes in the referendum.
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
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DCU remembers victims of Kenyan massacre News
Kevin Kelly Online Editor
@AlsoKevinKelly
DCU and St Patrick’s College
held a memorial ceremony for the victims of a terrorist attack in a Kenyan university where 148 people lost their lives. The Kenyan Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Richard Opembe joined university president Professor Brian MacCraith and Deputy President Jim Dowling in remembering the people who died at the hands of Boko Haram terrorists in Garissa University College. Mr Dowling led the remembrance, welcoming the ambassador and guests. Professor MacCraith’s speech highlighted the importance of the continued goal of education after an attack like this. Ambassador Opembe used
DCU to host young university summit
Clara Hickey News Reporter @thecollegeview
The second global Young Universities Summit (YUS) will be held this week in The Helix from Wednesday April 29 to Thursday April 30. YUS will focus on how universities founded 50 years ago or less can compete in a fast-paced and highly competitive global market with other older and experienced universities. The event will also address key issues for young universities, including how to establish a world-
Kenyan soldier walks past Garissa University Credit: Mirror.co.uk
class university without centuries of history and tradition, and the challenges less established universities experience in regards to leadership. Phil Baty, rankings editor of Times Higher Education, believes that despite young universities having some disadvantages in comparison to older universities, they still have a lot to offer to their students. “Young universities may not have the rich history or the rich resources and reputations of their older counterparts, but they have a sense of energy, flexibility, and dynamism that some of the ancient
Credit: dcu.ie
universities can lack,” Baty said. There will be 21 guest speakers at the event, which include Jan O’Sullivan, Minister for Education as well as presidents of universities from all over the world. President of DCU, Brian MacCraith, also speaking at the event, said he is delighted that DCU is hosting this year’s Young University Summit. “YUS 2015 will bring together leaders and leading thinkers from some of the most dynamic, innovative and distinctive universities worldwide to share the best practice and address some of the key challenges and opportunities facing higher education today,” he said. DCU is one of many colleges worldwide that have the status of a university under 50 years of age. After being created as the National Institute for Higher Education in 1975, the college was only promoted to the status of a university in 1989. The event will also host the official worldwide launch of a unique ranking system of the top 100 universities under the age of 50 years called “The 100 Under 50 Rankings 2015.” The results will be posted online at 9pm on Wednesday April 29th. Last year, DCU finished joint with another young university in 92nd place.
his speech to not only remember the victims of the attack, but to also talk about the future of Kenya in light of the savage attacks. He told the crowd how Kenya has held military movements against Boko Haram as well as social programs to further educate young Kenyans. After the speakers, a poem was read by Fr Stephen Monaghan, chaplain of St Patrick’s College, and a piece of music was performed by first year Gaeilge agus Iriseoireacht student Cáit Ní Cheallacháin on the violin. The ceremony ended with the release of 148 white balloons into the clear blue sky in memory of all of those who lost their lives. A book of condolence was opened in the Inter Faith Centre to be signed by staff, students and visitors alike.
PAC to investigate SUSI as €4 million is overpaid to students Finnian Curran News Reporter @Finnc94
THE Dail’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed “serious concern” regarding the running and operation of Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) in its first year. The news follows a report published by the public spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, Séamus McCarthy, which found that some students received grants which they were not entitled to totalling €4 million. It’s believed as many as 850 students were paid maintenance grants in 2012/2013, amounting to €1.9 million while a further €2.16 million was overpaid to postgraduate students, non-Irish students and students who had already graduated from third level education. The sum, which is still yet to be repaid, could possibly be written off by the national student grant body as a once-off occurrence. Chairman of PAC, John McGuinness, said he wanted the PAC to examine how and where €7.16 million of staff and administration costs were spent in 2012 alone. It is not possible to say whether the new system is making the
hoped-for savings in administration costs, because there is no way of comparing the cost of the old system with SUSI. SUSI started a phased takeover of the students grant system which was traditionally operated by 66 local agencies, such as county or city councils. Mr McCarthy also notes that the level of staffing allocated to SUSI and the level of outsourced services are significantly higher than envisaged and “while there have been reductions in the overall number of staff employed in VECs and local authorities, the extent to which this is attributable to SUSI is not known.” PAC will discuss the report at a hearing on June 11 to which senior officials at the Department of Education and other relevant agencies will be invited. SUSI, which is administered by the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB), is taking over work previously done by 66 local authorities and VECs. The SUSI grant application system will open this Thursday April 23 for students hoping to receive grants for the upcoming academic year 2015/2016. For more information on whether you’re eligible to receive a grant visit www.susi.ie.
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
News
Leymah Gbowee Nobel Peace prize winner lecture in Helix Katie O’Neill Deputy Editor @_Katie__ONeill
“WE defeat our cause if we
choose not to identify ourselves.” Standing true to one’s cause, Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah Gbowee tells a crowded Helix theatre, is the foundation for evoking change. It is just a day since Hilary Clinton announced her candidacy for President of the United States of America. The feminist political figure stood on this stage just over two years prior to this day, April 15, in
which political activist Leymah Gbowee is about to begin her address. DCU President Brian MacCraith mentions Clinton while introducing the Nobel Laureate, he aptly quotes the former First Lady’s assertion that women’s right should be treated as human rights. ‘Living peace, leaving peace’ is the title of the vibrant Liberian peace activist’s lecture. Renowned for her efforts to band together a female movement to bring to an end the Liberian civil war, Gbowee has been kept busy since being awarded the Nobel Prize for peace. She jokes that she pities the prize’s young-
est winner and 2014 recipient, Malala Yousafzai. “I’m 39 I can retire. I feel sorry for Malala, she can’t retire any time soon.” Gbowee’s talk touches on a myriad of issues from gun violence in the US to the education of girls in Africa. The consistent theme of legacy underscores her lecture. She discusses how the legacy we leave behind us is a product of the way in which we choose to live our lives. She explains that by living a life governed by the pursuit of peace, we leave peace behind as our legacy: living peace, leaving peace.
Hybrid Winners
John Casey Deputy News Editor @Thecollegeview
THE DCU Media Production So-
ciety (MPS) held its annual Hybrid Awards at The Helix last Monday. The awards highlight the best in student media across the academic year. In all there were 20 awards handed out on the night across varied disciplines such as radio, television and print. The awards were hosted by Kevin McGahern from popular RTE show Republic of Telly. Each category was judged by an industry professional successful in that particular field. Notable judges included 2fm’s Rick O’Shea for Arts/ Feature show of the year and the Irish Independent’s GAA correspondent Colm Keys who judged the Sports Journalist of the Year category. Some of the 20 judges were DCU alumni. All judges commented on the consistently high quality of the submitted work within their discipline. This year saw the highest number of entrants for the awards. Judges were
Dr. Walt Kilroy organises questions and Ms.Leymah Gbowee answers after reccounting her work with Grassroots women’s’rights action groups in Liberia and south Sudan in the Helix. Credit: Chai Brady
DCU Japanese Soc founder of national event Ana Kazadojeva News Reporter @AnnaKazadojeva
DCU’S Japanese society performed in the annual Experience Japan event on April 12, an event Hybrid Winners 2015 they helped found six years ago. The event was initially started up by the society in conjuncPhotograph of the Year- Sinead McCool tion with Dublin City Council DJ of the Year- David Atkinson in 2009 and has since merged with different universities. This Irish journalist of the Year- Barra Ó Scannláin year Experience Japan showHighlight video of the Year- Aidan Broletti cased 100 performers and atPhotographer of the Year- Gianluca Avangina tracted over 150 volunteers, many of whom came from DCU. News and current affairs show of the Year- SU Elections The chair of the Festival’s Arts and Features Journalist of the Year - Roisin Nestor committee, Hugo O’Donnell On Screen Performer of the Year- David Atkinson said that DCU’s involvement in the Festival was very significant: Website of the Year- Aidan Broletti “One of the first groups to get inBroadcast journalist of the year- Tommy Meskill volved with this festival was the Blog of the Year - Gourmet Grazing Japanese society in DCU and they are a core part, and have been a News and Current Affairs Journalist of the Year – Eoin Sheahan core part, to Experience Japan.” Promotional Video of the Year- Survey Steve The event has grown expoPublication Design of the Year- Impact nentially since it first took place in 2010, attracting over 30,000 peoArts Entertainment Show of the Year- Notion ple to Farmleigh this year. O’DonSports Journalist of the Year- Ruaidhri Croke nell recalled how successful the Entertainment Video of the Year-Alison Ring and David Atkinson event has been saying: “on the first festival in 2010 we had over Poster of the Year - Glenn Griffin 20,000 people appear. We were Radio Documentary of the Year - Sean Defoe and Eoin Sheahan expecting between three and six Video Documentary of the Year - Go Gaga for GAA thousand and we literally didn’t know where people came from.” Journalist of the Year- Michael Cogley Activities on the day included traditional Japanese music and dance performances, as faced with the task of whit- of submitted material to just well as Japanese food and soutling down the large amount a few shortlisted candidates.
venirs. There were workshops for adults and children such as origami. DCU’s Japanese society performed a traditional Japanese dance called Soran Bushi, which gets its moves from the actions of fishermen. Anthony Kenny, a member of DCU’s Japanese society, performed the dance with the rest of the group and described it as quite difficult. “There’s moves that look like someone pulling a net, someone gathering fish. It’s not so difficult to learn, but it’s very physically demanding. It’s more of an exercise than a dance in some way.” Kenny defined Japanese society in DCU as one of the best in Ireland. “One of the reasons I came to DCU was because it had a really good Japanese Society, it’s one of the main hubs for Japanese students coming to Ireland.” The event was launched with the Japanese Sake Barrel opening ceremony, during which Fine Gael’s Simon Harris and Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke, were present. There are a number of seminars taking place in the next few weeks, some of which will include Japan & Irish Literature and Japan Technology.A Student Seminar on Japan will take place on Sunday 26 April at 2pm in Chester Beatty Library. For more information visit Experience Japan Facebook page.
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
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News
Private language college closures Aura McMenamin Deputy News Editor @Aurajalapeno
THE Irish Naturalisation and
Immigration Service (INIS) is launching an investigation into private language schools which have agreed to take students of other defunct schools on board. Carlyle Institute students were told of its abrupt closure last week after the students of the Grafton Street school had already paid fees of €1,500. The Private Colleges Network (PCN) is a representative body which serves several language schools around Ireland. It offered to take in the 400 students affected by the closure of Carlyle free of charge after the college closed. However, two of PCN’s now former colleges are under investigation by immigration officials and have been taken off the internationalisation register. Limerick City College (LCC) and Cork City College (CCC) are no longer allowed to recruit students who require visas. Officials found that LCC was enrolling students into a course accredited by Birmingham City University in the UK. Many of the students enrolled at LCC were not on the records of the English school and were therefore ineligible to gain a qualification.
The two colleges’ logos were removed from the PCN website as early as Wednesday. PCN managing director David Russell blamed the hasty way in which the PCN was put together as the main reason why schools that may have had a bad reputation were allowed in. “When we set up PCN it was to ensure that students didn’t lose their money and could attend a college,” he said. “PCN is a new group, we wanted to set up a quick network. We weren’t aware of what was happening. We’ll use more oversight in the future.” With the removal of LCU and CCU, four of PCN’s five remaining colleges are not accredited.”They use UK accreditation bodies that do not properly scrutinise what is happening,” said Dave Moore, head of the Irish Council for Interntional Students (ICOS). “It’s an area that’s ripe for abuse”. ICOS has been one of the few sources of support for students who have found their language college suddenly closed. It is pushing for the introduction of escrow accounts, or accounts that are independent from the college and will protect students’ fees. “I paid €800 for my fees and €200 for insurance,” said Malaysian student Saw. “I’m very
Credit: thecarlyleinstitute.blogspot.ie
frustrated. I went to school everyday and it just closed.” During his time in Carlyle, Saw said that classes were frequently overcrowded: “There
Queen’s University Belfast cut student numbers and staff
Credit micefinder.com
Aaron McElroy News Reporter @ItsAaronMcElroy
QUEEN’S University Belfast is to cut its student intake and academic staff over the next three years to cover an £8 million (€11 million) reduction in funding from Stormont.
The university has an undergraduate intake of around 4,500 and they plan to reduce this by 1,010 by 2017. It has a current student population of 23,000, with 14,500 of those being undergraduates. The undergraduate cuts will come into effect from September 2015 with 290 places to go. Applicants who have received
an offer from Queen’s and meet the entry requirements will be unaffected, but prospective students who fail to meet the grades are unlikely to be admitted. The subsequent reduction in income from tuition fees is expected to cost the university a further £3.7 million (€5 million) Queen’s currently employs around 3,500 staff, and plans to cut 236 academic and non-academic jobs through voluntary redundancies. The college said it was forced to take this action because of a cut to its funding from the Department of Employment and Learning. The Department’s budget for higher education institutions was reduced by 8.2%. This comes two months after University Ulster announced that it would be dropping 53 courses from its prospectus in response to similar budget cuts. However it is still unclear if University Ulster will be cutting staff and student numbers. Queen’s operates on an annual budget of around £300 million (€417 million), with £97 million (€135 million) coming from the department and the remainder mostly being raised from tuition fees and philanthropic donations.
were fifty students in one class.” after money was last accepted, the Carlyle continued to accept college announced its closure money until April 2. On April 3 it announced it was taking Easter holidays until April 13. One week
NUIG president refuses to meet Oireachtas Nicola Aryes News Reporter @Nikki_Aryes
PRESIDENT of NUI Galway James J Browne, declined to meet with Oireachtas members over concerns with recent gender discrimination issues within the university. Trevor O’Clochartaigh, Sinn Fein Senator, wrote to Justice Catherine McGuniness to request a meeting in which to discuss concerns that have been raised over gender equality issues within the university and how they intend to address these issues. In late 2014, Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington won a case against NUIG after appearing in front of the Equality Tribunal. The tribunal found the university discriminated against the lecturer on the grounds of her gender in a promotion process in 2009. The Higher Education Authority then said that women are very much under-represented in senior academic roles with Ireland’s third-level institutions. University College Cork being the lowest with 27 percent of women holding senior positions; Maynooth University at 28 per cent; University College Dublin at 29 percent and Trinity College Dublin at 33 percent.
NUIG caused further controversy when a questionnaire, distributed to prospective female job applicants was released. The questionnaire included invasive questions regarding their menstrual cycle and breasts. NUIG defended the questions saying they were relevant in determining whether an employee would attend work regularly and if they were fit for the job. According to NUIG Students’ Union Welfare Officer Aoife Ní Shúilleabháin, the questionnaires were distributed by a private company and are used by many employers. Department of Justice and Equality told The College View; “Established Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has among its functions the role of both encouraging a culture of respect for equality and also promoting an awareness and understanding of equality.” The aim of Human Rights and Equality commission is for equality for all members, institutions and work places in Ireland, to ensure an equal working environment. Senator O’ Clochartaigh has appealed for Justice Mc Guinness to reconsider his meeting request with the Oireachtas.
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
News
University of Ulster lecturer makes gay slur
NCAD staff no confidence motion Laura Colgan News Reporter @Laura_Colgan
The majority of staff members at the National College of Art and Design supported a motion expressing no confidence in the art college’s senior management at a meeting last week. They expressed concerns over the college’s financial and academic future, and showed support for the protests recently held by NCAD students. The college was rocked by a financial scandal this January when it emerged that €104 million in funding from the Higher Education Authority went unaccounted for. Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy told the Public Accounts Committee that the college’s accounting practices were “not for purpose” at the time. In a report, NCAD were criticised for failing to comply with procurement guidelines and for having delays in preparing its annual accounts
Aidan Delaney News Reporter @aidand472
AN academic at Ulster University Credit: Broadsheet.ie
over a period of three years. Around 100 staff members attended the emergency meeting held by SIPTU. The trade union represents around 150 staff members, both academic and non-academic, at the college. In a statement, management said it understood that the EGM was attended by 63 of NCAD’s 267 workers, disputing SIPTU’s claim of 100 staff. Staff told RTÉ News that they are concerned about a
lack of transparency in decision making at the college. They said they are also concerned about governance issues, and the growing casualisation of staff there Management said they were in active and engaged open dialogue with staff and students to address a range of issues facing the college and in contact with the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority.
has been criticised for homophobic comments made on his personal Facebook account during an online debate. Dr Mark Gilfillan, a research associate in Irish Jewish history, described homosexuality as a “bizarre fetish that has resulted in 72% of new cases of HIV”. He made the comments while contributing to a debate on the Ashers Bakery case. He also complained that anyone who shows “disgust” towards homosexuality are “outlawed” by society and called bigots. Many members of the LGBT community were outraged at the comments while
some described them as “deeply offensive” and “disturbing”. Dr Gilfillan sent an email to the Belfast Telegraph saying the comments were his own personal beliefs and he was not actively working with the college at the time. He also claimed that the comments were made “in a very limited online conversation with a handful of participants”. Ulster University have distanced themselves from the comments saying that they were “in no way supported by the university which prides itself on being inclusive and on welcoming staff and students of all backgrounds and beliefs”. A spokesperson for the university said that there would be a full investigation into the comments.
TCD activist Assylum seekers gain pulls out of 3rd level access rights talk Paul Dwyer News Reporter @thecollegeview
Jennifer Purdy News Reporter @Kenpurdy_Jp
AN Iranian political activist refused to deliver a talk in Trinity College after college security imposed restrictions on the event, which they said would be “one-sided” and “antagonising” to “Muslim students”. Maryam Namazie was invited by the Society for International Affairs to talk about apostasy and the rise of Islam. But backed out of the talk because she was dissatisfied with certain conditions her appearance entailed. “I was told that two conditions were required for the event to go ahead; one, that it only be open to students of the college, and two, that there would be a moderator to chair the talk,” Namazie said. Namazie who is a former follower of Islam but no longer practises the religion said these terms would unfair “since
such conditions are not usually placed on other speakers”. Recently the outspoken preacher Sheikh Kamah El Mekki was invited to speak at an event in Trinity College by the TCD Muslim Association and the Irish branch of the Al Maghrib Institute. No conditions were placed on this event despite the controversy surrounding the preacher. In the past he has spoken about why apostates should receive the death penalty and why there is a need for harsh punishment like stoning for committing adultery. Namazie said it was unjust that security raised imposed no restrictions on El Mekki’s lecture. “No conditions were placed on his talk, nor was there threats to cancel his event over concerns that his position on death for apostates would ‘antagonise’ ex-Muslim and Muslim students who do not support apostasy laws.” A spokesperson for Trinity College said the university would not comment “on an event organised by a student society”.
ASYLUM seekers who have been in the Irish education system for five years or more will have the same entitlements as Irish students under new government proposals. Many asylum-seeking students have not been able to progress to third level education because they are treated as international students and are subjected to paying large fees under this category. Speaking at the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan said the high fees that asylum seekers are expected to pay for third level education is effectively excluding them from a “future they have worked hard to achieve”. Minister O’Sullivan said she is hopeful the new proposals will be introduced by September 2015.“I believe that such students should no longer have to pay any more to access third-level than their Irish friends do, and that they should have appropriate access to student supports.” She said. A working group, set up in
Student Assylum Seekers Ireland Credit: Irish Examiner
2014 by the government to review the asylum system, is expected to suggest these measures when its deliberations are published. There are over 4,000 asylum seekers living in direct provision accommodation centres across Ireland, just over 140 of whom are aged between 13-17 years old. A new fast track system for asylum seekers who are currently residing in these provision accommodation centres is set to be announced by the government. The system would handle their cases within six months. Other proposals aimed at
reforming the asylum system are likely to be announced by the government in the coming weeks. Some of the measures proposed to tackle the problems with the asylum system are likely to include an increase in cash allowances for those who are living in direct provision. Both moves are under consideration by an independent group set up by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald and Minister of State Aodhán Ó Riordáin. The group is expected to publish its report next month.
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
9
Opinion
You say goodbye, if I say hello Aidan Delaney Contributor @aidand472
A few weeks ago, this paper featured an article entitled “Lads, Take A Leaf Out Of Lionel Richie’s Book and Say Hello”, which described a girl’s feelings towards being approached in a nightclub. While the article was well written, I felt it was missing a key element. Therefore, I have decided to respond on behalf of all the lads out there who are happy to play the game without scoring every time. Look, we all know what nightclubs are like. The flashing lights, the pounding basslines with limbs flying everywhere. I think we can all agree that this kind of place is hardly the ideal spot to discuss poetry by Sylvia Plath or the current crisis in the Ukraine. As human beings, we have tried to overcome this by inventing our own silent language. An awful lot can be said in the nod of a head or flash of a smile without a word being spoken. The problem is, it’s not a fool proof method, and a smile by you could mean something different to me. I see no problem in approaching a girl if only to clarify and see if the wires have indeed gotten crossed.
Credit: google images
Then we have the actual approach. Something I think girls fail to grasp is the actual time and effort that a lad, like a golfer, puts into his approach. It’s a care-
fully thought out process which has usually been tried and tried again. If an approach appears to be ridiculous or horrendous, it’s usually been proven to be a
Change in the political status quo is inevitable Leandro Pondoc Contributor @lpondoc
IT’S not hard to be sceptical of those who seek to change the status quo, especially in Irish politics, which has been long dominated by political parties differentiated mostly not on policy or political hue, but by being on opposing sides of a civil war. And in the scant 67 years since the foundation of the Republic, that status quo dominated with nary anyone else getting a look-in. Well, there’s Labour, a party that had long given up any pretences of representing the left. There’s the Progressive Democrats, what would have been radicals that lost their reason for existing, which was in opposition against that bogeyman Charlie. There’s the Greens, wiped out and barely clinging to relevance.
Credit: google images sa.int
winner before. Even with the social lubricant of a Jägerbomb (or seven) on board, actually going out on a limb and talking to girl is a tough
And countless little formations and groups, all seeking to change the world but sank without much of a pyre for their accomplishments, scrambling against the feet of the big two that are Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. But the status quo has been crumbling. The rise of Sinn Fein, the new prominence of the Socialists united against austerity, Fianna Fail’s five-year march into obsolescence, even Renua Ireland. Suddenly there’s a wellspring of differences, of other voices scrambling to get their foot in. This may well prove to be temporary. Renua may well turn out to be the PD-lite Lucinda Creighton Re-Election Campaign it has been accused of from the start. Sinn Fein’s violent republican past may well catch up with it even as its leaders try to hide. Should the economy keep recovering, the angry voices of the Anti-Austerity Alliance could turn impotent. Politics is as much predictable as the economy, and whatever shifts may occur in the future are made obscure to us in the present. What is striking is that there is such a crumbling of the status quo. That Socialist TD’s would win by-elections, never mind becoming prominent voices in
thing to do. Pushing yourself out there can leave you vulnerable. Most of the time you approach the potential woman of your dreams only armed with a funny line and a friendly double vodka. You could have doubled your nightclub budget and feel like you’re flying, before a crushing “no” brings you right down to earth. Lads are expected to take this with a wink and a smile, which can be an awful lot harder than you think. However, this nightclub lark is a pretty one sided game. Because the etiquette of a nightclub is ruled by some unspoken rules, most lads will never know what it’s like to be approached and to be hit with an awful chat up line. I think that this is unfortunate for both sides. It means that lads have to do all the donkey work while never being on the receiving end. Just once, I think it would be interesting to watch the girls do the work and save me that four euro. Like I’ve said, at the end of the day, it’s a game. Games are fun and are meant to be enjoyed by all. Please don’t tar us all with the creep brush. Some lads will gladly have the chat and maybe chance their arm after that. So girls, keep an open mind, give us a chance and please, ask for a cheap drink!
the political scene. That Fianna Fail, colossus of Irish politics, has experienced such a decline after their calamitous exit from government, from losses in polls to continual defections. That even the status quo could change. Again, this could very well be a wibble. But it’s a wibble I will endorse. Full disclosure: as a foreigner, it always baffled me that seemingly the two main political parties of this country differ not on anything as major as political beliefs or policy, but in that they both stemmed from a long gone civil war. And that there has been very little to contend to that status quo. But progress of any sort, change of any sort, involves killing off a form of the past. There will come a time in Ireland’s future where Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Labour et al, will be left to the dusts of history. Change is upheaval and often it looks ugly and disorientating. The idea of the Irish political landscape without the players that have dominated it for the last thirty years seems unfathomable. But that’s an idea that will definitely come to be.
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
Opinion
Out of sight, out of mind? France’s new law banning skinny models from the catwalks is discriminatory to those who suffer from eating disorders. There appears to be no line between public opinion on anorexia and vanity these days. Clíona Níc Domhnaill Contributor @ClionaNicD
Credit: Popsugarassets.com
FRANCE recently approved
a law that bans women who are ‘too thin’ from modelling. Although it is yet to be approved by Senate, many people believe that the law will be passed. This action is part of a campaign by French President, Francois Hollande, to combat anorexia. And with almost 40,000 sufferers in France alone, it’s easy to see why Mr Hollande feels the need to take such extreme action to stop it. But is banning skinny models really the best way to do that? Is punishing sick people a cure? Or would the French government not think that helping them would be a better way to spend their time solving the issue? Because anorexia is indeed an illness, and people are wrong if they say otherwise. It isn’t vanity. It isn’t conceitedness. It is an illness. Anorexia nervosa is described as “an eating disorder primarily affecting adolescent girls and young women, characterized by pathological fear of becoming fat, distorted body image, excessive dieting, and emaciation”. I don’t see how it’s fair on models to ban them from working because they have an eating disorder. Did I hear someone yell ‘discrimination’? Or excuse me, ‘la discrimination’ if the French didn’t understand me there. Isn’t that sort of like banning someone from work for having a mental illness? Because that’s what anorexia is. The French government have made no mention of helping these girls in any way, shape or form. They believe that firing them and telling them that they look wrong is the way forward. Which is exactly what somebody suffering from an eating disorder needs, I’m sure. All they will hear is “Not only do you look disgusting, ma chérie, but now you look illegal”. Not only is the ban unfair in my opinion, but it is also, to put it simply, flawed. The first problem that I have with this law is that despite the fact that they intend to put a ban on models who are too thin, they are yet to decide what “too thin” means. And people have actually
Credit: Google Images
voted for a law that hasn’t outlined its most important feature yet. I know I’m opening a whole
can of worms here, but what is “too thin”? At what weight does one have to be to be considered
“too thin”? Or is it measurements we’re talking about? Because how much you weigh or what your
measurements are don’t always accurately reflect your health. Also, another massive flaw in this proposal is that they are relying on BMI (Body Mass Index) to decide whether people are eligible to model or not. Anyone who knows a thing about health or even biology knows that BMI is not accurate. It gives you a general idea of where you stand and what you should be aiming for, but all a BMI test takes into account is your height and your weight. Most BMI tests don’t take your age or your gender into consideration. The law also includes a ban on glorifying anorexia, for example, online or in advertisements. However, I can’t help but notice the double standards here. It will be illegal to glorify anorexia, yet people glorify and praise obesity on a daily basis? How is that right? I’m sure most of you are familiar with Tess Holliday (real name Tess Munster). Tess is a plus-size - and I use that word lightly here model. The social media world has been kissing the ground she walks on, congratulating her for being ‘so confident’ and ‘such a strong woman’. But here’s where I need to stop people. Tess Holliday is 5 ft 5 and wears a UK size 26. If that’s not unhealthy, I don’t know what is. If you have a BMI of over 30 you are considered obese. Not just overweight, obese. I did a few calculations of my own after googling what a size 26 would weigh, and with varied weights, the BMIs came out between 38.8 and 44, which makes Tess Holliday extremely obese. And people want to praise and congratulate her? So people are more than happy to make the glorification of anorexia illegal but will applaud an obese model? Am I missing something here? I understand that the people voting for this law and trying to get it passed have good intentions, and in the bigger picture are trying to stomp out a very serious illness, but I cannot agree with how they are going about it. Not everybody who suffers from anorexia nervosa is trying to look like and become a model. It is caused by a distorted view of themselves. Simply taking the illness off the catwalks and billboards of the world isn’t going to solve anything. I’m sorry to say, but “out of sight, out of mind.”
the suss
SUMMER OUTLOOK
arts
12
22 April
the suss
WELL HELLO THERE.... Ahoy ahoy! My name’s Fionnuala, and I am equally delighted and apprehensive to be at the helm of The Suss for the upcoming year as editor. Following in the footsteps of Odrán and Bryan is daunting to say the least, but with the help of Stephen and the rest of the team, we’re hoping to educate, enlighten and entertain, (had to sneak the bit o’ cheese in there). They say you can’t please everyone, but in the words of Marge Simpson, “those people are quitters!” I’m keen to make sure The Suss doesn’t alienate anyone because of their tastes. It’s important to appreciate the arts for what they are, even when something isn’t ‘your thing’. Music and pop culture is something that keeps me up at night, and ruins my life in the best possible way. Last year, I spent close to €1000 on concert tickets alone. Just as well journalism is renowned for well-paying employment opportunities ... Ahem ... Looking ahead to the summer, I’m excited to indulge in the best in television and movies, as well attending Indiependence for the second year. However, I expect the latter months crying following the release of Frank Ocean’s third record. You’re more than welcome to join me. Onwards and upwards, or something equally clichéd, Fionnuala Jones, Editor -------
Photo credits: Chai Brady, David Clarke, tumblr, flicker, universal studios, huffington post, wikimedia musictimes.com
Hello Suss fans! Let me take a little time to introduce myself - I’m Stephen Keegan and I’m privileged to be the new deputy arts editor. So who am I then? Put simply, I am an arts nerd - a huge music nerd in particular. Live music is my passion and I’m a big fan of the Irish music scene. Right now I’m frothing in anticipation for the this week’s release of Le Galaxie’s new album Le Club and their album launch shows in the Academy this Friday and Saturday. This week I take a look into the challenges facing Record Store Day and what it means for independent Irish stores. Looking deeper into these issues and what they mean for our scene is something I want to tackle as deputy editor. We here at the Suss take pride in not just bringing you information about the arts but also attempting to critically examine the arts and its relationship with us as DCU students, and Fionnuala and I are confident we can live up to the standards set by Odrán and Bryan in this regard. It’s a big challenge, but bring it on.It’s going to be a good year.
Stephen Keegan, Deputy Editor
Arts Editor:Fionnuala Jones Lifestyle Editor: Aoibheann Diver Deputy Arts Editor: Stephen Keegan
I
t’s nine pm and the smell of popcorn mingles with a frisson of excitement in The Venue’s air. A partial hush has fallen over the room, broken partially by eager viewers humming along to the theme. Some of this crowd have been here since six, enjoying the Students’ Union’s buildup to the new series of the cultural phenomenon that is Game of Thrones. We are among the reported 1.57 million viewers watching the long-awaited season opener on Sky Atlantic - one day after the show’s premiere on HBO drew an estimated eight million American viewers. Game of Thrones is also the most pirated show in the world, with episodes from seasons one to four illegally downloaded seven million times between February fifth and April sixth this year as fans old and new binged before the next episode. Indeed, the first four episodes of this season have already made their way online. So what’s the draw then? What is it about this show that makes it so popular, particularly among university students? Charlie Eababa, a DCU student who has been a fan since season one, says: “Game of Thrones gets a lot right… the
costumes, the scriptwriting, the dialogue is top-notch, the actors are great and I think being on a popular station as well in HBO… it’s a magic formula when it all comes together.” SU education officer Gary Gillick - the person behind the screening in The Venue - agrees, citing the production values that underpin the show as a major reason. But what of the levels of sex and violence the show is infamous for? “The sort of topics that are covered in it does suit our audience - not just because there’s a load of sex in it, but it does suit a more mature audience who like this fantasy world,” Gary said. Charlie agrees, saying: “The sex and violence does help, and swearing … It wouldn’t work as well without all the smut I think.” Fans around the world have spoken of getting lost in the show’s rich fantasy universe, something which Gary can attest to.
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“I’ve been a fan since my second year. I watched the first season in one go - ten hours of my life gone but, I think, well spent,” he said. With the size and scope of the show and the depth and complexity of its plotlines growing, a place the size of The Venue seems appropriate to watch all the new drama and intrigue unfold. The warm feeling of the communal experience is heightened with the knowledge that the proceeds from tonight go to the SU charities - Suicide or Survive, Cycle for Life and Irish Guide Dogs. Show writers David Beninoff and David B. Weiss have chosen to end this episode on a warm note too as a man is burnt at the stake. Valar morghulis, I guess. Welcome back, Game of Thrones. We’re all left eager for more.
the most pirated show in the world, episodes from seasons 1-4 illegally downloaded 7 million times
Stephen Keegan
22 April
arts
the suss
13
Summer’s big money movies
Tom Hardy stars as Mad Max in Fury Road
T
he film buffs sweating it out, waiting on this year’s blockbusters, don’t have to wait much longer. This Friday sees the release of Marvel’s highly anticipated Avengers: Age Of Ultron, taking this summer to an explosive start. Its box office opening earnings are set to smash the record-breaking $207m benchmark The Avengers set back in 2012. So the summer starts with a bang – but will it fizzle out? Mad Max: Fury Road is the latest of George Miller’s post apocalyptic series, with Tom Hardy taking on the role of Max Rockatansky. There’s been much anticipation for this one, as 25 years of hampered development aged Mel Gibson out of the role. Max is captured by Immortan Joe’s (played by Hugh Keays -Byrne) gang. His only hope of freedom is Furiosa (Charlize Theron), on the run
from Immortan Joe as she stole five prisoners who have been kept as objects to mother the next generation. In exchange Max will guide them from the desert. It hits Irish screens on May 15th If you’re not in the mood for something so serious, Pitch Perfect 2 is also hitting screens that day, satisfying the musical lover in you. The Pitch Perfect sequel follows The Barden Bellas again, as they enter an international competition that no American team has ever won – it’s ‘Australia in the Eurovision aggro’ all over again.. Pitch Perfect had audiences laughing all the way home in 2012 - and Universal laughing all the way to the bank, pocketing a cool $101m in worldwide box office revenues since the film’s release. They‘re set to make similar returns this time around with Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth banks and co. all on board. Jurassic World will bring cin-
ema queues to a bone-crunching halt on June 12th, as Stephen Spielberg hands over the reins of his sci-fi classic to Colin Treverrow. Spielberg was within arm’s reach of him though, in his executive producer crow’s nest. The fourth film in the series is set twenty two years after the events of the 1990 film Jurassic Park, and the park has now been operational for 10 years. But visitor rates are declining, and a new attraction is being added to combat this. Now if you’ve not seen the other Jurassic Park films and don’t know what to expect, just let that settle for a while. Now be happy because your favourite Despicable Me characters are back in their very own movie, Minions on June 26th. This one is interesting – It has a strong female character, with Sandra Bullock leading as Scarlet Overkill who hires the minions in her attempt to take over the world. This is a guaranteed ticket seller this summer, as Despic-
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able Me grossed $543m at the box office and Despicable Me 2 grossed a gargantuan $970m. Seth McFarlane’s little bundle of terror is returning in Ted 2 on July 10th. Not many are expecting this outing to be as successful as the original, which broke box office records for an R-rated film, raking in $549m worldwide. They lost Mila Kunis, and they could lose a big chunk of the audience with her, but it will still be a pilgrimage for fans of McFarlane’s Family Guy. Marvel’s second film of the
your favourite Despicable Me characters are back in their very own movie summer comes on the July 17th in the form of Ant Man. It’s being closely followed by Marvel fanatics, even if it will be dwarfed by its bigger brother Avengers.
Paul Rudd is completely out of his comfort zone as Scott Lang, a con-man that has the ability to get smaller but get stronger as he does so. He needs to drop his rogue ways to plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. Speaking of tiny men, Tom Cruise is back for the fifth instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. This time around the IMF is under threat from a group of assassins called ‘Syndicate’. Ethan Hint (Cruise) has to get his team together to prove they exist and make sure the financial overlords remain. Southpaw has a stellar cast of Jake Gyllenhall, Rachael McAdams, Naomie Harris and more. It’s also got a showstopping plot to back it up, following a boxer whose life falls apart when tragedy strikes and his daughter is taken away from him. This one has the potential to be the best film of the summer, Coming to screens July 31st.
Ryan McBride
arts
14
22 April
the suss
Is record store day dying?
T
th 8th iteration of the annual global celebration of the community ethos of independent record stores was held last Saturday. Vinyl sales are exploding worldwide - growing 223 per cent between 2013 and 2014. Charts for vinyl album and single sales have just been launched in the UK as sales are already reported to be up 70 per cent this year. Over 520 exclusive releases hit the shelves of the world’s independent record stores this Record Store Day - a huge growth from its 2008 launch catalogue of 10 releases. On the face of things, all looks rosy. Yet murmurs of discontent are bubbling. Last year saw a number of labels and stores begin to speak out. Even in 2013, Bill Daly of Crooked Beat Records in Washington DC told the Washington Post: “A lot of people wonder, ‘When is Record Store Day going to put a store out of business?’” That quote is totally at odds with the annual event’s stated ambitions. The criticism
isn’t just from store owners - labels, bands and distributors are getting in on the act too. So what’s going wrong? One problem stems from the basic infrastructure of the vinyl industry. The industry’s decline led to mass closures of pressing plants throughout the world, and the format’s sudden resurgence has left manufacturers struggling to keep up with demand, a problem that exclusive Record Store Day releases exacerbate. This is a nightmare for labels who try to put out releases as normal in the run-up to the day. Last year, the likes of Kudos Records and TriAngle Records voiced their frustrations at seeing production on their releases grind to a halt. This year UK labels Howling Owl and Sonic Cathedral teamed up to release a limited edition 7” - but not for Record Store Day. “We can’t compete so we won’t compete,” they said in a blunt statement entitled “Why Record Store Day is dying”. While stores may benefit from getting customers in the
door on the day itself, the pitfall behind the limited edition releases is that distributors do not offer them to independent shops on a “sale or return” basis - meaning that if they don’t sell, the shop is stuck with them. That’s if they can get any exclusive releases in - Cleveland store Blue Arrow have announced that they will not participate this year after their under-pressure distributor failed to ship their Record Store Day orders last year. While production and distribution bottlenecks are frustrating, the real issue is the perception that they disproportionately affect smaller independent record stores. This has led to a new conversation - does Record Store Day think that some independents are better than others? While their official website makes it clear that they don’t deal with “online retailers or corporate behemoths,” their sponsors include Sony, Universal and Warner. A common thread in small labels’ complaints is their perception that releases from major labels take precedence at pressing
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plants. Manchester label Modern Love tweeted last year: “If yr a record label and you can’t get anything pressed up for months console yourself with the thought that
That wasn’t the end of it, as The Record Spot - a small independent store on Fade Street - waded into the debate, saying: “Imagine it was International Coffee Shop Day. I view choosing to support HMV & Tower on April 19th as the equivalent of… celebrating the day by purchasing a cup of coffee in Burger King because of a 40% coffee sale or getting a cappuccino in O’Briens, because it’s ‘Irish.’” So is Record Store Day dying?
Vinyl sales are exploding worldwide growing 223 per cent in 2013/14 at least the world will have 5000 copies x Katy Perry Prism Picture Disc”. Smaller stores, such as Blue Arrow, also feel that distributors prioritise orders from larger independent stores, such as Amoeba Records in the US, Rough Trade in the UK and Tower here in Dublin. The question of independence has been asked locally lately as for the past two years HMV - owned by Hilco and therefore exempt from Record Store Day - have held a “Record Fest” on the same day. The event features bands playing in HMV stores nationwide as well as 40% discount on vinyl and was described by Tower Records last year as “cynical”.
Despite all the difficulties associated with it, once the day comes around it can feel like a real celebration. Instore performances draw big crowds and serve as a perfect promotion for the community spirit behind record stores. It’s important to remember though that a record store is not just for April. Dublin is blessed with a collection of great independent stores who do so much to support the Irish music scene, and they deserve our support all year round. Stephen Keegan
22 April
arts
the suss
Renewed: true detective
Season two of Nic Pizzolatto’s hit crime drama True Detective would hit screens in the US on June 21st and arrive to Irish shores later this year. However, it seems very little will be the same in the show’s sophomore eight-episode run. Fans may be disappointed to know that neither Matthew McConaughey’s Rust nor Woody Harrelson’s Marty will feature in the new series. Instead, the show has completely overhauled the cast, adding two new A-list leading men, Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughan. Farrell will play police detective Ray Velcoro who will spend the season unraveling the murder of a man whose body is found on
a lonely stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. Vaughan, on the other hand , will play a career criminal whose attempt to break good comes to a halt following the death of his business partner. It’s probably safe to presume these two deaths are one in the same. A third new addition to the cast comes in the way of Rachel McAdams of Mean Girls fame. She will play a tough and troubled local sheriff who, when she’s not fighting crime, is battling a nasty gambling and alcohol addiction. As this is looking to be McAdams’ most high profile role in years, you might wonder if she is hoping it will help to spark the career renaissance it did for Matthew McConaughey.
And of course, we cannot forget the most important of all new characters – sunny California! Gone will be the long shots of vast desert landscapes that were seen in Louisiana. Pizzolatto confirmed the move to the west coast and revealed much of the season will take place in Los Angeles, which leads us to believe there will be more of a Hollywood influence on the upcoming storylines. Rust and Marty undeniably left very big shoes to fill, but thankfully it looks like the new season of True Detective has more than enough in store to keep us on the edge of our seats once more.
Gary Grimes
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Marvel’s media domination stepped up a gear when they announced a deal with Netflix to produce four new shows with the streaming service. Kicking things off for us this month is Daredevil. Matt Murdock is a blind defence attorney by day and the crime-stopping, ass-kicking Daredevil by night. - a perfect culture clash that crosses paths more than he’d expect. Set in the grimy underworld of Hell’s Kitchen in New York, Daredevil faces the wrath of the Kingpin and his cohorts, who are making crime be the chief pasttime for residents. When I first heard Charlie Cox was cast as Murdock, I was apprehensive. I could only recall his performance in the maddening Stardust, but he has made up for it - he’s both convincing and riveting as the Man Without Fear. The fight choreography in the series is as impressive as it is realistic. Instead of the typical unstoppable
Indiependece-the lowdown Basement Jaxx and Kodaline joined the headline acts for the Indiependence Music and Arts festival taking place from July 31 to August 2nd in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. They bolster an Indiependence line-up that sees widely recognised bands of Ash, Dandy Warhols, Mark Lanegan and great live Irish
acts like Jape and HamsandwicH headlining. Jaxx come here after playing the last week’s Trinity Ball, but only after they go as far as Korea and Finland first, and Kodaline visit Cork after a long American tour plugging their latest album Coming Up For Air. The Mitchelstown event has seen some big acts play
Reviewed: daredevil
it in the past including Public Enemy, 2manydjs and man of the moment, Hozier. The other acts are nothing to be sniffed at either, including Embrace, coming here after wrapping up their summer’s U.S. tour, Foy Vance (Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour support act), Bray three piece Wyvern Lingo, and Donegal duo Little Hours.
superhuman, Murdock’s a guy who gets the crap kicked out of him. I winced at some of the injuries he got. A particular scene in the second episode is as good a fight scene as you’d get in any martial arts epic. A surprising highlight of the show is
Vincent D’Onofrio’s turn as crime boss Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. He lends a subtlety to this massive character that completely brings him to life and actually makes you feel sorry for him in places. He’s vicious and complex. His own spin-off would be an intriguing venture, should Marvel pursue it. The release of all
Previous Indie favourites are returning too, including ORB and All Tvvins. On the arts side of things this year’s Spoken Word Stage will be favourable to everyone who follows punk poetry; Dublin’s Wasps Vs Humans is presenting, and Dundalk’s Jinx Lennon will be there too. Not to mention some acts from overseas such as Manchester author and poet, Mike Garry. There will be debating, with Irish Times music journalist, Tony Clayton Lea as part of the monthly Culture Vultures series. Cork’s local talent will be showcased too as with previous years, with bands like Elastic Sleep, The Vincent(s), and Mindriot lined
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the season’s episodes at once really makes Daredevil feel like a 13hour movie rather than an episodic serial. The episodes don’t stand well singularly, but as a complete volume, they’re fantastic, if slightly drawn out. This series is a prime example of Marvel’s audaciousness and deep pockets. A lesser character, is given the platform to show a wider audience what they’re made of. It’s dark, brooding, intense, and it pays off. Daredevil sets off the brigade of AKA Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist all coming to Netflix. With Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter making waves in the States, and the possibility of Avengers: Age of Ultron grossing near $2 billion this summer, Marvel’s plans are paying off for the company and for the fans. Daredevil available on Netflix now.
Kevin Kelly
up to play, with more to be announced. You can glamp in the event’s boutique ‘Podpad Camping’ facility, which is at a 10% discount until the end of April, and in the beautiful setting at the foothills of the Galtee Mountains it’s something to make the most of. Early bird tickets sold out fast for the annual Mitchelstown event, but it’s not too late to buy tickets this year; weekend camping tickets for INDIE15 are now on sale for €109 and are available from the festival website www.indiependencefestival. com and tickets.ie. Ryan McBride
Previous indie favourites O.R.B and All Tvvins return
lifestyle
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22 April
the suss
Essential gadgets for summer The days are warming up, the sky is blue again, and there’s a grand stretch in the evenings. Summer is upon us, and it’s time to get out of the house. But before you get away to the beach, here’s a list of some of the top pieces of tech you should have with you when enjoying the summer.
biggest summer activities, right up there with sunbathing and jumping into canals. Books have become cumbersome, and you can’t see your tablet’s screen in sunlight, so the default choice is the Kindle. Amazon has made great strides in the Kindle’s hardware since it first launched. It’s now the near-perfect reading experience. The Kindle Paperwhite is so near to actually reading off paper that you won’t feel a whole lot of difference, except in weight.
• Bluetooth speaker –
You’re at the beach, sitting on the sand in the blistering sun. A few tunes would be nice. A good, solid Bluetooth speaker is what you need. The Jawbone Jambox has been the leader in this category for a while now, but the new Mini Jambox is the perfect choice for those looking for a great speaker to grab and go.
• Action camera – By
“action camera”, I of course mean GoPro. It’s the default choice when you’re looking for a rugged little camera that can dive into water and fly through the air with you. Whether you use it with a selfie stick or not, that’s up to you, I’ll reserve judgement. The entry level Hero is a perfect choice for the camera to capture the coolest parts of your summer.
• Battery charger –
Every gadget these days loves sucking as much power as it can, so it’s always good to have a backup with you. Out camping or gone away for a few days, you’ll want to keep your phone charged. The Mophie Powerstation Pro is a rugged little battery that’ll keep your phones and tablets powered up for a while longer.
• Fitness tracker – The
next revolution in personal technology will be in health and fitness, and it’s already started. Every major company seems to be coming out
Kevin Kelly
with fancy smartwatches that can do it, but the dedicated device is still probably the best choice. The best of those choices is Fitbit, who seem to be making fitness devices since time imme-
morial. The Fitbit Flex will gather all the fitness info you want, and actually look cool doing it.
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• E-book reader – Reading seems to be one of the
Man talk: goodbye my lover So you have just broken up with what was clearly not the love of your life. What next? What’s the easiest way to move onwards, and possibly upwards? Moving on can actually be really hard, depending on how attached you were to the person and the reason you broke up. It’s around now that you’ll be second guessing dumping your old partner, new ex. Did you really make the right decision? Before you go running back to them, remember there was a reason you broke up. Only a proper fool makes the same mistake twice.
What’s the not-crazy method of moving on from a break up? On a scale of deleting them on every social media you have and talking about them behind their back, to stalking their every move, in a Police “Every
Step You Take” manner, try to play it cool somewhere in the middle. Sure you might not want to talk to them anymore but deleting them on social media is petty and can make you look like a psycho. No one wants to look crazy,
sitting on the sand in the sun. A few tunes would be nice right? Just because you didn’t delete them does make you any less crazy if you spend every waking moment looking through their Facebook, Instagram and even their LinkedIn. Moving on is about getting over the last person and you’ll never do that if you’re obsessing over them. I disagree with the saying that “the best way to get over one man is to get under another”. Loads of people become the town bike the minute their relationship ends and I just can’t agree with it. So you’ve been off the market for a while? That doesn’t mean you’re suddenly back and at a reduced price. Sure it might rub a little salt in
the wound for whoever you broke up with, but it won’t make you feel any better. That was actually me talking from experience. How would I move on? I’d take a few me days, where I’d wallow in despair and listen to all the Snow Patrol and old Coldplay that I can get my hands on and then, on the third day, I’d roll away the stone and emerge into the real world that didn’t even notice I had a girlfriend, never mind that I just broke up with someone. And when I’ve finally mustered up the strength, I’d shift my ex’s friend to finally gain closure. Doesn’t work for everyone but you’ll find your own way of moving on. Chris Kennedy
22 April
lifestyle
the suss
Shore over it
U
nless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, and maybe even if you have, I’m sure you’ve heard all about the dramatic Geordie Shore girls’ transformations. From Bacardis to bikinis and fry-ups to warm-ups, these Geordie Shore beau-
res are taking the world by storm. But to be honest, we should just get over it. With a weight-loss of a whopping 10 stone between them, we can only question if they’re perhaps taking it just a bit too far. Not a day goes by when you won’t see an Instagram
post or a Tweet bragging about what new exercise routines they’ve been up to or the new diet you’ve just got to try. It’s boring and not really that motivational. It actually makes me want to go out and eat a McDonalds meal in a rage.
17 I’m not saying I’m not jealous, because I most certainly am. But I’m over it. We get it, they’ve turned their lives around and become the healthy, fit goddesses we all dream of being. At the end of the day, that’s not what I tuned into Geordie Shore to see. I tuned in for the madness, the fun and most importantly, the girls’ don’t-give-a-damn attitude. I didn’t ask for lessons in healthy eating or the importance of regular exercise. With each Geordie girl getting skinnier by the day, it’s sort of gone past the point of motivation. Vicky Pattison’s breast enlargement was what drew the line for me. Why bother dream of a body that’s realistically unachievable anyway? Nobody is perfect and I love the Geordie Shore girls, I really do, but I simply and genuinely am over it. Instagram is full of peaking hip bones and washboard stomachs and that just isn’t entertainment. Hey, it was exciting while it lasted but now it has just gone too far. Who knows how long it will last for? But for now, I’m over it. Aoife Marnell
The travel make-up bag A s much as we would love to be able to bring our whole makeup kits with us when we travel, weight and space restrictions mean that it’s just not practical. Whether you’re travelling to San Fran on a J1 or hopping across the pond to London, this streamlined travel makeup bag will make sure you have everything you need, and there’ll still be enough room to squeeze in a few comforts from home too. Bobbi Brown BB Cream – If you’re travelling you won’t want to spend ages doing your makeup in the morning. This BB cream has SPF 35 in it, so it saves you the step of applying sunscreen. Urban Decay Naked Palette – This palette has 12 matte and shimmer shades, giving you hundreds of combinations for makeup looks. Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette – Palettes are the best way to take everything you need with you. This one packs in a blush, highlight and bronzer – that’s your Kim K face sorted.
Festival fashion Let’s face it, over the past few years, music festivals have become less about the music and more about the attire of those attending. And given the fact that our Instagram feeds have been flooded with the style from Coachella over the past fortnight, we can’t help but start planning what we will be packing for upcoming festivals this summer. So whether your festival of choice is in the Californian desert, or a muddy field in Co. Laois, here are some fashion essentials that will ensure you look boho chic.
Playsuits:
Festival-goers are always faced with the constant battle between being comfortable and being on trend, and when you’re camping for three days, it is extremely difficult to strike a balance between the two. But playsuits make the task a bit easier, as not only are they one of the most comfortable items of clothing, they’re also super feminine and pretty. When the evenings get cold, throw a short leather jacket on over it to add a bit of edge to the look.
Floppy Hats:
Ladies, it’s time to step away from the flower crowns, as wide-brimmed, floppy hats are set to take over as the most popular headwear this festival season. This accessory was seen on everyone at Coachella, from model Alessandra Ambrosio to actress Sarah Hyland, and is an ideal way to inject the revived Seventies look into your festival wardrobe.
Fringing:
Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara – ie. false lashes in a tube. It gives length, volume and thickness all in one. Plus, because it’s waterproof it doesn’t budge. Anastasia Brow Wiz – This pencil is thinner than your baby finger, but can create eyebrows that Cara D would be jealous of. Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in 101 – A budget-friendly nude lipstick that
looks as good during the day as it does at night. MAC Ruby Woo lipstick – It’s the most famous red in the business, and an absolute essential if you want to change up your makeup look or outfit. Real Techniques brushes – They’re better than MAC brushes, and only cost a fraction of the price. Pick a few to cover everything you need, and swap them around to multi-task.
Garnier Micellar Water – It’s the cleanser that made taking your makeup off easy. A few swipes and every trace is gone. Who knew that less than 10 products would be everything you need in your travel makeup bag? Make sure you wrap the palettes in cotton wool and bubble wrap to prevent breakages, and you’re good to go. Amy Mulvaney
We thought this trend was dead and gone, but fringing has made a chic return this year, and fits in perfectly with the carefree style seen at festivals. However, overloading on fringing could steer you into cowgirl territory, so only wear one piece at a time for a more subtle approach. Try wearing fringing on a waistcoat, handbag, or denim cutoffs for a cute rodeo look. Lisa O’Donnell
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Aero & biscuit tray bake
If you love Mint Aero and feeling very gulty, you will love this recipe. These bars are so tasty but should definitely only be eaten about once a year. Anyone can make these bars because there are very few ingredients and there is no actual baking involved. But patience is required when making these, as you do have to wait for the bars to cool and harden in the fridge. This recipe makes quite a few bars so make sure you have some friends around to help you eat them. Ingredients: • 1 tin of condensed milk • 5 ozs margarine • 3 Mint Aero bars • 1 packet of digestive biscuits • 1 bar of cooking chocolate Method: • Place the milk, margarine and Aero bars in a saucepan and melt together. • Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and beat them with a rolling pin until they arte crushed into small pieces (but not crumbs). • Add the crushed biscuits to the pan and mix together. • Spread the mixture out onto a flat tray. • Melt the cooking chocolate and pour over the top of the mixture. • Allow to cool before placing in the fridge for a few hours until it sets. • Cut into small bars and enjoy.
Aoibheann Diver
22 April
the suss
Go west and wander
T
hat grand stretch in the evening is stretching ever grander and with it, our thoughts turn to summer. Summer as we all know, is the perfect time for adventure and adventure is exactly what we live for. The seemingly endless months of freedom can leave the restless student feeling bored. So how best can we fill this time? On a budget you say? But not a J1 you say? Well let me tell you about a little place in a land far to the West. Gaillimh it is called; in the old tongues this means “stony” as in “stony river”. Today it is known as Galway. Stretching from borders with Offaly and Roscommon to the wild shimmering Atlantic Ocean, this is a county of stunning natural beauty, interesting historical locations and most importantly, fantastic craic. Why go to San Diego when Galway city has some of the best nightlife in Ireland? From charming pubs in the Latin Quarter filled with jigs and reels to the hopping nightclubs like Carbon off Eyre Square it doesn’t matter what your scene is you’ll find somewhere to suit your tastes. Galway city itself is as enticing as an icy glass of coke on a hot day. Due to NUIG being situated just outside the city, it plays host to a large student population during the year. It’s worth mentioning that because it isn’t Dublin, the cost of living (rent, food etc) and the price of a pint are quite a bit cheaper. Despite its ancient origins, the city will always leave you feeling young again. That’s just part of its magic. Even if you feel like you don’t belong in the heart of this vibrant city, a short walk will lead on the the famous Salthill promenade. Here B&B’s, gorgeous coastline and €1.50 ice cream
cones abound. For the swimmers among you, Salthill has some of the most magnificent beaches
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Galway city itself is as enticing as an icy glass of coke on a hot day in the country. To top it off, the famous Blackrock diving board offers different levels to plungle down into the salty depths. A word of advice from someone who
injured his ankle, make sure the tide is in before jumping. Those waves will not soften your landing! If you prefer to stay out of the water entirely, there’s plenty to do off the beach as well. Salthill boasts its own aquarium, carnival with miniature railway and a plethora of pubs and cafés. Further West lies the unparalleled Connemara. Its bleak, baron nature disguises a tranquillity not seen anywhere else in the world. The brown and green countryside flows high up to
Eyre Square, Galway towering peaks that reach for the clouds as if attempting to pull the sky down. From the coast you’ll notice the famous Arann Islands. Consisting of Inis Mór, Inis Meain and Inis Oírr, these tourist hotspots are as well known for their history as well as their uniquely enchanting landscape. All this and more is just a few hours away by train, car or bus. Irish Rail might be a bit dear but they’re still cheaper than American Airlines. Murphy Glen
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
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Feabhas foirfe ar featuring X
Gaeilge
FOCLÓIR An bhísiúil= very successful
Aíne Marie Monk Eagarthóir Gaeilge @ainemonk
BHÍ bliain an-bhisiúil ag an banna ceoil lán-cailíní ‘Featuring X.’ Bhí mé i dteagmháil leo anuraidh roimh seoladh an fhíseáin ‘Wild Love’ i mí Meitheamh. Tá cuid de na ceoltóirí sa bhanna mar mhic léinn in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath agus iad sa chéad bhliain faoi láthair. Dara, Eleanor,Jenny Niamh agus Sarah is ainm dóibh agus is as Droichead Átha iad go léir. Bhí an ghrúpa roghnaithe ag Guinness chun páirt a ghlacadh in ‘Guinness Amplify’, scéim nua fógraíochta bunaithe ag an gcomhlacht do cheoltóirí timpeall na tíre. Roghnaíodh iad ó 800 ceoltóirí Éireannacha eile agus léirigh an cúigear timpeall bailte i gcúige Laighean. Featuring X a bhí mar acht cúnta don bhanna cheol as Cabhán ‘The Strypes’ san amharclann T.L.T i nDroichead Átha, sa halla i gCabhán, in The Acadamy sa chathair agus i mBéal Feirste, Cill Cheannaigh, Gaillimh, Doire, Dún na nGall agus Sligeach. Bhí siad mar acht cúnta don bhanna ceoil Sualainnise ‘Thundermother’ i rith mí na Samhna in Spirit Store, Dún Dealgan. Bunaíodh an banna ceoil sa
bhliain 2013 nuair a bhí na cailíní sé bhliain déag d’aois. Ghlac siad páirt sa chomórtas tallainne ‘School Stars’ i nDroichead Átha agusd’éirigh leo fáil chomh fada leis an mbabhta cheannais. Sheol siad a gcéad E.P. in 2013 agus ansin thosaigh siad ag cruthú a leagan féin den amhrán ‘Wild Love’ a chan Rea Garvey. Sheoladh an físeán ceoil ‘Wild Love’ anuraidh in ómós
friúil le feiceáil sa chlár faisnéise. Deir amhránaí an bhanna, Niamh Sharkey :“Launching ourselves at a young age and with a variety of influences; we feel it has taken us so long to find a style that suits us. We have been endlessly writing new tunes and find it’s getting easier to write as we get older and experience life.” Seoltar amhrán nua ‘More
babhta cheannais = final round In ómos= in homage to
Tá cuid de na cheoltóirí sa bhanna mar mhic léinn Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath agus iad sa chéad bhliain faoi láthair. Dara, Eleanor,Jenny Niamh agus Sarah is ainm dóibh agus is as Droichead Átha iad go léir. don amhrán ‘Addicted to Love’ a bhí léirithe ag Robert Palmer. Beidh an cúigear le feiceáil i gclár faisnéise i rith mí Meitheamh i mbliana. Bunaithe ar Featuring X, feictear cleachtaidh, cruinnithe, ceolchoirmeacha, dreas fótagrafaíochta agus fís á thaifead. Inseofar níos mó don lucht féachana faoi na cailíní cáiliúla i rith an chlár. Chomh maith leis sin, inseoidh siad an chúis nach ghlac siad le comhaontú le lipéad ceoil sna Ríocht Aontaithe le déanaí. Dar leis na cailíní ceolmhara, beidh cuma nua di-
than you Can Chew’ ar an 16 Aibreáin i mbliana agus é ar fáil ar iTunes:“We have a lot of new material to release this year. More Than You Can Chew represents our fresh sound and feel this song holds the new vibe we’re going for. We plan to release two EP’s this year, and excited to hear the feedback!” Is féidir na cailíní a cloisint beo ag Vantastival i Dún Dealgan ón 1ú-3ú Bealtaine agus beidh seó acu in Whelan’s i mBaile Átha Cliath ar an 28ú Bealtaine chomh maith.
Lá Feasachta na Gaeilge
Griangraif: Aaron McCourt
Is féidir coimeád suas leis an gcúigear ar Facebook, Twitter, YouTube agus SoundCloud. mar chuid ríthábhachtach dóibh agus iad ag iarraidh stát neamhspléach a chruthú.
Beidh le feiceáil ach in aineoinn láithreacht nó easpa na Gaeilge cinnte go mbeidh ‘Éire 2016’ ina chéiliúradh ollmhór.
FOCLÓIR Feasachta = Awareness
Rachel Wallace Brady Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview
BHÍ Lá Feasachta na Gaeilge ar siúl Déardaoin seo chaite (9 Aibreán) in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Ghlac roinnt eagraíochtaí páirt san ócáid eagraithe ag An Cumann Gaelach. An aidhm a bhí leis ná deis a thabhairt do mhic léinn agus baill foirne eolas a fháil faoin Ghaeilge san ollscoil agus taobh amuigh. Raidió na Life a chuir ceol íontach ar siúil agus iad ag labhairt leis na mic léinn áirithe. Lá iontach a bhí ann cé gur fhreastal roinnt daoine ar an imeacht chun eolas a fháil agus taithneamh a baint as na himeachtaí a bhí ann. Chuamar i dteagmháil le Cumann Gaelach DCU agus duirt siad go raibh: “an-rath ar an Lá Feasachta mar gur léirigh cuid mhór mac léinn agus ball den fhoireann suim san eolas a bhí muid ag cur ar fáil. Tháinig cuid mhór daoine anall chugainn ag cuardach tuilleadh eaolais agus ag iarraidh deis cainte agus ba iontacah an rud é.” Dúirt Leas-Chathaoirleach an chumainn, Caoimhe Ní Chathail go raibh “ suim
Misneach= Encourage Féidirtheacht= possibility
Judy-Meg Ní Chinnéide, Joyce Ní Chionnaith agus T-Rex ó Saurus ag Lá Feasachta na Gaeilge Griangraif: Megan Roantree
mhór ag na daoine in úsáid agus i bhforbairt na Gaeilge agus thug sé sin misneach croí dúinne sa Chumann Gaelach.” Chuireamar an cheist faoin fhéidearthacht go mbeadh Lá Feasachta na Gaeilge ar siúl an bhliain seo chugainn: “bhí muid iontach sásta ar fad le himeacht na bliana seo agus tá muid ag súil é a reachtáil achan bliain anois, i gcónaí ag cur feabhas air.” Míle buíochas do achan duine a tháinig chuig an Lá Feasachta. Go háirithe Fiontar, Gaelscoileanna, Raidió na Life, Conradh na Gaeilge, DCU Language Services, Oifig na Gaeilge DCU agus T-Rex / Gaelgory. Tá muid ag súil go mór leis an bhliain seo chugainn! Muna raibh tú i láthair agus agus bíonn suim agat i nGaeilge téigh go dtí na suíomhanna seo chun eolas a fháíl. • Fiontar www.dcu.ie/fion
tar/gaeilge/ • Gaelscoileanna gaelscoileanna.ie
www.
• Raidió na Life www.raidionalife.ie • Conradh na Gaeilge www. cnag.ie • DCU Language Services www.dculs.dcu.ie
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
Gaeilge
Ceoldráma Choláiste Phádraig Aíne Marie Monk Eagarthóir Gaeilge @ainemonk
BEIDH ceol ABBA le cloisteáil timpeall Coláiste Phádraig an tseachtain seo, le ceoltóirí agus aisteoirí ag canadh faoi bhrionglóidí, cuimhní agus Dancing Queens. Tá ‘Mamma Mia’ á léiriú ag mic léinn Choláiste Phádraig an tseachtain seo, in ionad pleananna ceachta, amhráin oideachasúla agus cómhrá faoi chleachtadh múinteoireachta. Tar éis ‘Sarah White and the Seven B’ED’s’ a chur ar siúl, tá Pat’s Drama Soc chun an seó iontach ‘Here We Go Again’ a léiriú. Bunaithe ar cheoldráma bisiúil ‘Mamma Mia’, beidh neart amhránaíochta agus damhsa le feiceáil. D’oibrigh léirtheoir an seó, Brandon Cogley, agus stiúrthóir an seó, Stephen Rixon, go dian an seimeastar seo chun an seó a chur le chéile go foirfe. Is í Lauryn Gaffney an striúrthóir ceoil don seó agus í tar éis ceoldráma nua ‘Big Shot’ a scríobh. Is iad Zoe Hayden agus Katie Halligan na cóiréagrafaithe a chruthaigh na damhsaí do na haisteoirí ar fad. Foireann aisteoirí de 50 atá páirteach ann agus iad go léir mar mhic léinn san ollscoil. Is iad Fiona Hiney agus Ailis Meade na príomhaisteoirí sa seó agus iad ag glacadh páir-
Griangraif: www.facebook.com/hybridawardsdcu
Catagóir nua do na Hybrids! Cáit Ní Cheallacháin Leas-Eagarthóir @caitsmyname Bʼfhearr liomsa a bheith i mo shuí i mo sheomra féin ná a bheith ag troid le daoine eile sna siopaí chun an mhéid cheart a fháil sna díolacháin Credit: Huffpost.com
I mbliana, bhí an t-ádh orainn in
teanna Donna agus Sophie. Suite sa Ghréig, tá Sophie ag eagrú a pósadh. Sheol sí amach na cuirí ar fad, ach ní raibh sí cinnte cé a mbeadh ag siúl léi suas pasáiste an tséipéil ar an lá. An é
Bill nó Harry nó Sam a hathair?! Léirithe in amharclann Choláiste Phádraig ar an 20 agus 21 d’Aibreán agus le costas íseal ar na ticéidí (6!) ní féidir an deis seo a thapú!
MPS, catagóir nua a chur isteach i measc na duaiseanna go léir atá ar fáil ag Gradaim na Hybrids ‘Iriseoir na Bliana’. De bharr go raibh neart oibre déanta ag MPS agus an Cumann Gaelach le chéile, thosaigh siad ag smaoineamh faoin chatagóir nua seo. Chuir an Cumann roinnt mhaith oibre isteach chun dul chun cinn a dhéanamh ar an ngradam seo chun a chinntiú go mbeadh daoine ag iarraidh é a bhuachan agus chomh maith le sin go mbeadh na mic léinn Gaeilge ar an eolas faoi. Bhí Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill mar an moltóir don chatagóir seo. Is duine an-chumasach í agus tá sí ag obair le TG4 anois ar feadh na blianta, ó seónna i gcomhair páistí go dtí an clár ‘Rugbaí Beo’. Bhí sí sásta a bheith i láthair ag na Hybrids agus b’iontach an onóir é chomh maith. Fuair sí go leir iontrálaithe agus
dhuine ar bith? Ní raibh … Chaith mé lá iontach in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath agus mé ag bualadh le daoine nua. Fríd bhaillríocht a thógáil in MPS, bhuail mé le daoine nua go minic. Ghlac mé páirt in roinnt imeachtaí an chumainn i mbliana: Craoladh 24 uair. Bhí MPS ag iarradh cabhair ó gach duine ag tús na bliana don chraoladh . An aidhm a bhí leis ná €4,000 a thiomsú do charthanais. Thug mé faoi deara gur rud an-difriúil a bhí ann, i gcodarsnacht
leis na himeachtaí scoile. Bhí suim ag gach duine a bheith ann! D’oibrigh an foireann go dian ar eagarthóireacht agus iad ag taifead agus ag craoladh ar feadh 24 uair.Ócáid iontach rathúil a bhí ann agus gach duine ag obair le chéile, cosúil le clann. Ag deireadh an lae, bhí craic den scoth agam (agus muid ag Aifreann ag 6i.n. leis an tAthair Jones…)agus mise mar pháirt den chraoladh don chéad uair. Prág I rith laethanta saoire na Nol-
lag chuamar (MPS arís…) go Prág, i bPoblacht na Seice. Thugamar cuairt ar stáisiún raidió, ar Karlovy Lazne agus ar Iarsmalann Gearrthóga Bheóchána de chuid Karel Zeman – ina rinneamar ár scannáin féin! Ní féidir a shéanadh go mbíonn sé i bhfad níos éasca éirí as do leaba go luath ar maidin tar éis damhsa sna clubanna oíche an oíche roimhe agus tú ar do laethanta saoire thar lear. DCUfm agus DCUtv D’fhreastal mé ar cheardlanna a bhí curtha ar fáil ag MPS.
Léirithe in amharclann Choláiste Phádraig ar an 30 agus 21 d’Aibreán Griangraif: St. Pat’s Drama Soc
bhí a lán mic léinn ag iarraidh a bheith ar ann gearrliosta. Barra O’Scannláin, Caoimhe Ní Chathail, Áine Marie Monk agus Cáit Ní Cheallacháin a bhí ar an ngearrliosta ag an deireadh. Bhuaigh Barra O’Scannláin é agus bhí sé tuilte go maith aige. Bhí an t-ádh ar an gcoláiste agus gach duine a bhí i gcomórtas ann a bheith i measc daoine atá chomh rathúil sna meáin. Mar cheann de heagarthóirí na hócáide, sílim go gcuireadh neart oibre isteach chun an duais seo a chur ar fáil agus tá súil agam go leanfaidh sé ar aghaidh ag fás gach uile bhliain. Le Cumann Gaelach ag buachaint ‘Most Improved Society’, agus an tacaíocht atá ar fáil do na Gaeilgeoirí , níl aon dabht go mbeidh bliain iontach againn an bhliain seo chugainn maidir leis an Ghaeilge.
Cuimhní na Céad Bliana Tomás Dubhglas Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview
“EOCHAIR
feasa foghlaim,” a deirtear agus sin a bhí ar intinn agam agus mé tar éis cúrsa cumarsáide a roghnú. Bhí orm dul go háit nach raibh aon aithne agam air, seachas dom seó nó dó a fheiceáil sa Helix. Bhí sceitimíní agus eagla an domhain orm agus mé ag siúil isteach don chéad uair. An raibh aithne agam ar
Griangraif: www.facebook.com/dcumps
‘Release The Hounds’ an t-ainm a bhí ar seó raidió a chuireamar le chéile (mic léinn CS agus MMA). Bainim an-sult as an nuacht a léamh ar DCUfm chuile lá agus mé ag iarraidh feabhas a chur ar mo scileanna cumarsáide. Bhí deis agam a bheith ag caint le Adrian Kennedy (98fm) ar son Nuacht DCUtv chomh maith, nach iontach an rud é MPS! “Eochair feasa foghlaim,” istigh agus taobh amuigh den seomra ranga!
Yes Equality: A
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
21
Features
final plea
Megan Roantree Features Editor @MeganRoantree
WHEN growing up in my happy loving family, I was surrounded by family related by blood and family related by friendship. My parents’ close friends are all amazing people, I grew up with creative, intelligent and
As the referendum looms closer, we must consider the impact a no vote would have on the Irish population. uncle. Kevin, a wonderful, sweet man, was lucky enough to find an equally sweet man who loved him back and so naturally they got married, or as married as the country would allow them. The
criminal to me, therefore, that there are people in Ireland who have an issue with this scenario. Plainly and simply, two great people fell in love and got married. Or at least that would
other have a different name for their partnership just because they are the same gender? I asked Kevin what his final plea for a yes vote would be “I pay tax just like any other Irish
To think that our children will not be subjected to, nor partaking in the prejudice that many faced before them is truly heartwarming. However, while this is the majority, there are still people who cannot make sense of why two people who are in love would have the right to get married.
inspiring people around me. Some of those wonderful people happened to also be gay. This to me, meant the same at aged three as it does to me now as a 20 year old. All it means to me, is its dictionary definition “An example of gay is a man who is attracted to other men.” I never had to learn what being gay or lesbian meant as I grew up knowing. And this is my hope for the future. In August 2012 I was blessed enough to attend the wedding of someone I would consider an
DCU raises the equality flag outside the Hub Credit: Megan Roantree
celebration they had to mark the occasion was as good, if not far better that any straight wedding I had been to. The venue was gorgeous, the guests were great craic,and Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan sang beautifully. Everyone was emotional and overwhelmed by the love that these two shared. This was the perfect wedding. It seems
be the story had they been a straight couple. Instead the two entered into a civil partnership. While the cynics among us might ask “if they can get a civil partnership why do they need to get married” the allies among us stand up and say that there is a reason it is called the marriage equality referendum. Why should people who love each
citizen,” he said “I have a mortgage, just like any other Irish citizen. I shop in, Tesco, Aldi, Dunnes, Supervalue and Lidl just like any other citizen. I love my partner and yet I am not like any other citizen in this country because I cannot marry the person I love. I am the same as you, but with conditions, and that is not equal.”
DCU, thankfully, has been a great place to be coming up to the referendum, with 93 per cent of students supporting marriage equality. We are thankfully living in a generation where the vast majority of students want equal rights. To think that our generchildren will not be subjected to, nor partaking in the prejudice that many faced before them is truly heart-warming. However, while this is the majority, there are still people who cannot make sense of why two people who are in love would have the right to get married. I asked DCU students what they would say to anyone who still isn’t sure. While some answers were as simple as “Love is love and people are people and that’s all that matters” and “It’s for our future generation” another said “This may not be affecting you directly but this could affect your friends and family. Your argument may be that you don’t know anyone gay, but you might just not know that they are gay yet.” As a straight woman, in a wonderful relationship, I can only imagine the pain and frustration inequality must cause the LGBT community. As grateful as I am that the referendum is nearly upon us, my frustration lies with the idea of a referendum in the first place. If a straight man and a straight woman who are in love decide to get married one of their biggest issues is who to invite. Imagine however, before they could even consider inviting guests, choosing a venue, or finding a dress, a man and a woman who are in love, must ask the population of Ireland if they think it’s okay first. This is what gay and lesbian people all over Ireland must do before they can get married. As ridiculous and upsetting as this actually sounds, the wrong result would be a thousand times worse. The population of Ireland do not know how well an individual couple works or how much they love each other regardless of whether they are gay or straight. Imagine denying a group of human beings a human right, this is essentially what a no vote would mean.
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
Features
Jane Goodall inspires me Paul Dwyer Contributor @thecollegeview
MANY people go their entire
lifetime without ever discovering their true vocation in life; but Jane Goodall did. In 1960, young Jane Goodall, who had no scientific credentials or even a college degree, was chosen by anthropologist, Louis Leaky to go on an expedition in Africa to observe and record the behaviour of chimpanzees. Despite having no background knowledge in the field of primate behaviour she agreed to undertake the study proposed by Leaky mainly because she had a profound love for animals and she saw this as an opportunity to travel. Goodall spent over two years trying to establish a non-threatening presence in a troupe of monkeys and eventually succeeded, by befriending an elderly chimp she affectionately named “David Greybeard”. Some of her observations included similarities between both humans and primates in their illustrations of intelligence, emotions and in their social relationships. However her most important
An ode to one of zoology’s greatest: Paul Dwyer reflects on the life and work of the insipirational Jane Goodall. behavioural discovery, observed and recorded during her time in the jungles of Tanzania, rattled the previously accepted wisdoms of physical anthropology. Her major discoveries were that chimps ate meat, though they were once thought to be strict herbivores, and that they both made and used tools. These discoveries narrowed the gap of intelligence between Humans and Primates. From her discoveries Goodall has published numerous articles and several major books. She became known and respected in the scientific field and was one of only eight people to ever receive a PhD in Cambridge University without having first acquired an undergraduate degree. In 1977, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute which continues the research to this day that she began nearly 55 years ago in 1960. Goodall became a staunch animal rights activist, travelling nearly 300 days a year, strongly advocating for the preservation of chimpanzees and their environment. She actively works
Credit: Google Images
with businesses and local governments to promote ecological responsibility and her efforts on behalf of captive chimpanzees have taken her around the world on a number of lecture tours.
Goodall is also the former president of Advocates for Animals and has founded sanctuaries for chimps who were freed from captivity, many orphaned by the bush-meat trade.
She has received many tributes, honours, and awards from local governments, schools, institutions, and charities around the world In recognition of her achievements, the National Geographic Society Centennial Award in 1988 and more recently, she was named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations in 2002. More than fifty years ago Louis Leaky sent Goodall to study chimpanzees to see if their behaviour could provide an insight on human ancestry. Jane decided to ignore that idea and choose to study chimps for their own sake. From this she has created vast opportunities and institutions that have been of great significance in the field of science, as well as a selfless dedication and extraordinary personal example that has drawn many men and women into both science and conservation; and due to her awe inspiring life the name Jane Goodall will be forever synonymous with selflessness, endeavour and dedication.
The transplant twins
Jordan Kavanagh Contributor @thecollegeview
Less than a month. It seems like a very short time, but when you have had 26 years of waiting, it would be endless to you too. Average people don’t have much experience with this list, however for this family, they have had double the amount. 26 years each, of dreaming it, wishing for it and working towards it. Now finally it is a reality, because as of February, the McElhinney twins have both received successful lung transplants. Amy and Jill McElhinney were born with cystic fibrosis, a disease which creates a build-up of mucus in the lungs. There is no cure for this genetic disease. The treatment is a lifelong mixture of medication, physiotherapy and IV’s, with the hopes of one day being put on the transplant list.
Jordan Kavanagh speaks to the fortunate twins who have finally had successful lung transplants after waiting 26 years. That hope became a reality, not once, but twice for the McElhinnney family, making them the first twins in Ireland to have successful lung transplants. Finally they can both say full sentences without gasping for air or coughing uncontrollably. The twins both tell me, it’s a cliché, but it really is the simple things, that people wouldn’t even think about, like “being able to go upstairs without an oxygen mask,” according to Amy. Jill says, “having a shower without being breathless, and going places without the need for a wheelchair.” Having just recently gotten home from the hospital, Amy is in the very early stages of recovery. She went out for a walk today, it wasn’t far but she must start back immediately in order
Less than a month. It seems like a very short time, but when you have had 26 years of waiting, it would be to get fit, and her lungs working to full function. She is on a course of steroids, to help her be stronger and better. “Her sternum is still soft,” Jill, the older twin, says to me. Having gotten her own transplant surgery in September 2013, she knows all too well of the recovery
road Amy faces. “I’ve had a year and a half to adapt and change, where Amy is still new to it all.” Knowing well, that with more and more done each day, Amy’s life will improve immensely. Nine months post operation, Jill completed the Women’s Mini Marathon and then at 11 months
she climbed Croagh Patrick in celebration of her new lungs. When speaking about their nine hour surgery, they use their doctor’s first name and it is clear that they have built a close relationship with her, as the same doctor, Karen Redmond, performed the surgery on both girls. No longer is there a buzz or a hum off an oxygen machine running constantly through the day and night. Their house is free from wires and tubes. For the first time in years, all members of the family are breathing air independently into their own lungs.
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
23
The Great Debate
Features
“Social media is ruining our lives”
Does Facebook make us more anti-social or create opportunities? Leandro Pondoc Contribtor @thecollegeview AGREE
FIRST, a surrender to a salient
point: yes, social media has transformed the way people communicate with each other at home and across the world. There is no denying that the cultural and technological revolutions brought forward by the internet and those who have capitalized on it are not good things. Only a complete philistine would argue that change is inherently negative. But there is that negative. And it’s not hard to see the upheaval brought forward to a person on an individual scale. It starts with Mark Zuckerberg’s posited idea of everyone in the world living on the internet. What you do, who you are, your likes and dislikes, wants and needs, hobbies and interest, your photos, your memories, all living in the great cloud of the Net. The idea of a person’s identity codified and collated through a collection of likes and tags. Now your movements are codified. Your personal details given up and fed through binary algorithms to determine what should be best targeted to you. Pasted together into a collage meant to stand for you. Does anyone who looks at a Facebook profile really think they are getting the best sense of what a person is like? That if they look through their photos and statuses they will truly know how that person is, what they are like? Maybe this is just the carping of an old soul who doesn’t get what these darned kids are into these days. Apparently, most
Rebecca Lumley Deputy Features Editor @RebeccaLumley1 younger kids don’t even bother with Facebook anymore, having moved on to more stripped down but more engaging services such as Snapchat and Tinder. Share those fleeting moments. Judge a person’s desirability with a swipe. So much decided with so few decisions. And it’s so easy to twist into maliciousness. Just look at the horrific movement of the past year created in the bowels of Twitter, #Gamergate. For those who don’t know, it’s a movement of angry gamers who believe feminist creators are polluting the gaming culture they hold so dearly. Now there are people who look at a notification with dread rather than joy. People who have received death threats and horrible slurs for simply daring to ask for something different. And all of that so easily facilitated by the instant gratification that powers the best of social media. Tweet a death threat and it reaches your target soon after you hit Send. I can’t be truly down on the Internet. One of my dearest friends is an owl obsessed anime nerd from Oregon who loves owls and her Canadian girlfriend so much. She is one of the coolest people I know. But that relationship was built over years of joy and pain. Not something so easily acquired with a swipe or a snap. I wonder how the kids of tomorrow will grow up. I know, a cheap point to make: think of the children! But I do wonder how they will live as everyone else increasingly surrenders themselves to the net. And how much we’ll have left.
“Does anyone who looks at a Facebook profile really think they are getting the best sense of what this person is like?” — “Social media doesn’t hamper our social lives, it positively encourages them.”
DISAGREE
TECHNOLOGY has changed rapidly in the past decade and social media has engulfed our lives. With this causing such major social changes, it is redundant to glorify the social media free days that have been firmly left behind. Technology is incapable of moving backwards. Once upon a time, events were organised by the sending of physical, handwritten invitations. I should know, my mother made me write all of mine for my eighth birthday in pink gel pen. Today, everything is organised through social media. Group chats help us plan nights out. Facebook events and apps offer free admission into nightclubs by simply liking or commenting on a page. The morning after, we can enjoy watching drunken Snapchat stories over strong coffee and relive the memories through photos on Instagram. Social media doesn’t hamper our social lives, it positively encourages them. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said “Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission - to make the world more open and connected.” Undoubtedly one of the greatest advantages of social media is the ease with which we can now maintain and build friendships. We are irrevocably connected as people and grouped together by job, place of study or location by Facebook or Twitter’s operating systems. The internet is literally trying to make friends for us and the argument that the friendships built online
are less valid than those in “real life” is flawed. Behind every computer is real person. The human links encouraged by social media not only impact your social life, but can help you in your professional or academic pursuits. I don’t know where I’d be without the JR1 Facebook group reminding me of assignments we have due, or sites like Jobs Direct for finding out what work opportunities there are in my area. Social networks can lead to very real opportunities and success. The final spear that people like to throw at the heart of social networking sites is the claim that they lead to antisocial behaviour and downright narcissism. We are the “selfie generation”, a title used scathingly by people less connected with the culture. What people fail to realise is that our social media activity leaves an indestructible trace on the internet, and while this can be negative, it also provides us with the most comprehensive scrapbook we’ll ever have. Pictures you put up at your first teenage disco are still on Facebook, years after you forgot about your dodgy haircut or terrible dress sense. Chances are, they’ll be there when your kids are going to their first disco. Isn’t it amazing that without investing any time or effort, you have a digital history of your life to share with people in the future? Social media doesn’t just enhance our social lives in the present, but will continue to do so for years to come and is an irreversible, invaluable social improvement.
Credit: Google images
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
Features
Online obsession at its worst Megan Roantree Features Editor @MeganRoantree
IT will come as no surprise to anyone how obsessed our society is with online attention. Whether it is Facebook likes or Twitter favourites our generation is all about social media gratification. It won’t be much of a shock either, to most people that internet users will go to extreme measure to gain online popularity, from strategic hashtags on instagram to spamming comments, many people are desperate to be loved online. Although the examples above are for the most part harmless and innocent, the idea of gaining attention online can is far more shocking when it becomes somewhat of an addiction. In the news recently, the most extreme and tragic example of this problem emerged. A twenty seven year old Mother from New York began writing a blog which documented her son’s life. Lacey Spears shared heartbreaking details of the first five years of motherhood, including her sons illness, procedures and operations. As we as
Do the human race have no limits when it comes to popularity contests? Megan Roantree fills us in on the ugly truth. Gratification and appreciation, is an understandable human desire, but online versions of this should not impact us to the
social media users are all familiar with, sympathy is often very publicly given online when one posts sad news. Spears began craving the attention and went
to desperate measures to keep it. She purposely harmed her child and fed him with salt through a tube until he died from poisoning.
This was not a spur-of-moment action, it was as the judge put it “not a spontaneous or ill conceived solitary act, It was a series of planned and orchestrated acts that really shocked the conscience.” Is this the length our society will go to in order to gain social media affection? The judge summed up her inhumane act by saying “Instead of nurturing and protecting a beautiful child you subjected him to five years of torment and pain.” Although this story seems like it belongs on an episode of CSI it is unfortunately, a harsh reality. This case is a most extreme example, and as unbelievable as it may be, an innocent five year old boy died for the sake of blog attention. Gratification and appreciation, is an understandable
many in Ireland that jail terms are too short and prisons are all too willing to hand out suspended sentences for good behaviour, as was the case with Lillis. In Ireland the maximum sentence a person can get is life imprisonment. Contrary to the name, life imprisonment in Ireland usually only averages eighteen years. This in comparison with a country like America, where a determinate life sentence means life and the death penalty still exists in some states, seems pretty mild. Is the Irish policy of leniency working or would it be more effective to adopt a more stringent approach? In 2013, a young man called Dominic Hayes hit a chef on the back of the head with a hammer. When the chef lost consciousness, Hayes dragged him to a nearby alley, hit him again, broke his collarbone and stole his packet of cigarettes. He was sentenced to three years in prison but is expected to be released early for
good behaviour, likely walking free by the end of the year. This comes after Hayes was diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and has a high risk of reoffend-
ing, according to a psychologist’s report. Under three years for a potentially fatal, violent crime. Five years for manslaughter.
Credit: Google Images
human desire, but online versions of this should not impact us to the extreme that is does, why is it that we do not feel that our photographs or statuses are worthy unless we reach a certain amount of likes. Again, it makes sense that we want to be noticed online but people must start detaching themselves from the virtual sense of this human desire. Contrary to popular belief one ‘like’ does not equal one prayer, nor does it equal love, affection or validation. We as a society must begin to realise that the support we gain in our real physical lives from friends and family is what should encourage us and influence our lives, not online impersonal clicks.
The question is, do these snappy sentences actually work or are they serving a financial, not societal purpose? It’s no secret that Ireland’s prison system is under strain due to overcrowding. As of December 2014, prisons around the country were at 94 percent capacity. Some prisons, like Cork prison, had extended capacity and had reached 104 percent, primarily due to the fact that over 80 percent of prisoners are serving time for minor offences. Judges are aware of the limited space. Judges are also aware of the €65,359 it costs to jail a prisoner for a year. Should people be taking up prison space and resources for not paying their TV licence, when potentially dangerous criminals are being released early every day? Are the practical elements of law enforcement preventing criminals from serving the time they deserve? It seems to me that the justice system isn’t serving society, but themselves.
Are Irish jail terms criminally short?
Rebecca Lumley Deputy Features Editor @RebeccaLumley1
WE’RE all familiar with the recent scandal that was Eamonn Lillis’ release from prison after serving just over five years for the manslaughter of his wife. The man’s face was on every newspaper in the country in the days leading up to his release. Lillis was branded a “wife killer” in every headline, as though it was an extension of his name. It was clear the public were outraged. Not only was Lillis a free man after a pitiful jail term, but was over a million euro richer due to the division of his estate. Lillis was sentenced to manslaughter as the jury found he had not meant to kill his wife. It was also discovered that he had changed his clothes covered in his wife’s blood and hidden them before calling an ambulance for his dying spouse. Was five years really the appropriate retribution? It is an opinion held by
Credit: Google Images
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
25
Sport
The rise of Dundalk Aaron Gallagher looks at Stephen Kenny’s success as manager of the Irish league’s up and coming team
Aaron Gallagher Deputy Sports Editor @AaronGallagher8
STEPHEN Kenny has cracked
a winning formula at Oriel Park. Since taking charge in November 2012, Kenny has won the League of Ireland Championship, the EA Sports Cup and the President’s Cup, doing so with a win ratio of over 65% in his 100+ games since taking charge. He has assembled one of the most lethal and cohesive sides to grace the league in years, formulating a perfect blend of strength at the back, creativity in midfield and ruthlessness in attack. Kenny’s squad is not only blessed with depth, but he seemingly has the bulk of the league’s best players at his disposal. The 2014 season was the one where Dundalk would finally make their mark as the top dogs of the League of Ireland, having finished three points off winners St. Patrick’s Athletic in 2013. With the title going down to the final day in October, the Lilywhites overcame second-placed Cork City in a dramatic final day which would see the winner crowned champions and Stephen O’Donnell’s second half strike ultimately sealing the title. Since that Friday night at Oriel Park in late October, Dundalk have gone from strength to strength. They have not lost a competitive game in seven months, carrying last season’s
form with them into this season, standing firm and resolute at the top of the table with six wins from seven so far this season, scoring 13 goals and conceding one. Having been written off by media and fans alike in pre-season for their chances of becoming the first side outside of Dublin to win back-to-back league titles in decades, Dundalk have swept aside all who stood before them, not allowing the departure of Patrick Hoban, who scored 20 goals last season, to get in the way of their title defence. With players like Richie Towell, David McMillan and Gary Rogers, as well as Ronan Finn and Daryl Horgan, Stephen Kenny’s side look a grade above all others in the league so far this season, with the closest title challenger coming in Keith Long’s young Bohemians side who currently sit three points behind the men from County Louth. With the news of more funding coming the league’s way in the form of UEFA prize money for clubs finishing in the European qualification places, it seems a genuine possibility that the gulf that currently splits Dundalk from the rest of the league could widen in time to come. With fellow title-challengers St. Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers both already pegged back in the run-in for top spot, Dundalk appear solitary in their back-to-back title bid, with John Caulfield’s Cork City the only present threat to that feat. With the early-season blips of Sligo Rovers, who finished with a commendable 43 points last season, seeing the Bit O’Red manage only one win in seven games so far this season, the league looks a stretched and unrecognised bottle-neck of mid-table teams upon which Stephen Kenny’s side will be only too happy to capitalise. With that said, the season is two months old. Nevertheless, the steamrolling of League of Ireland opposition that Dundalk are managing does not seem likely to slow down, even beyond this season. New figures released last
Dundalk crowned league of Ireland champions Credit Sportsfile
month show the League of Ireland champions are due to receive a minimum boost of €550,000 for taking part in UEFA Champions League qualification. This figure would rise to €1,000,000 if they were to reach the third round of qualification. With this new income, Dundalk are likely to progress and develop even further as a club, with weekly attendances of 3,369 at Oriel Park (more than double the average league attendance of 1,530), the future of Dundalk appears eager and bright both on and off the field of play. However, this bright future of Dundalk dominance may have wider, more negative connota-
tions for the league itself with one of the undeniable attractions of the League of Ireland being its competitive nature. As we can see from the more affluent examples of Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, as well as the yearly bout in Spain’s La Liga between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, a continual league champion can turn a league into a tediously lame non-competition. On the field, the Lilywhites have looked superior to every opponent so far this season, beating Longford, Derry City, St. Patrick’s Athletic, Bohemians, Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United. With no League of Ireland side having won back-to-back
league titles since Shamrock Rovers four years ago, Stephen Kenny’s side have been the only recent threat to form a dynasty. Nonetheless, the thunder and impedance showcased by Stephen Kenny’s side has shown the gulf in class that currently stands between first and second place, let alone top and bottom. Dundalk are mean-spirited enough not to allow the title to slip from their grasp for the coming season, upon which they feel it will take its rightful place at Oriel Park come October.
DCU lose out in rugby sevens final Cormac O’Shea Deputy Sports Editor @thecollegeview
DCU was defeated by Queen’s
University Belfast in the final of the SSI Rugby Sevens competition for the second year in a row. Queen’s, who will now go on to represent Ireland in the Red Bull Sevens Six Nations, proved too strong for DCU, winning by a scoreline of 50-14 with star man Damon Hill running over a hat-trick of tries in a comfortable win, the pick of which saw him kick and chase to touch
Mens Sevens Rugby at St. Clares Credit Eoin Lúc Ó Ceallaigh
down directly under the posts. DCU was outplayed from the outset, struggling for any meaningful possession and the match was almost beyond them by half-time with a 26-7 scoreline. The second half was to be no different as Queens kicked on, scoring another four tries. DCU man Tim Schmidt was able to run in late in the second half for a well worked try but it was nothing more than a consolation at that point as Queen’s claimed their third successive title. DCU’s Division 2 team
faced the same fate. They lost to Belfast Met Rugby Academy by just one point. Sean Hayes scored three tries for DCU in a very tight game but it was not to be enough as they lost 32-31. It wasn’t all bad news for DCU as the women’s A and B teams made it to the final. Having beaten NUI Maynooth and a combined Dundalk IT and IT Tallaght team respectively, both DCU teams played out an exciting final with the B team winning 27-20.
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Wednesday 22 April 2015│THE COLLEGE VIEW
Sport
The magic of the grand national lives on Niall McIntyre Sports Reporter @CVSport
EVEN after 169 years, the mag-
ic of the Aintree Grand National endures. Nothing captures the sporting public’s imagination to such an extent as the four and a half mile event. The pinnacle of the National Hunt Season engrosses young and old throughout the Ireland, Britain and beyond. This year’s edition failed to disappoint, producing thrills, spills and eventually a standout winner - The untouchable ‘Many Clouds’ from the Oliver Sherwood yard. The sheer unpredictability of the National is a major part of its great charm and attraction as a sporting event. This sense of unpredictability is what enchants its followers, and
by God we were treated last Saturday. Much of the build up to this year’s rendition rightly focused on the great Tony McCoy, a 20 time champion jockey and the Grand National winner of 2010 who recently announced his imminent retirement. The script was that he and his accomplice ‘Shutthefrontdoor’ would gallop up the Aintree hill on their way to rewriting the history books. Oliver Sherwood, Leighton Aspell and their eight year old virtuoso ‘Many Clouds’ obviously never read the script. The Sprightly stayer never set a foot wrong throughout defying the legendary Irish jockey to claim the most coveted prize in horse racing circles. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Aintree Grand National, from my own perspective,
is the immediate aftermath of the event, the triumphant horse and jockey under the spotlight like never before. They are bestowed with numerous congratulatory hands, fist pumps and expressions of acknowledgement from fellow jockeys. They are then collared by the Channel 4 crew who inquire, ‘how did that feel?’ to which many jockeys are left speechless, ‘wonderful’ was the short but insightful response of Aspell this year. We then witness the ecstatic owners, trainer, and grooms etc. who beam with delight on the back of such excitement. There is always a certain romance attached to the event. One of the famous tales of Aintree’s past is that of cancer survivor Bob Champion riding the 1981 winner ‘Aldaniti’ to glory. It
so resembled a Hollywood movie script that it was made into a film. In 1979 aged 31, Champion was told that he had cancer and could only have months to live. After months of chemotherapy, Champion made a recovery and returned to racing, with the dream of winning the Grand National having kept him going through his darkest moments. Personal anecdotes inevitably arise from such drama, from a punter’s joy to a connection’s delight. I can recall being asked on several occasions last Saturday, ‘did you have a bet yourself?’ How could anybody resist the temptation to join such excitement? I decided to rely on Many Clouds as a result of his commendable finish in the Gold Cup and his standout performances throughout the year. Everybody
applies their own logic, from a local priest anointing ‘Godsmejudge’ as the chosen one to women worldwide congregating in their support of ‘First Lieutenant’ as a result of its female involvement through jockey Nina Carberry to my young cousin who liked the name ‘Monbeg Dude’. The true beauty of the National lies in its ambivalence. Anybody can win, never has the phrase ‘stick a pin’ been more prominent with 100-1 outsiders regularly gracing the winners enclosure such as 2009 victor ‘Mon Mome’. This year, I got my first sample of national glory and it was sweeter than any steak I have ever tasted.
DCU athletic academy champions for 10th straight year Cormac O’Shea Deputy Sports Editor @CVSport
FOR the tenth successive year,
DCU Athletics Academy won the IUAA outdoor track and field championships. DCU were comfortable winners of the event that took place in the University of Ulster’s Mary Peters track on April 10th and 11th with the University of Limerick coming in second place and UCD in third. The two-day event saw DCU come home with a total of 46 medals; 21 gold, 20 silver and five bronze. Male athletes accounted for 20 of these medals while female athletes came home with 26 medals in total. DCU also led the points table by some distance on 325 points, with second placed UL on 119 points. The points were awarded as follows: seven for 1st, five for 2nd, four for 3rd etc. for individual events and ten for 1st, eight for 2nd, six for 3rd etc. for relay events. As well as winning the overall competition, DCU were winners of Middle Distance trophy, Sprints trophy, Throws trophy and Jumps trophy while Michael Bowler in combined
Keeping their high track record, DCU athletics won a total of 46 medals at the 2015 IUAA outdoor track and field championships. events and Sarah McCarthy in the long jump set new IUAA outdoor track and field records. One of the stars for DCU was Stephanie Creaner, who won both the the 100m and 200m races as well as being part of the 4x100m relay team with Sarah McCarthy, Bronwyn Keogh and Sarah Murray that won gold for DCU for the second successive year. Creaner, a final year Psychology student, expressed her delight with DCU’s performance when she spoke to The College View. “Winning an IUAA title is a huge achievement, but winning it 10 years in a row is really something special and it’s a testament to all the hard work and dedication of the talented DCU athletics squad” Reflecting on her personal performance, Creaner added, “I was really happy with my performances. [I won] three events and three golds so I can’t complain. Timewise, my performances were quicker than expected as I want to peak later in the season, so I actually didn’t have any speed work done and I only did one block session, so to think to run as fast as I did was a surprise. “Going into it, I knew I
was in good shape and I wanted to perform well for the college, so I had a goal and I achieved that so I’m happy.” Having been champions for nine consecutive years, DCU were heavily favoured in
ion, the standard is always high. You can only compete against those who show up.” Creaner was also full of praise for both the training in DCU and the facilities at their disposal: “In DCU, there are specific
“HAVING BEEN CHAMPIONS FOR NINE CONSECUTIVE YEARS, DCU WERE HEAVILY FAVOURED IN THE COMPETITION BUT CREANER DOESN’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED AND BELIEVES THE STANDARD OF COMPETITION IS AS HIGH AS EVER” the competition but Creaner doesn’t take anything for granted and believes the standard of competition is as high as ever; “Yes, this has been the case for the last ten years, but let me tell you, this is no easy feat. In order to achieve such a record, it requires the coming together of hard-working and dedicated individuals. “At Varsity level, in my opin-
coaches for different disciplines including John Shields and Leona Byrne for sprints and Dave Sweeney for throws, to name a few. Every good athlete has a fantastic team around them. “The University has provided the athletes with adequate support, facilities and the means to fulfill their potential. Look at the sporting facility we have over in St Clare’s; if it’s good enough for
IRFU, it must be up to standard.” Creaner herself is trained by both Ken Robinson and John Shields and praised them for their hard work throughout the year. There are over 100 members of the DCU Athletics Academy and Creaner believes they have an abundance of talent in their ranks: “There is huge depth of talent in DCU and has been for many years but I think as a unit we’re just getting stronger and stronger, so I expect the winning streak will continue, here’s to the next decade.” Up next for Stephanie Creaner is the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas in May, but the Irish team will travel to Florida first for a training camp before jetting out to the Caribbean a week later. That will be followed by the World Student University Games in South Korea, for which she expects to qualify. “My personal best is only 0.02 [seconds] off the standard so fingers crossed.”
THE COLLEGE VIEW│Wednesday 22 April 2015
27
Sport
The year in review Aidan Delaney Sports Reporter @aidand472
From victory at the Sigerson Cup to a dissapointly premature exit from the Collingwood Cup, DCU sports have had quite a season.
AS the academic year of 2014/2015 comes to a close, when you look back on the sporting year as a whole, it can only be classified as a success. From thrilling highs to crushing lows, participants in every DCU club ranging across all sports gave it everything they had. The College View will look back on the year and give you the lowdown on the highlights.
know they’ll do the club proud. Athletics It was another immensely successful year for the DCU Athletics Academy rounded off with a massive 46 medals won by the team at the recent IUAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. There was also great success at the IUAA Road Relay Championships in Maynooth earlier this year with another gold and silver medal being brought back to Glasnevin. All and all, it caps off a pretty near perfect year for Athletics in DCU.
Men’s Gaelic Football Without a doubt the big winners of the year were the DCU Men’s GAA club with the Gaelic footballers securing a hard fought third Sigerson Cup in the last six years. The calmness during a nerve-racking finish in Cork just shows how much the team has come on this year. 2015 also saw a number of star players such as Conor McGraynor and Enda Smith secure starting places on their county teams, such was the quality of their performances throughout the year. Women’s Gaelic Football Not to be outshone by the lads, the Ladies football team also brought home a trophy in the form of the Lynch Cup. The Ladies also managed to make an O’Connor Cup final but were unfortunately pipped at the post. The O’Connor campaign proved fruitful however with four DCU Ladies, Ailbhe Clancy, Sarah Rowe, Lorraine O’Shea and Laura McEnaney all securing All Stars for their performances.
Men’s Soccer While it wasn’t the best of years for the DCU Soccer Club, there were a lot of positives to be taken. A disappointing early Collingwood Cup exit was soon forgotten with a Crowley Cup semi-final and a second Harding Plate in as many years for the Freshers team.
Boxing Club Amateur Boxing in continued to grow and go strength to strength in The year finished on a as DCU’s Faolan Rahill
DCU from 2015. high and
Stephen Mooney managed to come up trumps claiming titles at the Intervarsity Nation al Championships. There were also brilliant personal achieve-
In truth, there’s not enough space in the paper to mention all the wonderful achievements made by DCU students in the world of sport this year. We’d like to thank and congratulate all involved in this wonderful sporting year for the college. We look forward to Credit: Sportsfile next year and hope that we will be able to report on more fanments as DCU students Clare tastic victories and trophies Grace and Céire Smith were coming back to DCU in 2016. selected to represent Ireland at the upcoming European Games in Baku this summer. We’d like to wish them the best of luck and
Top 5 Irish sporting moments of the last twelve months Aaron Gallagher Deputy Sports Editor @AaronGallagher8
IT has been a year of unprece-
dented success for Irish sport, from rugby to football, from boxing to Gaelic games and from golf to UFC. Ireland’s sporting heroes went big over the past twelve months. 1) Six Nations Double In a stunning year for Irish sport, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind as to the crown jewel that looms large above all other sporting triumphs for the past year. Saturday, March 21st, 2015 will go down as one of the most enthralling days in Irish sporting history. Ireland were unlikely winners of the Six Nations before kick-off at Murrayfield but Joe Schmidt’s men pulled out a per-
formance for the decades. They beat Scotland 10-40 in a scoreline that would, on the balance of slight margins, give Ireland their second Six Nations title in a row. With the men’s title secured, the Irish women’s rugby team took to the field against Scotland knowing points difference could also decide their fate. However in an inspiring performance in Glasgow they beat Scotland by a score of 73-3 to secure their second Six Nations Championship and Triple Crown in three years. 2) Rory’s Rise In a year that saw him rise to World Number One, Rory McIlroy shattered all expectations as he took a haul of titles home with him. 2014 saw McIlroy win the coveted PGA Championship, The British Open as well as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. In 2015 the four-time
major champion has already brought home the Dubai Desert Classic as well as a personal best fourth finish in the Masters. 3) John O’Shea vs Germany One would be forgiven for thinking Ireland had in fact beaten the World Champions in Gelsenkirchen in October as John O’Shea’s 94th minute equaliser sent supporters at home and abroad into a frenzy of chaotic celebration. Having taken the lead in the 71st minute through a Toni Kroos strike, the 2014 World Cup winners seemed likely to obtain another routine win in this affair. However in the dying embers of the tie, a deep Jeff Hendrick cross was pulled back by Wes Hoolahan to be steered past Manuel Neuer in the German goal by captain on the night John O’Shea, who was incidentally making his 100th appearance
in green, to set Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualification hopes alight.
be nominated for the accolade.
4) Stephanie Roche’s Puskas Nomination What a difference a few short months can make. Stephanie Roche has been propelled from unrecognised Women’s National League player to internet superstar overnight, Roche’s goal against Wexford Youths has changed not only the 25 year old’s life, but women’s football for the better. Taking hold of the goal to promote women’s stance in football, Roche has been a breath of fresh air in her efforts to gain more traction for women’s football in a male-dominated football-media culture. Having finished second in the FIFA Puskas Award for best goal of the year, Roche was the first Irish footballer, as well as the first ever woman, to ever
gor
5) The Rise of Conor McGre-
It is impossible to ignore the allure of The Notorious as his walk continues to back-up his talk. Having beaten Diego Brandao and Dustin Poirier, McGregor was set up to face Dennis Silver at UFC Fight Night 59 in January 2015 in a fight that would earn the victor a title shot versus current UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. McGregor beat Silver via TKO in the second round, after which he raced over the octagon to confront Aldo, whom he will now face for the title on July 11th in one of the most anticipated UFC bouts in the sport’s history.
Sport
INSIDE
THE COLLEGE VIEW
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
www.thecollegeview.com
The 2014/15 sporting year in review
Read more on page 27
Dublin GAA mourns death of Billings Former selector for the Dublin senior football team, Dave Billings has passed away. Credit: rte.ie Aidan Geraghty Sports Editor @ Aido1895
THE passing of Dublin and UCD GAA stalwart Dave Billings was announced on Wednesday morning, April 15th. Billings (63), who played hurling and football for Kevin Heffernan’s legendary Dublin team in the 1970s, died suddenly on the morning of April 15th. He, appropriately, enjoyed his last evening at a hurling game
between St. Vincent’s and Ballyboden St. Enda’s in UCD. The St. Vincent’s club man has been hailed as a ‘Sky Blue legend’, ‘a great Gael’ and ‘an evangelist of Gaelic games’ by those whose lives and careers he touched. He had been working as Gaelic Games Executive at UCD and has also recently been part of the Dublin Senior Football setup as a selector under Tommy Lyons and Paul Caffrey. A statement from An Comhairle Ardoideachais read as follows: “It is with shock and deep sadness Comhairle Ardoideachais
(CA), and all those involved in Higher Education GAA (HE GAA), learned of the untimely passing of Dave Billings (UCD GAA). A stalwart of the Dublin GAA scene and the Higher Education GAA sector throughout his life as a player, student, team mentor and administrator, Dave will be sorely missed throughout the GAA community. “In his role as UCD GAA Executive, Dave made an invaluable contribution to the association on the Belfield Campus and was immersed in the running of all the University’s sides, from the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon teams to the
Junior and Fresher C teams. On many occasions he accommodated the use of the University’s facilities to CA, HE Clubs, GAA Clubs, Post Primary and Primary Schools, often at extremely short notice. “Comhairle Ardoideachais, on behalf of all those involved in Higher Education GAA, would like to extend our condolences to Ann, the Billings family, all those involved with UCD, St.Vincents, Dublin GAA and his many friends. “As a mark of respect, the Annual Convention of Comhairle Ardoideachais, which was scheduled for this Sat-
urday has been postponed. “Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.” Tributes poured in from across the world of Gaelic games and beyond, with Tomás “Mossy” Quinn, Brian O’Driscoll and Marty Morrissey among other prominent personalities sharing their experiences with the late Billings on social media.