The College View Issue 2 by The College View

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

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Students join Extinction Rebellion’s week long climate protest . Est. 1999 .

tudents across Ireland joined Extinction Rebellion in a week long effort to disrupt Dublin city which began on Monday October 7th. Students rallied together with protesters from across the country in civil disobedience, shutting down roads in an effort to force the government to take radical action on climate change. On Tuesday the rebels marched for a “just transition” and held a sit down protest outside the Dáil, closing down Kildare Street and Molesworth Street. Placards held high above the crowd displayed the sentiment of the protesters. Phrases such as “stop denying our planet is dying” and “planet before profit” were used while the crowd began to sing “gardaí we love you, we’re doing this for you children too.” DCU Masters in Climate Change, Policy and the Media student, Cormac Nugent described the “Just transition” protesters were marching for as meaning no one in society gets left behind. As we transition “certain jobs are going to be lost but others will be created and what we need to do is make sure people are brought up with soci-

ety as we change and not left behind and burdened with taxes,” he said. Masters student in Conservation and Ecology in Queens University, Raymond Roche echoed this saying that we need to strive for system change to solve our climate disaster. “In the capitalist system that we’re living in, where everything of production is for profit, it is not sustainable that you can live in a just society that’s going to benefit the animals, the rain-forest....if there’s a constant feed for profit you’re going to have to knock down the trees,” he said. However, other protesters said they were there because they felt guilty for the world they were leaving behind. One protester from Cloughjordan eco-village, Toni Ryan said, “As an older person...I feel terrible that it’s up to the young people, I feel really sad. What sort of world are they going to have?” She said that climate change was not on the government’s agenda soon enough but that she is here to help young people “put climate change at the center of the government’s agenda so that radical action can be taken.” While protesters said they received a lot of support from passers by on the street many civilians took to twitter to

voice their opposition to the rebellion. One Twitter user @Lee88Jay referred to the extinction rebellion protesters as “muppets” and “self-righteous lunatics” after they stormed Penney’s on O’Connell Street to highlight the environmental impacts of fast fashion on Wednesday October 9th. The protesters also faced backlash after one rebel grounded a flight from London City Airport to Dublin after refusing to take a seat or leave the plane on Thursday October 10th. “Lecturing a flight from London to Dublin isn’t going to save climate change. Rich people using private jets daily are a much bigger impact than wee Maureen off on holiday to enjoy a pint. Extinction Rebellion are something else” posted Twitter user @123emmab. At the time of writing this article, four men and a woman who had chained themselves to the railings outside Dáil Éireann had been arrested as part of the Extinction Rebellion campaign in Dublin. Hundreds more have been arrested in similar protests across the globe. The rebellion ended on Sunday October 13th, however, protesters said it could last longer and this protest certainly won’t be the last.

Credit: Aoife O’Brien

Aoife O’Brien | News Editor @obrienaoife1

Londis launched on St Pat’s along with campus store Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque | Editor-in-chief @BrendanFKP

ondis opened a new store on St Patrick’s campus last Thursday after delays which lasted months. DCU’s Londis manager told The College View that they originally wanted to open the store back in January, but they first had to get planning permission from both the landlord and Dublin City Council. The manager, Donnie Christian, said that: “I was basically told when

Highlights

we launched the Glasnevin store [that] I was to be in a position to get ready with Pat’s, but unfortunately it’s been a long time coming”. Christian became the retail manager for DCU in March 2018. Planning permission wasn’t the only thing that delayed the store’s grand opening - according to Christian, they also had to meet “unbelievable” fire regulations. He said: “Because there’s no front doorway or no exit onto the perimeter of the building, there’s some laws regarding the fire certificate where if

you are a retail store within an airport or educational building then you must follow stricter fire guidelines than anyone else.” The store itself is largely identical to the one on Glasnevin’s campus with the notable exception of a deli. Christian said there wasn’t enough space to fit one, but there’s still a Bewley’s coffee dock. Following in the sustainable footsteps of the Glasnevin store, they only use compostable docks and lids. Londis also gives 10 cents to Pieta House - a charity which helps suicidal

people - every time a customer brings their own reusable cup. Another difference between the two stores is their opening hours - the Glasnevin store is open from 8am to 10pm, while the St Pat’s one will only be open from 8am to 6pm. Christian explained that: “We’ve been watching the student life very very closely in St Pat’s and we’re very aware that St Pat’s get quieter a lot faster than Glasnevin does” As well as a new Londis, a DCU campus store was opened up in St Pat’s - similar to the one beside the U

that was launched during the Summer. Chrisitian said that his staff would mix between the four stores. Bachelor of religious education and music student Amber Mac Aodha said that while the store was small, it was nice to have and cheaper than the canteen. When asked how necessary it was considering a Tesco and a Mace are located right outside St Pat’s, she said: “It’s more convenient than it is necessary, but I have found that in the past the Tesco across the road is always super busy”.

Comment

Gaeilge

Features

Sports

Digs or Die

Ireland must do better by its students pg. 11

Tá draíocht ‘The Beatles’ fós beo!

Tá ‘Abbey Road’ 50 bliain d’aois pg. 15

Is it time to escape from vapes?

Concerns surrounding the safety of vape products worldwide pg. 18

Luke Towey set for Australia Towey has signed with the Queensland based AFL club pg. 21

Editorial

Contents

News DCU ranks high in the world for sustainability pg 3 Comment Forget impeachment, Trump could still win in 2020 pg 12 Features DCU pledges its support for women in sport pg 17

Sports DCU ladies defeated by UCD pg 22

Inside The Hype Arts The Politician pg 5

The politics of respectability Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque, Editor-in-Chief Comedian Ellen DeGeneres was spotted laughing with former US president George W Bush, and needless to say this caused some outrage. Naturally DeGeneres felt the need to defend herself and said: “I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different... we’ve forgotten that that’s okay that we’re all different.” Of course the issue here goes beyond beliefs. Bush’s government invaded Iraq and thousands of innocent people lost their lives as a result. For whatever reason, this doesn’t seem to be reason enough to dislike Bush. And DeGeneres certainly isn’t the only person who has warmed up to Bush over the years. Since Donald Trump’s election, it’s been all too common to hear “even Bush is better than him.’’ But what exactly makes him better? Or perhaps it’s more appropriate to ask what makes Bush better than Trump from a liberal’s perspective? Even DeGeneres said that she’d never have Trump on her show, because: “He’s

against everything that I stand for”. Well what do liberals stand for? Both Trump and Bush are conservative men who have hurt some of the most vulnerable people in the world. But Trump is viewed as vulgar. The fact that Bush did so many terrible things appears to be irrelevant to so many because at the very least he had some decorum. This same phenomenon occurs with the UK’s current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. A lot of people seem to dislike the man not because of his horrible policies, but instead because of his sloppy style. As if being well-groomed excuses someone from causing harm. Many find Trump and Johnson embarrassing not because of what they do, but because of how they look. It’s the most superficial of all political ideologies. This superficiality extends beyond conservative politicians though. DeGeneres also made a tribute to Obama after the end of his presidency. Under Obama, many innocent people were also killed - whether it was through drone strikes or another horrify-

ing matter. But there was no outrage when DeGeneres made that video. Again this goes back to the point that respectability matters more to some than anything else. Obama was - and for the most part still is - seen as a respectable president. Particularly when compared to Trump. But there is nothing respectable about innocent people dying under your government’s watch. This veneer of respectability holds back our political discourse. Trump is brash and abrasive. But that’s not what makes him bad, and those qualities also aren’t necessarily negative. Independent TD Joan Collins recently cursed in the Dáil, and as predicted there was some faux outrage over how unprofessional this was. Collins’ frustration over a budget which ignored our most vulnerable was lost, all because she cursed. Suddenly the conversation is no longer about homelessness - it’s about what’s acceptable parliamentary language. Respectability is a distraction.

This issue’s sub-editors: Lauren Allen, Alex Barrett, Shauna Burdis, Ryan Carrick, Emma Costigan, Róisín Cullen, Ruth Delaney, Kirsty Dowdall, Cian Dunne, Courtney Fitzmaurice, Tara McGahan, Aoibhín Meghen, Emma Nevin, Kinga Piotrowska, Rachel Power

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News

DCU ranks high in the world for sustainability

of waste produced in the university. “Recycling is good but it’s not what we should be doing which is preventing the waste in the first place.” Fahy says that the university generates approximately 700,000 coffee cup waste every year, and 200-500 pizza box waste every day. In 2018, a student body driven initiative to rid DCU of single use plastics led to the Co-Cup campaign; a deposit and return scheme for reusable cups. The campaign ran in conjunction with Trinity College Dublin and the Dublin City Council and the partnership was hugely successful according to Fahy. Within it’s five year Strategic Plan, DCU outlines the goals of the university which includes embedding sustainability as a “key driver in DCU operations”, integrating “sustainability principles, literacy and awareness into the student curriculum”, and promoting “sustainability research across the University.” The Strategic Plan also states DCU’s aim to develop a campus “as an exemplar Carbon-Neutral Campus,” however Fahy says that it’s a very difficult challenge. “The challenge of getting to a carbon neutral campus I think is huge. I don’t think we can do it without really significant investment from the government and part of the problem is, I don’t think that the government understand the scale of what they’re asking to be done.”

CU launched the Jesuit Library Partnership earlier this month, and confirmed the transfer of the Milltown Park Library collection to DCU. The launch of the partnership took place on October 1 on All Hallows Campus, where the Jesuit Province confirmed they were transferring 140,000 volumes into DCU’s care on an “extended loan”. Due to the closure of the Jesuits’ Milltown Institute eight years ago, the decision was made to transfer the library’s collection to DCU on a ten-year loan in order to preserve and grow the library. President of DCU Brian MacCraith and the Irish Jesuit Provincial Leonard Moloney SJ attended the event, alongside Jesuits, former Milltown staff and DCU staff and students. Fr Leonard Moloney SJ spoke at the launch, and said “Books are friends, and we are happy that these friends have found such a warm, hospitable new community, even if it is in the north of Dublin.” DCU received planning permission to build a new reading room on All Hallows Campus to house the collection, which will have seating for

around 100 students. Daire Keogh, Deputy President of DCU and Professor of History, was involved in the partnership negotiations and said the refurbished Woodlock Hall “will be a gem.” “I think it will be a big contribution to the cultural depth of the north side of the city” he said, “It’s very much part of our plan to bring All Hallows campus to life as fully as possible.” Professor Keogh said the Jesuits were making a “capital investment” in the university, and the investment “will allow us to refurbish and develop Woodlock Hall.” Fr Leonard Moloney SJ called DCU “a model of what a modern university should be”, and said he looked

forward to the collection being used by students. “The future of the Irish Church is lay, it is not priests and religious, and this is a little piece in that jigsaw that will be the future of Ireland.” Professor Keogh said the 140,000 volumes could stretch out for 6km, and was a significant collection in terms of classical and contemporary theological issues. “For a young university it’s effectively giving us a historic library, so it’s putting us in a very strong position in terms of research” The collection will be unveiled in the spring, and will be available to all DCU students and anyone with an ALCID card.

Credit: Mullarkey Pederson Architects

CU has ranked 12th out of 719 higher level institutions worldwide, after introducing sustainability as a core value in their 2017-2022 Strategic Plan. After receiving their sixth consecutive green flag, DCU have established a Sustainability Council, who have produced a first draft of their sustainability plan which is currently under review with President Brian MacCraith. Samantha Fahy, the Director of Sustainability in DCU and the first sustainability manager appointed in any Irish university, said the sustainability plan “really opened people’s eyes to the actual scale of the challenge that we face to become a sustainable institution” The Sustainability Council are conducting a series of workshops to aid staff in being more sustainable, and are creating a “Sustainability 101” online module that will be “focusing on environmental sustainability.” “Environmental sustainability [includes] the planetary boundaries, climate change and biodiversity loss,” Fahy said. “Education for sustainability is an academic institution who can have an enormous impact on creating global citizens who understand their interdependence and their interactions and how they work.” Fahy says that her primary focus this year is reducing the total amount

Sally Dobie | Production & Podcast Editor @Sarah_or_Sally

USI statistics show a rise in student mental health issues Shauna Burdis | Deputy News Editor @ShaunaBurdis

I Credit: Sonja Tutty

Dara Browne | Video Editor @dara_b_

Renowned Jesuit library transferred to DCU

n September, the Union of Students Ireland (USI) released the results of the first national student mental health survey, which was carried out through 2018 and 2019. This survey was the first of its kind and looked specifically at the mental health of students across Ireland. The survey was completed by over 3300 people. It covered areas that may affect the mental health of students like studying abroad, living arrangements, sexual orientation, employment and disabilities. According to its key findings, 38.4 per cent of students are experiencing extremely severe levels of anxiety, 29.9 per cent are experiencing depression and 17.3 per cent are feeling stressed. 32.2 per cent of students had a formal diagnosis of a mental health

difficulty at some point in their lives. A fifth of students surveyed, 20.9 per cent, did not have someone to talk to about personal and emotional difficulties. Non-binary students had the highest levels of extremely severe symptoms at 61.3 per cent. As part of Budget 2020, the Department of Education and Skills secured €2million in funding for Student Counselling Services. The waiting time for a one on one counselling session is not specified, students could be waiting a number of weeks for an appoitment. The DCU counselling service assures that any student in urgent need of a counsellor will be placed over the phone to one immediately. The counselling is run by an independent organisation called Inspire Students, who were hired by DCU to provide on campus and off campus counselling. Between the Glasnevin and St Patrick’s campuses, there are four full time counselors, two sessional counselors and up to five other counselors

working throughout the year. The Counselling and Personal Development Service provided by DCU is staffed by qualified and experienced counselling psychologists. They provide a confidential, professional and free service which is available to all undergraduate and postgraduate students. DCU counselling offer a number of services to all students, including one to one psychological and confidential counselling, a mindfulness, wellbeing and stress reduction series with online resources including podcasts, student handbook and video links. An essential part of the DCU counselling service is a free phone service to talk with a counsellor after hours, including weekends and bank holidays. In 2018 DCU launched a 24-hour counselling service to help tackle the waiting lists for a one on one counselling session. International World Mental Health Day 2019 was held on October 10.

News

DCU President says international rankings are not comprehensive Sally Madden | Deputy News Editor

he Chancellor of DCU has said that efforts need to be made in order to create a more comprehensive international ranking system. Brian MacCraith says that many current international ranking systems, such as the UK-based Times Higher Education rankings, use “crude methodology,” and fail to capture the broader student experience. The influential Times Higher Education rankings are based on a range of measures including the staff to student ratio, research volume, income and influence, links to industry in terms of innovation, inventions and

consultancy views and the ability to attract international students and staff. DCU slipped in this year’s league table, 601-800, down from 401-500. But MacCraith says that the methodology behind such rankings are “incomplete.” “Lots of things we do (DCU), in forms of access and innovation are not captured at all,” he said. “It’s a crude measure of what is meant to be the learning experience of students when you just focus on student to staff ratio,” he added. Last month, Trinity College Dublin dropped 44 places in The Times Higher Education rankings, sparking much debate over government funding and the importance of international rankings. TCD Provost Dr Patrick Prendergast

said that the university may need to cut Irish student numbers by up to 5 per cent, in order to stretch funding and regain their international ranking. The comment resulted in backlash from the USI, who claimed that the university was using student’s as “pawns” in its row with the government. MacCraith says that DCU have no intention of considering such an approach. “It’s important to state that trinity has indicated that they’re only exploring that, but I’m happy to say from DCU’s perspective that we won’t be making adjustments like that to pursue international rankings,” he said. However, the President agrees that the government are not doing enough to increase funding to third-level

institutions. Funding to third-level institutions has increased by 24 per cent in the 2020 budget but remains 43 per cent below what it was a decade ago. “There’s been some recovery in the past two or three years, but it’s really not enough,” said MacCraith. The DCU President is the 2019 chair of The Irish Universities Association (IUA). The IUA’s pre-budget submission to the Oversight Committee focused on the three areas that they felt needed to be addressed most urgently; core student funding, infrastructure and research. The DCU President’s key issue with the 2020 budget is that it does not do enough to increase funding per-student.

“It doesn’t really address the issue with core student funding, which is to us the ultimate measure of the student experience,” he said. However, MacCraith added that Brexit has put the government in an uncertain position. “The government is in a very difficult position in terms of not knowing exactly what is going to happen on October 31st...we’re respecting that,” he said. “However, if things turn out more positively than is potentially the case with Brexit at the moment, we certainly will be renewing our focus on actually addressing the three key issues that were outlined in the pre-budget submission.”

Donohoe's 2020 Budget neglects students for yet another year

inister for Finance Paschal Donohoe released the 2020 Budget last Tuesday afternoon, with few changes that will positively impact higher education students across Ireland. A total of 11 billion euro is to be allocated to the Department of Education this year, which is an increase of around three per cent on 2019. Within this, there will be 1.9 billion allocated to special education allowing for 1,000 new special needs assistants (SNA’s). For higher education, 60 million is to be provided to set up The Human Capital Initiative. This is a scheme to drive investment to higher education courses, and will provide 3,000 additional places priority areas. Alongside this, student counselling services will receive two million in funding in 2020. This will go towards hiring additional counsellors so wait times are reduced for students who wish to access the service. The Gaeltacht grant that was originally scrapped in 2012 has also been reinstated, but it will be exclusive to undergraduate student teachers and won’t be available in private colleges. This change will come into effect in the 2020/2021 academic year, and will pay for two mandatory placements in a gaeltacht area.

While the Union of Students in Ireland have welcomed these changes, both them and the Irish Universities Association (IUA), have expressed their disappointment with the lack of direct funding provided to third level institutions. President of the USI, Lorna Fitzpatrick expressed her disappointment in a statement. “This budget is papering over the cracks’ of a broken system. What is necessary is core funding, a reduction to the student contribution charge and increased financial support,” said Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick also spoke about her disappointment with the lack of changes to both the SUSI grant and the student contribution charges, especially when the cost of living is so high for incoming and current students. “It doesn’t mean that those [students] who are already there aren’t struggling,” said Fitzpatrick. According to the IUA, the lack of funding for third level institutions is allowing for the student teacher ratio to get progressively worse. They also cite an independent study which shows that for every Euro invested in higher education, there will be a nine Euro return to the economy. The USI are also concerned about carbon tax increases having a knock on effect for public transport. They’re worried that transport providers will up their ticket prices due to the increased cost of fuel. “The premise of a carbon tax is not

something we’re opposed to, but we are opposed to the fact that that cost is put back onto students and the most vulnerable in society when they’re not the ones who are producing the vast amounts of carbon,” said Fitzpatrick. Other miscellaneous changes include an extra 50 cent excise charge

on a pack of cigarettes, bringing the average price to 13.50. There will also be an additional 20 million Euro allocated to combating homelessness, bringing the total funding to 166 million for 2020. The Residential Tenancies Board will also be receiving an additional

two million Euro in funding for the year ahead. This would allow them to ensure that the rent pressure zones are properly enforced for students who are renting accommodation.

Credit: Houses of the Oireachtas

Tadgh McNally | News Editor @TadghMN

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News

Government establishes Greens want free public transport committee to tackle for students period poverty

he government has established a new committee to deal with the issue of period poverty in Ireland. Period poverty refers to the expense placed upon women who are unable to afford sanitary products. According to a survey by Plan International last year in Ireland, 50 per cent of 12-19 year olds struggle to afford sanitary products. “While I welcome news that action is being taken to reduce levels of period poverty here in Ireland, the Health Minister needs to do more. It’s important that we see period poverty end as soon as possible,” said Fianna Fáil Senator, Lorraine Clifford-Lee. The Dáil Eireann debate on period poverty back in March found that women will have an average of 507 periods throughout their lifetime, costing around €8,100. While presenting a huge financial burden for all women and girls, those living within the homeless community are particularly vulnerable to period poverty. Charities such as The Homeless Period Ireland offer support to women without a set dwelling during their periods by collecting donations of tampons and pads. Earlier this year Minister for Health,

make it happen.” In 2016 the United Nations Human Rights Council found that the stigma associated with menstruation had a negative impact on gender equality and women’s and girl’s enjoyment of human rights. Plan International Ireland also found that six out of 10 women felt ashamed and embarrassed when it comes to their periods. 61 per cent of girls also said that they missed out on days in school because of it. It was expected that in the 2020 Budget, money would be allocated towards alleviating the burden of period poverty along with the introduction of free contraceptives, but so far, no such funding has become evident.

Credit: WikiMedia

Aine O’Boyle | Arts Editor @aineboyle99

Simon Harris committed to taking action on making sanitary products freely and widely available in public buildings across the country. Minister Harris told TheJournal.ie: “Period poverty is a global challenge but I believe Ireland can be a leader in this regard. Menstruation is not a choice. Women are facing significant costs for looking after their health and I am pleased we are taking steps, with my colleagues in government, to address this area,” According to The Homeless Period Ireland, they worked alongside Minister Harris to pass this motion, but they told The College View that since then “the government to date have taken no action or allocated any funding to

Shane Brennan | Deputy Sports Editor @ShaneBrennan247

he Green Party have proposed to make all public transport free for students as part of their pre budget submission for 2020, a move the National Transport Authority says will cost €60 million per year. In addition to this the NTA says that approximately 90,000 student leap cards are purchased each year, and the cost of halving the €7 fee needed to purchase one would be in the region of €315,000. Other proposals by the Greens included an increase in SUSI grants and a fund of €1 million for third level students living in Direct Provision. The announcement comes as many parties proposed measures aimed at reducing the cost of living for students as part of the run up to last week’s budget. Labour said that they would reduce third level contribution fees by €1,000 a year while increasing SUSI grants by 10% at a cost of €84.7 million a year, and Sinn Féin said they would set a long term goal to abolish the student contribution fee altogether. The environmentalist movement have long backed moves to increase public transport usage as a way of reducing carbon emissions. Green Party councillor Neasa Hourigan said that 50 projects in the government’s Ireland 2040 plan involving roads are

under construction while none in public transport are, calling it “a massive problem in terms of our long term plans to decarbonise our economy”. The Budget announcement on October 8th coincided with the second day of Extinction Rebellion protests in Dublin City Centre, protestor Oisín McNeill reacted to the proposal saying that “we’d probably like public transport to be free for everyone … but we had a citizens assembly where the people were asked what we should actually do and the government hasn’t taken action on what we’ve actually decided”. When asked what measures the movement wants the government to make McNeill said that “it’s not XR’s job to actually create policies and implement them, the point for us is to try to raise awareness and get the government to take action”. Fellow protestor Julianne Flynn advocated for Ireland to follow the model of Luxembourg in making public transport free for all, a move the small country plans to implement by March 2020. The Budget announced by Paschal Donohue last week had no provision for reduction in student public transport fees, nor did it affect SUSI grants. Instead the government’s climate action plan was based on a 30% increase in carbon tax which it says will be ring-fenced for fighting climate change.

Joy Nderitu | Deputy Video Editor _joyire_

rganiser of the DCUniverse Dr John Regan spoke of how he believes life exists outside of earth at the event on Tuesday 8th October. “I think there are other planets with life on them, we don’t know that life cant exist on Saturn or something like that, we try to look for something that’s just like us,”. When questioned about his favourite planet, Regan joked that his “favourite planet either way is Saturn” because if he lived there, he would “only be one years old,”. The event included talks from numerous astrophysicists and relativists and was aimed at both children and adults. Relativist Sam McKeague went into detail about the scale of how much

we have developed our technology for telescopes over the years, using various graphs to demonstrate. “The Leviathan was the largest telescope in the world from 1845-1917 and was located here in Ireland,” he said. To emphasis how big the telescope was at the time, McKeague went on to say “the mirror that was used in this telescope to reflect and capture light is measured at 1.8 metres in diameter,”. Gran Telescopio is now the largest single-aperture optical telescope in the world measuring at 10.4 meters, and the mirror consists of 36 hexagonal segments which demonstrates the development in technology. The talk ended with questions from children in the audience. When questioned about a lightyear, McKeague said “a lightyear is a measurement of distance and it’s the distance that a single beam of light travels in a full year so that is

approximately 365 days. The speed of light as far as we can tell in space is constant,”. Speaking on the speed of light, McKeague said “as far as we know, and as far as our current models in physics say, no we don’t know anything that can go faster than light, there are some hypothetical ideas that essentially bend the rules of the universe to make it work,”. McKeague was met by laughs from the audience when he admitted he sees how Stark Trek could actually be slightly realistic. “This will sound mad but I think one of the ones that actually might be remotely hypothetically possible is warp fields like in Star Trek, however we are unaware of anything at the moment,” he said. The event sold out on Eventbrite and was particularly designed to cater for young minds and get them thinking about the universe and technology.

Credit: WikiMedia

There is life outside of earth, says DCU Astrophysicist

News

Róisín Phelan | Features Editor @_roisinphelan

panel by Labour Youth DCU took place on October 9th to discuss whether Labour is still relevant in Modern Ireland. The panel was organised to relaunch Labour Youth in DCU, and panellists included Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Dublin City Councillor Alison Gilliland and Lead Organiser at Fórsa Trade Union Grace Williams. Labour Youth has not been active on DCU for two years and it was the first event by this group since 2017. Event attendance was low. Chairperson of Labour Youth DCU Hazel Gavigan told The College View, “the branch has been inactive for the last number of years simply because a lot of people graduated at the same

time.” Speaker Grace Williams, who is also former national chair of Labour Youth spoke about the relevance of Labour Youth among students referencing the work they have done in the past. “The zero hours campaign was stemmed from Labour Youth, something we took on as students and young people who were really affected by this issue and certainly, I feel that we drove through to the senior party,’’ Williams said. Williams went on to say that she believes that “as a collective, [Labour Youth] do have quite a lot of strength” and are a “incredibly powerful lobbying organisation.” Cllr Gilliland said she commended Labour Youth because they are “more grounded in the actual realities of what’s going on and you can foresee what’s going to happen to you.” “It is true that involvement whether

it’s student union political party even one of your societies here, you can actually contribute, push for change and make that change happen.” In September, Labour Youth launched a new campaign for decent housing for all. Chairperson of Labour Youth Patrick Aherne has spoken about the campaign saying: “We need to start treating housing for what it really is – a social need that everyone should have.” “This campaign aims to go some way towards helping to highlight the policy failures, the human cost of this crisis, and to aid in the movement for a more humane, people-centred approach to housing in the Republic of Ireland”. Hazel Gavigan rounded off the evening by encouraging the audience to attend future events run by Labour Youth DCU such as an EGM to elect a committee.

Cork IT will not have to take on IT Tralee debt if merged to create Munster University

ork Institute of Technology (CIT) will not take on Institute of Technology Tralee’s (IT Tralee) debt if they are merged to form a new university in Munster, the Minister for Education assured the institutions in a letter. The two ITs are to come together to create Munster Technological University (MTU), with six campuses across Cork and Kerry. However, as the merger progresses there has been growing concerns over IT Tralee’s almost €10 million financial deficit.

Minister for Education, Joe McHugh told both institutions that the government “is committed to the continued provision of higher level education in Kerry” according to the Irish times. He said this commitment is clear in“the high level of financial support” that has been given to IT Tralee. Last month IT Tralee received €5 million in emergency funding from the government to keep the Kerry’s only third level institute afloat. There MTU project has had major setbacks. The university was supposed to begin enrolling students in September this year however this has now been pushed to 2020. In July, an expert international panel released a report highlighting the major flaws in the merger.

Credit: Cork Institute of Technology

Aoibhin Meghen | Deputy Arts Editor @hereisaoibhin

The panel found that the project had a “lack of clear vision” and said that Tralee’s almost €10 million debt along with tension between management and academic staff was also holding it back. A row also broke out in May between the two ITs over senior management positions, as IT Tralee believed it should make up 50 per cent of senior management. In the letter to both CIT and IT Tralee, Minister Mc Hugh gave the institutions a six-month window in order to prepare for another application in the first quarter of 2020. Minister McHugh’s letter also highlights that IT Tralee didn’t provide any detailed information on how it was going to manage its financial deficit to the expert panel. IT Tralee must provide the Higher Education Authority with a “stability and sustainability plan” before the government can consider further financial support said Minister McHugh. Last July, Deloitte Ireland, the financial consulting and auditing firm estimated that the MTU merger would cost €14.3 million. This is 2.3 million above the original estimate of €12 million. The MTU project started after the introduction of the Technological Universities Act in 2018 and the subsequent formation of Technological University Dublin (TUD). TUD combined three institutes of technology in Dublin, IT Tallaght, Dublin IT and IT Blanchardstown.

Credit: Róisín Phelan

Labour Youth hosts panel to discuss its own relevancy

She said: “It’s important to have a Labour presence on DCU so students have access to as many political forums as possible...politics can be

intimidating to get involved in but it deals with real life issues that directly affects students.”

Mystery of how vaping kills deepens Sally Madden | Deputy News Editor

he mystery of how vaping causes severe respiratory problems deepens as doctors rule out one probable explanation for hundreds of vaping related illnesses and 23 deaths in the United States. Pathologists from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota studied lung biopsies from 17 patients in the vaping-related outbreak that has sickened more than 800 and claimed the lives of 16 people. They found that none of the cases presented evidence of lipoid pneumonia, a rare illness that occurs when fat particles enter the lungs. The Clinic’s findings, which were published in the “New England Journal of Medicine,” contradicted a study of five patients in North Carolina, which examined cells from patients with acute lung injuries potentially associated with vaping. This study found that the patients presented with white blood cells, called macrophages, filled with oil and diagnosed all five with lipoid pneumonia. All the patients in question used e-cigarettes. Many also admitted to using THC products, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The string of mystery respiratory illnesses have sparked a health scare across the USA.

In Ireland, Minister for Health Simon Harris has already been planning to bring draft legislation to Cabinet that would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to under 18’s. He says he has “no interest” in meeting representatives from the vaping industry, and condemned some of his colleagues in Leinster House for trying to convince him to do so. “I think it is appalling the amount of members of the Oireachtas that are bringing around vaping companies in here and asking me to meet them,” he said. “I’ll never meet them, I’ll never meet them, so people can stop asking me to meet them,” he added. Harris has commissioned research on the international evidence of vaping from the Health Research Board. The findings will be given to him next March. University of Limerick President Dr Des Fitzgerald has recently said that all institutions “in receipt of Exchequer funds,” should be implementing bans on smoking and vaping. “Big business is now aggressively pushing this product to young people, in particular, and we should waste no time in mounting a robust challenge to these forces and that begins with a ban,” he said. The University of Limerick banned both vaping and smoking from its campus in 2018 and is the only university in the country to have implemented such policy.

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DCU campaign for suicide prevention

ental Health Awareness Week took place last week with a number of events taking place across the campus and Dublin City. The theme for this years’ campaign was “Suicide Prevention” as decided by the World Federation for Mental Health.The Mental Health Society took part in the campaign by holding a ‘Nostalgia Nite’ on Thursday 10th October, which was also World Mental Health Day. Chair of the society Dean O’Reilly stressed the importance of having campaigns such as Mental Health Awareness Week. “More than 60 per cent of students report clinically relevant levels of anxiety, stress, and depression based on the USI's Student Mental Health

Report and we as mental health societies do our best to provide students a space to be open and honest with their experience,” he said. However he continued that not enough is being done by our government to help those suffering with their mental health. “I hope the week reminds those in power of the clear necessity to commit to improving mental health care and access; something we haven't seen in this year's budget,” he said. St Patrick’s Mental Health Services also took part in the promotion of Mental Health Awareness Week with a pop-up radio show called Walk In My Shoes Radio (WIMS FM). Broadcast live from St. Patrick’s University Hospital, WIMS FM aired over 70 hours of live programmes dedicated solely to promoting positive mental health. Final year DCU International Business student Abigail McDonnell was invited to speak as a guest on the

pop-up radio show. McDonnell said it was “such a wonderful experience and so nice to get to share my story and my experience with such a large base of people,”. The final year student urged fellow students to not be afraid to reach out for help. “Sometimes with college, work, friends and family, it’s hard to put your own well-being first, Mental Health Awareness Week is a reminder that it’s not selfish to look after yourself or ask for help,” she said. McDonnell is passionate about spreading awareness on mental health topics and is heavily involved in numerous mental health charities, such as SeeChange and Jigsaw. She also writes occasionally for Shona.ie, a website dedicated to empowering women. McDonnell also has a Mental Health Podcast called “Alittlegail Asks” which is now on its second season and as available on Spotify.

Credit: DCU Mental Health Society

Megan Jones | Deputy News Editor @meganjones06

Strategic Rise in street assaults Housing Scheme yields R poor results ecent figures from the CSO show that there has been an increase in recorded assaults, harassments and related

Shauna Power | Contributor

he Government’s temporary Strategic Housing Development(SHD) scheme, that fast-tracks large scale developments, is currently under review and expected to be extended until 2021. The scheme which was implemented in July 2017, means instead of applying to their local authority, applications for large scale developments can be made directly through the An bord Pleanála. The current scheme is due to expire at the end of 2019 but the planned extension of the scheme until 2021 is an attempt to encourage further construction. Speaking to the daíl in September, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy said, “changes will be made” after being confronted about the efficiency of the scheme. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett described it as “Nothing more than a licence for property speculators to speculate, to hoard land, to flip land and to print money”. He was referring to the fact that land is more expensive when granted planning permission and with no obligation to build as part of the scheme, there are concerns about the scheme being used to increase property values. Fianna Faíl leader Micheál Martin, who originally backed the scheme in

2017, said, “We should go back on the decision and revert to the local authority model”. Under the scheme An Bord Pleanála are required to hold pre-application meetings with developers and local authorities for up to nine weeks, before an application can be submitted. The board then has up to 16 weeks to decide whether to grant permission. The scheme was originally introduced to motivate the construction of large-scale housing projects, with developments of more than 100 housing units or 200 student beds submitted directly through an Bord Pleanála to speed up the planning process. However, despite there being 100 applications submitted under the scheme, construction has commenced on just 23 of the approved projects. For those projects started, they are at the earliest stage of construction and not expected to be completed until 2022. The maximum fee which previously could be charged by a local authority to process and application previously was €38,000, while fees under the current scheme can reach up to €80,000. Currently, a review group is assessing the efficiency of the SHD scheme and are due to report back to Murphy shortly. Murphy, who is thought to be in favour of the extension, will then report his conclusions back to the Oireachtas before the end of October.

offenses. According to the CSO 18,939 incidents were reported last year, up from 17,952 the previous year. An Garda Síochanna have announced that extra gardaí are to be deployed to certain assault hub spots amid the rise in an emerging street violence culture. Garda, David Clerkin, believes there is rise in such behaviour due to “excess alcohol and drug consumption”. All incidents reported are reviewed at a local District level and if a “hotspot” for such incidents is identified the local Garda management look at

‘increasing foot and mobile patrols in the area to curtail the possibility of incidents escalating’ explained Garda Clerkin. The number of assaults on the streets have reached a record high over the past few months, with much of the street violence taking place in Dublin. The new operation will focus on preventing both assaults and stabbings. “The worst I ever experienced was when I was in a taxi” shared third year English and media Student Tarryn Mccoy. “Because it was lashing rain I jumped into the front seat as it was the closest door to me but that particular driver thought it would be alright to put his hand on my upper thigh the entire taxi journey from Hazelwood to Nubar and call me princess and darling etc”. Ms Mccoy also gave her thoughts on being catcalled and whistled at saying “it’s just life for women at this

point.” Cork student, Jade Ryan was left covered in blood in the early hours on Saturday, 5th October after being assaulted by a group of three women. Ms Ryan told the Irish Examiner that her and sister were leaving a pub when they caught her head and “bounced it off the floor” and recalls “kicks and hits to the head”. In relation to students keeping safe when out and about at night, Garda David Clerkin recommends “planning your means of getting home after a night out before you go out, try not to walk alone in unlit, un-populated areas and to have your mobile phone charged so you can ring for help” if you feel under threat. Crime Victims Helpline gives support and advice for those who have experienced assault and harassment in their lives and can be contacted on their website crimevictimeshelpline.ie

Credit: Niek Verlaan

Anja Zauers | Social Media Editor

Woman says she developed narcolepsy after receiving swine flu jab

Kildare woman’s High Court action is expected to be come a test case for Ireland’s vaccination programmes, after claiming she contracted narcolepsy from the swine flu jab she received in 2009. 27-year-old Aoife Bennett is seeking damages on the claim that she developed narcolepsy from the vaccination. This will be a case that could set precedent for more action to be taken by the other over 100 children and young adults claiming to have also contracted the sleep disorder. Bennett is suing the Minister for Health, the HSE, the Health Products Regulatory Authority and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A. (GSK). GSK is a British pharmaceutical company that developed the drug Pandemrix for treating the virus. Attempting to prevent a worldwide swine flu pandemic, the government of Ireland decided to distribute the drug in the Irish health system to vaccinate the public. However, the clinical trials were not completed and the drug was only allowed to be used on the

grounds that the state compensate GSK. The court hearings began on October 8th and is expected to last for over 10 weeks. The prosecuting counsel has stressed that this will not be an anti-vaccination case and that the Bennetts are a pro-vaccination family. This is a landmark case in Ireland that will open the conversation on whether informed consent should be required that warns of the risks of a new vaccine that has had limited clinical trials. However, Ireland is not the first country to deal with the claims of

narcolepsy from the drug Pandemrix. In August 2010, the Swedish Medical Products Agency and the Finnish National Institute for Health launched investigations into the vaccination. This came after doctors submitting reports of an increase of children between the ages of 12 and 16 developing narcolepsy one to two months after receiving Pandemrix.Shortly after these investigations were first launched, Pandemrix was stockpiled once more in 2011 amid concerns of a regular flu vaccine shortage. The HSE then distributed it to Irish doctors to be used as the regular flu vaccine.

Credit: Kfuhlert Pixabay

Niamh Quinlan | Deputy Lifestyle Editor

Anti-abortion posters removed from UCD campus Courtney Fitzmaourice | Deputy Sports Editor @Twitterhandle

here was controversy in UCD recently after posters advertising the anti-choice film Unplanned were taken down from the campus. In a statement to The College View, UCD Students’ Union President Joanna Siewierska said, “UCDSU did not remove any posters or materials from bathroom doors in UCD. We have no authority over what is put up or taken down in buildings in UCD. “Like all student societies and companies, we have to request access to put our materials up on bathroom doors through Estates and Student Services, depending on the location.” When approached by The College View, anti-choice group UCD For Life declined to comment. A press release on the group’s Facebook page accused UCDSU of “institutional discrimination against pro-life students.” Ronan Doheny, spokesperson for UCD For Life said in the press release, “there is a precedent for unrecognised groups postering on campus from time

to time and their materials are never removed. “More than a year on from last year’s referendum, pro-life students feel as threatened as ever on campus for being pro-life,” he said. On Twitter, UCDSU said, “unauthorised posters are not permitted regardless of their content.” Unplanned is based on a memoir by Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director who says she became anti-choice after she witnessed an abortion procedure. Unplanned has received criticism from medical experts who say its depictions of abortions are false. Retired obstetrician Peter Boylan said the film’s claims regarding abortion procedures are “completely unrealistic in any modern sense at all,” according to The Times. “Patients are given either a local or

a general anaesthetic. That’s torture-type stuff,” he said. A director of Unplanned, Chuck Konzelman said that only pro-choice advocates claim the film is inaccurate and that the crew aimed for “hyper-accuracy.” According to The Times, the film has made over $19 million (€17.3 million) in the United States, over three times its budget of $6 million (€5.4 million). Unplanned was released on Friday October 4th in a limited number of Irish cinemas. In 2016, 64 per cent of students in UCD voted to retain the college’s pro-choice stance on abortion that had been in place since 2014. In 2018, Ireland voted by 66.4 per cent to repeal the 8th amendment, making abortion legal in some circumstances.

LOST Iraqi Passport Last seen on Trinity College campus Name: Sanarya Abdulhamid If found please contact: 0831470395

Average serving size of energy drinks increases Sally Dobie | Production & Podcast Editor @Sarah_or_Sally

he number of energy drinks eligible for the sugar tax in Ireland decreased in the last four years, but the average serving size increased according to a report released earlier this month. A report by SafeFood showed that since 2015 the number of energy drinks eligible for the sugar tax has fallen from 74 per cent (29 drinks) to 41 per cent (17 drinks), but the amount of drinks sold in 500ml servings increased. Dr Mary Rose Sweeney, B. Sc. & Ph.D. in Human Nutrition and Head of School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, DCU, said this could be a strategy “to circumvent the impact of the sugar tax.” Due to the sugar taxation currently standing at 5g of sugar per 100ml, the decision to sell larger serving sizes could mean fewer drinks cross the taxation threshold. Of the three largest energy drink companies in Ireland that currently control 80 per cent of the market, only one of them lowered their sugar level since 2015. In a 500ml can of regular Monster Energy, there is 55g of sugar, equivalent to 14 teaspoons. In a 250ml can of regular Red Bull there is 28g of sugar, equivalent to 7 teaspoons.

Both regular varieties of this drink maintained the same sugar content since the introduction of the sugar tax since 2018, but have diet/sugar-free alternatives. While Monster and Red Bull did not lower their sugar content, Lucozade’s parent company Lucozade Ribena Suntory removed 65 per cent of the sugar in Lucozade Energy according to their Health and Wellbeing plan. Dr Caroline Saunders, Principal Nutrition Scientist for Lucozade Ribena Suntory, said “using low-calorie sweeteners can allow us to remove some of the sugar and calories whilst retaining the great taste that our consumers love.” Dr Sweeney commended Lucozade for their decision, and said “every little action by the industry to positively impact public health is welcome.” Caroline Mahon, Health Promotion Officer for DCU Healthy, said there needs to be a multi-pronged approach for reducing our intake of sugary drinks. “Health education is important,” she said, “but that alone won’t support consumers to make healthier choices”. Mahon said other than the sugar tax; other interventions are needed including a reduction in the supply of sugary drinks in environments like schools and workplaces. The placement of products in shops, the way they are advertised and the sponsorship of events should also be considered.

Credit: Joy Nwagiriga

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UK submit proposals for replacing the backstop Cian Dunne | Contributor

Individual countries can order Facebook to take down posts globally Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque |Editor-in-Chief @BrendanFKP

T Credit: Isabella Finn

ritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson has submitted formal proposals to the EU, that could replace the backstop. The backstop, which was negotiated by former Prime Minister Theresa May in the original Withdrawal Agreement in 2018, would prevent the reintroduction of a hard border between Northern Ireland, and the Republic. The new proposal submitted by Boris Johnson is centred on the ongoing commitment to maintaining the Good Friday Agreement. Johnson also calls for collaboration between the UK and Ireland in the new proposal, regarding an all-island regulatory zone, which will allow for trade deals, and a Common Travel Area on the island of Ireland. “Let’s not forget that we have a deal that we know works”, said Tánaiste Simon Coveney. “The UK wants to change that deal, and while I believe we can change that approach, the outcome must be the same,” he added. The proposal also states that Northern Ireland will have a say in whether or not an all-island regulatory zone will be created, as Northern Ireland will be directly affected by the outcome. Finally, it states that on the 31st of October, the UK, along with Northern Ireland, will leave the EU customs union. This new proposal is a positive step

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forward; however, a certain level of doubt and confusion still remains for those close to the border. As the UK plans to leave the customs union, the possibility of avoiding a hard border remains unlikely. With a hard border still on the horizon, the daily lives of those living in Northern Ireland remain uncertain, for workers and students alike. Students living in Northern Ireland, and attending college in the south, will face a number of new and difficult obstacles. The added restrictions of these border checks could act as a deterrent, for many students living in Northern Ireland, from attending any colleges beyond the border.

Similarly, restrictions on those travelling to Northern Ireland from the south will be forced into making changes to their day to day lives. For DCU student and Cavan native Amy Donohoe, some of her daily luxuries may be in jeopardy. “I live in Cootehill, so that’s like twenty minutes from the border”, Amy said. “If the hard border does come into existence, I’d probably wouldn’t be able to do the things I’d like to do, like going to Belfast or Asda, and thank god I don’t go to college in Northern Ireland.”

he European Court of Justice [ECJ] ruled that individual countries can order Facebook to take down posts not just in their own country, but globally. Posts, photographs and videos can be taken down globally if the content is found to be defamatory or illegal and this decision cannot be appealed. The ruling came after an Austrian politician sued Facebook to remove defamatory comments about her on the website. According to the New York Times, the Green Party member, Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek, wanted to get rid of comments that called her a “lousy traitor”, “corrupt oaf” and member of a “fascist party.” The ruling is limited to court orders and doesn’t apply to wider complaints by Facebook users alleging that specific content is illegal. Facebook said that it was not the place of social media company to monitor, interpret and remove any content which was found to be illegal in one individual country. “It undermines the long-standing principle that one country does not have the right to impose its laws on speech on another country,” the company said. Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerbeg, said that it was a “very troubling precedent to set”.

Glawischnig’s lawyer spoke to the Austrian national broadcaster about the ruling, and welcomed the court’s decision. “It is less about there being fewer hate postings but much more about increasing awareness that we can successfully defend ourselves against this [online hate speech]” she said. Facebook was also backed by UK rights group Article 19, who said that it could lead to social media platforms using automated filters to remove posts. “This would set a dangerous precedent where the courts of one country can control what internet users in another country can see. This could be open to abuse, particularly by regimes with weak human rights records,” their executive director Thomas Hughes said. The ECJ made their decision back on October 3rd, but just one week before that they had limited the scope of their privacy law known as the “right to be forgotten”. Essentially, the law allows for an individual’s information to be deleted from certain internet records so that they cannot be found by search engines. The new limitation they put in place said Google could not be forced to remove information globally, with some exceptions. These exceptions being weighed up between the right to free expression and the public’s right to freedom of information.

Zero emission hydrogen vehicles could be the future on Irish roads Béibhinn Thorsch | Deputy Features Editor @BeibhinnJourno

he latest report published by Hydrogen Mobility Ireland (HMI) has addressed the possibility of introducing hydrogen powered cars into the Irish automotive market, between the years 2019 and 2030. “Hydrogen is a clean fuel that can be produced domestically, helping to reduce the cost of decarbonising transport, industry and heat while supporting the economy…” the report says. The report, published on October

3rd, commissioned the consultancy firm Element Energy as principal advisors with an aim to give a clear vision of what hydrogen mobility can achieve in Ireland over the next ten years. Hydrogen Mobility Ireland was established in February of this year, and has already found that the cost of hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure is falling quickly and the number and type of vehicles available is increasing. The main benefit which drives the motivation for the introduction of hydrogen powered cars, alongside increasing popularity of electrically powered cars, is the elimination of

CO2 emissions. Hydrogen cars also offer greater range and faster refuelling than that of electric cars. It is suggested in the HMI report that the majority of decarbonisation benefits will only be seen if work is begun immediately to introduce hydrogen cars into the market. Hydrogen vehicles are filled similarly to petrol or diesel, as pressurised hydrogen gas is pumped into a tank on board the car, which is combined in a fuel cell with oxygen to power an electric motor. Instead of fumes emitting from the car’s exhaust, the product is water vapour. To begin the introduction of hydrogen vehicles, the report suggests

an initial deployment phase of three refuelling stations and three production sites to support a fleet of 30 buses, 50 cars and 10 vans. “This would serve as a catalyst for the deployment of hydrogen in Ireland and would require significant state support.” the report says. Eventually 76 hydrogen refuelling stations nationwide are expected to be needed to ensure access to the population. The cost of this initial phase is estimated at €34m and would, HMI says, require two main state interventions: a capital grant to help match fund the program of €14m, and inclusion of green hydrogen in the Biofuels Obligation Scheme. Zero emission vehicles

in Ireland currently pay the lowest motor tax bracket of €120 per year. Hydrogen is planned to be prepared by the electrolysis of seawater and sent to cities in pipelines, however electricity - produced by burning coal, oil, or even nuclear power - is needed for the electrolysis of seawater. Therefore, while hydrogen is the cleanest possible fuel it is not totally clean, as the report claims.

Digs or Die: Why the rent crisis is making college even harder Ireland must do better by its students if it wants them to continue their education says Clara Kelly

ow can students be expected to succeed when for a lot of students, they have more pressing concerns, such as their living situation? 17 per cent of students are currently facing a commute of over two hours per day, and this number is on the rise. Meaning students who wish to attend classes face being packed like sardines for hours on public transport both up and back. Meanwhile, their joy for college can be increasingly nulled. Often, these same pupils need to leave straight after classes to get home at a reasonable hour and miss out on social events in fear of missing the last bus. Most of a student's grant can end up being gone in the first 1-2 weeks just on transport alone. College can become a daunting and stressful experience, the rising cost and scarcity of student accom-

modation, especially in places such as Dublin, is undoubtable. As well as something most students can attest to. An upfront 6000 euro is no small price to pay for accommodation, and that is if you’re even fortunate enough to get a place. In areas like Dublin, a small studio apartment can set you back nearly a thousand euro, and finding house shares is also a struggle. For students, this is dangerous. It can mean once enthusiastic students can start to feel hopeless and just downright tired. When it comes to accommodation, there is no perfect option. If people choose to stay in one of the most affordable options, digs, they can face a very uncomfortable environment. Living in a small room, where they have to be home or not be home by certain times, not being able to use the kitchen or access the living room. For some, they pay extortionate amounts to live with families where they will have to leave every Friday morning and not return until Monday evenings and yet we expect them to be

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We are facing the prospect of some students turning down places in college due to the fact that they simply cannot find a place to live

Credit: Joy Nwagiriga

Clara Kelly | Comment Editor @clarabkelly

able to make it to college on time? The experience of denying yourself an education, due to overwhelming rent increases, means this is a situation most students are far too familiar with. At €12,000 per year, the cost of college here is the second highest in Europe. Ireland has predicated our entire recovery on the “smart economy” without many smart decisions. And it's simply not good enough. We must do better. We are facing the prospect of some students turning down places in college due to the fact that they simply

cannot find a place to live. The lack of accommodation is becoming a barrier to education, which is something that is of grave concern. Dublin is one of Europe's most expensive cities to live in general. Everything from your bus ticket, lunch, right up to the room you rent to sleep in, can set students back way more than our other European counterparts. Meaning not only are students finding it hard to stay in college, but they are also finding it hard to stay in Ireland in general.

Government weakness is allowing the far-right small victories

The Government must act to prevent far-right gaining a foothold in Irish society says Calum Atkinson

Calum Atkinson | Deputy Comment Editor @CalumAtkinson

he treatment of asylum seekers in Ireland has been the subject of debate for many years but the government’s recent handling of the issue is also dangerous. Much has been written about the ways in which the direct provision system is unfit for purpose and how it leaves vulnerable asylum seekers in poor conditions. Recently, a worrying trend has emerged. This trend being direct provision centres in rural Ireland being prevented from opening. Last week, plans for a centre in Oughterard in Galway were shelved following local protests. The line from the local community was that the protests took place because they were not consulted about the direct

“

Every time a planned centre fails to open it is a victory for the extremists and racists

provision centre. However, there are also more sinister forces hijacking these protests. The far-right was claiming victory online in the battle against the “great replacement” when it was confirmed that plans for the centre had been scrapped. Hotels in Leitrim and Donegal earmarked for asylum seekers have also been attacked by arsonists in the last year. The arsonists were unperturbed that people were inside the buildings at the time, a clear indication of their extreme views. Again, the centres did not open. Of course, there is a degree of reluctance in rural communities when an influx of new people is mooted but that emphasises the importance of the government consulting with the local people. In failing to properly engage and consult with rural communities, the government gives oxygen to

dangerous extremists. The extremists exploit people’s greatest fears and the idea that the government is not listening to communities to achieve their goals. Every time a planned centre fails to open it is a victory for the extremists and racists. Allowing them to win legitimises their arguments and pushes the idea that Ireland is accepting too many asylum seekers. This must be at the forefront of the government’s mind in future if similar events occur in the future. In 2018, there were 3,673 applicants for asylum and 2,090 were rejected. That is a rejection rate of over 70 per cent. This can hardly be described as a “great replacement”. It is farcical to describe it as such, especially when we consider the numbers our European neighbours have accepted. Whenever we’re talking about refugees and asylum seekers we must

remember behind each number is a real person who has suffered so much. They have been forced to leave their homes due to war, persecution or natural disaster. The direct provision system is far from perfect, in fact, it’s quite awful but in the short term, there is a necessity for it to continue until wider reform is implemented. This means centres like the one Oughterard are needed and the government must do everything to ensure they do open. The far-right has already claimed victories in preventing direct provision centres from opening. I fear the government’s lackadaisical approach to these issues will mean similar events occur in the future. If we’re not careful the views of the extremists will become normalised in Irish society.

Comment

Forget impeachment, Trump could still win in 2020 Trump should be forced out of office, but don’t put the possibility of re-election past the US President says Shane Brennan

hether it be his famous twitter battles, chopper talk or his defence against a slew of investigations, not a day goes by where Donald Trump doesn’t make headlines. Most of this would be hilarious but being President of the United States isn’t a joke. Many opponents and foreign onlookers believe this would make Trump’s re-election chances slim to none. Even the most active Americanophiles looking from abroad can’t help being drawn into the belief that most of America think Trump is nuts and his election was a mistake. Most quality newspapers, TV news stations and comedy shows are on the side that Trump has a lot of skeletons in his closet and his policies aren’t delivering what he promised in 2016. No wonder so many Democrats are running to be his foe, it seems like such an easy fight when compared to an administration characterised by people being fired and investigations into the dirty tricks he plays with Eastern European leaders. Trumps case is not helped by the lack of impact he’s had on the economies of coal mining towns or on the opioid epidemic to name a few. As we view bad public opinion on CNN or watch satirists like Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel destroy Trump’s arguments, it’s easy to forget that there is a substantial amount of

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It is easy to forget that there is a substantial amount of americans who believe that Trump is good for the country

Credit: Flicker

Shane Brennan | Deputy Sports Editor @ShaneBrennan247

Americans who believe that Trump is good for the country. I’ve had the pleasure of spending a combined total of nine months in the US since Trump took office, and what never fails to strike me is how popular he is in the areas the maps say he shouldn’t be. Most of that time was spent in Massachusetts, probably the bluest state in America, yet still the highways are dotted with SUVs with Trump’s stamp on the back. In some towns outside Boston you’d be yelled at for wearing an Obama t-shirt, there are diners Downtown that supported

Boston’s straight pride parade. I was once yelled at by a young man driving a pickup who roared “white power” at me and my friends, some of whom were black. Now before you go cancelling those J1 plans don’t worry, New York and Boston are amazing cities (some might say awesome)that are full of friendly people and are very open cultures (more so than Dublin anyway). My point is that even in the most liberal, Democrat-voting cities of America there are still large sub sections of the population who voted Trump and even after all the scandal they would vote

for him again. The American system beat the popular vote winning Hillary Clinton last time, and it’s not implausible that history will repeat itself. Whether the Democrats go with the unapologetically progressive route or the Clinton-esque centrist route is still to be seen, but one things for sure, I hope they get their strategy right in 2020. If not and the winds blow to the right again then we’ll have to listen to this guy for a while longer, and historically presidents are less restrictive in their second term.

How free should free speech really be?

Aoife O’Brien asks where is the line when it comes to free speech and oppressive language

Aoife O’Brien | News Editor @obrienaoife1

othing comes free in this world, someone must always pay the price. For the targets of hate speech, this is the price of their dignity, their humanity and more and more frequently their life. Because they know that oppressive language does more than just represent violence. It is violence. But bigotry ceases to exist without a target and the only way to remove the target sign from the back’s of the victims of hate speech is to stop pretending that this is something that should be protected as freedom of expression. In theory, with the exception of 19 countries, there was a global agreement on this fact when The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was either signed or ratified by

172 countries. The ICCPR states that the right to freedom of expression is not an absolute right and that speech conceived as “advocacy to the hatred that constitutes an incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence” shall be prohibited by law. However, it is left up to each individual state to interpret this. This lack of clarity over what constitutes hate speech has led to the rise of extremist alt-right and white supremacy social media networks. One such social platform is Gab, where hours before a mass shooter killed 11 people inside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, he posted an anti-Muslim rant to his Gab account claiming that Jews sought to bring immigrants into the United States, and render whites a minority. However, a recent law passed by the Europen Court of Justice in response propagation which advocates violence

and hatred has also raised some concern. The court ruled that Facebook can be ordered to remove content worldwide by national courts if the content is illegal in that country. This is particularly problematic when we consider the huge proportion of information we take in online. Consider for example, what would happen if the right to this censorship through national courts was given to those who are vehemently against homosexuality. Currently, there are laws in several US states making it a criminal offense for schools to talk about homosexuality in health classes. Studies show that homophobia and homophobic acts are more prevalent in these states. But consider the consequences if the advocates of these laws were allowed to censor such discussions not only at

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Studies show that homophobia and homopobic acts are much more prevalent in these states

a national level but globally across social media networks. This could only serve to inflame the hatred further. It is clear that national legislation protecting against hate speech cannot work when one country has the right to impose their laws and speech on another. We need to expand on the ICCPR treaty to provide global legislation for what constitutes hate speech and how it should be punished and those laws must have supremacy over national laws in any country or state party to the treaty. Hate speech has victims. Victims whose very right to exist is questioned for no other reason than they exist in the first place. It is about time these victims are offered some protection.

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What has Brexit revealed about Ireland’s relationship with the UK

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Shauna Power asks what has the Brexit negotiations revealed about our relationship with England

Shauna Power| Contributor

Credit: Sonja Tutty

ith the UK set to leave the EU on October 31st, deal or no deal, the strained relationship between Ireland and their closest neighbour continues to weaken. It is no secret that the Brexit process and all of the tensions associated with it have arisen due to the decision of the British people to leave the EU. British politics was plunged into chaos 3 years ago and the lack of clarity surrounding the aftermath of Brexit doesn’t help. British MP Boris Johnson’s statement that the UK will leave the EU on October 31st, regardless of whether they agree to a deal with the EU, has brought the controversy surrounding Brexit to a whole new level. A defining issue surrounding Brexit negotiations is the prospect of customs posts returning to Ireland with flashbacks of the Northern troubles still haunting the memories of most Irish people. Johnson has urged the EU to work with him to find a deal that suits all after proposals for custom posts

have been repeatedly rejected by Irish politicians. Referring to the issue of the Irish border last year, Johnson said, ‘We’re allowing the whole of our agenda to be dictated by this folly’. He simply doesn’t understand the impact of a border on the people of Ireland, both North, and South. There’s no doubt that Johnson is in it to get the best deal possible for the UK and if this means putting the needs

of Ireland on the back burner, there will be no hesitations on his part. On the other hand, Tanaiste Simon Coveney has said it is time that the EU has a ‘serious proposal’ from the UK government in order to have a deal before October 31st. The EU has repeatedly said that there will be no renegotiations surrounding the withdrawal agreement so it is easy to become agitated by Johnson and his counterparts. It’s easy

Politicians on both sides of the Irish Sea are entitled to their own opinions but they must not let this cloud their judgment

to get dragged into a war of words with people accusing Johnson of not listening to the needs of people in Ireland and the British people accusing the Irish of being difficult. Politicians on both sides of the Irish Sea are naturally entitled to their own opinions but they must not let this cloud their judgment. It is easy to throw insults back and forth but at the end of the day what matters is limiting the damage caused to both parts following Brexit. In 2011 when the queen visited Ireland it was a sign that British and Irish relations were at an all-time high. She said, ‘for the first time in the history of this state, a British monarch could safely visit here’. Membership of the EU has facilitated a closer relationship between Britain and Ireland since they joined together in 1973. Now as the UK gets ready to leave the EU the cracks in this relationship are evident. It is arguable that the worst is yet to come. Maybe Brexit will strengthen the UK and Irelands bond, only time will tell.

The Death of Dublin’s nightlife

Kirsty Dowdall explains why less and less young people are choosing to head towards Dublin’s night scene

here are few things I take pleasure in more than an absolutely chaotic night out. Mixing my drinks (even though I know I shouldn’t), dancing along to music I hate, being surrounded by friends and strangers and over everything else. Even arguing with that one person who decides to bring up politics or sensitive topics in the smoking area at one o’clock in the morning. But this whole experience, for myself and so many others like me is becoming less frequent and starting to fade into a fond memory. I’m twenty years old. I should, realistically be going out more and enjoying myself. But it doesn’t always seem worth it anymore. Clubbing is viewed by so many people as a crucial and most importantly – very enjoyable part of college life and college students from my experience are creatures of habit when it comes to where they spend their nights out. With the closure of so many really popular clubs in 2019 like District 8 and Hangar, it makes me wonder if there would be any rationality in scoping out smaller, new clubs for a night

out. Judging by the course of events in Dublin over the past year here’s no point in getting attached to any venue anyway seeing as it will likely be turned into a hotel. A report released by The Irish Nightclub Industry Association in

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Clubbing culture has changed and there’s often a lot more to worry about than to look forward to. 2009 stated that the number of nightclubs in the whole of Ireland dropped by 37 percent between 2000 and 2008. Despite there being a lack of similar statistics in relation to nightclub scene since that report was released, we were

in the midst of the Celtic Tiger at the time it was published and it’s unlikely the recession made any big improvements. But alongside the fact that popular clubs are being shut down and redeveloped. Clubbing in Dublin just isn’t accessible to so many young people. With Dublin’s student accommodation crisis and the ever-growing popularity of commuting amongst college students. The prospect of having to find somewhere to stay the night can

complicate what should be a simple, good time with your friends. Alongside this there are so many things that can complicate the process of having an enjoyable night out in a Dublin club nowadays. Worries that the bouncers are going to decide to not let you in and you’ll be left with nowhere to go, extortionate taxi prices, people with wandering hands on the dancefloor. And the fact that all the drunk people from inside the club will be released onto the streets at closing

hours to wander the streets like a drunken version of The Purge. All of these worries are reasons why myself and others aren’t enjoying a night out in a club as much as people did in the past. Clubbing culture has changed and there’s often a lot more to worry about than to look forward to. As a result of this sense of scepticism from young people and enthusiasm from redevelopers. Dublin clubs will continue to die out.

Credit:KlikCup

Kirsty Dowdall | Contributor

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Adopt don’t shop: To vape or not the problem with to vape purebreds

Béibhinn Thorsch | Deputy Features Editor @BeibhinnJourno

n DoneDeal, if you search for “puppies” you will be met with about 703 ads. You may also be met with the opportunity to fork out up to 2,500euro in exchange for an 8-week-old french bulldog. But really it shouldn’t be the cost that is the main factor in driving you away from buying pets, especially from online marketplaces like DoneDeal or even Facebook. It should be the negative effects of so-called “purebred” dogs, and the many thousands of unhomed dogs in Ireland, and the world. Puppy farms are more ill-famed for their treatment of animals and their breeding protocols, and are more universally treated as a negative place - not this dims their sales by much. Nonetheless, the work of individual breeders, particularly kennel club breeders, is often not seen as harmful or immoral.

Many of those who go into breeding, also, have good intentions - or at the very least don’t wish to do harm to animals for financial gain. Even with the best of intentions the end result of the extended breeding of a lineage is often detrimental. One of the strongest arguments for the elimination of breeding as a profession is the ever-growing overpopulation of dogs and cats. This is partly due to a lack of animals being neutered, and with owners who did not plan on breeding them (especially those who did not plan on breeding mixed breed dogs) unable to control animals in heat or attracted to the scent of heat in another animal. Many pregnant dogs are either abandoned or have their pups abandoned. These dogs may be rescued by various charities or charitable people, however many pass away. Some may look at the termination of pregnancy as a solution. In Ireland, abortion on pregnant dogs is possible through injection, given up to 45 days after mating. There are simply not enough homes to house all the dogs that we have. The only reason you can legitimately have

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to buy a “purebred” (read: overbred) dog, is because you value the aesthetics of a dog over its health. If you love dogs, you will love a mixed breed dog - which is equally as cute, loving, clever, and capable of being a valued member of your family. A purebred dog may, to some people, give you recognition and even admirers for a moment. But you will have a dog who is in pain. A dog who is repeatedly brought to the vet for heart issues (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), eye issues (Shih Tzu), breathing issues (pugs, bulldogs), and bone conditions (Cocker Spaniel, German Shepherds). This is to name but a few. Even if your dog does not seem to suffer from these issues, they are known to have a shorter lifespan and a decreased quality of life. It is possible to find purebred dogs in shelters. This is excellent, although of course sad. Sad because the dog was bred initially for profit, and may have been bought, before being given up for unforeseen issues that the owner was not willing and/or able to manage.

Credit: Linda Hosek

The only reason you can legitimately have to buy a “purebred” dog, is because you value the aesthetics of a dog over its health

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Credit: Vaping360

There is no good reason to buy dogs from a breeder says Béibhinn Thorsch

Peter O'Neill asks whether or not vaping is impacting public health

Why should this be taken off the shelves when you can still buy alcohol or even the original cancer sticks themselves? Peter O’Niell | Deputy Arts Editor @PON_Records

he recent fearmongering about vaping has very similar hallmarks to previous outrages in history towards marijuana and other currently illegal substances. Although more data is needed to know for sure, the current science dictates that vaping nicotine, as opposed to smoking, is a healthier product. Recent news stories about a “mysterious lung illness” hitting the United States has failed to highlight that in the majority of these cases, the victims were either ingesting large quantities of nicotine every day or inhaling third party and unregulated capsules. The recent outcry from some politicians and media figures about vaping often sound like Helen Lovejoy from the Simpsons. “Oh, won’t someone please think of the children?”. Yes, children should not be allowed to buy nicotine or have these products advertised specifically to them. However, if we are to say that making fruit-flavoured vaping available is marketing to young adults, then so is any type of alcohol for sale. This again raises the bizarre hold that alcohol has on our society as opposed to other drugs. If someone were to currently go out and drink themselves into a coma, they currently can without restriction. However other mind-altering substances such as marijuana are ecstasy, proven to be far less harmful and addictive to the human body when taken responsibly. But due to historic lobbying by different industries, and the influence

of the United States’ “war on drugs”, other countries followed them in picking liquor as the socially acceptable drug of choice. Unfortunately, it seems more and more likely that this will be the case with vaping and cigarettes. If flavoured vaping, which is often the most popular choice of consumers, is forced into the black market, vaping relating illnesses and poor health will only increase. Much like drugs being made illegal, society will continue to use the prohibited items even after it is unregulated and unsafe. There will be no net gain except to make the tobacco industry richer when some people go back to smoking combustible cigarettes. This is all in the face of a 2014 US Surgeon General report, that e-cigarette use when fully replacing combustible tobacco is healthier for the human body. Although the report also stated that younger demographics were far more likely to take up using e-cigarettes, it did not mention that this also coincided with less young people smoking tobacco than ever. So what does all of this information actually mean? Vaping is not healthy for you, nor, though somewhat effective, is the perfect way to quit nicotine altogether. However, when a product so far has proven to be healthier for you, why should this be taken off the shelves when you can still buy alcohol or even the original cancer sticks themselves? Although some comparisons between vaping advertisements to the Marlboro Man have merit, by simply having it follow the same guidelines as other legal controlled substances, it can still be a net good for the public.

Tá draíocht 'The Beatles' fós beo! Tá ‘Abbey Road’ 50 bliain d’aois.

“ Móltaí Netflix don Fhómhar

Beth Molloy | Irish Editor

ómhar atá ann agus is ionann sin go bhfuil na laethanta níos giorra agus níos fuaire. Tá na crainn lom, níl aon duilliúr ar na crainn agus tá se fluich! Mar sin, suí ar an tolg, faigh deoch the agus cas air Netflix. Feach ar an liosta seo chun inspioraid a fhail.

1. Ar liosta ar dtus sin “Top Boy”. Lonnaithe i Londain, tá an tsraith seo faoi an smacht ag dronganna drugaí ar na sráideanna. Tá an scéal líne iontach ar fad agus tá na carachtair thar bhar. Is é Dushane Hill an príomh charactar sa tsraith, leanann an tsraith é agus na cinntí a dhéanann sé chun a bheith Top Boy. Taispeánann Top Boy go bhfuil daonnacht agus comhfhiosacht fós ag daoine sna cásanna seo. Tugaim an píosa seo 9/10.

Credit: WikiMedia

aoga bliain ó shin, tháinig an albam ‘Abbey Road’ amach, bhí an ghrúpa seo i ngach áit timpeall an domhain. I 2019, tá an ceol seo fós beo agus is dócha go bhfuil déagóirí nua ag iarraidh an grúpa a fheiceáil sa 3Arena. Ach cén fáth? Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil rud éigin an-speisialta faoi liricí Paul McCartney agus John Lennon. Mar shampla, féach ar an amhrán ‘Let It Be’, tháinig an t-amhrán seo tar éis brionglóid a bhí ag Paul. Bhí sé traochta agus bhí gach rud ina shaol i bpraiseach. Bhí a mham le feiceáil sa bhrionglóid ag iarraidh cabhrú lena mhac. Fuair a mham bás cúpla bliain roimhe sin, tháinig na focail iontach san amhrán ón mbrionglóid seo. Tá an t-amhrán ‘Yesterday’ gleoite. Guth amháin atá le cloisteáil, guth ciúin is bog. Tá pian an-soiléir i nguth Paul, fear ón Learpholl atá cosúil linn. Bhí go leor daoine i ngrá leis an gceol iontach seo sa 60idí agus sa 70idí, bhí go leor cailíní cinnte! Ba iad grúpa popcheol ach bhí rud éigin sa bhreis acu, bhí siad difriúil. Níor lean siad aon rialacha. Féach ar an obair a rinne an ghrúpa ‘Queen’ sa 70idí, bhí siad cosúil le ‘The Beatles’ mar d’athraigh na grúpaí seo an gceol a bhí ar an raidió ag an am. Rinne an ghrúpa iontach seo,‘The Beatles’ rud

Rinne an ghrúpa iontach seo, ‘The Beatles’ rud éigin réabhlóideach

Ar an dara dul síos, “The Family”. Níl an tsraith seo iontach ar chur ar bith. Tá an scéal líne leadránach agus níl aon saigheas saibhir ann. Tá an píosa an pholaitiúil. Mas maith leat polaitíocht agus comhcheilg b’feidir gur mhaith leat é seo. 3/10.

3. I am a Killer – Is clár faisnéise é an píosa seo. Rinneadh scannánú i bpríosúin slándála uasta timpeall Mheiriceá. Fócasaíonn gach clar ar príosúnach difriúil ar sraith an bháis. Pléann sé a gcuid coireanna agus a gcuid smaointe faoina saol anois. Tá an tsraith déanta go maith. 7/10.

4. The Great Hack – Is scannán é an ceann seo. Tá an scannán bunaithe ar an scannal le déanaí, Cambridge Analytica agus an toghchán Trump. Míníonn an scannan gach rud a bhaineann leis anailísíocht sonraí, Facebook agus fógraí ar líne. Tá an scannán fais-

néiseach agus intuighte. I gcodanna áirithe, tá sé saighes leandranach. 6/10

5. 13 Reasons Why – Seo an tríú séasúr den tsraith. Tá an séasúr seo faoi dhúnmharú den príomh charactar, Bryce Walker. I mo thuirim níl an séasur seo ar dhóigh ar bith chomh maith le an chead séasur. Ní raibh an scéal ná na carachtair inchreidte agus comh maith leis sin níl an scéal-líne an-réadúil. 5/10

tsraith seo! Tá gach clár lan le spraoi agus gáirí. Mar sin féin, clúdaíonn an traith ábhair thábhachtachta cosúil le gnéas, caidrimh agus ginmhilleadh. Tá an dara sesiur ag teacht ar bhlian seo chugainn. 8/10.

éigin réabhlóideach. Ach tá neart ceol ar Spotify inniu, amhránaí cosúil le Post Malone agus Billie Eilish. D’fhéadfadh gurb iad na ceoltóirí nua seo na chéad ‘The Beatles’ eile ach tá paistí, déagóirí agus sean daoine fós ag iarriadh na liricí seo a chloistéail. Tá níos mó ná fiche milliún síntiúsóirí ar Spotify ag éisteacht sa bhaile nó lena chairde le ‘Hey Jude’ agus ‘Yellow Submarine’. An-suimiúil toisc gur tháinig an chead albam ‘Please Please Me’ amach I 1963 agus tá daoine fós ag éisteacht le ‘Love Me Do’ agus ‘Twist and Shout’. Ní fhéadfadh sé bheith níos simplí, bhí bua an cheoil acu. Ni raibh ach cúpla uirlis acu agus bhí na huirlisí seo acústacha den cuid is mó. Inniu, is féidir aon fuam a chruthú de bharr an teicneolaíocht nua-aimseartha. I gcás ‘The Beatles’ bhí an fuam ceanna ar an gceirnín vinile agus sa choirm cheoil. Fuair John Lennon bás beagnach daichead bliain ó shin. Tá George Harrison marbh ocht déag bliain chomh maith. Rinne an ghrúpa, trí déag albam agus bhí ‘Abbey Road’ an albam réamhdheiridh Bhí na hamhráin, ‘Something’ agus ‘Come Together’ ar an albam seo. Tá na hamhráin lán le hornáidíocht agus bíonn teachtaireacht láidir ina lárphointe. Tá popcheol ar ais sna cairteacha i 2019. Tá amhránaí cosúil le Lizzo thar cionn ach tá rud éigin eile ag ‘The Beatles’. Tá na hamhráin athasach, brónach, machnamhach agus millteanach.

ar Netflix. Tá an tsraith spleodrach agus tá se lan le fionraí agus drámaíocht. 8/10. Anois, an citeal a chur síos, cuir do piteámaí ort agus suí síos ar an tolg agus do scíth a legean!

Bodygaurd – Is píosa teilefíse den scoth é an Bodyguard. Chruthaigh an BBC an tsraith agus tá sé ar fhail anois

6. Mindhunter – Seo an dara séasúr den tsraith. Tá an séasúr seo an mhaith. Tá sé lán de charachtair spreagúla agus tá gach clár fíorspéisiúil. Tá an scéallíne bunaithe ar fíorimeachtaí agus tá carachtair cosúil le Charles Manson agus “The BTK Killer” sa tsraith. 9.5/10

7. Sex Education – Tá craic ar dóigh é an

Credit: Flickr

Naoise Laura Darby| Irish Editor

Gaeilge

Trasnachas agus dlúthphartaíocht san aois nua

Credit: Flickr

San aois nua, cloistear go minic ó gníomhaithe agus polaiteoirí ar an eite dheis agus ar an eite chlé faoi polaitíocht na féiniúlachta, ó thaobh amháin, cé chomh amadach is atá an coincheap dó agus ón thaobh eile, cé chomh amadach is atá na daoine ag ceistiú í.

Cian O hEidin | Contributor

hríochnaíonn McGarvey an caibidil leis an bpríomhchúis go caithfidh aicme ról cothrom a imirt le trasnachas: an bealach go bhfuil comhlachtaí ag úsáid í. Sa lá atá inniu ann, tá sé fíor go bhfeictear níos mó daoine imeallaithe ar an ardán póiblí. Ach ní minic gur duine den lucht oibre iad. Faoin ainm do éagsúlacht agus ionchuimsitheacht, tá comhlachtaí ag ardú daoine meánaicme go postanna nach raibh ag daoine imeallaithe roimhe, gan a rá cinnte, go bhfuil na postanna seo fós ag dul go daoine meánaicme. Le sin tá siad ag úsáid an polaitíocht céanna a deireann go bhfuil caipitleachas an táirgeoir don cos ar bolg atá curtha ar daoine imeallaithe chun léiriú go bhfuil siad ábalta idridhealú a sharú. Mar a deireann McGarvey: “Class issues are concealed behind a progressive veneer as identity politics becomes another vehicle for the socially mobile to dominate every aspect of public life. […] Leaders on the left must work harder, not only to broaden

the discussion and allow for diversity of opinion, but also to reconcile intersectionality with class politics in order that they work in tandem. Both must have equal billing going forward or they will become exclusionary.” Ag leanúint ar aigheadh ón pointe deirenach sin, go caithfidh aicme ról cothrom a imirt le trasnachas in aon polatíocht nua atá ag iarraidh na fadhbanna atá romhainn a shárú, tá an chéad ceist ná conas a léithéadsa a dhéanamh? Is feidir an freagra a chúrdú inár stair fhéin, le dlúthphartaíocht. D’imir agus imríonn dlúthphartaíocht ról olmhór i poblachtachas, agus tá samplaí le féicéail ar fud na Sé Contae, i mBéal Féirste ar an Balla Idirnáisúinta agus i nDoire ar dtíthe Thaobh an Phortaigh nó ar na sráideanna d’ár caibidil, ós comhair ambasaidí nó foirgnimh rialtais, agus fiú ar line. Níl an monaplacht ar dlúthphartaíocht ag poblachtachas, cinnte, ach thugann an bealach go raibh sé úsáidte acu sampla maith dúinn ar fad conas a bheith ionchuimsitheach. Bhí gníomhaithe poblachtach ag dul timpeall an domhan ar fad i rith na Trioblóidí,

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Cad, mar sin, atá le foghlaim ag trasnachas ón dlúthphartaíocht? ag bailiú airgead, airm agus traenáil ó daoine agus ghrúpaí go raibh báúil dóibh agus ag foghlaim ó na daoine eile go raibh tar éis teacht róibh, rud atá luaithe sa clár fáisnéise Bobby Sands: 66 Days i mbealach suimiúil. Cad, mar sin, atá le foghlaim ag trasnachas ón dlúthphartaíocht? Le tosnú, ba choir gach cuid don phribhléid, tionchair agus cumhacht atá agat chun cabhrú le ghrúpaí agus daoine imeallaithe eile, ag cóiméad i gcuimhne nach do ról é an domhan ar fad a deisiú thú féin agus mar sin aire

a thabhairt duit féin agus do chomhluadar. Sa bhreis, ceacht eile gur feidir foghlaim ón dlúthphartaíocht go bhfuil níos mó ná bealach amháin chun cabhair agus tacaíocht a thabhairt go grúpaí eile. Is feidir cupán tae a cheanacht do daoine ar stailc nó fiú téacs a sheoladh go daoine atá faoi ionsaí ar line chun cuir i cuimhne ar daoine go bhfuil comhghuaillithe acu. Chomh maith le sin, is feidir d’eolas agus do thuiscint do nósanna agus téarmaíocht ghrúpa eile a úsáid

chun miniú le daoine eile conas ab chóir leabhair le agus faoi an ghrúpa sin. Bíonn teanga agus téarmaíocht tábhachtach do go leor daoine agus mar sin nuair atá an deis againn iad a scapadh go níos mó daoine, beidh an deis ag daoine mothú níos compóirdí le chéile. Ba chóir cóiméad i gcuimhne ar a laghad go bhfuil difríocht idir daoine nach dtuigeann na fadhbanna go mbíonn ag ghrúpa imeallaithe agus na daoine gur cuma leo fúthu. Ba chóir cothromaíocht a chúrdú idir ag tabhair deis go chách foghlaim faoi gnéithe difriúla don saol agus ag caitheamh amú ama le daoine gan aon suim athrú. Le sin, caithfidh tú déanamh cinnte go bhfuil tú ag choiméad tú féin oscailte go tuaraimí agus gnéithe den saol nua freisin. Ag deireadh an lae, ní mórán atá i gceist, fiú nuair a mothaíonn sé deacair ceistiú an bealach atá tú tar éis a bheith ag iompair le tamaill, mar is í an rud is tabhachtachaí ná seans a thabhairt le daoine agus duit féin a bheith an duine is fearr gur feidir.

DCU pledges its support for women in sport

Beth Molloy | Irish Editor n partnership with the 20x20 campaign, Student Sport Ireland announced the first ever national women in sport initiative for third level colleges and universities on the 1st of October. The initiative calls on all students and members of staff to promote the visibility of women in sport, aiming to boost attendance and grow the numbers of those participating in sports on campus by 20 per cent by the end of 2020. Launched last October by the Federation of Irish Sport in partnership with the creative agency Along Came a Spider, the objective of the 20x20 campaign is to get the Irish public actively involved in the promotion of female sport. The end goal is to increase media coverage, boost attendances and grow female participation in sports by 20 per cent by 2020. Speaking after the launch of the initiative in DCU Yvonne McGowan, DCU Senior Sports Development Officer and 20x20 Staff Champion said that “Irish Sports Monitor Research shows that the sharpest decrease in female’s sports participation occurs the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.” For this reason it is paramount that third level institutions participate in this initiative to keep females actively engaged in sport. McGowan continued: “Women are also less likely to volunteer, attend sporting events and be a member of a sports club. 20x20 represents an opportunity for Dublin City University to work collaboratively with Student Sport Ireland, 20x20, and the Colleges and Universities sector to tackle this issue, and to make a positive impact on female physical activity and overall health during third level education and beyond.” DCU has a history of producing successful sports teams in an expansive and diverse range of codes. The university has seen the likes of Dublin footballer and AFL player Niamh McEvoy, Irish rugby international Lindsay Peat and Olympic sailor Ciara Peelo pass through its doors. The university is home to a range of fantastic sports clubs that give women looking for a platform to engage in sport a place to do so. Whether that is

competing at the highest level possible or just taking part to keep fit. The ladies soccer team in DCU are a thriving team that includes both provincial and international representatives. The side participates in the WSCAI League and Intervarsity competition. The team’s biggest success to date was winning the 2009 Challenge Cup. DCU are the biggest GAA club in 3rd level competition and have won both the O’Connor Championship and Division 1 trophies in 2017/2018. Elisa Corcoran, a bronze medallist at the Irish Intervarsity Golf championships last year and a student of DCU said that she thinks that “it’s great that DCU are pledging their support for the 20x20 campaign” and that “DCU are trying to make a difference, they’re trying to change the perception of women playing sport in Ireland.” This change in perception that the 20x20 campaign is striving to achieve is already evident when considering the record breaking attendances in recorded at female sporting occasions in the country. After a joint promotion by the FAI and the 20x20 campaign a record 8,000 tickets for the Irish Women’s EURO 2021 Qualifier against Ukraine on October 8th were sold or claimed by season ticket holders. Tallaght Stadium witnessed history as it welcomed a record breaking amount of fans to cheer on the girls in green. This comes a month after the Ladies Gaelic football finals broke their record attendance for yet another year. The lashings of rain did nothing to deter the 56,114 supporters who came to show their support. This is a huge increase on the 27,374 that attended the 2014 final. As the numbers of those attending these sporting occasions rise off the back of increased media coverage and promotions, it is paramount that the levels of females engaging in sports is maintained and increased. In September of this year Sport Ireland announced details of a multiyear investment of over €3 million in national governing bodies of sport through the re-launched Women in Sport Programme. They have pledged the investment of €3,277,000 for the years 2019 and 2020. The money has been allocated to a range of sporting governing bodies,

Credit: DCU

Last week saw Dublin City University pledge its commitment to the 20x20 campaign. DCU is one of 24 third level institutions that have signed the 20x20 charter to support the growth and visibility of women in sport.

including Irish Rugby and the Confederation of Irish Golf who secured the highest level of funding receiving €100,000 each. Ladies Gaelic Football received €40,000 while Camogie and the Olympic Federation were given

per cent in 2007 to 4.5 per cent in 2017. While speaking about what can been done to further the involvement in female sports from a young age, Elisa Corcoran referenced working at

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off was great it was fun but you kind of need to do a repetition of those types of days you know maybe once or twice a month even to hold conventions where they focus on like one sport at each time so maybe rugby

Women are less likely to volunteer, attend sporting events and be a member of a sports club. €20,000. No funding was allocated however for the FAI whose funding is currently being suspended pending investigations into the sporting body. According to the most recent Irish Sports Monitor in 2017 the national gender gradient in sports participation has decreased significantly from 15.7

a family fun day in Abbotstown last week on behalf of the Confederation of Golfers in Ireland. “We were there to help and promote golf and to get the young girls to pick up a golf club and get them hitting a few balls.” Corcoran continued “I think we need a few more days like that that need to be organised, you know once

then soccer and then golf and just keep promoting the games.” DCUSU President Christine Farrell signed the 20x20 charter to acknowledge the Student Union’s support of the campaign however she was not available to comment on the news.

Features

Time to escape from vapes? Béibhinn Thorsch | Deputy Features Editor @BeibhinnJourno

n October 3rd, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report showing that the U.S has seen 1,080 cases of vaping-related lung injuries since March. This number is growing weekly, and has led to 19 deaths. Interestingly, the vast majority of those affected by the illness were men, and many between the ages of 18 and 34. Symptoms include fatigue, coughing, breathlessness and vomiting or diarrhoea. A recent analysis of the affected patients showed that 78 per cent of all affected patients had been vaping THC products. Experts, however, say they are unsure if it is THC products alone that cause the issue, saying it could also be nicotine, synthetic cannabinoids, CBD, and/or flavoured e-liquids. Speaking to the New York Times, Dr. Brandon T. Larsen said that the biopsies of 17 patients showed “a pattern of injury in the lung that looks like toxic chemical exposure, a toxic chemical fume exposure, or a chemical burn injury.” He went on to say that injuries resembled those seen in people exposed to poisons like mustard gas during World War I. E-cigarettes arrived in the U.S in 2007, and have remained largely unregulated, allowing black market products to flourish. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been pressed to explain their position, with FDA member Dr. Ned Sharpless saying “We do not think really anyone should be using them other than people using them in place of combustible tobacco.” The CDC’s principal deputy director, Dr. Anne Schuchat, advised people to steer clear of vaping products, saying "It is pretty much impossible for you to know what is in the e-cigarette or vaping product that you're getting, particularly THC-containing products bought off the street or bought from social sources." Deaths closer to home are not totally unheard of with this illness, as a 57-year-old British man, Terry Miller, passed away in 2010. His widow now says she blames vaping for the lung disease which caused his death. Investigations suggest he had oil in his lungs from vape e-liquid, which triggered lipoid pneumonia (fat-induced inflammation in the lungs). Now, Miller’s death is said to be one of the first possible deaths caused by vaping. DCU Communications student

Renée Mackey spent some time in the U.S over the summer and said she “unintentionally” switched smoking cigarettes in favour of vaping a JUUL vape. JUUL vapes are very popular in the U.S, with a reputation for being marketed to minors. Mackey said that after a while of using the vape, she began to feel anxious with a racing heart when she was using the JUUL. Mackey does, however, say that she went from smoking 3 cigarettes a day to now not smoking at all. “I think it actually is a good way to get yourself off cigarettes but only if you stop JUULing [vaping] in time before things get bad.” JUUL vapes run off of a pod system instead of using refillable e-liquids, and these pods are known to only be available in much higher nicotine concentrations to regular e-liquids. There are many side effects of nicotine use, including dizziness, nausea, and increased heart rate. Public Health England conducted a study which found that vaping is about 95 per cent less dangerous than smoking, and many individuals and organisations, such as anti-tobacco charity Ash, have called for e-cigarettes to be licensed as medicines. These movements go as far as to suggest that e-cigarettes be provided for free to smokers trying to quit. The U.K’s NHS treat e-cigarettes as another form of nicotine replacement therapy, which has been used by many people for a long time as a safe treatment for those who wish to quit smoking. They have found that the liquid and vapour of e-cigarettes contain some potentially harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke but at much lower levels. Almost all of the harm from smoking comes from the many other chemicals in tobacco smoke, which is not nicotine, but which are toxic. Second-hand vapour also shows no evidence of being harmful to those around you, unlike second-hand smoke which is known to be extremely harmful. Minister for Health Simon Harris has drafted legislation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s, a move which was supported by the Minister’s predecessor James Reilly, in 2014. It is important to note, however, that many e-cigarette retailers already prohibit the sale of their products to under 18s. Also in 2014, the EU proposed that e-cigarettes be banned entirely if three or more member states banned their use in their own countries. Minister Harris has openly disagreed with the decision of politicians to invite vaping company representatives to Leinster House. He says he will “never meet them”, and accused large tobacco industry of targeting

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...the EU proposed that e-cigarettes be banned entirely if three or more member states banned their use in their own countries

Credit: Béibhinn Thorsch

With 19 deaths and counting in the U.S alone, and a mysterious vape-induced lung illness to blame, there are many questions and concerns surrounding the safety of vape products worldwide.

underage people with the sale of e-cigarettes. Party of the Minister’s draft legislation is also said to include the prohibition of tobacco products from self-service vending machines, and at locations which could be seen as intended spaces for children or children’s events. Harris has also said that previous legislation which limited advertising of tobacco products, has now led to the advertisements being replaced with vaping advertisements. Harris says that the companies are targeting teenagers from the ages of 14 and up with “nice colourful things” and tempting flavours. The minister has also asked the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) to carry out a review of the health implications for vaping products and e-cigarettes. This report is due back in March. The European Parliament approved new regulations for tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. These forbid the advertising of e-cigarettes, set limits on maximum concentrations of nicotine in liquids, limit maximum volumes of liquid that can be sold, require child-proof and tamper-proof packaging of liquid, set requirements on purity of ingredients, require that the devices deliver consistent doses of vapor, require disclosure of ingredients and nicotine content, and empower regulators to act if the regulations are violated.

It must be noted that it is up to individual EU countries to develop their own laws with the consideration of the European Parliament regulations, as the regulations themselves are not directly effective. Professor Linda Bauld, a public health expert at Edinburgh University spoke to Public Health England, saying “There is no situation where it would be better for your health to continue smoking rather than switching completely to vaping, it seems highly unlikely that widely available nicotine-containing vaping products, particularly of the type regulated in Europe, are causing these cases.” Public Health England has advised doctors to promote e-cigarettes, advising that vaping carries a small fraction of the risk of smoking. Worldwide, more than 30 countries ban e-cigarettes outright, while multiple European countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy) classify them as tobacco products subject to strict controls. In countries such as Ireland, England, and France, e-cigarettes are sold as consumer products and are controlled by more lax rules.

Features

Storm Lorenzo only the tip of the melting iceberg

Although Ireland has yet to experience a hurricane, it is very possible that this will not be the case for long. Ryan Carrick | Contributor

reefs around the world, and of course, increasingly intensive storms. We are likely to see more of these storms impact Ireland as climate change progresses. July 2019 was the hottest recorded July globally, slightly hotter than July 2016 which was the previous record holder. According to the National Snow & Ice Data Centre, melt runoff of the ice in Greenland was 40 billion times more than the average between 1981 and 2010 during this month. A cloud of smoke bigger than the European Union billowed from fires in Siberia and the Arctic Circle, a normally frozen area crucial to the earth’s cooling system, throughout the summer of 2019. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a UN report on biodiversity, said that 1 million species of plant and animal are at risk of becoming extinct as a result of climate change. These are all indicators that the planet will continue to experience irreparable damage unless steps are made to reverse the effects of climate change. In Ireland, the average tempera-

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Ireland is in a dynamic weather environment, we should never be surprised as to what this could throw at us

Credit: Gerst

n Thursday October 3rd, Twitter was rampant with tweets from workers and students pleading with Storm Lorenzo to give them the day off college, work and school. One tweet read: “Ireland: the only country who wished that the fast approaching hurricane would get even worse... just so we can get the day off work.” This is typical of an amusing yet concerning attitude many people have towards these weather events that are becoming more frequent in Ireland and around the world. Lorenzo reached a category five, the strongest ever hurricane to hit the North Atlantic with winds of 259 km/h at its peak. The first land mass affected by the storm was Portugal’s western Azores before it moved north-easterly towards Ireland and began to decline. Nonetheless, a yellow warning was issued by Met Eireann for Dublin and most of the midlands while Limerick, Galway, Kerry, Mayo and Clare were issued with an orange warning. The storm bashed Ireland’s west coast, which saw torrential rain, heavy seas and fierce winds of up to 130 km/h. The storm left an estimated 4000 homes without power. Lorenzo had dissipated by the time it had moved past Munster and the west of Ulster and left a relatively underwhelming mark on the east, with gusts that were weaker than originally forecast. Unfortunately for those hopeful Lorenzo fans, institutions, including DCU, remained open for business. Comments soon surfaced online that the storm was “over-hyped”. However, University College Cork climatologist Dr Kieran Hickey, said that it is better to be over prepared and wrong than under prepared and wrong. “It’s puerile to be coming out with that kind of thing. It’s in the category of internet trolling,” he said. “Because Ireland is in a dynamic weather environment, we should never be surprised as to what this could throw at us.” Underneath this typical reaction to a freak weather event from the general Irish public, lies a greater problem. Climate change is the biggest challenge that humanity is facing. Globally, we are already seeing rising sea levels, rising temperatures on both land and in sea, damage to coral

ture has risen by 0.7 degrees Celsius between 1890 and 2013. According to the recent study ‘Ireland’s Climate: The Road Ahead’, a further increase of 1.5 degrees above the mean temperature between 1981 and 2010 is expected by the middle of this century. Six of the ten warmest years in Ireland have occurred since 1990, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Although Ireland has yet to experience a hurricane, it is very possible that this will not be the case for long. Speaking to the Irish Times, Professor Peter Thorne of Maynooth University, who is an expert in storms patterns, said that the continuing warming of ocean surfaces, caused by global warming, means oceans are more likely to reach the 26.2 degrees required “to build and maintain tropical cyclones” much like Storm Lorenzo. Students are also alarmed by the increasing frequency of unusual weather events like Storm Lorenzo. Actuarial Mathematics student in DCU, Owen Rogers, said he has certainly noticed a change in weather patterns. “I think of the summer this year and last year,” he said. “There were record temperatures in

Ireland for a longer period. I think of the snow last year, Storm Ophelia and now Storm Lorenzo. I can remember several yellow warnings in Dublin in the last three or four years where I can’t really remember any growing up.” DCU Communications student Thomas Hynes says he believes that the recent changes in weather patterns have had a somewhat positive effect on the Irish climate. “It’s not an ideal situation to have more frequent storms and extreme weather … [because of] the damage it can cause and the expense it creates,” he said. “At the same time, while we may be getting more severe weather during the winter months, there’s been a notable improvement in the weather during recent summer periods with last year’s month-long heatwave being a prime example.” As a member of the EU, Ireland has binding agreements to reduce carbon emissions. The country is expected to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and 30 per cent by 2030. A recent report from the EPA predicts that Ireland will miss its targets by a significant margin. ast year, Ireland was the lowest rated EU country on the Climate Change Performance Index. Although Ireland became the second country to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency in May, there are no real requirements for the government to take action, indicating further steps are needed. “People need to reduce their footprint,” Owen said. “Consider taking the bike or public transport. Taxes need to be increased on fossil fuels. The meat industry is a big contributor. People need to cut down on meat consumption. Little steps can make a big difference.” A week of protests from the Extinction Rebellion began on 8 October in Dublin and other capital cities with the aim of raising awareness of the demands on governments to tackle this climate emergency after traditional methods, such as writing letters, were unsuccessful. Whether this action will conjure a meaningful response from the respective governments is a different question.

Features

The reality of abortion in Northern Ireland

Now that the Repeal movement has succeeded in the majority of Ireland, the movement now turns to focus on the rights of women in Northern Ireland - which are a separate story entirely.

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The abortion pills used in illegal abortion cases… are listed as essential medications by the World Health Organisation

it: Ch loe R

orthern Ireland’s abortion laws are a breach to the human rights commitments, the Belfast high court ruled on Thursday, October 3rd. The current abortion law in Northern Ireland is different from that in the rest of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws saw some women given a 14-year sentence for having an abortion. The Abortion Act 1967 which applies in England, Scotland and Wales has never extended to Northern Ireland. Common law, applied in the UK, has interpreted ‘preserving the life of the woman’ to mean that if a doctor is of the reasonable opinion that the probable consequence of the continuation of the pregnancy is to make a woman a ‘physical or mental wreck’ that will have ‘real and serious’ effects that would be ‘permanent or long term’, then the doctor is ‘operating for the purpose of preserving the life of the woman’. his comes after a case brought by Sarah Ewart in 2013 who was denied an abortion when her scans showed that she was carrying a foetus that would not survive. She had to travel to London to have an abortion and returned to Northern Ireland. Here she began her six-year legal process to change this law for other women who might find themselves in the same situation. According to The Guardian, Mrs. Justice Siobhan Keegan told the courtroom of the testimony Ewart gave explaining the “horror” she endured. “She has been affected by the current law in that she has had to travel to seek an abortion in desperate circumstances...She has had to modify her behaviour in that she could not have medical treatment in Northern Ireland due to the risk of criminal prosecution.” Justice Keegan said that no other woman should have to face what Ewart did and that she had followed the ruling on Thursday that Northern Ireland’s abortion laws breached human rights.

Another case similar to this is a Belfast woman who is facing prosecution for providing her daughter (15) with abortion pills in 2013. This woman will go on trial in November, later this year. This woman said that she has lost all faith in doctors because it was her GP who alerted the police to the case. The woman is facing two charges. Firsly, unlawful procurement of a poison or other noxious thing, namely mifepristone, and misoprostol, knowing that the same was intended to be unlawfully used or employed with intent to procure a miscarriage of the second applicant. Secondly, unlawful supplying a poison or other noxious thing, namely mifepristone, and misoprostol, knowing that the same was intended to be unlawfully used or employed with intent to procure a miscarriage of the second applicant. The abortion pills used in illegal abortion cases are Mifepristone and Misoprostol which are listed as essential medications by the World Health Organisation. Women in Nothern Ireland buy these pills illegally

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Roisin Maguire| Lifestyle Editor @roisin_maguire1

online and take these without medical supervision, risking their lives because they cannot afford to travel for a safe abortion. Amnesty International published details of this case on their website in 2018 and outlined how it goes much deeper than just providing abortion pills. They said: “At the time, the daughter was in a physically and mentally abusive relationship. When she became pregnant, she sought her mother’s support and assistance to have an abortion, having decided she did not want to continue with the pregnancy. When the pregnancy was terminated, they went to their GP seeking counselling services to deal with issues around the relationship. During the appointment, they disclosed the use of the pills.” Speaking with the chairperson of DCU’s feminism society, Eimear Kelly said: “We at femsoc are ecstatic to hear of the high court ruling as it represents a real step in the right direction regarding reproductive rights in Northern Ireland. We have always be-

lieved abortion access in an all-island issue and are so thankful that pregnant persons in Northern Ireland are one step closer to seeing legal abortion care becoming a reality.” She went on to say that their society“will continue to fight alongside those in need of abortive care until access to treatment is seen as the human right it should be seen as. This is truly a victory in our eyes but we are not giving up the fight just yet.” Currently, in the Republic of Ireland, many people still participate in protests such as March for Choice so that women in the north can access safe health care that is provided for free, the same health care that women in the republic can now access. The UK Government has since published guidelines that medical professionals will follow on abortion law and the termination of pregnancy. These guidelines outline that “if the Northern Ireland Executive has not reformed on or before 21 October 2019”, these laws will not be implemented. This report stated that only 12 abortions were performed in Northern Ireland under the current laws in 2017 and 2018. It also said: “In 2018, 1,053 women travelled to England from Northern Ireland for an abortion procedure funded by the UK Government and other women may have chosen to travel to other countries including Scotland.” If Stormont assembly is not restored by the 21st of October, medical professionals who are approached by a woman considering an abortion, must “provide her with the number for the Central Booking Service in England or call the helpline on behalf of the woman.” If developed government is not running by that date, the government will introduce new regulations to provide better access to abortions by April 2020. Amnesty International who offered support of the Ewart case said that this is a legal landmark. “Today’s ruling shows just how urgently we need change so that we can access this healthcare without having to travel and without being treated as criminals.” The Democratic Unionist Party, who are against abortion have made no comment on this.

Sport

Luke Towey heads to Aussie Rules

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Towey recently signed with the Gold Coast Suns

Daniel Phelan | Contributor

Credit: Laszlo Geczo INPHO

CU student Luke Towey has signed with the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). Towey has signed with the Queensland based AFL club as a Category B Rookie ahead of the 2020 season. He will make the move down to Australia at the end of this month to begin preparation for a demanding season ahead. The St Molaise Gaels and Sligo footballer will be a big loss to the DCU football team this year, having already won an All-Ireland with the university back in 2018 as a fresher under manager Brendan Gillen. The AFL scouting process began just under 12 months ago. Athletes were handpicked from various county panels across the nation to undergo a gruelling two-day fitness and skills testing event at UCD. However, from those hopefuls, only four were selected to travel down to Melbourne and hone their skills in front of clubs in the hope of earning a contract. “I was lucky enough to be called back to the Gold Coast Suns for an opportunity and I did everything I could to be prepared for it and gave it my all,’’ said Towey. There is an already established Irish presence that awaits Towey on the Gold Coast in the shape of former Mayo footballer and future teammate, Pearce Hanley. “He’s been brilliant. He’s always messaging me and going back and forth so he’s a really good mentor to have. He’s someone I’d look

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I was lucky enough to be called back to the Gold Coast Suns for an opportunity and I did everything I could to be prepared for it

up to and someone I’d try and mimic my game from, he’s been out there years and he knows the game so well so I’ll be working closely with him,” said Towey. The attraction of a professional lifestyle was hard to refuse, and for Towey, the “the chance to improve yourself” and to “test yourself against lads that are training everyday professionally” was far too good a proposition to pass up. The challenge of playing a sport he hasn’t yet played competitively does not faze Towey, “The game is completely different in terms of tactics and how the game is read. It’s difficult to

It’s something that I really want and something I’m willing to give everything to pick up but the only way to do that is by watching as much tape as you can and that’s what I intend on doing.” As for getting used to playing with a different ball, “I’ve been practicing with that now for the past twelve months and the coaches are going to work with me solely to develop those skills.” Relishing the chance he has earned, Towey is adamant on making the most of where he has positioned himself, “It’s something that I really want and something that I’m willing to give everything to”.

DCU to host Rockclimbing Intervarsities DCU will host the competition in February 2020

hen it comes to sport in DCU, rock climbing is never one that jumps immediately into your head but with the sport being introduced to the Summer Olympics and DCU hosting the Intervarsity’s in 2020 there seems to be a buzz around for rock climbing supporters. “It’s a great achievement in the fact we are hosting the intervarsities in February 2020. Many competitors in DCU came very close in the past and we won it once in 2005,” said Inclusivity Officer Matthew Gault. With speed rock climbing being the newest sport introduced to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, DCU will introduce speed rock climbing into the intervarsities campaign in February in honour of the Olympics. The DCU rock climbing club was

founded in October 1992 by applied physics and electronic engineering postgrads. From small beginnings, it didn’t take long for the club to take off and the climbing wall was opened for use early in the DCU minor hall in 1993. The club took immediate advantage of its new training facility, and in October 1993, DCU hosted the inaugural round of the Irish Bouldering League, an indoor climbing competition, which continues annually to this day in climbing walls around the country during the winter period. This went a long way to promoting the name of DCU climbers among the national climbing community, as we have always been strongly represented in these competitions. From the early beginnings DCU rock climbing has grown in numbers to have steadily over 200 members every year. “This year we had 200 sign ups which is absolutely fantastic. We are a very social and welcoming club; we don’t tend to be strict and we take all ranges of competitors,” said Gault. The club has and will always put its

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It’s a great achievement in the fact we are hosting the intervarsities

Credit:Cynthia Belio

Conor Breslin | Sports Editor @ConorBreslin10

emphasis on outdoor climbing with trips to Wales, the Burren and Glendalough. Regular outings to Dalkey Quarry in County Dublin also take place and we will be going there on our first trip in week four,” said Gault. With its high number of members and top-class facilities, DCU rock climbing always pride themselves on

the safety of their competitors. “I always felt you would injure yourself more playing football than climbing. We always put the safety of our members first, of course there has been some injuries through bad falls, but it’s quite limited,” said Gault.

Sport

Credit:Ruairi Carberry

DCU Ladies fall in opening game to strong UCD second half performance

fresh faced DCU ladies rugby side fell victim to disciplined UCD in a 24-5 defeat on the St Claire’s astro, only managing to post a score in the first half. Showers during the warm up set up slippery conditions for the game’s

opening phases, both sides having some handling errors in the first 10 minutes as the players battled in the middle third. Both sides forced turnovers and struggled to keep the ball for more than five or six phases. It was apparent that the first score probably was not going to be a result of a long build up, and sure enough a fantastic counter attacking burst of speed from UCD ended in a try for winger Ali Norman, the conversion

Late DCU comeback secures losing bonus point against reigning champions Carlow

Shane Brennan | Deputy Sports Editor @ShaneBrennan247

ell-drilled IT Carlow walked away with a 20-14 victory from a floodlit DCU astro, but the home side will be pleased that they ended the game with a strong final 15 minutes to secure a bonus point The blistering pace of the game was set from the start with IT Carlow’s Niall Finnegan using great speed to carry the ball into the DCU 22 after the kickoff. Carlow’s inside centre Isacc Mansfield-Daly missed an early penalty opportunity. In the early phases DCU planned to use their speed to break through the notoriously strong Carlow defence, opting to kick and run rather than try to plough through and break tackles. What turned out to be a crucial difference in the game were the lineouts, DCU starting a bad trend with their first of the game not being straight. As the game continued its high

tempo DCU showed their power in the scrum, completely driving Carlow’s forwards in almost every scrum of the first half in an impressive display. As the teams traded possessions Carlow’s offence was halted from getting an early try by some key plays, notably an ankle grab by flyhalf Evan Palmer and an intercepted crossfield kick by winger Ciarán Fennesy. The excellent defensive plays did not last forever though. A DCU lineout went straight into the hands of Carlow number eight Jake Martin, whose sweet handoff two metres from the tryline set up flanker Jamie Kavanagh for the game’s first try, the conversion attempt missed by Mansfield-Daly. IT Carlow pressed on and showed and displayed impressive play from the lineout, the well formulated side communicating well, winning the ball and moving it openside with ease and great speed. This didn’t deter DCU however, who still applied pressure and forced a turnover a few times from these plays. DCU lost another lineout, and IT Carlow used the possession to

attempt by outhalf Christine Coffey successful. Soon after UCD gained possession again, this time being more disciplined and holding onto the ball well. A huge ground gain by scrum-half Aoife Byrne brought college to within five metres, a sweet handoff to winger Ray Lawless ending in UCD’s second try of the day after just 12 minutes, the conversion attempt missed from a tight angle.

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DCU had many promising plays in the final third of the pitch, but couldn’t convert them into scores. Eventually the pressure DCU was applying on UCD waned and the visitors bounced back with a five minute period of their own pressure, which was kickstarted by a bad DCU lineout. Unlike the hosts UCD managed to turn their pressure into a score, fullback Aoife O’Shaughnessy touching down for the third try. Coffey missed the conversion attempt. DCU bounced back with more pressure in the opposition half, showing off their potential for great interplay. However they once again couldn’t get over the line, and a fantastic UCD counter attack spearheaded by Coffey led to their fourth and last try of the match, touched down by centre Roisin Crowe and converted by Coffey. After the game UCD manager Alice O’Callaghan said the game “at times got a little bit frantic, a little bit messy”, but added that “it was great for the new girls in UCD who get their first cap for the college.” Meanwhile DCU manager Larissa Muldoon looked forward to building the squad, saying that “we have six, seven freshers in the team, it’s a brand new team from last season and especially with DCU entering the Leinster League we’ve lost a few players to the club”.

providing the immediate response DCU needed. In the second half DCU’s scrum wasn’t as dominant as it was in the first half, however their lineouts improved and turned into some chances which should have been profitable. DCU just couldn’t seem to get over the line in the game’s third quarter, despite being within five metres four times. IT Carlow still had their chances, but some last minute defending saved DCU from going even further behind, a try for Carlow would almost certainly derail DCU’s momentum as they rallied for a losing bonus point. Great bursts from DCU number eight Ruadhán Byron kept the drive for a comeback going, especially when picking the ball up out of scrums that IT Carlow looked strong in. The pressure culminated in a DCU scrum with less than 10 minutes of play left,

a crossfield kick from fullback Nathan Bourgeois controlled by Fennesy to get DCU to within metres, the following plays eventually led a try by replacement forward Aidan O’Kane, the conversion by Bourgeois successful without using a tee. As the clock turned red, DCU added a second try to close the gap and secure the bonus point, a counter attack after IT Carlow pushed them back as far as their own five led to a last gasp try, the conversion by Bourgeois closed the gap to six but it was too little too late for DCU’s chance of winning the game. Afterwards DCU coach Brian Fitzpatrick said “compared to last year we lost this game 50-odd to 15 … we’re stronger as a club this year considering we’ve only had one training session this year ... A bit of cohesion and this group will be way better than last year”.

A bit of cohesion and this group will be way better than last year force play into the opposition 22. A few phases later they forced another turnover, which ended in a try for Mansfield-Daly with a great burst of speed to put Carlow 10 ahead. The then proceeded to miss his third kick of the night. After some attrition play the visitors executed another perfect lineout. Carlow hooker Ben Devlin found space and broke though DCU’s line after the ball moved from openside back to the right wing where the lineout was taken, his handoff to second row Conor Murphy led to Carlow’s third try of the night, the kick missed this time by fullback Sam Dunne. An uphill battle for DCU as they went into the Second Half 15-0 behind, and within two minutes of the restart the deficit was extended to 20 points with a quickfire try by Jake Martin, the kick missed this time by centre Cormac Murray. Throughout the rest of the half DCU had plenty of chances to get themselves on the scoreboard, prop Michael Power coming agonisingly close to

Credit:Ruairi Carberry

Shane Brennan | Deputy Sports Editor @ShaneBrennan247

As the game progressed both sides attempted to use brute force to break through the defence, DCU hoping to start a bursting attack of their own. Powerful forwards such as DCU’s Kate Jordan made the game more physical, DCU gained more territory and did a better job of getting into the UCD 22, only to lose the ball as they neared the tryline. The physicality made way to more missed tackles by UCD. DCU winger Louise McCleery made good ground but couldn’t get the home side over the line. Eventually DCU pressure after the scrum broke UCD’s defence, a turnover on the 22 leading to a try on 20 minutes by Hannah Heskin, who missed the conversion attempt. The second quarter of the game was relatively uneventful, both sides trading possessions in the DCU half, the visitors struggling to add to their 12-5 lead before the break. DCU applied pressure on the visitors from the off in the second half, their momentum contained only game a game stoppage for an injury to UCD prop Geena Behan. As the half wore on DCU went backwards while in possession with a few individual breakthroughs and turnovers by Casey O’Brien and Nicola Gibson proving to be the most productive in the first 10 minutes of the half.

Sport

Smith bows out of World Elites in Siberia Conor Breslin|Sports Editor @ConorBreslin10

avan flyweight Smith was edged out on a 3-2 split decision by defending world champion and number one seed Mi Choi Pang from North Korea. Smith started well and probably shaded the first round. Indeed, Pang was on the floor late in the round, but it was ruled as a slip. Pang was on top in the second round while neither fighter managed to land a telling blow in the final round. In such a tight contest, the odds were always going to favour the reigning champion and so it proved, though it was a desperately close call. Three of the judges (30-27, 2928, 29-28) sided with Pang while on the other side two gave the decision to Smith (29-28, 29-28). “I’m still obviously gutted over the whole thing. I think I started very well, but she was able to change her tactics very quickly and by the third round it was more

of a wrestling match,” Smith told The College View. “I enjoyed going in as the underdog because I had nothing to lose. I most recently fought the number two in the world so I knew the level I had to reach if I wanted to win,” said Smith. The 27-year-old flyweight who weighs in at 51kg began boxing when she was 15 and has credited DCU boxing club and coaches like Derek Ahern for turning her into the fighter she is today. “I think DCU boxing club is as professional and as organised as you will find from any club in Ireland. You can clearly see why it won club of the year four times,” said Smith. Smith, who graduated from DCU with a degree in sports science and health in 2018, left the sport of boxing for a short time when she was on placement but returned to the game due to the persuasion of DCU boxing club. In 2012, Smith was ranked top 12 in the world and in the past has won an incredible 6 senior league titles. Smith is now focusing on the

Credit: Harry Engles

There was no joy for Irish boxer and DCU graduate Céire Smith in her last sixteen bout at the World Women’s Elite Championships in the Siberian city of Ulan-Ude

European qualifying campaign in London next February which will be her first step to getting to the Olympics in Tokyo 2020. “I’ll take a few days rest but then I’m entirely focus on Feb-

ruary. I’ll be training five days a week, working on strength, fitness and studying the opposition,” Smith said. The Cavan native will have another opportunity to qualify in

the World qualifying campaign in Paris next April if she fails in February but has admitted she doesn’t want that to be an option.

nority sport in Ireland. “When I grew up in Tallaght there was a swimming pool, Balrothery Swimming Pool, not far down my estate. I was first taking to swimming lessons at the age of three. When we were all learning the basics of swimming like the front crawl, I was bouncing in and out of the water like a dolphin. I just felt comfortable doing it, so I think that was the start of me doing the butterfly stroke and here I am doing it all these years later,” said

Hyland. While speaking of his love for the sport, Hyland admits that it took him time to excel and dominate at swimming. “I didn’t really start to get good at swimming until I was about 14. All the other lads who I was competing against were so much bigger and taller than me, so when I reached the same size as the other competitors I quickly went from a swimmer who wasn’t winning anything at U16 competitions to placing in the European Junior

Championships and breaking the Irish Junior and Senior record.” “I knocked 20 seconds off my 200m butterfly, which is a seriously significant drop and I was two seconds away from an Olympic qualification time for Rio 2016,” Hyland told The College View. Even though Hyland has just finished his studies in Accounting & Finance, he is still active within the university through coaching roles and can swim with DCU for another year.

Conor Breslin|Sports Editor @ConorBreslin10

yland from Tallaght swam a time of 1:56:55 placing sixth in his semi-final of the 200m butterfly. However, he was just seven-hundredths of a second outside the Tokyo qualifying mark. His semi-final time was the second time in a day he'd set a new Irish best time, after swimming a 1:57:21 in the heats. This was on top of him already breaking two Irish national records back in December 2018. Speaking of the World Championships Hyland said: “I was obviously disappointed that I didn’t qualify but you have to move on and look at the positives, it was the best swim of my life.” Hyland will have another chance to make the Tokyo 2020 grade at the Swim Ireland Olympic Trials in April next year in Blanchardstown. “My plan at the moment is to build up and do plenty of gym work in preparation for the upcoming European short-course championships in Glasgow on December 4th and then after Christmas get my fitness back in preparation for April,” said Hyland. Hyland, who was only recently named Irish Swimmer of the Year recalls how he got into what is a mi-

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I was obviously disappointed that I didn’t qualify but you have to move on and look at the positives, it was the best swim of my life

Credit: RTE

Hyland sets his sights on Tokyo 2020

Inside Hyland sets his sights on Tokyo 2020 pg 23

DCU pledge to 20x20 campaign to support female students in sport

CU and 23 other colleges and universities around Ireland recently signed the 20x20 charter to support women in

sport. 20x20 aims to change the perception of women’s sport in Ireland by 2020. The campaign wants a 20 per cent increase in media coverage of women’s sport, in female participation in sport and in attendance at women’s games and events. “It’s not just a campaign or an initiative, it’s more of a movement to change how sport is viewed,” said Yvonne McGowan, Senior Sports Development Officer at DCU. McGowan said DCU plan to give clubs the opportunity to apply for funding through the Club Life Committee. With this funding, clubs would have the power to increase female involvement in sports through their own ideas and events. “We want to empower students to take ownership and to run fun events and activities that they would like to run,” said McGowan. McGowan, who is a member of Student Sport Ireland’s Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing Committee, said she wanted colleges and universities involved in 20x20 since she became aware of it. McGowan contacted 20x20 because she felt that colleges are a large sector representing over 200,000 students and they needed a plan specifically tailored to them. “It’s a critical transition point where students and girls particularly drop out of sport. They move from organised school structures, they’ve even began to whittle off around secondary school.” Louise McCleery, media and politics student and PRO of the Club Life Committee, said that a lot of teenage girls stop playing sport in school because they think they don’t have the time. McCleery said it was around the final two years of secondary school when she noticed her friends and teammates dropping out of sport. “[They think they] don’t have enough time or that it’s actually a hindrance to them going out and doing an hour of training because they think they’re wasting time or they’re not having enough time to study,” she said.

“Around that age you’ve a million and one things going on in your head and sport probably just gets put down the list.” McCleery said one of the best things she did in college was getting involved in DCU’s rugby team when she was in first year. “I’d even say the majority of my friends are the rugby girls,” she said. “I’ve built such a bond with these girls...straight away you have a base, you have a group of people who are already involved in the college for years, but you also have new people coming in.” McCleery said they plan to hold leadership talks where successful women in sport visit DCU and give a talk. They would also meet clubs and other DCU students to boost awareness of women in sport. The 20x20 movement is not only about women athletes, but also includes women coaches and administrators. McGowan said DCU will have opportunities for volunteer female coaches. She said the Club Life Committee will also give students interested in coaching funding towards their development as a coach. “We can get more students onto

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It’s a critical transition point where students and girls particulary drop out of sport

Credit : DCU

Courtney Fitzmaurice | Deputy Sports Editor @courtneyfitz100

coaching courses and kind of inspire and model by having more females involved.” 20x20 is a very social media driven campaign, and McGowan said DCU will use its media to profile women in sport who wouldn’t usually get coverage. “A lot of the media stuff people see is high profile, which is fantastic because that’s what gets coverage, but I’d love to as part of this get some students who have a story to tell,” she said. McCleery said this would give students a chance to get to know not just “high performance athletes”, but also “regular” students. DCU’s Director of Sports and Wellbeing, James Galvin said this will “raise the profile of our female athletes, our female participants in physical activity and then that will embed itself in our minds and it becomes as normal as seeing men on the back of the newspapers.” McGowan recognised that sport is

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It becomes as normal as seeing men on the back of the newspapers

not for everyone and said that DCU have plans to get women involved in physical activity without having to join a club. McGowan said DCU Students’ Union purchased sports equipment, such as hurls and rounders bats, that students can borrow as they wish. McGowan would also like to have yoga and pilates courses at lunchtime. DCU women are actually more active than women at other universities according to the Student Activity and Sports Study Ireland (SASSI) report in 2016. The report states that 58 per cent of female students surveyed in Ireland were highly active, while at DCU 76 per cent were considered highly active. However, McGowan said that this does not give the college an excuse to stop improving. By the end of October DCU have to report back to 20x20 about what pillars they will support and what their plans are for promoting women in sport.