The College View Issue 1

Wednesday October 3rd, 2018

www.thecollegeview.com

. Est. 1999 .

DCU unveils long awaited student centre Emily Sheahan & Callum Lavery News Editor & Editor-in-Chief @thecollegeview DCU unveiled on Thurs their new €15 million state of the art student centre ‘the U’ following a formal address by President Michael D Higgins.

The U, comprising of four floors and spanning 5,500 square metres, will cater to over 17,000 students currently in the university.

The centre will welcome an estimated 50,000 students in the next decade. It was funded entirely through donations from the Tony Ryan Trust, Bank of Ireland, DCU Commercial activities, alongside €8 million raised from student levees.

“The building embodies DCU’s values and our mission ‘to transform lives and societies,” said DCU President Brian MacCraith. He continued: “It reflects a university ethos where the development of the individual in all their strengths is central to what we do. A university that stands for educational opportunity - a university that would prefer to be known as inclusive rather than exclusive.”

President Higgins said: “It’s a building that works and I congratulate the President and the student

Credit - Emily Sheahan

Three presidents pose at the official opening of the new student centre, the U.

body for making it successful.”

Higgins also strongly encouraged all students to take advantage of the U’s new venues for arts and culture.

He concluded his speech by saying that he hoped that for the 50,000 students that will use this facility in the coming decades, the building will become a home.

The new arts and culture venues include a 2,000 person performance area for large events on campus.

Other facilities include a ‘Global Village’, a space for all students of over 115 nationalities to celebrate the diversity of cultural and ethnic backgrounds on campus.

An Entrepreneurial and Innovation Hub for both commercial and social initiatives has been organised within the centre. Chair of DCU Enactus, Terence Rooney said that new areas are “absolutely fantastic, I’m blown away by how big it is… it looks like it’s really just going to increase student en-

gagement and society life by so much”.

The U will support 115 clubs and societies currently organised on campus through meeting and engagement areas, including a new FM studio. Deputy of DCUFM Dylan Mangan said:

data science, internet of things, and sports science and technology. Upon completion, Future-Tech will also serve as a beacon for collaboration with the local, regional and national economy,” MacCraith said.

The facility will be located on DCU’s Glasnevin campus at the main entrance and believed to take up to two years to be completed, with the first students being accepted in 2121.

The facility is also expected to accommodate over 3,000 additional students, along with housing DCU’s School of Health and Human Performance.

“The Future Tech building addresses key skill needs and is aligned with the strategic objectives for DCU and wider third level sector. DCU is also experiencing capacity constraints and is

at, or close, to capacity in many key STEM areas, including undergraduate computing courses and the BSc in Engineering. The Future Tech Building will deliver an increased capacity for over 3,000 students,” Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor told The College View.

“The Future Tech Building will benefit students by facilitating expansion of student numbers in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Science and Health. There is a shortage of professionals in these areas and employment opportunities are continuing to grow,” she added.

Speaking to STEM students in DCU, they had conflicting views.

“Having a STEM designated building will really help with certain aspects of

the science courses in DCU in the future,” said third year genetics and cell biology student Sinead McQuirens.

“The building would be a great benefit to the courses but it is a pain the constant construction going on in DCU, it feels like as soon as one building is done another one is starting,” she added.

“I don’t mind that there’s going to be another building site like when they were building the new students’ union hub, it really wasn’t that intrusive and I mean anything that’s going to improve the courses and improve the stem subjects is a good thing and if you have to have another building to do it, so what it’s fine,” said Michael Kelleher, a second year engineering student.

Gaeilge

News

An t-Albam is Fearr sa tSraith Go Dtí Seo

The 8x8 festival makes it mark on DCU

Continues on page 4.

DCU granted €24m STEM research facility

Ellen Fitzpatrick News Editor @elinfizpitryk

DCU have been granted a €24 million investment into a STEM facility by the government, which has been welcomed

by DCU President Brian MacCraith.

The Department of Education and Skills announced on September 14th of this year that they would be funding this new ‘state-of-the-art’ STEM hub on the DCU campus as part of a €50 million overall Future-Tech investment.

DCU president Brian MacCraith said upon the announcement that the investment by Minister for Education John Bruton was a “timely and important capital investment”.

“This welcome development will

Features

Never a dull day in DCU Page 20

significantly enhance the learning experiences and opportunities for thousands of students pursuing STEM-related careers,” MacCraith said.

“The new 10,000 m2 ‘Future-Tech’ facility is a €50m project that will further advance DCU’s international reputation for excellence in science, computing and engineering disciplines, with a capacity to accommodate over 3,000 additional STEM students on the university’s Glasnevin campus,” he continued.

This new facility is planned to accommodate degree courses under the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and is expected to begin construction in the near future.

“The Future-Tech facility will accommodate degree programmes and research in key areas such as

Sports

DCU volleyball reliant on Erasmus students Page 22

Opinion

Will your reusable straw really save the turtles?

Page 13

Page 15

Page 3

Editorial

2 INSIDE The Hype

Editor-in-Chief Callum Lavery

Film/TV Black 47 the Irish action moie you’ve all been waiting for.

Read more on page 5.

Travel

Wanderlust J-1 in San Francisco Read more on page 13

Music

Max Zanga of Tebi Rex talks Irish hiphop.

Read more on page 3

Facebook: TheCollegeView Twitter: @thecollegeview Read more on our website; thecollegeview.com Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Callum Lavery, Deputy editor: Gabija Gataveckaite, News editors: Cáit Caden, Ellen Fitzpatrick & Emily Sheahan Deputy News editors: Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque, Catherine Gallagher, Roisin Phelan, Production editors: James Nolan & Rachel Halpin Features editor: Gabija Gataveckaite, Deputy features editor: Ciara O’Loughlin, Arts editor: Aoibhin Bryant, Deputy arts editor: Sarah Barrett & Aine O’Boyle Lifestyle editor: Lorna Lawless, Deputy Lifestyle editor: Beibhinn Thorsch, Gaeilge editor: Clíona Hughes, Deputy gaeilge editor: Jordan Hussain, Sports editor: Gerard Grimes, Deputy sports editor: John Morley & Hugh Farrell, Opinion editor: Orla Dwyer, Deputy opinion editor: Clara Kelly, Social media editor: Amy Louise Donohoe & Roise McGagh, Video editor: Lauren Timlin, Deputy video editor: Donal Corrigan, Illustrations editor: Roise McGagh,

Chief Sub-editor: Roisin Cullen, Images editor: Alison Clair, Deputy Images: Amy Louise Donohoe, Podcast editors: Lucien Waugh Daly & Niamh Dunne, Website editor: Eoin Cooke, Advertising and Marketing: Eoin Cooke, Sub-editors: Ellen Butler, Roisin Phelan, Sabrine Donohoe, Clara Kelly, John Morley, Eoin Harte, Dave Kelly Contacts editor@thecollegeview.com news@thecollegeview.com features@thecollegeview.com opinion@thecollegeview.com gaeilge@thecollegeview.com sports@thecollegeview.com Printed by Datascope, with the DCU Journalism Society Thanks to Sportsfile, SLC, Office of Student Life Logo design by Lauren McConway

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Editor’s piece

hether you are students of DCU returning from their summer break this September, or new arrivals seeing the campuses for the first time; we all shared the experience of walking through our new student centre, the ‘U’ this month.

The €15 million facility, spanning 5,500 square metres and four floors was originally dreamt up by the 2012/13 Students’ Union President, Paul Doherty. “On a napkin,” he envisaged a place that was “modern, spacious, bright, inviting...” and “student friendly.” After five years and an eighth month delay, Doherty finally saw his vision brought to life at the official opening on Thursday last week.

From an arts and cultural venue with a 2,000 person performance area, to a ‘Global Village’ catering to over 115 nationalities within the college, to brand new ‘Escape Pods” providing a social space for students with autism on campus.

The new centre is designed with all students in mind.

When President Michael D Higgins opened the building last week he congratulated DCU President Brian MacCraith and the student body on making the building a success by catering to all students.

Specifically, Higgins said: “To the 50,000 students that will use this facility in the coming decades I hope that this building will become a home.”

Home.

Home is a difficult subject for many students at the moment. Many have struggled to find a home to return to, and feared not having a home to stay in this year. Students pay hundreds more than what rooms are worth, share dorms that are unfit for purpose and live in houses that are cold, damp and unkempt by landlords with no consideration for

occupant welfare. While the U may provide a home on campus, where will many go after lectures have finished?

Our summer has been filled with news around housing and homelessness, exorbitant student accommodations and families on the streets. Our social media flooded with stories of children sleeping in garda stations, Take Back the City protests and activists/illegal occupants being manhandled and beaten while Gardai refused to intervene.

On Wednesday the third of October, DCU students will join the USI in their ‘Raise the Roof March’ protesting these rising cost and unfair conditions imposed on the student population. The College View will cover both sides every step of the way. Students are footing the second highest fee in Europe for third level education, and we are being further locked out by the lack of, and cost of, accommodation across Ireland.

The College View will continue to cover any and all stories that affect students in DCU and afar.

As with most years, the paper will strive to better itself and provide more than it has previously, this year is no exception. Our paper has been expanded by four new pages which will cater to our new sections beginning in the next issue: Business and Tech, and Health and Science.

We hope that these sections will allow us to cover a greater number of topics relevant to DCU students.

From innovation and technology to physical and mental health and well being.

We our also expanding our multi-media content by increasing the number of videos, podcasts and social media coverage, and many more surprises to come.

We greatly look forward to the year ahead.

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News

Activists officially lodged complaints about BusConnects

Cáit Caden News Editor @AreYou_Caden_me OBJECTIONS to the controversial BusConnects are officially lodged today by campaigners against the plan from across Dublin on Friday, the 28th of September.

The National Transport Authority were greeted by activists giving them petitions opposing the redesign of the capital’s public transport.

“If you take people with special needs or older people who use these buses, it’s not an adequate form of public transport for them to be using,” said Ciarán Heaphey, a protester against the new BusConnects system.

Commuters across Dublin will face disruption as many routes are being discontinued. The popular routes the 13 and the 11 will be gone under BusConnects which will directly affect DCU students on both Glasnevin and St. Patrick’s campus.

Emma Lackey, a biology and P.E

teaching student in DCU, who needs to travel between campuses, spoke about the 13 bus and how it is usually “completely full so how will they facilitate a full bus of people who need to get home, go to work or college if they take these buses away.”

TD Noel Rock voiced his concerns on the plan since its conception due to the amount of “confusion” from the people he represents in Dublin NorthWest.

Shane Ross recently showed his support for the controversial BusConnects system, which he previously stated was not in his remit during a residents association meeting.

The Minister for Transport initially stated that he does not “micro-manage” and would not be involved with the details but will be giving submissions to the ongoing public consultation for the project.

“What I said was I didn’t draw the map, and I won’t be drawing the map,” said Ross when explaining his distance from BusConnects.

For BusConnects to become a logistical possibility, many constituents may not only lose their regular bus route but also their front garden as a consequence to the capital’s public transport redesign. A sacrifice Ross believes is “in the national interest.”

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is “firmly in the tent” of the BusConnects network and is committed to working with Dublin Bus to rework routes.

Tension surrounding the public

The 8x8 festival makes it mark on DCU Roisin Phelan Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview

Bus times of some of the buses which will be discontinued under BusConnects

transport reform comes from having Jarrett Walker from the States as a consultant on the project, according to Tim Gaston the director of public transport services with the NTA. A presentation given to the board before the plan was published included

Credit: Craig Shaaban

an attack on Walker calling him an “American consultant who doesn’t understand Ireland.”

‘The horse has bolted’ on accommodation prices Emily Sheahan News Editor

@emilyaine_s

DCU Students’ Union President Vito Moloney Burk said the SU are calling on the government to provide Higher Education Institutions with grants to build purpose built student accommodation on their campuses.

Burke said that the solution to the issues that students are facing in regards to finding affordable accommodation is supply: “Prices will not go down, really, unless supply increases”.

Burke said the goal of the March for Affordable Accommodation on October 3rd is first and foremost to lobby the government to allocate grants to colleges and universities around the country to build student accommodation.

In May, Eoin Ó Broin introduced the The Residential Tenancies (student rents, rights and protections) Bill 2018 in response to the the Shanowen Shakedown movement.

In regards to the prices that increased before Ó Broin’s legislation was passed, Burke said: “The horse has bolted”. He added that the solution to bringing prices back down is increased supply of accommodation.

During the Shanowen Shakedown movement, DCU students protested the 27 per cent increase in rent for of the student specific accommodation Shanowen Square. The introduced Bill acted to cap rent increases for student accommodation at 4 per cent annually.

The DCUSU President said that its very difficult to retrospectively bring a price down but if supply is increased,

The Take Back the City protest saw nationwide demonstrations against the housing crisis, with an estimated 1,000 protestors blocking off O’Connell Street bridge.

“eventually the likes of Shanowen will start to lose business” and will be forced into reducing prices.

On September 21st, the Union of Students in Ireland passed an emergency motion to support the Take Back the City protest that occurred the following day. Members of the USI and DCUSU protested outside Uninest Student Residences on Bolton Street, where the rent starts from €255, as part

of the protest.

The Take Back the City protest saw nationwide demonstrations against the housing crisis, with an estimated 1,000 protestors blocking off O’Connell Street bridge.

In relation to the March for Affordable Accommodation, Burke said: “it could be a very effective protest, and I believe it will be, but you won’t see it overnight”. He said that the difficulty

Credit: Rolling News.ie

is that “it’s not very tangible” and could it could be years before the desired result is delivered.

“It’s a massive issue for us and it’s so relatable for DCU students”. Burke said the protest is about “not resting on our laurels” and keeping the pressure up for as long as possible, “longer than I will be here”.

STAND want to bring ‘Identity and Discrimination’ to the forefront of DCU with their annual 8x8 Festival.

The festival, ran by the non-profit initiative “STAND”, aims to educate and engage students on different global justice issues through creative exhibitions and events across college campuses STAND has supported humanitarian issues such as genocide prevention since it’s foundation in 2003.

Film and photography are the main tools STAND uses to translate and promote their message during this festival.

This year they were aiming to promote issues in particular surrounding refugee rights, women’s rights and LGBT rights under the theme of Identity and Discrimination.

“We’re focusing on the theme of Identity & Discrimination as we think it’s important that awareness is raised about the prejudice and discrimination faced by individuals and communities around the world because of how they self-identify or because of the identity placed on them by others.”, said Joanne Mulligan, project manager for 8x8 at STAND. DCU’s STAND society helped to facilitate the festival in DCU. The soceity ran all of the on campus events and helped to promote the festival online and on campus.

The festival took place last week with different events on every night including screenings of films on campus associated with the theme.

On Tuesday STAND collaborated with DCU Amnesty International to screen the film “Through our Eyes” and hosted a guest speaker from MASI, the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland.

On Wednesday, “Free Cece” was shown in collaboration with DCU’s LGBTA society.

A photo exhibition outside the DCU Canteen stood impressively all week drawing interest and attention to passers-by.

The photography captured the diversity of the theme perfectly while also displaying poignantly displaying the faces of targets of discrimination.

The 8x8 festival visits several other campuses across Ireland.

It is focused on campuses because, “it’s important for students to stand together in solidarity of those who face discrimination on their campus. “, Mulligan said.

The goal being to spark an interest in students to “fight against this prejudice and bring about more inclusion and equality within society.”

News

4 Continued from page 1.

“I was calling the old studio a glorified shed of a room, because that’s pretty much what it was. I think just from looking at this you can tell its lot more than a shed. So, it’s fantastic, we’re very happy with it.”

Additionally, the new student hub includes specially designed Escape Pods’ created specifically for students with autism. This reflects DCU’s previous commitment to be the world’s first autism friendly university.

While talking about these facilities Higgins spoke of the importance of catering to all students’ needs. “For in a students’ world there are particular stresses and worries,” he said.

He spoke of the pressures of self image, exams, developing sexualities, and other stresses. “No young person should deal with them alone, nor should feel like they must deal with them alone,” said Higgins.

“Ireland’s young people’s mental well being is all of our responsibility”.

Higgins continued, “DCU is clearly conscious of this and of the increasing challenges of mental health issues among the student body. The new Leadership and Life Skills course will become a hub of support for students”.

The centre was originally conceived

by DCU Students’ Union 2012/13 President Paul Doherty who was present at the opening. Today, current SU President Vito Moloney Burke said: “seven sabbatical teams have been involved in this process and carried the torch; today is the day we say thank you to them. It took a lot of grit and determination...”

The building was originally planned to open earlier in the year but was delayed. Last year’s DCUSU President Niall Behan said: “I was probably a bit over-optimistic that it would be open last February… but as far as building and construction goes, at least its open. We’re in Ireland so this could never have opened, so it’s great to see that it actually is finally finished.”

Current students are also relieved to finally have their student centre.

“I think last year we were a bit lost on the breaks and stuff but now that this is it here it’s a place to hang out and meeting spot and since it’s new it’s really nice and comfortable,” said MINT student Ben Brelfie DCU’s next project will be a €50m science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) facility at the Collins Avenue entrance of the Glasnevin campus. The project has received €24m from the Department of Education and Skill and has been earmarked for 2021.

Doherty said he was blown away by the changes made on campus so far and suggested that the development on the Henry Grattan building would be the next logical step: “it was built for a specific time and worked for its function for a long long time, but times have changed.”

DCU study shows press freedom leads to lower incidences of bribery Emily Sheahan News Editor @thecollegeview A DCU study revealed that countries with greater press freedom have lower incidences of bribery involving public officials.

The study, released on September 15th, found that “a free press is associated with a substantial reduction in the percentage of firms that report corruption”. This was specifically the case during interactions with tax officials and when obtaining construction permits.

DCU said the study is the first of its kind to consider the media’s role “in shaping everyday corruption, as seen through the eyes of ordinary business”.

One of the authors of the study, Dr Robert Gillanders said: “Many studies find a strong link between press freedom and corruption perceptions, but no previous work examines this topic from the perspective of firm’s experiences.”

Gillanders, an economist and corruption expert from the DCU Business School, said that “business pursuing opportunities in emerging markets may find it useful to consider the press freedom in such countries”.

The study carried out by Gillanders, Nouf Binhadab, and Dr Michael Breen looked at 110 countries over the years 2006 to 2016. They found that on average, 15.28 per cent of public

transactions involved a bribe request, however, there was a large variance between countries.

They found that Norway had the best press freedom score, while North Korea had the worst.

The authors said the findings of the study had a number of important implications, including the suggestion that a free press may reduce the cost of doing business. Furthermore the findings emphasised “the importance of understanding the media environment for firms engaging in cross-border activities”.

The authors also outlined that corruption provides unfair advantages while raising the cost of doing business for all and that a free press may help ensure a level playing field for businesses.

The study explained that the role of the media is “evident in cases such as the release of the Panama Papers and the Paradise papers, which revealed the widespread use of offshore financial centers for illegal purposes”.

However, they said that “such investigative journalism often comes at a high price”, detailing that between 2012 and 2017, 368 journalists were murdered – at least 70 of whom were investigating corruption-related cases.

The authors concluded that press freedom is an “important weapon” in the fight against corruption. They urged that internationl efforts to control corruption should be matched by efforts to promote press freedom.

The study involved 110 countries and took place over ten years

They warned that while it is considered a human right in several treaties, a free press is “continuously under

Credit: Mikey Walsh

threat across the globe”.

DCU President calls for radical change to university funding Aine O’Boyle Deputy Arts Editor @ainyerrrr DCU President Brian MacCraith has called for universities to operate in a more entrepreneurial manner, in an effort to make the funding of third level education a more sustainable model.

MacCraith proposed that a new approach to funding universities, comparable to that of a semi-state sponsored body, would mean that the state would not be burdened with the financial costs of each student and that those with the financial means to fund their own tuition would be asked to do so.

Currently Irish universities are funded primarily through the state, but over the past decade, universities have faced drastic cuts with core funding per student halving from €8,720 per student in 2008 to €4,397 in 2017.

Very little capital is being invested into new equipment, facilities and the refurbishment of buildings, causing Irish universities to fall down the rankings in the Top 100 Global Universities list.

MacCraith’s statement comes at a pinnacle moment with regards to higher education in Ireland. He is challenging and offering alternate solutions to the current structure that universities operate under in terms of funding.

Currently Irish universities are funded primarily through the state, but over the past decade, universities have faced drastic cuts

Whether or not his proposal has the grounds to succeed is unknown, as thus far it has not gained much momentum. The proposal would counter the previous demands from the Union

Image Credit: President’s Office

of Students in Ireland to increase investment in publicly-funded higher education to prevent the need for student loans.

In 2016, a Report on the Expert

Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, also known as the Cassells Report, found that to cater for “increased student numbers, capital upgrades, health and safety issues, equipment renewal and ongoing maintenance”, €5.5 billion in government expenditure would be required towards the higher education sector by 2030.

Cassells’ analysis showed a gap in excess of €550 million in core funding to 2021. Director General of the Irish Universities Association Jim Miley said that “failure to bridge the gap leaves Ireland trailing behind competing nations.”

The impact of government inaction since the Cassells Report runs parallel with the decline of Irish universities in world rankings.

When speaking to The Irish Independent, MacCraith referred to the Cassels Report being implemented, saying that “he didn’t believe it was going to happen”.

Ireland’s seven universities agreed to a Charter with an ambition to be the, one that they hope to achieve by 2026, yet little action has been taken to achieve this goal in terms of increasing core funding per student.

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6

DCU professor leads anti-bullying campaign

Apartment site near DCU to begin construction next year

Fergus Lynch and Kieran Gannon of Scanron Ltd. bought the 6.75 acre development site for €30 million.

Sonja Tutty Contributor @thecollegeview

Professor O’Higgin’s research showed that 14 per cent of post-primary school students experienced cyberbullying.

Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque Contributor @thecollegeview A DCU professor was appointed to lead the UNESCO Chair on Tackling Bullying in Schools and Cyberspace.

Professor James O’Higgins Norman was the director of the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre (ABC) in DCU. He said that ABC research showed that 14 per cent of post-primary school students experienced cyberbullying.

“Many more than this can have negative experiences online that do not comply with our definition of cyberbullying,” he added.

He previously garnered international attention due to his research on homophobic bullying in secondary schools. This research was referenced

in debates in the Irish parliament and the EU Commission when they developed anti-bullying legislation.

The UNESCO Chair was established back in May of this year and it’s planned to run for four years. Its main aim was to come up with measures to prevent bullying and provide educators and parents with guidelines on intervening on potentially harmful situations.

Several DCU students were frustrated with the lack of help they received. A Bachelor of Education student who wished to remain anonymous said she was told several times online that she was worthless.

“I was sent a list of reasons [why] I was a waste of a life at one point.

When I went to the school and Gardaí for help, I ended up having my hand jammed in a locker by the girl,” she said.

Credit: Alison Clair

The school told her that since the incident occurred online, it was outside of their control. The Gardaí offered counselling and online security tips, but she said the bullying never stopped.

A global business student who also didn’t want to be identified reiterated how their teachers failed to assist them. They said the abuse they suffered was much more psychological in nature.

“They pressured the ones who were still my friends to avoid spending time or even talking to me,” they said.

This abuse affected them for years, as they became introverted and began to suffer from panic attacks.

Back in January, ABC’s bid to host the second World Anti-Bullying Forum was successful. It will be held in 2019 in DCU from June 4 to 6.

A series of apartment blocks and parking spaces a short distance away from DCU are set to begin construction next year.

Fergus Lynch and Kieran Gannon of Scanron Ltd. bought the 6.75 acre development site for €30 million, with plans to begin building the 358 apartments and over 500 parking spaces on Swords Road in Glasnevin.

Gannon said the apartments will be a landmark project with construction due to begin in the new year and that they are in a “great location”.

As well as being near to the university, the site is only a 10-minutes’ drive from the airport, as well as being near to the Omni Shopping Centre in Santry. The site was originally on the market for over €18 million. A feasibility study found that it would be possible to increase the number of apartments to over 400 without increasing the gross floor area.

“The development is an ideal addition to other ongoing projects we have,” he told The Times.

The related company, East Wise Homes’ paid €18 million for a 5 acres site on Botanic Road with planning permission for 119 homes. They are beginning development of 35 new family homes on the site next month.

Similarly, Cairn Homes is planning

Credit: The Irish Times

to build 320 new residential places on Griffith Avenue located just a few minutes from the site on Swords road and within walking distance of DCU as well, reported the Irish Times.

Cairn bought the site in 2015 for €105.6 million with planning permission for only 101 houses or apartments.

The announcement of the construction of the new apartments by Scanron on Swords road came after activists occupied a house on Frederick Street, sparking the following ‘Take Back the City’ protests. Activists defied the Higher Courts order to vacate the house.

The rallies were to protest the government’s response to the housing crisis, lack of affordable housing and specifically against actions taken to evict people from homes.

“The housing crisis is an islandwide problem,” they said on their Facebook event, mentioning examples of illegal evictions in Rathmines.

The protest dubbed ‘Raise the Roof’ is scheduled for October 3rd at Leinster House, and will be made up of student unions, trade unions, housing agencies, and campaign groups, says the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The protests will coincide with the Dail Eireann budget debate.

News

Decrease in the number non-Irish citizens in Ireland

Eoin Harte Sub editor @thecollegeview

THERE has been a drop in the number of non-Irish nationalities living in Ireland in recent years.

According to a report by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of non-Irish nationals has diminished from 544,357 in 2011 to 535,475 in 2016.

The reason for this may be a result of improving economies in Eastern European countries, according to Lithuanian citizen and DCU third-year student Gabija Gataveckaite.

“In my opinion, the number of other nationalities significantly rose in Ireland during the recession. That’s how

myself and my family found ourselves here, deprived of job opportunities in Eastern Europe,” she explained.

“Now that the recession is over, I see many people going back, having saved up a bit of money, now that things have improved back home,” she added.

For Scottish national Graham Ritchie, the end of the Celtic Tiger goes a long way to explaining why foreign nationals may not want to move to Ireland.

“The attraction is gone and obviously that’s because the Celtic Tiger is away and no one’s a millionaire anymore, so it’s on par with most other countries

and people need a great opportunistic reason to leave behind everyone they loved and knew for a new life.”

The lack of affordable renting could be a major obstacle for many non-nationals who may be considering a move to Ireland.

Of the 10 nationalities profiled in the CSO report, renting was more common than home ownership for all but one nationality. UK nationals were the exception, with 62 per cent owning homes.

US native and DCU international student Katie Mueda explained a major obstacle in the way for foreign students

7

looking to study in Ireland.

“The cost of international tuition is increasing each year (at least at DCU) - my tuition has been raised by 12.5 per cent each year for the last three years,” she said.

The 1.6 per cent drop in non-nationals does not take into account the 100,000 people who were granted Irish citizenship in the time between the census in 2011 and 2016.

Almost €7m in funding announced for new Dublin Technological University

Alexander Barrett Contributor @thecollegeview

A further €6.8 million in funding has been announced for the purpose of supporting the formation of a Technological University in Dublin, the Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor announced last week.

The news follows a €4.4 million already announced by Minister for Education Richard Bruton in July of this year to enable the merging of the three I.T.’s in Dublin into a Technological University this January.

“In total we are announcing €11.2 million in funding this year to date which will support six significant restructuring projects on the higher education landscape,” Ms O’Connor said.

Originating in the Hunt Report of 2011, which proposed the introduction of Technological Universities as part of the Higher Education eco-system in Ireland, Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, and Institute of Technology Tallaght will merge on January 1st 2019.

It is set to become Ireland’s biggest university, spread across three campuses in Tallaght, Blanchardstown, and Grangegorman, with a student population of approximately 28,500.

The announcement follows a recent letter from the Higher Education Authority, to Mr Bruton, wherein concerns were raised about the level of funding currently available, citing international experience showing adequate funding is a key factor in the success of higher education mergers.

Following the July announcement, this brings the total funding within the

A total of €11.2m has been put towards the initiative

year to €9.2 million for the merger. A further €2 million has been allocated to two other restructuring projects of the higher education landscape, specifically in initial teacher education.

Students of the Institutes have wel-

Credit: Wikimedia

comed the decision. Lauren, a second-year Advertising and Marketing Communications student, says that the pros and cons of the merger must be considered: “More courses will be available in

all the ITs and it also gives us a higher level of recognition, now we’re considered a university, not just an Institute of Technology.”

However, she also raised concerns of extended commutes between campus-

es, particularly in light of the ongoing overhaul of the Dublin Bus system and increasing traffic congestion in Dublin City Centre.

8

News

Trinity now a tobacco-free campus

Róise McGagh Illustrations Editor @roisemcgagh TRINITY College Dublin are set to establish a “tobacco free” campus after a plebiscite vote.

Students voted 70.56 per cent in favour of a smoke free campus, with a low turnout of approximately 8 per cent.

Campuses such as Carlow IT in 2017 have also voted for a smoke free campus or large “smoke free zones” as a health initiatives. Athlone IT is also totally tobacco free and NUI Galway and UCD have several tobacco free zones.

The idea is that ambassadors are entrusted to check the smoke free zones and that the campus community help in enforcing the rules.

Permission was given by Board to introduce the Zones after a year long cross-Trinity consultation that received greater than 10,000 interactions from members of the Trinity community.

TCD previously had tobacco free areas introduced in 2016 which, according to Trinity News caused an “81 per cent drop in smoking in the zones from July 2016 to April 2017”.

Generally, students on the Glasnevin campus in DCU agree that a similar initiative should follow suit in the university. A Twitter poll by The College View concluded that out of 66 people 62 per cent would be in favour of a smoke free campus.

Multimedia student Chloe Finlay said it would be a good idea to have a smoke free campus, as “If you don’t see people doing it you don’t want to.”

“Would there be any resources for quitting smoking in college?” said first year student Gerard Hanaphy. “It seems like a good idea but I would

The idea is that ambassadors are entrusted to check the smoke free zones and that the campus community help in enforcing the rules.

like to see how other colleges react.”

The justification for a tobacco free campus was for the consideration for others as over half of Trinity students reported being affected by smoke outside their buildings. The objective is to support a cleaner campus and also a healthier campus, as well as quitters to be motivated by the no smoking zones.

The vote for a smoke free univer-

sity in Trinity had a turn out of 1,453 voters out of the total 17,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

There was a total valid poll of 1,447 students.

“This vote was in no way advertised enough. I didn’t see one poster, or flyer and maybe only 1-2 social media posts. This is something that I would have wanted to have a vote on but I

simply was not informed that this vote would have the impact that it would have,” said a final year Trinity student and city campus resident, who wished to remain anonymous.

“The percentage of people that did vote is not large enough at all to be reflective of the public opinion yet is still being advertised as a landslide result for a tobacco free campus,” they

Credit: Alison Clair

added.

DCU’s former VP for Welfare and Equality Podge Henry said last year he would like to see such policies introduced in DCU: “I would love to see DCU follow the steps of IT Carlow as not only does it clean up the campus, but also reduces the intake of second hand smoke.”

Discussions to start on transfer of Catholic schools Sally Madden Contributor @thecollegeview THE Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton plans to have 400 non, or, multi-denominational schools open in Ireland by 2030.

According to the Department of Education and Skills, new schools will only account for roughly one third of the additional multi-denominational schools required to hit this target, in which, the transfer of schools from the catholic church to non-religious

patrons will be necessary to reach this goal.

In recent months, parents in 16 pilot areas were surveyed to help get a clearer picture of their preferences regarding the role of religion in their child’s school. They were also surveyed on the demand for gaelscoileanna.

Figures from the 2016 census have strengthened the belief that the influence of the catholic church on the education system, with 90pc of primary schools currently under its control, is outdated.

While 78pc of the population identify as catholic, the number is far lower in younger age brackets, showing the number is as low as 60pc among 27year olds.

Past attempts at transfers like this have been abandoned by details of landownership, as well as by what Archbishop Martin has described as a “stubborn reluctance” on the church’s behalf to give up schools.

Bruton hopes to overcome the obstacles his predecessors have faced, by giving the church the opportunity to earn rent on the land, rather than

losing ownership of it. He says he acknowledges “the importance of working with the current landowner… on a collaborative and open basis.”

Bruton also stated that his central goal as minister is to achieve “the best education service in Europe”, and that addressing the complex issues of diversity, religion and parental choice are fundamental to achieving this goal.

The Minister has said that the contribution that religious organisations have made to Irish education for the past two centuries, as well as the desire on the behalf of some parents

to have their children educated within the religious community, cannot be ignored.

However, he says there is a growing demand for non and multi-denominational schools, and that he intends to provide a system which reflects the changing needs of Irish families.

9

News

RTÉ has no guidelines for reporting on climate change Amy Donohoe Deputy Images Editor @ amydonohoe1 THE national broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed that it have not issued any editorial guidelines to their journalists on how to cover climate change.

The broadcaster acknowledged that it does not have any guidelines on how the pressing issue should be covered when replying to an Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) request from Right to Know.

“I think RTÉ has a problem with climate change. A study shows in 2014 that their coverage was low and sporadic,” commented David Robbins, the co-proposer of the MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society masters in DCU. “I don’t think it’s adequate. I think climate change is a topic that needs specific guidelines for coverage like the BBC has,” he continued.

In the UK, the BBC recently outlined its editorial policy on climate change in a detailed four page brief to its staff and invited them to sign up for a short training course on how to report on climate change.

RTÉ previously had a correspondent, Paul Cunningham, who regularly reported on climate change. His work includes reporting and blogging on the melting of glaciers in Greenland in October 2006 and he also covered the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009.

His job was later given to George Lee who resigned after two months to become an agricultural correspondent.

Since then, RTÉ cannot find anyone to fill this position.

“We know the basics of what’s happening to the planet. What we need to work out now is how to respond. It’s a social problem, a political problem and it’s a media problem,” said Robbins.

When asked about how important he thinks climate change coverage in the media is, Robbins stated that it’s “very important because it informs people how climate change happens and the latest impacts and the more people see something covered the more important they think it is.”

The Irish broadcast media could be doing more to report on climate issues, according to a report released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year.

It revealed that only three per cent of stories on broadcast media were devoted to climate change or sustainability issues during this “peak time for climate change news.”

“I think it’s important to report stories on climate change so that the people of Ireland become more aware of how critical the situation is and so demand change at government level,” said Katie Archer, chairperson Sustainable Living society.

Student involved in racially motivated attack Clara Kelly Deputy Opinions Editor @clarabkelly A GoFundMe campaign was launched for a student hospitalised with a fractured skull after an alleged racist attack on the Luas at the Goldenbridge stop in Dublin at 11.30pm on September 16th.

Paul Sande, a Dorset College student from Malawi, said he was punched “straight in my eye,” and that the assault “came out of nowhere” and “shocked” him.

“There was this person on the Luas provoking people, saying there is a kid catcher,” Sande told Independent. ie. One man then “got annoyed by that” and punched him “for no reason at all.”

Mr Sande stated that he was punched because he is black and “thought it was easy,” instead of finding out who was provoking people and confronting them.

“I have never experienced a thing like that since l have been here in Ireland from 2012,” Sande told The College View. ‘‘I can say it was racially motivated because where l was standing there was also another man,” said Sande who added that the other man was completely ignored while he was targeted.

Sande stated he had a headset on at the time before he was attacked and that while he was on the Luas his as-

Logo of Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ

“Reporting should include ways in which we can live more sustainable lives individually, as this can vastly re-

sailant did punch him because of his skin. After the incident, Mr Sande said he later “got off the Red Cow Luas stop and called for an ambulance’’ which took him to Tallaght Hospital.

According to the Gardaí, investigations are ongoing. Sande’s sister referred to the attack as “racially motivated,” and started a GoFundMe page to help pay for her brother’s hospital bills and rent as he is on a student visa and cannot get government aid while recovering.

Credit: Alison Clair

The GoFundMe states: “He can’t work while he is recovering” and “I am trying to raise money to help him pay rent and bills for two months while he recovers.”

The campaign is now €50 away from its target of €2000. When asked if this incident affected his mental health he said yes ‘’because now I’m not as l used to be’’ and that he has missed school for two weeks.

“If I’m outside I’m so fearful and don’t talk to people,” added Sande.

duce our carbon footprint as a nation,” she added.

DCU joins Ireland’s Future Talent Conor Breslin Contributor @thecollegeview

Picture of the Luas on which the attack took place.

Credit: Wikipedia

DCU is one of seven Irish universities who have launched a coordinated campaign to make the Irish education system the best in Europe by 2026.

The charter, called Ireland’s Future Talent, identifies six central objectives and commits to delivering a fit for purpose university system for the evolving demands of society. The development of the Charter, the first of its kind in third level education history, has been engineered by the Irish Universities Association and was launched at an event in Dublin on September 17th.

DCU are involved in the Charters’ development along with, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and University of Limerick.

Jim Miley, Director General of the Irish Universities Association said, “Universities worldwide are transforming and the Charter to which we have committed today is designed to move Irish universities to the forefront of that change by jointly committing to a range of measures that better support students, staff and research and that will deliver in the national inter-

est.”

The six core commitments that the universities hope to deliver include, building on the quality of the student experience in a digital age, increasing the scale, scope and impact of investment in research and innovation, expanding student access with communities and industry, supporting a programme of staff development and increasing equality and diversity, creating more flexible and securing the investment and resources to achieve these ambitions.

Targets for the Charter include, increasing lifelong learning for people aged 25 to 64 from the current 6.5% to the EU average of 10.7% by 2030, increasing the output of PhD graduates by at least 30% over the next 10 years and working with the government on legislative reform to deliver a more flexible operating structure, with a better capacity to respond to the needs of the economy and society in general.

Chair of the IUA Professor Patrick O’Shea said, “the importance of the Charter is that it underpins a commitment to substantial change. It calls out the challenges. It puts meat on the bones of the Government’s ambition.”

News

10

Ireland may be forced to recognise Palestine Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview IRELAND could be forced to recognise Palestine if dialogue is not achieved according to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney.

Coveney made this statement during the Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit back on September 22.

“Ireland is committed to recognising the state of Palestine but in the context of a negotiated solution,” said Coveney. Currently, Sweden is the only EU member state who recognises Palestine. In total, 137 UN member states recognise it, along with an additional two non-member states.

The chair of the DCU Students for Justice in Palestine society (SJP), Stephanie O’Toole, said there was no good reason to not recognise Palestine.

“By refusing to do so and by refusing to endorse sanctions and boycotts against Israel, Ireland is unfortunately playing an enabling role in allowing Israel to continue its arcane system of apartheid and ongoing genocide,” she said.

Coveney said that Ireland’s decision to increase support for Palestine was due to Israel’s “increased settlement activity” and destruction of Palestinian houses in the West Bank.

The West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza are the three areas with the greatest Palestinian population, and as such they could make up an eventual Palestinian state.

However, Israel views the West Bank as a disputed area, and it’s also very unlikely for it to give over control of East Jerusalem.

Coveney criticised Israel for its oc-

The Palestinian President (centre) meeting with Tánaiste Simon Coveney (left) and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (right).

Credit: Mark Condren for the Independant.ie

cupation of the West Bank and said that Ireland is entirely committed to working towards a two-state solution.

However, O’Toole does not believe a two-state solution is feasible, and that it would only be rewarding the increasing expansion of Palestinian land.

“The unfettered fragmentation of Palestinian territory means Israel is quite literally conquering all lands, with construction of more than 650,000 illegal settlement,” she said.

“[The] Israeli elite does not want a two-state solution and they will never cede their occupied territory. They want Palestinians to disappear so that they can fulfil their Zionist colonial project.”

Meanwhile, Coveney also met the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki and told him that the Irish people are in solidarity with the injustices faced by the Palestinian people.

This support was echoed by O’Toole, who said that so far, SPJ has

received an overwhelmingly positive reaction.

“We have had people expressing pro-Palestinian sentiment that are incoming first years as well as mature and PHD students. We have also had staff and faculty members reach out.”

O’Toole believes this is because of the parallels between the current injustices in Palestine and the similar colonial behaviour which occurred in Ireland.

Coveney’s meeting also led to the

announcement that there will be an informal summit to bring back the halted Palestinian peace process.

Additionally, the Irish government plans to increase by 50 per cent the annual funding given for humanitarian aid to assists Palestinian refugees.

Abbas called on the Irish government to do more for the Palestine plight, and he also wants Europe to come to a joint solution on how to achieve peace in the Middle East.

hire more lecturers.

Although the government’s National Strategy for Higher Education aims to have Irish universities to be among the top in Europe by 2026, VP for Academic Affairs Callaghan Commons has stated that higher education is ‘massively under-funded’.

“This is yet another showcase of how higher education is massively under-funded and how the Cassells Report needs to be acted upon by instating publicly funded education,” he told The College View.

“By universities being restricted in the hiring of staff the education of the students is directly affected by this,” explained Commons.

“This has been seen by many Irish institutions slipping in the global rankings,” he added.

The Cassells’ Report, published in 2016, outlines the scale of funding required and funding options ‘to recognise higher education as a key enabler’. The options include a state-funded system, increased state funding with continuing student fees or increased state-funding with deferred payment of fees through income contingent loans.

The Irish University Association (IUA) has now united with The Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) and called for the government to address higher education

funding.

“The government has repeatedly stated that it wants to have ‘the best education system in Europe’,” said Jim Miley, the Director General of the IUA last week.

“That cannot be delivered without a significant increase in investment in higher education. If the investment is not made, the future talent pipeline for the workforce will be jeopardised and the country’s competitive edge will be at serious risk,” he added.

The groups warn that if funding is not addressed, 7 and 8 year old primary school students ‘will not have sufficient college places available to them in 2030’.

“There’s been a 2% increase in the number of students attending third level year on year, at the same time there has been a managed decline in state investment,” commentated Síona Cahill, President of the USI. “The system is underfunded and students face the burden – at €3,000 per annum, students are already paying the second highest fees in Europe.

It’s clear the government must act, and invest meaningfully in the present and the future of this country before it’s too late,” she concluded.

DCU seeks more freedom from government regulation

Gabija Gataveckaite Deputy Editor @gabysayshey DCU is one of the universities across Ireland which is seeking more freedom from state regulation in order to

News

11

Universities to be given quotas to tackle teacher shortages Roisin Maguire Contributor @thecollegeview SEVERAL Irish universities are to be given quotas on the number of secondary school teachers to be trained in key subjects to tackle the teacher shortage in classrooms.

This new move aims to reduce the number of students in the areas where there is an oversupply of teachers, such as English, history and geography.

Extra training places will be set aside for students who wish to teach

the subjects where there is a shortage such as maths, European languages, Irish and physics. The aim of this is to increase the number of students applying for a place in post-graduate education programmes.

The quotas are to be introduced for National University of Ireland postgraduate teacher education programmes. This means that programmes in UCD, UCC, NUI Galway and Maynooth University will be affected.

The Minister for Education Richard Bruton stated that this is one of a number of strategies that he was consider-

ing for this area, however many universities have tried to avoid the quotas since they were announced.

“Instead of giving teachers going into maths and physics etc extra hours of learning, why not lower the points for these subjects or offer it in a Bachelor of Arts degree where more people have the opportunity to experience what a career in teaching these subjects might be like,” said Ciaran Fahey, an English and Geography student in Maynooth University.

Another issue to be addressed was the high cost of postgraduate programmes, another factor into why

fewer students are applying to become teachers in certain subjects.

Executive Dean of the DCU Institute of Education Dr Anne Looney does not believe that quotas are the best approach. Her thoughts are based off the implementation of quotas in England, after which they were still left with thousands of unfilled places in education programmes.

Looney said the issue is that science and maths graduates are not applying for masters degrees in teaching in the first place, so extra training places would not be a viable solution.

A new minimum requirement of an

honours degree will also be required for entry into the post-graduate programme. The quotas will be based on information from the Department of Education’s Teacher Supply Steering Group.

He also stressed the importance of supports and student teacher pay during college so students can successfully finish placements.

DCU announced that they will keep the entry requirements for its postgraduate programmes under review.

Children’s mental health service extremely understaffed

Cáit Caden News Editor @AreYou_Caden_Me CHILDREN are being neglected by the state as Children and Adolescent Mental Health Intellectual Disability (CAHMS) services are severely understaffed, according to the HSE. CAHMS teams have less than 10 per cent the amount of staff required to provide resources to children while Adult Mental Health Intellectual Disability also struggles to provide services.

“For children with an intellectual disability such as autism or Down Syndrome who also have mental health issues, a lack of early intervention is nothing short of cruel,” said James Browne, Fianna Fáil spokesperson for mental health.

The figures were the result of the HSE mapping mental health services across Ireland as part of the Vision for Change strategy which gives an indication of the current state of services.Browne was supplied with these figures after he submitted a question concerning mental health services for children and adults.

“We can see how the lack of these services affect children everyday when they’re in school,” said Maureen Melvin, a special needs assistant in a primary school in the west of

CAHMS teams have less than 10 per cent the amount of staff required to provide resources to children

Ireland.

“If those children’s needs are not cared for at such a vulnerable age you can see them deteriorate. They’re not focused and worst of all they’re just not happy in a time when they’re meant to be the happiest and free,” she continued.

Browne called the findings “shocking” especially after they show 9 per cent of the required staff are providing this service for CAHMS after Vision for Change was set up over a decade ago.

There is approximately 137 jobs needed to effectively provide the

Credit: Public Domain Pictures

resources CAHMS are meant to.

“It doesn’t happen often that you see a truly sad child but in this day and age with so much pressure on children it may become more frequent,” added Melvin.

Researching on how to provide these services in a sustainable way

is currently being done before more staff is hired.

At this point, €2m in funding has already been approved for building up this service.

News

12

Abortion services are set to be UCD and RCSI free of charge launch new medical

campus in Malaysia

Tadgh McNally Contributor @thecollegeview ABORTION services in Ireland are set to be free of charge, according to Minister Simon Harris.

Simon Harris, the Minister for Health, confirmed that no fees will be paid by the patients who need to make use of abortion services.

“I’ve said from the start that I don’t want costs to be a barrier,” said Harris.

He explained that this was to prevent private clinics from providing terminations, as well as ensuring an end to people travelling for abortions.

“We don’t want this to happen,” said Harris when speaking about the circumstances in which some women had to get abortions before the 8th Amendment was repealed. With plans to launch abortion services in January, some doctors are worried whether there will be enough supports and services to carry out abortions safely.

Dr Peter Boylan, the chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, spoke about a need to invest in the health service before an abortion service is brought in.

“I think in general, it’s pretty well acknowledged that there are capacity constraints in the system,” said Dr Boylan, who also added his concerns about the lack of both MRI and ultrasound facilities.

While three meetings were planned to take place with the IOC and Department of Health, only two have taken place.

According to Dr John O Brien, the chairman of the Irish College of General Practitioners, the meetings have been about the guidelines of the service. There hasn’t been any discussion however, about how the services will

Aoibhin Meghen Contributor @thecollegeview

Simon Harris, Minister for Health, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and former justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, looking out into the crowd present at Dublin Castle the day the referendum on repealing the 8th Amendment won a yes vote.

be carried out.

The IOC has requested that a helpline which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week be run. This helpline would be run to help book appointments, provide advice and support for any women who are looking to avail of the service.

The IOC has also argued against the three-day window that a woman

Credit: Cáit Caden

must wait when they first ask for an abortion. They have said that it isn’t supported by evidence “It makes unwarranted assumptions about women’s ability to make their own decisions,” said.

He argues that women who request terminations are already satisfied with their decision.

UNIVERSITY College Dublin (UCD) and the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) launched the first accredited medical school in Malaysia, last week The RCSI and UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC), formerly known as Penang Medical College (PMC), was launched on September 18th, after PMC was upgraded to a Foreign University Branch Campus by the Malaysian government last March.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton said that he hopes this new campus will broaden what is already “a long standing relationship in medical education” between Ireland and Malaysia.

PMC has been providing high quality medical education since 1996 and now RUMC is one of only 10 universities with International University Branch status in Malaysia. RUMC will provide students with an internationally recognised National University of Ireland (NUI) degree at Foundation, Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral level.

It is essential to maintain Ireland’s strong relationship with Malaysia and to “look for further opportunities to work together on the science and business side,” according to Bruton.

“Increasing international cooperation is a key objective under my Action Plan for Education, which aims to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe within a decade,” said Bruton before he left for a five day Enterprise Ireland education

mission to Indonesia and Malaysia.

The launch of RUMC will allow Ireland to push to the forefront of education in the EU, since Britain’s departure from the EU Ireland is now the only EU nation with an International University Branch status in Malaysia.

The university will also keep Malaysia on the cutting edge of medical development through the Cochrane Malaysia network.

The Irish ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Eamon Hickey attended the launch as well as representatives from RCSI and UCD, the President of RCSI, Kenneth Mealy and Deputy President of UCD, Mark Rogers.

Hickey spoke of Ireland expanding “its ties with Malaysia in many areas, from stem cell research to information technology”.

Professor Stephen Doughty, President and CEO of RUMC said that the university is “building upon more than 20 years of PMC’S high quality Irish education delivery.”

According to Doughty, the university continues to support Malaysian healthcare and they have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health focused on Family Medicine training.

Students at PUMC will spend the first part of their medical degree studying in Dublin and then complete their clinical training in RUMC and its training hospitals in Penang.

UCD staff divided over €14m staff club

Ellen Fitzpatrick News Editor @ elinfizpitryk DIVISIONS have emerged in UCD between staff and students over the

building of a private staff club costing €14 million on campus.

The club was given approval by UCD’s governing authority in December and will not be open for student use. The club is expected to be used for a clubhouse and restaurant for academics, alumni and visitors.

The cost of this new development will cost €14 million and is expected to be completed by April 2019, and is set have a view overlooking the main campus.

Although the development is going ahead, many academics and members of UCD’s Students’ Union objected to this venture, with the governing authority board voting on it. The board

voted 21 votes to 10 in favour of the development, giving it approval to go through.

The club will be two storeys tall, offering “fine dining” of a “high quality” for “small- and large-scale university and corporate member events”, according to documents as part of the planning application that was submitted.

There has been much opposition against this construction by students and the UCD Students’ Union, with the president of the Students’ Union, Barry Murphy, stating that he was “firmly against” the club.

“The new building was given priority over more critically needed services

and facilities for UCD students,” Murphy said.

Murphy also believes that the majority of students would be completely against the building of this club. He told The College View that the purpose for this new investment is believed to built in order to get funding to able them to build and expand the campus for students.

“The use of these UCD resources are catering for staff and not students,” said Murphy.

Murphy also said that there were a number of UCD student buildings that are in need of refurbishment such as the student library and the Newman building, UCD’s oldest building.

There has been some arguments among staff also against the building of this staff club, with Murphy stating that a petition has been passed around among staff in order to protest its construction.

The defence for its construction is said to be an initiative to gain money and increase funding for other campus buildings.

Opinion

Miggs way or the highway?

13

With the Irish presidential election looming over the horizon, Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque considers the possibility of a second term of Michael D Higgins.

Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview

T

he presidential election is less than a month away and at least for now, it looks like President Michael D. Higgins is set to serve an-

other term.

Higgins has a 67 per cent lead, according to the Irish Mirror. In comparison, his closet competitors, Seán Gallagher and Gavin Duffy, only have 15 per cent each. But is it time for a new face?

Irish life expectancy is 81.5 years and Higgins is 77 years old. It may be morbid, but it’s certainly not out of the question that Higgins could die, or at the very least become sick enough that he’s unable to perform his presidential duties. Continuing with this morbid thought, if Higgins did die while he was

still president, there would have to be another election. This would of course cost the state (and thus, the people) more money.

However, whoever wins the presidential election will get a state pension (assuming they don’t die in office).

Since Higgins has already been president, he’s going to get a state pension whether or not he’s voted in for a second time.

Therefore, voting in someone new could potentially cost tax payers more in the long run as it adds another person to the list of people receiving state pensions. Most people probably won’t be voting based on how much money it would save the state though, so perhaps that’s all irrelevant.

As the president of Ireland is largely a ceremonial role, people care about what the president represents and stands for more than how much money they’ll save in the long-term. Essentially, it appears to me that what most people want is a decent, honourable person. And, at

“

The love so many young people share for Higgins is kind of incredible least in my college bubble, most people also agree that Higgins embodies these traits. The love so many young people share for Higgins is kind of incredible.

As I have mentioned before, this is a 77-year-old man we’re talking about.

Clearly this illustrates that Higgins can still connect with the everyday working person, which is commend-

able. That is certainly not something that can be said for some of his competitors. Three of them, Peter Casey, Seán Gallagher and Gavin Duffy, are probably most well known for being rich investors on Dragon’s Den. Understanding the struggles of everyday people can be difficult when you’re so wealthy. Of course that’s

not to say it’s impossible. After all, former TV star Donald Trump is now president of the United States, but I’d like to believe that Ireland can do better than voting in a reality TV star.

Joan Freeman, founder of Pieta House, is also in the running.

It’s probably safe to say that working in a charity certainly grounds you a little bit more than doing business deals on TV. However, Freeman’s anti-abortion views are in stark contrast with the 87.6 per cent of young people who voted to repeal the eighth amendment.

Finally, there’s Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ní Riada, who probably won’t win considering she’s only polling at seven per cent.

There’s always the possibility Ireland could benefit from a fresh face, but why fix something that isn’t broken?

Will your reusable straw really save the turtles?

Climate change is a huge global issue and declining a single-use plastic straw in your drink may not be enough to prevent further damage, writes Clara Kelly.

Clara Kelly Deputy Opinion Editor @clarabkelly

A

s global warming increases, so does attention to the issue of climate change. Although, when things are this bad, we must ask if the decisions we make as individuals actually matter?

It seems that lately everywhere you look you see headline after headline, tweet after tweet and post after post all centred around the topic of global warming.

From Trump’s one man mission to deny the science of global warming to the recent widespread switch from plastic to paper straws.

While swapping out plastic straws for paper ones and trying to cut down our own personal carbon footprint is certainly not a bad thing, the question remains: how much of a difference can one person make to such a large issue?

The problem is when we are so far gone, with global warming increasing way more rapidly than predicted and humans creating problems for the Earth at such alarming rates.

How likely is it really that straws will be the straw, or should I say the straws, that break the camel’s back?

According to a new study in the Journal Earth System Dynamics, it is alleged that, unless the world’s governments

Plastic straws can cause damage to sea life

transition to clean energy sources by 2035, it will be near impossible to stop the Earth’s temperature from rising to uninhabitable temperature.

With the point of no return likely so close, most governments are taking little more action than introducing the charging of plastic bags in supermarkets, as Ireland did in 2002. It might be possible we have to look more towards the introduction of larger legislation

Credit: Deirdre Kelly

first and less on the actions of individuals.

For example, a girl I know refuses to drink from plastic bottles or even take paper bags from stores because they often aren’t recycled, yet works in a place that wastes more paper than I can fathom. There is a certain irony to it.

We as individuals can be as eco-friendly as possible, yet live in a world where near everything we do is harmful to the environment, even

the power we use to live our everyday lives. It’s hard to avoid contributing to the problem, so is it even worth trying?

In a sense, there is a certain pointlessness to trying, when we are already so close to the point of no return. Yes, cutting out any small part of the larger problem is beneficial, but a minuscule percentage of total sea waste is actually due to plastic straws, compared to waste from the damaging nets that fishermen use. Replacing straws, instead

of focusing on regulating these larger issues, is probably doing more harm than good or at least just misplacing the attention.

Overall, I think that, while we should all be trying our best to improve the state of the Earth’s climate problems, the impact of one individual is unlikely to make improvement unless, and until, governments or a larger majority of the population make those same changes.

14

Opinion

Leave my culchie accent alone

Moving to Dublin from the middle of nowehere can be difficult enough without the added pressure of understanding the ins and outs of the big smoke, writes Orla Dwyer.

Orla Dwyer Opinion Editor @orladwyer_

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oving up to the big smoke from a rural area can be a whole new world for a lot of people going to college. There is frequent and semi-reliable public transport, more people in your vicinity than the entire village at home and anonymous neighbours you may never meet despite sharing a wall.

It is a plethora of new experiences, faces and cuisines you have never encountered (who knew Domino’s could be delivered to your door for free?).

All we hear about is the transition of moving to Dublin and adjusting to city life.

Although this is extremely important and a huge task, it can be all too easy to get sucked into the city’s vacuum and forget about life outside the capital.

Amid the confusion and chaos, after some time, you will learn the intricacies of the city.

You will figure out the bus system and learn that there is more out there than Harcourt Street and the Spire.

Navigating the city will be a breeze and you’ll learn your Ballsbridge from your Ballymun.

The more difficult aspect at that stage will be remembering life prior to the big city lights and pollution. Especially when surrounded by native Dubs, it can be easy to lose track of yourself.

Go home for the weekend with a slight Dublin twang and your family will quickly put you back in your place.

Don’t let yourself think you are too good for aspects of your home life now that you know different. You might still have to drag in turf for the fire. You could be dragged along to mass every once in a while, to keep up appearances. You will have to explain why you don’t know everyone on your course’s name and who their father is to your parents. The city will bring new wonders, but don’t let them consume you.

Before you reach the stage of passing as an adopted native, people may try to condescend you when you ask the direction of Henry Street while standing in the middle of it, or for not understanding why the bus driver won’t take your fiver. Don’t let this faze you.

Prevent Dublin from taking away what you’ve spent the past 18 odd

Trying to figure out Dublin bus can be difficult

Credit: Alison Clair

years surrounded by. This doesn’t have to go as far as wandering the fields at dawn to truly appreciate the country air at home, but acknowledging that Dublin isn’t the only part of Ire-

land that matters is vital to remember when moving up here for the first time.

For those who are that way inclined, down your Mooju with pride and feel no shame grabbing that small carton

of milk in the canteen with your big mammy dinner for €5. You need the protein and it reminds you of home.

I am woman, hear me roar

The reactions to an angry woman can be varied and complex. Róisín Cullen questions whether people see female anger as justified or irrational.

Róisín Cullen Chief Sub-Editor @thecollegeview

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hroughout history, society has frowned upon the angry woman. Women have always been encouraged to keep a stiff upper lip in a Bree Van de Kamp fashion, take the higher moral ground and make polite small talk with people they despise.

When boys fight in the playground, a “boys will be boys” reaction is encouraged. When girls fight in the playground, their basic manners are questioned. They are quickly informed that this is not the way young ladies are expected to behave.

Serena Williams’ recent outburst during a competitive tennis match spurred a mix of reactions. Racist cartoons were published illustrating the typical “angry black woman”.

Many journalists condemned the actions of the talented athlete.

Meanwhile, the Emerald Isle idolises the UFC god that is Conor McGregor, the man that has sworn to take down Jameson whiskey single-handedly with his intimidation tactics and revealing Instagram posts. Conor McGregor

throws a chair through a bus window and his following increases. Serena Williams smashes her racquet and is criticised both as a mother and a woman.

Throughout history, “angry” women have been criticised by society.

So called violent protests by Emmeline Pankhurst and her counterparts were thought to have stunted the women’s suffrage movement.

Rosa Parks, now referred to as the “first lady of civil rights”, at the time was shunned by males and females alike when she refused to be treated as a second class cit-

Serena Williams

izen.

Female poets and writers alike have used their work to express feelings society has forced them to oppress.

Anger has fuelled poems, plays and powerful political campaigns.

It is a human emotion that should be celebrated regardless of the p e r s o n ’s gender.

In an age where mental health awareness is encouraged, surely everyone regardless of their gender should be encouraged to not suppress their feelings and put on a brave face for the world.

In the workplace, women are often expected to be the voice of

Credit: Euro News

reason, the reliable secretary, the calm colleague, the patient teacher.

Mothers are expected to always have a cool head, to be the referee for family feuds, the person that instils a sense of calm in a time of crisis. The typical Irish dad however is, of course, allowed to fly off the handle and storm off to the pub.

Times have of course changed, and women are now more respected than ever in society, in the workplace and in the home. However, the shocking reaction to a 36-year-old professional tennis player breaking her racquet shows that we have failed as a society. We should embrace these very human reactions.

We should tell young girls that nobody is perfect and it’s okay not to be okay. We should get rid of the stiff upper lip and the meaningless small talk. Her anger signifies her passion and her motivation. Her faults make her unique. While some may prefer to watch an emotionless robot win Grand Slam titles, I would prefer to watch a real woman that has had to fight her way to the top.

I would prefer to watch a mother that has both good and bad days. I would prefer to watch a realistic role model.

Gaeilge

15

‘Ceol 2018’ - An t-Albam is Fearr sa tSraith Go Dtí Seo

Tá ‘Ceol 2018’ le fáil timpeall na tíre ón 26ú lá de mhí Meán Fómhair. Bhí 350,000 ceann seolta amach do gach uile scoil timpeall na hÉireann agus tá muintir na hOllscoile in ann í a íoslódáil le cóid chomh maith.

John Morley Príomh-fho-eagarthóir @thecollegeview

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á ‘Ceol 2018’ le fáil timpeall na tíre ón 26ú lá de mhí Meán Fómhair. Bhí 350,000 ceann seolta amach do gach uile scoil timpeall na hÉireann agus tá muintir na hOllscoile in ann í a íoslódáil le cóid chomh maith.

Cruthaítear an t-albam Gaeilge seo le Conradh na Gaeilge agus Raidió Rí-Rá le cabhair RTÉ 2FM. Tá an t-albam seo speisialta go leor, toisc go bhfuil aisteoir Saoirse Rónán agus Macklemore ann chun fáiltiú a chur ar an t-albam seo.

Tá ‘Ceol 2018’ le fáil timpeall na tíre ón 26ú lá de mhí Meán Fómhair.

Bhí 350,000 ceann seolta amach do gach uile scoil timpeall na hÉireann agus tá muintir na hOllscoile in ann í a íoslódáil le cóid chomh maith.

Cruthaítear an t-albam Gaeilge seo le Conradh na Gaeilge agus Raidió Rí-Rá le cabhair RTÉ 2FM. Tá an t-albam seo speisialta go leor toisc go bhfuil aisteoir Saoirse Rónán agus Macklemore ann chun fáiltiú a chur ar an albam seo.

Maidir leis na cinneadh sna blianta beaga anuas, tá na ngnáth ceoltóirí ann, le grá chroí acu do ‘Ceol’ cosúil leis The Coronas, tá go leor réaltaí nua, áfach, a mbeidh a lán daoine ar bís faoi.

Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil an caighdeán níos airde an bhliain seo. Tá ceol nua ann ó Picture This, Gavin James, Kodaline, Wild youth agus buachaillí na Luimnigh chomh maith, Chasing Abbey. Ar an dara dul síos, cloistear amhráin ó ré órga na gclubanna cosúil le Wheatus le Stócach Brocach.

Tá muintir DCU thar a bheith sásta leis an t-albam seo. Deir Amy Donohoe, “Tá gá leis an t-albam seo. Tá an ceol le cloisteáil air níos fearr ná aon cheol riamh. Go háirithe leis na hamráin ó The Academic agus JP Cooper. Beidh mé ag tnúth go mór lle hiad a chloisteáil i rith oíche lán le craic.”

Deir Hugh Farrell “Tá an cluiche buaite ag Ceol ‘18. Ní fhaca mé albam chomh deas le seo riamh. Chasing Abbey agus na Banna ceol eile, agus iad beagnach go léir as Éirinn. Bualadh bos mhór do na cruthaitheoirí.”

Tá na ceoltoirí ar an albam an-sásta faoi. Deir Danny O’Reilly, príomhamhránaí The Coronas chuig 2FM

Credit: RT2FM

Tá Ceol 2018 le fáil timpeall na tíre ón 26ú lá de mhí Meán Fómhair

go bhfuil grá an domhain ag The Coronas páirt a glacadh ar cheol agus go mbaineann siad tairbhe ollmhór as na hamhráin a chasadh trí Ghaeilge áit ar bith ar domhain.

Deir sé go bhfuil nasc idir na hamhráin Ghaeilge agus na sluaite. Chomh maith le sin, tá súil ag Danny go gcuirfear a hamhrán ‘Nílimd Béagach’ agus na chinn eile inspóiráid ar daoine níos mó gaeilge a úsáid i rith Bliain na Gaeilge.

Rud a bhfuil saghas brónach faoin t-albam seo ná go bhfuil amhrán ann le The Cranberries tar éis bás Dolores O’Riordan.

Deir coimeádaí Ceol 18 Eoghan McDermott go bhfuil onóir an domhain orthu tar éis bás Dolores, gur tugadh a n-amhrán “Linger” mar bhronntanas don albam seo. Casann bean darb ainm Sibéal an t-amhrán in áit Dolores, an duine céanna a chan an t-amhrán “Mise Éire”.

Deir Oifigeach na Gaeilge DCU SU Sorcha Ní Chonghaile go mbeidh an SU ag déanamh a sheacht ndícheall chun na halbaim a chéiliúra.

“Beidh réamhdeochanna sa Seomra Chaidreamh roimh DCU Fest agus beimid ag casadh na hamhráin go leir ar an t-albam agus chomh maith le sin, beimid ag tabhairt amach cóipeanna do na mic léinn le haghaidh Seachtain Freshers.”, a dúirt sí.

Nuair a chuir mé an cheist uirthi faoi cén amhrán a mbeidh an suim is mó aici faoi, dúirt sí “an ceann as The Cranberries le Sibéal, mar ceapaim go mbeidh an cheann sin chomh gleoite.”

Dúirt sí freisin go mbeidh an ceann le Chasing Abbey an-cháiliúil leis na mic léinn toisc go bhfuil an ceann sin nuaaimseartha.

Is cinnte go mbeidh an t-albam seo togha do na cúrsaí Gaeltachta i 2019.

Feicfear an seasfaidh ‘Nílimid Bréa-

gach’ suas i gcoinne ‘Táibhsí nó Laochra’ ar thaobh The Coronas. Tá sé seo an chéad albam i gcoinne an chéad amhrán ó “Trust the Wire”.

Beidh sé sin “deacair dúinn a rá.”

Tá na leaids ó Kodaline sona sásta lena n-amhrán Ag Fadú D’Aidhme.

Deir Mark Prendergast le 2FM gur thosaigh sé féin agus Steve an banna ceoil sa Ghaeltacht agus mar gheall ar sin bhí grá chroí acu don teanga i gcónaí.

Deir sé freisin go bhfuil said ar mhuin na muice páirt a ghlacadh i gCeol an bhliain seo, agus go bhfuil an t-ardchaighdeán agus an méid ceoltóirí ann go hálainn ar thaobh an teanga. An rud is fearr a tharla don teanga le tamall.

Gan dabht ar bith is rud fíor-thábhachtach í an t-albam seo ó thaobh cultúr na teanga de. Mar a deir an seanfhocal “beatha teanga í a labhairt” agus mar gheall ar an t-albam seo ní amháin go bhfuil déagóirí agus gnáthdhaoine

ag canadh agus ag labhairt na teanga ach tá said ag titim i ngrá léi arís.

Is rud cumhachtach í Ceol agus cuireann an t-albam seo an Ghaeilge thar n-ais ar an bpríomhstáid.

An t-áit ba cheart theanga oifigiúil a bheith. Glanann Ceol 18 stiogma as an teanga. Tá an Ghaeilge ag dul chun cinn i saol ilchultúrtha.

In am ina bhfuil TD as Sinn Féin ag tabhairt amach faoi conas nach mbeidh an toghchán uachtaránachta trí Ghaeilge, tá díospóireacht fuithi inár sochaí. An mbeidh sé níos fearr ar thaobh na teanga go mbeidh orainn í a úsáid nó an mbeidh sé níos fearr spioraid an teanga a bhaint amach onainn trí rudaí cosúil le Ceol 18?

I mo thuairm, ní maith le duine ar bith rialacha. Spreagaimid an Ghaeilge inár gcroíthe, is é sin an rud atá déanta ag an t-albam álainn seo, gan dabht ar bith.

16

Gaeilge

Cumann Gaelach

Is féidir linn an Ghaeilge a úsáid inár saol laethúil - tugann an Chumann Gaelach deis dúinn é seo a dhéanamh

Róisín Ní Chuillinn Príomh-fho-eagarthóir @thecollegeview

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maoiníonn daoine ar an nGaeilge agus smaoiníonn siad láithreach ar sraith pictiúir, ar an dunmháru is measa agus is mailsí ó bhunaithe an stat (Pól- Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas síoraí dó).

Smaoiníonn daoine ar an nGaeilge agus smaoiníonn siad láithreach ar sraith phictiúir, ar an dúnmháru is measa agus is mailisí ó bunaithe an stát ( Pól- Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas síoraí dó). Smaoiníonn daoine ar rudaí gránna, rudaí scanraithe, ar oíche gan chodladh agus trumluí bunaithe ar an Ardteist. Cá bhfuil mo pheann? Cá bhfuil mo bhríste? Cad é an Modh

Coinníollach? Dá mbeinn i mo dhalta Institute an mbeadh an Ardteist níos éasca? Nó an bhfuil an eagla, an croíbhriste agus na deora i bhfad níos measa ar Sráid Líosain? Ní smaoiníonn daoine ar na buntáistí ag baint leis an nGaeilge.

Ní smaoiníonn daoine ar phíosa craic sa Ghaeltacht, ar jager bumaí saor in aisce nó ar na míle postanna ó Dún na nGall go Corcaigh bunaithe ar an nGaeilge.

Deir daoine go bhfuil ár dteanga mharbh cosúil leis an Laidin nó an Sean Gréigis.

Cuireann sé isteach orm agus mé i mo mhic léinn Gaeilge i gColáiste Naomh Pádraig. Tá daoine i mo léachtaí ó gach cúinne den tír, óCionn Mhálanna, ó Ard an Fhéaraigh, ó Chiarraí, fiú ón gCeatharlach! Tá an chuid is mó de na daoine seo líofa go leor agus tá grá mór acu

don teanga agus an bród mór a thagann leis. Táimid bródúil as ár dtír. Táimid bródúil as ar gcultúr. Táimid bródúil as ár dteanga difriúil, suimiúil, agus ár neamhspléachas. Is muidne an ghlúin nua Gaeilgeoirí agus tá orainn an Ghaeilge a chosaint.

Credit: LinkedIn

Beidh an cuid is mó dúinn inár múinteoirí bunscoile agus múinfimid an Ghaeilge agus leanfaidh an ciorcal ar aghaidh.

So, céard a bheidh ar siúl ag an Cumann Gaelach i mbliana chun fáilte a chur roimh Ghaeilgeoirí (cainteoirí dúchais agus foghlaimeoirí teanga) i mbliana. Bhuel, beidh tae agus

“

Tá orainn an Ghaeilge a chosaint plé ar siúl sa Seomra.

Chaidrimh ón 1-2 gach uile Máirt- an bealach is fear chun cairde a dhéanamh agus do scíth a ligean.

Beidh Club Comhrá ar siúl gach Déardaoin ag an Henry Grattan ón 1-2. Má tá Jack Slatts agus craic ag teastáil uait téigh do dtí na réamhdheocanna roimh an Pop up Gaeltacht ar an Déardaoin deireanach de gach mí.

Is bealach iontach é an Pop up Gaeltacht chun do Ghaeilge a úsáid agus a fhorbairt in atmaisféar deas, compordach.

Bliain na Gaeilge - conas gur féidir leat páirt a ghlacadh

Tá bliain na Gaeilge ag dul ar aghaidh go tapa, ach conas gur thig leat mar mhac léinn a bheith páirteach ann?

Sorcha Ní Chonghaile Scríbhneoir @ thecollegeview

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á Bliain na Gaeilge ag dul ar aghaidh go tapaí... ach conas gur thig leat mar mhic léinn in DCU a bheith páirteach ann?

B’fhéidir nach raibh a fhios agat go dtí seo ach tá Bliain na Gaeilge ar siúl i mbliana. An sprioc atá ann le 2018 mar Bhliain na Gaeilge ná chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn agus níos mó daoine a mhealladh chuig an teanga! Tá neart bhealaí chun a bheith páirteach, ní dhéanann sé aon difríocht má tá cúpla focal agat nó má tá tú líofa!

Seans go bhfuil tú neirbhíseach le do chaighdeán Gaeilge tar éis meánscoil - níl tú leat féin, tá go leor daoine sa bhád céanna ach ní gá go stopfaidh sin thú! Ceapann daoine gur ábhar í nó gur rud aisteach í, ach níl an Ghaeilge mar sin ar chor ar bith!

Is deis í Bliain na Gaeilge, i mo thuairim, chun an Ghaeilge a spreagadh agus a dhéanamh mar ghnáthchuid den saol go ginearálta ach go háirithe saol na mac léinn.

Conas gur féidir leatsa a bheith páirteach i mBliain na Gaeilge i DCU? Bhuel, tá an t-ádh ort, mar tá neart pleanáilte agam (mar bhur

n-Oifigeach Gaeilge ar an SU) agus ag an gCumann Gaelach!

Beidh ranganna ag tosnú níos déanaí sa bhliain liomsa, má tá spéis agat teacht chucu - coinnigh súil ar na meáin sóisialta agus ar do ríomhphost i gcomhair tuilleadh sonraí faoi sin.

Bíonn Tae agus Plé ar siúl Dé

agus molaim duit teacht linn! Is deis atá ann chun

Máirt sa Seomra Caidrimh ar Champas Phádraig agus bíonn Club Comhrá ar siúl Déardaoin sa Spás Languaculture sa bhloc Henry Grattan ar Champas Ghlas Naíon.

Chomh maith le sin, beimid ag dul chuig Oireachtas na Samhna

spraoi a bhaint as an teanga agus an cultúr a cheiliúradh!

Fáilte

Téimid amach chuig an bPop Up Gaeltacht gach mí le chéile, is deis é sin chun a b sialta le Gaeilge!

Chuir mé ceist ar Alswyn Ní Aonghusa ó Chonradh na Gaeilge faoi thábhacht Bhliain na Gaeilge ina tuairim agus dúirt sí go gceapann sí go bhfuil “Bliain na Gaeilge ag athrú meon daoine faoin nGaeilge” agus go bhfuil an bhliain ag cur “Gaeilge i mbéal an Phobal agus is iontach an rud go bhfuil na meáin ag labhairt faoin nGaeilge go dearfach!”

Credit: Róise McGagh

roimh chách, is cuma linn cén leibhéal Gaeilge atá agat.

Mo chomhairle duit do Bhliain na Gaeilge - Bí páirteach, Bí ann, Bí Gaelach!

17

Features

‘A death sentence around your neck’ CerivalCheck, the scandal that shook the state - Ciara O’Loughlin talks to one of the women who got caught up in the most unlikely nightmare.

Terminally ill Ruth Morrissey, Vicky Phelan and Emma Mhic Mhathúna went to court after their smear tests were misread.

Ciara O’Loughlin Deputy Features Editor @Ciara_olo

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n April of this year just over 200 women found out that they had been given incorrect all-clear smear test results. Eighteen of these women have died and accountability has become a political football.

Vicky Phelan, a 43 year old woman from Limerick with terminal cancer, first exposed the cervical cancer screening scandal. She brought the case to the High Court and was awarded €2.5 million in damages, saying that she was “given no hope” when she was diagnosed.

Within a fortnight after Phelan’s case broke the media, Stephanie Quinn, whose name has been changed as she did not wish to be identified, received a phone call from The Coombe Hospital.

After the phone call, Stephanie tried

not to read too much about the scandal in the media.

“I was trying not to delve too much into it because I was frightened, I was very very upset over it,” she explained to The College View.

A week after the phone call, Stephanie was called into the Coombe and was told at that point that she was one of the 208 women. She had a smear test done six years ago and another one three years later. Both came back to her as normal at the time which was incorrect.

“It had six years to potentially grow inside me. That’s the way a lot of women felt, a death sentence around your neck,” says Stephanie.

In 2008, the system of the National Cervical Screening Programme was changed. Instead of the smear tests being tested in Ireland, they were outsourced to the States. Before this happened, Dr. Gibbons told RTE that he warned Tony O’Brien, former CEO of Cervical Check, that outsourcing smear tests to the States would lead to missed cases and misdiagnosis of cancer.

He was concerned that there would be a ‘mismatch’ of systems because the US test smear samples annually while in Ireland it is every three years. After a biopsy, another smear test and other exams, Stephanie was told that she would get the results in a maximum of six

“

Credit: Róise McGagh

It was an absolute disgrace, for all I knew I had terminal cancer

weeks but that after two she would be told if there was anything to worry about or not. Almost four months later, she still heard nothing.

“It was an absolute disgrace, for all I knew I had terminal cancer,” she recalled. Thankfully, a nurse who had been working on the case gave her an indication that there wasn’t anything to worry about.

Stephanie only finished getting the official results three weeks ago. She was HPV negative. Stephanie was put through a terribly worrisome three months, but she was one of the lucky ones of the 208 women affected.

Miriam O’Brien, a 34 year old mother from Donegal died in August of 2013 from stage 2 cervical cancer just nine months after receiving the all clear. Just weeks before she died she told her family: “If anything happens to me, tell the world what they did.”

Danielle Miley, Miriam’s sister told The Independent that “She felt it

shouldn’t be happening to her because she’d done everything right. She had all of the tests, they all came back clear and she never missed an appointment – how was it missed?” Emma Mhic Mhathuna, a mother of five, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early May of this year. She received a smear test in 2013 that incorrectly came back as normal. She said “Women are dead, they’re people’s daughters and they’re mammies, all the children are in so much pain … no amount of money can replace this.”

Although Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed that all women affected by the controversy would qualify for some compensation he said that he declined to accept legal liability for all the cases taken against the state and the testing laboratories.

Varadkar met with Phelan on August 1st and explained to the Irish Times that he wanted to seek her advice on how he could “best achieve what we all

wanted to achieve which was trying to have a system of redress and compensation tha avoids women having to take the stand in court, restoring confidence in the CervicalCheck screening programme and making sure we get to the truth and the facts.”

Emma Ni Mhauthuna explained that she hasn’t accepted that she is dying because she is so worried that people are going to get away with it. “My children are going to grow up and ask questions- why did Mam dieand if nobody’s held accountable then they are going to take on the hatred and the fear and I don’t want that,” she told RTE News.

“Although I am clear I went through four months of hell. It’s like playing Russian roulette with people’s lives and it’s four months I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep. Women who have been affected need closure and to know what happened,” concluded Stephanie.

18

Features

Wheels on the bus go round and round

Students commuting to college via Dublin Bus face major travel challenges if new routes are given the go-ahead.

Credit: Alison Clair

Newly proposed Dublin Bus routes see the Northside mainly uncatered for. With buses being the main way for students to commute to DCU, where do we go from here?

Niamh Dunne & Ciara O’Loughlin Podcast Co-editor & Deputy Features Editor @thecollegeview

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n July 22nd, the National Transport Authority (NTA) announced that the Dublin bus routes will undergo a significant change by 2020.

The new proposed bus routes will have significant changes to commuters in the city centre. The NTA are proposing that the new routes will be shorter and more frequent for the daily commuter.

However, since the announcement was made, it has faced a great deal of backlash from communities who will see their bus route cut.

The proposed new Bus Connects public transport system is set to be implemented by early 2020. The NTA claim they are proposing this drastic change to increase the number of buses to match the rapid growth of the city and the greater demand of public transport.

However, under this new scheme, many of the current bus routes will cease to run. Buses such as the 16, 33, 41, 13, 70, 270 and 38 will no longer

run under this proposal.

“It will be an absolute disaster. There is already a lack of buses as it is in Donabate and they want to get rid of the only service that goes from the village to the city every morning and every evening,” said Neamh Maguire, a Blanchardstown Institute of Technology student and a social care worker. She also explained that the new scheme will have a huge effect on clients that she works with in the homeless sector and that they won’t be able to take Dublin Bus to their hospital appointments.

Not only will certain bus routes stop, there will also be a method of identification for all buses. Instead of letters there will be letters in accordance to whether you are in the north, south or west of Dublin. The N1 to N9 will make up the east and west routes on the northside of the city centre, while routes S1 to S9 will cover the bus routes from the southside towards the city centre. For example, the 39a which runs from Ongar to UCD will now be classed the B route.

The purpose of these new orbital routes is to make it easier and more accessible to commute around Dublin without travelling through the city centre.

The NTA also stress that there are too many buses with overlapping routes and the new bus routes will be more ef-

“

It will make my commute to college virtually impossible ficient.

However, they’re aren’t too many people who are in favour of this change.

Several of the routes that will be terminated (16, 70, 38, 45, 84) has created backlash from their regular commuters. Public meetings with local TDs and councillors are taking place across Dublin to halt the proposal coming to fruition.

Currently Dunboyne in Co. Meath has only one direct bus route to the city centre that also serves smaller communities such as a Clonee and Littlepace.

However, under the new proposal this route will be cut and commuters will have to take a bus to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and wait for another bus that will travel into the city centre.

The new bus routes will also greatly impact students who commute to DCU as bus routes to the university will also be terminated under the new scheme.

With Dublin Bus being the main method of transport for many commuters,

this is likely to have a significant impact on students.

“It will make my commute to college virtually impossible,” Hayleigh Murphy, a politics student in UCD, told to The College View. Few commuters argue that this scheme will positively impact them.

Under the new scheme, it is proposed that a single ticket fare will last 90 minutes. There will also be an increase in cycling lanes across the capital in the hope of encouraging more people to cycle and therefore reduce traffic and congestion. The NTA is also hoping that commuters will use different modes of transport such as the Luas, DART or train.

“I currently travel from Rush, which by car would be half an hour, but as I don’t drive, it takes me about two hours to get to class,” explained Rachel Halpin, who is a final year student at DCU. “If the new bus routes come into effect, I would have to get one bus to

Swords, and another one from Swords to here- I would have to time both buses around my timetable, and even if they matched up, it would take me maybe even three hours just to come in,” she added.

While the intentions of the new scheme may appear to be good, the reality is not. Many communities have organised public meetings with local TDs and councillors in the hope to keep their bus route. Debates are happening all across Dublin in the hope that the government will stop the Bus Connect scheme going forward.

“We need to keep our bus service, improve our bus service and make sure Chapelizod remains well-connected with the rest of Dublin.” said Sinn Féin Councillor for Chapelizon, Dáithi Doolan, speaking to TheJournal.ie.

Communities all around Dublin have created a Change.org petition in the hope of stopping these changes. At the time of print, there are three petitions, including the retention of 16, 70 and 270 bus routes.

The public can also submit how the Bus Connect scheme will affect them and their community. They have until Friday, September 28th to submit their issues with the new scheme.

Features

19

DCU’s journey in playing catch-up

The constant rustle and bustle in construction works on campus sees no end as President MacCraith announces new STEM building to begin construction in 2019

The STEM building is projected to be ready for 2022.

Gillian Hogan Contributor @thecollegeview

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hose who have visited DCU within the last two years may be familiar with having their route blocked off by numerous construction vehicles or nearly bumping into a wall of wet paint.

There is a universal sigh of relief as DCU’s highly anticipated, new state of the art student centre is due to open just in time for the upcoming semester.

However, another deep breath may need to be taken because we’re not out of the construction woods yet.

DCU recently welcomed plans for a new €50 million science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) facility which will see our already shooting population grow by a further 3,000 students.

These changes are all part of DCU’s Strategic Plan for 2017-2022, which has contributed to making it the fastest growing university in the country. As of 2017, the university had 17,000 students. Ultimately, the plan aims to see the student population grow towards 20,000. This expansion has been aided considerably by the 2016 initiative to turn DCU into a five campus university and its takeover of

Credit: Dunnes Visual

the northside of Dublin seems like a natural progression.

While bigger is usually perceived to be better, many students choose this university over others because of its smaller size and welcoming community. However, we are currently scattered all over and have the same number of students as Trinity College. Are we losing what makes us

“

career in STEM,” she explained.

“The new DCU STEM centre will not only benefit the students that pass through it- allowing access to state of the art equipment which will help them in their studies- but it will also benefit DCU as a university; supporting the next generation of Ireland’s best and brightest in science, tech, engineering and maths,” she said.

First year students will inevitably

have been slightly inconvenient lately, but living with no promise of anything would be far worse.

“We have nothing! There’s a few seats in the SU but I’d still class us as severely lacking. People are usually on the couches in the arts block or making noise in the library, we have nowhere. It would definitely be useful for all students, especially the ones who commute for hours,” said Ailidh

Some students truly prefer a smaller campus and population

special or are these changes a welcome necessity that will only enhance the student experience?

Sinead McCrohan, a Business Studies student, spent last year as a student ambassador. She is now spending her INTRA year working with a leading Irish science organisation that promotes STEM among Ireland’s youth.

“It has allowed me to witness firsthand how important good facilities and equipment is to students striving for a

take the new student centre for granted, as in the majority of colleges across the country. For fourth years and postgraduates, it will be the bigger and better return of something they lost.

Second and third years are the students most likely to truly appreciate the new building because they never had one before.

DCU was only temporarily without a central social hub but it may come as a surprise that some universities have never had one at all. College life might

Phelan, a third year Social Sciences student at Maynooth University.

With these new alterations, comes a change in how DCU is perceived.

It seems a bit of a stretch to continue referring to it as a small campus when the only college that is significantly bigger is UCD. University College Dublin is the largest in the country in both population and size at nearly 34,000 students and 133 hectares. For comparison, DCU has nearly 40 hectares across all

campuses.

“The campus might seem daunting, but it just provides a large safe space for students, full of amenities for them to avail of. It can be a bit tight getting from one class to another on time sometimes but generally you stick to the same few buildings that are close to each other,” says Sophie Hevey, a 2nd year UCD Arts student and student ambassador.

On the other hand, some students truly prefer a smaller campus and population. “I see the same people, such as student leaders, very often and we recognise each other as we pass each other. In a similar way, it’s easier to make friends with people from any year since its a smaller college. It’s also extremely easy to find where to go because it’s only one building which isn’t huge,” says Leah Murphy, a first year Business Studies student at NCI which has a population of 5,000.

DCU’s primary mission is tofocus on creativity and culture through a variety of courses, clubs, societies and other programmes.

This ethos has been present even before it gained university status and has continued as it grows in multiple aspects. As long as this is not lost, every student that passes through its doors will feel important; no matter how many are attending the university or how many campuses it has.

20

Features

Never a dull day in DCU

DCU’s plethora of clubs and societies is something to be admired, and their famous annual events are not to be missed.

Credit: Mikey Walsh

The new clubs and socs office is located on the first floor of the new Hub.

the path to a future career.

However, society life can be time consuming and distract students from studies. Also, it might be intimidating joining societies where it seems that everyone is already friends with each other.

Societies Officer Catherine Kane encourages first years not to be nerv-

Amy Donohoe Social Media Editor @amydonohoe1

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he wide range of clubs and societies to take part in on campus is one of the university’s main attractions.

From Snowsports to Basketball to Style, there is something to suit every student, and the presence of clubs and societies on campus is set to be amplified with the opening of ‘The U’.

The brand new, purpose built student centre, which opened last week, will give space to societies to make use of state-of-the-art facilities. The centre sees plenty of space for meetings, rehearsals and offices. Being involved in club and society activities gives students a break from academic studies and the skills gained in societies such as communication, organisation and leadership can enhance the CV and aid

“

MPS is made up of students who share a strong interest in all things media related. It covers the platforms of TV, radio and online blogging.

“Students should join MPS if they have any interest in any section of media, it’s not just for the school of communications and media related courses, we have many members from all courses throughout. It’s a making friends while

said Jack Callaghan, society Treasurer.

Jack’s personal highlight of the club is ‘Boots & Kats’ performing in The Alps in Val Thorens.

When asked about upcoming plans, he teased that “we have plans for a beer pong event where teams of two compete for a free ski trip and we have a few more events that haven’t been finalized yet.”

Awarded DCU’s Best Society 2017/18,

First years should join because it is such a good way to make lifelong friends ous about joining societies. Drama society was a “big thing for her in first year” but she regrets not getting involved with RAG and MPS previously as they have fantastic opportunities.

“Societies are a place of inclusion, like a mini little family in DCU,” she explained.

However, annual club and society events are going to be amplified this year with the opening of the new centre.

One of the highlights for many School of Communications students is the 24 Hour Broadcast, hosted by Media Production Society (MPS).

One of DCU’s biggest societies,

making content and building a portfolio,” said MPS Chair, Hannah Gallagher.

“The 24 hour broadcast is our biggest event which is streamed on YouTube to raise money for a selected charity. It’s a chance to showcase great talent and fun shows for an amazing cause,” she added Snow sports host the largest abroad trip in the entire university. Members can learn how to ski or snowboard in a safe environment in Kilternan with instructors.

“Incoming first years should join because it such a good way to makelifelong friends as we have a sound committee and such unreal friendly members,”

DCU Dance cater for all styles and levels from daily beginners classes to Intervarsity squads. First years get their first glimpse of the society in The Helix when they perform during orientation.

The highlight of every academic year is The Full Monty, which is always extremely popular.

“I really recommend joining any society at all. If you’ve come into first year not knowing anyone, like me, that is how you will make friends. The people and the opportunities that have come from the dance society have given me the most amazing experience and confidence while dancing!” Chloe Demolder, Chair of DCU Dance said.

“As well as the obvious socialbenefits, it’s so good for your health. Even if you can only make the weekly Wednesday workshop with your busy schedule, it’s still a way of getting exercise inwhich I find so much more bearable than the gym,” he added.

Lastly, weird and wonderful societies are no stranger in DCU - and the Harry Potter Society proves just that. It brings people who want to make new friends and have a general interest in Harry Potter together. Each year, it hosts the Yule Ball.

“People should join as it is a great way to get then involved with society life in general, and we hope to plan inter-society events which is great for first years to get acquainted with new societies relevant to their interests outside of Harry Potter Society,” said Helen Wade, Vice Chair.

“We are also hoping to collaborate with other Harry Potter societies in other colleges for other events, we hope to create an inclusive and fun environment for all members, whether you’re a Potter fan or not,” Helen continued.

With over 140 clubs and societies, all interests and hobbies are facilitated.

If students are willing to invest the time and the funds, they can be a lot of fun and a fantastic way to pass the time.

21

Sport

Alexander Yankov win highlights DCU MMA calibre Alexander Yankov told The College View how a lot of the success of the DCU MMA Club has to go back to Coach Oisin McCabe.

Hugh Farrell Deputy Sports Edit @HughFSports

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CU MMA Alumnus, Alexander Yankov, was crowned the ISKA Irish Kickboxing champion in the featherweight division after stopping the reigning champion in the 4th round.

While Yankov’s win was in kickboxing, he is still of the opinion that MMA is the main goal. While the kickboxing success is impressive he also enters many other discipline competitions like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments to improve his skills for a more well-rounded game.

Yankov began his MMA career 5 years ago with DCU MMA and when asked about the club Yankov clarified that while the club is amazing for beginners it also works for everyone beyond that level. With coach Oisin McCabe’s approach, there is a large importance placed on the fundamentals.

Yankov explained, “It allows me to practice and repeat the basics while the beginners are learning something new that is applicable in a real life situation.

It teaches patience but people tend to transition from beginners to intermedi-

Alexander Yankov celebrates with coach and teammates following big win

ate and advanced quickly in the club.”

DCU MMA has had a lot of success lately and one of the main reasons for this can be traced back to coach McCabe. High praise was given to him by Yankov when he said that “because of his lifelong journey of martial arts he is able to give many perspectives from different spheres of the sport.

“He understands what works and what doesn’t, so training with him is optimal. Everyone fighting under his coaching tends to have very high fight IQ and a solid game plan.”

The success of the club has been immense in the last 12 months with 3 members winning 8 Championship Belts, including 3 National Titles in

Kickboxing as well as a lot of our other male and female members achieving success and winning kickboxing bouts & Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.

“The team is

doing so well with very little resources Yankov was of the opinion that there are steps the college could take to fur-

Credit: Claude Wynne

ther assist in this.

“The team is doing so well with very little resources and that with small help from DCU we can do even better” he went on to say that if they could use the gym for strength and conditioning and the sauna for relaxation, the fighters would be able to train and heal more efficiently.

While Yankov is satisfied with his performances so far as a featherweight, he said he would ideally like to cut weight further to move down to bantamweight as he transitions from an amateur to a professional.

Training is back with MMA classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Coach McCabe was enthusiastic about the re-

turn saying that “all of DCU MMA’s Dublin based members have been training hard over the summer in my club Compound Martial Arts and are raring to go for 2018/2019.”

“We are looking forward to welcoming a new wave of new members to DCU MMA to join our current members and experience the benefits for mind and body that Martial Arts brings and will have our first competition in DCU, December 16th.”

Hockey boom in DCU expected following recent Irish success Following Ireland’s historic second place finish at the Women’s Hockey World Cup, international Sarah Torrans expects a rising interest in the sport in DCU this year.

Eoin Harte Contributor @thecollegeview

I

rish women’s hockey international and DCU student Sarah Torrans expects to see a rise in interest in hockey in DCU this year.

Hockey rose to prominence this summer at the Women’s World Cup, where the Irish team achieved their best ever finish earning them a silver medal. This came as a surprise to the country as well as the team itself.

“It was always in the back of our minds to do well and to show everyone what we have, but to get a silver medal was a bit of a shock to everyone”, Torrans said.

At just 19 years old Torrans already has 14 caps for Ireland and was in the reserves for the World Cup making her the youngest player in the 22-player squad.

“I was in the reserves so I didn’t play myself but it was nice to watch the others do so well, they trained so hard.”

The team were given a civic reception outside of Dublin’s City Hall on Dame street on their return from the

“When we

walked out on stage there was about a thousand people there World Cup, an event that Torrans has fond memories of.

“It was amazing. We were looking out the window about half an hour before we were due to go on stage and there was no one there, but when we walked out on stage there was about a thousand people there.”

Off the back of an impressive campaign in the World Cup, Torrans and the rest of the team are as hungry as ever for more success. “The Tokyo Olympics is the next big thing, the qualifiers are coming up in May and June so all our focus is directed towards that for now.”

There are also positive signs for the year ahead for DCU’s own hockey team, who were promoted to the cup after winning the plate at last year’s Intervarsities in October.

Torrans has big plans in store for both DCU and herself. “For DCU I hope that we can get results in the cup and hopefully stay up, for myself I really want to make the tournament squad [for next year’s Olympics] and play a few games.”

While hockey is an amateur sport in Ireland there are professional leagues abroad that Torrans has her eye on. “A few people have gone abroad to play in say, Belgium and Holland, so I plan on doing that in a couple of years.”

Sarah Torrans in action for Ireland

Credit: Sarah Torrans

Sport

22

DCU Volleyball reliant on Erasmus students to continue success DCU Volleyball Coach and Irish International Benny O’Regan talks to The College View about the club’s recent success.

DCU Volleyball at the Beach Volleyball Intervarsities.

Gerard Grimes Sports Editor @gerardgrimes11

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CU Volleyball will be hoping to carry their success from April’s first ever beach volleyball inter-varsities into the new college year.

However, with only around 20% of their members from last year still at the club, they will again be relying on Erasmus students and new first years.

“There’s a reliance on who comes through the Erasmus and the new first years. I’d say only 20% of our members from last year are there this year, that’s what you’ve got to deal with in a minority sport,” DCU Volleyball coach Benny O’Regan told The Col-

lege View.

The difference between Erasmus students and those starting to learn the sport in college is largely down to the experience they have with playing the sport.

“It’s in terms of bringing up the calibre, the competitive know how and the technical ability,” O’Regan said when speaking of what Erasmus students in particular bring to the club.

DCU mainly play in a league under Student Sport Ireland along with playing inter-varsities and other tournaments throughout the year, such as the Munster Cup. “With DCU, the main one they play in is under Student Sport Ireland. They played a league which is four rounds (two rounds before and after Christmas), a quarter-final, semi-final, final and then there’s the intervarsities.”

“We aren’t in the Volleyball All-Ireland league because a lot of the time we deal with a revolving door of new people, it’s more of an international sport than an Irish based sport.”

“Young people are either on Erasmus for half the year or the year or are PhD or masters for a year. A lot of the time it’s a revolving door of that group and there’s not a lot who came through Irish school’s systems for a full undergradu-

Credit: DCU Volleyball/Facebook

ate degree,” O’Regan said.

Irish International O’Regan, now in his second stint of coaching with DCU, having rejoined in 2016, is one of two main drivers for Beach Volleyball and the first ever Beach Volleyball Intervarsities took place towards the end of the

“of our I’d say only 20% members from last year are there this year

last academic year in April.

The intervarsities saw DCU come away with huge success, as the DCU 1 team, made up of Aurelien Gimenez and Irish international Wil Oshoke went unbeaten, beating UCC 2, DCU 3, IT Tallaght, Cork IT, IT Carlow 1, UCD 1 and UCC 1 to book a place in the final.

They again played UCC 1 in the final and beat the Cork outfit for the second time to win the first Men’s Beach Volleyball cup.

This wasn’t the only success of the intervarsities as the Men’s Plate Final was an all DCU affair.

The DCU 2 team, made up of Jorge Campillo and Shota Umemiva, drew three of their qualifying group matches and dropped into the Plate section.

They then beat the DCU 4 team of Ayud Beshir and Pablo Bonet before beating Queen’s to qualify for the Plate Final.

However, the DCU 4 team of Beshir and Bonet themselves qualified for the final and got their revenge on their DCU Volleyball teammates to win the first ever Intervarsity Beach Volleyball Plate title and in turn finished 11th and 12th overall.

In the women’s tournament, DCU had two of the ten competing teams, including indoor internationals, Mary Creaton and Aoibhin Cassidy.

Creaton and Cassidy, who formed DCU 1, won two and lost two of their group games and dropped to the Plate competition on points difference.

They were joined in the Plate section by the DCU 2 pairing of Eimear O’Donoughue and Jumi Nishikawa, who finished tenth overall.

DCU 1, however, went on to take gold in the plate, ahead of Cork IT and Athlone IT, making it three wins from four competitions for DCU Volleyball.

O’Regan likes to have the players playing as regularly as he can and

there were more positive results for the club last year.

“There’s usually a tournament once a month. We enter them, whether it’s the Munster Cup in Cork in March and we won the Mixed Championships (in Gormanston) back in February.”

“There’s always opportunities to play fundraisers too so we make ourselves available,” O’Regan said.

At the Indoor intervarsities in Cork in November, DCU’s girls team also came away with silverware, beating GMIT to win the Plate. However, O’Regan admitted they are some way short of the strength of UCD. “They’ll (DCU) not be as strong as UCD Women, they’ve a proper system in place, coming from volleyball schools or not exactly scholarships but coming from Europe,” he told The College View.

“They are studying, and they already come from a culture of volleyball and are playing for a proper school or club. The skill level they have is way different compared to a lot of the other universities with the calibre of player they get,” O’Regan continued.

Sport

23

All-Star Nominee Magee reminisces on DCU football career Lauren Magee talks to The College View after winning back-to-back All Ireland titles with Dublin

Gerard Grimes Sports Editor @gerardgrimes11

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CU Ladies GAA were well represented during the Ladies Football Finals at Croke Park on Sunday, September 16.

Dublin Ladies defeated Cork 3-11 to 1-12 to claim back-to-back All-Ireland titles for the first time with a total of fourteen students and alumni part of the Dublin team.

Deirdre Murphy, Lyndsey Davey, Muireann Ni Scanaill, Sinead Finnegan, Kate Fitzgibbon, Siobhan Woods, Laura McGinley, Leah Caffrey, Lauren Magee, Katie Murray and Eabha Rutledge were all part of the squad.

Three further DCU alumni, Ken Robinson, Ryan O’Flaherty and Paul Casey are part of the Dublin management team.

Davey, Caffrey and Magee have all received nominations for this year’s Ladies Football All Star list.

“Usually if you win your province you’d go straight through to an All Ireland Quarter Final and if that was the case this year this would have meant we would have only had one championship game under our belt prior to playing the Quarter Final because Westmeath are the only other Divi-

It was the best end to “college football I could

Lauren Magee in action against Cork’s Shauna Kelly in the All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship Final.

sion 1 team in Leinster, so having the group stages meant we had an extra two matches going into the All Ireland stages.” Lauren Magee told The College View.

“Being part of this county panel has really been amazing! Between the players and the background team it’s like having another family.”

“Everyone gives 100% for the team and it’s just a pleasure to be part of,” Magee said.

Magee, who just finished her degree, played with Dublin and her club Kilmacud Crokes during her time in DCU

Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

have asked for management of all teams they understand the commitments you have for the other teams and try to accommodate as best as they can for you.”

very lucky to have the support of all my managers and from the GAA society in DCU who have been a huge help when it comes to exams and assignments which took the pressure off me so I could still train and play matches,” Magee said.

After three years with DCU, the O’Connor Cup win over UL in March, their first since 2011, was the highlight of her college football career.

“I have had a great 3 years playing for DCU. We won the League at the end of 2015 which was such a good start to college football.”

“Winning the O’Connor cup was definitely the highlight of my college football, it was the best end to college football I could have asked for.”

“To win it along side the players and management I did made it even more special.”

With DCU Ladies GAA having such strong representation in the Dublin team, and a number of players also being involved in the Meath and Louth panels on All-Ireland Final day, Magee praised DCU’s high standard.

“Well I believe that DCU have a great setup for players and it really helps to develop players further as when they aren’t training with their county teams they are still playing and training at such a high level and also being managed with a high standard too.”

“As I said above you get to play alongside top quality players you don’t usually play with which is always a huge benefit for all players involved.”

“The most challenging part for me was trying to balance my college work, working part time and then playing football on top of it all but I’m

Evan Comerford voices praise for DCU football Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerford believes DCU have played a big part in the county’s success.

Amy Donohoe Social Media Editor @AmyDonohoe1

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CU is responsible for much of Dublin’s success in recent years, according to Dublin’s Evan Comerford.

16 players on the Dublin panel were DCU students including Bernard Brogan, Philly McMahon, Jonny Cooper and Conor McHugh.

Comerford is a third year Athletic Therapy and Training student and he made his first championship start this summer. He played a part in creating history as Dublin won four in-a-row.

“All of us from Ballymun who play for Dublin went to DCU, they’ve been great to us, and we owe a huge amount to them.”

Comerford made his senior club debut with Ballymun Kickhams in 2015.

He won multiple honours last year, including the All-Ireland as number

two goalkeeper, and an All-Ireland under-21 title.

The Ballymun Kickhams goalkeeper thinks that university GAA is good for young players to break into their county starting teams and to get game time at a high level playing with other inter-county players.

“

They’ve been great to us, and we owe a huge amount to them.

“The good thing about college football is every year a new crop of lads are coming in.”

Dublin captain, Stephen Cluxton was forced off during the Leinster semi-final win against Longford after being

tackled and Comerford replaced him after 20 minutes into the game. Cluxton was then forced out of the Leinster final with the rib injury.

It had been almost two years since someone other than Cluxton stood in Dublin’s goal for league or championship.

Comerford was given the No 1 jersey for Dublin’s last two league games earlier this year.

Cluxton made his return as starting goalkeeper for the league final.

Speaking about his start in the Leinster final, the 20 year old said that some of the older players gave him advice.

“There was a bit of pressure there.

We don’t really read the media. Most of the pressure I felt came from myself.”

“I wanted to prove to Dublin supporters and the rest of the lads on the panel that I was ready for it.”

Evan Comerford lifts the Delaney Cup

Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

SPORT

INSIDE Lauren Magee talks to The College View after winning back-to-back All Ireland titles with Dublin.

Stellar Becker on a high after European performance At the age of just 21, Sophie Becker has now completed her first championships at senior level for Ireland Ian Brennan Contributor @thecollegeview

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ophie Becker is aiming high after a very strong year culminated in an appearance at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin over the summer.

Becker, who is in her third year of Genetics and Cell Biology in DCU, represented Ireland in the 4x400m relay alongside Claire Mooney, Davicia Patterson and Sinéad Denny where the team finished 8th in their heat Becker was delighted to have been picked for the team.

“To go to Berlin this time last year was something in the distance, I would have loved to have gone but I never thought I actually would have done it.”

This is not Becker’s first taste of international competition, however. She took part in the European Under 23s in Bydgoszcz in Poland last summer.

However, Becker has no doubt in her mind that the Championships in Berlin were a step above anything that had gone before.

“The only word I can use to describe it is surreal, it was just amazing”.

The 400m runner had an extremely successful year both at college and

club levels, totaling two gold and two silver medals as well as a new DCU indoor record for the distance.

“I didn’t think it could get any better and then I went to Berlin and it’s just another level.”

“I was there warming up beside people who I follow on Instagram, have Olympic medals, World records.” “ I’ll never forget it, it was brilliant,” Becker said.

The 21-year old from Wexford benefited greatly from the experience around her in the team, sharing a room

“

I didn’t think it could get any better and then I went to Berlin and it’s just another level

Ireland’s 4x400m Womens Relay team, Claire Mooney, Davicia Patterson, Sophie Becker and Sinead Denny.

with fellow sprinter and DCU alumni Catherine McManus.

“It was so nice, she had experience, she would give me advice like, ‘maybe you should do this, or eat this before this, just staying calm and focused’, I was so lucky to be rooming with her.”

“Everyone was so focused, but people were still messing around. The

whole Irish team stayed in the same hotel.”

“When anyone was competing, everyone would be swarmed around the TV or down at the track watching.”

The future for Becker looks bright, and the athlete has set herself goals she wants to achieve in the next couple years on an international level.

“Now there’s World Championships on in 2019 in Qatar, so I kind of have that in my mind now and then, obviously after that it’s 2020 in Tokyo.”

“The fact that I made it to something so big like a Senior Championships when I was only 21, I know the World Championships are another

Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

level but if I can do that (referring to the Europeans) then it’s not too mad to think I can do that, and then Tokyo as well after that.”

“It’s an exciting few years I have ahead.”

Potential position switch excites Leinster winger Leinster’s Eimear Corri outlines her goals for the future.

Joseph O’Gorman Contributor @thecollegeview

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resh from winning a women’s Inter-provincial title, Leinster winger Eimear Corri has her goals firmly set in her mind.

“It’d be a dream of mine to represent my country in a World Cup and Six Nations.”

Only 21 years old, Corri is already very experienced at provincial level.

She represented the Leinster U-18 squad from 2012-2016, winning 3 Inter-provincial titles, and was named captain in 2016.

Corri had quite a noteworthy coach in Portlaoise RFC where she began her rugby career in Ireland legend Alison Miller, who has had a big influence on Corri’s playing style.

“She was actually my first rugby coach in Portlaoise RFC, and it’s very difficult to be anything other than in awe of her achievements and also the tips and advice she has to offer.”

Another interesting influence on Corri’s game is Ireland’s stalwart full-back.

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Eimear Corri (left), with Leinster and DCU teammate, Emma Hooban.

“Rob Kearney, and just the way Leinster have him playing tactically would influence me a lot too.”

“I’d try to get into good positions much like he does and be there on the end of the ball at crucial times,” Corri said.

Like any athlete, the Olympics are a dream

Piaras Ó Mídeach/Sportsfile

A common trend in rugby these days is for talented wingers to try make it as a centre.

Two of the Ireland men’s team’s latest superstars, Jordan Larmour, and Jacob Stockdale, are two examples.

“I’m definitely one of those wingers

that has centre notions.”

“Having played centre for both Blackrock College RFC and DCU, I love being closer to the ball and the involvement in devising calls, and running moves to try beat the defence.”

“I think the wing has a lot to offer, and when you break the position down, is an equally important player on the pitch, and can be involved as much as the individual player decides.”

“I think centre would be my preferred position, but I suppose one position out isn’t too bad either,” Corri told The College View.

The recent addition of Sevens to the Olympics is also a lure. The likes of New Zealand’s Portia Woodman play both codes, and excel, but Corri knows her preferences, after experiencing the shortened code with Ireland U-18, and after winning All-Ireland Sevens with DCU in 2017 and 2018.

“Obviously like any athlete, the Olympics are a dream but I prefer the 15s game. I believe that 15s requires more skill to find gaps that seem non existent with a wall of 15 lining up in front of you.”

Corri will represent DCU RFC this year again, in both codes.