Vol. 1. Issue 8. 7th March 2018
Music
by Aoibhín
F
Bryant
Discussing religion, poetry and selfrecording with Four In The Morning
our in the Morning are an alternative-folk band based in Melbourne, Australia. The band consists of DCU Communications Studies graduate Kevin Dolan, and his band members, Kiran Srinivasan and Libby Ferris. We spoke to Kevin (lyricist and vocalist) about the band and their EP, “Half Asleep”, which was released last November. Where did you get the name “Four in The Morning”?: It’s actually inspired by the poet Rives, who did a TED Talk recently where he noticed that four in the morning is the time most mentioned time in songs. He referenced it as the “grown-up hour”, a reflective time when you’re either up too late or awake too early. It was going to be some obscure Simpsons reference like, “Sincerely, Little Girl” or “General Krull” - but we decided against it. How did you guys meet? When I first moved here, I didn’t know anyone and a great way to meet people was to play music at the open
mics. I first saw Libby at one where she played guitar for the other band she’s in and I knew I needed her in my own band. We essentially found Kiran off the street when we went out looking for a drummer. On the album, you sing a version of Patrick Kavanagh’s poem, “On Raglan Road”. Is he an influence? What other influences does the band have?: Honestly, I’m more of a Yeats man but I do love Kavanagh, he manages to create something beautiful and sad from the mundane. I’m also really into Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen as well as The National. Kiran, who plays jazz drums, is interested in more alternative stuff, like Talking Heads. Libby, on the other hand, loves atmospheric rock. We all have really different interests and it shows in our music, it’s such a nice mixture. Kiran and Libby take my folksy songs and make them a lot weirder. This entire album was selfrecorded, what was that like? It had its pluses and minuses. I did
radio while I was in DCU and I really enjoy the editing and tinkering with sound. Recording it ourselves granted us the time and flexibility instead of renting out a studio for a day or so. Your songs explore turbulent relationships and religion. Where do these ideas come from? Not to sound cheesy, but it’s stuff that keeps me up at night. When I’m having trouble sleeping, I write songs to get the thoughts out of my head. A lot of the times, a line just comes
to me right before I go to sleep or when I’m out for a walk and I work from there. What’s the music making process like? We usually write during our jam sessions. I’ll start with a loose chord progression and then Libby and Kiran take it from there and make it more interesting. Sometimes we’ll be playing and we’ll stumble on a melody we like, record it and then I’ll write lyrics to it.
Imagine Dragons light up the 3 Arena
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Shauna Bowers reviews the rock band’s roaring performance
he atmosphere of the 3Arena was alight when Imagine Dragons took to the stage on the 26th of February. While their unexpected opening tune ‘I Don’t Know Why’ wouldn’t have been the first guess for the song to kick off a fantastic night of live music, it did exactly as it should have. The raw passion and excitement exuded by Dan Reynolds, the lead singer, left the audience enraptured. The energetic opening only served as a sliver of what the rest of the show would hold. After the explosion of music, beats, confetti and light of the first song, Reynolds grounded the audience. As he spoke the crowd went silent, absorbing every word he said. His speech was empowering as he spoke about the violence that America has witnessed over the last number of years “I love my country and I am tired. I am tired and I am sad,” Reynolds said as the reverberation of a standing ovation filled the air. He thanked everybody who came to see the 2 band for providing him with the
opportunity to forget about all of the pain he was felt due to gun violence in the states for an hour or two. Despite the sobering effect his words had, it didn’t negatively impact the enthusiasm for the next song. ‘It’s Time’ was a befitting choice as the follow up to his speech, tying into the message t h a t Reynolds wanted to get across while still being a c r o w d pleaser. Reynolds’ heartfelt
words didn’t stop there. He continued his brutal honesty when explaining the meaning behind the emotional song ‘Demons’. Reynolds turned to music when he was 13-years-old due to experiencing depression at a young age. He encouraged people to not shy away from seeking a therapist and wanted them to know that he supported anybody who suffered with depression or anxiety. He said: “You are not broken or lost. I stand with you. I understand your greatness.”
The energy of the show slowed down a little bit when the band took to the smaller stage for a more acoustic vibe. The biggest winner was their rendition of ‘I Bet My Life’ which featured cellos and violas to mix up their classic, powerhouse album version of the indie hit. Reynolds didn’t even have to sing the chorus as the crowd reached a crescendo, drowning out his vocals. As the foursome returned to the main stage, the unmistakable drum beat of Radioactive was heard. The intensity of the crowd reached a whole new level, which only spurred the lads on even further. It was the song everybody was waiting for and it was well worth the wait. Between Reynolds’ dance moves, Wayne Sermon’s intricate guitar riffs during ‘I’ll Make it Up To You’ and the steady beats from Daniel Platzman, it was difficult not to enjoy the entire concert. You could actually see just how much the musicians enjoyed the performance. Seeing the band’s sheer joy of performing made it impossible for everyone else to not enjoy it too.
Music
Has music changed for the worse or better?
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Emer Handly discusses how music has changed in recent decades.
usic is more than just lyrics and melodies. It is emotions, thoughts, life, love, sadness, despair. It is everything we are and everything we want to be. It is one of the most important things in this world. Greek philosopher Plato once said; “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” The greatest songs ever created are still being listened to today. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Dianna Ross, Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, Oasis, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones and Joni Mitchelll. The list is endless. These are the people who dedicated their lives to music. The 20th Century saw artists like AC/DC, Radiohead, The Sex Pistols and Pink Floyd take the world by storm. Rock music was in its prime. Yet in the past two decades, music has changed in ways the great musicians could never had imagined. Nowadays, mainstream pop music is having its time in the limelight. Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, The Vamps, Little Mix, Dua Lipa, Rihanna and (of course) Justin Bieber are all some of the most listened to artists. Techno and electronic dance music are also becoming very popular. MK, Avicii, Kygo, Calvin Harris seem to create music that puts people into an epileptic type trance. Rock still has its place. Red Hot Chili peppers, Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Kings of Leon are carrying on the rock ‘n’ roll legacy. Whether or not you consider these artists to be good musicians is up to you, there will never be a
worldwide agreement on that. One thing that has to be said that lyrics are getting dumber. Musicians lyrics used to inspire, like Led Zeppelin: Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run There’s still time to change the road you’re on Now we have to listen to thinks like this lyric by Lil’ Wayne. “My tongue is a uzi, my d*** is an AK / my tongue go brrr, my d*** go bah!” A lot of music has become more about sex than about soul. Rock ‘n’ roll in the last century was all about sex and drugs, but it has a lot of meaning too and issues such as depression and anxiety were often a central part of songs. The chords and melodies are no longer what they used to be: breathtaking sounds of genius. Beethoven and Mozart would spin in their graves if the heard some of the ‘tunes’ of this century. Science has actually proved that music has changed in this way. A scientific study carried out by the Spanish National Research Council on pop music found that timbral (which accounts for the sound colour, texture, or tone quality) has decreased. That means that songs are more homogeneous than they used to be. In other words, all pop music sounds the same now. The study found that pitch content has also decreased – meaning that their are less numbers of chords and different melodies. Musicians
today seem to be less adventurous in moving from one chord or note to another, instead following the paths already taken by their peers. It seems musicians are struggling to be original. However, the real problem is not that music has become predictable and therefore has gotten worse. The real problem it is that the music industry has become predictable and therefore has gotten worse. There is so much emphasis on appearance, looking cool, having sex appeal. Why? Because it sells. The new goal is; Making money over making music. In all seriousness, every genre has a place in the music world. If people enjoy them, why shouldn’t they listen to them? Everyone has a different opinion on what ‘good’ music is. If you don’t like a particular genre, don’t listen to it. It is really not as doom and gloom and some would like you to believe. There are still musicians who care about the music and how it helps people. In every corner of the earth there is music. No matter what language, music is the one thing that everyone can understand. As Henry Longfellow said; “Music is the universal language of mankind.” There is no question that music has changed, but it’s roots are still there. It still inspires us, brings us joy, makes us laugh or cry, or both. Some music has evolved and is different,
some music has evolved and is the same. The important thing is for us to embrace the change. “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” ― Billy Joel.
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Film
Black Panther roars around the globe
Jonathan Lynam
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n the fifth episode of the Netflix series Master of None, main character Dev mentions how movies or tv shows traditionally can’t have more than two black people as main characters, and the show wasn’t exactly lying. For a while now, there’s been this idea in Hollywood that movies with black casts wouldn’t perform well internationally. But with Black Panther, Marvel have shown that this mindset is wrong. The only characters in Black Panther that are white are agent Ross, played by Martin Freeman, and Ulysses Klaue, played by Andy Serkis. Chadwick Boseman returns in his role as T’Challa, the Black Panther. As he ascends to the throne he must decide between what is best for his people or what is best for the world. Boseman inhabits the character, perfectly emanating what a leader should be.
“The action scenes seem almost out of place in a film which has a much deeper meaning to it” Letitia Wright from Black mirror also impresses as T’Challa’s sister Shuri, the mind behind all of Wakanda’s technological advancements. One of the biggest wins for the movie comes in the form of the villain Erik Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan. Killmonger is a character burned by
T
by Ailbhe
Daly
his heritage, who wants to take back everything he feels he deserves including the throne of Wakanda finally, giving the Marvel Cinematic Universe a villain to be feared. Black Panther may be the latest instalment in the MCU, but it doesn’t seem like it. In any other Marvel movie, the action takes centre stage, but in Black Panther this is not the case. The action scenes seem almost out of place in a film which has a much deeper meaning to it. It stands for equality in race and gender but also tackles the morality of leadership. In an interview with the New York Times, President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige said that when making the movie he always reminded director Ryan Cooger how the “biggest statement this movie can make is to be a success around the globe.” And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Black Panther has plenty of action to keep the usual MCU fans happy, but it also stands for something else. So many of the movie’s central characters are female, the movie doesn’t only pass the Bechdel test but demolishes it. When T’Challa speaks with his dead father in Djalia, a form of afterlife, he tells him to surround himself with those he trusts and thus most of the people he chooses to go into battle alongside are women.
The fight scenes are also better than the MCU’s usual fare, in particular when T’Challa must go without his powers through a Wakandan ritual of bloodcombat to retain his throne. But of course, the big CGI finale is still there and still visually impressive but almost felt out of place in a super-hero movie where the story took centre stage. All this leads to the movie currently sitting at approximately €327,183,440.00 at the box office worldwide, clearly showing that the world really doesn’t care about what race the characters are.
The Shape of Water embraces romance in all its forms
he latest movie directed by the critically acclaimed Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) weaves a deeply intricate fairy tale into a very unusual love story. The Shape of Water follows the story of Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a cleaner in a high-security government facility in Baltimore during the Cold War. The portrayal by Hawkins is gripping from the very beginning; despite the fact that Elisa is mute, she shows power through actions and expressions. The fact Elisa can’t speak isn’t something that impedes her and her own uniqueness shines through in a myriad of ways. Early on in the movie, an amphibian creature that was hailed as a God is captured from South America and brought to the facility by Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon). General Frank Hoyt (Nick Searcy) instructs Strickland to vivisect the creature 4so they can use it as leverage
to get ahead of Russia in the space race, an opportunity for Strickland to indulge his sadistic side. While on paper The Shape of Water is a love story, it is so much more than that. The turmoil that Elisa goes through to save something she loves is genuinely touching. The issues dealt with throughout emphasise the need for acceptance and the power of love, be it platonic or romantic. It is a monster movie but rather than the monster being something that is feared, we see a monster portrayed as something that can be loved. The fantastic cinematography and effects bring the amphibian being to life and capture the power and grace of something otherworldly. The nods to Hollywood classics like Creature From The Black Lagoon are rife throughout, and Del Toro incorporates these homages into the movie’s world
seamlessly. Elisa’s neighbor and close friend, Giles (Richard Jenkins) is a struggling artist who also happens to be homosexual. Giles is self-conscious and very aware of how out of place he is in 1960’s America but despite this, Elisa views him no differently than anybody else. The acceptance of others for who they are rather than what they are not is a message that is carried through the entire movie and is something that the world needed in the 60’s as much as it needs now. The lack of a voice for Elisa sees bonds form with those who have little voice in society, like the aforementioned Giles and fellow cleaner, the loquacious Zelda (Octavia Spencer) who is AfricanAmerican. Her bond with the creature is easier to understand and the sincerity of her actions cannot be understated. There are some scenes that are a little bit strange and worthy of a sceptically raised eyebrow (looking at you, weird sex scene) but as a whole, The Shape of Water is a worthy Oscar contender and one that will surely see Del Toro finally scoop a Best Director award. Humans being shown as indelible monsters is a recurrent theme throughout The Shape of Water, as Del Toro makes you hope for a romance between a mute and an amphibian to thrive and a revered military man to fail.
Disjointed shows the highs and lows of cannabis
Gráinne Jones
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Film
The Netflix comedy series discusses the controversial topic of cannabis use.
isjointed, the new Netflix original comedy show, is showing that legal marijuana is not all highs - it has a serious side too. The series, which is based in California where the recreational use of cannabis has been legalised, captures not only the highs of running a marijuana dispensary, but also manages to display that the use of the drug is not all fun and games. ‘Disjointed’ is centred around Ruth’s Alternative Caring marijuana dispensary, which is run by Ruth Whitefeather Feldman and her son Travis. Ruth is played by Kathy Bates, well known for her appearances in the American drama “American Horror Story”. “I’m Ruth Whitefeather Feldman. Cannabis Lawyer, cannabis activist, and right before I opened this door, cannabis user.” Ruth prides herself on “healping” people; healing and helping them, which thankfully is a word that didn’t roll on much further than the opening few episodes. Fortunately for Ruth, there are many people within her shop alone that need to be “healped”. “Disjointed” doesn’t shy away from the harder hitting issues, and surprisingly manages to deal with the delicate situation of the security guard, Carter, who is struggling with PTSD after serving in the army. The show cleverly uses slam poetry and illustration a s a way to express what i s happening in the mind o f a veteran with PTSD to a n audience that may not understand exactly what the mental health disorder is o r what it entails. “Disjointed” doesn’t push marijuana as the cure for all issues, and even highlights that using weed is not for everyone. “For the first time in m y life I felt like I was living in t h e moment [after smoking weed]. A n d as for weakness; I don’t k n o w anyone on earth who isn’t using something or someone to cope with other somethings a n d someones. The only question that matters is; does it work for you?” asked one of the budtenders, Jenny, when Carter was having a PTSD episode.
Issues of paranoia also come up quite often throughout the series; a side effects that is quite common in cannabis users. “Oh paranoia, why can’t I breed you out?” asks Pete, the in-house pot grower for Ruth’s Alternative
“It comically explains the benefits of recreational use of the drug, all without forcing it upon people” Caring after one of the budtenders seems to freak for reasons unknown to Pete. Ruth also cares for Maria, a wife in a love-less marriage who is riddled with anxiety. Ruth is able to help medicate Maria and bring back her ability to cope with life again.
Despite tackling some heavy issues, the addition of stoner pair, Dank and Dabby, add a light-hearted and childish value to the show, making it perfect for watching while relaxing after a long day. The quirky couple run a famous stoner YouTube channel sponsored by Ruth’s Alternative Caring. Dank and Dabby are definitely not to all viewers’ tastes as it takes a particular sense of humour to find them funny, but their videos add the stereotypical weed user into the blend of an otherwise more serious show about marijuana. An ongoing game throughout the series of “guess the word” keeps audiences entertained during the change of scenes; all words relating to weed of course. The makers of “Disjointed” also play jokes on the viewers during the intro of each episode, speeding up and skipping different parts which are guaranteed to make any stoner think that they have sat on the remote control. “Disjointed” only received a 23 per cent rating by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was rated much higher by audiences at 80 per cent. The show is somewhat crude in its presentation and it is understandable why critics – who are used to polished and finely tuned pieces of film – did not appreciate the constant weed jokes and less than angelic language. The show is written and produced by Chuck Lorre and David Javerbaum; Lorre also produces “The Big Bang Theory” and essences of that series seems to have wafted its way into “Disjointed”. Fans of “The Big Bang Theory” will notice an ode to the show when Tibetan throat singing is brought up in one of the first few episodes. Although “Disjointed” is not going to be winning awards any time soon, audiences are appreciating it because it manages to spark conversations about the use of marijuana in daily life. It comically explains the benefits of recreational use of the drug, all without forcing it upon people. The legal marijuana industry in America made $10 billion last year, so it was high time that a show was made about it. “Disjointed” is definitely not blowing smoke about the issues of using marijuana. Season one of the show is available now to watch on Netflix.
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Books
The life and work of Emma Hannigan
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Emer Handly explores the bestselling author who has shown unimaginable strength and courage.
est-selling author Emma Hannigan passed away after an 11-year battle with cancer. A wife, a mother of two, a phenomenal author and an inspiration to us all, The Bray native, known for her books ‘Letters to my daughter’, ‘Talk to the headscarf’, ‘The Secrets We Share’ and ‘The Wedding Promise’, was first diagnosed in 2007 and has been fighting the disease since. “I have beaten cancer a grand total of nine times. I was diagnosed for the tenth time in October of 2015.” Hannigan said in an announcement on her website. Emma began to write semi-fictional novels about cancer as it has been such a big part of her life. She also felt it was her “civic duty” to do so. “I certainly wouldn’t recommend cancer to a friend, but I have turned the worst part of my life into what is undoubtedly the best. You see, boredom from being made sit in a bed led to a wonderful thing. I began to write. Once I started I knew this was the missing part of the jigsaw to make my life complete,” she said in the blog post. ‘All To Live For’ is Emma’s latest update about her battle with cancer. Her words are raw, honest, beautiful and moving all at the same time. “I know it’s about cancer but I promise you it’s not a misery memoir. I laughed out loud while
writing it and I’m hoping you’ll find it uplifting too. It’s pretty much all the stuff you’ve always wanted to know about cancer - but didn’t want to ask. I tell it like it is.” Hundreds of her fans took to social media to celebrate her life and work and to thank her for being so brave and inspiring. One fan tweeted; “Dear Emma, thank you for your strength, courage, honesty and for sharing your beautiful stories with the world. You help provide escapism for so many in your fictional worlds but teach so much more about what’s real.” Emma thanked her fans for the beautiful messages of support and gave them a last piece of advice; “Mind each other. Be kind to each other and hold those you love close by. Life is so very precious. We never know the day or hour that it will be whipped away. So fill your days with as much happiness as you can muster.” Following the announcement that her cancer had become terminal, a fundraising campaign which Emma started has raised over €51,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland. Fans have also helped her newest book ‘Letters to My Daughters’ has also reached number one in Ireland. Even with little time left, she was still helping
others and making a difference. This shows what a truly kind and wonderful person Emma was. She has stolen the hearts of a nation and inspired people to be positive even during awful circumstances. Her manager told the College View that she was “spending her precious moments with her family,” before her passing.
‘Crying Into the Saucepan’ fries mental illness stigma Béibhinn Thorsch
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ental health issues are familiar to most Irish people, and few understand the power of mental disorders more than Nikki Hayes (the pseudonym of Eimear O’ Keefe), whose debut book ‘Crying Into the Saucepan’ deals with her own struggle Hayes is a respected and popular radio DJ with an impressive back-catalogue, who has also been diagnosed with Borderline Personality disorder (BPD). She describes her journey suffering without professional support and with misdiagnosis throughout the book, and the somewhat graphic details of a true experience living with BPD. This personal b i o g r a p h y surrounding mental health is one which has been sorely missing from the Irish literary scene for quite some time. 6 It is rare to see a
prominent figure come and be brutally honest in a way which truly resonates with anyone affected by mental illness. Beginning work in pirate radio during her teens in the 1990s, the protective psuedonym of Nikki Hayes was born. The name would come to be known and loved over the the course of her 23-year DJ-ing career, during which she worked with notable outlets like Spin 103.8 and 2fm. Also named Emotionally Unstable Personality disorder, BPD affects the thought process of the sufferer. Mayo Clinic describes it as “a pattern of unstable intense relationships, distorted self-image, extreme emotions and impulsiveness.” This book is a journey in itself as Hayes lays out her life story with regards to the disorder and her experience working in radio in chronological order. This allows the reader to clearly understand and empathise with the disorder, creating a safe space for people who have
been diagnosed or are waiting on diagnosis of this disorder. Speaking to the author, Hayes said that she did not have a specific image of who she thought would or should read the book. “I hoped [the book would help] people searching for answers when depression and anxiety treatment didn’t seem to solve their problem. I wanted people to know how common BPD is and what it is. It’s not spoken about” she told The College View. Published in October 2017, the book is Hayes’ first, although she recently teased a second release on twitter. ‘Crying Into the Saucepan’ brings readers right up to date with what the author’s life was like at the time of it’s publishing, yet leaves us with a slight longing for more. When asked if she had any idea the book would resonate with young people as much as it has, Hayes responded “I was a teen when all this manifested. I just convinced myself that I was insane and no one corrected me. So I believed it.” This book shows resilience in a realistic sense, which is essential for anyone dealing with personal struggles to see. The story is also an excellent incentive for anyone who may be in the midst of a mental health issue to go and receive help, something which Hayes is a strong advocate for. “I always said from the start if one person felt OK by reading it... It was a message received.”
Art
The difficulty of being a modern artist
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Rachael Martin discusses what it’s like to be an artist in Ireland today.
espite Ireland’s tiny size, the small island has produced some of the world’s leading poets, composers and artists. Twentiethcentury Irish artists such as Jack Butler Yeats, Evie Hone and Sean Keating are renowned for their work worldwide. Irish art is embedded in Irish culture as much as the Irish language, Seannós singing or Céilí Dancing. However, Irish artists today share the burden of facing new challenges that their predecessors did not need to face. We now live in a world of filters and aesthetics. The lives of the ‘millennial generation’ exist almost entirely online. The Irish romantic-realist painter Sean Keating didn’t have an Instagram account, and he certainly did not have an Instagram aesthetic. What he did have, however, was the opportunity to exhibit at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). He first exhibited at the RHA in 1914 and showed every year since for sixty-one years. Traditionally, art exhibitions were the only way that an artist’s work could be seen on a large scale. However, in the modern era with new technology, anyone can set up a public social media account and can personally curate and display their creations. While this has its benefits, it also has its downfalls. With more artists displaying their work on social media such as Instagram and Facebook, it has become increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd and be recognised. Juliana Hearty, a young aspiring artist from
Dublin
who recently set up her own craft business spoke about her difficulty breaking into the industry due to the high volume of competing artists. “For most young artists, their first point of getting their art out there is on Facebook or Instagram, and some may have a better handle on the use of them than others,” she said. However, she is optimistic about her future in the industry. “I think you have to make a niche for yourself in this industry, don’t restrict yourself to one style or art form, and just maybe you might get noticed”. Many Irish artists feel that the difficulty in becoming an artist in the world we live in today is underrated. “Works of art as singular objects or pieces are not appreciated for their skill, creativity or sheer beauty, but more so on who has created t h e m ” said Kate O’Keefe, a student
currently studying fine art in NCAD. Much like other professions including journalism and music, branding, consumerism and marketing have become an essential part of making it in the industry. Talent alone is no longer enough to make it in the saturated market. With peers running highly successful social media accounts, not ‘getting with the times’ so to say is simply not an option. “It’s about selling yourself rather than the artwork,” said Kate. “We are told time and time again that if we want to be successful we must first be businesswomen, and artists second. “We must tailor our work to suit more design and commercial areas, even though we are studying fine art”. Many young artists feel that one of the main challenges is simply that being an artist is not recognised as a profession. It can be said that historically, artists were respected members of Irish
It’s about selling yourself rather than the artwork society but in the modern era, the general ‘meas’ for artists has been forgotten. Often, budding young artists are left without pay for their work. “We are briefly taught about how to write up contracts but not enough and it can be difficult to grasp seeing as we don’t study business so wouldn’t really see loopholes as such in an agreement or contract,” said NCAD student Clióna Dempsey. “It seems that you can easily be caught out and end up not being paid for doing a job for someone”. The best advice a budding artist in our time should remember is from J.D. Salinger; “An artist’s only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else’s.” Millennial artists live in a society where everything they do can be criticised by anyone and everyone. Millennials in general suffer the harsh judgement of the online world, but for artists, it can be enough to make or break their career. When your career depends on you making a name for yourself, you want to make sure that your name is recognised for the right reasons. There’s no doubt that becoming an artist today means facing many challenges. However as the world is ever-changing and society is adapting to such changes, the artists really have no choice but to openly accept the challenge. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “Every artist was first an amateur”.
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Health & Beauty
Life with endometriosis: waiting on diagnosis After Lena Dunham told her story of living with endometriosis, there has been a call for light has been shed on this serious topic that affects women both mentally and physically, Katie Gallagher discusses.
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could go from a size 10 to a size 16 pair of jeans in one day,” said Rachel, stressing the massive impact of this during her late teens. Being a teenager, then tumbling through the troublesome twenties, can be hard enough with boyfriends, girlfriends, study, work and what feels like the world on your shoulders. But for Rachel, now 25, the past seven years of her life have consisted of constant pain, fatigue and countless doctor’s visits, but never a real answer to her problem. “It took 8 years from the beginning of my symptoms to get a true diagnosis for endometriosis.” “This is ridiculous. Despite the fact I passed through a number of specialists and doctors, not one suggested to check for endo,” she said. According to the Mayo Clinic, endometriosis is a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus, the endometrium, grows outside your uterus instead. The displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would. It thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped causing the pain and discomfort. Endometriosis is often mistaken for other conditions that can cause pelvic pain too, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cysts and is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In addition, IBS may accompany endometriosis, which can complicate the diagnosis. 8 Lena’s story:
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In a raw account in US Vogue recently, Lena Dunham bravely penned her journey battling endometriosis for over a decade, which ultimately forced her to undergo a total hysterectomy. Now, this topic which needs so much more light to be shed on it, has become a talking point for others to discuss their struggle with it too. The ‘Girls’ star took to Vogue to explain her decision to remove her uterus in a deeply personal, raw and unfiltered essay that brings you on her difficult journey, shining a light on her hardest battle. “But I know something else, too, and I know it as intensely as I know I want a baby: that something is wrong with my uterus. I can feel it, deeply specific yet unverified, despite so many tests and so much medical dialogue,” she said. “I just sense that the uterus I have been given is defective,” she said. The 31-year-old, who has undergone nine procedures and countless ultrasounds, emphasised that the decision didn’t come easy, especially as she dreamed of having children since the day she understood how families were made. But the severity of her condition and her gut feeling that something was never right led her to come to terms with having to explore other options. “Adoption is a thrilling truth I’ll pursue with all my might. But I wanted that stomach. I wanted to know what nine months of complete togetherness could feel like. I was meant for the job, but I didn’t pass the interview,” she concluded. Her story, like Rachel’s, highlights the severity of pain and suffering endured when battling with endometrio-
sis for so long. “With pain like this, I will never be able to be anyone’s mother. Even if I could get pregnant, there’s nothing I can offer,” she wrote. It reflects Rachel’s exhaustion from trying every recommended remedy but failing to relieve any of the symptoms. “I was referred to a gastroenterologist specialist who searched my entire digestive tract and came back inconclusive - basically with a ‘you’re grand’ answer. So I accepted it and continued to feel rubbish,” Rachel said. Diagnosis: Rachel recalled her journey to diagnosis as a long, drawn-out process, having been diagnosed with IBS along the way. However, s e v e n years from when she first started experiencing symptoms, Rachel knew something was wrong when she didn’t have a period for 8 months while living abroad. “My periods were never perfectly spaced in a monthly cycle but I knew something was wrong,” she said. On her return home, she attended a gynaecologist specialist who did an ultrasound and MRI which suggested endometriosis. The next step was a laparoscopy procedure, where it was finally confirmed that she had endometriosis and she was treated with keyhole surgery. Prior to this discovery, Rachel battled mentally and physically for years. Some days none of her trousers
would fit. Others she would have no energy left to do anything, something she said really impacted her social life. However, post-surgery, Rachel really noticed a surge in energy. Speaking of the years she spent unaware of her condition Rachel said, “I was constantly exhausted and couldn’t understand how everyone my age through my college years had so much energy to go out and p a r t y
and keep on top of everything”. “But as the doctors kept telling me I was fine, I assumed this was how much energy everyone had and that I should just suck it up and go out and get involved with more activities,” she continued. The delay in her diagnosis caused years of personal struggle. She said socially, people assume that you’re boring or ‘dry’ when you don’t go out like the normal teen, which in her case was due to constant fatigue. “I really feel like awareness surrounding this condition needs to be raised and when a girl presents with these symptoms - instead of being misdiagnosed and told ‘you have IBS, get on with life’,” she said.
Health & Beauty
An introduction to Kiko cosmetics
If you’ve never heard of Kiko Cosmetics, you will when you step outside Ireland. Aine Conaty gives readers an introduction to the European budget brand. .
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iko cosmetics- never heard of them? Neither had I until quite recently. Kiko is a huge European brand that is yet to hit the Irish market. It is a reasonably priced brand that is also of great quality. It can be purchased in places such as Italy, France and Poland. Kiko has a huge range of products that you can choose from and each one is of brilliant quality. You can do your full face of makeup using this brand and here we’ve highlighted some of the best products in their range. Highlighter: The Lip Me Lot Face Highlighter- Shine Bright Gold is something that everyone needs in their life. This is one of those highlighters that will make you glow like the queen that you without making you look ridiculous. The consistency of the product is beautiful and so
easy to blend out to make it look completely natural. It will also get you the most compliments you will ever receive for a highlighter. The highlighter is currently on sale on their website for €8.30, so snatch it while it’s hot. Nail polish: Sometimes when buying cheap nail polish you get what you’re paying for and it isn’t great quality. It can take five coats to get the consistency that you want. However, with their Smart Fast Dry Nail Lacquer in the shade metallic red, this is not the case. It could take one coat and it will basically cover your nail. However if you like that bold colour, then it’s two coats for you. This product is brilliant and while it may not be the most chip resistant, you could also get a top coat that would ensure a chip-free experience. This is also on sale at the moment on their website for just €1.
Contour: Contouring palettes can be quite hit or miss and this is a complete hit. If you like a well-defined cheek bone and a killer jaw line, then this is the product is for you. The texture of the powder is so creamy and is the most easily blended powder out there. Smart contouring palette is on sale for only €10.40. Mascara: And finally their mascara, the 30 days Extension Daily Treatment Mascara. This is probably their weakest product and yet is still very good. This product will make your lashes look like falsies but it can be quite clumpy. An insider tip for getting rid of this problem is to use a clean mascara brush to get rid of any excess clumps that you might have. This product is at full price on their website for €7.90.
Catrice HD Liquid Coverage foundation review Looking for a new foundation? Kirsty Dowdall reviews the latest budget foundation on the market by Catrice.
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’m a self-confessed makeup addict. I spend a lot of my money on makeup in order to keep up to date with all of the latest trends. Foundation can be pricey though and finding affordable ones is always top of my agenda. I’ve been using the Catrice HD Liquid Coverage foundation for about two months now and have fallen completely in love with it. The foundation is sold in Penneys and will set you back a reasonable €7.90. It’s packaged in a beautiful frosted glass bottle that gives it a luxurious appearance. It makes it feel a lot more expensive than it actually is. The foundation is dispensed through a pipette style dropper that ensures you never use more product than you need. The Catrice website claims that this foundation offers ‘high but natural-looking coverage’, has an ’ultra-light liquid texture’ and lasts for up to 24 hours. Although I never
wear makeup for up to 24 hours, I am a student and sometimes wear makeup for up to 12 hours before removing it. It’s vital for me to have a foundation that not only provides me with good coverage but also doesn’t wear away halfway through the day. The foundation has a light and runny consistency so you don’t need to use a lot to cover your entire face. One layer gives a nice medium coverage that can be built up to full coverage, without making your face look heavy or cakey. This foundation makes my skin look flawless. I don’t
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One layer gives a nice medium coverage that can be built up to full coverage, without making your face look heavy or cakey
have redness or acne but my skin is oily and can look very textured. A lot of foundations emphasise the texture of my skin and allow my oils to soak through, but this one didn’t. It gives a smooth appearance to the skin and lasts for up to 7 hours without needing to be powdered. One downfall to this foundation is the shade range. Catrice only makes four shades, none of which are very light or very dark. Their shade range doesn’t cater to darker skin tones. I think that’s a huge downfall, especially with other budget brands like Maybelline and L’Oréal catering for the darkest of skin tones. Overall, I’m very impressed with this foundation. I think the formula is beautiful and would work for all skin types. It requires minimal touch ups during the day. It looks beautiful in both real life and photography. The foundation is vegan and doesn’t contain any animal or animal-derived products. It is also not tested on animals. Despite the restrictive shade range, for less than €8 this foundation is worth every penny and has definitely become a staple in my makeup bag.
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Food
: The online start-up making it to high street The online beauty platform aimed to connect beauty professionals with consumers. Katie Gallagher discusses how Glissed has launched a pop up shop in Penney’s.
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lissed, an online platform that works like beauty on demand are now conquering the retail beauty sector this season with their pop up shop in Penneys. The online platform connectscustomers with mobile beauty experts and gives beauty professionals a suite of tools to manage and grow their business online. Glissed aims to help industry newcomers and beauty veterans to formalise their offering to the public. Now, for three months only, they have collaborated with a major retail giant in the form of their new service, ‘PS… X Glissed’, a hair and makeup pop-up salon offering various services from up styles to winged eye-liner. The pop-up, which launched in February, is exclusive to the Mary Street store in Dublin 1 where you can book in online or ring up the store to book a half hour makeover for under €20. We spoke to Louise Dunne, CEO and founder of Glissed.com, who is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and former beauty professional who has worked in the industry for over a decade. “I was a makeup artist 10 and I worked in MAC
cosmetics for 10 years. I’m in the beauty industry 15 years actually,” she said speaking of her experience in beauty. Describing how her idea formed to create an online platform for freelance beauty experts to utilise their reach she said, “I found it difficult to connect with customers because there were no markets here. Freelance beauty professionals use channels like Instagram and Facebook and none of these channels are trustworthy”. The budding entrepreneur left her job in MAC to pursue her vision of Glissed but explained that it was only when she started it that she realised that it was the professionals who needed the service just as much as the customer. “It was a platform with beauty on demand and we didn’t realise that it was the beauty professionals who needed to benefit more as well. They wanted to have profiles and have a suite of tools like receipts scanners and calendars and everything that a sole trader would need to help manage their own operations by themselves,” she explained. The beauty boss said that she wanted professionals to feel empowered to be their own boss so she stuck with her initiative and began looking for help from tech accelerators in the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC). While Louise’s pitch
proved unsuccessful the first two times, she persevered and eventually got it on her third attempt as part of a female founders initiative. Not only did she go on to win investor day in NDRC, making it the first ever beauty technology to ever win, she also swept up the Bank of Ireland start-up award last year too. Since then, all the efforts have been put into starting a database and growing their network. Louise said they have had around 500 beauty
Marks, Toni and Guy, MAC Cosmetics and Charlotte Tilbury recently so everybody is an expert, really seasoned with a wealth of knowledge. So we were able to handpick the people to work in the pop up then,” she explained. “Penneys are known for their amazing fashion and amazing prices and now they will be known for their amazing beauty as well because we have the experts in store providing a five-star service,” she said. Looking ahead to future goals and beyond the pop-up
excitement, the CEO said that they would hope to grow their Growing a freelance network business online in Manchester and is no joke London having attended trade shows across the pond. Speaking of the ultimate professionals apply to be on goal in the future she said, the site and currently have “a big goal for us would 300 on their books right now. be to crack the states and Speaking of their new New York, so that’s kind of venture in collaboration with where the next networking the nation’s beloved Penneys will be after Manchester and stores, Louise said the store London.” wanted to create experiences However, building a and as she had worked in business is never an easy retail for so long herself and task and while things are felt very comfortable in such coming together for this an environment, it made successful start-up the sense for this to be the next founder expressed the move for Glissed. difficulties she and other up “We had the blend of and coming entrepreneurs professionals in hair and face, especially if they makeup, people who have don’t have market or tech worked in likes of Peter experience.
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“Growing a business online is no joke,” she said. “I went to every technology convention that was on in Dublin city over the last three years, I got to know a lot of people in the technology and the startup community in Dublin,” she added while stating that it was really about making contacts. The beauty boss admitted that while she had a lot to learn due to the fact she didn’t come from a technology background, having experience in the beauty industry proved more valuable and a bigger asset to her venture than she expected. Louise emphasised the importance of doing market research stating that while you could have an idea that you feel is amazing, the numbers always speak for themselves. “Ideas are great, but it’s all about execution,” she said. Louise recommends the use of surveys to determine whether the idea is tangible and scalable but also to see if the target market would use the product.She stressed the importance of having an open mind and being willing to pivot or change your ideas to meet the market’s needs. “It’s a really big learning journey and you are always learning. No matter how long you are in business, you are always learning,” she said. As a final piece of advice to any future entrepreneurs, the CEO and founder of the buzzing business said that while the bridge from idea to business is a hard one to walk across, it’s absolutely doable.
Cocktails and the art of mixology
The cocktail industry in Ireland is booming. Rachel Farrell explores the art of mixology and what makes a perfect cocktail.
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ike doughnuts and ramen, creative cocktails are a trend that Dubliners expected to come and go. Gone are the days of the humble mojito and strawberry daiquiri- the cocktail industry in Ireland is bigger than ever before. Defined as ‘the art of mixing cocktail drink recipes’, mixology is both a hobby and a career. Bartenders all over Ireland are trying their hand at it to further their careers, but colleges in Dublin are popping up to teach classes in cocktail making. One of those is the Dublin Bar Academy. With courses for both amateur enthusiasts and hopeful professionals, classes are taught by drink experts as well as the “best cocktail shakers in the business”. Ali Hayes was just 16 when she fell into the bartender business. Four years and an award later, she now shakes cocktails at Opium- one of Dublin’s most popular nightclubs. “I first started bartending in the Aviva stadium when I was 16. Back then I hardly knew what alcohol was at this point. It didn’t matter because legally I couldn’t sell a customer a drink. I could only make them and pass them to a cashier over [the age of] 18 who then sold it. They told me what to make and I made it,” she explained. After a stint in a nightclub and missing out on a bar management course on the CAO by 10 points, Ali decided to turn to a more serious bar environment. “I got a job in TGI Fridays and that’s where the mixology side really took off. We had an intense training programme that’s well known amongst other bartenders. We learned to free pour, had to memorise over 140 cocktails. “I learned so much there and started practising and reading about it outside of work. I decide to enter
some competitions and placed second in the TGI Fridays bar championship Ireland. Now, Ali works her dream job at Opium, home to six bars and a restaurantbut it’s not
Food Chelsea Drugstore in Dublin, Stephanie also got into cocktails when she left college. “I found that learning about cocktails satisfied me intellectually as there were always new things to learn, and creatively as you can play around so much with flavours and ingredients. I love meeting new people, there are so many different kinds of people you can meet working in a bar.” There’s never been a better time to become a cocktail expert or a ‘mixologist’. This year, the Dublin pub market is set to
try is continuing to increase its exports as a result of innovation, more choice, high quality and a focus on building strong brands that resonate with consumers in export markets. We are on the right track to continue this growth,” explained director of the ABFI, Patricia Callan. “A few years ago, there were just four whiskey distilleries and there are now eighteen, with a further sixteen in planning. Additionally, there are now over 100 craft beer brands in the country.” While the money and boom-
grow even more.
We infuse our own alcohol in my bar. House cocktails include pineapple rum, saffron gin and hibiscus and lemongrass tequila.
easy. From long shifts to scrubbing floors, the job comes with more than a cocktail shaker and garnishes. “We infuse our own alcohol in my bar. House cocktails include pineapple rum, saffron gin and hibiscus and lemongrass tequila. We have a lot of freedom to experiment with things- for example, we make our own limoncello and we have a rotating cocktail of the month on our menu so bartenders have a chance to get their own creation out there. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s tough. You’re serving so many people you’re constantly moving and sweating running around the bar. On your hands and knees scrubbing a filthy bar after a Saturday night shift. But I wouldn’t change any of it for anything. It started as a hobby and became an obsession.” For cocktail expert Stephanie Shen, creating interesting cocktails is an “experience” in itself. “We design drinks so that they look pretty, so they are visually stimulating. We aim to engage as many of the senses as possible, touch, taste, smell, sight. This makes cocktails stand out from other drinks, pints, shots etc, which are one dimensional.” A bar manager at
Sales in Irish bars increased by 5.5 per cent in 2017, according to the Licensed Vintners Association. Meanwhile, drink exports in Ireland increased by 8 per cent, as revealed by the Alcohol Beverage Foundation of Ireland (ABFI) last month. “Ireland’s drinks indus-
ing industry might appeal some, for others it’s the love of what they do- like Ali and Stephanie. “I love bartending because it’s about creativity and making something for someone that they genuinely love at first taste. It’s the same reason I love cooking, I love mixing and making flavours. It’s my favourite thing to do. It’s also about the experience, at the end of the day people want to come out to a bar and have a good time,” Ali said. “I recently went to a masterclass with arguably one of the best bartenders in the world, Martin Hudak. He works in the best bar in the world as of 2017, the American bar at the Savoy in London. Meeting him face to face and hearing what he had to say was an amazing experience. “He said to us, ‘as bartenders it’s our job to turn moments into memories’. Give someone an experience they will never forget. I’ll continue to try and do that as much as I can.” 11
Travel
Grub Guide: The Hungry Duck
Méabh Riordan tells us about her visit to the Hungry Duck, the cosy cafe situated on the Kimmage road, that has become a popular brunch spot outside of the city centre.
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y brisk walk quickly turned into a light jog as I cursed myself for being late – again – and anticipating that in turn I would suffer the repercussions of not getting a table at the much loved Crumlin Cross Café; The Hungry Duck. Escaping the bitter cold Friday morning my belated arrival is announced by the old-school shop bell and I am thankful for having punctual friends who’ve managed to nab the last available table for breakfast that morning. The Hungry Duck is bustling, and for the whole of our visit we are reminded by the antiquated shop bell of just how popular the breakfast/lunch spot has become. The humming coming from the natter and chatter of locals enjoying coffees and twists on classic dishes made for a relaxing, lively atmosphere. The soft, pastel blue and warm grey of the walls and fixtures are paired with chalk boards reading the today’s specials, the tables are decorated with rustic glass milk bottles and bright wooden pallets create a partition between the restaurant and the kitchen – where the tastiness is crafted. If you’re lucky enough to catch a window seat the cafe’s bright, open windows provide the perfect fortuity for people watching and
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escapism from within, what The Irish Times describe as, a ’culinary oasis’. The girls both opted for the scrambled eggs on sourdough toast; one adding bacon, the other cherry tomatoes, while I risked the porridge. I say ‘risked’ as I have never been satisfied by an eatery’s porridge, I usually find them stodgy and to be made with water. I’ve been striving for my Goldie Locks ‘just right’ moment and The Hungry Duck gave me just that. Our hot beverages came in textured, aqua blue cups followed by our orders in strikingly, vibrant turquoise crockery. Of course a mandatory snapchat was taken; we couldn’t resist with the table looking so unintentionally aesthetic. The steam of my porridge carried wafts of vanilla through the air, immediately noticed by the three of us, and the wait for it to cool was painstaking. The waitress brought a small pot of honey to the table which she had initially forgotten and I almost kept it to one side thinking the porridge already smelt sweet enough. Drizzled with honey, creamy and smooth, this porridge was just right. Both girls enjoyed the scrambled eggs, with special mention to the sourdough bread, but felt the eggs needed a tad more salt and pepper. Overall: “bacon
was yummy, coffee was fab and service was great”. Owner, and chef by profession, Aidan Noctor has without a doubt crafted a variety of innovative and memorable dishes at an affordable price. My por-
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Owner, and chef by profession, Aidan Noctor has without a doubt crafted a variety of innovative and memorable dishes at an affordable price.
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ridge and pot of tea came to just under a tenner and I could have been very easily tempted by the freshly baked goods at the counter as we fixed the bill. Staff were friendly and attentive and it’s clear that Mr Noctor takes a very hand on approach, serving customers as the lunch time rush commences. I’m already planning my return and eager to sample the new Friday evening a la carte menu seasoned with live jazz music. If you want to
avoid the congestion of the city centre then you can catch a number 9 bus to their door. Inside there is a little bit of a squeeze during peak times but you’ll never be made to feel in the way or uncomfortable. The décor gives the place a homely, local feel. It was not the cheapest breakfast especially for the outskirts of town, but the quality of the food speaks for itself. I would have no issue paying what I paid due to the delectable taste of the dishes. It was filling, tasty, flavoursome but the only drawback would be that there was not much choice for vegans. Considering the number of people who have turned to veganism, that would be quite a negative realisation. Despite that, the quaint restaurant is well worth a visit.
Ratings
Location: 9/10 Venue: 8/10 Food: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10 Value for money: 10/10
How to hostel hop without hating it
Travel
Booking a hostel is tricky business, with factors like cost and location to consider. David Kelly discusses the ins and outs of staying in hostels for student travellers.
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here’s a certain stigma negative a hostel experience can be. attached to staying in a “What can I say? We were greeted hostel, usually because the by a person that came across as only criteria considered is a goblin. He snapped at a general how cheap it is. Everyone has a horror question; clearly was hangry. Stayed story from that one time in that one in a twin room the size of a telephone hostel, and that’s why it is important to box. It smelled like someone had upgrade your selection process from been murdered (even though you ‘the cheapest’ to ‘somewhat decent’. probably couldn’t fit a body into the The Irish Independent recently room). There was one socket in the published an article detailing room which I could barely charge my the top ten hostels in Ireland. phone to take many selfies - it was This list comes from the online a hard time. The room was dirty, the booking website, Hostelworld, which compiles the list based on roughly a million reviews of 35,000 hostels, styled as the ‘HOSCARS’. At the top of this list, for the third year in a row, is Galway City Hostel in Galway. Their manager Mark Shaughnessy described what makes their hostel the best in the country. “We figured out what makes a hostel work. We looked at the best hostels in the world, and applied bed sheets were covered in a layer what worked in those to our hostel,” of skin. Didn’t look like it was cleaned he said. “We figured out what makes since the Easter rising. But overall the facilities work, we’ve got the to sum it up in one word it was EW. perfect staff … it’s simple, we just Next time I’ll bring a cardboard box. want to be the best at what we do.” I’d say it would be cleaner and bigger.” Unfortunately, not all hostels share While not all of the reviews are this attitude, as is evident by some accurate, it’s still valid to assume of the reviews given on sites such that some hostels are better than as TripAdvisor, and HostelWorld. others. This is why students are One review of a hostel in Dublin encouraged to do their research on TripAdvisor highlights how before booking. While a low price
“While a low price may seem enticing, is it really worth ending your night in a filthy bed?”
may seem enticing, is it really worth ending your night in a filthy bed? When asked on what advice Shaughnessy would give to students searching for a hostel, he said: “Do their research, look at the leading agencies such as ‘HostelWorld’. These sites provide an independent platform for review, which tend to be honest reviews. For example, we don’t ask people to leave reviews on ‘HostelWorld’, so you can take them at face value.” Of course, you cannot depend entirely on these sites to decide for you, you also have to consider your individual needs, what you require of the hostel. Is it an overnight job? Merely a bed for the night? If so, you may think that a cheap hostel is going to be bearable for the night. It’s only a night after all, what’s the worst that could happen? For one DCU student Hugh Farrell, it was a hostel stay from hell. “The place was a hostel in all but name. We got there, and an Eastern European man comes out and stares sat us. He said “What do ye want?”, so we said we’re booked in and he just grunted, letting us in. We went in and waited till we’re told where our room was. “We went up and weren’t given a key but the door didn’t lock anyway. We went to bed anyway and tried not
to wake up some couple. About two hours later I’m woken up by another couple coming in. None of the three groups realised we were sharing.” This is a perfect example of how toxic a terrible hostel can turn an otherwise terrific night. Hugh admits that his bad experience was due to a lack of research, and a commitment to cheapness instead of quality. Final year DCU student Gavin Quinn, who worked in Sunrock Backpackers Hostel in Corfu last summer, and has been in many hostels around the world on his travels, shared some insight he garnered during his experience there. “During the summer I worked in a hostel and at least twice a week you would see people make booking errors, and book just a night or even just one bed in a dorm and show up with five friends, it can be awkward.” Sunrock Backpackers Hostel is an example of how fantastic a hostel can be. The scenery was picturesque, the atmosphere was sociable, with a common room to facilitate meeting fellow travellers to create surreal memories with. These are the things you need to consider when booking a hostel. It may be cheap, but for a few extra quid, you could stay in a hostel that’s memorable because it was clean, wellfacilitated, atmospheric and sociable, rather than because it smelled.
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Fashion
Winter Olympics 2018:
For some Olympians, the quality of their gear could determine their place on the podium, but in figure skating their costumes play a big part in how they will be remembered in sporting history, Adam Daly discusses.
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onya Harding is best remembered as the first American woman to successfully do a triple axle at competition, but also as the outcast of figure skating in the nineties. Tonya’s poor background was reflected in her costumes which were hand made by her mother and later by herself when they became estranged. Her costumes didn’t look like the other skater’s with many judges branding them tasteless or tacky. Tonya believes that contributed to her outcast status and unfair markings at
competitions. Her infamous costumes have been recreated by Jennifer Johnson in the Oscar nominated film I,Tonya. Johnson recently won a Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Costume Design for a Contemporary Film, for her work on I, Tonya. When Johnson met the real Tonya, she said Harding couldn’t
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believe how accurate she got the outfits, down to the last detail. “My God! When I was watching the movie I thought, how did they get a hold of my skating costumes and my clothes?” Harding said in an interview with Vogue. Many things have changed since Harding got
her lifetime ban from figure skating, from the
most iconic Another one to remember from the games was France’s Maé-Bérénice Méité, who wore a unitard to perform her short program (in both the team and women’s single events) to a medley of Beyoncé songs. Méité also made a statement in a pair of bedazzled hot pants during her free skate. It is unusual for skaters to opt for pants while skating, but it’s not uncommon. This year Méité wasn’t alone as Ivett Tóth from Hungary wore a pair of full length leather pants during her free skate. The biker inspired look went down well to an AC/DC classics mash-up Russian athletes Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva took home gold and silver respectively, and Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond earned the bronze. As well as giving the performance of their careers, the women also did not disappoint with their costumes Gold medal winner Zagitova wore a ballet inspired tutu in both her free skate and short program. Her short program dress was inspired by The Black Swan and was the pinnacle performance for the fifteen year old as it was here that she earned the one point that allowed her to beat her fellow Russian. While Medvedeva was favourite to win before the games, the silver
I love that Tonya really always said, ‘No. This is who I am, and please listen.’ I just thought that was really fascinating. That, to me, makes her really a powerful figure in the sports world
scoring system to the style, all evolving in the last 20 years. The ladies figure skating finals in Pyeongchang this year saw a battle in technical ability but also for the best costume. Many of the outfits worn were integral to the routine and music of most skaters. Mirai Nagasu, from the US, skated to music from Miss Saigon. Her red dress was inspired by the orient, like a costume from the stage musical. Nagasu made history at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, becoming the first U.S. female figure skater, and third woman ever, to nail a triple axle during an Olympic competition. Because of that, this bold red ensemble seems destined to become one of the sport’s
medalist will be remembered for her Anna Karenina inspired dress long after Pyeongchang. She was out-skated by Zagitova but not out dressed. The color and embellishments on her dress and the gloves she wore all added to the performances, complimenting the music nicely. An honourable mention is the bronze medalist, Kaetlyn Osmond. The Canadian performed to music by Edith Piaf in her short program and conveyed a Parisian aesthetic, through her navy dress with a matching neck scarf. Team Attire: Most countries have designer kits for the opening and closing ceremonies. In the past Great Britain have had Stella
and design previous Games, but USA stood out created by
McCartney Vivienne Westwood their gear for Olympic his year Team with theirs the Ralph
Game of Lauren brand. For the sixth time, label is an official outfitter of the U.S. team, and its latest uniform includes a jacket, sweater and pants with an allAmerican style. The whole look is topped off by brown suede mountaineering boots and fringed suede gloves. Individual gear differs depending on the sport but the 2018 U.S. Snowboarding Team could have doubled as extras in a retro sci-fi movie. Burton designed the official uniform for the athletes, taking inspiration from vintage NASA space suits, that are white with red infused. The jacket lining also features Korean translations of phrases like “Do you speak English?” and “Wish me luck.” For the American skiers, The North Face is back for the second time as the uniform supplier for the U.S. Freeski Team. To design the look, the brand worked with its athlete partners, including Olympic gold medalist Maddie Bowman. The kit includes outerwear, base layers, accessories and footwear. A dishonourable mention for Team USA comes from designer Under Armour. The brand designed the speed skating uniforms worn by the men’s and women’s teams at Pyeongchang last month. The skin tight bodysuits had an unfortunate design around the crotch area that drew the eye directly to the groin area. In a statement, Under Armour defended its design, saying the crotch region required material of a different fabric, termed “ArmourGlide”, to reduce friction. “The contrasting material in the inner thigh (friction guards) has been commonplace for speed skate skins for decades, to reduce friction,” they said.
Fashion
Getting In Gear: Lizzy Yarnold from Great Britain successfully defended her gold medal with a blisteringly fast final run in the skeleton. Team GB’s skinsuits have been credited with giving British competitors the edge over competition in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Rob Lewis, managing director at TotalSim, a company that has helped develop aerodynamic suits for the British Cycling team says that athletes can find easier gains by improving their
aerodynamics of their
equipment. “With a lot sports you quickly find that being a good sled driver or being a good bike rider is fine – but being ten per cent better at that doesn’t make you much faster.” When designing aerodynamic suits, the athlete is scanned in 3D while they’re in position on the sled. This scan, which can be down
of
to a resolution of half a millimeter or less, is then used to create a 3D model of the athlete’s body to be used for virtual wind tunnel experiments. Starting with a smooth, skin tight suit helps air cling closely to the body, reducing friction. “You need to make them bloody tight, make sure there are no wrinkles, nothing bunched up,” Lewis said. A carefully placed seam can encourage more air to cling to the athlete, while rougher patches of material break up the airflow and help the athlete turn corners more easily. And all of these adjustments must be made within the confines of the sport’s rules. When it comes to skeleton, the rule book leaves a fair bit of room for engineers to get creative with skinsuit designs. Adding aerodynamic elements under or on top of the suit is prohibited, as are coated textiles, but they don’t get more specific than that. While the science and look of sports gear is essential for many
athletes, for figure skater it’s still down to personal preference. For Tonya Harding her costumes reflected who she was as a person, something the judges didn’t always like but something that Jennifer Johnson admired. “With Tonya, because she’s a tough person, she’s not afraid to voice her opinion and she does not particularly consider herself ultra-feminine, so the skating costumes were always pink and purple, and colours that were probably quite uncomfortable for her in real life’’. ‘’I love that Tonya really always said, ‘No. This is who I am, and please listen.’ I just thought that was really fascinating. That, to me, makes her really a powerful figure in the sports world, because that world is sort of a ballet. It has so many rules, and it’s sort of like cotillion, the rules of dress and behaviour and how women should act,” Johnson said in an interview with Deadline. Despite her costume being handmade, Harding will always be remembered in sporting history in her blue dress when she pulled off the triple axle.
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EXPOSURE
Liverpool: The view from of the Liverpool skyline from Albert Dock.. Image Credit: Mark Carroll
Polaroid. Capturing the moment with a single click.. Image Credit: Colin Tonge
The Innocence of youth. Image Credit: Orla O’Driscoll
Fire - “Give me all your love so I can fill you up with hate” Image Credit: Andrew McConnell
Peek. A father and son enjoy the snowy weather Image Credit: Colin Tonge
Image Credit:
Page 1: Variety.com; Page 2: Four in the Morning, Hot PRess Page 3: Illustration World; Page 4: Pinterest Page 5: Laura Duffy; Page 6: Istock photo Pinterest; Page 7: Deirdre Kelly; Page 8: shutterstock; Page 9: Pinterest, Clinique; Page 10: iStockphoto; Page 11:AHungry Duck; Page 12:Skating World; Page 13: JSkaint ; Page 14: StockMePage 15: Pinterest
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