The College View - Issue 5 - XVIII

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Vol. XVIII, Issue 5

Features:

Opinion:

Will Sheen’s HIV help or hinder the cause?

Retaliation cycle keeps on spinning

Read more on page 13

Read more on page 10

Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Sport: UCD defeats DCU in Ryan Cup Final See back bage

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

DCU students Niall Connolly and Jordan Kavanagh fight in Rag Rumble in aid of the society’s social projects Credit : Colin Tonge

‘Repeal the eighth’ group seek SU involvement in referendum Andrew Ralph News Reporter @thecollegeview

A movement has been established by DCU students seeking to formally renew Students’ Union (SU) support for the repeal of the eighth amendment.

The eighth amendment is a constitutional prohibition on abortion in all circumstances and was introduced in 1983 after a referendum that saw 66 per cent of the Irish electorate endorse it.

The “Repeal the Eighth DCU” group is seeking to have a campus referendum to renew the mandate that DCUSU currently has to advocate for a national referendum on this matter.

None of the current sabbatical officers were in attendance at the ‘March for Choice’ in September, despite USI involvement.

“I wanted to know how my fellow students felt about the eighth amendment, and to me it seemed like a good opportunity to inform DCU students about the eighth amendment in our constitution as many young people don’t know what it is, and by

having a referendum we can update the SU’s stance on the issue,” said Keri Wilson, a second year student of Contemporary Culture and co-founder of this group.

She added, “Ireland has been chastised at the UN for its restrictions in regard to abortion, and I think it is the right time for Irish Citizens and the Government to make a change that will benefit people of our generation and those to come.”

The last campus referendum on abortion was held in February 2013 and featured five possible stances the SU could take on the issue of reproductive rights. 719

students out of 1,428 (with 1,200 being the quorum) voted in favour of DCUSU taking a narrow ‘pro-choice stance’.

The ballot paper defined this stance as meaning that “where it will be the decision of the woman to make, within an accepted number of weeks of conception, whether to seek an abortion within the State.”

“Ireland has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world. It is essential the SU position reflects the consensus among students” said Chairperson of DCU Amnesty International , Peter Carberry.

INSIDE THE SUSS THE SUSS COVERS REVIEW OF ADELE’S ‘25’ DUBLIN AFTER DARK THINGS TO DO IN THE CAPITAL AT CHRISTMAS

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

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Editorial Catherine Devine Editor-in-Chief

@CatherineDevin1

Credit: DCU Cancer Society Facebook page

The toy show has aired, Christmas lights are up and children are suddenly well-behaved.

Christmas has arrived.

As we’re getting excited to head home to our families and open some presents, it’s nice to know that the students of DCU have done so much for charity in the past semester.

The Raising and Giving society held their annual event, RAG Rumble last week which Treasurer Niall Connolly estimates raised close to €3,000. RAG also held the VMA’s and took part in the shoebox appeal by donating 35 shoeboxes. “The most astonishing thing is the fact that the majority of the money is donated by students. We all know how tough it is for students to make ends meet and it is a credit to them to give up that much needed morning coffee and instead donate it to the people who need it most,” said RAG Chairperson, Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáin.

St. Vincent de Paul society also raised over €1,700 from their annual sleep-out, where students slept outside for 24 hours to raise money and aware-

ness for the homeless in Ireland.

All of the money will be donated to the Capuchin Centre this week, which provides services for the homeless. SVP also raised €250 for Temple Street Children’s Hospital, during their “Trick or Treat for Temple Street” bucket collection.

Cancer Soc raised €2,000 so far this year from their Movember campaign, ‘Bros of Tralee’ and ‘you know breast’ campaign which ran through the month of October.

They’re also preparing for their annual ‘Relay for Life’ which is one of their biggest events of the year and set to raise a lot of money again this year for charity.

Global Brigades raised €15,057 so far for January’s Water and Public Health brigade, with another €41,600 hoping to be raised for May’s brigade. Their ‘Cycle for Syria’ campaign where students cycled for 24 hours raised €1,114.94.

Enactus’ main social project ‘HeadstArts’ raised money to help provide people with intellectual disabilities with dance, drama, arts and music classes. Enactus also partnered with ‘Care after Prison’, an organisation that provides support for prisoners. This Christmas they created a video and helped them set up a social enterprise to create more sustainable funds.

The SU are always raising mon-

ey for Charity and this Christmas they’re holding a Christmas day event in the Hub for all students and societies. “We hope to raise a large amount of money for Focus Ireland & SVP as we think of people less fortunate at Christmas time. The day will consist of lots of surprises and treats for everyone and we hope everyone gets involved,” said SU President, Kim Sweeney. The SU are also hoping to raise funds this year for the Aisling Project, Headstrong and Spunout.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without MPS’ annual 24 hour broadcast. The broadcast hopes to raise funds for Jigsaw, a mental health organisation that provides free services to students. “Last year the 24 Hour Broadcast raised over €5000 for charity and this year we’re hoping to smash that again.

The broadcast tries to raise funds for charity in a fun way. There are over 200 students coming in over the weekend and it is always said to be one of their favourite events of the year,” said MPS chairperson, Emma Kavanagh.

So while Christmas is a time to be grateful, we can think about all the money the DCU community have raised over the past semester and look forward to raising more in the semester to come.

sports@theccollegeview. com arts@thecollegeview. com

Credit: DCU SVP Facebook page

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Devine Deputy Editor: Katie O’Neill Production & Layout Editor: Scout Mitchell Deputy Production & Layout Editor: Niall Connolly

Deputy News Editors: John Casey, Hayley Halpin, & Aura McMenamin

Sports Editor: Aidan Geraghty

Online Editor: Kevin Kelly

Opinion Editor: Lisa O’ Donnell

Deputy Sports Editors: Aaron Gallagher & Cormac O’Shea

Deputy Online Editors: Hannah Moran & Stephen Murphy

Printed By Datascope, with the DCU Journalism Arts Editor: Fionnuala Chief Sub-Editor: Jamie Society Thanks To Sportsfile, Jones Concannon SLC, Office of Student Life Deputy Arts Editor: Contacts Stephen Keegan editor@thecollegeview. com Chief Arts Contributor: news@thecollegeview.

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Production & Layout Deputy Features Assistants: Daniel Troy Editor: Rebecca Lumley & Oliver Deane Irish Editor: Aíne Marie News Editor: Katie Monk O’Neill Deputy Irish Editor: Aoife Ní Mistéil

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Ógra Fianna Fail bite back at USI

News

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Postponement of Beg, Borrow, Steal will not affect other trips Hayley Halpin Deputy News Editor @HayleyHalpin1

Eoin Neylon, the president of Ógra Fianna Fáil Credit: Clareherald

Katie O’Neill Deputy Editor @Katie__ONeill

ÓGRA Fianna Fail have strongly refuted the Union of Students in Ireland’s (USI) claims that their student loan proposal would “desecrate” Ireland.

The Fianna Fail youth branch launched their income contingent student loan proposal at the end of October. Their proposed scheme would give students the option of availing of a loan for their education which they would not be obliged to pay back until they are in a financial position, post-graduating to do so.

“The way an income contingent loan system is set up, it cannot possibly become overwhelming to students. Student debt, as it is is overwhelming because as it is they’re forced to go to private banks which ask for the money up front the second they graduate on very high rates. If it’s income-linked it can never become unsustainable,” Ógra Fianna Fail president, Eoin Neylon explained in an interview with The College View.

Neylon lambasted the current system in place saying it allows for equality of opportunity not equality of access. “We have a situation in Ireland where we’re asking students to pay €3000 in registration fees, upfront I don’t know how anyone could call that free fees be-

cause it is very obvious to us that the era of free fees in gone. What we are looking at is a system of getting as many people into third level education as they want,” he said The USI strongly opposed the group’s proposal in a statement on their website. “It would desecrate Ireland, tearing it apart and converting it from the land of saints and scholars into the land of corporate greed and economically paralysed,” the statement read. The Ógra president strongly rejects these claims.

“What USI have done is they have looked at student loan systems which are not ideal- UK and USA, but that’s not what Ógra has proposed. Yes those systems are not ideal and they have their

flaws, that’s why we didn’t back those, that’s why we’re not calling for those systems. We’re calling for a very different system. A hybrid of the New Zealand and Australian models which have huge successes in getting young people into college,” Neylon said.

The current grant awarding scheme would be sustained in tandem with Ógra’s proposal.

“The grant system in fantastic, and it has done wondrous things for people from bad socioeconomic backgrounds. We are proposing it is kept as is, in fact we want the grant system expanded to cover postgrads as well that were cut out of the current system,” said Neylon.

93 per cent of student nurses thinking abroad Katie O’Neill Deputy Editor @Katie__ONeill

A recent survey by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has revealed that 93 per cent of student nurses are considering emigrating upon receiving their nursing degree.

“Many student nurses feel a better life awaits them abroad,” USI President Kevin Donoghue said.

“Countries with a huge shortage of nurses such as England, America and Australia are actively recruiting Irish nurses, some are even offering them positions before they’ve finished their final year. If the Irish government fail to

educate and maintain their health professionals, it risks repeating the mistakes of the 1990’s when past generations of newly qualified nurses had no option but to emigrate,” Donoghue continued.

In excess of 600 Irish students of nursing were surveyed and 564 of those students conveyed that they have contemplated emigrat-

ing after they qualify in their profession. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) recently raised a number of issues with the Department of Expenditure and Public Reform regarding the treatment of student nurses with particular emphasis on pay and contracts.

PRESIDENT of DCU, Brian MacCraith and Chief Operations Officer, Declan Raftery made the final decision to postpone ‘Beg, Borrow, Steal’, enterprise society chairperson, Shane Carter said.

‘Beg, Borrow, Steal’ was postponed due to the situation in Europe following the terrorist attack in Paris. The trip was to begin on Wednesday the 18th, with Berlin being the final destination. The decision was made on Tuesday night to postpone it due to a bomb threat on Hannover.

Una Redmond, manager of the Office of Student Life (OSL), expressed difficulties that the university may have encountered had they of let the trip go ahead. “We would have difficulty, either locating students or maybe notifying parents or families that their children were safe or not, as the case may be.”

Some of Esoc’s committee travelled to Berlin prior to the trip being postponed. This may have implementations on funding as the society made use of flights and accommodation for a trip that was postponed.

No decision has been made by the OSL about whether they will reimburse Esoc or not. However, Remond confirmed that there will be an inquest into the matter.

“The students that have travelled to Berlin, they had already paid for it. I think we need to look at that and the SLC (society life committee) and the university have said they they will look at that.

What that means exactly, I can’t say at the minute,” Redmond said.

“I would only deem it fair that we would be reimbursed as if the event actually ran because we already had teams in place,” Shane Carter said.

Redmond said that no immediate action will be taken to cancel any further club or society trip because the threats are not a static risk.

“The nature of this is that you or I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. We will monitor the situation as it goes, but at the minute there are no plans to cancel any trips,” Redmond said.

‘Beg, Borrow, Steal’ is rescheduled for February 10th, with all participants still committed.

“We’re not going to have a problem running the event at capacity in February,” Carter said.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

News

Drugs minister calls for decriminalisation Jamie Concannon Chief Sub-Editor @jamie_concannon

“DRUG users get sucked into a

very glamorous, lucrative, parallel economy, where you don’t need any qualifications to succeed,” Minister for Drug Policy, Aodháin O’Ríordáin said.

Minister O’Ríordáin was amongst the panellists in a talk on drug policy in Ireland. The aim of the talk, according to Dan Kirby of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy DCU (SSDPDCU), who hosted the event, was to have an informal discussion “as if we were sitting at the kitchen table.”

The other panellists attending the talk in DCU last Tuesday were Ciara Sherlock of the Psychedelic Society of Ireland, as well as Grace Dyas, director of ‘Heroin’, and social activist.

The main focus of the event were that the drug injection centres are to be introduced to Ireland shortly, and whether decriminalisation is the next step forward. “I don’t think it makes sense to criminalise someone for a habit they have,” Minister O’Ríordáin said.

“It doesn’t make sense to be against drugs being taken in a responsible way when alcohol can be taken in such an irresponsible way”, Sherlock said.

The lack of education and understanding of drug abuse was credited as one of the key issues surrounding the topic. “What’s being taught doesn’t really face the reality of the situation. The current policy on drugs in Ireland is absolutely, utterly ineffective,” Minster O’Ríordáin said.

Dyas said one of the main discussions people should have on the issue should be the reasons why people become addicted to something, regardless of what kind of addiction it is. “Whether your addiction is watching six box sets of Game of Thrones, or injecting heroin into your eyeball, it’s the reasons why you’re doing it,” she said.

“You can’t use the “n” word, or the “k” word to describe an entire community, but you can use the “j” word. And when you do that, you dehumanise them. Let’s stop calling people names and victim blaming,” Minister O’Ríordáin said of the attitude towards drug users.

Speaking after the event, Sherlock told The College View

Two DCU students

receive Intel’s Women in Technology Scholarship Catherine Devine Editor-in-Chief @CatherineDevin1

TWO DCU students were among the 17 women who were awarded scholarships for their achievements in technology at a ceremony on November 18th.

Zenouska Murphy and Catrina Carrigan will each receive €2,000 per year for their studies, a work placement in Intel’s Leixlip plant and a mentor throughout their academic career.

“I think the main thing that helped me stand out was talking enthusiastically about my course and mentoring at CoderDojo,” said Catrina Carrigan, who studies Computer Applications.

“Having the summer work experience combined with my intra placement will mean I graduate with a year’s worth of work experience. I think seeing the industry from early on in my degree will help me decide the career path I want and let me gain more experience,” she said.

The 17 young recipients join a programme that has seen

€160,000 invested in the past three years and which aims to encourage women to start careers in science and technology.

“At Intel we are very passionate about workforce diversity, particularly gender diversity, because we fundamentally believe, and it is proven, that our business benefits from having diverse employees,” said Intel’s Fab 24 factory manager, Ann-Marie Holmes.

“Women are under-represented in the technology workplace and this programme creates an important opportunity for us to encourage more young women to pursue careers in science and technology, as well as giving them first-hand experience of the career opportunities at Intel,” said Holmes.

Each of the recipients is studying a science, engineering or technology course in universities across Ireland. The scholarships are awarded based on the student’s Leaving Certificate results, a personal statement and an interview process on the Leixlip campus.

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Dan Kirby, Grace Dyas, Ciara Sherlock and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin discuss drug policy in Ireland Credit: Chai Brady

that one of the issues she hoped fects of drug abuse. “What I’d hope of education within recreational to raise more in future is the need to bring up a bit more, which we drug use,” she said. for further education on the ef- didn’t get a chance to, is the lack

‘US Presidency forgets Palestine’, says ambassador Aura McMenamin Deputy News Editor @aurajalapeno

A change of US presidency is unlikely to improve Palestinian relations, according to the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland.

“What we notice in the campaign now is the candidates compete in their support of Israel,” said Ahmad Abdelrazek, speaking at an event for DCU’s International Relations Society.

A Bloomberg poll in April showed that two-thirds of Americans sympathise with Israeli president, Benjamin Netanyahu.

With Republican candidates endorsing their support for Israel, 27 per cent of ‘high-intensity’ Republicans who were surveyed preferred indefinite occupation of Palestine.

He also criticised Democratic President Barack Obama’s lack of effort in aiding Palestinian and Israeli relations: “When Obama came into power, he promised to establish peace. He has done nothing.

“Israel is an American policeman in the region.”

Abdelrazek noted on Wednesday that the US gave financial aid to Israel during the 2014 Gaza conflict in which Palestine in which 1,617 Palestinians died compared to five Israelis.

He called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring the Israeli government to justice for war crimes com-

Palestinian Ambassador Ahmad Abdelrazek talks about the struggles of his country in an event organised by the International Relations Society Credit: Chai Brady

mitted during summer of 2014.

“They need to act like a democratic country, if they are going to present themselves like that.”

In the midst of international support for Israel, Abdelrazek expressed gratitude for Ireland’s support for flying the Palestinian flag in the UN and the boycott of Israeli goods.

He said Ireland preserved through “pressure from other countries not to show support.”

Although unrelated, the DCU Islamic Society (ISOC) fund raised in the Henry Grattan the same day to build a school in Gaza.

“We’re raising money for Human Appeal, an international organisation that’s also based in Ireland, said ISOC member Sayf Ul-Haque.

“We hosted a games night on Tuesday and we’re hosting a henna night on Wednesday with henna tattoos, tea and a quiz with prizes.”

Ul-Haque and other students also sold cotton candy and traditional food in the Henry Grattan during Abdelrazek’s talk. ISOC reached their goal of €1,000 on Friday which will go to the construction of a primary school.

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THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

News

DCU make top 50 young universities list Catherine Devine Editor-in-Chief

@CatherineDevin1

DUBLIN City University has regained its position in the QS Top 50 Under 50 rankings, achieving 46th place in the league table of the top young universities in the world.

Last year it failed to make the league, dropping from 44th in 2013, but this year it is the only Irish university to feature in the young university table.

“The ranking has a significant impact on our ability to develop international partnerships and to attract international students and staff to DCU,” said DCU President, Brian MacCraith.

Universities are scored on topics such as academic reputation, employer reputation and faculty-student ratio.

DCU features in the league along with eight UK based Universities, with the Nanyang

Technological University, Singapore (NTU) coming out on top.

“This success has been achieved despite a very challenging funding environment that has had a direct and negative impact on some of the key rankings criteria such as faculty-student ratios,” said MacCraith.

“Third level education must be a made a priority within the national agenda as it is in the interest of no one for the quality and reputation of our national education to slide. Fundamental to a sustainable Irish economy and a healthy society is investment in education, at all levels,” he continued.

In a separate report on innovation in 19 Irish higher education institutions, DCU has been ranked in first place for its innovative culture.

Earlier this year, DCU was ranked 353rd in the QS Global University Rankings while Trinity and UCD were ranked 78th and 154th respectively.

Credit: dcu.ie

DCU to help develop DCU students celebrate second annual Sober Week anti-cancer vaccine Ryan McBride News Reporter @thecollegeview

DCU’S Sober Society held the ‘Bank of Ireland Sober Week’ last week. The event challenged students to avoid alcohol for a week, to see the effects of sobriety.

“Sober week is there to make people question their drinking habits and seeing that it’s harder than they thought to even do one week,” Sober Soc’s chairperson Stephen Hallinan told The College View.

The event had a presence online with students sharing their drunken stories and photographs that they would

rather forget at #NeverAgain.

“It’s a fun way of people second thinking their drinking habits and know some fun out of their friends”, said Hallinan.

“Getting the word out there is so important and hopefully all people have to hear is ‘Sober week’ to know what it’s about.”

Events began on Tuesday, with non-alcoholic ‘Mocktails’ being served on campus to raise money for Alcohol Action Ireland. Wednesday saw them collaborate with DCU’s psychological society for an ‘extreme hide and seek’ event.

Hallinan highlighted events coinciding with sober week like RAG rumble and the Clubs and Societies ball, making it more diffi-

cult than expected for participants.

Monday would have seen a coffee evening, but that was cancelled. Hallinan took it well though, saying “things never go as planned when you’re planning on this scale but it’s always good to prepare to fail and to not be afraid to think on your feet.”

It is this fearless attitude that has propelled the young Sober Society to fast growth.

“I think it was just because it’s an original idea. People latched on as soon as they heard what we had to say,” said Hallinan. “I think students never say it but secretly they all wish they didn’t have to drink so much. It was amazing to see people enjoy the idea and it definitely got people talking.”

Laura Roddy News Reporter @thecollegeview

DCU are collaborating with an American biotechnology company to develop cancer vaccinations and immunotherapies.

The agreement between DCU and Vaccinogen was signed last week and the company will be setting up a research lab on DCU’s campus.

“From the Biotechnology School’s perspective this is a really exciting opportunity,” Dr Sandra O’Neill, head of the Biotechnology Department told The College View. “It creates important links between DCU and Vaccinogen.”

Dr Paul Leonard who is a graduate of the university will now join Vaccinogen and will oversee the project. Other DCU alumni will be involved which is also great for the college, according to Dr O’Neill.

Dr O’Neill noted that DCU will be receiving money for rent of their property to the US company, but the main benefit to the university is the opportunities it will create for student-research.

“The fact that a new research lab is on the campus gives more opportunities for PHD research and the fact that Vaccinogen is an international company makes it even better,” she said.

Dr Leonard, who is a lead researcher in DiCAST (Direct Clone Analysis and Selection Technology), will be integrating this

technology with Vaccinogen’s.

Vaccinogen, who already has a base in Amsterdam, was looking to expand its business in Europe and when it learned about the DCU-developed DiCAST, it believed this technology would help revolutionise its business.

Vaccinogen develops vaccines that attack any cancer cells left over after surgery to reduce the cancer from recurring.

Under the agreement Vaccinogen can use the DiCAST technology for two-years and then re-evaluate how its research has developed.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to join Vaccinogen and continue playing a direct role in leveraging DiCAST to potentially transform the discovery and development of immunologic therapeutics, including cancer vaccines,” Dr Leonard said.

Vaccinogen believes that the DiCAST technology will give its company a competitive advantage as it will help identify new antibody drugs.

Peter Morsing, head of Business Development and Strategy at Vaccinogen, noted that “the high-throughput screening capabilities that DiCAST offers are widely sought within the pharmaceutical industry as a key component of early-stage antibody production and drug discovery.”

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

News

DCUtv’s 24 hour broadcast to be “bigger and better than ever”

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Credit: DCUMPS

Alana Laverty News Reporter @thecollegeview

OVER 200 DCU students will be involved in DCUtv’s annual Christmas 24 Hour Broadcast on December 4th in aid of Jigsaw.

Jigsaw operates under Headstrong, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting communities and statutory services in providing mental health support to youths, and changing how Ireland thinks about

mental health. Jigsaw offers free mental health care in over ten communities across the country.

“We can’t wait to raise as much money as we can this year for such a worthy cause. Depression and anxiety affect so many young people in Ireland and this is our chance to do our bit to help erase the stigma surrounding mental health,” said MPS chairperson Emma Kavanagh.

Presenters Andrew Gleeson and Siobhán Ní Thaidhg have been spending a lot of time practicing for their on screen debut.“ We’ve

Student accomodation building plans scrapped Conor Sheehan News Reporter @thecollegeview

THE building of a 970 bedroom

student accommodation complex in the Docklands is to be suspended pending a planning review.

The Union of Students Ireland (USI) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) have said they support a decision by Dublin City Council to order a redesign for a student accommodation complex in the Docklands.

Stewart Roche from the HEA says “any new accommodation needs to be conscious of what a student requires and that the issues with a lack of light and space need to be addressed”.

The USI stresses the need for “well thought out student accommodation, sufficient for the needs of the future” according to USI spokesperson Kevin O’Higgins.

This comes after the council ordered a redesign of the complex due to what they say are “serious concerns in relation to

the design of the facades of the complex and the amount and quality of open space provided.”

The proposed 970 bedroom development at the Point Village also contains plans for a number of studio apartments, which are not allowed under Dublin City Councils current development plan.

“The big issue is the student apartment which they want removed” says Roche from the HEA. The USI’s Kevin O’Higgins says “although the current legislation does not allow for the studios, perhaps there is scope to look at it, in further detail”.

While the HEA and USI both acknowledge the seriousness of the current student accommodation crisis, they support the position of the council.

According to Roche there is a need for appropriate accommodation “to avoid legacy issues in 20 to 30 years time where there may be serious problems with ill thought out accommodation”.

Dublin City Council say they are unable to comment on a live planning application.

been scripting shows, pre-recording ads and writing scripts for presenting,” said Andrew.

Andrew believes Jigsaw is “dealing with one of the most relevant issues today, for students in particular.”

Thrilled to be hosting the broadcast, Siobhan says they are putting a big push on fundraising outside the broadcast this year and are encouraging people to get involved outside of those 24 hours.

Last year the broadcast raised over €5,000 for the Histiocytosis Research Trust.

This year DCUtv station manager Eoin Luc O’Ceallaigh is “hoping to smash that again this year” with a “bigger and better broadcast than ever”.

Siobhan says new students have been very involved in preparations for the broadcast this year. “The first year students have been getting extremely involved by producing top quality ads.”

This years flagship shows are ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘Double in Paradise’.

Bank of Ireland will be supporting the event once again this

year as the main sponsor. Lisa Kirby, treasurer for MPS, says “the event could not be done without the amazing help we get from Bank of Ireland every year”.

Domino’s Pizza, Nando’s, Camille Thai, Macari’s, Centra and DCU’s restaurant will be providing food for the broadcast crew over the 24 hours.

The broadcast, held in DCU’s Henry Grattan building, will be streamed live on Youtube from 9pm for 24 hours.

USI register 15,000 students to vote in the General Election Roisin Nestor News Reporter @thecollegeview

APPROXIMATELY 15,000 students were registered last Wednesday to vote in the General Election, thanks to a campaign by the USI. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) spearheaded a RockTheRegister campaign to try to increase the amount of students registered to vote.

USI President Kevin Donohue spoke about why he thinks it’s so important for students to register and vote: “Politicians work for voters and if you’re not voting they won’t work for you.”

“If students register and back it up with votes it will mean it will be easier to have our voice heard in the future.”

The USI encouraged students to register by visiting college lectures, handing out the registration forms and showing students how to fill in the forms. “In some of

Credit: USI.com

the colleges they went into lecture halls that had 200-300 students and every student was registered.

It is amazing” said Donohue.

The hashtag #RockTheRegister was trending around Ireland on the 6th of October, which was when the main 24 hour campaign took place.

According to DCU Student and Young Fine Gael member Andrew Ralph, many TD’s in the senior Fine Gael party have also been trying to get young people to remain politically engaged.

By sending letters to young people who recently registered for the same-sex marriage refer-

endum it is hoped the will contribute their views on key issues.

Donohue believes that students vote about the issues rather than getting caught up in the politics side. The issues that he thinks the students will care about in the upcoming General Election are working conditions, cost of education, opportunities in Ireland and their local communities.

“Students didn’t care about the politics of the marriage referendum, they cared about the issue itself. And that is what they will care about when it comes to the next general election.”

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News

More must be done for college student’s mental health, says singer Bressie Gary Grimes News Reporter @thecollegeview

MORE attention must be paid to the mental health education of third level students according to singer Bressie.

During a talk last Friday in the Venue, the Voice of Ireland coach spoke about how he believes that while there has been a huge effort in recent years to educate teenagers on the importance of good mental health, college students are still being somewhat neglected.

Speaking to a full audience, Bressie, real name Niall Breslin said: “The fact that we have welfare officers in place and people putting on events like this is good but it’s not enough.”

The talk was organised as part of the Stamp Out Stigma campaign, a student health campaign that aims to creative positive awareness of mental health amongst students.

Bressie also shared the story of his own personal struggles with mental health, having encountered crippling anxiety all through his teenage years and depression in his early twenties.

“It’s a nausea that comes from the absolute core, from the very pit of your stomach and it reverberates through-

Credit: TV3

out your entire body,” said Bressie about experiencing anxiety.

He also shared the story of his first day in college in University College Dublin where he had a panic attack in a crowded lecture hall.

The incident led to the singer opting to self medicate with Xanax in order to get through lectures before ultimately dropping out

after two weeks because he didn’t feel he could handle the pressure.

His struggles with mental health culminated in a break down he suffered whilst living in London just days before he was offered a job as a coach on The Voice of Ireland.

The Stamp Out Stigma campaign continues with a talk from Elma Walsh, mother of Donal

Walsh, next Thursday in The Venue.Harris believes the growth of the tech industry will benefit Rural Ireland, “I think the opportunities for businesses in a place like West Cork is the recognition that traditional boundaries are now eliminated. They can build a customer base beyond the traditional boundaries.”

DCU students launch new campaign ‘My dress is not a Yes’ However, one of the organisers, Luisne Mac Conghail, told The College View that the responses they received highlighted that most students are still unable to define the true meaning of consent.

“A lot of people were takA group of DCU students are tack- en aback by the question, and ling the issue of sexual consent didn’t exactly know what the through the launch of a new cam- answer would be,” she said. paign, “My Dress is not a Yes”.

“Because we don’t have an exThe campaign has been act definition in Irish law, I feel set up by second year Health like it’s kind of a shady area.” and Society students to raise A survey was carried out on 100 awareness of sexual consent students across campus as part of amongst third level students. the campaign, and found that 48 As part of the campaign, or- per cent of female students reguganisers have set up a Facebook larly experience uninvited or inpage, created a promotional vid- appropriate physical contact such eo, and have been working with as kissing, hugging and touching. the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Seventeen per cent of males They also created a voxpop said that they are often subject to asking students what consent this behaviour, while 56 per cent means to them. Recorded an- have experienced it a few times. swers included “when both peoSeventy eight per cent of feple make an agreement”, “being males surveyed also said that they capable”, and “being in the right have proceeded in a sexual encounsense of mind to say yes or no”. ter because they felt pressured,

Lisa O’Donnell Opinions Editor @lisao_donnell

Credit: TV3

compared to 22 per cent of men.

DCU students are not the only ones addressing this issue, as UCD’s Student Union recently held their first ever slutwalk on their campus.

Around 100 students took part in the march, which was part of UCD SU’s #NotAskingForIt campaign.

The topic of consent has been

prevalent on Irish college campus this academic year due to the “Ask Consent” campaign, which was launched in September by Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald, along with the USI and several rape crisis centres across the country.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Uni students receive less grants than ITs

Paul Dwyer News Reporter @thecollegeview

A recent study carried out by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has found that universities in Ireland have some of the lowest level of students receiving grants compared with institutes of technologies.

New figures show that there is a considerable difference in incomes across different third level institutions. This is the first time that a college by college breakdown of the student body by grant-holders has been published.

The figures are based on an analysis of all students who began an undergraduate course in 2013.

The results of the study show that 36 per cent of students in DCU receive a grant that covers full fees as well as extra financial assistance.

This figure is on the lower end of the scale when compared with such institutions as Letterkenny I.T (LIT) where 71 per cent of the students who attend have their fees covered and receive monetary assistance from the SUSI grant.

Overall, the study found that more than 46 per cent of students across all higher education institutions were in receipt of a student grant. This makes DCU students 10 per cent less dependent on grant assistance than other third level institutes in Ireland.

Tom Boland, chief executive of the Higher Education Authority, said that the figures of the study suggested that many urban areas, especially in Dublin, were worrying.

He said, “It remains a concern that in some urban areas, particularly in Dublin, levels of participation in education are too low.”

Mr. Boland also added that this new data would provide the basis for the implementation of a new national strategy to help give people access to higher education.

He continued to say there was a strong correlation between urban disadvantage and educational underperformance.

He said, “That is a societal issue that should cause alarm.

It requires a renewed focus and fresh solutions, including those developed by higher and further education in partnership with local communities.”

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Opinion 9

Women’s problems are so much greater than deciding what to wear

Cliona nic Dhomhaill talks about how modern feminism often undermines some of the struggles facing women around the world.

ON November 9th, Caitlyn Jenner won the Glamour Magazine ‘Woman of the Year’ Award, and made her way up to the stage with an acceptance speech that I was sure would blow everyone away. I was disappointed. Instead of talking about the struggles she was overcoming that are part and parcel of being a woman, or the many positive changes she made during the year, she spoke about how much fun she was having being a woman, and how she could now read Glamour Magazine without being afraid of what people might think.

But what Caitlyn failed to mention during her acceptance speech is that there is so much more to being a woman than having fun.

I really thought she knew that, and I believe she is an undeserving recipient of the ‘Woman of the Year’ Award. And I don’t care that she has “only been a woman” for 6 months and not a full year, as some people have ignorantly argued.

She is undeserving of the ‘Woman of the Year’ Award because when asked what the hardest part about being a woman was, she responded with “the hardest part about being a woman is figuring out what to wear”.

As a woman myself, I can assure you that the hardest part about being a woman is most definitely not figuring out what to wear.

But unfortunately, this comment resembles a common attitude in this day and age.

The term ‘feminism’ originated when women fought for basic human rights such as the right to vote, and endured imprisonment in order to achieve this not only for themselves, but for the generations to follow them.

However, statements such as that made by Caitlyn completely undermine the persecution women went through to give us the rights that we now take for granted, and the women across the globe today who are still facing these struggles.

Caitlyn is not the only person to undermine this. In the first world, feminists are considered to be those who spend their time protesting for the right to show their nipples on social media. They are those who contributed to the ‘Piss for Equality’ hashtag, which involved women literally urinating in their pants and documenting it, in order to protest against the fact that women cannot easily urinate in public, unlike men.

To all those who put so much time and effort into fighting 21st century ‘struggles’ facing women, it is important to remember that there are still women in Ireland and across the world who are being undermined to a much more severe extent because of their gender.

For example, on average

“ These are the kind of feminist issues women need to put time into to fight against in Ireland, women only make 86c for every €1 a man makes.

It’s even worse in the United States, with women only making 70c for every $1 a man makes.

In Saudi Arabia, women are

banned from driving, according to their laws. Women are also deprived of the right to mix with men publicly and are seen as a possession of their husband or male relative. Sounds a little bit harder

Credit: Glamour

than picking out an outfit to me.

The hardest part about being a woman in some cultures is the very real danger of rape. From September 2011 to September 2012, a staggering 64,514 rapes were reported to the South African Police Services. That equates to over 176 rapes in South Africa a day, and those are only the offences that were reported to the police.

And it is important not to forget the Kumari sisters. The Indian sisters, aged 23 and 15, have been told by their unelected village council that they will be repeatedly gang-raped as punishment for their brother eloping with a married woman. That’s correct, two innocent females will be punished for their brother’s crime.

These are the kind of feminist

issues women need to put their energy into fighting against. If we took half the amount of time we invested in getting #freethenipple trending, and used it to discuss the above issues instead, just imagine the amount of awareness we could raise.

Hearing someone uttering the words “the hardest part about being a woman is figuring out what to wear” while holding a ‘Woman of the Year’ Award is, in my opinion, a spit in the face of all of these women who are still fighting to be given their basic human rights.

There are many difficult things about being a woman. But the hardest part about being a woman has never been, and unfortunately never will be, figuring out what to wear.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

10 Opinion

The retaliation cycle keeps on spinning

Following the horror of the Paris attacks, Aidan Delaney asks if retaliating with more violence is really the answer.

I, like many people, sat down on Friday November 13th to watch a football game and to forget the troubles of the world. The Irish media was focused on the Ireland vs Bosnia game, with Twitter going into overdrive with jokes about the strange fog that had descended on the pitch.

A few small tweets were lost among the fog jokes. They were describing an incident that had occurred in Paris, and were largely ignored until the pictures came out. They were horrifying.

People lying dead in the streets, police lining the pavements and blood scattered everywhere.

When the final body count was made, 129 people were dead.

It wasn’t surprising when the following day, French President Francois Hollande announced to the world that France would be “ruthless in its response” to the attacks. At that stage, you have to imagine the celebrations that took place in the secret lairs that house the world’s most wanted terrorist group. They finally had one of their biggest enemies where they wanted them, right in the palm of their hands.

Islamic State are not the stereotypical terrorist group. This is not a rag tag bunch that are haphazardly lobbing bombs at problems and

“

Pictures of crying children, and dead bodies and homemade crosses and wreaths will fill the front pages of newspapers across the world hoping they’ll go away. They know they need to unite the people of the Middle East along with the worldwide Muslim community to drive the “infidels” from their land.

They know exactly how to do it too. What they need is a tragedy. They need an event so horrific that it causes the whole of the Middle East to come together for a single cause. They need their Paris.

The French retaliation is all part of he plan. The images of planes with the French Tricolour

Credit: Getty Images

dropping bombs on Syrian cities will flood the TV news stations from Turkey to Egypt. Pictures of crying children, and dead bodies and homemade crosses and wreaths will fill the front pages of newspapers across the world.

The anger will mount and result in another attack on a Western city. See the pattern here?

This is not a new situation of course. Following 9/11, the US

launched one of the largest retaliation operations in history, as it looked to avenge the 3000 who died on that day. What they didn’t foresee was that they were also launching what would be one of the longest wars in history.

For nearly 13 years, American soldiers were reducing Iraqi cities to dust, and losing many innocent men in the process. What do they have to show for it? On April 15th,

2013, three people died and 280 were injured in the Boston Bombing. Why? Because of American attacks on Middle Eastern countries.

The saying goes, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”.

We can see that violence only begets more violence. And if we can see it, we can stop it. How many more Paris attacks do we need before the vicious cycle is stopped?

Catholic or otherwise, every child has the right to an education Laura Roddy discusses why it’s time to remove religious influence from Irish schools.

Credit: Salvatore Laporta

A campaigner for human rights and equality recently submitted a petition to the Irish Government, demanding an end to religious discrimination in education.

Around 20,000 people signed this petition, asking for the Equal Status Act to be amended so that children will not be given preferential access to a state-funded school on the basis of their religion.

This raises the question that appears time and time again in relation to the Irish Education System - should state-funded schools still be controlled (directly or indirectly) by religious entities?

In Ireland, over 96 per cent of national schools are under religious patronage, with 93 per cent of these controlled by the Catholic Church.

Between 1991 and 2011, there was a 400 per cent increase in people who do not practice their religion or have no religious beliefs.

If this is the case, then the education system simply is not catering to the needs of our society and its members.

There have been reports that some parents baptise their children just in order for them to gain entry into schools, as religion is a prerequisite for immediate enrolment in certain schools.

Though it seems like a futile move, these families have little choice because there simply is not enough non-denominational schools in the country.

Not only does the education system isolate atheists, but children of other religions also.

Most national schools in Ireland teach a religious curriculum based around Christian ideology. Most primary school classrooms have a cross over their white boards, and many teachers still say a religious prayer before class begins.

The system needs to be changed to reflect the more diverse society that Ireland has become in recent years.

The teaching of religion has changed in post-primary schools in recent years, where students learn about the five major world religions instead of

“

The system needs to be changed to reflect the more diverse society that Ireland has become in recent years

focusing on only one, but larger steps need to be taken. However, this is easier said than done.

When Ruairi Quinn was the Minister for Education, he tried to transfer voluntary religious schools to non-denominational ones. Three schools in the country were transferred. Two of them were in the patronage of the Protestant Church and the third was in the patronage of the Catholic Church.

The major problem with the transfer of schools is that the Protestant and Catholic Churches own the land and school-buildings themselves, while the State funds the running of them.

This means that if schools in Ireland were to be transferred to non-religious schools, the buildings would have to be bought by the State, and this may explain why Minister Quinn’s initiative failed.

Nevertheless, the fact that Ireland’s education system is not mirroring the society in which it needs to nurture should not be pushed to the side just because one approach was unsuccessful.

An agreement between the State and the religious churches must be taken in order to ensure that each child in Ireland is given their constitutional right to an equal education.

Religion should not be the guiding force within any educational system.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Gaeilge 11

Mo thaithí ar Erasmus sa Fhrainc

Creidmeasha: Google Images

Muiríosa O’Sullivan Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview

NÍ raibh sé i gconaí ar intinn agam an bhliain ‘Erasmus’ a dhéanamh.

Bhí a fhios agam go mbeadh sé úsáideach domsa, ach theastaigh uaim mo chéim sa Ghaeilge agus sa Fhraincis a dhéanamh chomh tapa agus a dtiocfadh liom. Shíl mé go mbeadh sé i bhfad ró-deacair bliain iomlán a chaitheamh i dtír iasachta i m’aonar gan mo theaghlach agus mo chairde. Ní raibh aon fhonn orm iad a fhágáil.

Nuair a tháinig an tseachtain dheireanach chun mo chinneadh a dhéanamh áfach, chuir mo Dhad brú ollmhór orm an ‘Erasmus’ a dhéanamh agus d’aontaigh mé leis faoi dheireadh.

Gan dabht ní raibh mé réidh do gach rud romhaim nuair a shroic mé m’ollscoil nua i Perpignan i ndeisceart na Fraince. Thóg sé roinnt mhaith ama dul i dtaithí le mo shaol nua. Ar dtús bhí orm trial a bhaint as a lán ranganna difriúla roimh a d’fhéadfainn mo ranganna a roghnú don bhliain.

Dá bhrí sin bhí mé ag déanamh thart ar tríocha uair de ranganna don chéad dhá sheachtain ar an ollscoil. Bhí mé tuirseach traochta an t-am ar fad. Bhí orm foirmeacha tar éis foirmeacha eile a líonadh, rud a chur strus mór orm!

Má tá tú sa chéad nó sa dara bhliain anois agus é i gceist agat dul thar lear go dtí na Fraince, is maith an rud é a thuiscint go bh-

“

Má tá tú sa chéad nó sa dara bhliain anois agus é i gceist agat dul thar lear go dtí na Fraince, is maith an rud é a thuiscint go bhfuil an córas oideachais sa Fhrainc i bhfad níos deacra ná atá in Éirinn. fuil an córas oideachais sa Fhrainc i bhfad níos deacra ná atá in Éirinn.

Is é daichead faoin gcéad an pasmharc in Éirinn. Bhí fíor-ionadh orm nuair a dúirt na leachtóirí linn gur caoga faoin gcéad an pasmharc i ngach scrúdú. Ina theannta sin, má tá tú as láthair i gcomhair trí rang nó níos mó, níl cead agat na scrúdaithe stáit a dhéanamh ag am Nollag nó sa samhradh . Tá an riail seo an-dian ar fad.

Tosnaíonn na ranganna ag a hocht a chlog ar maidin sa Fhrainc. Mar sin, má tá tú ar nós seilide (cosúil liomsa) ag éirí sa go moch ar maidin, beidh go leor aláram socraithe agat. Uaireanta críochaníonn na ranganna ag a hocht a chlog tráthnóna. É sin ráite, téann tú i dtaithí leis an gcóras diaidh ar ndiaidh.

An rud is fearr faoin bhFrainc ná an aimsir ar dóigh. Cé go bhfuil mí na Nollag ann anois i Perpignan, ní théann sé faoi bhun 20 céim . Bím fós ábalta dul chuig mo ranganna i t-léine agus brístí gearra. Buntáiste eile faoi shaol na Fraince ná an iompar poiblí mar go bhfuil sé iontach saor. Ní chosnaíonn sé ach euro chun dul go dtí an príomhchathair i Montpellier.

Má tá tú san ollmhargadh nó in ionad siopadóireachta, ná bí aon ionadh ort má iarrann garda slándála ort do mhála a chuardach.

Lá amháin nuair a bhí mé ag fágáil an ollmhargadh chonaic mé beirt ghardaí slándála ag rith i ndiaidh orm. Ba bheag nár bhuail taom croí mé. Ní raibh cliú dá laghad agam cad a bhí ag tarlú - iarradh orm gach rud a chur as mo mhála.

Nuair a bhí siad lán-chinnte nár ghoid mé aon rud, bhí mé in ann dul. Bhí mo chara ina seasamh in aice liom sna tríthí ag gáire, ach bhí m’aghaidh chomh bán le púca!

Is fíor go dtaitníonn rólaí aráin leis na Francaigh. Ní rud neamhgnách é Francach a fheiceáil san ollmhargadh le deich ‘baguettes’ móra nó níos mó ina dtrálaí siopadóireachta. Bíonn il-

iomad uathdhíoltóirí a dhíolann ‘baguettes’ timpeall an campas.

Dá bhrí sin, ná bí buartha muna bhfuil an t-am agat dul chuig an mbialann idir do ranganna.

Sa Fhrainc ar an Domhnach déanann daoine faic! Ní féidir leat aon rud a dhéanamh mar go bhfuil na siopaí,pictiúrlanna agus an chuid is mó de na bialanna dúnta. An Satharn a bhí ann nuair a shroich mé m’ollscoil nua i Perpignan. Rinne mé dearmad bia a cheannach don lá dár gcionn. Mar thoradh, níor ith mé mórán ar an Domhnach. Ar an dea-uair bhain mé úsáid as na uathdhíoltóirí ar an gcampus a dhíol ‘baguettes’ - bhí sé níos fearr ná tada ar a laghad.

Má tá sé ar intinn agat dul thar lear ar Erasmus, an molladh atá agam duitse ná bí cinnte go bhfuil tú in ann roinnt cócaireachta a dhéanamh duit féin. Nuair a bhí

mé sa chéad agus sa dara bhliain, bhí dinnéar breá blasta réidh dom i gcónaí nuair a théinn abhaile gach deireadh seachtaine. Ach ní bheidh rudaí chomh simplí sin go deo. Réadaigh mé tar éis mo chéad seachtain sa Fhrainc nach mbeadh mé ábálta tósta le nutella agus calóga ábhair le bainne a ithe don bhliain ar fad! Mar sin, bí réidh muna bhfuil scilenna cócaireachta ró-mhaith agat.

Tá sé fíor-deacair a chreidiúint go bhfuil an chéad seimeastar beagnach thart. Níl ach dhá sheachtain fágtha anois go dtí scrúdaithe na Nollag. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta anois gur roghnaigh mé an bhliain a dhéanamh.

Caithfidh mé buíochas a ghábháil le mo Dhad as an gcinneadh seo.

Táim ag tnúth go mór leis an dara sheimeastar cheana.

GLUAIS Tír iasachta: foreign country Réadaigh: realise Uathdhíoltóirí: vending machine

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

12 Gaeilge

Léirmheas: Otherkin in Grand Social

“

Credit: : Google Images

Cal Ó Donnabháin Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview

AR an Satharn, an 6 lá de mhí na Samhna, sheinn Otherkin, banna ceoil popghrúinse bunaithe i mBaile Atha Cliath, sa ‘Grand Social’ ag seoladh a ‘EP’ nua ‘201’. Tá an grúpa ag dul ó neart go neart

agus tá sé seo so-fheicthe leis na conarthaí nua-aimseartha acu le Rimmel agus amhrán leo ar Soccer AM ar Sky 1 sa Bhreatain Mhó. Is léir go bhfuil rud éigin a dhéanamh i gceart ag na dúchasaigh de chuid Bhaile Atha Cliath agus iad ag aimsiú ratha timpeall achan cúinne.

D’oscail Thumper seó na hoíche, ag seinm ceoil a cuireadh Nirvana agus lucht ceoil grúinse na nóchaidí i gcuimhne duit, cé

nach raibh guth Kurt Cobain ag an bpríomh-amhránaí. Don éisteoir ag a mbeadh cluais acu don cheoil bheadh sé deacair aon bhunúlacht a chloisteáil, ach níor thóg sé sin ón mbanna go hiomlán.

Iad ag cur tús leis an gceolchoirm, níorbh fhada go raibh Thumper ag crua-chasadh, an dá ghiotáraí ag léim timpeall an stáitse mar a bheadh beirt Angus Young, iad go hiomlán tumtha sa cheol. Ag féachaint ar an bpríomh-amhránaí

Is léir go bhfuil rud éigin a dhéanamh i gceart ag na dúchasaigh de chuid Bhaile Atha Cliath agus iad ag aimsiú ratha timpeall achan cúinne

don chéad uair bhí an méid a bhí scríofa ar a t-léine aige soiléir dóibh, “Girls Invented Punk Rock Not England” agus is cosúil go dtóg siad a gcomhairle féin le ban-drumadóir seasta taobh thiar den seastán stróib sa dorchadas in aice le príomh-dhrumadóir na buíne.

Tháinig seit Thumper chun deireadh. Sár-iarracht a bhí ann tús a chur leis an seó ach ar an iomlán tréimhse imeartha lag a bhí ann, agus bhí sos ann don slua

tabhairt faoin mbeár arís. Choimeád foireann an Grand Social an slua ag baint taitnimh as an ócáid, iad ag craoladh ceoil bannaí nua Éireannacha as na callairí. Faoi dheireadh múchadh na soilse agus chas gach éinne i dtreo an stáitse.

Ag cur in iúl don scata seasta os a gcomhair nach raibh ach dhá uair a’ chloig codlata faighte acu roimh teacht chun na ceolchoirme dóibh, thosaigh siad ag plancadh agus níorbh fada go dtí go raibh gach éinne ag luascadh anonn ‘s anall le rithim an cheoil. Mar a lean an oíche ar aghaidh tógadh faoi deara nach raibh meascadh ceoil na ceolchoirme ag an gcaighdeán cuí agus bhí aisfhotha as an gcóras fuaime ag cur isteach ar an mbailiúchán. Chomh maith leis an aisfhothú, bhí cumhacht na stróibe ró-láidir agus gach uair a chas siad i dtreo an lucht féachana casadh gach uile cloigeann sa treo eile.

Is dócha nár lig an slua do na meancóga millteanacha seo cur isteach orthu agus níor thóg siad óna dtaithí, Otherkin ag cur sárseó ar siúl ó thús go deireadh, an doird á treoiriú go héifeachtach. Ar an iomlán, ní raibh sé ró-shoiléir go raibh baill den lucht féachana mí-shásta leis an gcruinn-iarracht ar chuala siad agus leis na cnaga ar fad cosúil le “Ay Ay” agus “Feel It” ag cur i gcuimhne dóibh go raibh €12 caite go maith acu ar bhanna de hard-chaighdeán le drochmheascthóirí fuaime ag ladhdú an chaighdeáin, is cosúil go raibh sár oíche ag gach aon duine agus chabhraigh na piontaí a bhí ag sreabhadh le seo!

All Ireland Dance Experiment Gaeilge gan stró, Gaeilge i ngnó 2015 Dare to Dance Nicole Cassidy Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview

BHÍ an All-Ireland Dance Experiment ar siúl anseo in ÓCBÁC, ar an gCeadaoin, an 11ú lá de Samhain. Tháinig cúig ollscoile ó fud na tíre chun a gcuid scileanna i dtaobh an damhsa a thaispeáint ar fad ar son cúis mhaith.

Bhí an seó, a bhfuil ar siúl gach bhliain, curtha ar stáitse sa Helix. An aidhm atá ag an oíche ná airgead a thuilleadh le haghaidh an carthanas Ronald McDonald.

Tháinig Ollscoil na hÉireann Báile Átha Cliath, Coláiste na Trionóide, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath, Ollscoil Luimnigh agus Ollscoil na hÉireann Mhá Nuadh le chéile le Dance DCU chun taispéantas den scoth a thabhairt.

Fuair gach ollscoil seacht noiméad ar an ardán, am ina d’fhreastail siad ar an gcuid is mó de gach stíl damhsa.

D’oscail DCU Dance an seó. D’éirigh leo chuile duine sa lucht feachána a shásamh,

Áine Marie Monk Eagarthóir @ainemonk

Credit: : DCU Dance

le gach rud ó snagcheoil go damhsa na linne ar siúl acu.

Is léir gur leag siad an sprioc síos, agus lean an oíche ar aghaidh ar ard-chaighdéan. Dúirt ceann de na breathnóirí ‘All the routines were amazing, I was dancing in my seat all night!’

Bhí an lucht feachána abálta sult a bhaint as an gceoldráma ‘Big

Shot’ a bhí curtha ar siúl sa dara leath den seó. Tá an ceoldráma, scríobtha ag Lauryn Gaffney, a bhfuil ina iar-mhic léinn ÓCBÁC, suite i Nua-Eabhrac. Leanann sé scéal Jimmy Crocker, a bhfuil ina dhlíodóir, a thiteann i ngrá le Carrie, freastalaí a bhfuil tionchar ar leith aici ar an gcás is deanaí.

NÍ haon ionadh go raibh an cheist seo ar intinn agam i rith na seachtainí beaga anuas agus mé tar éis post nua a fháil i siopa ollmhór éadaí. Cén fáth nach dtugadh an stádas céanna do Ghaeilge sna háiteanna oibre a bhíonn á bhronnadh ar theangacha eile Eorpacha, cosúil leis an Fhrancis nó an Ghearmáinis?!

Má’s rud é go bhfuil tú in ann teanga a labhairt go líofa mar a deir do CV, níos minice ná a mhalairt cuirfear ceist ort faoin scil fíor-úsáideach sin ar dtús in agallamh agus tú ag lorg fostaíochta. Ní minic a chuirtear ceist faoin Ghaeilge ar dtús seachas má tá tú ag baint céim amach inti go luath.

Moltar teangacha aduaine nó dúchasacha, ag braith ar an áit, a usáid agus an deis a thabhairt don phobal agus do na custaméirí ar fad, a dteangacha féin a labhairt agus iad ag iarraidh táirgí a cheannach ann.

Céard a tharlóidh má théann duine éigean chuig siopa nó comhlacht nó gnó ar bith ag iarraidh cumarsáid a dhéanamh leis na hoibrithe trí mheán na Gaeilge?

Ba í an Ghaeilge an 23ú teanga oifigiúil ceaptha san Aontas Eorpach. I nDeireadh Fómhair 2011 a tháinig an t-athrú seo i bhfeidhm go dlíthiúil. Costas €3.5 milliúin Euro atá ar an athrú seo chuile bliain, ach ní féidir linn í a labhairt go laethúil inár áit oibre.

Deirtear go bhfuil níos mó ná 40% den daonra cónaithe in Éirinn in ann an mionteanga a labhairt. Mar sin, cén fáth nach bhfuil áiseanna níos nua-aimseartha ,ná atá faoi láthair, curtha ar fáil anois in ionad sa todhchaí?

Smaoinigh mé ar an bhfíseán ‘Yu Ming is ainm dom’ agus meon na ndaoine ar laethanta saoire in Éirinn, b’fhéidir go bhfuil siad ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a chloisteáil agus í a labhairt, ach nuair a thagann siad, ní chloistear ach Béarla agus ‘cúpla focal’. Nach mbeadh sé níos fearr ár dteanga féin a chur in úsáid agus ár gcuid féiniúlacht a thaispeáint go bhródúil arís?

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Features 13

Will Sheen’s HIV help or hinder the cause?

In light of Charlie Sheens recent announcement, Megan Roantree looks at the lack of knowledge and the stigma attached to HIV.

Credit: nyppagessix.com

Megan Roantree Features Editor @MeganRoantree

IT emerged recently that Two and

a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen, has been HIV positive for over four years. While some might think this is a step forward for HIV destigmatisation - and it probably will be in the long run the way he went about revealing it, and the subsequent comments made, are potentially damaging.

This was revealed in an interview on American chat show The Today Show after months of rumours and speculation. Sheen discloses not wanting to pay any more in hush money as one of the reasons for his admission.

Sheen had allegedly paid millions to various people who knew of his condition to keep it hidden.

While it is not his responsibility to include the public and media in his personal health, paying out millions to ensure it was not known, does nothing to help the stigma of shame that many say they face.

During the same interview Sheen was asked by presenter Matt Lauer if he “knowingly or even perhaps unknowingly

transmitted the HIV virus to someone else since [his] diagnosis” to which he simply replied by shaking his head and saying “impossible”. This statement was made just moments after he described himself in a dark spiral of alcoholism and drug addiction, meaning he was influenced by the above for much of the past four years. Sheen is also in no way a medical expert and saying that it was impossible to have transmitted the disease is a harmful statement and most likely difficult to be certain of.

While he may have come out with some irresponsible comments, Sheen has also done something important - he has got people talking about an illness which affects millions of people worldwide. Sheen did say that he hoped his admission would help a lot of people. A discussion like this with anyone in the public eye will get others talking, encourage testing and safe sex and break down stigma. “Hopefully with what we are doing today others may come forward and say thanks Charlie, thanks for kicking the door open,” Sheen said.

With the inevitability of a discussion surrounding HIV becoming more prominent because of

“

Sheen may have made irresponsible comments but has also done something important- he has got people talking about an illness which affects millions of people worldwide.

this, it is important to address the stigma and misconceptions that are attached to the virus.

Executive director of HIV Ireland Niall Mulligan says that the stigma is still an issue in Ireland. “People do not have an understanding of what HIV is and what it means to be living with it. People think despite advances in medication, it will inevitably lead to death. There is a lack of understanding about how HIV is transmitted and how it can be managed. It is often associated with behaviours that are subject to moral judgements (homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution, or promiscuity). Therefore, HIV is viewed as a moral problem rather than a medical condition.”

Despite stigma still attached to the virus, Ireland has in fact advanced in recent years. Under the Equal Status Act 2000-2008 and the Equality Act 2004 it is illegal to discriminate against people with HIV in employment, education, and in the provision of goods and services.

A common misconception regarding HIV is that it is the same as AIDS. However, this is not the case. HIV is a virus which infects and kills white blood cells and can leave the body unable to

fight off infections and cancers.

AIDS is a condition which causes serious damage to ones immune system and occurs if HIV is not treated. However due to modern advances in medication it is much less likely that AIDS will develop.

“A person who is living with HIV can have the same life expectancy as those who are not,” explains Mulligan.

Another misconception is that only homosexual men and drug users can be affected

by HIV. However, anyone who has unprotected sex or shares infected equipment could become HIV positive. According to the Gay Lesbian Equality Network, in 2013, 344 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in Ireland, 75 per cent of new HIV diagnoses were in men and 25 per cent in women, a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. While over 46 per cent of those diagnosed were homosexual, 38 per cent of people diagnosed were infected through heterosexual intercourse.

He advises that college students who are sexually active should be getting tested regularly and should be using condoms consistently. “Student Unions

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

14 Features

Books have a future, but not in storytelling Books once had a place in people’s hearts but are they now merely an intelligent looking design feature of the modern home?

Shauna Bowers Contributor @thecollegeview

IN an ever expanding techno-

logical world, the future of books has been questioned incessantly. Where does something as old-fashioned as a book lie when there is the constant invention of new, innovative gadgets?

The creation of technology, such as Kindles and tablets, seems to have replaced the tangible, printed books. People can read stories online rather than having to buy the actual book. The invention of the Kindle enables readers to keep all of their books in one place without taking up a huge amount of space and it also means that they can pay a smaller amount of money for the same title as they do not need to pay for the paper. Does this mean that books will become nothing more than a romantic memory?

“Books definitely have a future. Recent sales and distribution show that books are coming back into circulation. Sales have

increased in the past 24 months.”

Máire Griffin, from The Winding Stair bookshop in Dublin, said to The College View.

She also agreed that there was a period of time over the past five years, when sales plummeted as everybody turned to electronic devices but she believes ‘books will always have a place in our lives’.

A company called Books by the Foot has emerged and it allows buyers to purchase a linear foot of books at a set price to match the interior design of their chosen room. You select a broad subject and the colour you want and then the company chooses the books to complete your collection. The authors and titles are an irrelevant factor that does not matter to the buyers.

The colours and styles are the most significant feature as the purpose of these collections is to complement the interior design of the home. As long as the cover of the book reflects the vibe of the room then that is all that matters. While this can be useful when

“

The authors and titles are an irrelevant factor, as long as the cover of the book reflects the vibe of the room that is all that matters

devising a room, does it mean that books will evolve into a mere decorative ornament?

Charles E Roberts, the president of Books by the Foot and

Credit: www.oprah.com

Wonder Book, said: “Books have had a decorative as well as informative function.

For hundreds of years people all over the world have built beautiful shelves and libraries to display books.”

“If a book is no longer viable as a reading or informative copy we try to find a place for it with

designers, decorators (and) prop masters who will put them on display prolonging their existence as books. So, sorting books to be marketed as decorative objects is a secondary object.

The ‘last resort’ to keep that book as a ‘book’,” he said to The College View.

The importance of LinkedIn for university students Being hired directly after college often seems impossible, having a polished LinkedIn page could make all the difference.

Hannah Moran Contributor @thecollegeview

WITH over 300 million users LinkedIn is becoming the new way to network. The website and app work by providing an interactive profile for users to share information about their professional life and connect with others in their industry.

LinkedIn is an important tool for students to help connect with potential employers post-graduation. LinkedIn is like an online CV which gives users a platform to share work experience and engage on a professional level with connections. It allows you to personalise your profile to list skills and achievements, which can then be endorsed by your connections.

LinkedIn provides an opportunity to build relationships with those with mutual professional attributes and career interests.

It is an important medium for students looking for a career in industries driven by connections.

Last week DCU held a LinkedIn day on campus, where stu-

dents were given the opportunity to have their headshots taken by a LinkedIn photographer. Head of Careers Service in DCU, Yvonne McLoughlin, gave a talk about the benefits of joining LinkedIn for students. She said, “LinkedIn can help increase chances of getting a job by broadening opportunities to connect with potential employers.

“70 per cent of jobs are sourced through networking.”

LinkedIn is useful for students because it helps them to expand their network and get noticed by the right people. It also helps to develop professional relationships with those in a similar field that ordinarily you wouldn’t get the chance to meet.

Groups on LinkedIn allow users to engage in conversation with connections about mutual interests and are beneficial for students wanting to expand their social circles on a professional level.

In many professions, sharing your work with peers is important to get feedback and open discussion on topical issues. With LinkedIn you can share work, such as articles or papers, with connections.

“

LinkedIn also helps to develop professional relatioships with those in a similar field that ordinarily you wouldn’t get the chance to meet

Sharing work can also benefit in job searching as it showcases abilities and experience to potential employers.

For graduates in search of work it is important to learn as much about companies as possible before applying for jobs or undergoing interviews. LinkedIn can be used as a resource to find out more about what companies

Credit: Studentcareercoach

want in their employees. You can identify what skills companies are looking for and craft your profile around your abilities to match.

More and more companies use online resources to hire new staff. It’s important to remember that LinkedIn is a professional platform and the information you provide about yourself should be

career centred.

Everyone that you connect with may provide an opportunity to help you further your career.

Using a resource like LinkedIn may be exactly what you need to get noticed to get the job you want.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

Features 15

When healthy eating becomes an unhealthy obsession The obsession with healthy eating is becoming more prominent every day, but the intention to eat well can become a dangerous disorder if it is taken to extremes.

Credit: au.lifestyle.yahoo.com

Amy Mulvaney Contributor @thecollegeview

GROWING up we were told “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, and we were drilled with the importance of getting our five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. But, what happens when healthy eating becomes unhealthy?

Dr. Steven Bratman defined the term, orthorexia nervosa, as “an obsession with healthy food that involves other emotional factors and has become psychologically and perhaps even physically unhealthy”, in 1996 when a number of his clients took a healthy diet too far.

While there are no current statistics showing how many people there are who are orthorexic, with hashtags like #eatclean and #fitspo trending worldwide daily, there’s no denying that the pressure to eat healthily is higher than ever.

No longer does eating healthily just entail having your five a day, being healthy in 2015 can involve adapting to a vegan, paleo or vegetarian diet, to name a few.

It is when eating healthily becomes such an obsession and impacts you psychologically that it becomes unhealthy.

Restrictive diets where you cancel out entire food groups aren’t just things you read about in gossip magazines anymore. They are everyday diets that are spread across social media every day.

There are accounts, blogs and YouTube channels solely dedicated to these diets and lifestyles, with some gaining hundreds of thousands of followers.

The important thing is to maintain a balance between being healthy and being obsessed with health.

Sarah Wilson is a blogger, journalist and author of best-selling book, I Quit Sugar. Sarah’s Instagram has 115 thousand followers, while her book is sold in 46 countries worldwide. Sarah encourages cutting sugar, in the form of fructose, entirely out of your diet and replacing it with natural sweeteners or savoury whole foods.

Blogger and author of Deliciously Ella, Ella Woodward, was bed-ridden with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in 2011. After having very few results from medication, Ella decided to adapt a whole-food, plant-based diet. Just 18 months after changing her diet Ella was able to come off medication and now feels better than ever.

While these two women have a healthy and positive attitude towards food, it’s very easy for

“

Orthorexia is not a devotion to healthy food, it is when it involves other emotional factors, which are psychologically and sometimes physically unhealthy

these lifestyles to be adapted in an unhealthy, obsessive way.

These lifestyle changes may start out with positive intentions, but the control, organisation and discipline needed to withhold such a strict diet can cause problems.

So, where does healthy eating cross the line into being orthorexic? Orthorexia isn’t simply a devotion to healthy food. Dr Bratman states that it involves other emotional factors and can be psychologically and sometimes physically unhealthy. It’s nearly impossible to go on social media without seeing a brightly coloured photo of someone’s acai bowl, green smoothie of the day or a perfectly positioned selfie of them in the gym. These constant reminders make it seem like everyone is eating and being healthier than you and can be guilt-inducing and dangerous.

“I hate logging into Instagram after I’ve eaten a takeaway or something unhealthy because there’s no doubt my feed will be filled with fitness bloggers posting their latest healthy recipe. It makes me feel so guilty for having my unhealthy dinner, and I feel pressured to eat healthier and to load all my meals with kale and quinoa.” St.Patricks College student, Jennifer, said.

Along with the rise of healthy eating hashtags has come more

public figures stepping out and speaking about their experiences with orthorexia.

YouTube sensation and DCU graduate, Melanie Murphy, speaks openly about her experiences with orthorexia and depression on her YouTube channel, hoping to promote a positive attitude towards food and body to her 300,000 subscribers.

After overcoming a binge-eating disorder, Melanie became orthorexic. “I didn’t realise it was time to stop. I had no idea what normal eating was. I cut back even more. I worked out even harder. I became fixated on the scales. I became orthorexic – fearing all foods that were deemed, by me, to be unhealthy and unclean.”

Since overcoming orthorexia, depression and generalised anxiety disorder, Melanie says, “I’m now at the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been, in both body and mind. Every person on this earth deserves to reach this state of mind.”

Unlike anorexia, where extreme weight-loss can show signs that someone is suffering from the disorder, orthorexia doesn’t have any tell tale signs.

If you think you or someone you know may be orthorexic, visit bodywhys for more information and resources on getting help.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 2 December, 2015

16 Features

Inspirations: Sonja Daly Ailbhe Daly explains how her mother’s ability to put others first inspires her everyday.

Ailbhe Daly Contributor @thecollegeview

CARPE diem is a phrase I learned when I was very young. I didn’t really understand it then, but sometimes things happen and everything just falls into perspective.

I’ve learned a lot about myself since my mother passed away, and I’ve discovered just how much she inspired me to be who I am. She always said to look out for others, because you don’t know how bad of a day they might be having and they might need it. This was instilled in me by my mother from a young age, and it’s a compassion I try to bring with me every day.

I remember wanting to go to a friend’s birthday party, but not having enough money to get there so grudgingly saying that I’d give it a miss. My mother, who was on disability allowance, produced a €20 note and told me to go enjoy

“

She always said to look out for others, because you don’t know how bad a day they might be having and they might need it.

it. When I was eating dinner a few days later, my mother was eating toast. It then made sense; she’d given me the money she had intended on buying food with just so I could go out.

My mother was always conscious of those struggling around her, even when she was at her most unwell. Her ability to face all her troubles and still have that beautiful smile on her face taught me to be thankful of what I have and to keep positive, even in a dire situation. The kind of selflessness that she possessed is something that I strive to someday be able to emulate in some capacity, because that woman would have given a stranger the clothes on her back just so things were a little bit easier for them.

Selflessness is inspiring because it’s putting yourself on the line for someone else for no reason other than to make their day a bit better. It’s something I never would have learned without my mother.

Like many young adults, self-confidence wasn’t my strong point. I remember people I didn’t really know coming up to me after

Credit: AilbheDaly

my mother’s funeral and regurgitating my life story to me and ending it with: “ah, your mammy was so proud of you.” Things like that inspired me to push for what I wanted to do in life, because I know that regardless of what it was, she’d be proud that I was making myself happy. Three years

later, I’m 22 and currently back in first year of the course I should have been in from the start.

Without her, I wouldn’t have pushed to be where I am today.

So yes, seize the day and be good to others, because in doing so, you are inspiring people everyday.

Victoria’s not so secret lack of diversity

Gary Grimes looks at this years’ famous fashion show, its casting and its controversy.

Gary Grimes Contributor @thecollegeview

THE Victoria’s Secret fashion

show is one of the most highly anticipated fashion events on the calendar and the hype for this year’s show has been higher than ever. However there is one aspect of the show that is almost never spoken of in the annual run up – the glaringly obvious lack of ethnic diversity on the runway.

The 2015 show featured a cast of almost 50 of fashion’s leading it-girls, including recent flavours of the month Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, but out of this year’s crop only seven of the girls were black and only one model was of Asian descent. The rest of the 47 strong cast was made up of the tallest, leanest and, of course, whitest women in the industry at the moment.

What makes this discovery even more baffling is when you learn that the second act of the show featured a walk entitled ‘Exotic Butterflies’ where the girls donned beautifully crafted lingerie pieces with a notably African influence. Some critics have even gone as far as to say that the collection is an example of cultural appropriation.

With debates regarding cultural appropriation emerging every

“

Why do Victoria’s Secret feel comfortable taking inspiration from African designs but do not feel any obligation to feature women who represent the culture?

Credit: youtube.com

day, it is hard to draw a conclusion on the topic. It does beg the question however – why does Victoria’s Secret feel comfortable taking inspiration from classic African designs and imagery but yet does not feel any obligation to feature more women in their show who could actually represent these cultures?

One women who was notably absent from this year’s spectacle

was Jourdan Dunn. The model, who last February was the first black model to grace the cover of fashion bible Vogue in 12 years, had been walking for Victoria’s Secret since 2012 but did not return to the catwalk this year.

After confirming she wouldn’t be back, she tweeted calling the show ‘bullshit’ though the tweet was quickly deleted.

It’s not clear exactly why

Dunn left the show but it has been speculated that it was due to not feeling that she was being paid as fairly as her caucasian contemporaries. To add fuel to fire, following Dunn’s departure, Stay singer Rihanna pulled out of performing at the show. The artist claimed her cancellation was so she could finish work on her album but it’s hard not to wonder if, in fact, it was an act of support

for her friend.

Whatever her reason for leaving was, it’s safe to assume Jourdan Dunn won’t be tuning in when the show airs on December 8. But for all the millions around the world who do watch the show, how many will notice the blatant racial imbalance that’s hiding behind the feathers and rhinestones?

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 3 December, 2015

Sport

17

RAG-ing Bulls Rumble in the Venue Emma Duffy Sports Reporter @CVsport

A night of blood, sweat and (very few) tears - DCU Raising and Giving Society society hosted its annual and prestigious RAG Rumble event in The Venue on Wednesday, November 25th.

The fight night saw 16 sets of fighters square up in the ring in aid of RAG’s social projects. All of the money raised goes straight to projects like Operation Paint Ballymun, Go Gaga for GAA, RAG rhythms and Ballymunch; all empowering disadvantaged children and families in Ballymun.

From the start of the night until long after presenters Gary Gillick and Alison Ring announced the winner of the main event, the atmosphere was electric. In front of a packed venue, each of the 32 fighters put on a spectacular

display of boxing after only eight weeks of training.

Following a delay due to a health issue with one of the male fighters, the evening got underway with three female fights in a row.

In a highly competitive fight, Lauren Heffernan had the edge over Zoe Whitmore with her impactful left jabs. Meabh Connolly was clinical in her win over Sinéad McCool while Sadhbh Condon’s speed and effective punches saw her past Amelie Smitka despite a notable height difference.

The first split decision from the judges came in a highly intense fight between Karl McGovern and Niall Behan. Behan, in the red corner, was named the winner after taking the final round.

Another tough match to call saw two rugby players, Niamh Griffin and Mairéad Ní Chochláin come face-to-face for bragging rights. Ní Chochláin came out on top in a match full of powerful body shots and impressive footwork and speed.

The last fight before the interval was a particularly technical one between Education Officer James Donoghue and Lukas “Statistics” Stasaitis.

Donoghue’s forceful punches were the dif-

DCU’s Colm Begley delighted with International Rules victory Cormac O’Shea Deputy Sports Editor @cormacoshea95

Ireland overcame Australia in the International Rules test on Saturday November 22nd and DCU’s Colm Begley was ecstatic with how things went for the Irish selection“I was delighted with the game, especially when we had such a bad start in the last series”, Begley said, referring to Ireland’s loss in the first test by 10 points.“It seemed to be played at a good speed and

“

I think overall GAA players are at a professional level, they just have the luxury of doing it seven days a week

Education Officer James Donoghue(blue) lands to the body in his victory over Lucas Staasitis Credit: Chai Brady

ference at the end of the four and a half minute thriller.

After an impressive exhibition match from DCU Boxing club who trained the fighters in preparation for the event and a performance by the DCU Dolls, the boxing recommenced with the most physical fight of the night between Cathal Keane Breslin and Killian Wegner.

The referee was forced to call for the bell early as Wegner’s imposing power shots drew blood to Breslin, resulting in a unanimous victory.

Eimear Rooney controlled her match to beat Catherine Batstone while Niamh Whelan and Sonya Beatty’s fight was quite even and exhibited clever boxing, but Whelan narrowly edged her way to triumph.

Jordan Logue’s quickness in

the overall result is always helpful when you’re at home,” he said.

Having played both disciplines himself the Stradbally native thinks the International Rules series is “starting to find a nice medium”, with regard to the rules.

“The teams were quite level at certain stages, [there were] four points in the game last time and ten points the time before that. It would show the rules are probably level in some way.”

With GAA players increasingly becoming as fit as professionals, Begley believes the players are nearing the same physical level as their Australian counterparts.

“I think overall GAA players are at a professional level, especially at the top. As regards professionals, they just have the luxury of doing it seven days a week.”

Whether or not all Gaelic footballers could make the change like he did to Australian Rules, which uses an ovalshaped ball, Begley was unsure.

“A few boys would love to do it.

I think if you gave us two months the players would get a good understanding how to pass the ball.

“Bouncing it is strange enough though. It’s one of the hardest things to do. Even plain hand passing is quite difficult too,” Begley added.

“Our players would be able to adapt but to get to

the ring and the failure of many of Conor Hawkins’ punches to land effectively decided the eleventh fight.

Niall Connolly was victorious over Jordan Kavanagh by a split decision in an extremely intense and highly competitive fight. Great sportsmanship was displayed between the pair as they left the ring together despite the result.

RAG Chairperson Caoimhe Ní Mhaolagáin saw off Emily Hawkins, saying her win was “the cherry on top of an unbelievable event”.

DCU boxer and coach Michael Faney stepped in to fight Phil Corrigan after a problem with Thomas Walsh before the event kicked off. Corrigan fought admirably and just lost out to a split decision from the judges.

Unquestionably, the most en-

their level would be tough.”

Begley is now in his final year of his Sports Science degree at Dublin City University and is feeling right at home. He has become an integral part of the DCU Gaelic football team and after winning the Sigerson Cup last year he is hopeful that they can complete back-to-back wins.

“I think we have a great panel to do it. We haven’t [lost that many from last year] and we have some fresh players.

“Last year you saw UCC, UCD and ourselves were all very close and even St. Mary’s put it up to us massively in the quarter-final.

“There’s a chance we could win it but I think there are another three teams who could win it too,” the Laois man claimed.

Aside from the Sigerson Cup, Begley is also looking forward to 2016 with Laois, who will open their Leinster Championship campaign against Wicklow.

The winner of that game will face Dublin in Nowlan Park, a controversial choice among Laois people and one Begley can’t get his head around.

“It just seems to be an apathetic way of saying Dublin are out of Croke Park. If they are not going to play it in Laois I’d say scrap it and play it in Croke Park. I wouldn’t mind a day out there if we get a chance.”

tertaining fight of the evening saw Peter Wright square up to MMA fighter Solomon Simon. Both fighters displayed a similar stylequickness, ducking and diving. Simon won by a split decision in the end, with Gary Gillick describing it as an “exceptional fight”.

The last fight of the night saw Elton Babela cooly edge past Niall Murphy, in a physical encounter in which both fighters lost their balance due to the power of the shots.

“We’re just delighted that everyone was proud to be a part of the event and that everyone in the audience enjoyed it. Endless thanks to everyone involved,” said RAG Events Manager Síne Nig Eochaidh to The College View. “We’re already looking forward to next year’s event.”

Begley and Philly McMahon celebrate victory Credit: The Herald

18

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 3 December, 2015

Sport

Johnson inspires second half Saints comeback DCU Saints 73 UCD Marian 70

Basketball Ireland Men’s Premier League

William Dunne Sports Reporter @CVsport

DCU Saints came from 12 points down to win their first game of the season in a valiant second half performance in their Men’s Premier League game at the DCU Sports Complex last Saturday.

American Duane Johnson scored 16 second half points in helping the Saints slump UCD Marian to their first away defeat of the season.

Johnson’s signing was only officially announced on the Saints’ Facebook page on Friday morning after arriving in Ireland earlier this month.

Johnson collected 26 rebounds and scored 18 points in an inspirational display. “When we play like we did today we feel like we can beat anybody. We could be one of the best teams in the country,” Johnson said after the win.

Push on Saints Head Coach Joey Boylan however, focused on the team’s current position and said that “we have to get out of relegation.

We need a second win to get ourselves level with those teams that are just ahead of us and once we get level with them then we can start to push on.”

As the game commenced it was in fact Johnson who won the tip only for it to be knocked down to Marian’s Michael Chubb.

The opening score of the match took over a minute to arrive but it came courtesy of Marian’s shooting guard Alex Zurn who drove at the heart of the Saints defence before popping up with the lay-up.

After just a few minutes the Saints brought on Arkadijis Makarenko in replace on Martin Neary, and it was he who spurred life into the game as DCU got on top.

Makarenko was fouled in the fifth minute resulting in two converted free-throws but two minutes later when the Saints weren’t given the benefit of the doubt, the decision had Saints boss Boylan on his feet arguing with the referees. UCD broke down the other end and gained the lead for the first time since the opening score through Dustan Moreira to make it 12-13.

The Saints took the lead once more and in the dying seconds of the first quarter Makarenko converted successive free-throws before Mark Nagle replied for Marian to bring it back to just two points.

The opening exchanges in the second quarter were shared by Makarenko and UCD’s Neil Baynes.

DCU’s leading scorer this season Eoin Darling then stepped up with a three-pointer to make the game 30-28 in his team’s favour.

Baynes replied for the away side with the game’s first dunk which later proved to be a turning point in the middle quarters as UCD began to pull away.

Marian ended the first half with eight unanswered points through Moreira, Baynes and Zurn to put the sides in at 32-40 at the interval.

At the start of the third quarter it seemed no matter what the Saints threw at the visitors they would just not budge and

“When we

play like we did today we feel like we can beat anybody. We could be one of the best teams in the country

through the superb Neil Baynes, UCD opened up a double-figured lead and after just five second half minutes led 54-42.

When Saints supporters may have feared the worst, it was Johnson who finally got into the swing of things and had some crowd members off their feet with his fourth rejection of the game.

Late surge Suddenly the Glasnevin side

Keith Anderson in possession for DCU Saints Credit: Sportsfile

were oozing with confidence and despite a rocky start to the penultimate quarter, they remained within arm’s length of their opponents at 50-58.

Martin Neary ignited the final surge for the Saints when he landed his three-pointer moments into the quarter while James Harding’s contribution brought his side back to just a four-point deficit.

Marian’s Dan James and the Saints’ Harding traded layups before Johnson brought the game back to within two points with under five minutes remaining.

D C U called a time-out h o w e v e r, immediately after Nagle landed a massive long range effort for the Southside club.

The Saints pushed on and even though he was fouled in the proceed-

ings, Johnson leveled the game at 69 a piece. Baynes and Makarenko converted single free-throws respectively for their sides to set up a tense finish.

Astonishingly, with only 14 seconds remaining, the excellent Makarenko finally put the Saints ahead after landing a jumper while being fouled. He followed it up with the and-one.

Marian’s buzzer beater failed to the delight of Boylan and his team who have finally opened their account this season.

D C U Saints: James H a r d ing(12), K e v i n O ’ H a n lon, Eoin Darling(7), G r a h a m Brannelly(6), Luka Nachbar Duane Johnson, DCU’s newest star Credit: Stroudcourier.com

Cvikl(7), Conor Gilligan, Arkadijs Makarenko(16), Sean Moore, Philip Neary(2), Martin Neary(5), Didzis Lauskis, Duane Johnson (18) UCD Marian: Conor Ross, Conor Meaney(11), Michael Chubb, Mark Nagle(13), Alex Zurn(6), Dan James(9), Barry Drumm, Ciaran Dunne, Neil Baynes(17), Laimonas Jonaitis, Dustan Moreira(14), James Brophy Mens Premier League 2015/16 Team

Won

Lost

Points

Templeogue 7

0

21

UCC Demons 6

1

18

Killester

6

2

18

Swords

4

3

12

UCD Marian

4

4

12

UL Eagles

3

5

9

Moycullen

2

6

6

Belfast Stars

2

6

6

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 3 December, 2015

Sport

19

Roche supports link between DCU and Shelbourne Aidan Geraghty Sports Editor @aido1895

DUBLIN City University football manager Declan Roche spoke to The College View this week about his side’s disappointment in the Collingwood Cup last season, Alan O’Sullivan’s success on numerous fronts and his desire to see colleges link up with League of Ireland clubs.

At the time of writing, Roche was preparing for his team’s CUFL quarter-final against Limerick Institute of Technology, a game the Dublin team lost 2-1 in cruel fashion thanks to Kealon O’Gorman’s 92nd minute winner.

“These are the type of game we want to be in. Over the last number of years we’ve contested many semi-finals and finals so it’s just a case of progressing every year,”said Roche of the importance of Wednesday’s game in Nenagh.

DCU’s CUFL Premier Division team has availed of the services of Shelbourne’s Alan O’Sullivan since he began studying at DCU last year, and Roche insists that O’Sullivan’s commitments to his club and country don’t get in the way of his college football.

“You mentioned Alan as an example, and he’s the type of person who makes himself available all the time. He very seldom misses sessions and he’s never late. He’s a hard-working player who’s always there.

“Unfortunately that’s not always the case and there have been occasions when players haven’t been available due to academic or club commitments but I have to stress that it’s not their fault, it’s just the way it is. I have a very good relationship with all club managers, from the AUL to the League of Ireland. We try to get the balance right but at the end of the day, the number one priority is the player,” said Roche.

Recruitment As is the case across the world, football is part of the foundation of working class culture in Dublin.

“You mentioned Alan as an

example, and he’s the type of person who makes himself available all the time. He very seldom misses sessions and he’s never late. He’s a hard-working player who’s always there

DCU striker Alan O’Sullivan (centre) also lines out for Shelbourne Credit: Sportsfile

The downside of that, however, is that universities have an inherent disadvantage with regard to recruiting players, as talented teenagers may not have access to university.

“The fundamental thing from our perspective is that there’s very little we can say to these kids unless they actually get into DCU. Fran (Butler, head of DCU Soccer) travels to certain second-level institutions and holds workshops but ultimately the student would have to meet the academic requirements.

“We have a different model to many of the Institutes of Technology, for instance. Carlow IT or places like that have been very successful because they’ve been able to recruit the very best players at Leaving Certificate level who fall outside the University’s catchment area.

“We’re very lucky with the players we have now. We have some top players and it’s even bet-

ter that they’ve been able to come “We’ve had a number of League through the academic pathway to of Ireland players working with us get here”, said Roche. over the last number of years and each of them has commended GAA the facilities available on campus.

Roche, who plied his trade They have access to a gym seven with Shelbourne and Cork City as days a week, access to doctors and a player, claims he has great admi- medics and anything else they ration for the GAA and how it is need to help them in their careers. run in comparison to football.

“I find it strange that local “Countrywide, the GAA always League of Ireland clubs haven’t seems to have a foot march on us used our facilities, especially from (the FAI). They always seem to a sports science point of view. I be that little bit ahead of us with know Cork City have linked in what they can offer facilities-wise with UCC. I spoke to John Cauland organisation-wise. field (current Cork City and for“I wouldn’t call it a battle but mer UCC manager) about that and I’ve come across a number of du- he said he wouldn’t have it any al-players who are exceptionally other way. talented at both codes. Unfortu“I do believe that the facilities nately for us, the GAA can normal- at third-level should be a way for ly offer more than what we can.” the top clubs to link in with uniWhen asked if he’d like to see versities.”

League of Ireland clubs linking up Finally, Declan wished to conwith local universities, Shelbourne gratulate the DCU women’s footand DCU for example, Declan gave ball team on reaching the varsities a direct answer: “Yes. Most defi- finals. nitely.”

Sport THE COLLEGE VIEW

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

RAG Rumble supports Ballymun social projects

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DCU slump to Ryan Cup Final defeat Conor Moynagh under pressure in last weeks Ryan Cup Final Credit: Coilin Duffy

UCD 2-18 DCU 0-12 Ryan Cup final Aaron Gallagher Deputy Sports Editor @AaronGallagher8

UNIVERSITY College Dublin ran away as comfortable winners in the Ryan Cup Final as first half goals from Paul Mannion and Pádraic Harnan stunned DCU into an insurmountable deficit, as Niall Moyna’s side suffered a dizzying twelve-point loss at Parnell Park.

Both sides agreed free admission to the game as a crowd of around 200 spectators arrived at Parnell Park to witness the season’s first offering of silverware in this bout between the current Sigerson champions and 33-times winners UCD in the winter’s mist.

DCU went into the game having beaten Institute of Technology Carlow, Trinity College Dublin, Maynooth University and most recently University College Cork in by a total score of 16-54 to 6-26 en route to this year’s final.

UCD, too, beat University of Ulster, Jordanstown 1-15 to 1-7 in their semi-final, and it was they who ran into a quick two-point lead as scores from Eoin Lowry and Darragh Murphy either side of Ultan Harney’s score from distance put them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead early on.

They then went on the attack again as David Byrne offered a neat pass to corner-forward Lowry whose well struck effort on goal was finely tipped wide by DCU goalkeeper Brendan Flynn.

DCU were severely pinned back in the game’s early exchanges but responded well as Kevin Feely found Shane Carthy, the midfielder moving the ball forward to Conor McHugh, with the Dubliner smashing home a point from close range to steady the Northsiders’ nerves.

DCU took hold of their forward momentum to gain the upper hand after ten minutes. Steven Attride’s score was followed

by Wicklow full-forward Conor McGraynor’s strike from distance that put his side 0-4 to 0-3 ahead.

Another point from the DCU captain and one more for McHugh saw DCU race into an unprovoked 0-6 to 0-3 lead. This was short-lived however as Paul Mannion’s free kick was superseded by the Dublin forward’s well manoeuvred goal for UCD following a desperate scramble inside the DCU penalty area.

Onslaught UCD’s onslaught saw three more combined points from Mannion, Paul Kingston and Footballer of the Year Jack McCaffrey before a solitary Conor McHugh effort brought an end to the enduring chaos that had occurred – the score line now set at 1-7 to 0-7 in UCD’s favour.

An aggressive blitz from UCD was the final nail in the coffin as far as the competitive edge to the

game was concerned. UCD broke through the ranks of DCU’s absent half-back line to penetrate the open space, Paul Mannion laying the ball off for forward Pádraic Harnan to rattle the ball past the onrushing Brendan Flynn to end the half seven points ahead.

DCU offered a slow-burning comeback in the second half but it was hard-fought as Niall Kelly’s point for John Divilly’s side combined with Conor McGraynor’s wide free kick from distance offered a bleak outlook for DCU. They plugged away in a spirited underdog fashion. Captain McGraynor at last caught one of his side’s long punted passes into the mixed zone, the forward shrugging off the challenge of Darragh Murphy to arrow a fine point over the tip of the crossbar.

Comeback Three successfully converted frees from the combined efforts of McHugh and substitute Ryan Lyons put the score at 2-12 to 0-12 to UCD.

Niall Moyna’s side’s refusal to stop competing gave the impression that one goal for his side could spark the most unlikely of comebacks given the fact UCD were nine points ahead ten minutes previous.

However, Rory Connor’s effort from distance, seeming likely to fly over in inspiring fashion to motivate the Great Escape, failed and fell short.

Ultimately, so did DCU. Six unanswered points from Tommy Moolick, Mannion, Lowry, Paul Kingston and second half substitute James McEntee earned UCD a hard earned and well deserved 2-18 to 0-12 victory.

DCU: Brendan Flynn; Stephen Attride, Dessie Ward, Aiden O’Halloran (Nathan Gavigan); Dessie Reynolds (Conor McNally), Conor Moynagh (Jonathan Bealin), Kevin Feely; Steven O’Brien, Shane Carthy (Mark Plunkett); David Byrne, Ultan Harney, Rory Connor; Tom Lahiff, Conor McHugh (Ryan Lyons), Conor McGraynor (c).